Endless Winter - My Camp Upgrades Infinitely #200-400
Author: 半壶生姜水
Date: 2025-09-02T12:18:35+00:00

Chapter 230: Tricking the Gate, The Third Party, Yuwen Tao of Great Xia

“Stop him!”

At Hou Ming’s sharp cry, Hou Ying and Hou Bing, who were beside him, shot into action, rushing toward the sides of the iron gate to block Wu Tianxing’s entry.

However, how could their speed possibly match the well-prepared Chen Yingba?

The moment he heard Wu Tianxing’s voice, Chen Yingba raised a hand, signaling the men behind the iron gate to open it a little wider.

As the gap in the gate widened slightly, he charged to the edge and swung his greatsword in a savage arc, driving back the approaching Hou Bing and Hou Ying.

Clang…

The staff and sword struck simultaneously, colliding head-on with the greatsword. The terrifying impact sent Chen Yingba staggering back a full five or six meters. He could no longer hold back the blood surging up from his chest and spat out a mouthful.

“Hahaha, Old Wu, well done!”

Yet, despite being wounded by Hou Bing and Hou Ying, Chen Yingba broke into a triumphant grin. At the very last second, Wu Tianxing had successfully made it through the gate.

“Close the gate! Now!”

Chen Yingba reacted quickly. Seeing Hou Bing and Hou Ying, who had just sent him flying, now charging for the gate, he didn’t even wipe the blood from his lips before roaring orders at the two hundred men frantically pulling the chains on either side of the gate.

“Hnngh… Argh…”

The two hundred men responded instantly. On their leader’s command, they began to heave backward, pulling on the chains to raise the iron gate.

“Hehehe…”

But at that very moment, Wu Tianxing let out a cold laugh.

“Old Wu, what are you laughing at?” Chen Yingba asked instinctively, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

“Now that it’s open, closing it won’t be so simple!”

Wu Tianxing threw his head back and laughed. Lin Ye, whom he had been carrying, suddenly sprang to life and charged directly toward the chain on the left side of the gate.

Simultaneously, Wu Tianxing rushed toward the chain on the right.

Whoosh…

Lin Ye’s body moved like a colossal elephant, his fists striking like ferocious dragons. The terrifying impact of a Frostwarden realm expert instantly turned the first five or six men at the front of the left chain into meat paste. A flurry of subsequent punches sent a dozen more flying. Caught completely off guard, the hundred men pulling the left chain instantly fell into disarray.

Splurt…

Wu Tianxing’s side was even more outrageous. He unleashed over ten sword slashes in an instant, cutting the dozen men at the front of the right chain in half. He continued his charge forward, and the sheer fury of his sword strikes terrified the men behind, who dropped their chains and scattered in panic.

This sudden, catastrophic turn of events left not only Chen Yingba stunned, but everyone else present completely bewildered.

Clank, clank, clank…

With no one controlling the chains, they began to retract on their own.

At the same time, the iron gate, which had only been opened to a gap of less than two meters, began to swing wide open.

“Wu Tianxing, you traitor! Ahhhh!”

Chen Yingba’s furious roar finally snapped everyone back to their senses.

He wasn’t merely shouting. Though his curses were aimed at Wu Tianxing, he drew his greatsword and charged directly toward Lin Ye on the left side of the gate.

The reason was simple: he could see that the wide gash on Lin Ye’s chest was still bleeding profusely, a clear sign that he was still severely wounded.

Kill Lin Ye first, then deal with Wu Tianxing!

“Don’t retreat! Earthforger realm experts, fill the gaps and grab the chains! If that gate opens completely, we’re all finished! The rest of you, attack! Kill that traitor Wu Tianxing!”

Chen Yingba forced back the rampaging Lin Ye with a single strike, then charged at him again with reckless abandon. At the same time, he didn’t forget to issue orders to the others.

His reaction and adaptability were, by all accounts, top-notch.

But Wu Tianxing’s betrayal had come far too suddenly.

“Hahahaha! Brothers, charge!”

Moreover, Hou Ming and the Zhaoyang forces, who had been waiting eagerly outside the gate, would not let such a perfect opportunity pass.

Hou Ming led the charge. With Chen Yingba too preoccupied to defend the gate, he stormed right through. Hou Ying and Hou Bing followed close behind, and after them came the massive contingent of Zhaoyang forces that had already gathered in Tunnel Number One.

Swish, swish, swish…

In the Hive’s main area, quite a few people reacted in time, quickly firing arrows at the gate’s opening in an attempt to stop the intruders.

But with the chains uncontrolled, the opening grew ever wider. Thanks to the chaos caused by Wu Tianxing and Lin Ye, the area behind the gate was already a complete mess. The volley of arrows from this small group was far from forming a proper barrage and naturally failed to stop the advance.

The first to enter, Hou Ming, wasted no words and charged straight for Lin Ye. He was clearly worried that the injured man might meet with an accident and went to help him deal with Chen Yingba.

Hou Bing, who entered after him, went to the right to assist Wu Tianxing, who was besieged by a large group of the Hive’s Earthforger realm experts.

The last to enter, Hou Ying, brandished his long staff. Looking at the teeming mass of Hive forces behind the gate, he grinned viciously and shouted to the Zhaoyang troops behind him:

“Hahahaha! Brothers, this is more like it! For the past two days, they’ve killed so many of us in these tunnels. Today, it’s finally their turn! Kill them! Let’s kill until we’ve had our fill!”

“Kill!”

“Seven hundred of our brothers didn’t die for nothing! Kill these dogs from the Hive!”

“Brothers, charge!”

…

The Zhaoyang forces had clearly been bottling up a great deal of frustration in the tunnels over the past two days.

Now that they had finally broken into the main area, all their pent-up hatred was unleashed in an instant. They roared as they charged the Hive defenders behind the gate, their morale soaring to its peak.

As for the Hive’s forces, they had been stunned twice in quick succession—first by the traitor Wu Tianxing, then by the resurrected Lin Ye. Disrupted by two Frostwarden realm experts, not only was their formation in complete disarray, but their morale had also plummeted.

With two forces in such contrasting states clashing, the outcome was not hard to predict.

Crucially, without the confines of the tunnels, the Zhaoyang forces could now use their bows on a large scale. Their bows were fine, not much different from the Hive’s iron ones, but their iron arrows were another story.

The iron arrows from the Zhaoyang camp all carried a faint bloody tint, and their piercing power upon being fired was clearly much greater than that of ordinary iron arrows.

With this, there was even less suspense.

The Hive forces were beaten back step by step. In what seemed like an instant, they were driven back one or two hundred meters, not only ceding the entire area around the iron gate but also allowing the surging Zhaoyang forces to completely surround Chen Yingba and the group of Earthforger realm experts who were besieging Wu Tianxing and Hou Bing.

Clang…

Chen Yingba’s eyes burned with fury as he swung his greatsword at Lin Ye’s neck. The ferocious power caused the blade’s edge to condense into a visible force in mid-air. But just as it was half an inch from Lin Ye’s neck, another greatsword swept in from the side, blocking his attack.

The two blades clashed, and the force of the impact slammed Lin Ye, who was beneath them, flat onto the ground.

Refusing to yield, Chen Yingba drew back his sword, bent down, and struck at Lin Ye again.

Clang…

However, the sword in Hou Ming’s hand stuck to him like a leech, once again blocking his path. At the same time, Hou Ming managed to pull Lin Ye away from the path of his blade.

“Something’s not right!”

A cold smile touched Hou Ming’s lips. He was about to speak to Chen Yingba when Lin Ye, whom he had just pulled up, suddenly muttered in a low voice.

Not right?

“What’s not right?”

Lin Ye was clutching his chest, looking extremely weak. He scanned the two warring factions on the periphery of the main area, his brow twitching. He said quickly, “The one who ambushed and wounded me… it wasn’t Chen Yingba!”

Hou Ming froze at his words, turning to stare at Chen Yingba with a grave expression.

It wasn’t just Hou Ming; Chen Yingba was also stunned when he heard Lin Ye.

He looked at the wide gash on Lin Ye’s chest, realizing the man was saying that he hadn’t been the one to inflict that wound. His brow immediately furrowed.

When he had encountered the injured Lin Ye in the tunnel earlier, he had assumed Wu Tianxing was responsible. Now that Wu Tianxing had been exposed as a mole who had brought the heavily injured Lin Ye in to trick them into opening the gate, it was obvious he couldn’t have been the one to inflict the wound.

So, all this time, Lin Ye had thought he was the one who had ambushed him.

Chen Yingba had ambushed Lin Ye, but when he did, Lin Ye already had that wound on his chest. What did the man mean by what he just said?

Could it be… there was another Frostwarden realm expert?

Chen Yingba’s expression stiffened, and his face instantly turned pale.

That’s right!

The Hive’s count showed they had only killed just over three hundred enemies, yet when Hou Ying charged to the gate just now, he had claimed that Zhaoyang had lost over seven hundred men.

At the time, he assumed the other four hundred must have been killed by Wu Tianxing’s men and just hadn’t been tallied yet. He had even been secretly pleased.

Now, struck by a sudden realization and recalling what Lin Ye had just said, Chen Yingba’s expression turned to one of horror. His gaze drifted involuntarily toward the now wide-open iron gate.

“The large group I encountered in Tunnel Number Eleven were all masked. They wore pale gold armor, their main weapons were various types of blades, and every man carried an iron-core bow. The arrows they shot had an impact force of over ten thousand kilograms. The leader who ambushed me was also masked, wore tight-fitting black clothes, and wielded a giant broadsword. He was much stronger than Chen Yingba!”

Hearing Lin Ye’s words, Hou Ming’s expression turned incredibly grave.

For the past two days, with Chen Yingba setting off signal smoke and constantly changing the tunnel codes, they had wasted half their time just trying to decipher the codes.

It wasn’t until nightfall yesterday, after they had confirmed most of the tunnel numbers, that they followed the intelligence Wu Tianxing had provided. They split into four groups, with each of the four Frostwarden realm experts leading about four hundred men to control tunnels Seven, Eleven, Eighteen, and Twenty-one—the four that connected to Tunnel Number One.

It was from the moment they split up that they suffered heavy losses.

In the first two days, Chen Yingba, relying on his familiarity with the tunnels and home-field advantage, had led his men to release signal smoke and launch harassing attacks from the shadows. Although they had some success, they had killed at most two or three hundred of Zhaoyang’s men in total—not a devastating loss.

But once they split up last night, things went wrong. In Tunnel Number Eleven, Lin Ye was ambushed and gravely wounded, and nearly ninety percent of the four hundred men under his command were killed.

Such a massive loss had filled Hou Ming and the other two with extreme fury.

At the time, they had all assumed it was Chen Yingba who had ambushed Lin Ye.

In the first two days, because Chen Yingba’s men were constantly setting off signal smoke in the tunnels, not only did the Hive’s men wear masks, but Zhaoyang’s men also used wet cloths to cover their faces. That was why they had been so certain.

But now, hearing Lin Ye’s words, not only was Chen Yingba not his attacker, but the group he encountered in Tunnel Number Eleven wasn’t from the Hive either.

Hou Ming looked toward the two warring sides in the main area, focusing on the Hive’s forces further inside. He saw that not a single one was wearing pale gold armor. His expression froze instantly.

A terrifying guess surfaced in his mind, and, just like Chen Yingba, he glanced toward the back of the iron gate.

What Hou Ming didn’t know was that as soon as Lin Ye had spoken, Chen Yingba’s expression had changed dramatically, his face alternating between shades of green and white in rapid succession.

“A broadsword… tight-fitting black clothes… could it be Yuwen Hu? It must be him. Jing Xian was annexed by Great Xia, so Yuwen Hu must be with Great Xia now. That means it’s not just Zhaoyang that has designs on the Hive, but Great Xia as well…”

By now, the unstoppable Zhaoyang forces had already pushed the battlefield to the buildings in the center of the Hive’s main area, some four or five hundred meters from the iron gate.

With their momentum at its peak, they should have pressed their advantage.

But Hou Ming suddenly shuddered, as if waking from a dream, and roared at the Zhaoyang forces, “Stop advancing! Everyone, fall back to the gate! Secure the gate! Move, move, move!”

His voice was tinged with haste and panic. Not only were the three Frostwarden realm experts—Hou Bing, Hou Ying, and Wu Tianxing—baffled, but the other Earthforger realm experts in the midst of slaughtering the enemy also showed looks of confusion.

“What are you all standing around for?! Follow my orders, now! Hurry!”

Hou Ming continued to roar. Though Hou Bing and the other two Frostwarden experts still didn’t understand his reasoning, they quickly began to move toward the iron gate.

Seeing the three Frostwarden experts move, the rest of the Zhaoyang forces also began to retreat.

Only, this retreat was clearly a bit too late.

Whoosh…

A crude black arrow suddenly shot out from the tunnel.

Screech…

The speeding arrow streaked through the air inside the cavern, leaving a trail of sparks. It was moving so fast it altered the air currents, creating a sharp whistling sound.

That unusual whistle alone was enough to prove the arrow’s terrifying power.

“Tricks and specters! Who goes there?”

Despite this, there was always someone who refused to believe.

Hou Ying, who had faced the least pressure just moments ago, seemed to have gotten carried away by the thrill of the slaughter.

While Hou Ming, Hou Bing, and Wu Tianxing all paled at the power of the arrow, he alone let out a furious bellow, charged straight through the iron gate, and rushed into the tunnel.

“Hou Ying, get out of the way!”

Hou Ming’s warning came too late.

Of course, Hou Ying wasn’t foolish enough to take the arrow with his body. As he dodged to the side, he swung the long staff in his hands to parry it.

But the instant his staff met the arrow, his expression changed completely.

Clang…

The terrifying force of the arrow sent his entire body off balance. The impact tore open the skin between his thumb and index finger, and if his staff hadn’t been made of extraordinary material, it likely would have snapped in two.

Thud!

The arrow’s residual force alone was enough to knock Hou Ying to the ground, where he slid back a full three meters.

When Hou Ying scrambled up, his expression was incredibly grave, stripped of all its earlier disbelief.

Hou Ming, Hou Bing, and Wu Tianxing had also arrived. Seeing the wretched state Hou Ying was in after being struck by the arrow, all three of them felt their pupils constrict.

But this was only the beginning.

Thump… thump… thump…

As a wave of urgent, excited footsteps echoed from the tunnel, the expressions of Hou Ming and the other two darkened. The Zhaoyang forces behind them were stunned, while the distant Hive members showed a glimmer of hope.

A young man clad in pale gold armor was the first to emerge from the tunnel. Seeing the situation in the main area, his face lit up with intense excitement. He charged forward while quickly taking a longbow from his back.

Then came a second, a third, a fourth…

In a matter of moments, a teeming mass of over a thousand men poured out of the tunnel. Like the first man, all one thousand were clad in pale gold armor. The first thing they did upon exiting the tunnel was to unshoulder their longbows, nock iron arrows, and take aim indiscriminately at the front ranks of the Zhaoyang forces.

Only after the thousand men had emerged did three figures slowly walk out from the tunnel.

The one in the lead did not look old. His features were sharp, and he was dressed in a tight black combat uniform, holding a giant broadsword. His expression was full of challenge as he looked at the people in the main area.

Behind him, to his left and right, were two middle-aged men. The one on the left still held a powerful bow, its string trembling slightly. It was clear that the arrow that had sent Hou Ying flying had been fired by him.

The young man in black raised his head and scanned the entire main area, his gaze pausing on Hou Ming and the other two Frostwarden experts. When he saw Lin Ye behind them, a smile touched his lips. He then faced the crowd, clasped his fist in his palm in a salute, and announced in a clear voice:

“Yuwen Tao of Great Xia. I hope I’m not interrupting?”

Chapter 231: A Just Cause and the Full Story of the Infiltration

Great Xia?

Not only Hou Ming, Hou Bing, Hou Ying, and the four severely injured Frostwarden realm cultivators including Lin Ye, but everyone in the Zhaoyang camp, and even most of the people from Hive, showed a hint of confusion upon hearing this unfamiliar camp name.

Only Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, and a handful of Hive members’ expressions changed.

“It’s a massive camp southeast of Hive. Their leader, Xia Hong, defeated He Yuanhun and seized what was originally Jing Xian’s territory. We don’t have many details, but that Xia Hong is extremely powerful. He once defeated Chen Yingyuan with ease. If Chen Yingba and I hadn’t been there at the time, Xia Hong probably would have killed him…”

Wu Tianxing quickly walked behind Hou Ming and whispered in his ear.

As soon as Wu Tianxing finished, Lin Ye immediately added, “When this Yuwen Tao ambushed me in the tunnel last night, his strength was around five Manes!”

Hearing the words of Wu Tianxing and Lin Ye, Hou Ming glanced at the three people beside him. His already grave expression instantly grew uglier.

“That iron arrow just now was able to knock Hou Ying down, which means the middle-aged man on the left has a strength of at least two Manes. The man on the right has a similar status, so his strength is likely comparable. Add to that this Yuwen Tao, who possesses five Manes of strength…”

Hou Ming calculated mentally, and his heart sank.

On Zhaoyang’s side, of the five Frostwarden realm cultivators, only he, Lin Ye, and Wu Tianxing had battle physique aptitude. He himself was at the late stage of the Frostwarden realm, with eight Manes of strength; Lin Ye and Wu Tianxing were both at the late stage of the Frostwarden realm with six Manes of strength. The remaining two, Hou Ying and Hou Bing, were ordinary Frostwarden realm cultivators. Although they were at the middle stage, their strength was only two Manes each.

The problem was that Lin Ye had been seriously injured in the ambush and would be of little help in a fight. Moreover, the four of them, along with everyone from Zhaoyang, had been entangled with Hive’s forces in the tunnels for two days and two nights. They were all in poor condition.

Looking at the thousand-strong force on the other side, and the posture of Yuwen Tao and his two companions, it was clear they had been well-rested and waiting for some time. And who knew if these three were the only ones Great Xia had sent?

If a fight broke out, they were bound to lose!

When they first charged out of Tunnel Number One, they had over eight hundred people. The recent skirmish had cost them another hundred, leaving only around six hundred. These six hundred people were now caught between the forces of Hive and Great Xia.

Once the fighting started, would Chen Yingba, standing behind them, just watch idly?

No matter how one looked at it, Zhaoyang was doomed this time.

“We probably can’t take Hive. If Chen Yingba hadn’t held us up for two whole days, how could things have turned out like this? Damn it, damn it…”

As this thought flashed through Hou Ming’s mind, he subconsciously turned to look at Chen Yingba. This glance made him pause, and his eyes gradually lit up.

Chen Yingba was currently staring at Yuwen Tao and the Great Xia contingent. There wasn’t a trace of joy on his face; instead, like them, it was extremely grim.

“There’s still a chance!”

Observing Chen Yingba’s expression, Hou Ming’s mind raced, and he instinctively wanted to turn and shout to Chen Yingba behind him.

But Yuwen Tao seemed to have sensed his intention and spoke first.

“Our Great Xia and Hive have long been good neighbors, so naturally, we should watch over and help one another. Upon learning of Hive’s predicament, our leader specially dispatched us to provide support. As I understand it, Zhaoyang and Hive are both members of the Longyou Alliance. To treacherously lead an attack against an ally—such an act is truly despicable!”

Being publicly berated like this, Hou Ming and the other four Frostwarden realm cultivators showed a flicker of anger on their faces. But they quickly realized the purpose behind Yuwen Tao’s words, and their expressions changed in unison.

A justifiable cause!

These four words instantly appeared in Hou Ming’s mind, and his gaze toward Yuwen Tao became extremely wary.

Great Xia was an external power. If they recklessly interfered in the internal affairs of the Pingxi Plain, according to the rules of the Longyou Alliance, they would face punishment from Longshan at the very least. In a more serious case, they could be attacked by all the camps in Longyou.

As members of Zhaoyang, Hou Ming and his men were of course aware that the alliance was already on the verge of collapse—after all, they were the ones who had initiated the challenge.

But Longshan, after all, had not yet fallen.

The banner of the alliance could still be used to intimidate people for now.

Since Yuwen Tao had taken the initiative to say this, it meant that Great Xia’s understanding of the actual situation in Longyou was not yet very deep.

“Commander Chen, colluding with an external power to bring chaos to the Pingxi Plain is no small crime. Forget what would happen if Longshan found out; once the other camps in Longyou learn of this, your Hive’s crime will be grave indeed…”

“You’re quite good at pinning labels on others. Then how should we account for Zhaoyang bringing its forces to annihilate my Hive? Why don’t you and Great Xia have a fight right here? As long as you can drive them back, we’ll call it even for the past two days. How about it?”

Before Hou Ming could finish, Chen Yingba interrupted him.

Hearing Chen Yingba’s taunt and realizing his own foolishness, Hou Ming’s face flushed crimson, and he was speechless for a long time.

As Hou Ming was at a loss for words, Chen Yingba, standing before the main structure, looked at the forces of Great Xia and Zhaoyang and found himself in a dilemma as well.

He understood the meaning behind Yuwen Tao’s words.

Good neighbors, mutual aid—that was all bullshit. Others might not know the relationship between Hive and Great Xia, but how could he not understand it himself?

Lin Ye’s ambush, coupled with the abnormal number of casualties Zhaoyang had suffered, was enough to prove that while Zhaoyang was attacking, Great Xia’s forces had already infiltrated the tunnels. He just didn’t know how they had managed to hide so well without being discovered.

Zhaoyang was no good, and Great Xia was even worse. But with both forces having already charged into the main area, driving them out was now impossible.

Hive’s only chance of survival now was to hope the two sides would fight each other.

The question was, would they be that stupid?

“You’re smart, but I’m not a fool either. If we’re not going to fight, then let’s all not fight. A stalemate is fine. It would be best to drag this out until Big Brother returns. Maybe there’s still a chance then!”

Chen Yingba muttered to himself. Seeing no movement from Great Xia or Zhaoyang ahead, he directly ordered his men to pull back and remain on high alert, to wait and see how things unfolded.

Just then, Yuwen Tao spoke again.

“Commander Chen, Zhaoyang initiated this aggression and killed so many of your people. Hou Hu has the ambition of a wolf. If we don’t eliminate these people completely today, Hive will surely suffer for it in the future. What are you still waiting for?”

Chen Yingba had already made up his mind to remain in a stalemate, so he naturally wouldn’t listen to Yuwen Tao’s nonsense. He sneered and remained standing where he was.

Hou Ming and the rest of Zhaoyang, who were surrounded in the middle, had initially tensed up. Seeing that Chen Yingba didn’t react, they let out a huge sigh of relief.

But what they failed to notice was that several Hive members had suddenly approached Chen Yingba from behind. Judging by their attire, they were clearly from the elite ranks.

“Lu Sheng, what are you five doing here? Get to the front and stay on guard!”

Seeing the newcomers, Chen Yingba immediately barked at them in a low voice.

Lu Sheng was a veteran of Hive. Chen Yingba was familiar with him and the members of his hunting squad. It was they who had brought back the news of Jing Xian being taken over by Great Xia.

He had just given the order to be on guard, yet Lu Sheng had brought four men to his side. Naturally, he was not pleased.

But then he remembered that over the past two days, Lu Sheng and these four had fought alongside him in the tunnels, killing many Zhaoyang men. His expression softened slightly.

However, his earlier reprimand seemed to have had no effect.

Lu Sheng walked until he was less than five meters away from him before stopping. Even more strangely, the four men with him continued to advance, spreading out to his left and right.

Why did this look a bit like… they were surrounding him…

A trace of alertness rose on Chen Yingba’s face. He glanced at Lu Sheng first, then looked at the four men on his left and right, and his expression suddenly froze.

He couldn’t see through the strength of Lu Sheng and the four men beside him.

How was that possible!

The aura fluctuations of an Earthforger realm cultivator were completely exposed before a Frostwarden realm cultivator. A single glance was enough to determine their base strength.

There were two situations in which a Frostwarden realm cultivator couldn’t see through someone’s strength: one was when a cultivator of the same realm deliberately concealed their aura; the other was when their strength was comparable to, or even greater than, one’s own.

Realizing this, Chen Yingba’s face changed drastically, and he exclaimed in shock:

“You’re not…”

“Commander Chen, don’t panic!”

Lu Sheng smiled and looked up, raising a hand to cut Chen Yingba off. A smile then appeared on his face as he respectfully cupped his fists.

“Xia Chuan, Prefect of Great Xia, greets Commander Chen…”

Lu Sheng let out a clear laugh and fussed with his face, actually peeling off a crimson mask.

At the same time, the four men to his left and right did the same as Xia Chuan, tearing masks from their faces. They cupped their fists and spoke with hearty laughter.

“Luo Yuan of Great Xia, greets Commander Chen!”

“Yuan Cheng of Great Xia, greets Commander Chen.”

“Zhao Long of Great Xia.”

“Hong Tian of Great Xia, greets Commander Chen.”

As the four men laughed and bowed, they drew their weapons.

Luo Yuan had a saber; Yuan Cheng, a double-bladed great axe; Zhao Long, a saber; and the last one, Hong Tian, a longsword.

Chen Yingba’s expression instantly stiffened. Just as he was about to speak, Xia Chuan, who was in front of him, slightly raised his hand. The inch-long black dagger he was holding in his right hand transformed before his eyes into a one-point-three-meter-long black greatsword.

“Commander Chen doesn’t really believe that you could hold off Zhaoyang’s fifteen hundred men for two days with just your own people from Hive, does he?”

Chen Yingba’s position was at the very rear of Hive’s three thousand-plus defenders. Coupled with the fact that Xia Chuan’s group of five had made no noise and spoken quietly, and that everyone was on high alert, only a very small number of people noticed what was happening.

Just now, Xia Chuan had approached him openly under the guise of Lu Sheng’s face. So even the few who did notice thought it was just Chen Yingba giving instructions to Lu Sheng’s group of five. They paid it no mind and turned their attention back to the Zhaoyang and Great Xia forces by the iron gate.

Only Luo Ming and Li Baihe, mixed in among the Hive crowd, cast an inadvertent glance this way out of the corner of their eyes. They then turned back to look at each other without a word. The shock in their eyes made it clear they knew what was happening over there.

Gulp…

Luo Ming swallowed hard, the shock in his eyes almost impossible to conceal. Fearing others would notice, he immediately lowered his head.

“It actually succeeded. This Xia Chuan is simply terrifying. How could his mind be so meticulous? And he’s so young…”

The Longyou and Great Xia calendars were only ten days apart.

On the fifteenth day of the fourth month of the second year of Great Xia, when he delivered the letter to Yue Feng, Luo Ming hadn’t actually thought too much about it. Even if Great Xia was much stronger than he had anticipated, it couldn’t be so strong as to annex Hive at will. After all, it would involve the Longyou Alliance, and Hive’s own strength was not weak.

His main intention was to secure a future for his son, Luo Cheng, allowing him to have better prospects in Great Xia.

But he never imagined that just five days after he delivered the letter…

On the twentieth day of the fourth month of the second year of Great Xia…

The supposedly dead Lu Sheng had returned to Hive with four other men!

Luo Ming had witnessed with his own eyes Yue Feng beheading Lu Sheng that night, and of his four subordinates, one had died and three were severely injured. When he saw Lu Sheng return, he thought it was some kind of ghost and was scared witless.

It was only later, when Lu Sheng sought him out personally, that he realized it was Xia Chuan. And among the four men with Xia Chuan were his old subordinates, Luo Yuan and Zhao Long.

Luo Yuan and Zhao Long had both broken through to the Frostwarden realm!

Putting aside Luo Ming’s excitement and joy at the time, it was Xia Chuan’s subsequent, layered deployment that was the source of the tremor in his heart right now.

After infiltrating Hive on the twentieth of April, Xia Chuan familiarized himself with the tunnel situation and immediately sent Luo Yuan and Zhao Long to secure the mining area behind tunnel nineteen. He then ordered Yuan Cheng and Hong Tian to seize control of an exit at the southernmost tip of Hive.

Over the next three days, Great Xia’s forces gathered in Jinggu Valley poured continuously into Hive’s underground through that exit, heading straight for the mining area. They managed to sneak in completely undetected by those in the main area.

According to Xia Chuan’s original plan, they were to seize the main area entrance with lightning speed and then take control of the entire Hive camp. But no one expected that on the twenty-third of April, Zhaoyang Camp would launch their attack ahead of schedule.

Xia Chuan reacted with extreme agility, immediately realizing this was a perfect opportunity to weaken both Hive and Zhaoyang, allowing Great Xia to take Hive at the lowest cost and in the shortest time.

“The layout of Hive’s base dictates that as soon as an external force invades, they will inevitably change the tunnel numbers and then use signal smoke to drive people out. To resist the smoke, others will have to cover their faces. This is our best chance!”

Xia Chuan’s predictions about Hive’s actions were spot on.

Chen Yingba released the signal smoke, and the forces of both Zhaoyang and Hive began to cover their faces with wet cloths. This, in turn, made it easy for Great Xia to fish in troubled waters.

“He really did it. Now it just depends on how the communication with Chen Yingba goes!”

Luo Ming lowered his head and glanced back, looking at the six people still talking at the rear. A sense of anticipation rose in his heart.

If Great Xia could truly take Hive in one fell swoop, then he and Li Baihe would surely be credited with great merit. Rewards would be inevitable, and their status back in Great Xia would likely be secured!

“Brothers! Zhaoyang has killed so many of our people! Now that our brothers from Great Xia are here to help, what are we waiting for? Kill them for me!”

Suddenly, Chen Yingba’s voice rang out from behind.

His shout instantly ignited the already tense atmosphere.

“That’s right! With so many people helping us, what are we afraid of?”

“They killed so many of us! Make those bastards from Zhaoyang pay with their blood!”

“Brothers, kill!”

“Encircle them from both sides! Brothers, charge with me…”

…………

The hatred that had been building up in the hearts of the Hive members over the past two days erupted completely with Chen Yingba’s command.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…

A dense volley of arrows was unleashed from Hive’s side, followed by a surging tide of people. Overwhelming roars and shouts instantly filled the entire main area.

“Fire!”

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…

To make matters worse, the thousand-strong force from Great Xia, under Yuwen Tao’s command, also released their long-strained bowstrings.

Two waves of arrows from the front and back instantly engulfed the Zhaoyang contingent.

Puchi… Puchi…

The two volleys of arrows rained down on them. Zhaoyang, already down to just over eight hundred men, lost another quarter of their number in an instant. Seeing that the rain of arrows from behind had not yet stopped, Hou Ming’s eyes blazed with fury. He roared and charged toward the interior of the main area.

“Charge inside! Fight them to the death!”

“Kill Chen Yingba first, and take Hive!”

Wu Tianxing, Hou Bing, Hou Ying, and the injured Lin Ye followed closely behind. The remaining survivors from Zhaoyang, realizing this was their last chance to live, all charged toward the Hive forces inside the main area.

The Great Xia forces, whether in terms of strength, equipment, or morale, were clearly far superior to those of Hive.

Charging inward was their only choice!

“Continue firing. Wait for my order before advancing.”

Standing before the iron gate, Yuwen Tao’s eyes glinted with a cold light as he spoke in a low voice to the people beside him. The orders were passed down one by one.

The thousand soldiers of Great Xia remained motionless, continuing to draw their bows and loose arrows at the charging Zhaoyang forces.

…………

“Commander Chen is indeed a wise man. Rest assured, after we eliminate this bunch from Zhaoyang, Great Xia guarantees that we will not touch a single thing in Hive. We will wait for Commander Chen to return from Longshan, and our two camps will immediately sign a pact. From then on, we will be allies, watching over and helping one another!”

At the very rear of Hive’s formation, Xia Chuan ignored Chen Yingba’s grim expression and proposed his offer with a beaming smile. The four men surrounding Chen Yingba—Luo Yuan and the others—also revealed knowing smiles.

But the brilliant smiles on the five men’s faces and Chen Yingba’s dark expression formed a stark contrast.

No matter how you looked at it, the scene was bizarre.

Chapter 232: The Dust Settles, the Hive Secured

Pfft!

In the Hive Main Area, the sound of iron arrows piercing flesh rose and fell. The casualties among Zhaoyang’s forces mounted once more. Noticing the rain of arrows from the Great Xia forces behind them growing denser, their charge toward the Hive became even more desperate.

“Charge! We only have a chance if we break through! Don’t just stand there and wait to die!”

Hou Ming roared, his saber cleaving a path through the front line of the Hive defenders.

Hou Bing and Hou Ying, one with a sword and the other a staff, followed close behind.

Though they were missing Lin Ye, the combined charge of three Frostwarden realm experts instantly tore a large rift in the Hive’s defensive formation.

A tide of Zhaoyang’s forces surged through that rift, finally pouring into the main cluster of buildings. The first few hundred men immediately clashed with the Hive’s defenders, and close-quarters combat erupted.

“Faster! Once we’re mixed in with them, Great Xia won’t be able to shoot so easily!”

Hou Ying sent a dozen men flying with a single swing of his staff. He glanced back and saw the men at the rear still falling under Great Xia’s iron arrows. His eyes looked ready to split with rage as he shouted, turning back to rejoin the fray. He swung his long staff in wide arcs, helping the rear guard block the incoming projectiles.

But it was a futile effort. There were simply too many iron arrows raining down from Great Xia.

Even if he swung his staff so fast it seemed to create sparks, it was ultimately just a drop in the ocean.

Like most camps in the world of Ice Abyss, the archers of Great Xia had honed their skills to perfection through countless hunts. The thousand men they had brought this time were all members of intermediate hunting squads, so their archery skills were even more exceptional.

The moment Hou Ying moved to block, the archers simply adjusted their aim to other areas, avoiding him completely.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Watching his men continue to fall, Hou Ying was consumed by anxiety and rage. He turned to face the thousand-strong Great Xia force and, in a fit of fury, charged straight at them.

“Hou Ying, get back here! Don’t go!”

Hou Ming, already deep within the Hive ranks, caught Hou Ying’s movement out of the corner of his eye and roared, trying to stop him.

“Our men are almost all dead! I can’t let them keep shooting!”

But it was too late. Hou Ying was blinded by rage.

He was, after all, a Frostwarden realm expert. Most of the iron arrows fired by Great Xia couldn’t even break his skin. His reckless charge took many by surprise, and he quickly reached the front line of the Great Xia forces.

Whoosh!

Hou Ying leaped into the air, raising his staff high with both hands and bringing it down in a devastating overhead strike. A fierce gust of wind swept forward, forcing the front ranks of the Great Xia troops to instinctively take two steps back.

“What are you panicking for? Keep shooting!”

Seeing his front line fall back, Yuwen Tao’s brow furrowed. After bellowing his command, he raised his broadsword and charged straight toward Hou Ying.

“Meng Yi, stay here and command the army! Hong Guang, go help the Prefect up front!”

Clang!

The broadsword and the long staff collided violently. Hou Ying’s body shot backward like a cannonball, flying a dozen meters through the air. The impact snapped him out of his rage, and he stared at Yuwen Tao, his eyes filled with horror.

Only now did he remember what Lin Ye had said: Yuwen Tao’s base strength was a full five Mane—more than double his own.

He glanced behind Yuwen Tao and saw Meng Yi, who hadn’t even moved. A chill ran down his spine.

I can’t fight him. I have to run!

Yuwen Tao watched Hong Guang race past the main force toward Xia Chuan in the rear of the main area. Only then did he turn his attention back to the fleeing Hou Ying. A cold glint appeared in his eyes as he said, “Thinking of running now? It’s too late.”

He led with his broadsword, his body following like an arrow loosed from a bowstring. He closed the distance to Hou Ying in less than three breaths.

Whoosh!

The giant broadsword swept across in a horizontal slash, its violent power rushing at Hou Ying from behind. Seeing the Zhaoyang forces just ahead, Hou Ying gritted his teeth and didn’t look back, instead wrapping his hands around his back to raise his staff vertically.

Clang!

The immense force of the broadsword slammed into his weapon. As he had hoped, the long staff blocked the edge of the blade, protecting his body.

But was that the end of it?

Bang!

His body was protected, but the force behind the blow slammed him into the ground. The front half of his body crashed down with a deafening thud.

Blood instantly gushed from his forehead, nose, chest, and lower limbs.

“Pfft…”

He spat out a mouthful of blood. Before he could even get up, a cold sensation touched the back of his neck. He knew it was Yuwen Tao’s broadsword resting there. His face froze, and he dared not move a muscle.

Yuwen Tao did not kill him. Instead, he made a gesture to Meng Yi behind him.

Meng Yi understood and beckoned with his hand. Four men immediately rushed out from the Great Xia ranks.

Each of them held a thick iron chain with a hook at the end. They hauled Hou Ying to his feet and drove the hooks straight through his clavicles.

Pfft!

Hou Ying’s entire body went limp, and the four men dragged him away.

“Zhaoyang only has about three hundred men left. That should be enough, right?”

Hearing Meng Yi’s words, Yuwen Tao turned to look at the battlefield in the Hive Main Area. A cold light flashed in his eyes as he shook his head slightly.

“Hive only lost about a hundred men over the last two days. Their losses aren’t significant. There are at least six hundred Earthforger realm experts in the main area. The Prefect said that Hive has too many Earthforgers for us to control easily, so we have to wait a little longer!”

Looking at the two sides still locked in a deadly struggle, Meng Yi glanced toward Xia Chuan in the far back, an involuntary chill creeping into his heart.

“You stay here. If it gets hard to shoot, just guard the iron gate. We’ve made a mortal enemy of this Zhaoyang group. We can’t let a single one escape.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Meng Yi nodded in agreement and returned to his position to continue commanding the Great Xia army.

Yuwen Tao, on the other hand, raised his broadsword and charged forward once more.

…

“Hou Ming, stop this at once!”

Hou Ming was in the middle of a frenzy, slaughtering Hive’s men, when he heard Chen Yingba’s furious roar from behind him. He immediately raised his saber and turned to block.

Clang!

Though both men wielded large sabers, Hou Ming’s was clearly of superior quality.

Not only was the edge of Chen Yingba’s saber chipped, but a fragment even broke off and flew through the air. By a stroke of bad luck, it struck a Hive Earthforger right between the eyes.

The man had been fighting a Zhaoyang Earthforger. When the saber fragment hit his forehead, his head exploded instantly, and he died without even a scream.

“You bastard! I’ll kill you!”

Witnessing this, Chen Yingba’s fury intensified. Gripping his shattered saber, he charged recklessly at Hou Ming again.

Hive had only about seven hundred Earthforgers to begin with. More than a hundred had died in the passage over the last two days, and in the short time since the battle began, at least another four hundred had fallen. Now, only about two hundred were still alive.

And that was just the Earthforger realm casualties. To defend the main area, Hive had mobilized in full force, bringing out over two thousand of its elite Lumberjack realm members as well. Goaded by Great Xia’s arrow volleys, the Zhaoyang forces were charging desperately into the main area, and these Lumberjack realm warriors were no match for them.

By his rough estimate, of Hive’s more than three thousand defenders, fewer than two thousand remained.

And Hou Ming, Hou Bing, and Wu Tianxing were still on a rampage.

If he let the three of them continue, Hive would be wiped from the annals of Longyou!

Clang!

Blinded by rage, Chen Yingba clashed with Hou Ming’s saber again. This time, his luck was worse.

His saber snapped in two. The chipped edge from their last exchange had already proven his weapon was inferior; its breaking now was only to be expected.

“Xia Chuan, are you going to wait until all my men are dead before you act?!”

With his saber broken, Chen Yingba realized he couldn’t handle Hou Ming alone. He looked up and roared, signaling for Xia Chuan to help.

“Commander Chen, we haven’t been idle!”

Swoosh!

Xia Chuan replied with a faint smile, simultaneously unleashing a slash from his black blade that not only forced Wu Tianxing back step by step but also left several cuts on his body.

He certainly hadn’t been idle. After letting Chen Yingba go to intercept Hou Ming, he had taken Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, and the others to engage Wu Tianxing, Hou Bing, and Lin Ye.

Among the three, Wu Tianxing was the strongest, so Xia Chuan handled him personally. Lin Ye, though possessing a strength of six Mane, was already heavily injured and was left to Hong Tian and Zhao Long. The last one, Hou Bing, was being jointly besieged by Luo Yuan and Yuan Cheng.

“Commander Chen, to bargain with a tiger is to be skinned alive. You didn’t really think Great Xia was here to genuinely help Hive, did you?”

Hou Ming forced Chen Yingba back with a single strike. He glanced at his three comrades being surrounded, a worried look flashing across his face, before turning back to Chen Yingba with a cold sneer.

“It’s still better than you trying to annihilate my Hive!”

Chen Yingba clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and with a furious shout, charged at Hou Ming once more without hesitation.

How could he not understand Hou Ming’s words?

Wu Tianxing’s situation was understandable; with a strength of six Mane, he was the most powerful.

Even Hou Bing’s situation made sense. Luo Yuan and Yuan Cheng, who were attacking him, didn’t seem particularly strong. Based on their performance so far, they looked to be around two Mane each.

But Lin Ye, who was already severely wounded, had somehow managed to hold on for so long while under siege by two Frostwarden realm experts. That was clearly not normal.

The only explanation was that Hong Tian and Zhao Long were doing it on purpose.

Moreover, the acting of Xia Chuan’s group was simply terrible.

They were always, consciously or not, forcing Hou Ming and the others toward the clusters of Hive’s Earthforgers. Their intentions couldn’t have been more obvious.

“They’re intentionally letting them continue to kill our Earthforgers. Great Xia…”

Even as he ground his teeth in hatred, Chen Yingba had no choice but to dutifully fight Hou Ming. The thought that he was actually helping Great Xia deal with Hou Ming filled him with unparalleled frustration.

At the same time, a deep sense of powerlessness washed over him.

Even if he saw through their plan, what could he do?

It was too late to cooperate with Hou Ming now.

Hou Ying had been captured. The thousand Great Xia Earthforgers in their pale gold armor were still guarding the iron gate, firing arrows, and had yet to engage in close combat.

That was the situation at the Earthforger level, and it was even more dire at the Frostwarden level.

He was the last one left in Hive. Zhaoyang had only Hou Ming, Hou Bing, Wu Tianxing, and the half-dead Lin Ye, making a total of five.

On Great Xia’s side, there was Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, Hong Guang, Zhao Long, Hong Tian, and Meng Yi by the gate—a total of eight.

Even if he formed a quick alliance with Zhaoyang now, they stood no chance against Great Xia. Worse, his fickleness would only invite even harsher retaliation from them.

“I can only see this through to the bitter end!”

Chen Yingba roared through gritted teeth, venting all his pent-up frustration on Hou Ming.

On the other side, Xia Chuan wore a constant smile. His attention wasn’t even fully on Wu Tianxing; he was always using his peripheral vision to observe the main battle between Hive and Zhaoyang.

“That’s about enough!”

Wu Tianxing blocked the black blade with his longsword, his expression faltering when he heard Xia Chuan’s words.

Enough of what?

He soon found out.

Voom!

The black blade pressing down on his longsword suddenly hummed, and a terrifying force crashed down. The hand Wu Tianxing used to grip his sword was crushed to the ground, bringing his entire body crashing down with it.

Bang!

“Eight Mane! Your power… how is that possible…”

Lying on the ground, Wu Tianxing’s face was a mask of horror.

The strength Xia Chuan had been using against him just moments ago was only six Mane. How had it suddenly surged to eight Mane? How was that possible?

He couldn’t have been hiding his strength. In their close-quarters fight, Wu Tianxing had felt the aura of Xia Chuan’s power very clearly. He had definitely been fighting at full strength.

So where did this sudden burst of power come from?

Crack!

With the sound of bone creaking, Xia Chuan planted a foot on Wu Tianxing’s shoulder and placed his black blade against his neck.

Wu Tianxing gritted his teeth against the searing pain and looked up. He froze instantly.

On Xia Chuan’s forehead, three vertical, blood-red cloud patterns had appeared.

“Bang!”

At that exact moment, Lin Ye was also knocked to the ground by Zhao Long and Hong Tian. A saber and a longsword were pressed against his neck.

Crack… Crack…

Hou Bing’s fate was even worse. First, his shoulder was pierced by Luo Yuan’s saber, and then he was sent flying over a hundred meters by Yuan Cheng’s great axe. Countless bones were broken, and he couldn’t even get up.

Yuwen Tao, who had just arrived, picked Hou Bing up from the ground and walked over to stand with Xia Chuan and the others.

It wasn’t just Wu Tianxing; everyone else saw it too.

On the foreheads of Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, Zhao Long, Hong Tian, Hong Guang, and even Meng Yi by the iron gate—on all eight of Great Xia’s experts—three blood-red cloud patterns had appeared.

“What… what is… that…”

Hearing Wu Tianxing’s question from beneath him, a look of pride appeared on Xia Chuan’s face. He smiled faintly and said, “The Great Xia Sacred Sigil!”

At these words, the expressions of Yuwen Tao and the other six grew solemn, and a hint of pride showed in their eyes as well.

Wu Tianxing, Lin Ye, and Hou Bing—the three captives—had faces filled with despair. If they still didn’t understand what had happened, they had lived their lives in vain.

Xia Chuan’s group hadn’t been using their full strength at all.

“Hou Ming, stop struggling. Surrender now.”

“In your dreams!”

Hou Ming, fighting Chen Yingba in the distance, heard Xia Chuan’s voice and roared his response. He immediately bolted toward the iron gate.

He had seen Wu Tianxing and the others being captured. Zhaoyang’s Earthforger forces had been reduced to two or three hundred men; they were powerless to resist. It was futile for him to stay. His only option was to escape.

However, at the iron gate, Meng Yi and his thousand men had already blocked the passage completely. Seeing Hou Ming rushing toward them, Meng Yi and the entire Great Xia force raised their longbows and took aim.

“Your fate was sealed the moment you led your men in here two days ago!”

Xia Chuan leaped after Hou Ming, his black blade cutting a cold arc through the air. The power of eight Mane whipped up a fierce wind that bore down upon Hou Ming.

Hou Ming still refused to surrender. In fact, seeing Xia Chuan charging at him, he seemed to have a new idea. He turned abruptly and met Xia Chuan’s attack with his saber.

Crack…

The sound of a blade edge chipping rang out, and a flicker of joy appeared on Hou Ming’s face.

His saber, like Hou Ying’s staff, was primarily made of iron but plated with a layer of silver, making it far tougher and sharper than ordinary iron. This was why he had been able to shatter Chen Yingba’s saber earlier.

Hearing that sound now, he naturally assumed it was Xia Chuan’s black blade that had chipped. Though he could feel that Xia Chuan’s power was on par with his own, the advantage in weaponry made him decide to press his attack.

He put more force into his arms, pushing his long saber toward Xia Chuan, trying to force him back so he could—

However, the moment he looked up at his saber, his expression froze.

The blade that chipped was not Xia Chuan’s black blade. It was his own.

That… how is that possible?

Disbelief washed over Hou Ming’s face, then solidified there.

Bang!

Xia Chuan blocked his saber. With a slight flick of his left hand, a white thread shot out and pierced Hou Ming’s clavicle, then rapidly wrapped around his entire body, binding him.

“Hou Ming, Wu Tianxing, Lin Ye, Hou Bing, and Hou Ying have all been captured! Men of Zhaoyang, if you don’t want to die, lay down your weapons and surrender!”

The moment Hou Ming had tried to flee, the remaining two hundred or so Zhaoyang men had already lost their will to fight. Xia Chuan’s words became the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

As his voice fell, the Zhaoyang men, who had already stopped fighting, began dropping their weapons and kneeling before the forces of Great Xia.

“Surrender now? No way! I have to kill you.”

“They killed my father! I want revenge!”

“Keep fighting, brothers! We can’t let them live!”

…

The men of Zhaoyang had stopped, but now the men of Hive would not.

Setting aside the past two days, in the battle just now, Hive had lost over a thousand men. The survivors were already seeing red with bloodlust. How could they possibly stop?

Seeing more and more Zhaoyang men surrender, they continued their attacks relentlessly. In just a few moments, five or six unsuspecting Zhaoyang men were cut down.

A Hive Earthforger rushed behind a surrendered Zhaoyang man, raising his butcher’s knife to cut off his head.

Pfft!

However, just as the knife was about to fall, an iron arrow shot in from the periphery, piercing the man’s forehead and pinning his body to the ground.

By the iron gate, Meng Yi, holding his iron-core bow, nocked another arrow. He aimed at the remaining Hive members and spoke in a cold voice:

“Anyone who moves again will be killed without mercy!”

The blood-crazed Hive members saw the body pinned to the ground, and a shiver ran through them, instantly clearing their heads. They all froze in their previous positions, standing stock-still.

The kneeling Zhaoyang men immediately felt a sense of security. Those who hadn’t yet surrendered, though they remained standing, also dropped their weapons, clearly intending to capitulate.

“Alright. The Hive members will clean this up. The rest of you, follow me to the main building. Chen Yingba, lead the way!”

Xia Chuan, the leader, gave Meng Yi an approving glance. After giving his command, he issued a direct order to Chen Yingba.

A flush of crimson crept up Chen Yingba’s face. He reflexively wanted to object, but when he saw the Great Xia forces at the iron gate beginning to file into the main building complex, he immediately shut his mouth and led Xia Chuan and the others to the main building.

“Bah! This Great Xia is no better…”

“Shh… Don’t talk nonsense.”

…

Even the dimmest of the Hive members could understand the situation now.

Some with shorter tempers couldn’t help but curse out loud, but they were quickly silenced by those around them.

Meng Yi led a thousand Great Xia men, escorting the five Frostwarden realm experts and over two hundred Earthforger realm captives from Zhaoyang. They marched through the main area, pretending not to hear the whispers from the surrounding Hive members, and followed Xia Chuan to Hive’s main building.

Upon arrival, Meng Yi quickly deployed his men, surrounding the main building completely. He then turned to the Hive members and called out:

“Who is Cheng Ping? Step forward.”

Cheng Ping, whose name was called, showed a flash of excitement. He quickly stepped out from the crowd and bowed to Meng Yi. “Greetings, my lord!”

“You will be in charge of these Hive members for now. Have them clean up the battlefield and tally the casualties. Report to me if anything comes up.”

“This servant obeys!”

Realizing he was about to make a huge leap in status, Cheng Ping was immediately overcome with excitement. He bowed his head and then promptly began ordering the Hive members around with an air of self-importance.

Down below, Cheng Ping was enjoying his sycophant’s moment of glory, but that was of little concern.

On the top floor of the main building, in Hive’s council hall.

The experts of Great Xia sat on both sides, their expressions brimming with elation.

At this moment, the Hive was well and truly theirs.

Now, they had to consider the prisoners and their next steps.

Xia Chuan took a map from his robes. It was the map Xia Hong had sent back via Luo Ming, showing the distribution of camps around Hive. He looked at Yanglu and Yucheng to the west of Hive, and Wushuang, Zhaoyang, and Hanqiong to the north, and began formulating his next plan.

Seeing Xia Chuan sitting in his elder brother Chen Yingyuan’s seat, flanked by seven Great Xia Frostwarden realm experts who acted as if they owned the place, Chen Yingba’s face flushed deep red, clearly furious to his core.

But when he looked back at the five kneeling Frostwarden realm experts from Zhaoyang, he opened his mouth but ultimately held his tongue, not daring to speak.

At this point, the only difference between him and the five from Zhaoyang was that he was uninjured.

In essence, he too was a prisoner of Great Xia.

“Hive… is finished!”

A wave of despair washed over Chen Yingba, and he slowly closed his eyes.

Chapter 233: Next Step, Submission, and Departure for Yanglu

“So, what are your thoughts on what to do next?”

Xia Chuan, seated in the main chair, lifted his gaze from the map. His eyes swept across the seven people seated in the hall as he asked in a low voice.

At his words, the elation on the faces of the seven men subsided slightly as they lowered their heads in thought.

Chen Yingba hadn’t left. Though his expression was dazed, he couldn’t help but prick up his ears, eager to hear about Great Xia’s next move.

After a long moment, Yuan Cheng was the first to stand, cupping his fist as he spoke.

“My lord, we took down the Hive without a single casualty. Right now, there are only about two hundred Earthforger realm experts here. With a few tricks, a hundred of our men would be enough to keep them in line. I say we strike while the iron is hot and take Yanglu next!”

Hearing this, everyone in the hall was visibly stirred.

Take Yanglu next!

If they could really pull that off, Great Xia would swallow the territories of two of Longyou’s giant encampments in a row. Based on the map in Xia Chuan’s hands, they would be able to expand their territory by at least one thousand five hundred square kilometers in one fell swoop.

One thousand five hundred square kilometers—what did that even mean?

Great Xia’s most recent expansion had been the area around Five Ape Mountain. Even with that addition, their total territory was only about nine hundred square kilometers.

Yuan Cheng’s proposal, it had to be said, tempted everyone present.

Even Xia Chuan, looking down at the map, found his resolve wavering.

There were now two maps on his desk.

One was a simple diagram that Xia Hong had sent back with Luo Ming.

The other was a complete map of the Hive’s territory, which they had found in the main hall.

The Hive was located on the southeastern side of the Pingxi Plain, bordering Redwood Ridge to the south. It stretched about thirty-five kilometers from east to west and twenty kilometers from north to south, where it met the Hanqiong encampment, giving it a total area of over seven hundred square kilometers.

The Yanglu encampment, comparable in strength to the Hive, likely had a similar territory of over seven hundred square kilometers. Together, their lands would indeed total around one thousand five hundred square kilometers.

No, it wasn’t just a large piece of land, there was also…

A sharp glint appeared in Xia Chuan’s eyes as he studied the map.

“Among the twelve major powers of Longyou, Yanglu and the Hive are the only two adjacent to the northern entrances of Redwood Ridge. This means that if we can take them both, the western and northern entrances to Redwood Ridge will all belong to Great Xia!”

Xia Chuan’s gaze grew increasingly fervent.

“That would be unwise…”

But just then, Yuwen Tao voiced a different opinion.

“My lord, forgive my bluntness, but our smooth victory over the Hive had little to do with our own strength. We know nothing about the situation in Yanglu—where their base is, how many men they have, how many Frostwarden realm experts, how many Earthforger realm experts. We are completely in the dark. To attack rashly would be unwise!”

Xia Chuan froze. The fire in his eyes vanished instantly, and his expression cleared. A flash of fear for his near folly crossed his mind, followed by a look of gratitude toward Yuwen Tao.

I almost did something stupid!

Taking the Hive without shedding a drop of blood was certainly something to boast about, but it also indirectly proved that Great Xia had not endured a bloody battle. The victory owed more to his planning, or to put it bluntly, to luck.

The intelligence and defensive layouts his brother had sent back in advance; the insider within the Hive; him and Luo Yuan’s group of four disguising themselves as Lu Sheng to infiltrate the Hive’s base early; the subsequent infiltration of a large force five days ahead of time…

It could be said that all of Great Xia’s preparations were merely the groundwork for today’s smooth takeover.

The decisive factor that truly allowed them to take the Hive without bloodshed was the opportune timing of Zhaoyang’s attack.

He and the other four had infiltrated the Hive Main Area on April twentieth. They had even gotten close to Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing, but the reason they didn’t act then was because they weren’t completely certain of success.

Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing both possessed the strength of six Manes.

After breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, he also had six-Mane strength. With the thirty percent boost from the Great Xia Sacred Sigil, he could reach a maximum of eight-Mane strength. Taking down one of them would be no problem at all, but what about the other?

After their breakthroughs, Yuan Cheng and Luo Yuan had just over three-Mane strength, Zhao Long had two, and Hong Tian barely over one. Even with the Sacred Sigil’s enhancement, the four of them combined couldn’t kill a six-Mane Frostwarden expert, let alone capture one alive.

Moreover, all five of them were in the Hive Main Area. If they failed to subdue them quickly and drew the siege of several hundred Earthforger realm experts, they would be the ones in trouble.

To be cautious, Xia Chuan had ordered his men to first control Mine Area No. 19, then had the forces from Jinggu Valley infiltrate the Hive in waves, even calling Yuwen Tao over.

But in truth, even with such careful planning, Great Xia could not have taken the Hive so bloodlessly. It was all thanks to Zhaoyang’s efforts over the past two days, which had exhausted most of the Hive’s combat strength.

Wu Tianxing’s “Tricking the Gate” was the icing on the cake. Without it, the Hive’s main area, as fortified as a tortoise shell, would have been impenetrable. Even if Great Xia had brought a thousand men and their eight Frostwarden experts, they likely would have been just as helpless as Zhaoyang’s forces.

“This great victory was entirely the result of too many coincidences. I almost let it go to my head, even fantasizing about attacking Yanglu. I’m grateful for Yuwen Tao’s reminder. If we had rushed over there, we probably would have suffered a major loss!”

Xia Chuan shook his head slightly, suppressing the greed in his heart. He looked away from the map and turned to Yuan Cheng. “Prefect Yuwen is right. Yanglu is not the Hive. We know nothing about them. Attacking rashly would be foolish.”

Yuan Cheng and the other five men were not fools either. They understood Yuwen Tao’s reasoning, and after a moment’s thought, they all nodded in agreement with Xia Chuan’s decision.

“My lord, Cheng Ping requests an audience!”

Just as Xia Chuan was about to speak again, a voice came from outside.

Meng Yi immediately stood up and went outside, returning a moment later to report to Xia Chuan. “My lord, the casualty report has been compiled. We have two hundred and fourteen Earthforger realm captives from Zhaoyang. The Hive had a total of seven hundred and twenty-one Earthforger realm experts; five hundred and ninety-two died, leaving one hundred and twenty-nine. In addition, of their four thousand nine hundred and twenty-one Lumberjack realm members, one thousand two hundred and eighty-two are dead, leaving three thousand six hundred and thirty-nine. The remaining population of the Hive totals twenty-nine thousand two hundred and seventy-three people. All have been accounted for!”

Hearing that only two hundred and fourteen from Zhaoyang were left, a flicker of sorrow crossed the faces of Hou Ming and the other three Zhaoyang captives kneeling below, their expressions pained.

They had brought over one thousand five hundred men this time. Not only were eighty percent of them dead, but now they themselves were prisoners of Great Xia. Their defeat could not have been more miserable.

The same was true for Chen Yingba. Of the seven hundred-odd Earthforger realm experts, barely over a hundred remained. Over a thousand from the Lumberjack realm were also dead. The Hive’s main strength was decimated; they no longer had the foundation to stand in Longyou.

The key was that their base had been taken over by Great Xia. Even if his elder brother returned, he would be powerless to change anything. The Hive was truly about to become history!

At this realization, the grief on Chen Yingba’s face deepened. Suddenly, he remembered something and turned his head to glare at Wu Tianxing, who was kneeling on the floor, his pupils turning blood-red.

If it hadn’t been for Wu Tianxing’s betrayal, how could Zhaoyang have breached their defenses so easily?

If he hadn’t tricked him into opening the iron gate at the last moment, let alone the Zhaoyang camp, even this bunch from Great Xia wouldn’t have set foot in the main area tonight.

“Wu Tianxing, you animal! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you…”

“We treated you so well! Why did you betray the Hive?!”

“My brother trusted you completely! He shared with you every time he was refining Jade Bones! You ungrateful, backstabbing wolf! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

…

Overcome with rage, Chen Yingba momentarily forgot this was Great Xia’s territory. Bellowing, he drew his blade and charged straight at Wu Tianxing, trying to kill him.

Kneeling on the ground, Wu Tianxing was clearly caught off guard. His Clavicles had been pierced by hooks, preventing him from mounting an effective defense. In his panic, all he could do was roll away to dodge.

But without his full strength, he could only evade one strike.

Chen Yingba’s second slash went straight for his neck.

“Stop!”

Clang!

Just as the greatsword was about to decapitate Wu Tianxing, a broadsword flashed in from the side, landing squarely on Wu Tianxing’s neck and blocking Chen Yingba’s attack.

As if he hadn’t heard Yuwen Tao’s furious shout, Chen Yingba actually withdrew his blade and lunged at Wu Tianxing again.

This time, Yuwen Tao showed no mercy. He lifted his leg and kicked him squarely in the chest.

Chen Yingba had only fought Hou Ming before. He knew that among Great Xia’s eight Frostwarden experts, Xia Chuan was the strongest; he hadn’t paid the others much mind.

Therefore, he merely sidestepped to avoid Yuwen Tao’s kick, then flung his blade directly at Wu Tianxing on the ground.

Bang!

The next second, his body was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing through a wall and soaring more than ten meters out into the area beyond the hall.

Pfft!

Chen Yingba struggled to his feet outside the hall and spat out a mouthful of blood. When he looked up at Yuwen Tao again, his eyes were filled with horror and shock.

“Seven Manes… He’s stronger than me, too!”

Clang!

Seeing that his thrown blade had also been parried by Yuwen Tao’s sword, failing to kill Wu Tianxing, Chen Yingba’s expression instantly fell into despair.

Having escaped death twice, Wu Tianxing, while relieved, seemed to have reached his breaking point. He turned to Chen Yingba and roared, “Betrayal? This Hive belonged to my Wu family in the first place! You two brothers…”

“It seems you are both still unclear about your situation!”

Above them, Xia Chuan had grown displeased with the farce.

He stood up, cutting off Wu Tianxing’s roar. A clear look of impatience in his eyes, he stared at the two men and said in a low voice:

“I’m not interested in your feud. I’m only concerned with whether the two of you can pledge loyalty to Great Xia and work for me from now on!”

Without a moment’s thought, Wu Tianxing immediately turned to Xia Chuan, fell to his knees, and bowed respectfully. “Wu Tianxing is willing to lead my entire family to join the Great Xia encampment and serve my lord from this day forward!”

Xia Chuan naturally didn’t put much stock in a traitor’s pledge of loyalty. He nodded with a noncommittal smile, then turned his gaze to Chen Yingba.

Chen Yingba instinctively looked angry, but then, as if a thought struck him, his expression became one of intense struggle.

Xia Chuan didn’t press him. He just turned and gave Meng Yi an inquisitive look.

Meng Yi understood immediately and cupped his fist. “The family members of Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, and Wu Tianxing, including their extended relatives and anyone associated with them, a total of four hundred and twenty-six people, have all been identified. I am only awaiting your order to have them escorted back to our base tomorrow night after dark.”

This statement was undoubtedly the last straw.

Thud.

As Meng Yi’s words fell, Chen Yingba fell to his knees before Xia Chuan, his face a mask of grief and resignation. He bowed his head. “Chen Yingba is willing to serve my lord. I only ask that my lord treats my family well.”

Beside him, Wu Tianxing’s posture became even more deferential.

Only then did a smile appear on Xia Chuan’s face as he declared, “Good. As long as you serve Great Xia well, not only will your families be safe, but they will live even better lives than they do now!”

From their expressions, it was clear that both men had only registered the first half of his sentence.

Serve Great Xia, and their families would be safe.

“Alright, let’s put the matter of the Hive to rest. Starting tomorrow night, arrange for someone to go to Jinggu Valley and inform Yue Feng to bring his men over. They will escort the prisoners back to Jinggu Valley in batches. For now, Meng Yi and Hong Tian will lead the garrison here. Do you two have any problem with that?”

“Rest assured, my lord, we have no problem!”

Meng Yi and Hong Tian immediately took a step forward, cupping their fists in acceptance.

The Hive only had a little over a hundred Earthforger realm experts left, along with more than three thousand from the Lumberjack realm and over twenty thousand common people. Two Frostwarden realm experts, plus two full intermediate hunting teams of a hundred men each, should be more than enough to maintain control.

The thousand men they had brought this time were all members of intermediate hunting teams, twenty teams in total. Each of their eight Frostwarden experts had one team under their command, which meant there were actually twelve intermediate hunting team captains who weren’t present.

After a moment of thought, Xia Chuan continued, “The remaining nine hundred men will also stay here for the time being under your two’s command. Await my orders.”

Hong Tian and Meng Yi again cupped their fists in agreement, their eyes lighting up slightly.

It wasn’t because they would command an extra nine hundred men. Given the Hive’s current situation, the two of them with a hundred men could control it easily. Leaving nine hundred more was clearly not for the Hive.

If not for the Hive, then what could it be for?

The expansion was not over yet!

It wasn’t just the two of them. Yuwen Tao, Luo Yuan, and the others also noticed this, and their eyes lit up with anticipation.

“It should be daylight outside by now…”

Xia Chuan muttered to himself, then turned and continued, “Yuwen Tao, Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, Zhao Long, Hong Guang. The five of you will come with me to scout out the situation in Yanglu.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Of course, they had to bring two others along.

“Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, you two should be far more familiar with your neighbor Yanglu than we are. You will lead the way.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing could only cup their fists in acceptance and stand up respectfully.

Click.

“Thank you, my lord!”

Beside them, Yuwen Tao directly released the iron hooks from Wu Tianxing’s chest. In response to Wu Tianxing’s thanks, he just waved his hand casually. “Serve Great Xia well from now on. You won’t be treated unfairly!”

Wu Tianxing’s face was filled with gratitude.

Meanwhile, Chen Yingba’s expression was full of awkwardness at the thought of having to serve Great Xia alongside this traitor.

“Alright, there’s no time to waste. Let’s set out immediately!”

With Xia Chuan’s order, he led the seven Frostwarden experts through a secret passage on the top floor of the main building and up to the surface.

…

Just as Xia Chuan had predicted, it was indeed daylight outside.

When the eight of them emerged from the passage, all of the Great Xia members, aside from Chen and Wu, couldn’t help but be lost in the scene before them.

If Redwood Ridge was a labyrinth carved from ice crystals, a perfect fusion of snowflakes and natural vegetation…

Then the Pingxi Plain was an ocean paved with snow. The snowfield was like a frozen wave, a vast expanse of white as far as the eye could see. When the wind howled past, carrying snowflakes with it, fine silver sand rose from the ground, as if the earth itself were breathing.

“The daytime scenery really has a unique charm. It’s been over two months since my breakthrough, and I still can’t get tired of it!”

While the others were focused on the differences between the Pingxi Plain and Redwood Ridge, Yuan Cheng had no time for such leisurely observations. He was more immersed in the daytime view before him, clearly still riding the high of his breakthrough to the Frostwarden realm.

Xia Chuan and the other four smiled at his words.

Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, and Hong Tian had broken through around the same time as Yuan Cheng, so they felt some resonance with his statement.

“Me neither. I can’t get tired of it.”

Yuan Cheng chuckled as something came to mind.

“When Yue Feng broke through last month, he almost cried from excitement the first time he saw the day. Xu Ning and I were laughing our heads off beside him, hahaha…”

…

As the group bantered, they failed to notice Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing walking behind them, their pupils quaking in shock at their words.

These people… they all just broke through…

The image of the Great Xia leader, Xia Hong, whom they had met in Jinggu Valley some time ago, surfaced in both men’s minds, and their gazes grew slightly dazed.

Among the six from Great Xia before them, Hong Tian looked the oldest and probably was. Luo Yuan and Zhao Long also looked to be nearly thirty.

But the remaining three—Yuan Cheng, Yuwen Tao, and Xia Chuan—were clearly not old. Even if one accounted for a Frostwarden expert’s true age being much greater, these three couldn’t be over thirty.

Gulp…

Chen Yingba suddenly swallowed hard, trying to suppress the shock in his eyes.

“It’s a pity that only a select few can see this scenery. In the end, this world doesn’t belong to humanity!”

Yuwen Tao’s sudden lament interrupted the group.

His words sent them into a contemplative silence, and the atmosphere instantly grew somber.

Indeed, strictly speaking, the Ice Abyss World did not belong to humans.

The frost beasts and aberrations had a far wider range in both space and time. Compared to humans, they were clearly more favored by this world.

“Whether the Ice Abyss belongs to humanity or not is up to us. Who would have thought our Great Xia could come this far? By the same token, no one can predict the future. Perhaps one day, the Ice Abyss will belong to humanity!”

“The Prefect is right. No one can predict the future.”

Yuwen Tao immediately responded, his expression also becoming much more spirited.

Seeing everyone’s morale lifted, Xia Chuan turned to Chen and Wu at his side and gestured. “Lead the way!”

The two nodded and immediately led the six of them to the west.

“Yanglu’s base is at Yangyuan Peak. Its location is…”

Chapter 234: A Daytime Scout of Yanglu, Who Do We Help?

Beyond Longshan, there were no other high mountains on the Pingxi Plain.

Anything else called a mountain or a peak was essentially a small hill, at most a hundred meters high. From a distance, they blended almost seamlessly into the vast, snowy plains, making them nearly impossible to distinguish.

Yangyuan Peak was just such a place.

To the northwest of Hive, a small, abrupt hill rose from the ground. It covered an area of four to five square kilometers, with its highest point at about seventy-odd meters. From afar, it resembled a white tortoise lying low on the ground.

The hill was encircled by a trench twenty to thirty meters wide. Though the situation at the bottom couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, the mere fact that no snow had accumulated on its upper edges was proof enough that its depth was far greater than one might imagine.

“This hill is Yangyuan Peak. Yanglu’s base is right on top.”

On the southeast side of the hill, Wu Tianxing pointed toward the top as he spoke slowly to Xia Chuan, who was behind him. Then, as if remembering something, he added, “This trench surrounds the entire hill. Even at its narrowest point, it’s still seventeen or eighteen meters wide. A Frostwarden realm expert could leap across it with a running start, no problem, but it’s basically impossible for someone in the Earthforger realm.”

Xia Chuan walked to the edge of the trench. He first looked across to the other side, then down at the snow below, nodding slightly. “It is indeed an excellent natural barrier. Even with tools, an Earthforger would have a hard time. If they post patrols on the opposite bank at night and take a few more precautions, there’s basically no chance for Earthforger realm cultivators to get across. They might even be able to stop a few Frostwarden realm experts.”

The only flaw was the hill’s massive size. An area of four to five square kilometers meant the trench was at least twenty-five kilometers long. It would be impossible to seal off a perimeter that extensive completely.

A Frostwarden realm expert could still cross it with relative ease.

“Stopping a Frostwarden is an exaggeration. Peng Bo wouldn’t waste his time on that. As long as it can stop a large number of Earthforgers, Yanglu can rest easy.”

Xia Chuan nodded. Chen Yingba’s words were the correct assessment.

Judging from the situation at Hive the previous night, large groups of Earthforger realm cultivators were the main force in inter-camp battles. If this trench could serve that purpose, Yanglu could indeed rest easy.

“Yanglu has a total of three Frostwarden realm experts. Peng Bo most likely went to Longshan, so only Liu He and Qin Gu are left. We’ll go over directly and check things out. If we’re careful, we shouldn’t be discovered.”

On the way there, Chen Yingba had already given them a general overview of Yanglu.

Yanglu’s total population was just under thirty thousand, slightly less than Hive’s.

It had three Frostwarden realm experts: Peng Bo possessed a superior combat physique and was in the late Frostwarden realm, with a strength of eight Manes; Liu He and Qin Gu both had inferior combat physiques and were in the mid-Frostwarden realm, with their strength barely exceeding two Manes.

However, they had a full one thousand seven hundred Earthforger realm cultivators, more than double the number at Hive. This was Yanglu’s only significant strength.

If it were nighttime, it would be risky for the eight of them to sneak up, but in broad daylight, it was much more convenient.

After speaking, Xia Chuan gestured to Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing.

Wu Tianxing took a few steps back, then sprinted forward, leaping directly toward the opposite side of the trench. Chen Yingba followed, with Xia Chuan and the other six close behind, all soaring across one after another.

Shhhh…

The moment Xia Chuan’s feet touched the other side, they slipped violently, his body sliding backward. Realizing he was only a few meters from the edge of the trench, his expression changed. He immediately stomped down harder, planting his feet firmly in the snow.

It wasn’t just Xia Chuan. Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing, who had crossed first, and the five others who followed, including Yuwen Tao, all slipped and slid back to varying degrees.

“How did such thick ice form over here?”

Yuan Cheng couldn’t help but exclaim softly in surprise.

Xia Chuan looked down at his feet and realized that unlike the other side of the trench, this side of the hill was covered in a layer of smooth ice. He looked up and saw that the entire slope here was a large, upward incline, and he immediately understood.

“They must have poured water on it intentionally. And there isn’t a single tree near the trench’s edge. That must be a precaution against other camps using ropes or plank-like tools to ferry large numbers of Earthforgers across.”

Everyone understood as soon as they heard this.

They were all in the Frostwarden realm and had enough strength to break through the ice and grip the ground, but an Earthforger couldn’t. If they tried to cross forcefully without any warning, they would slide all the way back into the trench.

“They’ve really thought of everything. The ice is so slick it’s hard to even walk. Even if someone managed to build a bridge from the other side with a large tree, it probably wouldn’t be stable. And if they had even one person guarding over here, the path would be completely blocked.”

Wooden bridges, rope bridges, planks—they had even considered what would happen after people got across. The Yanglu camp’s planning was indeed meticulous.

Without the help of a Frostwarden realm expert, it was virtually impossible for a lone Earthforger to get across on their own, let alone a large number of them.

“It’s not just to defend against people; it’s also very effective against frost beasts.”

Yuwen Tao’s words hit the nail on the head.

Everyone looked up at the icy slope and nodded slightly.

No matter how intelligent frost beasts were, they had not yet reached the stage of using tools. A trench nearly twenty meters wide was already a considerable natural barrier for low-level frost beasts.

And even if they managed to force their way across, they would still have to deal with this icy slope. Given the thickness of the ice, low-level frost beasts certainly wouldn’t be able to get a grip; it would take at least the strength of a mid-level frost beast.

“That’s strange. How do their own people get out?”

Luo Yuan’s confusion drew everyone’s gaze to Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing.

“Look over there.”

Chen Yingba pointed to the west. Everyone followed his gesture and immediately understood.

They were currently on the southeast side of the hill. The west side he pointed to was directly south of the hill. Below the deep trench to the south hung a retracted drawbridge.

“That drawbridge is their only usual means of entry and exit. It’s controlled by iron chains and can be raised from this side of the hill to connect to the other side. When it’s not in use during the day, they pull it up.”

The sole passage for entry and exit would surely be heavily guarded.

Everyone nodded slightly. Looking past the drawbridge, they saw, as expected, the faint glimmer of firelight coming from under the rock face behind it.

“Let’s not waste any more time. Let’s head up. Be careful.”

Xia Chuan glanced at the sky and saw the sun was already high, realizing they only had two hours left. He immediately urged everyone to move up the hill.

The hill was only about four or five square kilometers in area. After crossing the ice, they had only walked a little over a kilometer uphill before they saw a large expanse of buildings.

At first glance of Yanglu’s base, everyone’s eyes lit up slightly.

“The outer buildings are made of iron, while the inner ones are made of wood. Does that mean the outer layer serves as a defense, while the ordinary people live inside? The leader of this Yanglu camp seems to have some conscience.”

Xia Chuan spoke softly, developing a bit of a favorable impression of the Yanglu camp.

“Let’s move faster, and keep it quiet.”

Even though it was daytime, any normal camp would surely have sentries on patrol.

Xia Chuan gave the order, and the eight of them moved forward swiftly.

Just as they were about to arrive, Xia Chuan scanned their surroundings and noticed a row of houses to their left where the firelight was weaker. They were also well-suited for hiding, so he gestured to the others.

The eight of them understood and followed him, moving quickly across the snow until they reached the base of that row of buildings.

Xia Chuan paused for a moment beneath each house before knitting his brow and continuing. He finally stopped at the fourth one.

“Seven people, no Frostwarden realm experts. This is the one.”

Xia Chuan crouched under the eaves and turned to speak to the others in a low voice, “The moment we go in, restrain them. Don’t alert anyone else.”

The main goal of this trip was reconnaissance, to lay the groundwork for future actions against Yanglu. It was best not to alert the enemy. Everyone understood and nodded in response.

The house had three stories. Since it was daytime, the doors and windows were shut tight.

Seeing that the other six had taken up positions by the windows on the second and third floors, Xia Chuan, who was standing at the front door on the ground floor with Chen Yingba, gave the signal with a wave of his hand.

Crack…

Several faint sounds of doors and windows breaking echoed simultaneously as the eight of them stormed in.

Eight Frostwarden realm experts against seven Earthforger realm cultivators—the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

In no more than three breaths, all seven people—two on the first floor, four on the second, and one on the third—were subdued and gathered in the first-floor hall.

“Mmph… Mmph…”

The mouths of the seven Earthforger realm cultivators were stuffed with beast hides. They stared at the eight strangers who had appeared out of nowhere, their eyes filled with fear.

“This seems…”

“These aren’t Yanglu’s people!”

Seeing the attire of the seven, Chen Yingba’s brows furrowed in confusion.

Before he could finish, Wu Tianxing chimed in.

Seeing the bewildered expressions on Xia Chuan and the others, Wu Tianxing, as if hoping for praise, quickly explained, “My lord, you may not know, but Yanglu is close to Redwood Ridge, so most of their clothing is made from beast hides, primarily from Snow Manes and Frost Wolves. That’s why the vast majority of it is either black or blue. But look at these seven…”

The seven people lying on the floor were clad in iron armor, but the undergarments they wore were made of a soft, cotton-like fabric.

This discovery made Xia Chuan’s eyes light up. He immediately gave Chen Yingba a meaningful look.

Chen Yingba nodded and stepped forward. He pulled the beast hide from one man’s mouth and asked in a grim voice, “Who are you people? What happened to Yanglu?”

After being ungagged, the man first glanced around at the eight of them. The veins on his neck bulged as he opened his mouth, his intention clear.

But before he could make a sound, Chen Yingba spoke first.

“You only have one life. Don’t gamble with it. I guarantee I can kill you before you make a sound. If you don’t believe me, you can try.”

The man’s body trembled violently, and his mouth snapped shut.

“Mmph… Mmph…”

The people of the Frozen Depths constantly battled their environment and were naturally fierce.

Seeing that the man was about to speak, the other six captives began to struggle violently, clearly trying to stop him.

Splurch…

Yuan Cheng couldn’t hold back any longer. Spurred on by a nod from Xia Chuan, he drew his great axe and split one of the men’s heads open.

“Let’s see just how tough you are. Come on, keep moving!”

Among the six survivors, four were actually unafraid of death. They continued to glare at Yuan Cheng, their bodies still writhing, clearly showing their defiance.

Crack… Crack…

Two more swings of the axe, and the four defiant ones were all dead. The last two lay completely still, their eyes filled with terror.

The man being questioned by Chen Yingba was one of them. Now, he hesitated no longer and answered immediately.

“We are all from the Wushuang camp. Five days ago, we joined forces with the Hanqiong camp to attack Yanglu. After we took it, we’ve been stationed here ever since.”

Hearing this news, the expressions of Xia Chuan’s group of eight changed drastically.

“Wushuang and Hanqiong didn’t go to Longshan for the alliance meeting? Who led you to attack Yanglu, and how many of you came?”

“I don’t know about the alliance meeting at Longshan, but for the attack on Yanglu, our camp sent eight hundred men, led by our leader, Wu Xiong. Hanqiong sent over one thousand men, led by their leader, Han Jiuli. In addition, the leader of our hunting group, Wu Ying, and a man from Hanqiong named Wu Lin also came.”

This man’s base strength was just over twenty thousand. His position in the Wushuang camp was likely not very high, so it made sense that he was unaware of the alliance meeting. However, the key information contained in his words was more than enough for Xia Chuan.

“Neither of their leaders went to the alliance meeting; instead, they led their men to attack Yanglu. This means the Longyou Alliance has basically collapsed. Furthermore, these two camps wouldn’t have dared to come on their own. Based on my brother’s description of the situation in Longyou, they were most likely acting on Zhaoyang’s orders. If that’s the case…”

Xia Chuan ran through a few scenarios in his mind but did not voice his deductions.

Xia Hong’s letter contained a general description of the current situation in Longyou. It wasn’t just Xia Chuan who had read it; Yuwen Tao and the others had as well.

But reading it was one thing; being able to piece together the clues from the letter and, based on Yanglu’s current fate, deduce the state of the Longyou Alliance was a skill not everyone possessed.

Besides Xia Chuan, it was clear that Yuwen Tao was the only one who had deduced the most.

Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, Hong Guang, and Zhao Long were all deep in thought, clearly still a bit lost and unable to grasp the situation.

Xia Chuan thought for a moment, then looked up and motioned for Luo Yuan to drag the other captive to the side. Only then did he continue questioning the first man.

“Did Liu He and Qin Gu lead a resistance? How many of Yanglu’s people died? How many did your two camps lose? Tell me everything you know. Don’t try to lie to me. After I’m done with you, I will ask the other man. If your answers don’t match, you know what will happen.”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s threat, the man shivered in fear before speaking with a trembling voice, “They resisted, but it was useless. Five days ago, our leader and Hanqiong’s leader seized the drawbridge first. Before Liu He and Qin Gu could even react, a large number of people had already crossed onto the hill. Although they had many people, they were caught off guard and couldn’t mount an effective defense. The base was taken in a single night. Liu He and Qin Gu were both killed.

As for the total casualties…”

The man paused, a bitter look on his face. “My lord, I truly don’t know the exact number of casualties for either side. I only know that many of Yanglu’s people died, probably more than half. Our camp seemed to have lost only around two hundred people, and Hanqiong’s losses were likely even fewer…”

It was normal for a low-ranking soldier not to know the exact casualty figures.

Xia Chuan didn’t press him. He simply gestured for Luo Yuan to question the other man to confirm if this one was telling the truth.

Luo Yuan heard him and immediately walked over to the other captive.

“Four Frostwarden realm experts, their strength far exceeding Liu He’s and Qin Gu’s, plus over one thousand eight hundred men… Yanglu was caught unprepared and couldn’t respond effectively. It’s not surprising they were conquered. By killing Liu He and Qin Gu, Wushuang and Hanqiong have shown they’re determined to devour Yanglu…”

Yuwen Tao spoke up from the side. He paused, then his gaze suddenly sharpened as he looked at Xia Chuan. “My lord, if I’m not mistaken, both of these camps were acting on Zhaoyang’s orders. Zhaoyang sends its own people to attack Hive while instructing these two to take down Yanglu. Something drastic must have happened at Longshan that we’re not yet aware of. If Great Xia wants to extend its reach into the Pingxi Plain, now is a golden opportunity…”

“I know. Wait, let me think.”

Xia Chuan suddenly cut Yuwen Tao off, his eyes flashing.

With great changes in Longyou and Zhaoyang clashing with Longshan, it was indeed a great opportunity for Great Xia.

By taking Hive without a fight, Great Xia had already seized the initiative. The next step was to solidify this advantage, then gradually expand it, allowing Great Xia to swallow up more of Longyou’s territory.

“My brother’s letter mentioned that Xiling, Baiyuan, Dongkang, Wushuang, and Hanqiong have all sided with Zhaoyang. Wushuang and Hanqiong took down Yanglu. If we hadn’t appeared, Zhaoyang would have taken Hive as well. This means that, judging from the situation among the camps, Zhaoyang has the upper hand, and Longshan is at a disadvantage.”

Excluding Longshan and Zhaoyang, there were only ten giant camps in Longyou. Five had sided with Zhaoyang, Yanglu was destroyed, and Hive now belonged to Great Xia, leaving only Changning, Songyuan, and Yucheng. Even if all three were staunch supporters of Longshan, Zhaoyang still held a significant advantage, at least in terms of camp support.

Yuwen Tao nodded and added, “So we need to find a way to weaken Zhaoyang’s side first. We don’t need to worry about Longshan for now.”

“The question is, how do we weaken them?”

Hearing Zhao Long’s question, a glint flashed in Xia Chuan’s eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Luo Yuan, having finished his interrogation, walked over and nodded at him, indicating that the first man’s story was accurate.

“Wushuang and Hanqiong have taken Yanglu; they won’t give it up easily. Yangyuan Peak is easy to defend and hard to attack. Once taken, it’s difficult to lose. This must be why Zhaoyang told them to strike Yanglu first. If they want to sit on it, let them. Two Frostwarden realm experts, along with over one thousand eight hundred Earthforger realm cultivators, have all come here…”

Xia Chuan paused, turning to Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing with an expectant look. “Do you know how many Frostwarden and Earthforger realm cultivators the Wushuang and Hanqiong camps have?”

At this question, both Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing’s expressions changed. They stared at Xia Chuan in stunned silence, unable to speak for a long moment.

In contrast to their shock, the six from Great Xia, including Yuwen Tao and Luo Yuan, became visibly excited, their eyes slowly gleaming with anticipation.

“Wushuang and Hanqiong each have three Frostwarden realm experts. On Wushuang’s side, besides their leader Wu Xiong and Wu Ying, there’s also a late-stage Frostwarden named Duan Pingyu, with a strength of five Manes. As for Hanqiong, besides their leader Han Jiuli and Wu Lin, there’s another named Han Feng, also a late-stage Frostwarden. I remember him being very strong, with a strength of eight Manes.”

After Wu Tianxing finished, Chen Yingba immediately added, “A year ago, I heard my brother say that Wushuang has over one thousand three hundred Earthforger realm cultivators, and Hanqiong is even stronger, with over two thousand.”

Wu Xiong and Wu Ying had brought eight hundred Earthforgers; Han Jiuli and Wu Lin had brought over a thousand. All these people were now at Yanglu, which meant…

Hearing the general strength of the two camps, the six from Great Xia were instantly electrified with excitement.

Xia Chuan couldn’t help but stand up and say:

“There’s no time to lose…”

BANG!

Before Xia Chuan could finish, a loud explosion echoed from the inner part of the Yanglu base.

The blast was followed by a heart-wrenching roar.

“Ah… Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, you killed my wife, children, and brothers! From this day on, I, Peng Bo, and your two camps are irreconcilable enemies!”

The expressions of the eight people in the room changed instantly. They all turned to look.

“Peng Bo? The leader of Yanglu!”

“He must have gone to Longshan for the alliance meeting. He’s back!”

“It’s not just him. There are four auras rushing out…”

“My elder brother is there too!”

Hearing Chen Yingba’s last words, Xia Chuan and the others quickly moved to the window, pushed it open, and looked westward toward the inner area.

Inside the Yanglu base, four figures were frantically fleeing outward.

The two in front each carried a child on their back. The third was holding an infant. The middle-aged man at the rear wielded a serpent spear, holding back four pursuers as he fought and retreated, clearly covering their escape.

“That’s… the Second Young Master of Longshan, Li Xuantian!”

Wu Tianxing recognized the man at the rear at a glance. Beside him, Chen Yingba stared at the man on the left of the two leaders, his face filled with anxiety.

“The one holding the infant is Peng Bo. The one leading on the left is Chen Yingyuan, and on the right is He Tu, a Frostwarden realm expert from Longshan. How did they end up here?”

“Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo must have sided with Longshan. Li Xuantian was probably here to scout out Yanglu, just like us. He must have found that Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli had usurped their home and tried to rescue the survivors first.”

Yuwen Tao quickly analyzed the situation, then looked at Xia Chuan.

“Who do we help?” Yuan Cheng asked directly, taking two steps forward with his great axe in hand, a hint of eagerness on his face. He was clearly itching for a fight with the people outside.

Chen Yingba knew he had no right to speak and could only stand by anxiously, waiting for Xia Chuan’s decision.

“Wait. I want to see more.”

Xia Chuan did not make an immediate decision, instead leading the others to continue observing the scene outside.

The four fleeing figures, guided by their leader Peng Bo, soon reached the outer ring of buildings. Their four pursuers also quickly came into view.

“Wu Xiong, Wu Ying, Han Jiuli, Wu Lin. It’s those four!”

The short and stout Wu Xiong wielded his long staff with extreme ferocity, leaping into the air and repeatedly smashing it down toward Li Xuantian. The violent force left Li Xuantian with no choice but to turn back and parry, unable to continue his escape.

On the other side, Han Jiuli’s focus was mostly on Peng Bo ahead, his eyes filled with a chilling light, clearly intent on killing him.

Meanwhile, Wu Ying and Wu Lin were relentlessly pursuing He Tu and Chen Yingyuan. It was clear the pursuers were weaker than them, but the problem was that He Tu and Chen Yingyuan each had a child on their back. Not only could they not turn to fight, but they also had to be wary of attacks aimed at the children.

The four’s speed was constantly being reduced. As they reached the outer buildings, their situation became visibly more perilous.

The layout of the Yanglu base was heavily fortified on the outside and more relaxed on the inside. The outer buildings were made of iron, while the inner ones were wood. Therefore, the outer perimeter was the main defensive zone, and nearly all the Earthforger realm cultivators were stationed there.

After Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli took Yanglu, they had evidently maintained this arrangement, keeping all their Earthforgers in the outer area.

Since it was daytime, the Earthforgers naturally wouldn’t come out to intercept them.

But not being able to come out didn’t mean they couldn’t do anything.

Swoosh… Swoosh… Swoosh…

One after another, the windows of the outer buildings flew open, and from within, countless iron arrows shot out, all speeding toward the four fleeing figures of Li Xuantian’s group.

An iron arrow shot by an Earthforger realm cultivator couldn’t possibly injure someone in the Frostwarden realm. But when there were enough of them, the situation changed.

No matter how tough a Frostwarden’s hide was, it couldn’t cover every part of their body.

Moreover, among those hiding in the buildings were some at the peak of the Earthforger realm. The arrows they shot could still pose a threat.

The four had just reached the outer buildings when they were forced back by the rain of arrows. Because they were carrying children, they couldn’t just expose themselves to the barrage. Helpless, they could only use the buildings for cover and retreat.

“You think you can run after getting in? You’re all staying here!”

“Irreconcilable enemies, you say? Peng Bo, Yanglu no longer exists! Surrender now, and I’ll give you a quick death!”

The triumphant voices of Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli caused Li Xuantian’s expression to darken instantly.

He glanced at the two children and the infant, then gave Peng Bo a meaningful look.

“Second Young Master, this is the last heir of my family. Those two are the only descendants of my brothers, Liu He and Qin Gu. I cannot abandon them.”

A bitter expression appeared on Peng Bo’s face. Seeing the ruthless look in Li Xuantian’s eyes, he knew further insistence was useless. He could only clench his jaw and say, “Second Young Master, if you are willing to take these three children with you, I, Peng Bo, will risk my life today to carve a path for you. How does that sound?”

“Leader Peng, where there is life, there is hope. Why must you do this?”

Li Xuantian tried to persuade him, but seeing Peng Bo’s resolute expression, he knew his words were falling on deaf ears. After a moment of silence, he could only nod.

“Thank you, Second Young Master!”

Peng Bo bowed respectfully to Li Xuantian, then caressed the face of the infant in his arms. Finally, he turned to the two older children and spoke sternly.

“Ming, Feng, if I remember correctly, you’re both seven years old. You should be old enough to remember things. Your fathers were both killed by Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli. When you grow strong in your cultivation, you must take revenge on the Wushuang and Hanqiong camps!”

Liu Ming and Qin Feng, who were only seven, had many bruises on their bodies and tears in their eyes. They had clearly suffered greatly after Yanglu was conquered. At this moment, they were in a daze. Hearing Peng Bo’s words, they only stared at him blankly, without any reaction.

A pang of heartache shot through Peng Bo. He knew these two little ones had most likely witnessed the slaughter of their families and were on the verge of a mental collapse.

But thinking that there was little hope left for Yanglu, he could only grit his teeth and suppress his pain. He slapped each of the children across their small faces.

Slap… Slap…

“Did you hear me? Are you deaf?”

The two children were stunned by the slaps. Their bodies twitched a few times, then they looked up at Peng Bo, and their eyes instantly cleared.

“Waaaah… Great-Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, why did you take so long to come back? They were killed, they were killed! My father, my mother, and my grandpa, they were all killed.”

“Waaaah… Boohoo… Mom and Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, and my big brother, second brother, and third sister, they were all killed! Great-Grandpa, you have to save them!”

Peng Bo was over fifty this year. Hearing the two children’s miserable cries, his own eyes couldn’t help but turn red.

The entire families of his two sworn brothers, Liu He and Qin Gu, had been massacred, leaving only these two grandchildren as their last heirs. And wasn’t he in the same position?

He looked down at his grandson, Peng Zu, in his arms. A ruthless expression appeared on his face as he clenched his teeth and thrust the infant into the hands of Liu Ming and Qin Feng.

“There is no time for tears! From now on, you will take care of Little Zu. Remember, you must take revenge on the Wushuang and Hanqiong camps!”

With that, he turned and charged out without looking back.

His target was the outer buildings.

Even if he fought with all his might, there was little hope of killing a Frostwarden realm expert in a short amount of time, especially with four of them working together. His only goal was to break open a path for Li Xuantian and the others to escape.

In that case, he would clear out the Earthforger realm cultivators in the outer buildings first, so they could no longer obstruct them with arrows.

Watching their great-grandfather charge out, Liu Ming and Qin Feng worked together to hold the infant in their arms. Though tears continued to stream down their faces, their expressions gradually became resolute. The seeds of revenge were clearly planted deep within their eyes.

BANG…

Without a moment’s hesitation, Peng Bo reached the nearest building, leaped up, and with a swing of his Ghost-Head Black Saber, unleashed a wave of energy that ripped the roof clean off.

“Ahhh…”

“Ah!”

“So cold…”

…

With the roof gone, dozens of Earthforger realm cultivators holding longbows were exposed to the sunlight. They first let out screams, then scattered like rats.

Some sought nearby cover; others endured the pain and ran towards other buildings, trying to escape the sunlight; still others squeezed themselves into corners…

The scene was both comical and intensely ironic.

“Kill! I’m going to kill you! All of you, die!”

Peng Bo, having torn off the roof, was past the point of thinking. He only knew that the people below were the culprits who had murdered his family. His eyes instantly became bloodshot, and raising his great saber, he charged down to begin the bloody slaughter.

Chapter 235: Rescue, Deception, and a Stir in Xiacheng

One could only imagine the destructive power of a man like Peng Bo—a superior combat physique with the strength of eight Manes—when he fought with all his might.

Crack…

He cleaved an eave in two, and the three Earthforger realm experts hiding inside were hacked into six pieces and sent flying without so much as a scream.

Pressing his advantage, he finished them off and immediately charged toward the others who were fleeing in disarray. In just over ten seconds, more than half of the people in the building had been killed. Of the dozen or so who remained, most were frozen solid, and only five or six managed to escape to the adjacent building.

“Run! I dare you to run!”

Peng Bo’s eyes were red with bloodlust. With no intention of stopping, he raised his ghost-head great saber and charged toward the second building, clearly planning to repeat the process: tear off the roof, then slaughter everyone inside.

“Peng Bo, stop right there, damn you!”

Over on the other side, Wu Xiong could finally sit still no longer.

All the men stationed in this complex belonged to the Wushuang camp. Having dozens of them killed by Peng Bo in one breath was a blow Wu Xiong could not bear. He charged over immediately.

Clang…

A black staff parried the ghost-head great saber. The clash was immense, but Wu Xiong absorbed most of the impact, so the shockwave from the blade failed to rip the roof off the second building as intended.

“If you have the guts, come fight me! What kind of hero takes his anger out on juniors?”

“A hero? You think you’re worthy of that title?”

Hearing Wu Xiong’s accusation, Peng Bo laughed in fury, his eyes turning frigid. He retracted his saber, spun around, and bypassed Wu Xiong, continuing his charge toward the building behind him.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Wu Xiong said no more and quickly gave chase, bringing his black staff down on Peng Bo’s back.

Whoosh…

Wu Xiong also possessed a superior combat physique and the strength of seven Manes, only a step below Peng Bo. The staff whistled as it descended, its immense force kicking up a wave of air. The display was just as terrifying.

Sensing the staff coming for him, Peng Bo’s face flashed with annoyance. Gritting his teeth, he sidestepped to evade, abandoning his attempt to destroy the building.

Swish, swish…

The men inside that house showed no mercy. Certain that Peng Bo no longer posed a threat, they immediately raised their longbows and fired.

By giving up the attack, Peng Bo instantly found himself trapped, attacked from both front and rear.

Bang…

Dodging iron arrows from the building while simultaneously dealing with Wu Xiong’s staff, Peng Bo was forced away from the eaves in moments.

The farther he was from the main building, the greater the pressure he faced.

Many other Earthforger realm experts were hiding in the surrounding buildings. The moment they saw Peng Bo emerge from under the eaves, they raised their longbows and aimed. Volleys of arrows rained down on him like a storm. Combined with Wu Xiong’s relentless advance, Peng Bo was immediately pushed into a desperate situation.

Clang…

The staff descended in another fierce strike. Though Peng Bo managed to block it with his saber, the impact allowed two more iron arrows to pierce his lower abdomen.

A vicious glint flashed in Wu Xiong’s eyes. When they had conquered Yanglu, he and Han Jiuli had slaughtered Liu He, Qin Gu, and all their relatives, including the wives and children of Peng Bo. They had only spared the three children to control Peng Bo, hoping to use them as hostages.

He never expected Peng Bo to sneak in with Li Xuantian and successfully rescue the three children.

If they failed to kill him now, an eight-Mane Frostwarden realm expert would cause unimaginable trouble for both the Wushuang and Hanqiong clans.

He must be killed!

Murderous intent flared in Wu Xiong’s eyes. His energy surged, and instead of retracting his downward-striking staff, he thrust it forward, aiming straight for Peng Bo’s head.

Peng Bo already had five iron arrows sticking out of him. Although none were deep, they were still injuries that had weakened him. This thrust from Wu Xiong actually sent him staggering back more than ten meters.

Even so, Peng Bo showed no signs of panic. He gripped his great saber, turned his back, and swung the blade around in a half-circle, executing a sweeping counterattack aimed at Wu Xiong’s neck.

Bang!

The moment Peng Bo turned, the end of Wu Xiong’s staff struck the back of his head. The violent force instantly broke the skin and tore through the flesh. It was a good thing his skin’s defensive properties were strong enough; any Earthforger realm expert would have had their skull split open.

But instead of dodging, he took the hit to launch his own counterattack.

If Wu Xiong wanted to crush his skull, he would have to take this saber strike!

Peng Bo had clearly thrown caution to the wind. This was a life-for-a-life gambit.

“I’ll kill you first!”

Blood splattered from Peng Bo’s head, making him look like a fearsome demon. Those words, laced with boundless hatred, actually managed to stun Wu Xiong for a moment.

Whoosh…

The gale from the ghost-head great saber kicked up the snow on the ground, sending it flying more than ten meters high—a testament to the terrifying power of Peng Bo’s rage-fueled strike.

Wu Xiong, of course, had no intention of taking the hit head-on. But as he pulled his staff back to block his neck, a strange smile appeared on his face.

Swoosh…

The moment he saw that smile, Peng Bo knew something was wrong.

In the next second, he heard the sharp whistle of a blade by his ear.

“Too late!”

Han Jiuli, who had been intercepting Li Xuantian’s group, had somehow appeared behind him. His longsword drew a bright arc as he slashed.

To be precise, he slashed at Peng Bo’s neck.

Peng Bo caught a glimpse of Li Xuantian’s group escorting the three children out of the outer perimeter. His bloodshot eyes instantly cleared.

Since Han Jiuli was here to kill him, Li Xuantian’s escape was all but guaranteed.

His goal from the very beginning was not to kill, but to create a chance for Li Xuantian—or more accurately, for his three descendants—to escape.

A look of relief washed over Peng Bo’s face. He closed his eyes and waited for death.

Clang…

However, in the next second, a loud crash erupted in front of him.

“Who’s there?!”

Hearing Han Jiuli’s shocked and angry voice, Peng Bo quickly opened his eyes. He stared in disbelief at a double-bladed great axe, and following the handle up, he saw that a burly, masked man in black had saved him.

“He must be from Longshan! Don’t waste words on him, kill Peng Bo!”

Wu Xiong pressed forward with his staff. Without a single wasted word, he swung it at Peng Bo.

Han Jiuli reacted just as quickly. If Peng Bo didn’t die today, the Hanqiong and Wushuang clans would never know a peaceful night’s sleep. He stopped questioning the masked man’s identity and drew his sword to continue his attack on Peng Bo.

“Heh heh, I’m here, and you still think you can kill him?”

The masked man’s voice was unexpectedly young. Seeing them both press the attack, he drew back his great axe and swung it in a rapid horizontal circle, creating a ring of axe blades around him.

Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…

The ring of blades was almost tangible, impenetrable to wind and water. The gale kicked up by the spinning axe blades sent snow swirling several meters into the air, an incredibly intimidating sight.

Despite this, Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli charged straight in.

Clang… clang…

The staff and sword struck the axe blades simultaneously, creating two brilliant showers of sparks. Although they managed to momentarily halt the ring’s rotation, the faces of both Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli immediately grew solemn.

“His strength is close to five Manes!”

“Who from Longshan is this? Killing Peng Bo just got a lot harder…”

They both had the strength of seven Manes, so dealing with a five-Mane Frostwarden realm expert was not a major issue. The key was that this man in black was here to save Peng Bo, not to fight them to the death.

“I’m risking my life to save you, what are you still dazed for?”

Hearing the masked man’s voice, Peng Bo quickly came to his senses. He pulled the arrows from his body, raised his ghost-head great saber, and stood beside him.

“Thank you, brother, for saving my life!”

Whoosh…

“The Leader was right. A great axe is heavy, has a wide attack range, and carries immense momentum. Its advantage is fighting multiple opponents; it’s not as good one-on-one.”

Yuan Cheng stopped his great axe, steadying his numb hands. It was his first time clashing with seven-Mane experts, but there was no fear behind his mask, only excitement.

“You only need to rescue Peng Bo. Do not reveal your identity. No matter what anyone asks, say nothing. Once you have Peng Bo, bring him directly to Hive!”

Recalling Xia Chuan’s recent order, Yuan Cheng tightened his grip on the great axe, moved slightly closer to Peng Bo, and looked straight at Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli, suppressing the fighting spirit that was beginning to burn in his eyes.

Bang…

Just as the four of them stood in a deadlock, another loud crash came from the outer perimeter.

Aside from Yuan Cheng, the other three couldn’t help but turn to look.

Li Xuantian’s group, which had just escaped the outer buildings, had been forced back.

That loud crash was one of the three, He Tu, being sent flying back by a kick, smashing through a house.

Li Xuantian had been forced back by an iron arrow shot straight at him.

He had intended to catch it with his bare hands, but as it neared his face, he noticed the violent airflow trailing its fletching. Realizing its astonishing power, he immediately dodged to the side.

“Who are you?!”

Three figures slowly approached from the south. The man in the middle was a young man in black, carrying a massive broadsword on his back and holding a sturdy longbow. It was clearly he who had just forced Li Xuantian back with an arrow.

They didn’t recognize the young man in black, but the two men following him were old acquaintances: Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing.

Seeing two of their own Frostwarden realm experts arrive, Chen Yingyuan, who was holding an infant, beamed with joy. But then he seemed to remember something, and his expression instantly fell.

“Brother, Hive has been taken by Zhaoyang. All our people have been captured. Longshan is about to fall. Don’t follow Li Xuantian and the others anymore.”

Chen Yingba took two steps forward, his face full of anguish as he spoke to Chen Yingyuan.

Hearing this, Chen Yingyuan’s expression instantly darkened.

It was more or less as he had guessed.

Putting Chen Yingyuan’s reaction aside for a moment, Li Xuantian, He Tu, and even Peng Bo, who had just been rescued by Yuan Cheng, all had their expressions change drastically upon hearing Chen Yingba’s words. Their eyes began to flicker with uncertainty.

“Hahahaha, may I ask which brother from Zhaoyang has arrived?”

The expressions on Han Jiuli and Wu Xiong’s faces were the complete opposite. They laughed with excitement and cupped their hands in salute to the leader of the group from the south.

“I am Lin Ye of Zhaoyang. Lord Hou Ming was concerned that Longshan might attack Yanglu, so he specially ordered me to bring Chen and Wu here to assist Leader Wu and Leader Han.”

Yuwen Tao spoke with a hearty laugh, cupping his hands in return to Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli. An unnoticed cold glint flickered deep within his eyes.

“The four Frostwarden realm experts who attacked Hive—Hou Ming, Hou Bing, and Hou Ying—are all known to Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli. Only Lin Ye is someone they have never met. Your strength is comparable to Lin Ye’s, so you will pose as him. Take Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing and pretend to be here to assist them. Have Chen Yingba turn Chen Yingyuan first and then take control of the three children. Also, remember to kill…”

Recalling Xia Chuan’s orders, Yuwen Tao turned to look at Li Xuantian’s group, whom he had just forced back. His gaze focused on the man in the middle, He Tu, whose strength was only three Manes.

“Hahahaha, Lord Hou is truly thorough. Thank you very much!”

Wu Xiong laughed and cupped his hands in salute. He then glanced at Han Jiuli beside him, and a hint of apprehension flashed in both their eyes.

They already knew that Zhaoyang’s attack on Hive and their own attack on Yanglu were pre-planned and synchronized.

But that Hou Ming was still able to send reinforcements to their side after the battle was beyond their expectations.

They were unaware that Wu Tianxing had secretly defected to Zhaoyang.

From their perspective, Hive had two Frostwarden realm experts and over seven hundred Earthforger realm experts stationed there, plus home-field advantage. Even if Hou Ming brought fifteen hundred men, victory would not have been simple.

After all, conquering a settlement and killing two Frostwarden realm experts were completely different matters.

Yet Zhaoyang had not only succeeded but had clearly done so with ease.

While shocked, they couldn’t help but feel a little wary.

Of course, wariness was a matter for the future. Right now, the arrival of “Lin Ye” with Chen and Wu was a cause for pleasant surprise.

“Brother Lin, no need to hold back. Li Xuantian, Peng Bo, He Tu, and this Frostwarden realm expert from Longshan are all liabilities. We must kill…”

Before Wu Xiong could finish, Peng Bo had already charged toward Chen Yingyuan.

“Brother Chen, I don’t care about the matters between you, Longshan, and Zhaoyang, but I beg you to hand the three children over to me. I, Peng Bo, will owe you a great favor, and I will surely repay it in the future!”

During their escape earlier, Li Xuantian and He Tu had led the way, while the three children—Peng Zu, Liu Ming, and Qin Feng—were all entrusted to Chen Yingyuan.

Chen Yingyuan looked down at the infant in his arms and the two children tucked under his left arm. He then looked up at Peng Bo’s pleading face, and his expression became conflicted.

He and Peng Bo were on good terms, and their two settlements, Hive and Yanglu, had always been friendly, with no animosity between them. Logically, he should give the three children to Peng Bo.

The problem was, his situation was completely different now.

Chen Yingba had just said that Hive had been taken by Zhaoyang. His entire family, along with the thirty thousand people of the settlement, were undoubtedly under Zhaoyang’s control. So, just like Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing, he had no choice but to follow “Lin Ye’s” orders.

If he handed over the children, Peng Bo would be happy.

But what would happen to his family?

Understanding the predicament, Chen Yingyuan could only give Peng Bo an apologetic look. He then turned to “Lin Ye,” and without a word, handed over the infant and the other two children.

“Leader Chen is indeed a wise man!”

Yuwen Tao took the infant and the two children. Noticing their extremely high body temperatures, he first showed a flicker of surprise, which then slowly turned into a smile. He turned to look at Peng Bo and said with a low laugh, “Don’t worry, Leader Peng, as long as you follow my orders…”

Swoosh…

Suddenly, a gust of wind shot past Yuwen Tao.

All three children were snatched away by a man in black.

That man in black was none other than Yuan Cheng, who had just rescued Peng Bo.

“Who are you?!”

Yuwen Tao stared at the masked Yuan Cheng with a “furious” expression, putting on a perfect display of someone who had been caught off guard and was now seething.

Wu Ying and Han Jiuli were enraged. Not only had the prize they’d had in their grasp just flown away, but more importantly, they believed Yuan Cheng was from Longshan. If he rescued these three children, there was no hope of keeping Peng Bo. Furthermore, Peng Bo would surely side with Longshan in the future, creating endless trouble.

Chen Yingyuan was also shocked that this “Lin Ye” had been so careless. At the same time, seeing the three children rescued, he felt a mix of joy and relief.

“Leader Peng, come with me!”

Since his appearance, this was the first time Yuan Cheng had spoken.

Peng Bo’s face lit up with joy. He glanced back at Li Xuantian with a slightly stunned expression, but then quickly followed Yuan Cheng and started to run.

Wu Ying and Han Jiuli would not let them leave so easily and immediately charged forward to intercept. But before they could move, “Lin Ye” beat them to it, charging toward Li Xuantian.

“Leader Wu, Li Xuantian is more important! Kill him first!”

After saying this, while charging at Li Xuantian, “Lin Ye” did not forget to command the two beside him, “Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, you three go after Peng Bo. No need to capture him alive, just kill him!”

Their side had four Frostwarden realm experts, and with “Lin Ye,” that made five.

They definitely had a chance of killing Li Xuantian!

If they could kill this Second Young Master, it would be a huge blow to Longshan.

Wu Ying and Han Jiuli glanced at each other. Seeing Chen Yingyuan’s trio actually go chase Peng Bo, they immediately followed Lin Ye and charged towards Li Xuantian.

Blocked at the outer edge of the buildings by the five men, Li Xuantian’s face was now incredibly grim. They had come as a group of four to scout Yanglu’s situation, but now Peng Bo had fled and Chen Yingyuan had defected, leaving only him and He Tu.

Worse still, besieged by five people, whether they could even escape was another question entirely.

How had the situation deteriorated to such a degree in an instant!

“Second Young Master, we shouldn’t fight them head-on. The outer buildings are full of Earthforger realm experts from Wushuang and Hanqiong. It’s almost dark, we need to find a way to escape…”

Hearing He Tu’s words, Li Xuantian looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was about to set, which made his expression even grimmer.

“Don’t worry, Second Young Master. Even if I have to die…”

Li Xuantian sensed something was wrong with He Tu’s tone and instinctively tried to cut him off, but there was no need. “Lin Ye” and the others had already charged.

Clang…

Five against two. A fierce battle erupted once more.

…

“Brother, could you please hand the three children over to me first?”

They had only traveled five or six kilometers from Yangyuan Peak, and they could still faintly sense three auras in hot pursuit. While still sprinting, Peng Bo couldn’t wait any longer and asked the man in black ahead of him for the children.

Unlike before, there was now a hint of vigilance in Peng Bo’s eyes as he looked at the man. Seeing him clutching the three children tightly without letting go, Peng Bo’s expression grew extremely tense.

When the man in black had snatched the children from “Lin Ye,” his first instinct wasn’t to find Li Xuantian, but to tell him to escape first.

That one act made Peng Bo realize that this man in black was not from Longshan.

If he wasn’t from Longshan, then why did he save him?

Although Peng Bo was filled with questions, he decided to secure the children’s safety first.

To his surprise, the sprinting man in black suddenly stopped.

“There are still people behind us…”

“Don’t worry, Leader Peng, we’ll just wait for them!”

The man in black pulled off his mask, revealing an extremely young face.

Peng Bo was first shocked by the man’s youth, then he stared intently at the face. Certain that he had never seen it before, he could only prepare to ask for the children again.

But before he could say a word.

Yuan Cheng handed the three children over to him.

“Their body temperatures are very high. Did you use something on them?”

Peng Bo took the children, his expression a mixture of astonishment and delight. The vigilance in his eyes toward Yuan Cheng lessened, replaced by confusion. He didn’t even notice Yuan Cheng’s question.

Having lived for over fifty years, even if Peng Bo wasn’t a master of discerning people’s motives, he could generally see through most things. He knew exactly why Wu Ying and Han Jiuli had killed so many people but spared his three young grandsons.

He also knew why Li Xuantian had agreed to help him rescue the children the moment they discovered they were alive after sneaking into Yanglu.

In the end, wasn’t it all to control him?

By the same logic, although this young man in black was not from Longshan or Zhaoyang, he must have understood that controlling the three children was equivalent to controlling him.

And yet, he had handed the children over to him without hesitation!

A sense of gratitude welled up in Peng Bo’s heart. He cupped his hands and bowed respectfully to Yuan Cheng.

“Young brother, I, Peng Bo, will never forget this great kindness. If you have any request in the future, please speak freely. I will go through fire and water and will not shrink back!”

Yuan Cheng quickly stepped aside, waving his hands with a smile.

“No need, no need. You showed courage when you saved these little ones. Our Lord Prefect said you are a man of honor and loyalty, so he ordered us to help. Even if you want to repay someone, you should repay our Lord Prefect!”

When you saved these little ones… Lord Prefect… us to help…

Hearing this, Peng Bo first paused in confusion. Then, connecting the key pieces of information in Yuan Cheng’s words, he shuddered.

There was a third party there just now…

Looking up at Yuan Cheng again, Peng Bo’s expression completely changed.

Everything had happened so quickly before that he never had a chance to look at Yuan Cheng closely. Now that he did, he realized that the style and fabric of Yuan Cheng’s clothes did not belong to any of the clans in Longyou.

Another settlement has intervened in Longyou’s affairs…

Peng Bo’s speculation was quickly cut short.

The three pursuers—Chen Yingyuan and the others—had caught up.

Peng Bo turned around, his face full of vigilance, only to see Yuan Cheng looking completely unconcerned. Not only did Yuan Cheng sling the great axe over his back, but he also walked toward them with a smile.

“You’re slow enough. Did you explain everything clearly to Leader Chen on the way?”

Yuan Cheng’s words made Peng Bo freeze.

But the next scene made his pupils shrink in shock.

Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing also sheathed their weapons, walked slowly up to Yuan Cheng, and bowed respectfully. “Lord Yuan, I have already explained everything to my elder brother.”

Chen Yingyuan, at the rear, wore a pained expression. He stood still for a moment before finally walking over to Yuan Cheng and also bowing respectfully.

“Chen Yingyuan greets Lord Yuan!”

What… what was going on…

“Good, rest assured. Our Great Xia is not like other settlements. As long as you serve the Prefect well, Great Xia will never treat you or your families unfairly…”

Yuan Cheng didn’t care if they were listening. After speaking, he turned to Peng Bo and extended an invitation. “Leader Peng, if I’m not mistaken, you probably have nowhere to go. Why not come with us to meet the Lord Prefect?”

Great Xia, Lord Prefect!

Peng Bo’s expression was already numb. But realizing that he truly had nowhere to go, as Yuan Cheng had said, a desolate look first flickered across his face. He then looked down at his three grandsons and finally nodded with a bitter smile.

Nearby, Chen Yingyuan and the other two were just now realizing that Yuan Cheng had given the three children to Peng Bo. They looked surprised at first, but then a complex emotion appeared in their eyes as they looked at Yuan Cheng.

“Our Great Xia is not like other settlements.”

Recalling Yuan Cheng’s earlier words, a glimmer of hope began to mingle with the complexity in their eyes.

Let’s hope that’s true!

…

Putting aside the events unfolding far away in Yanglu for the moment.

Year Two of Great Xia, April 26th, on the eve of nightfall.

Here in Xiacheng, things had suddenly started to get busy.

Xia Hong had only been gone for three months. The outer city hadn’t changed much, but the inner city now had quite a few new buildings.

There was still some time before nightfall. According to the normal routine in the Ice Abyss, most people should still be asleep. Even if some were awake, they would be very few.

But tonight, Great Xia was clearly not normal.

In the inner city, many houses had lit their lamps early. Silhouettes moved about inside, and occasionally a few figures would step out of their homes and walk along the streets toward the main building.

Near the wooden houses in the valley, in Cabin #8.

Hong Gang had just finished putting on his armor when his wife, Cheng Fang, came from the next room with a parcel. After helping him put it on his back, she said with a worried look, “Didn’t they just send over a thousand people not long ago? Mu’er went with the Azure Wolf Squad. Why are they sending you over now too?”

Her husband, Hong Gang, had broken through to the Frostwarden realm, and the Azure Wolf Squad he led had been promoted to an Intermediate Hunting Squad two months ago. Cheng Fang couldn’t be more satisfied with their current life; sometimes she felt like she was dreaming and was afraid she would wake up one day.

Some time ago, the Prefect had sent twenty Intermediate Hunting Teams to Jinggu Valley. Her husband’s Azure Wolf Squad was among them, so their eldest son, Hong Mu, had gone as well. Cheng Fang had been worried and anxious all this time. Now, even before dark, her husband was telling her he had received another order from the Lord Prefect to go to Jinggu Valley. Naturally, she was even more concerned.

Although she was just a woman, she had her own sources of information. Word was spreading throughout the settlement that they were at war with other settlements in Jinggu Valley. Her son had gone first, and now her husband was being sent. Unaware of the details, Cheng Fang simply assumed that Great Xia was not doing well in the war.

Cheng Fang hesitated. Seeing her husband still checking his gear, she asked worriedly, “Was it because the Prefect suffered a defeat, that’s why…”

“Shut up!”

Hong Gang, who had never been angry with her before, barked at her. He stood up and said, “I told you to stop listening to gossip outside! You don’t know anything, what nonsense are you sprouting?”

Cheng Fang’s eyes immediately reddened, and she looked aggrieved.

Hong Gang’s tone softened at once. He walked over and hugged his wife, speaking gently, “Alright, alright, I know you’re worried about me. I shouldn’t have lost my temper, but you can’t go around saying things like that anymore…”

Cheng Fang pouted. Although she nodded lightly, she was clearly not convinced.

Hong Gang chuckled. After a moment’s hesitation, he shook his head and said, “I’ll tell you a little something, but don’t spread it around. The Prefect… won a great victory.

“I heard we’ve already taken a massive settlement, and many prisoners have been sent to Jinggu Valley. The Prefect probably wants to press the advantage, which is why he came back to rally more men. The settlement has a total of thirty-two Intermediate Hunting Teams. Twenty went last time, and now he’s come back for the remaining twelve. He also mobilized fifty elite low-level squads. You do the math, how many people is that?”

Hearing this, Cheng Fang’s eyes widened in shock.

An Intermediate Hunting Team had a full complement of fifty members, and a low-level one had twenty. Excluding the one thousand from last time, that meant an additional sixteen hundred people were being sent this time.

“That many people?”

“It’s more than that. The Prefect came back on short notice and called people out by name: Zhu Yuan, Qiu Peng, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Huang Yong, and me. All the captains of the Intermediate Hunting Teams. Along with the eight who are already there, almost all of the settlement’s Frostwarden realm experts will be gone. I bet we’ve made some huge gains over on the Pingxi Plain…”

At this point, Hong Gang’s expression grew animated. A flicker of ambition appeared in his eyes as he said in a low voice, “What’s the point of just commanding one Intermediate Hunting Team? If I can help the settlement conquer the Pingxi Plain, your husband might just get a position as a Garrison Commander in the Garrison Department and be stationed somewhere. Then you and our two sons will have an even better life than now.”

“I’m already very happy with the life we have now. I just want you, Mu’er, and Ye’er to be safe and sound.”

“Just like a woman, just like a woman…”

Although Hong Gang was teasing her, his expression was one of pure contentment. He was clearly very pleased by his wife’s words.

“It’s fine to do things for the settlement, but when you get there this time, you have to look after Mu’er for me. Don’t let anything happen to him.”

“I know, I know, don’t worry. I’m leaving now.”

Hong Gang nodded to reassure his wife, picked up his pack, and walked out the door.

“Old Hong, let’s go!”

Coincidentally, just moments after he stepped out, his neighbor Huang Yong also emerged.

The two immediately set off for the main building together, chatting as they walked. Their expressions grew more and more excited as they discussed the war on the Pingxi Plain.

Both were Frostwarden realm experts, able to withstand the setting sun. But it was a different story for many other families in the valley. In the many lit houses, scenes identical to the one in Hong Gang’s home were playing out.

Wives seeing off husbands, elderly parents seeing off sons, younger brothers seeing off older brothers, and so on. Though the situations varied, the excited expressions on the faces of all those about to depart were virtually the same.

Clearly, for the vast majority of people in Great Xia, this large-scale military mobilization was an opportunity—a golden opportunity that came once in a lifetime.

Chapter 236: The Grand Army Mobilizes, Changes in Yanglu, Mid-Frostwarden Realm

In the main hall atop the central tower of the Great Xia valley.

As usual, the seat of honor was empty.

But Xia Chuan, who had been on Yangyuan Peak just an hour earlier, now stood in the center of the hall, staring somewhat mesmerized at the patterns on the Frigid Ruins Cauldron.

On either side of the hall, Zhu Yuan, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Lin Kai, and Lu Yang stood in two lines, their expressions brimming with excitement.

“Greetings, Lord Prefect!”

Huang Yong and Hong Gang, arriving late, saw the six men already standing in the hall. They quickened their pace, bowed to Xia Chuan, and took their places at the back.

“My lord, only Prefect Qiu is missing!” Zhu Yuan said softly, stepping closer to the Frigid Ruins Cauldron to remind Xia Chuan.

Xia Chuan snapped out of his reverie and turned to survey the seven men in the hall, his expression sharpening.

“I just rushed back from the Pingxi Plain and barely rested along the way. Time is of the essence, so I won’t waste any words. I’ll be brief!”

From Yanglu to the Hive, through Jinggu Valley and the arrow bamboo forest, and finally to Xiacheng—the journey was roughly a hundred kilometers. With his familiarity with the route and his Frostwarden realm cultivation, Xia Chuan had sprinted the whole way, but even so, it had taken him over half an hour.

“Qiu Peng is still going door-to-door to notify all the members of the hunting teams. He can’t make it for now, so I’ll give you all the briefing first…”

The seven men in the hall had all been awakened from their sleep by Qiu Peng and had already learned some details about the situation on the Pingxi Plain. Knowing that what Xia Chuan was about to say was crucial, they all straightened up and listened intently.

“On the night of April twenty-fifth, we successfully captured the Hive. A large number of prisoners have already been escorted to Jinggu Valley—over two hundred Earthforger realm experts and four Frostwarden realm experts. They are all imprisoned in the valley, with Yue Feng personally overseeing them.

The Hive’s entire territory of over seven hundred square kilometers, along with its population of more than twenty-nine thousand people, now belongs to Great Xia. Due to the massive number of people, a large-scale migration isn’t feasible, so we’ve only screened out a selection of important individuals and sent them to Jinggu Valley for now. If all goes well, the rest will be gradually relocated to our settlement.”

Rustle…

As Xia Chuan finished speaking, the seven men’s eyes widened, and the excitement on their faces was instantly tinged with deep joy.

When Qiu Peng had notified them, he had only said that the Lord Prefect had won a great victory, but he hadn’t provided such specific details.

Seven hundred square kilometers, a population of over twenty-nine thousand, plus four Frostwarden realm and over two hundred Earthforger realm captives…

Crucially, this was just a rough summary of their gains. As a massive settlement, the Hive was bound to have iron mines, coal mines, and various other resources in abundance.

“A great victory, a truly great victory!”

“Congratulations, Lord Prefect, on achieving victory in the first battle.”

“Sending twenty Intermediate Hunting Teams was worth it, haha!”

…

“Alright, spare me the compliments. Our victory this time was firstly due to the Leader’s advance message, which gave us the initiative. Secondly, many chance factors played a role that night. It’s not hugely related to Great Xia’s actual strength!”

Xia Chuan raised a hand to quiet the cheers, then looked up and continued, “You all are likely aware of the Longyou Alliance’s situation. The Pingxi Plain is currently in turmoil. The twelve camps are fighting and annexing one another, centered around Longshan and Zhaoyang. We were able to seize the Hive by taking advantage of this chaos.

Because we took the Hive so quickly and maintained a tight lockdown on information afterward, the other eleven camps in Longyou are still unaware of Great Xia’s existence. Therefore, seizing this golden opportunity to capture more territory is Great Xia’s most urgent task right now!”

The seven men present were not just Frostwarden realm cultivators; each also commanded an Intermediate Hunting Squad. The daily tasks of leading hunts and coordinating team members were extremely demanding mentally. Compared to others in the settlement, their communication skills were naturally much stronger.

Thus, after hearing Xia Chuan’s words, they quickly extracted the key information.

The Pingxi Plain was in a state of civil war!

Moreover, the remaining eleven camps of Longyou were still unaware of Great Xia’s existence.

This wasn’t just a golden opportunity; it was prime time!

They instantly understood why Xia Chuan had rushed back from the plains with such urgency and why he had sent Qiu Peng to notify everyone door-to-door before night had even fully fallen.

“There are no major threats near Xiacheng, and the settlement’s current supplies are sufficient for a long time. Therefore, I’m leaving only Zhu Ling to watch over things here; Xu Ning is stationed at Wuyuan, and Yue Feng is in Jinggu Valley.

Currently, Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Meng Yi, and Zhao Long are all on the Pingxi Plain. The seven of you, plus Qiu Peng, make eight. Including myself, that’s sixteen Frostwarden realm experts. Almost all of the settlement’s Frostwarden realm cultivators have been mobilized.

We’ve already sent twenty intermediate squads. This time, we’re adding twelve more, plus fifty elite low-level squads, for a total of two thousand six hundred men. This is the strongest force Great Xia can currently muster.

The Leader is also on the Pingxi Plain, but he won’t be appearing for the time being. He will most likely assist from the shadows, so we must rely on ourselves for everything.

This time, whether Great Xia can establish a firm foothold on the Pingxi Plain and contend for the future supremacy of Longyou… it’s all up to you!”

The expressions of the seven men present turned solemn.

Especially upon hearing the expectation in Xia Chuan’s final words, Lu Yang was visibly moved. He cupped his fist in a bow to Xia Chuan and declared with fervor, “Rest assured, Lord Prefect! It is Lu Yang’s bounden duty to expand Great Xia’s territory!”

The other six men immediately followed Lu Yang’s example, bowing to Xia Chuan with cupped fists.

“It is our bounden duty to expand Great Xia’s territory!”

“Good!”

Seeing their high morale, Xia Chuan’s eyes filled with approval. He turned and noticed that it was completely dark outside the hall. “Qiu Peng should be about done,” he said quickly. “For this mobilization of one thousand six hundred men, Qiu Peng has already ordered a large quantity of weapons, armor, and pills from the supply department.

I’ve also notified Mu Dong. Starting tonight, the artisan department will work day and night to produce weapons, pills, and various other war supplies. Now, I will assign the tasks…”

Hearing this, the seven men stood up straight, their expressions growing more serious.

After a moment of thought, Xia Chuan immediately began: “Zhu Yuan, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao.”

“Your subordinate is here!”

“The three of you will lead twelve Intermediate Hunting Teams and forty-five Low-level hunting teams, a total of one thousand five hundred men. Travel light, taking only weapons, bows and arrows, and essential pills. Depart immediately from the outer city via the Xia Direct Road to Jinggu Valley. I will go ahead and wait there. As soon as you arrive, we will continue onward to the Pingxi Plain.”

“As you command!”

After acknowledging the order with a bow, the three of them turned and left the hall.

“Lin Kai, Lu Yang.”

“Your subordinate is here!”

“You two will go to Jinggu Valley ahead of the others. Inform Yue Feng to have his men clear a marching route in advance. It is imperative that the main army reaches the Hive as quickly as possible.”

“As you command!”

The two men bowed, then immediately turned and left the hall, speeding toward Jinggu Valley.

“Hong Gang.”

“Your subordinate is here!”

“I have the specific location of the Hive here. Go there directly and inform Meng Yi and Hong Tian. Tell them to have the army rest and regroup. As soon as my forces arrive, they are to be relieved immediately and prepare to march with me to attack other camps.”

“As you command!”

Hong Gang bowed, then also turned and sped out of the hall.

“Huang Yong.”

“Your subordinate is here!”

“You will assist Qiu Peng in organizing the supplies from the supply department. Lead the remaining five low-level hunting squads and deliver the provisions to Jinggu Valley first. Using the Xia Direct Road should be fast. Once you’re in Jinggu Valley, await my further orders. The two of you may be needed to transport provisions to the Hive, so you’d best take some time to familiarize yourself with the route from Jinggu Valley to the Hive to avoid any mistakes later.”

“As you command!”

Huang Yong bowed and also left the hall to find Qiu Peng.

Alone in the empty hall, Xia Chuan looked at the Frigid Ruins Cauldron again. Perhaps it was a reflection from the great fire within, but a flame seemed to ignite in his eyes.

“Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing… those three can’t make any waves, and they will likely have no choice but to obey Great Xia in the future.

With their top combatants under control and only a hundred or so Earthforger realm experts left, the Hive is a shadow of its former self. All Great Xia needs to do is plant its banner and make the declaration.

As for Yanglu, as long as Yuwen Tao follows my orders, Li Xuantian will certainly not let it go. Since those two fools, Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli, are so fond of Yanglu, let them serve as a shield there and absorb Longshan’s firepower.

Zhaoyang currently has the upper hand, so we must find a way to weaken them. After our army arrives and relieves the troops there, the first target should be…”

Xia Chuan turned his head to look behind the golden chair on the high platform, at the massive Map of Great Xia’s Territory. It hadn’t been updated in a long time.

On the map, the northernmost point was currently Jinggu Valley.

Xia Chuan’s gaze gradually shifted northwest of the valley. After locating the Hive’s position, he raised his eyes slightly further north.

…

In the forty-eighth year of Longyou, on the night of April sixteenth.

“Reporting to the Leader, seventy-nine of our brothers have died. Peng Bo killed thirty-two, and Li Xuantian and He Tu killed forty. We just discovered seven more bodies in a nearby house; they must have been killed when they infiltrated the camp.”

“Reporting to the Leader, we lost twenty-eight men, all killed by Li Xuantian and his companion.”

Outside Yangyuan Peak, Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli stood at the entrance, their faces turning grim as they heard the casualty reports from their subordinates.

At their feet lay a corpse.

Its head had been smashed beyond recognition, and its chest bore two fatal sword wounds, one wide and one narrow.

Standing beside them, “Lin Ye” heard the men from Wushuang mention the seven bodies found in a house. His eyes flickered. Seeing that both Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli were lost in thought, he hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and bowing.

“My strength was limited, and I allowed Li Xuantian to escape. I am truly sorry, leaders!”

Seeing the apologetic look on Lin Ye’s face, Wu Xiong immediately waved his hand dismissively. Noticing several spear wounds on his body, he offered some comfort, “Brother Lin, what are you saying? Li Xuantian is at the late-Frostwarden realm with a strength of ten Mane. Failing to kill him is regrettable, but it’s certainly not shameful.”

Han Jiuli nodded in agreement, kicking the corpse at his feet. “Killing He Tu is not bad either,” he said with a smile. “Losing a three-Mane Frostwarden expert will surely be a painful blow, even for a faction as strong as Longshan. We’ve come out ahead!”

Lin Ye’s expression finally eased a little upon hearing their words of comfort.

Wu Xiong’s words were, in fact, reasonable.

Although they were all in the Frostwarden realm, differences in battle physique aptitude and cultivation level resulted in vast disparities in strength.

Li Xuantian possessed a superior combat physique, was at the late-Frostwarden realm, and had a strength of ten Mane.

Though there were five of them, Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, and Lin Ye only had a strength of seven Mane each. The remaining two, Wu Ying and Wu Lin, were just over three Mane. It was their first time working together, and their coordination was lacking. Defeating Li Xuantian wasn’t difficult, but killing him was another matter entirely.

“Brother Lin, there shouldn’t be any problem on Chen Yingyuan’s end, right?” Wu Xiong suddenly remembered something and quickly asked Lin Ye.

At his words, Han Jiuli also turned to look at Lin Ye, his face showing concern.

They had already made a bitter enemy of Peng Bo. Failing to kill Li Xuantian was frustrating enough; if Peng Bo also escaped, it would be a double loss, and their two camps would not know a moment’s peace from now on.

“Rest assured, leaders. Peng Bo only has a strength of eight Mane. Not only is he injured, but he’s also burdened with three liabilities. If Chen Yingyuan and the others lose him, I will report back to my leader and ensure the three of them are severely punished!”

Hearing this, Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli finally relaxed a little.

“Leaders, if you’ll permit me to speak frankly, we first forced Chen Yingyuan to defect, scared off Peng Bo, and then killed He Tu. Li Xuantian barely escaped with his life. When Longshan learns of this, they will be furious. Li Xuantian has also more or less scouted out the situation here in Yanglu. In my opinion, we should start preparing now. Otherwise, we’ll be at a disadvantage if we have to face Longshan’s army in a rush!”

At these words, Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli exchanged a look and nodded.

“Brother Lin has a point. Six days ago, we lost over four hundred men attacking Yanglu. Now, our two camps combined have only about one thousand four hundred left. Including the six hundred-plus Earthforger realm experts we have under control here in Yanglu, that’s only a little over two thousand men. If the Longyou Army comes, we truly might not be able to hold our ground in a hasty battle.”

Hearing the term “Longyou Army,” Han Jiuli’s expression grew solemn. He nodded and said, “It’s been dark for a while now. I’ll go deploy our forces. We need men watching the ravines around Yangyuan Peak. I’ve also sent Wu Lin to keep an eye on the suspension bridge. He’ll send a signal immediately if there’s any movement.”

With that, Han Jiuli left. Wu Xiong remained, giving a few orders to his own men from Wushuang before turning to Lin Ye with a hint of hesitation. “Brother Lin, the Longyou Army is too strong. We really might not be able to defend this place by ourselves. Perhaps you could…”

“Leader Wu, rest assured. After we took the Hive, we already dispatched a group to support you. They should have set out after nightfall and will arrive here soon.”

At these words, a true look of relief finally appeared on Wu Xiong’s face. “Thank you for that. I’ve arranged for lodging. Brother Lin, please go and rest!”

A man immediately came forward and made an inviting gesture to Lin Ye.

Lin Ye nodded and followed the man to a well-furnished house on the periphery.

Upon entering the room, Lin Ye immediately dismissed the guide with a wave of his hand. He sat down, a sharp glint in his eyes.

“The Longyou Army must be Longshan’s elite. For them to be afraid with over two thousand men, this Longyou Army must be either incredibly strong or very numerous…”

To be honest, Yuwen Tao was somewhat surprised he had managed to maintain his disguise for this long.

He knew little about the situation on the Pingxi Plain, let alone about Zhaoyang. Xia Chuan’s order for him to impersonate Lin Ye had been a hasty decision, made simply because there was no other suitable candidate.

If these two men had asked him even one question about the Zhaoyang camp, his cover would have been blown quickly. But surprisingly, neither Wu Xiong nor Han Jiuli had suspected him yet.

“The Lord Prefect told me to keep up the disguise for as long as possible. Han Jiuli and Wu Xiong’s strength is average. I just need to be on guard for anyone from Zhaoyang coming to expose me. By staying in these peripheral buildings, I can flee immediately if something happens. If not, I might actually have to help these two defend Yangyuan Peak for a while!”

Right now, the struggle in Longyou was between Zhaoyang and Longshan. Although Zhaoyang had the upper hand, Longshan’s strength was not to be underestimated. If they were allowed to take Yangyuan Peak smoothly, the pressure on the Hive to the east would naturally increase. Therefore, before his identity was exposed, Yuwen Tao really had to help Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli defend Yangyuan Peak.

“Also, I must prevent Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli from sending messengers back to their settlements. I also have to try and intercept any messages sent to them. I must buy as much time as possible for the Lord Prefect’s operation…”

Yuwen Tao’s eyes glittered as he continuously calculated in his mind how to maximize his usefulness.

…

The land of Longyou stretched over three hundred kilometers from north to south and over four hundred kilometers from east to west, totaling more than thirteen thousand square kilometers. If divided by north and south, excluding the Longshan camp on the far west, the rest could be roughly divided into three regions.

The Hive, Yanglu, and Yucheng further west were all considered southern Longyou.

Directly north of the Hive was the Hanqiong camp, considered part of the central region, along with Wushuang, Changning, Songyuan, Xiling, and Baiyuan.

West of Hanqiong was the Wushuang camp. North of both Wushuang and Hanqiong was the largest territory, belonging to the Zhaoyang camp. This was the northern region. The only other camp in this area was Dongkang, located just east of Zhaoyang, in the northeast corner of the Pingxi Plain.

While the southern camps of the Hive and Yanglu were locked in a fiery conflict, the central and northern regions were unusually quiet. This was especially true for the Zhaoyang camp. Ever since Hou Hu returned from Longshan on the evening of the fourteenth, he had held two consecutive days of grand banquets, plunging the entire camp into a festive atmosphere.

In Zhaoyang Pingu, by the main settlement tower, outside a conspicuously luxurious house, two flamboyantly dressed maids hurried out, their faces showing clear panic.

“That lord is too difficult to serve. I just touched him, and he scolded me several times. How am I supposed to seduce him like this?”

“Same for me. Just now, while he was bathing, I took off my clothes and went in. Before I could even get close, he shouted at me, said he was cultivating, and strictly forbade anyone from approaching.”

“This is too hard. We’ll just have to think of another way. I heard he’s very powerful, almost on par with the Leader. A man like that must have incredible self-control.”

“It’s no use. They’ve already sent a dozen waves of girls in the last two days. Do you think… he might prefer men?”

“Hush, don’t talk nonsense! He’s incredibly powerful, be careful he doesn’t hear you!”

…

On the second floor of the house, Xia Hong sat cross-legged on a wooden bed. In front of him was an iron cauldron, twenty centimeters in diameter, containing some residual medicinal dregs.

Xia Hong’s eyes were tightly closed. The skin all over his body pulsed, and fine pores continuously emitted faint wisps of blood energy.

The blood energy grew thicker and thicker, shrouding his body. Like a silkworm spinning its cocoon, it gradually condensed into an oval, blood-red shell.

Pop…

As the blood cocoon fully formed, the pores all over Xia Hong’s body stopped emitting blood energy. Instead, the flesh and blood beneath his skin began to slowly bulge, then contract.

Starting from the top of his head, down to his face, neck, chest, back…

This process of expansion and contraction repeated all the way down to the soles of his feet. Only then did Xia Hong’s eyes fly open.

Bang…

The blood cocoon instantly shattered. Though Xia Hong had done nothing, his body seemed to have become several times heavier, directly crushing the wooden bed beneath him.

Standing up from the floor, Xia Hong took a slight breath, and all the dispersed blood energy gathered toward his nostrils and was inhaled back into his body.

“My entire flesh and blood has been regenerated once, and its strength has doubled. Now, even if my skin is breached, my flesh can provide a certain degree of defense. As long as I’m not hit in a vital spot, ordinary wounds can even heal during battle through the self-healing ability of my flesh alone. This is the mid-Frostwarden realm, and this is just the effect of one round of flesh and blood regeneration!”

Feeling the power within his flesh and blood, Xia Hong was incredibly excited. He clenched his fist to sense his strength, and a sharp gleam appeared in his eyes.

“Fifteen catties of Jade Bone not only allowed me to break through to the mid-Frostwarden realm but also increased my strength to twenty-one Mane. Across all of Longyou, aside from that Li Tianhua, there is no one whose strength surpasses mine!”

Hou Hu had kept his word. As soon as he returned to Zhaoyang, he immediately had someone deliver the promised twenty catties of Jade Bone and five drops of Hanping Jade Dew, along with the recipe for boiling the Jade Bone.

He had even thoughtfully asked Xia Hong if he needed help preparing it.

He was treating him completely as one of his own.

Boiling the Jade Bone required not just Hanping Jade Dew and the bone itself, but also Zhu Silver Flowers, White Frost Grass, eight other medicinal herbs, and a massive amount of coal. Since Zhaoyang was willing to provide it all, Xia Hong naturally accepted the offer.

Over two days, under Xia Hong’s full supervision, all fifteen catties of Jade Bone were boiled according to the recipe.

Finally able to use Jade Bone for a proper Frostwarden realm cultivation session, Xia Hong took the prepared Jade Bone soup and eagerly went into seclusion.

The effect of using it for the first time was surprisingly good.

Just as he had guessed, the most significant reaction after consuming the Jade Bone was in his flesh and blood. However, compared to drawing frigid light into the body by basking in the sun to destroy and regenerate tissue, the regeneration effect from eating Jade Bone was a hundred times—no, perhaps a thousand times—more potent.

After drinking the Jade Bone soup, his flesh and blood immediately began to break down, turning into wisps of blood energy that seeped out from his skin. Then, the powerful energy within the Jade Bone recombined with the broken-down flesh, forming new, stronger flesh.

“Mid-stage, late-stage, peak… the flesh and blood can be regenerated a total of three times. I’ve already achieved such an effect on the first round. When my strength reaches thirty-six Mane, the second round will begin. At that time, the strength of my flesh and blood, as well as my self-healing abilities, will see another explosive increase. And after the third time, at seventy-two Mane, the strength of my flesh will likely be comparable to that of a high-level frigid beast…”

Xia Hong had fought that high-level Snow Mane before and had managed to break through the flesh on its shoulder, so he knew very well the toughness of a high-level frigid beast’s flesh.

“If it weren’t such a critical time, I would go out and kill a few more high-level frigid beasts, get more Jade Bone, and break through again.”

With Longyou on the brink of great change, Xia Hong had to put his cultivation on hold. Besides, with his current strength, he could basically roam Longyou unchallenged in a one-on-one fight. Cultivation was no longer as urgent.

Furthermore, hunting high-level frigid beasts was too unpredictable; it wasn’t something he could rush into alone.

“And it’s not enough to just have Jade Bone. The Hanping Jade Dew seems even more important. It’s certain that Longshan has a steady supply, and Hou Hu most likely has some too, but he’s clearly wary of me. It’s hard to get. Finding it on my own would be too slow. I still need to find a way to get it from these two factions!”

Xia Hong now knew the recipe for boiling Jade Bone.

Putting aside the other ingredients, the four most important ones were Jade Bone, Hanping Jade Dew, Zhu Silver Flower, and White Frost Grass. The ratios were three catties, one drop, three stalks, and three stalks, respectively.

Three catties of Jade Bone were needed for just one drop of jade dew. While the Zhu Silver Flower and White Frost Grass were not as precious as the Hanping Jade Dew, they were not easy to find either.

“I’ve found the cultivation method for the Frostwarden realm, but where to get the materials is another problem. It seems I’ll have to find a way within Longyou. He gave me twenty catties of Jade Bone but only five drops of Hanping Jade Dew. Is he deliberately trying to bait me with the jade dew? This Hou Hu is quite shrewd…”

Xia Hong saw through Hou Hu’s little scheme and smiled faintly. Thinking about the dozen waves of maids Zhaoyang had sent him over the past two days, his expression became even more peculiar.

“He has over five thousand Earthforger realm experts, but only about a thousand are left in the camp. Counting the one thousand Blood Guard Army troops stationed outside, that means at least three thousand men are unaccounted for. They have most likely made a move against another camp. I just don’t know which one. Xia Chuan should have received my letter and is likely already targeting the Hive. Now is the perfect time for Great Xia to make its move. It’s a pity I don’t have time to inform Xia Chuan. I must find an opportunity to send some news back.”

As Xia Hong pondered in his room, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.

“Lord Hong, the Leader requests your presence!”

“Good, I’ll be right there.”

Although Hou Hu had thrown a two-day banquet in his honor, he had never shown up or sought him out. Today, he was finally summoning him.

Xia Hong reined in the still-unstable blood energy from his breakthrough, suppressed some of his newfound physical power, and after confirming there were no issues, he opened the door and walked out.

Chapter 237: Probing, Arrangements, and Hou Hu’s Confidence

Zhaoyang’s power to challenge Longshan’s position was beyond doubt.

The main materials used for the buildings within their settlement were actually bluestone and iron.

The construction method seemed to involve driving piles into the ground, then stacking large and small stones to form the rough shape of the house, and finally, melting iron ore into a slurry and quickly pouring it to set the form before it solidified.

The houses built this way had a lustrous black iron pattern on their exterior. Aesthetics were secondary; the key was their astonishingly formidable defense.

And it wasn’t just the several hundred buildings in Zhaoyang’s settlement that were constructed like this. The perimeter was also enclosed by a wall built in the same manner, with a total length of over three thousand meters.

As Xia Hong walked toward the main building, he carefully examined the stone in his hand.

The stone was azure, with clear black patterns in its inner layers. Xia Hong had to squeeze with some effort to crush it, yet when he lightly picked at the black lines with his fingernail, the stone immediately broke apart.

“Stones are everywhere, but finding one this hard that can also be easily broken along its grain is not easy. Moreover, normal molten iron cools too quickly to be poured so perfectly. They must have added some other special materials to the mix.”

Xia Hong looked up toward the north of Zhaoyang. A massive, frost-covered rock wall, thousands of meters high, stretched from east to west as far as the eye could see.

Just as the Great Xia settlement was located at the western foot of the Twin Dragon Mountains, Zhaoyang was situated on the northern edge of the Pingxi Plain. The cliff face before him was the northernmost boundary of the plain.

“These Beilang Mountains look even larger than the Longshan and Twin Dragon Mountains. The ice crystals on the upper rock face are over a hundred meters thick in some places. The azure stones, if I’m not mistaken, are quarried from the base of this cliff.”

Although Xia Hong had only been in Zhaoyang for two days and hadn’t actively sought out information, he had learned a great deal about the place just by listening in.

Live off the land, live off the water!

Because their range of activity was so limited, all the camps in the Ice Abyss had to extract resources from a finite space, which gave their architecture a distinct regional character.

Great Xia, for instance, was near Redwood Ridge, so its buildings were predominantly wooden.

The former camps of the five central settlements, having many caves, mostly built their bases inside them, using not just wood but also iron to reinforce the cave structures.

Hive was even more direct; finding the plains unsafe, they built their settlement underground.

…

Xia Hong forcefully crushed the azure stone in his hand. Realizing its defensive strength surpassed that of pure iron, he looked at the Beilang Mountains with a new expression.

Clearly, the defensive capabilities of the buildings in other camps, including his own Great Xia, were inferior to these houses made of bluestone and iron slurry.

“There are no signs of frost beast activity on this side of the cliff, so Zhaoyang’s rear is basically secure. Its front is guarded by a three-thousand-meter circular bluestone-iron wall, and its internal buildings are just as sturdy. It could easily withstand an ordinary frost beast tide. When you factor in their Frostwarden and Earthforger realm experts, it’s even more formidable. No wonder they dare to challenge Longshan. They truly are powerful!”

The valley, the Beilang Mountains, the bluestone-iron houses…

While these things were certainly important, they mostly served to broaden Xia Hong’s horizons. What he had focused on eavesdropping on these two days was, of course, any information about Zhaoyang’s strength revealed in conversations.

The room he was staying in was right beside the main building. The people coming and going nearby were all considered mid-to-high level members of Zhaoyang, so in two days of listening, he had gathered quite a bit of intelligence.

“The number of Frostwarden realm experts should be around twenty, with over five thousand in the Earthforger realm and more than twenty thousand in the Lumberjack realm. The total population of the camp is over sixty thousand. The gap with Longshan is already miniscule. If Hou Hu is patient and continues to develop for a while longer, surpassing Longshan should only be a matter of time.”

Lost in thought, Xia Hong walked into the main building. The person who had just notified him immediately came forward and led him to the second floor.

The valley where Zhaoyang was located was right next to the Beilang Mountains. The terrain was similar to Jinggu Valley—a suddenly sunken basin. The main building was situated in the deepest part of the valley’s north side, against the Beilang Mountains’ cliff face. It was square in shape. Though only two stories tall, it was over three hundred meters long and twenty meters high, considerably larger than Great Xia’s main building.

Moreover, the walls of the main building were a full three meters thick, almost the same as the outermost city wall. Its defensive power must be just as astonishing.

“Sir, I cannot enter here. Please go in by yourself. This way!”

“Thank you.”

At the entrance to the second-floor main hall, Xia Hong thanked his guide before striding in. He saw fifteen people already seated on the left and right. His eyes swept across the room before he slowly walked forward.

“Of the eight Frostwarden realm experts who went to Longshan, Hou Hua, who led the Blood Guard Army, and Hou Tong are not here. The other six are present. Of the remaining nine, seven are faces I’ve never seen before. Judging by their attire, they are also from Zhaoyang. The two dressed slightly differently are Bai Qiucheng, the Leader of Baiyuan, and Dong Zhong from the Dongkang camp. These two factions have also come!”

In the two days since his arrival, he had not actively tried to meet anyone, nor had Hou Hu sought him out, so he still didn’t know many people.

However, he recognized Bai Qiucheng and Dong Zhong, who were seated in the front row, from his previous reconnaissance. Counting the six he had met once before, there were only seven people in the hall he had never seen.

Just as Xia Hong finished surveying the room, Hou Hu, from the head seat, personally came down to greet him.

“Brother Hong, come, come! Sit beside me!”

Not only Hou Hu, but the other fifteen people in the hall also stood up and bowed slightly to Xia Hong, their eyes filled with respect.

In the Ice Abyss, the strong were revered!

Evidently, the power Xia Hong had displayed during his clash with Li Tiancheng that night had earned their respect.

Xia Hong wore a friendly smile. When he saw that Hou Hu had placed a chair identical to his own next to the main seat and was gesturing for him to sit, his smile vanished, and a flicker of anger slowly appeared on his face.

“Brother Hou, what is the meaning of this?”

Hou Hu clearly saw the anger in Xia Hong’s eyes but feigned ignorance. “Zhaoyang has always respected the strong. Brother Hong’s strength is no less than mine, so it is only right that you sit at my side. Brother Hong, why…?”

“The reason this Hong is willing to stay in Zhaoyang comes down to two points. First, I cannot stand Longshan’s tyrannical ways. Second, I am inspired by Brother Hou’s righteous act of raising an army against Longshan. For these two reasons, I decided to stay and help you overthrow Longshan and seek justice for the thousands of people living in the Longyou lands…”

Xia Hong paused, building up his emotion before retorting angrily:

“Setting aside the fact that I have no interest in staying in Zhaoyang, does Brother Hou truly believe that I am the kind of petty person who cares about the vanity of seating arrangements?”

Hearing these words, the confusion on Hou Hu’s face quickly turned to delight. But seeing that Xia Hong’s anger had not subsided, he immediately wiped the joy from his face, replaced it with a look of unease, and slapped his own forehead apologetically.

“Brother Hong is filled with sincere passion, chivalrous and righteous. It was I who was being petty-minded. I hope Brother Hong can quell his anger. This seating is indeed arranged by strength. If Brother Hong does not sit, how can I possibly sit in my own…”

“Say no more, Brother Hou. You are the Leader of Zhaoyang, the host. This Hong is merely a guest in Zhaoyang. Furthermore, in the fight against Longshan, Zhaoyang will take the lead, with the other camps providing support. I am but a single person and cannot contribute much. How could I dare take a seat higher than the host? Just find any place for me!”

A deep-seated smile grew in Hou Hu’s eyes, but on the surface, he waved his hands and said with a serious expression, “Although Brother Hong is alone, your strength is astonishing. You were even able to force Li Tiancheng into retreat. In our battle against Longshan, we will have to rely heavily on you. How could you say you can’t contribute much?”

He pondered for a moment, then gave a look to the person on his left. “How about this? I’ll have Hou Quan give up his seat for you. Brother Hong, please take it for now. What do you say?”

“Then it would be impolite to refuse!”

Xia Hong didn’t continue the act. Seeing the man in the first seat on the left give up his spot, he nodded, walked over, and sat down.

After leaving him hanging for two days, Hou Hu actually decided to test him at their next meeting.

Xia Hong was somewhat surprised, but after a moment’s thought, he concluded that Hou Hu’s actions were within reason.

The strength he had displayed when forcing Li Tiancheng to retreat that night was on par with Hou Hu’s. It would be strange if Hou Hu wasn’t wary of him at all.

However, using such a simple method as offering a seat for a test made it seem that Hou Hu had truly bought the simple-minded and easily-fooled persona he had put on during their journey back from Longshan.

Xia Hong was almost certain that if he had actually accepted that co-equal seat, someone below would have inevitably raised an objection. Hou Hu would then have stepped in to reprimand them, the other person would have offered a slew of justifications, and in the end, he would have been forced to accept a lesser position.

Setting aside Hou Hu’s domineering nature, no camp leader would allow someone to be their equal. Even if he allowed it, his subordinates never would.

This was a characteristic of the camps in the Ice Abyss, especially for a camp as powerful as Zhaoyang.

Of the fifteen people in the hall, aside from Bai Qiucheng and Dong Zhong, the leaders of their respective camps, the other thirteen Frostwarden realm experts from Zhaoyang looked at Hou Hu with the exact same reverence that the people of Great Xia looked at him. How could Xia Hong not understand?

So this was Hou Hu’s test. He was probing to see if Xia Hong would harbor improper thoughts because of his strength. This would help him adjust his plans for Xia Hong in the great battle to come. That was the most likely reason.

Now that he had passed the test, the arrangements for him would probably be a bit more daring.

Xia Hong’s eyes flickered as he glanced at the meager fruit platter on the table and pouted slightly.

Although Zhaoyang was powerful, its variety of resources was nothing compared to Great Xia’s.

Tonight, the leaders of two other camps were present, and all of Zhaoyang’s currently available Frostwarden realm experts had attended. On such an important occasion, there were only two fruit platters on the table.

“I’ve finished all the Bloodchill Wine and aged liquor I brought with me. My mouth is about to lose all taste. I need to find a way to get back to the settlement and get some more…”

While Xia Hong was disdainful of Zhaoyang’s lack of resources, Hou Hu, at the head seat, was beaming, thoroughly pleased with the perfect outcome of his test. Even the way he looked at Xia Hong was now filled with utmost satisfaction.

“I had quite an epiphany during my battle with Li Tiancheng on the fourteenth. So I went into seclusion as soon as I returned to camp and haven’t come out for two days. Have you all taken care of the matters I arranged upon my return?”

As soon as Hou Hu spoke, the expressions of the fifteen people below him tensed slightly. They immediately straightened their postures and turned to look at him with reverence.

This scene made Xia Hong’s expression tighten slightly.

The other thirteen were one thing, but Bai Qiucheng and Dong Zhong were another.

The leaders of these two camps were also showing such deference to Hou Hu.

The meaning behind this was significant.

“This doesn’t look like they’re just siding with Zhaoyang. It seems more like they’re preparing to merge their entire clans into Zhaoyang. Dongkang is to the right, and Baiyuan is to the northwest; both camps are adjacent to Zhaoyang. A complete merger wouldn’t be surprising. But if that happens, Zhaoyang’s strength will grow even more formidable!”

Xia Hong’s gaze grew a little grave as he continued to listen to the conversation between Hou Hu and the others.

Hou Quan, who had just given up his seat for Xia Hong, stood up, cupped his hands, and said:

“Reporting to the Leader, two days ago, I dispatched eight groups of people to deliver messages to the eight camps of Longyou. The news that Li Tianhua is no longer in Longshan should have spread by now.

The messengers sent to Changning and Songyuan have returned. According to them, both territories have Longyou Army patrols everywhere. It seems they have been brought under Longshan’s control.

The messenger sent to Yucheng has also returned. He couldn’t even get into the Yucheng settlement, nor could he find anyone from Yucheng. We don’t know what the situation is there.”

Hearing this last piece of news, Hou Hu’s expression hardened for a moment before he chuckled softly and said in a cold voice, “Something must have happened to Yan Chuan. Since Longshan wants to strike first, the ones they’d make an example of would naturally be fence-sitters like him.

With Yucheng, Changning, and Songyuan taken by Longshan, they’ve gained at least five thousand more Earthforger realm experts by co-opting the common people from those three camps. They acted quite swiftly this time.”

Xia Hong raised an eyebrow slightly, amazed at Hou Hu’s keen insight.

He had personally seen Yan Chuan’s corpse, but Hou Hu was able to deduce that something had happened to Yan Chuan and that Yucheng had been taken by Longshan based on just this small piece of information. That was quite impressive.

Below, Hou Quan nodded in agreement before asking:

“Has Li Xuanyan wised up?”

“He doesn’t have the brains for it. To act so decisively, I suspect Li Tiancheng is personally in charge. They didn’t just take these three camps, did they? What else is going on? Tell me everything!”

When mentioning Li Xuanyan, Hou Hu’s tone was filled with contempt. He flatly asserted that Li Xuanyan was incapable of such things, showing he knew him incredibly well.

Another person stepped out from behind Hou Quan and said with cupped hands, “Wushuang and Hanqiong have captured Yanglu as planned. Our scout has sent word back from Wushuang. Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli are stationed in Yanglu with a large force, waiting only for Hou Ming from Hive to finish his task. Once their two forces combine, Wushuang, Hanqiong, Hive, and Yanglu will be united, and the entire southeastern region of Longyou will be completely free from Longshan’s control!”

“Good!”

Hou Hu’s face lit up with excitement. He stood up, his gaze turning to Bai Qiucheng below. “You said that Longshan’s army is currently divided. One part is encamped to your west, cutting off the main route between you and Xiling, while the other is encamped to the south, preventing your main force from moving south and stopping you from joining us in Zhaoyang. Is that correct?”

Bai Qiucheng rose and bowed, nodding. “Indeed. The number of Longyou Army soldiers seems abnormal. For Longshan to take Yucheng, Changning, and Songyuan so quickly, they must have used the Longyou Army. But of the two thousand men stationed to our camp’s west, half of them, by their armor, are also from the Longyou Army. It’s the same for the two thousand stationed to the south. How could Longshan have…”

“Li Tianhua likes to keep a card up his sleeve in everything he does. The Longyou Army always had more than one thousand men. I knew that long ago. Still, to have this many is a bit beyond my expectations.”

A hint of pressure appeared on Hou Hu’s brow, but he quickly sneered. “They’re blockading the main roads to prevent large-scale movements between us. They’re afraid of us joining forces. Out of more than four thousand men, even if I grant them two thousand true Longyou Army soldiers, to think they can seal all the main roads between six camps is a bit naive…”

He pondered for a moment, then turned to Hou Quan. “Hou Hua’s one thousand Blood Guard Army troops are in position at the Baiyuan camp, right?”

Hou Quan bowed, his expression excited as he nodded.

“Tell him to stand by. I’ll be there immediately. Also…”

Hou Hu’s gaze shifted to Xia Hong, who had been listening quietly all this time. A slight smile touched his lips as he said, “Brother Hong, I must trouble you.”

“Brother Hou, just say the word!”

It was finally his turn to be assigned a task. Xia Hong immediately stood up and bowed, giving Hou Hu ample face.

“Brother Hong, there’s no need for such formalities…”

Hou Hu raised his hand in a placating gesture, signaling him not to be so polite. He then said, “Zhaoyang has fifteen hundred men stationed at the Hanqiong camp, currently led by Hou Tong. I’d like to ask you, Brother Hong, to go to Hanqiong and assist Hou Tong. The goal is to break Longshan’s blockade on Baiyuan’s south. If you cannot break through, you must at least tie them down and prevent them from interfering with the battle on the west side. How about it?”

He would personally lead the Blood Guard Army to deal with the Longshan forces west of Baiyuan, while Xia Hong would help Hou Tong pin down the Longshan forces south of Baiyuan.

“Alright, this Hong will do his utmost!”

Xia Hong instantly understood Hou Hu’s deployment and readily agreed.

Although Xia Hong had not personally experienced the strength of the Longyou Army and the Blood Guard Army, he had watched them fight. Not only did their individual members possess strength at the thirty thousand catty limit, but they were also equipped with special weapons, and their combat proficiency was leagues above that of ordinary camp hunting parties.

An army of this caliber, if numbering over a hundred, could threaten a Frostwarden realm expert. This was why Hou Hu had fled desperately toward his Blood Guard Army when Li Tiancheng was chasing him that night.

And Longshan had more than a thousand of these soldiers.

Zhaoyang only had one thousand Blood Guard Army, and Hou Hu was only asking him to pin down the southern forces. Was Hou Hu that confident he could defeat the Longshan army to the west?

Xia Hong’s expression flickered as he watched Hou Hu, who was still assigning tasks above, a deep sense of curiosity rising in his heart.

Chapter 238: The Might of the Longyou Army, Yanglu’s Desperate Plight

On the night of April fourteenth, Xia Hong had indeed witnessed the Longyou Army in action with his own eyes.

The problem was, that night, the Longyou Army’s opponent had been the equally formidable Blood Guard Army.

So, in the strictest sense, he had yet to experience firsthand just how vast the gap was between a team formed of hunting party members and a truly professional army.

But at this very moment, far away in Yanglu, Yuwen Tao was getting that firsthand experience.

The gap between the two was simply too great!

This immense chasm could only be described as a world of difference.

Longyou, forty-eighth year. April seventeenth, four hours before dawn.

“Rebels of Wushuang and Hanqiong, die!”

“Brothers, let the slaughter begin!”

“A bunch of worthless rabble dares to challenge Longshan? Kill them!”

“Charge!”

………………

North of Yangyuan Peak, over a dozen wooden planks now spanned the deep trench.

Hundreds of black-armored soldiers had already stormed across the planks,冲ing up the earthen mound, trampling the hundreds of corpses underfoot as they roared and charged toward the top.

Judging by the fact that more than half the planks had been destroyed and hundreds of bodies lay on this side of the mound, the battle had clearly been raging for some time.

“We can’t fall back any further! Brothers, hold the line! If we let the Longyou Army break through, we’ll all die! Hold on just a little longer, reinforcements from the south are almost…”

Wu Ying cleaved through several iron arrows flying toward him with a single slash of his saber. He turned to roar at the retreating crowd behind him, but before he could finish his sentence, a volley of arrows rained down on his head, forcing him to shut his mouth.

He swung his saber in a blur of motion. Though he successfully deflected the volley, sustaining only three minor arrow wounds, he was instantly surrounded by the charging Longyou Army soldiers from below.

What was worse, the rout behind him continued unabated.

“You thought over a thousand men could stop five hundred Longyou soldiers? What a beautiful dream. Since you want to defend both ends, I’ll make sure you can’t defend either!”

From within the Longyou Army troops surrounding Wu Ying, a middle-aged man in white robes wielding a serpent spear suddenly burst forth. It was none other than Li Xuantian, who had fled in disarray earlier in the night.

Li Xuantian’s face was grim, his gaze fixed on Wu Ying radiating pure killing intent. His serpent spear flicked out, sending several Wushuang men flying before hooking directly toward Wu Ying.

Whoosh…

The ten-foot serpent spear left a trail of fire in the air. Seeing the power of Li Xuantian’s strike, Wu Ying had no intention of meeting it head-on and immediately dodged to the side, but how could his speed possibly compare to Li Xuantian’s?

“First, I’ll collect some interest for He Tu. Die!”

Li Xuantian’s voice was filled with fury. As powerful as Longshan was, the number of Frostwarden realm experts was still extremely limited. Earlier that night, He Tu had been slain by the combined forces of Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, and three others so that he could escape. How could he not avenge such a deep hatred?

The moment he returned to Yucheng, he had immediately summoned five hundred Longyou soldiers and even brought along the thousand-odd captive Earthforger realm cultivators, launching a direct assault on Yangyuan Peak.

He Tu was dead, and while Li Xuantian was furious, he hadn’t let his anger cloud his judgment. The attack on Yangyuan Peak, while seemingly rash and impulsive, was all part of his plan.

And if all went as expected, the probability of success was extremely high.

He had already scouted out the number of people on Yangyuan Peak.

Wushuang and Hanqiong combined had over fourteen hundred men, while Yanglu itself had only a little over six hundred Earthforger realm cultivators. All together, they numbered just over two thousand.

As for Frostwarden realm experts, they currently had only Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, Wu Ying, Wu Lin, and Zhaoyang’s Lin Ye—five in total. The strongest was merely a Seven Mane, hardly a threat.

Such meager strength was no match for five hundred Longyou soldiers. Once the terrain advantage of Yangyuan Peak was neutralized, the Yanglu encampment would be his for the taking.

The subsequent developments unfolded much as he had planned. It took him only an hour to lead his men from Yucheng to Yangyuan Peak, and less than half an hour to overcome the difficult trench on its periphery.

Once the Longyou Army was across the trench, they had already routed the northern defenders. Next, they just needed to circle around to the southern side and coordinate an attack with the forces led by Cheng Guang and Yue Qian to easily defeat the southern defenders. The Yanglu encampment would not escape!

It took a moment to explain, but for Li Xuantian, it was all but a single thought.

Wu Ying was inferior to him in both speed and power. What’s more, surrounded by the Longyou Army, he had no room to escape.

The serpent spear plunged viciously into Wu Ying’s shoulder. Pressing his advantage, Li Xuantian put his full strength into his arms, violently flinging Wu Ying into the air. He then withdrew his spear and slashed a dazzling arc through the air, aiming straight for Wu Ying’s neck.

Clang…

“I knew you were here too. Don’t worry, none of you will escape!”

A broadsword struck from the side, merely deflecting the serpent spear slightly. As if he had anticipated it, Li Xuantian tightened his grip and, using the serpent spear to pin the broadsword, continued his slash toward Wu Ying’s neck.

The black-robed Yuwen Tao, seeing his attempt to block the spear had failed, let a look of shock cross his face. He channeled more strength into his arms, trying to press forward again, but in the next second, he felt a blade stabbing at him from behind. His eyes twitched, and he abruptly retreated, pulling his broadsword back to defend himself.

Shhh…

The broadsword blocked the sword tip from behind, but a massive force slammed into him, sending him stumbling forward more than ten meters. Turning his head, he saw that another man had appeared—a thin figure clad in iron armor, holding a sharp sword and staring at him like a predator.

“Song Kang, stop him. I’ll come help you after I kill Wu Ying.”

Another Six-Mane Frostwarden realm expert. The number of masters in Longshan was truly staggering!

As this thought crossed Yuwen Tao’s mind, he saw a large contingent of Longyou soldiers already circling the mound and charging south. His heart leaped into his throat, and for a moment, he even forgot about Wu Ying.

“The thousand men on the south side are also led by two Frostwarden realm experts. Han Jiuli and Wu Xiong can’t possibly hold them off with their one thousand men. Once these five hundred Longyou soldiers join the fray, Yangyuan Peak is sure to fall. It can’t even hold out for a single night. The strength of this Longyou Army is just… too terrifying!”

Yuwen Tao stared at the Longyou soldiers as they broke through the enemy lines. He noticed the hundred-forged silver patterns on their black armor and weapons, and the force of the arrows they fired, all exceeding thirty thousand catties. The shock was written all over his face.

Just as he had predicted, after the five of them had joined forces to kill He Tu, Li Xuantian would not let the matter rest. Sure enough, in the latter half of the night, Li Xuantian, who had not been gone for long, returned with five hundred Longyou soldiers and over a thousand Earthforger realm cultivators, launching a direct attack on Yangyuan Peak.

Li Xuantian did not attack rashly. Instead, he sent two Frostwarden realm experts to lead a thousand Earthforger cultivators to attack from the southern suspension bridge. Knowing he had a follow-up plan, Han Jiuli and Wu Xiong diverted half their forces to defend the south, while having Yuwen Tao and Wu Ying take the remaining half to patrol the surroundings, wary of Li Xuantian attacking from another direction.

Sure enough, on the northern side, they discovered the five hundred Longyou soldiers setting up wooden planks. According to Yuwen Tao’s original plan, he and Wu Ying, two Frostwarden experts with a thousand Earthforger realm cultivators, would defend from their side of the trench. As long as they could destroy all the planks, prevent the enemy from crossing, or let a few cross and then harass them with arrows, he thought holding their ground, if not defeating the Longyou Army, shouldn’t be a problem.

But the reality proved him devastatingly wrong.

The Longyou Army shattered the defenders on their side with a single volley of arrows. Then, Li Xuantian personally charged across the trench. Relying on his sheer power, he protected one plank connecting the two sides, allowing fifty or sixty Longyou soldiers to cross successfully.

Afterward, Li Xuantian personally led these fifty or sixty men to tear open the defensive line formed by a thousand Earthforger realm cultivators, shattering their arrow formation. The remaining planks were all put to use, and the other four hundred-plus Longyou soldiers swarmed across.

Their arrival marked the beginning of the rout.

Before Li Xuantian had appeared, Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli had been cautious. Of the thousand men they took to the southern defenses, only a little over four hundred were from their own camps. The remaining six hundred were all captive Earthforger realm cultivators from Yanglu, whose fighting spirit was naturally low.

But the northern side was different. The thousand-odd Earthforger realm cultivators were all men from the Wushuang and Hanqiong camps, whose fighting will should have been unquestionable.

Yet even so, after the Longyou Army charged across the trench, they failed to hold back a single wave. They lasted for just over ten minutes before being utterly routed.

On the front line, a Longyou soldier drew a powerful bow, loosing an iron arrow that pierced straight through two Earthforger realm defenders. Then, while sprinting forward, he slung the bow onto his back, drew a great saber, and caught up to another Earthforger, felling him with a single blow. The entire sequence was clean and fluid, without a hint of wasted motion.

“Their base strength is all over thirty thousand catties. The draw of their iron-core bows must be at least a thirty-stone pull. Add to that their hundred-forged iron armor and hundred-forged weapons—they far surpass these ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators in both cultivation and equipment. Not only that, but their combat skills are also vastly superior.

“On average, a single Longyou soldier, fighting alone, can handle at least three to five men. If they press forward as an army in formation, they probably wouldn’t flinch even if facing an enemy ten times their number, let alone three or five times.

“No wonder. No wonder Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli were so afraid before. The strength of this Longyou Army is simply too immense. Even if that thousand-man army from Great Xia came, they would likely meet the same fate. This is the Longyou Army!”

The shock in Yuwen Tao’s heart took a long time to subside. Only by truly witnessing the strength of the Longyou Army did he realize just how terrifying the gap was between the hunting parties of ordinary camps and a real army.

Great Xia’s Intermediate Hunting Teams already had very strict selection criteria, yet the standard for base strength was only fifteen thousand catties. The adoption rate of hundred-forged weapons was only around sixty percent, to say nothing of hundred-forged armor, which only Frostwarden realm experts and a few wealthy individuals could afford. As for combat ability, they might be slightly stronger than the men from Wushuang and Hanqiong, but compared to the Longyou Army, the gap was still stark.

“Without reinforcements, there’s no way Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli can hold Yangyuan Peak with their men. The Lord Prefect’s plan is likely to fail. I must find a way to retreat first, or I’ll be skinned alive if the Longyou Army surrounds me!”

The last person to be surrounded, Wu Ying, was now being pushed into a life-or-death situation by Li Xuantian and a hundred Longyou soldiers, a single step away from death.

Looking at Song Kang, who was staring him down, Yuwen Tao’s desire to retreat grew stronger. The moment Li Xuantian killed Wu Ying, he would immediately come over and join Song Kang in killing him. He certainly wasn’t going to stand here and wait for that.

“Trying to run now? It’s not that simple!”

The instant Yuwen Tao moved to retreat, Song Kang was already in motion.

Clearly, he wasn’t just preventing Yuwen Tao from rescuing Wu Ying; he was also guarding against his escape.

The sword’s edge whistled through the air, reaching Yuwen Tao’s back in an instant. The terrifying force whipped up the snow on the ground, a testament to the power of the strike.

“You think you can stop me?”

Yuwen Tao snorted coldly. Although his strength after his breakthrough was only Five Mane, with the thirty percent boost from his Saintly Crest, he possessed the power of a Seven Mane. For Song Kang, with his Six-Mane strength, to think he could hold him here was nothing but a fool’s dream.

His body paused for a fraction of a second. He swung his broadsword around in front of him and, using the force from the collision with Song Kang’s longsword, abruptly shot forward, fleeing directly toward the eastern side of the mound.

Swish swish swish…

However, before he could get more than a dozen meters, a dense volley of arrows suddenly shot over from the south. Caught off guard, Yuwen Tao was struck by two arrows in the arm.

“Of course I can’t do it alone!”

Puchi…

Song Kang’s mocking laugh reached his ears. Yuwen Tao endured the pain and pulled the two iron arrows from his arm. Seeing blood spurt from the wounds, he immediately took out a handful of Golden Sore Powder from his robes and applied it to the injuries. Only then did he turn to look south, and his expression immediately turned grim.

Li Xuantian had brought over five hundred Longyou soldiers. When they had just crossed the trench, their casualties were almost zero. In routing the thousand men stationed on the mound, they had lost at most twenty or so men.

Of the remaining four hundred-plus soldiers, only a few dozen were helping Li Xuantian surround and kill Wu Ying; the other four hundred had all detoured to the southern side.

Yet now, over a hundred of them had returned.

And after pinning Yuwen Tao down with their arrows, this group immediately charged over, spreading out to surround him completely.

“They can spare a hundred men to come back here. It seems the south has been breached as well!”

As Yuwen Tao’s face darkened, he turned and noticed that the sounds of battle from the mound had already spread to the outskirts of the Yanglu encampment, and his heart grew heavier still.

“The Longyou Army is too powerful. If I don’t get back to inform His Lordship in time, and we engage them rashly later on, the camp will suffer a huge loss!”

From the appearance of the diversionary force in the south to the Longyou Army breaking through Yangyuan Peak and reaching the outskirts of the Yanglu encampment, the entire process had taken less than two hours.

And one had to remember that Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli had a full two thousand defenders on hand.

That, combined with the easily defensible terrain of Yangyuan Peak.

Two hours…

Not only was it incredibly fast, but the key point was that the Longyou Army’s casualties were light!

From what Yuwen Tao had seen himself, on the northern side just now, they had lost twenty-odd men at most, almost all of whom had charged too recklessly and been swarmed by the defenders, who used their superior numbers to wear them down.

Li Xuantian already had a thousand Earthforger realm cultivators creating a diversion in the south. The four hundred Longyou soldiers who had just gone over faced even less pressure than here, so their casualties were probably negligible as well.

Only he currently knew how much pressure these nearly five hundred Longyou soldiers would exert on the Hive after they captured Yanglu. He had to get this information back, no matter the cost!

Yuwen Tao’s gaze gradually hardened. Although he had only joined Great Xia a year ago, in that one year, he had gained and improved more than in the previous decade combined. As a result, he had long developed an incredibly strong sense of belonging to Great Xia.

This sense of belonging made him naturally place the interests of Great Xia first in everything he did, even above his own life and death.

So now, surrounded by a hundred Longyou soldiers and Song Kang, his first reaction was not to consider his own survival, but Great Xia’s next move.

“Aaaah…”

Not far away, Wu Ying’s miserable scream echoed.

Hearing the sound, Yuwen Tao moved without a moment’s hesitation, fleeing madly to the east.

If Wu Ying died, Li Xuantian would be free. With him, Song Kang, and a hundred Longyou soldiers, there would be absolutely no possibility of escape.

He had to seize this final opportunity!

“Archers, fire!”

Song Kang clearly hadn’t expected Yuwen Tao to be so decisive, but he reacted quickly. He gave chase while yelling for the Longyou soldiers to fire and obstruct him.

Swish swish swish…

The Longyou soldiers possessed extremely high combat discipline. Hearing the command, they immediately unleashed a volley of arrows, sealing off Yuwen Tao’s eastern escape route. Frustrated, Yuwen Tao had no choice but to flee upwards toward the mound, toward the southern outskirts of the Yanglu encampment.

Song Kang followed close behind with his sword. He had only been chasing for a few moments when Li Xuantian, now holding a human head, shot past him.

“Lin Ye of Zhaoyang, it’s your turn. Die!”

Li Xuantian held Wu Ying’s head in his left hand and his spear in his right. He closed the distance to Yuwen Tao in a few large strides and, with a furious roar, swept his longspear through a ten-meter cloud of snow-mist, stabbing violently at Yuwen Tao’s back.

Whoosh…

The spear tip was so fast that it sparked from the friction with the air, vaporizing the surrounding snow-mist. It was like a speeding dagger, appearing in an instant and piercing clean through Yuwen Tao’s back.

Whoosh…

Yuwen Tao’s body, already in mid-sprint, was blasted forward for several dozen meters. He slammed into the outer wall of a building in the Yanglu encampment, demolishing two houses in a row before finally coming to a stop.

“Pfft…”

Yuwen Tao stood up from the rubble and spat out a mouthful of blood. His face was deathly pale. Looking at the gaping wound in his chest, he immediately pulled out a pill and stuffed it into his mouth.

As the pill took effect, some color instantly returned to his pale face, and the blood that had been gushing from his chest wound immediately staunched.

“Thank goodness for the Blood Sore Pill. Otherwise, that would have been the end for me!”

A flash of relief crossed Yuwen Tao’s face. Sensing Li Xuantian still chasing him relentlessly from behind, he immediately got up and fled deeper into the camp.

“Trying to escape? In your dreams!”

Li Xuantian’s furious roar came like a nightmare. The terrifying serpent spear attacked from behind again. This time, Yuwen Tao truly felt a pang of despair.

Swish swish swish…

However, at that very moment, a volley of arrows flew from the buildings on both sides, forcing Li Xuantian to a dead stop.

“Brother Lin, get in here!”

At this moment, Wu Xiong’s voice was no less than a gift from the heavens to Yuwen Tao.

He looked up and saw Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, and Wu Lin. He quickly got to his feet and ran to their side.

“Five hundred? How could there be five hundred Longyou soldiers? Longshan only has a thousand in total. To send half of them here, are they not dealing with Hou Hu anymore?”

“That thousand Earthforger realm cultivators on the south side were all from Yucheng! With so many people coming, we couldn’t hold them back! We can’t hold them! We have to send someone to inform Hou Hu and have him send reinforcements! Otherwise, all of us are going to die!”

The three of them looked frantic, their faces filled with panic. The high spirits from when they had captured Yanglu and driven off Li Xuantian were completely gone. They just shivered and stammered about notifying Hou Hu to send reinforcements.

They’ve been beaten silly!

It seemed that these camps in Longyou didn’t know much about Longshan’s true strength either. They all knew the Longyou Army was formidable, but for them to be this formidable had clearly exceeded their expectations as well.

“Where’s Wu Ying? Brother Lin?”

Wu Xiong remembered something and asked Yuwen Tao.

Just as Yuwen Tao was about to answer, a human head flew over from the north.

“He’s right here, catch!”

Li Xuantian’s cold laughter rang out. Behind him, more than four hundred Longyou soldiers and approximately seven hundred Earthforger realm cultivators from Yucheng had reassembled.

Yue Qian, Song Kang, and Cheng Guang—three Frostwarden realm experts—stood just behind him.

Yuwen Tao clutched his chest and scanned the remaining people on their side. A rough count came to less than nine hundred, and his face instantly fell.

He had personally taken part in the battle on the north side.

Leaving aside the power of the five hundred Longyou soldiers, the thousand men led by Wu Ying had been routed almost instantly. But precisely because the rout had been so swift, the death toll was not too high, only around three hundred, not even half.

But now, there were only just over eight hundred of them left here.

That meant the battle on the southern side just now had been a massacre. Of the more than one thousand men there, only a little over two hundred had survived.

“Li Xuantian was right after all. We tried to defend both ends, and ended up defending neither. Even if reinforcements come, they won’t arrive in time. It’s only been six short days since these two houses took Yangyuan Peak, and it’s already changing hands!”

Yuwen Tao’s expression was grim. His eyes darted around their flanks, searching for an opportunity to escape, but after a long search, he found nothing.

Li Xuantian, along with his three Frostwarden realm experts, each leading over a hundred Longyou soldiers, had blocked them off from all four directions. Clearly, he had no intention of letting them escape.

“Weren’t you so brave? Don’t you love following Hou Hu and challenging Longshan? You dared to kill He Tu. Today, I will wipe both of your houses from existence. Attack!”

The death of Wu Ying alone was clearly not enough to quell the rage in Li Xuantian’s heart.

He sneered furiously, raised his serpent spear, and pointed it across the distance at Wu Xiong and the others. The first volley of arrows from the Longyou Army rained down, and the Earthforger realm cultivators from Yucheng followed close behind, beginning to press forward and tighten the encirclement.

“Kill them! Leave no one alive!”

Chapter 239: The White Dew Aberration, Despair, and the Origin of Yanglu

Yanglu was, after all, a massive settlement with a population of just over thirty thousand.

Six days ago, Wushuang and Hanqiong had joined forces to conquer Yangyuan Peak. In the fighting that ensued, they had killed nearly three thousand people. It was certainly not a small number, but compared to the total population, it was only a tenth.

In the end, the annexation of one settlement by another was all about territory and population.

This was a principle that Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli both naturally understood.

Therefore, it was best not to kill if it could be avoided.

Of course, not killing them didn’t mean letting them run wild.

For one, many were fiercely loyal to the settlement and its Leader, Peng Bo. If these individuals were allowed to stir up trouble in secret, a large-scale mutiny among the captives would be costly to suppress.

Secondly, Yanglu had over six hundred Earthforger realm captives. In the short term, there was no way to make these men fight against Li Xuantian’s forces except by threatening the lives of their families.

Thus, after taking Yangyuan Peak, Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli had all the remaining people of Yanglu imprisoned in batches under dedicated guards.

The families of the Earthforger realm warriors, numbering over two thousand, were under the tightest security.

Next were the more than three thousand Lumberjack realm warriors and their families, totaling over nine thousand people.

The remaining thirteen thousand were all common folk.

These three groups were imprisoned separately in two mine shafts on the inner side of Yangyuan Peak and in a large wooden house in the center of the Yanglu encampment, a building normally used for gatherings.

Inside the large wooden house, the more than two thousand family members of the six hundred Earthforger realm warriors were imprisoned. At this moment, their faces were etched with sorrow and despair as they gazed outside, their hearts filled with frustration and unease.

The fighting tonight had started near the trenches surrounding the hill. Even now that Li Xuantian had led his men up the slope, the battlefield was still limited to the vicinity of the Yanglu encampment’s outer buildings.

Although the people inside hadn’t been affected, the heaven-shaking sounds of battle had long since reached the wooden house. Everyone knew that their family members outside were risking their lives for Wushuang and Hanqiong because they were being held hostage. How could they not feel utterly frustrated?

But frustration was useless.

The situation was beyond their control. The vast majority of these two thousand-plus people were ordinary folk, while on the second floor of the wooden house, over a hundred Earthforger realm warriors armed with powerful bows stared down at them like tigers watching their prey.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t resisted. They had already launched two riots before, but both were bloodily suppressed. The frustration in their hearts grew in step with their fear; it was no wonder they felt so hopeless now.

However, things were clearly a little different today!

Within the crowd, a small cluster of people with sharp eyes began to stir subtly, clearly whispering messages to one another.

“The noise is getting loud. It sounds like the fighting has reached the outer perimeter. It must be the Longshan forces attacking.”

“The guards on the second floor seem distracted!”

“Definitely. They keep glancing south, intentionally or not. The Longshan forces must be about to break through.”

“My father is still risking his life for them. If Longshan breaks through, won’t we all be branded as criminals?”

“We can’t just sit here and wait to die. If we break out before Longshan gets in, we might be seen as meritorious. Perhaps Longshan will even forgive my brother’s crimes.”

“That’s right, the sounds are getting closer. Let’s try one more time.”

“Quietly inform the others. We’ll charge one more time.”

“Alright, I’ll go now…”

……………………

These families of the Earthforger realm warriors had a better understanding of the situation and their own judgment. Realizing that the sounds of intense fighting were drawing ever closer to the encampment’s interior, their minds began to race with possibilities.

A few dozen breaths later, after a hushed exchange, the gazes of most of the able-bodied young men in the crowd grew grim. They would occasionally glance up at the guards on the second floor, having clearly received the signal to revolt.

“Brothers, our families are fighting for their lives outside! We can’t just sit here and wait to die! If we break out of this house and help Longshan quell the rebellion, we might still have a chance to live! Charge!”

A roar suddenly erupted from the back of the crowd.

The crowd, which had already been whispering amongst themselves, instantly drew a massive response.

“That’s right, brothers! Charge! It’s our only way out!”

“Charge!”

“Help Longshan quell the rebellion!”

“With me, break down the wooden wall!”

Thwip… Thwip…

“Move again and you die!”

The moment the first shout rang out, the guards on the second floor began raising their bows and firing into the mutinous crowd, swiftly roaring for them to stop.

But this riot was clearly far more serious than the previous two.

At a glance, nearly eighty percent of the people inside had stood up and were ramming themselves against the house’s walls. Even some of the bewildered women and children were swept along, and the entire wooden house began to shake precariously. The archers on the second floor were having trouble keeping their balance.

“Stubborn fools, trying for a third time? Half of you, follow me down! The rest, continue shooting from the second floor! I’d like to see just how tough they are!”

Seeing the hostages revolt again, Wu Ming, who was on the second floor, became seething with rage. After shooting and killing a young man who was ramming the wall, he barked a sharp order to all his men on the second floor.

His uncle, Wu Xiong, had entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of guarding the hostages, and Wu Ming dared not be careless in the slightest. Even though he knew the battle outside was going poorly, he understood the importance of these two thousand-plus hostages.

The worse the situation outside became, the more he needed to control these hostages. If something went wrong, those six hundred Earthforger realm warriors from Yanglu would immediately turn on them, making the dire situation on the battlefield even worse.

So, facing the hostages’ third mutiny, he no longer hesitated. He led his men and leaped down from the second floor to begin the bloody suppression.

“Split into four teams! Kill from four directions! Don’t let them keep hitting the walls!”

Wu Ming and a dozen men remained on the south side, planting themselves in front of the wall and swinging their blades at anyone still charging it.

His basic strength was thirty thousand catties. One could imagine how easily he could slaughter a group of people whose strength was, at most, at the Lumberjack realm. He swung his long blade repeatedly, felling one person with nearly every slash. Within moments, he had cut down more than a dozen people.

The dozen men with him were also in the Earthforger realm. Though they couldn’t kill as fast as he could, they compensated by being utterly indiscriminate. They didn’t even look at who they were attacking, bringing their blades down on able-bodied men, women, and children alike. In a short while, they too had slain many.

And that was just one side. On the other three sides, over thirty men who had received his orders also began a frenzied slaughter. On the second floor, fifty men armed with powerful bows also started shooting wantonly.

The areas beneath the eaves on all four sides of the house were immediately littered with bodies. In less than fifteen minutes, at least three or four hundred corpses were piled on the ground.

“Stop charging! Stop! We’ll all be killed!”

“Fall back! Back! I don’t want to die! We can’t break out! I don’t want to die!”

“Don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me!”

………………

In the end, they were just ordinary people. They were soon cowed by the slaughter carried out by Wu Ming and his hundred Earthforger realm warriors. The young men, fueled by passion, could still hold their ground, but the old, the weak, the women, and the children could not.

They began to cry out, no longer daring to charge forward. The more timid among them simply covered their heads and squatted on the ground. Even when pushed by the crowd, they remained rooted to the spot, not daring to take another step toward the walls.

But Wu Ming’s side had already seen red. When no one was charging the walls, they simply raised their blades and charged toward the center, killing as they went. The house was instantly filled with earth-shattering cries, and the scene became utterly gruesome.

What no one noticed was that as the number of bodies on the ground increased and the sky began to show the first hint of dawn, a single white dewdrop suddenly materialized on the surface of an old man’s corpse in a corner of the house.

The dewdrop spread like a plague. Once one appeared, it quickly multiplied across the corpse. In just a few moments, the old man’s exposed skin was covered in tiny dewdrops. They looked like condensation formed from water vapor as the temperature rose, possessing a strange sort of beauty while also being extremely bizarre.

It wasn’t over. The dewdrops spread faster and faster, soon reaching another corpse next to the old man, then a third, a fourth…

In less than a hundred breaths, all of the several hundred corpses on the floor of the wooden house had been consumed by the dewdrops.

Sssss…

On the first corpse, the old man’s, the dewdrops seemed to have a high temperature. They first began to glow red, then gave off a wisp of smoke. Finally, with a sizzle, a dewdrop burst, and a small, blue flame flickered to life from within.

Boom…

The first blue flame that erupted from the burst dewdrop instantly ignited the other dewdrops on the old man’s body. Then, with a roar, blue flames completely engulfed the corpse.

A chain reaction had begun!

All the corpses on the floor had been covered in dewdrops. The effect spread from one to two, two to three, three to ten…

Rumble!

Blue flames shot toward the sky, the intense light instantly illuminating the entire house. If anyone had been outside, they would have seen that the wooden house had turned completely blue, glowing eerily in the darkness of the night. It was an incredibly bizarre sight.

“What is this fire?”

“Look at their bodies! What are those white dewdrops?”

“This fire can’t be put out! It can’t be extinguished! Run, run!”

“They’re growing on me too! The white dewdrops! Run!”

……………………

The moment the flames erupted, everyone inside the wooden house—both the hostages being slaughtered and the men led by Wu Ming who were doing the slaughtering—snapped to their senses.

But they had realized it too late!

The towering blue flames had already ignited the entire wooden house.

“They’re growing on me too! Help me! Help!”

“Run! Run! There’s something wrong with these dewdrops!”

“Ahhh…”

Even more terrifying, the dewdrops were spreading at an astonishing rate. A moment ago, they were only on the corpses; now, they were appearing on the living.

Those who reacted quickly tried to wipe off the dewdrops growing on them, but not only could they not be wiped away, but they also multiplied with each attempt, soon covering their entire bodies.

In the trenches to the north and south of Yangyuan Peak, the two battlefields from earlier, many of the corpses lying on the ground also began to show the exact same symptoms as those inside the wooden house.

Sizzle…

Just like with the old man’s corpse, the dewdrops first heated up and glowed red before bursting. The first wisp of blue flame appeared, detonating the other dewdrops and quickly consuming corpse after corpse.

On the outskirts of the Yanglu encampment, the sky-shaking clamor of battle had already ceased the instant the blue flames rose from the wooden house.

The forces of Li Xuantian, Wu Xiong, and Han Jiuli all stared intently at the wooden house being devoured by blue flames. Hearing the miserable screams coming from within, their expressions turned to shock and uncertainty.

“What is that?”

“Why did it suddenly catch fire?”

“Is that ordinary fire? Have you ever seen flames that are pure blue?”

“Could it be…”

………………

Li Xuantian swept his gaze around Yangyuan Peak and saw blue flames rising from the north and south sides as well. His eyes narrowed. Then, as if remembering something, he quickly pulled a silver-trimmed jade pendant from his robes.

The silver edge of the jade pendant had already become scalding hot and was gradually beginning to glow red.

“Run! There’s an aberration! An aberration has appeared!”

Li Xuantian’s face instantly filled with panic. He first roared at the Longyou Army soldiers before him, then swiftly turned and fled north.

“Run! Run! Run!”

Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli were startled by Li Xuantian’s roar, but they quickly came to their senses as well. They pulled out their own Aberration-Detecting Jades, and their expressions instantly mirrored Li Xuantian’s.

The two armies, which had been locked in a deadly struggle just moments before, panicked when they saw their commanders flee. They instantly broke apart, one group heading north and the other south, and began to run for their lives.

“An aberration! This is trouble!”

By the trench on the south side, Yuwen Tao looked at the white dewdrops gradually appearing around the wound on his chest. He felt them heating up, and panic flickered across his face. Then, thinking of something, he immediately took out a piece of Congealing Fire Salve from his robes, crushed it, and applied it to the area.

Sssss…

The white dewdrops, which had been rapidly heating up, stopped immediately upon contact with the Congealing Fire Salve. As the salve seeped in, the dewdrops began to turn into ordinary water droplets, which Yuwen Tao then wiped away with his hand.

“Thank goodness, thank goodness…”

Although not all the dewdrops were gone, Yuwen Tao looked incredibly relieved to see the Congealing Fire Salve working. It was a good thing he had brought a few pieces with him when he left Great Xia. Otherwise, given what happened in the wooden house, he would have been dead for sure.

Yuwen Tao’s sensitivity to aberrations was far greater than others’. When he saw the situation in the wooden house, he had already felt the activity from his Aberration-Detecting Jade even before Li Xuantian had reacted. Confirming the presence of an aberration on Yangyuan Peak, he took advantage of everyone’s panic and was the first to flee south.

“But how do I get away now?”

Yuwen Tao looked up at the raging blue flames rising from the twenty-meter-wide trench ahead of him, his expression turning grim.

The trenches surrounding Yangyuan Peak were all filled with blue flames dozens of meters high, trapping them all inside.

He could, of course, leap across with enough force. The problem was that the dewdrops on his body were not completely gone. Judging by the corpses by the trench, the dewdrops would explode on contact with the fire. No matter how well he could jump, he couldn’t guarantee that not a single spark would touch him.

“I’ll have to risk it. I’ll use the Congealing Fire Salve and see if I can get rid of all the dewdrops!”

The moment he thought of it, he acted. Yuwen Tao immediately took out the three pieces of Congealing Fire Salve from his robes and began applying them to every spot on his body where dewdrops had appeared.

“Ahhh…”

“We can’t escape?”

“What do we do?”

“It’s over! It’s over! Why would an aberration suddenly appear?”

………………

While Yuwen Tao was applying the salve, Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, Wu Lin, and many of the stronger Earthforger realm warriors had all reached the trench.

They completely ignored Yuwen Tao’s strange actions. Staring at the raging blue inferno in the trench, which stood dozens of meters high, they were all dumbfounded.

“What are you waiting for? Charge across!”

The south side had also been a battlefield earlier, and there were still two wooden planks spanning the trench that hadn’t been burned through. A few impatient individuals charged onto the planks, attempting to cross quickly.

“Ahhh…”

Unfortunately, they had barely run a meter across the planks when the blue flames touched them. The white dewdrops on their bodies immediately burst, and they were instantly consumed by the blue fire, reduced to skeletons. Along with the broken wooden bridge, they fell into the deep trench below.

Watching the last two planks break, the faces of the remaining Earthforger realm warriors were instantly covered with despair.

It wasn’t just them. Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, and Wu Lin, three Frostwarden realm experts, watched as the white dewdrops on their bodies continued to multiply, their eyes filled with fear and panic.

Giggle… “You’ve woken me up, so why are you trying to run away?”

An ethereal and lovely female voice suddenly echoed in everyone’s ears.

Not just Wu Xiong on the south side, but Li Xuantian, who was trapped by the trench on the north side, and the more than twenty thousand people within the Yanglu encampment all heard it.

Everyone looked down at the white dewdrops on their bodies, their expressions twisting into absolute terror. They could all clearly sense that this incredibly ethereal and enchanting voice was coming from the white dewdrops on their own skin.

“In this icy world, my White Dew is perfect for warming you all up!”

The once ethereal and lovely voice suddenly turned sharp and hoarse, and the thick killing intent in her tone instantly pierced every person’s heart.

Everyone watched in horror as the white dewdrops on their bodies began to grow wildly, spreading to other parts of their bodies.

“It’s over!”

Yuwen Tao, who was still applying the Congealing Fire Salve, saw new dewdrops appearing before he could even get rid of the old ones. Despair instantly washed over his face as well.

Swoosh…

Suddenly, an iron arrow shot in from outside the trench.

The fierce wind from the arrow was actually strong enough to part the raging flames over the trench.

This scene instantly erased much of the despair from Yuwen Tao’s face.

“Yuwen Tao, catch!”

A package was thrown from the other side of the trench. Hearing Yuan Cheng’s familiar voice, Yuwen Tao immediately leaped up and caught the package. He opened it, and his face instantly lit up with joy.

………………

Time rewound to the first half of the night. Peng Bo, along with his three grandsons, had returned to the Hive encampment with Yuan Cheng and his men.

“Grandpa Peng, are we not people of Yanglu anymore?”

“Of course not. Grandpa Peng, you, Qin Feng, and little Zu must never forget your identity as people of Yanglu.”

In a guest room within the main building of the Hive encampment.

Peng Bo held his grandson, Peng Zu, in his arms. Hearing Liu Ming’s question, he immediately reminded him and Qin Feng in a serious tone never to forget their identities as people of Yanglu.

Though he said this, a hint of bitterness flashed in his eyes.

At this point, the destruction of the Yanglu settlement was a foregone conclusion. At his age, how could he not see that?

But as the Leader who had toiled for the settlement for so many years, asking him to cast aside the Yanglu name was easier said than done.

It wasn’t just him. Liu Ming, Qin Gu, and even Peng Zu, whom he held, were all part of Yanglu’s core. He was even more unwilling for these three to forget their identities.

A thought crossed Peng Bo’s mind, and he asked, “Little Ming, do you know why our settlement is named Yanglu?”

Liu Ming immediately nodded. “I know. Grandpa told me…”

Liu Ming’s grandfather, Liu He, was Peng Bo’s sworn brother and also one of Yanglu’s three Frostwarden realm experts. He naturally knew quite a lot.

“I remember Grandpa saying that, according to legend, one morning over ninety years ago, a giant dewdrop suddenly fell from the sky. The circle of trenches around our encampment was created when that dewdrop hit the ground. The dewdrop was extremely hot and solidified quickly after hitting the earth, forming a raised hill. That’s how our encampment, Yangyuan Peak, was formed!”

Qin Feng, who was standing nearby, had clearly heard this story from his own grandfather as well, and he quickly added, “I heard it from my grandpa too! He also said that ever since we chose the hill as our encampment, we’ve never been attacked by frigid beasts. That dewdrop must be some kind of treasure. It’s just a pity our settlement isn’t strong enough to make use of it.”

Peng Bo nodded gently at these words. The history of the Yanglu settlement wasn’t particularly long, and it was hard to say if the ninety-year-old legend was true or false. But this story was considered the origin of Yanglu, and he naturally hoped his three grandsons would never forget it.

“That’s right. Grandfather told you…”

“Leader Peng, my Lord Prefect is here.”

Yuan Cheng suddenly walked in from outside the door, followed by a young man in black clothes. Seeing Yuan Cheng’s respectful posture toward the young man, Peng Bo’s expression immediately turned solemn, and he quickly stood up.

Six Manes of power. This Lord Prefect of Great Xia wasn’t exceptionally strong.

But he was terrifyingly young, seemingly around the same age as Yuan Cheng.

He looked like he had just rushed back from somewhere, appearing to be in a great hurry!

“Xia Chuan, Lord Prefect of Great Xia. Leader Peng, I’m very interested in that story you were just telling. If you don’t mind, could you tell me more?”

Xia Chuan, who had just rushed back from Jinggu Valley, was still catching his breath, but he quickly questioned Peng Bo about the Yanglu encampment.

The legend of the dewdrop was one thing, but it was Qin Feng’s earlier comment—that Yanglu had never been attacked by frigid beasts since establishing their camp on Yangyuan Peak—that had piqued his intense interest.

There was also a vague sense that something was wrong.

He couldn’t think of anything besides an aberration that could frighten away frigid beasts. Out of an abundance of caution, he couldn’t help but ask a few more questions.

Peng Bo was, after all, living under someone else’s roof, and Yuan Cheng had saved him. Moreover, upon entering the Hive encampment, he had gotten a glimpse of Great Xia’s strength. He didn’t dare to put on airs with Xia Chuan and quickly told him everything about the Yanglu encampment.

The more Xia Chuan listened, the more he felt something was amiss. Finally, with a frown, he whispered a few words into Yuan Cheng’s ear. Yuan Cheng nodded and immediately turned and left.

Only after Yuan Cheng was gone did Xia Chuan turn back to Peng Bo. He glanced at the two children behind him and a slow smile spread across his face.

“Leader Peng, I’m aware of the matter concerning the Yanglu settlement. Given Wu Ying and Han Jiuli’s viciousness, I imagine you must harbor a deep hatred for those two families, correct?”

At the mention of their names, Peng Bo gritted his teeth. “Of course!”

“Right now, I can offer you a chance for revenge, Leader Peng. I wonder, are you interested?”

Peng Bo’s expression flickered. He looked at Xia Chuan and asked, “What kind of chance?”

As Xia Chuan slowly laid out his plan, Peng Bo’s expression shifted from shock to indecision. Finally, after Xia Chuan said something else, he was deeply moved and then nodded heavily.

“Very well. If it’s truly as you say, my lord, and Great Xia can provide that many men, then I, Peng Bo, will accompany you.”

“Excellent. Leader Peng is a man of his word. I will be back to notify you shortly!”

Chapter 240: Rescue and the Fall of Wushuang

The seventeenth day of the fourth month, in the forty-eighth year of Longyou.

Only an hour remained until dawn.

On the southern side of Yangyuan Peak, Yuwen Tao’s face lit up with joy the moment he saw the hundred-odd blocks of Congealing Fire Salve and dozens of torches in the bundle. He hastily lit a torch and began smearing the salve all over his body.

Before, with the limited supply, he could only apply it to the areas where the dew appeared. Now, with such an abundance, he simply crushed the blocks and spread the salve everywhere. A weight lifted from his heart as he watched the white dewdrops on his skin quickly recede.

“Yuwen Tao, what’s the situation inside?”

Yuwen Tao looked up to see Yuan Cheng on the other side of the ravine, along with over a hundred soldiers in pale gold armor. They were dragging several large trees, clearly preparing to build a bridge. He immediately shouted back:

“Don’t come over! The aberration hasn’t shown itself yet, but the moment you get close, you’ll be covered in white dewdrops. The dew heats up and explodes into blue flames. The Congealing Fire Salve works against it!”

At the edge of the ravine, Yuan Cheng’s expression darkened. He immediately waved for his men to halt their bridge-building efforts, then looked down at the white dewdrops already forming on his own arm. He quickly took out a block of Congealing Fire Salve and applied it to his skin.

“Cover yourselves completely with the salve! Don’t let the dew spread!”

Yuwen Tao’s warning had come a little too late. It wasn’t just him; all one hundred-plus Great Xia soldiers at the ravine’s edge were beginning to see dewdrops sprout on their arms and faces.

Upon learning that the dew would heat up and explode, Yuan Cheng dared not be careless. He ordered everyone to stop and apply the salve first.

“The lord’s guess was frighteningly accurate. There really is something wrong with the Yanglu encampment. Good thing we brought plenty of Congealing Fire Salve, or we would have truly met our end here.”

Yuan Cheng’s face was filled with relief as he watched the hundred or so Great Xia soldiers take out the salve from their waist pouches and smear it over their bodies.

Back at the Hive encampment, Xia Chuan had ordered him to lead men to Yanglu to assist Yuwen Tao, specifically instructing him to bring Congealing Fire Salve. He hadn’t understood then, but now, seeing the eerie blue flames encircling Yangyuan Peak, he understood everything.

Once everyone had applied the salve and the white dewdrops had vanished from their bodies, Yuan Cheng turned to look at Yuwen Tao behind the fire and issued an order:

“Use the Congealing Fire Salve to suppress the fire in the ravine!”

He had personally witnessed how the first iron arrow coated in the salve had suppressed the blue flames in the chasm. As long as they could quell the blaze, Yuwen Tao, trapped behind it, would be able to escape.

The hundred-odd men moved on command, immediately firing iron arrows slathered with Congealing Fire Salve down into the ravine.

Sssss…

The blue flames in the ravine were indeed suppressed by the salve, shrinking from a height of several dozen meters down to just over ten, and finally receding below the ravine’s edge.

Whoosh…

The instant the flames dipped below the ravine, a figure shot across from the other side. Who else could it be but Yuwen Tao, who had been watching the fire intently?

In mid-air, Yuwen Tao’s expression was still fraught with panic. This was especially true when he glanced down and saw several new white dewdrops forming on his chest, making him even more nervous.

The large bag of Congealing Fire Salve Yuan Cheng had thrown over was enough to cover his entire body several times. The problem was, no matter how many times he applied it, he found that the white dew would continue to sprout endlessly.

This was particularly true for his chest. It had been pierced by Li Xuantian’s serpent spear, and though he had stabilized the injury with a Golden Sore Pill, the wound remained. The white dew seemed to have an unusual thirst for blood, easily recurring at the site of the injury. No matter how much salve he applied, new dewdrops would constantly appear.

“It’s most likely the location. As long as I stay on Yangyuan Peak, the white dew will keep appearing. I’ll die if I stay here anyway, so I have to take the gamble. If I can’t make the jump, I’ll just have to accept my fate!”

While standing on his side of the ravine, besides applying the salve, Yuwen Tao had been observing everything. He had seen clearly that after Yuan Cheng and his hundred men on the other side applied the salve once, the dewdrops did not return. This proved that the problem was most likely Yangyuan Peak itself.

The core of the White Dew Aberration’s sphere of influence was Yangyuan Peak. The farther away one got, the weaker its power became. That being the case, he had to escape Yangyuan Peak first.

The problem was the new dewdrops on his chest. He was worried they would be ignited as he jumped over the flames, which was the reason for his panicked expression.

“The fire has died down. It should be fine. I just have to make it across!”

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but it all happened in an instant. Seeing he was just a step away from the other side, a look of profound joy appeared on Yuwen Tao’s face.

But in the next second, that joy turned to terror!

“Trying to run? Not so easy!”

Boom!

The sea of blue fire that had been suppressed below the ravine’s edge suddenly surged upward just as Yuwen Tao was about to cross.

It didn’t all rise at once. Instead, the flames below first gathered, then coalesced into a fire serpent that shot upward, lunging straight for Yuwen Tao’s body.

Sizzle…

The white dewdrops on Yuwen Tao’s chest exploded!

A blue flame shot up and quickly detonated the other dewdrops around the wound. From Yuan Cheng’s perspective, it was as if a ball of blue fire had erupted from Yuwen Tao’s chest, and then his entire body was devoured by the flames.

“Ah…!”

Engulfed in fire, Yuwen Tao let out a harrowing scream of pain.

“Save him!”

Without the slightest hesitation, Yuan Cheng crushed two blocks of Congealing Fire Salve in his hands, leaped up, and caught Yuwen Tao as he flew through the air. He then began rubbing the salve furiously onto his chest.

The hundred or so Great Xia soldiers didn’t stand idle either. They quickly drew their bows and fired, suppressing the pursuing blue flames behind Yuwen Tao.

“You have a wound on your chest, what happened?”

“Ah… Li Xuantian wounded me. This aberration must have just reawakened. We never saw its physical form. The dew is like a plague, one of its attacks. It easily infects any wound. Its main body is probably still on Yangyuan Peak, don’t go near it…”

Despite the intense, ongoing pain, Yuwen Tao forced himself to relay everything he had surmised.

Fortunately, the Congealing Fire Salve still worked.

With Yuan Cheng’s relentless application, the blue flames on Yuwen Tao’s body were quickly extinguished, and the white dewdrops on his chest stopped reappearing. However, terrifying burn marks were left around the wound.

“This fire… it can burn through his hide!”

Yuan Cheng stared at the marks, his face filled with shock. The hide of a Frostwarden realm cultivator was reforged. Ordinary flames couldn’t burn through it unless applied continuously. Although Yuwen Tao had been enveloped in blue flames, the entire process from ignition to extinguishment had lasted no more than five or six breaths. That it could burn Yuwen Tao’s hide to such an extent was a testament to its power.

“My lord, the people over there are asking for help!”

Yuwen Tao had already fallen unconscious. Just as Yuan Cheng looked up, he heard one of his men. He turned toward Yangyuan Peak, and his gaze instantly sharpened.

“Help, my lord, help!”

“Save us, save us.”

“Sob sob sob, I’m so hot, so hot, save me…”

…

On the opposite side of the ravine, a dense crowd of people had gathered.

A rough estimate put their numbers in the tens of thousands.

Wu Ying, Han Jiuli, and the other Earthforger realm experts were gone, likely having gone to find another escape route. The people standing there now had all come down from the earthen mound.

Seeing that the vast majority were ordinary people, with even few at the Lumberjack realm, Yuan Cheng immediately realized they must be the people from the former Yanglu camp.

Their bodies were covered in white dewdrops that cast an unsettlingly cold light in the darkness. The side of the mound was an icy slope, and the dewdrops’ chilling glow reflected off the ice, making them look like a horde of ghosts from the underworld, crying out for salvation.

Yuan Cheng looked down at the heavily injured and unconscious Yuwen Tao. He struggled for a moment, then gritted his teeth and asked, “How long until dawn?”

“Half an hour at most!”

Hearing his subordinate’s report, Yuan Cheng glanced back across the ravine. Listening to their desperate cries for help, he finally made the decision to save them.

“Every man keep two blocks of Congealing Fire Salve. Throw the rest over. Use up all your arrows. Once the fire is suppressed, immediately set up the bridges. How many can live will be up to them.”

“Yes, my lord!”

The Great Xia soldiers moved at once, drawing their bows and firing to suppress the fire in the ravine. Two men immediately rushed forward, lifted the previously prepared trees, and laid them across the chasm.

Thump…

“These black greasy blocks can remove the white dewdrops on your bodies! Apply it, then cross the log bridges! How many of you make it across is up to you! Hurry!”

Yuan Cheng roared, throwing his own Congealing Fire Salve to the other side. The other Great Xia soldiers followed his example, shouting as they threw their salve across.

For the people who had fled from the peak of Yangyuan Peak, this was like their final lifeline.

Countless people began to fight over the Congealing Fire Salve. The quicker ones were already applying it as they scrambled onto the log bridges, rushing toward the other side of the ravine.

Yuan Cheng’s brow furrowed. He saw the frantic scrambling within the crowd and subconsciously wanted to shout in anger, but he knew restraining them now would be of little use. He could only endure it and continue to fire arrows to suppress the flames below.

In the face of the intense fear of death, the good and evil in human nature were instantly magnified a thousand times over.

“Son, I got one. You run! Take the bridge with the fewest people. You won’t be able to fight your way through the others.”

A father snatched a block of Congealing Fire Salve, quickly applied it to his son, and then pushed him onto a log bridge with a pained expression.

“Brother, you run! You run! I have too many dewdrops on me, it’s too late. Take Mom and Dad and go, run!”

An older brother gave up the Congealing Fire Salve for his family, telling his younger brother to escape with their elderly parents.

“Aying, you go! Go quickly! You still have a chance to live.”

“No, I won’t go! I won’t go! If we die, we die together.”

A young couple both gave up their own chances at survival, wanting the other to escape, but in the end, love conquered fear, and they chose to die together.

“Sob sob sob… Dad, where are you, Dad? I’m so hot.”

A helpless child, unable to bear the searing heat of the dewdrops covering her body, cried out as she searched for her missing parents in the crowd.

…

Though the acts of good were conspicuous, they were ultimately in the minority.

On the several log bridges spanning the ravine, the more common scene was one of people pushing and shoving, each terrified they wouldn’t make it out, and the chaos devolved into a mad scramble.

“Out of the way! Get out of my way, move! Die!”

Some of the more vicious ones even shoved people who were blocking their path off the bridges.

Thwack!

Yuan Cheng finally couldn’t take it anymore. He shot and killed those rotten apples, but he knew deep down there was no possibility of stopping the riot at this critical juncture. So, he could only watch.

“Keep the fire suppressed for a final ten minutes! Conserve your arrows!”

Estimating the time until dawn, Yuan Cheng gave his final order. He then turned to stare at the people on the other side of the bridges, hoping more could make it out.

The prerequisite for saving others was ensuring one’s own safety.

There were twenty minutes until dawn at most. These hundred-some Great Xia soldiers were only at the Earthforger realm and couldn’t survive the daylight. He had to save time for them to find shelter. This was all he could do.

“This aberration must have just reawakened. We never saw its physical form. The dew is like a plague, one of its attacks. It easily infects any wound. Its main body is probably still on Yangyuan Peak.”

Yuan Cheng looked down at the unconscious Yuwen Tao, recalling his words. He then turned to look at Yangyuan Peak, his expression growing graver still.

From Yuwen Tao’s description alone, he could tell that this aberration on Yangyuan Peak was far more difficult to deal with than the Wooden Puppets or Jing Xian they had encountered before.

“We fought so hard to get into the Pingxi Plain, only to run into a reawakening aberration!”

…

While Yuan Cheng was conducting a rescue at Yangyuan Peak, an extremely fierce battle was erupting at the Wushuang camp, northwest of the Hive.

The perimeter of the Wushuang encampment was surrounded by hundreds of colossal, pure-black stones. These stones were over ten meters tall, three to five meters wide, and an astonishing ten meters thick.

Remarkably, despite their massive size, the stones were stacked so tightly together that the largest gaps between them were only a finger’s width, a near-perfect fit.

The entire stone formation had only one exit, located on the eastern side.

The exit was just over three meters wide and six meters tall. Considering the height, thickness, and tight fit of the outer stone wall, during a major battle, one would only need to defend this point to ensure the safety of the entire encampment.

How hard could it be to defend an opening just over three meters wide?

The people of Wushuang might not have known before.

But now, they certainly understood.

The eastern exit of the camp had long since been breached. A flood of Great Xia soldiers in pale gold armor poured through the opening like a tide.

The Wushuang defenders were routed, pushed back in a chaotic retreat until they collided with the archers behind them.

“Brothers, kill!”

“They think they can stop us with so few people? In their dreams!”

“An Earthforger realm cultivator is worth one hundred contribution points! Brothers, charge!”

“Taking the Hive was all thanks to the lords. We barely did anything. It’s our turn to shine at Wushuang.”

“Brothers, don’t be cowards! If you don’t want these contribution points, I’ll take them!”

…

Just as the charging Great Xia soldiers were shouting, it was true that they had barely contributed to the capture of the Hive. All the major problems had been handled by Xia Chuan and a group of Frostwarden realm experts. These men had, at most, fired a few volleys of arrows after the Hive’s iron gates were breached.

They had finally gotten a chance to campaign on the Pingxi Plain, but after traveling so far, they had barely exerted themselves. The battlelust that had been building up inside them had no outlet, and they were bursting with pent-up energy.

Now that they finally had a chance to fight a satisfying battle—and against the Wushuang camp, which had only five hundred or so defenders—the one thousand five hundred members of Great Xia’s intermediate hunting teams were all fighting as if they were on stimulants, charging forward madly.

If the Great Xia soldiers were fighting with hormone-fueled morale, then the men of Wushuang were like eggplants hit by frost—wilted and listless. Most of them still had dazed looks on their faces.

“Where did so many people come from?”

“Great Xia? Is there a camp called Great Xia on the Pingxi Plain?”

“Didn’t the Leader already lead men to conquer Yanglu? How can there be so many people attacking us?”

“They’re not from Longshan. Great Xia… which camp are they from?”

“The exit… how was the exit opened?”

…

The front lines of both sides were already locked in combat, yet most of the Wushuang soldiers were still utterly bewildered. This alone showed how severely one-sided the battle was.

Clang!

In the crowd, Hong Mu had charged to the very front. He had just cleaved an Earthforger realm cultivator from Wushuang in two with his saber when his helmet was sent flying by an iron arrow. A great saber immediately followed, striking his shoulder.

“This… how is this possible!”

However, the wielder of the great saber, seeing that his blade had only cut through the armor without injuring Hong Mu’s shoulder, was stunned. His pupils constricted, his face filled with disbelief.

“How can mere Ten-forged armor block my blade!”

Hong Mu turned his head and saw the dense patterns on the man’s great saber, instantly recognizing it as a Hundred-forged weapon. Feeling the immense pain radiating from his shoulder bone, a flash of relief crossed his eyes.

His own base strength was only nineteen thousand, but he could clearly feel that the man before him had a strength of at least twenty-five thousand. In other words, his opponent was superior in both cultivation and weaponry.

“Thank goodness this Ten-forged iron armor was mixed with a Thunder Kui skull. Otherwise, that strike would have cost me my arm!”

Hong Mu’s relief was short-lived. After his first strike failed, the man immediately aimed his second at Hong Mu’s head.

The fatal problem was that his helmet had just been shot off!

Hong Mu hastily retreated, trying to fall back into the charging ranks of Great Xia, but he had charged forward too eagerly and was now far from the main group. A quick retreat was impossible.

Seeing the great saber hacking toward his head, Hong Mu could only abandon his escape and raise his own saber to block.

Crack…

Hong Mu wielded one of Great Xia’s four famous sabers, the barrier saber, which had a slim, short blade prized for its flexibility. He easily parried the man’s great saber.

Astonishingly, after the two blades collided, both showed slight signs of chipping.

“A Hundred-forged saber too. A pity your strength is no match for mine!”

The man from Wushuang saw that Hong Mu also used a Hundred-forged saber. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by a cold snort. He suddenly put his full strength into his hands, forcing Hong Mu back with immense pressure.

His strength far surpassed Hong Mu’s, and that was his greatest advantage.

As long as he prevented Hong Mu from retreating into the Great Xia crowd, killing him was a certainty. It was only a matter of time.

Hong Mu was pushed back step by step, right into the middle of the retreating Wushuang soldiers. Realizing his opponent’s plan, his heart filled with regret.

“This is a giant encampment after all. There are bound to be many experts inside. I shouldn’t have charged in so recklessly. I’m done for!”

Swoosh…

An iron arrow shot toward him from behind his head. Hong Mu ducked sharply to avoid it, but a glance from the corner of his eye revealed more arrows flying toward him. A chill ran down his spine.

“Even if I lose, I’ll take a few of you down with me!”

The Wushuang man was confident of his victory. A savage grin spread across his face. Seizing the moment of Hong Mu’s despairing distraction, he abruptly pulled back his great saber and swung it down at his head with full force.

Thump!

However, the scene he anticipated did not occur.

Instead, the man was sent flying several dozen meters by a single kick. His body crashed into the middle of the retreating Wushuang crowd with a violent impact, knocking over more than ten people in the process.

With that kind of force, he was surely dead.

Hong Mu looked up and saw a towering figure in golden Hundred-forged iron armor standing before him. An intense look of joy erupted in his eyes.

“Father, what are you doing here?”

The one who had kicked the man away was none other than his father, Hong Gang.

Hong Mu turned his head and saw that several more figures, dressed similarly to his father, had appeared on the battlefield. They were wreaking havoc among the already crumbling Wushuang ranks, and the joy in his eyes deepened.

“Uncle Yong, Lord Zhu, Lord Lu… why are you all here?”

“Nonsense. If it weren’t for us, how could you have broken in so quickly?” Hong Gang replied, then his expression turned cold as he scolded, “You get a little bit of strength and suddenly you don’t know your own weight. I told you to stick with the hunting team members as much as possible. Look where you’ve charged off to!”

Hearing this, Hong Mu glanced back at the members of the Azure Wolf Squad, a good fifty or sixty meters away. He immediately shrank his neck and gave a sheepish laugh.

“Father, I thought only Lord Xia Chuan, Lord Luo Yuan, and Lord Zhao Long came this time. With all of you here, there’s no doubt we’ll take Wushuang.”

“There was never any doubt. The lord mainly wanted to train you all. Look over there. That Frostwarden realm cultivator from Wushuang is about to die!”

Hong Mu followed his father’s gaze and saw that a great battle between Frostwarden realm experts was taking place in the core area of the Wushuang encampment.

“Duan Pingyu, I want you dead!”

“Peng Bo, you dare to collude with an external power and bring chaos to the Pingxi Plain? I will report you to Marquis He and have him punish you severely!”

“Worry about whether you’ll live through today first! I may not be able to take Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli’s lives for now, but I’ll start with yours to avenge the souls of Yanglu!”

Peng Bo’s roar shook the heavens, the hatred in his voice so palpable that even Hong Mu, hearing it from a distance, couldn’t help but feel a chill.

“The Lord Prefect and the other lords… they haven’t made a move at all?”

Seeing that Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, and several other Frostwarden realm experts around the Wushuang cultivator were all standing still, their gazes mostly fixed on the Earthforger realm battlefield, Hong Mu couldn’t help but be stunned.

“I already told you, this was to train you. I was watching for a while too. Your fighting was pathetic. The Lord Prefect doesn’t look too pleased. We’re probably all going to get a lecture!”

Hong Mu was taken aback. He looked at the ground and could hardly find any corpses of Great Xia soldiers. He was completely mystified.

“We fought so well, and we’re still going to get lectured? How is that possible?”

Chapter 241: A Great Victory, an Admonishment, and Hou Tong’s Plan

In front of the Wushuang main building, Peng Bo gripped his ghost-head great saber with both hands as his eight-Mane power erupted completely. Each strike aimed for Duan Pingyu’s vital points, and in just a moment, he had forced Duan Pingyu from outside the building to inside.

It wasn’t that Duan Pingyu didn’t want to run outside, but Xia Chuan and several others had completely surrounded the main building. Whenever he showed the slightest sign of escaping, Xia Chuan’s group would immediately shift their positions, making it clear they intended to block him.

He could only flee into the building.

Bang… Bang…

“Ah!”

“Mercy, Leader Peng, mercy.”

“I’m willing to surrender! Please, lords of Great Xia, quickly persuade Peng Bo.”

…

Although the Wushuang main building was reinforced with a great deal of iron, it couldn’t withstand such a frenzied bombardment from a Frostwarden realm expert with eight-Mane power. Soon, huge, saber-shaped marks appeared on the walls, accompanied by Duan Pingyu’s constant screams and pleas for mercy.

He even tried to appeal to Xia Chuan and the others, putting on a show of surrender, hoping they would help persuade Peng Bo.

Unfortunately, Xia Chuan’s attention was fixed on the battlefield of the Earthforger realm experts. Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, and the other Frostwarden realm experts showed no reaction either, merely watching the main building quietly, turning a deaf ear to his cries for help.

Whoosh…

Duan Pingyu’s weapon, like Wu Xiong’s, was a long staff. A whistling sound reached his ears. Sensing Peng Bo’s great saber chopping down from above again, his heart filled with despair. He dragged his wounded body and crashed through the second-floor wall, trying to escape.

However, covered in wounds, his strength was greatly diminished. He failed to completely break through the main building’s iron wall in one go. Only the upper half of his body made it out, while his legs were still trapped inside.

Crack…

“Ah!”

The great saber came down. With a terrible scream, Duan Pingyu’s legs were brutally severed. His upper body tumbled headfirst from the second-floor wall.

Even with his legs cut off, the instinct for survival compelled him to crawl desperately forward with his hands, trying to escape. Though he knew death was certain, he still wanted to live for a few more seconds.

But Peng Bo still didn’t let him go. He leaped from the second floor, using the momentum from the strike that had severed the legs. His fingers hooked into the eye sockets of the ghost head on the saber’s pommel, and the great saber flipped downward from behind him, plunging straight into Duan Pingyu’s back.

The grip of his great saber wasn’t carved into the shape of a skull just for some morbid taste. The holes for the skull’s eyes, nostrils, and mouth could be controlled with his fingers at critical moments, producing unexpected effects.

Puchi…

“There are so many wronged souls in Yanglu. Killing you like this would be letting you off too easy!”

As the ghost-head great saber pierced through Duan Pingyu’s back, Peng Bo’s voice, overflowing with hatred, rang out again, signaling that Duan Pingyu was about to face the most vicious revenge.

…

“Ah!”

“Kill me, kill me.”

“Peng Bo, you monster! Kill me, kill me!”

“I’m begging you, kill me! Just kill me!”

…

As Duan Pingyu’s screams and pleas, born of extreme agony, rang out, the battlefield, which still had some lingering skirmishes, instantly fell silent.

Everyone turned their heads to look. With every downward slash from Peng Bo, their pupils trembled violently, and a chill began to creep into their hearts.

Gulp…

Clang!

On the Wushuang side, the first person dropped their weapon and surrendered.

Clang… Clang…

A chain reaction quickly followed. More and more people laid down their weapons, kneeling one by one before the Great Xia people around them. The Lumberjack realm archers at the rear also dropped their iron bows and knelt.

In reality, after the seven Frostwarden realm experts—Hong Gang, Huang Yong, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Lu Yang, Zhu Yuan, and Lin Kai—joined the battle, Wushuang had already been routed. The number of people with any strength left to resist was just over two hundred in total.

As this group of the strongest fighters laid down their arms, the remaining Lumberjack realm experts, including some very loyal ordinary Wushuang people, all surrendered as well.

Seeing the Wushuang camp completely surrender, triumphant smiles spread across the faces of everyone from Great Xia.

Wushuang, conquered just like that!

“Tie up and detain everyone from Wushuang who participated in the battle. Then, quickly tally the casualties. When you’re done, the leaders will assemble before me!”

Xia Chuan’s sharp command jolted everyone from Great Xia out of their celebratory haze. The captains and leaders of the thirty Intermediate Hunting Squads quickly got busy with their men.

This included Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, and Hong Guang, who were standing beside Xia Chuan. Seeing that Duan Pingyu’s death was certain, they also went to gather their own hunting squads and began to tally their kills and casualties.

However, a few people, like Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, and Zhu Yuan, detected the anger in Xia Chuan’s tone. They exchanged perplexed glances.

Soon, the thirty captains of the Intermediate Hunting Squads finished their tasks and gathered before Xia Chuan, forming three rows.

Although all thirty were captains of Intermediate Hunting Teams, their status naturally differed due to their cultivation levels.

The ten Frostwarden realm experts who had come—Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, Hong Guang, Hong Gang, Huang Yong, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Lu Yang, Zhu Yuan, and Lin Kai—stood in the first row.

The two rows behind them consisted of recently promoted intermediate squad captains like Zhu Shun, Ying Xuan, Zou Yuankai, Xiao Kangcheng, and Zhu He.

With Prefect Yuwen Tao absent, the affairs of the Hunting Department naturally fell to Luo Yuan, the Vice-Prefect. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he began to ask each captain about their casualties and kills. After compiling the information, he stepped before Xia Chuan and reported in a clear voice:

“Reporting to Lord Prefect, in this battle, the thirty squads achieved a total of 782 kills, including 327 in the Earthforger realm and 455 in the Lumberjack realm. We have just detained a total of 821 prisoners, including 252 from the Earthforger realm, 548 from the Lumberjack realm, and 21 ordinary people. Our forces suffered a total of 42 casualties: 28 dead and 14 seriously injured, with the rest sustaining minor injuries.”

Luo Yuan’s tone was very calm as he reported, but even so, upon hearing these numbers, most of the men showed a hint of pride.

Clearly, they were extremely satisfied with this result.

Only Luo Yuan himself and the other Frostwarden realm experts beside him seemed to notice something. Looking up, they saw Xia Chuan’s grim expression and immediately straightened their posture, daring not to show any emotion.

“Only twenty-eight dead. You’re all very satisfied, aren’t you?”

Xia Chuan’s angry question left everyone slightly stunned.

Forty-two casualties for nearly eight hundred kills—almost half of whom were from the Earthforger realm—and they had captured the entire Wushuang camp. This was an indisputably great victory. What was there to be dissatisfied about?

“Thirty Intermediate Hunting Squads, fifteen hundred men. You had a nearly three-to-one numerical advantage in the Earthforger realm. With Great Xia’s forging techniques, even among Ten-forged weapons, yours are definitely superior to theirs. The Thunder Kui iron armor you wear is better than the ordinary iron armor worn by the Wushuang people. You all admit these three points, don’t you?”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, the men vaguely realized something. As their minds began to cool down, they gradually wiped the proud looks from their faces.

“Numbers, weapons, armor—you were superior in every aspect. You even had ten Frostwarden realm experts to break down the gate for you. Even after you broke in, the vast majority of Wushuang’s people hadn’t even reacted yet. Under circumstances where you had every possible advantage and the element of surprise, you still needed seven Frostwarden realm experts to step in and help. And in the end, you still suffered forty-two casualties. Do you really think this is a glorious victory?”

As Xia Chuan’s voice fell, all ten Frostwarden realm experts, including Luo Yuan, and the twenty men behind them, lowered their heads, their faces showing a touch of shame.

“Forty-two casualties, of course, isn’t a lot, but you must understand that tonight, over eight hundred of Wushuang’s Earthforger realm experts were absent. The camp was left with only one Frostwarden realm expert, who didn’t even fight any of you. If you suffered forty-two casualties under these conditions, how many times would that number multiply if you were attacking a normal mega-camp?”

“You thirty Intermediate Hunting Squads are currently Great Xia’s absolute elite. Yet you managed to perform like this in such a smooth, surprise attack. In the upcoming battles on the Pingxi Plain, I’m afraid not many of you will make it back to Xiacheng alive!”

“All of you, remember this: Wushuang is just an ordinary camp on the Pingxi Plain. The strongest here are Longshan and Zhaoyang. I don’t know the situation with Zhaoyang, but Longshan has the Longyou Army. Judging by how you just fought against Wushuang, if you were to really run into that army, you can imagine for yourselves what the outcome would be!”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s increasingly stern admonishment, a solemn expression began to mix with the shame on everyone’s faces.

“Considering this is the first time for all of you in such a large-scale battle, I chose an opponent that wasn’t particularly strong. But watching the whole battle, I have to say your performance has greatly disappointed me…”

Xia Chuan paused, then pointed at the ordinary hunting squad members still busy in the background and continued addressing the captains, “I won’t say anything about them. When hunting frost beasts, they listen to you, and it’s the same on the battlefield. But you, what were you all doing just now?”

“Relying on your slightly superior strength to charge recklessly, ignoring your squad members and letting them fight on their own, with no strategy whatsoever. You were just a disorganized mob.

“Do you really think you achieved a loss of only forty-two men on your own?

“In this battle, you had every advantage. My original plan was to have the seven Frostwarden realm experts only break the gate, and then you would be fully in charge of the rest.

“If I hadn’t found it unbearable to watch and had them intervene early, your casualties would have been at least three to five times higher!”

This time, it wasn’t just the thirty men standing before him who were shaken; even the ordinary Great Xia hunting squad members in the back showed looks of shame.

Hong Mu, who was in the crowd, lowered his head in deep shame.

Xia Chuan wasn’t just talking about the thirty captains when he mentioned those who only knew how to charge recklessly. Ninety percent of the ordinary squad members were like that, and he himself was one of them.

He had also gotten caught up in the charge, putting himself in danger. If his father, Hong Gang, hadn’t intervened in time, there was a high probability he would have become the forty-third casualty.

“What, with the title of Hunting Squad Captain, you only care about hunting? You don’t care about fighting other camps? Once you’re on the battlefield, it’s all about individual skill, is that right?”

Xia Chuan’s voice was powerful and resonant, as if questioning everyone.

“In any battle, whether against frost beasts, anomalies, or humans, they are all enemies who can take your life. The whole point of forming so many squads was to make you understand the importance of division of labor, cooperation, and coordination. In my opinion, the forty-two casualties today were all caused by your negligence and carelessness.

“In the time to come, we will have no shortage of battles on the Pingxi Plain. If you are still like this in the next major battle, then Great Xia has no business staying on the Pingxi Plain. I will immediately take all of you back to Xiacheng. We will return when we are better prepared!”

Xia Chuan paused, his expression serious. “The Leader has said before that our people are Great Xia’s most precious asset. This is especially true for you Earthforger realm members of the hunting squads. The loss of even one of you is a tremendous blow to the camp. Rather than trading your lives for territory, it would be better to stay in Xiacheng and come back when we are strong enough.”

Hearing these words, everyone’s expression was slightly moved.

This was especially true for the earliest members of Great Xia. They knew very well that, given Xia Hong’s attitude of never abandoning them back at the earthen slope, he was fully capable of saying such things.

Therefore, none of them doubted the truth of Xia Chuan’s final words.

“I swear to the Lord Prefect, in the next battle, no one from my Tiger-Leopard Squad will die.”

“My Steel Mane Squad also makes the same promise to the Lord Prefect!”

“Lord Prefect, rest assured! In the next battle, we will definitely lead our team members, cooperate well, and do our utmost to minimize casualties!”

…

In the first row, the ten Frostwarden realm experts, starting with Luo Yuan, all made their promises to Xia Chuan. With their greater strength, they were naturally confident they could prevent casualties in their teams.

The captains in the back rows who had not yet broken through to the Frostwarden realm didn’t dare make such a guarantee, but they loudly declared their determination, promising Xia Chuan they would do everything in their power to reduce casualties in the next battle.

Hearing everyone’s assurances, Xia Chuan’s grim expression finally eased a little, and the frown on his brow relaxed.

“Good. I hope this lecture of mine was not in vain. I look forward to your performance next time. Remember, you only have one life, and the lives of us Great Xia people are even more precious. If you must die, at least die a glorious death. Dying on a battlefield like this is not only meaningless, it serves no purpose. If the price of conquering territory is your lives, then I would rather not have such blood-soaked land, and the Leader would look down on it even more. Do you all understand?”

You only have one life, and the lives of us Great Xia people are even more precious!

Even if we must die, we must die gloriously.

If the price of conquering territory is our lives, then we would rather not have it!

Xia Chuan’s words instantly reignited the spirit that had just been suppressed. Everyone’s breathing became a little heavier as they slightly raised their heads, their gazes fixed on Xia Chuan.

“Do you understand?!” Xia Chuan asked again in a deep voice.

Whether it was Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, and the other ten Frostwarden realm experts with the twenty captains behind them, or the other ordinary hunting squad members currently tying up the Wushuang prisoners, they all looked up with excitement and answered in unison:

“Understood!!!”

The response from over a thousand people in unison shook the heavens and the earth, frightening the Wushuang people, both prisoners and ordinary folk, into lowering their heads slightly. Their already submissive posture became even more respectful.

Not far away, Peng Bo, who had finished killing Duan Pingyu a while ago, took in the entire scene. His expression was moved, yet also complicated.

He was also the leader of a mega-camp. If he could achieve such a low casualty rate in a battle, he would probably laugh himself awake from a dream. But Xia Chuan’s admonishment just now was clearly sincere. The shame on the faces of the Great Xia people was not faked in the slightest. In other words, in Great Xia’s eyes, such a casualty rate was truly unacceptable.

How could his heart not feel complicated!

He was moved entirely because of the things Xia Chuan had just said.

Compared to other camps, including his own Yanglu, Great Xia’s value for the lives of its own people had clearly reached another level.

When expanding territory, how can there be no deaths?

That was the logic of a normal person, but Great Xia, it seemed, was not like that.

This emphasis on human life was refreshing to Peng Bo, and at the same time, it inexplicably touched his heart.

Great Xia… it really seemed different from other camps!

“Alright, dawn is breaking. Lock up all the prisoners. First, screen Wushuang’s entire population, then take inventory of all assets and minerals. We’ll spend the day in Wushuang. Everyone stay vigilant and guard against any uprisings.”

“Yes, my lord!”

The lecture ended. Under Xia Chuan’s orders, the work of inventorying Wushuang’s assets began quickly, and everyone got busy again.

As for Xia Chuan, he walked slowly toward Peng Bo with a smile on his face.

“Leader Peng, you’ve collected a bit of interest. Feeling better now?”

“I must thank you, my lord, for the chance to kill Duan Pingyu!” Peng Bo clasped his hands slightly in thanks. He could roughly guess what Xia Chuan was about to say to him.

…

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, the seventeenth of April, at dawn.

Wushuang had changed masters, and the anomaly in Yanglu had revived. Xia Hong was completely unaware of these two concurrent events. At this moment, he was following Hou Tong, observing the Longyou Army stationed south of the Baiyuan camp with great interest.

On the snow-covered plain ahead, two unusually prominent wooden houses stood. The houses were shaped like pagodas, with three stories. The first floor was over a hundred meters wide, the second was only fifty, and the top floor was merely about ten meters wide. The top floor had many windows on all four sides, clearly for observing the surroundings.

Through the windows, one could see bonfires lit inside and the faint, fully armed figures moving about, obviously on high alert.

“South of Baiyuan is the Wushuang camp. To the southeast is the Hanqiong camp, where our main army is currently stationed,” Hou Tong explained. “To the west of the wooden houses, there’s a branch of the Longshan range that generally runs east-west. It happens to bypass this plain. The entrances to the Longshan for both Wushuang and Hanqiong are located at this branch.”

In a large tree, following Hou Tong’s explanation, Xia Hong looked at the map in his hand and traced the path of the mountain branch with his finger, a look of understanding on his face.

“This branch just so happens to separate Hanqiong, Wushuang, and Zhaoyang. So if those two camps want to get to Zhaoyang, they have to cross this plain and go through Baiyuan.”

Hou Tong, who had been maintaining the same position as Xia Hong, immediately nodded upon hearing this.

“To the north of Wushuang and Hanqiong is Zhaoyang. Unfortunately, they are separated by this branch of the Longshan. And this branch is thirty to forty kilometers wide from north to south. Neither camp has the ability to cross it, so they can only go around.”

“More accurately, they lack the ability to move large numbers of personnel across it,” Xia Hong corrected in his mind, nodding slightly.

Moving a small number of people across was a completely different concept from mobilizing a large force. Why couldn’t the hunting squads in the ice chasm camps be too large? Because too many people would attract large hordes of frost beasts.

The same principle applied to moving personnel. After all, they were all in the Earthforger realm. Moving them in batches was somewhat dangerous, while mobilizing them in a large group ran the risk of attracting a massive horde of frost beasts. Thus, they could only take the long way around.

While understanding the terrain of central Longyou, Xia Hong also saw the reason why the Longshan army chose to station themselves here.

This plain in front of them was about five to six kilometers wide. Apart from a few large trees, there was no cover. Stationing troops here gave them an unobstructed view of the entire plain corridor. Any sizable movement of people from Wushuang, Hanqiong, or Baiyuan could be seen clearly.

“Before you arrived, Lord Hong, I had already been observing from here for three days,” Hou Tong said. “I haven’t been able to figure out who the leader is yet, but at night, some of them come out to move around, and they even organize small teams to hunt in the mountains. The total number is around twenty-five hundred or more. Nearly half of them wear Hundred-forged iron armor. They are clearly soldiers of the Longyou Army.”

Not only were they encamped, but they were also organizing hunting parties in the mountains. This clearly indicated they planned to stay here for the long term.

A flicker of surprise appeared in Xia Hong’s eyes, and he felt a trace of admiration for Longshan’s swift decision-making.

“Twenty-five hundred men, nearly half of them from the Longyou Army. By placing them here, they can sever the connection between the northern and central regions. The people from Wushuang and Hanqiong have no way to rendezvous with Zhaoyang and Baiyuan. They even have to constantly worry about the Longyou Army attacking southward at any moment. It seems you’re in a tough spot!”

Upon hearing this, Hou Tong’s face first showed difficulty, but his expression quickly changed to a light smile. “It was indeed very difficult, but now that Lord Hong is here, it’s manageable.”

“Oh? You have a plan?”

Xia Hong raised an eyebrow slightly. After receiving his orders from Hou Hu last night, he had come directly to the Hanqiong camp with Hou Quan. As soon as he arrived, Hou Tong immediately dragged him to see the Longshan army stationed here.

Although he had only been at the Hanqiong encampment for a short time, Xia Hong had already gotten a good sense of the situation upon arrival.

The fifteen hundred men from Zhaoyang led by Hou Tong, plus Hanqiong’s own force of over a thousand, totaled more than twenty-five hundred Earthforger realm experts.

Their total numbers seemed to match Longshan’s, but if Hou Tong dared to lead an attack, Xia Hong would think he was insane.

Xia Hong didn’t have a precise idea of how much stronger the Longyou Army was compared to a normal camp’s hunting squads, but he was certain that if their numbers were equal, it would be a one-sided slaughter.

With an average base strength of at least thirty thousand catty, every man equipped with a thirty-Stone draw-weight strongbow, plus Hundred-forged weapons and battle armor—from cultivation to equipment to personnel quality, it could be said that professional armies like the Longyou Army and the Blood Guard Army completely crushed armies composed of ordinary camp hunting squad members.

With equal numbers, there was simply no contest.

Xia Hong roughly estimated they would need a numerical advantage of at least three to one, or even more, for the two sides to reach a state of balance.

This was true even if he were to go all out.

In a large-scale battle between Earthforger realm experts, someone with his twenty-one-Mane strength could certainly play a huge role, but to say he could completely control the outcome of the battle was impossible.

This was even more true when facing an elite force like the Longyou Army.

The Frostwarden realm was powerful. With his twenty-one-Mane power, a single full-force punch could kill a dozen men, no problem. But in the end, he was still mortal flesh and blood.

As a human, you get tired and weary. After throwing too many punches, you can’t throw any more. Even if you can still swing, your power will diminish.

But an army of over a thousand men is different. Their arrows can threaten you. They can maneuver and encircle you. They can charge you in wave after wave, wearing you down through attrition. If you don’t escape in time, you will eventually become a lamb to the slaughter.

This was why Li Tiancheng, that night, had immediately given up the idea of killing Hou Hu when he saw him escape into the formation of the Blood Guard Army.

He understood this point, and Hou Tong certainly understood it too.

Hou Tong wouldn’t be foolish enough to think that with his arrival, his twenty-five hundred men could defeat the Longshan army. He must have a plan.

That’s why Xia Hong immediately asked him what his plan was.

As Xia Hong was thinking, Hou Tong revealed his plan.

“I have already sent men to Wushuang, Yanglu, and the Hive, to inform Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, and Hou Ming to dispatch their men to gather at Wushuang first. Excluding those left behind to guard their camps, the three sides should be able to spare over three thousand men in total. Adding Hanqiong’s twenty-five hundred, that’s a total of over six thousand men. With so many people, we can bury the Longyou Army with our lives. With Lord Hong’s strength on top of that, we will soon be able to break the Longshan blockade and rendezvous with the Leader and the others!”

Xia Hong’s expression didn’t change much upon hearing this. But when he heard the phrase “bury the Longyou Army with our lives,” a flash of displeasure and disgust appeared in the depths of his eyes.

Chapter 242: A Changing Situation, the Great Xia Special Envoy

From the sudden killings at Longshan the day before the alliance meeting, which officially broke the alliance, to the subsequent upheaval on the Pingxi Plain, the entire series of events had only taken three days in total.

Coincidentally, due to the sensitive nature of the alliance’s collapse, many camps lacked formal channels of communication. This resulted in a severe information blackout. None dared to rashly send men to scout other strongholds, fearing they would both alert their enemies and cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

Given these circumstances, and with the Longshan army camped on the snowy plains between Baiyuan and Wushuang, Hou Tong’s attention had been almost entirely fixed on Longshan. He hadn’t paid any mind to the situation in the south with the Hive, Wushuang, and Yanglu.

Long before the alliance meeting, Zhaoyang had three thousand men stationed at the Hanqiong camp.

Half of these three thousand men, led by Hou Ming, were meant to attack the Hive.

The other fifteen hundred, led by Hou Tong, were to remain at Hanqiong, ready to quickly reinforce either the Hive or Yanglu front if the battle went poorly.

However, with the arrival of the Longshan army on the fourteenth, Hou Tong’s fifteen hundred men, along with Hanqiong’s thousand-plus soldiers, naturally shifted their focus to them.

In Hou Tong’s view, attacking the Hive and Yanglu shouldn’t have required reinforcements anyway.

Four Frostwarden realm experts—Hou Ming, Hou Bing, Hou Ying, and Lin Ye—plus fifteen hundred Earthforger realm warriors attacking the Hive, a camp whose leader Chen Yingyuan was absent and where they had a Frostwarden realm insider in Wu Tianxing, should have been a walk in the park.

At most, Yanglu, being closer to Longshan, required some attention. But with Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli leading a full eighteen hundred men there, taking it shouldn’t have been a major issue either.

On the eleventh, Wu Xiong had sent word that they had successfully taken Yanglu. Upon receiving the news, Hou Tong immediately ordered Hou Ming to attack the Hive. He monitored the situation for two days, but once the Longshan army arrived, his attention was completely diverted.

Hou Tong had never imagined that the arrival of Great Xia would throw all of Zhaoyang’s plans for the three southeastern camps of Longyou into disarray.

His plan to have the three parties dispatch men to assemble at Wushuang was doomed to fail. Unfortunately, he himself was still unaware.

Hou Tong did not know of Great Xia’s existence, but others did.

In southern Baiyuan, two wooden houses served as the Longshan army’s headquarters.

In the core area of the two-story building on the left, Li Xuanling sat at the head of the room.

Ten people were seated on each side below her. Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu were among them, and the other eight were also clad in armor, their faces grim.

In the center of the hall, a man stood respectfully, reporting something to Li Xuanling.

From the shocked expressions on everyone’s faces, it was clear that the man’s words had caused a tremendous stir.

“Great Xia?”

“They took Wushuang in less than half an hour?”

“How is that possible!”

“Seven Frostwarden realm experts and fifteen hundred Earthforger realm warriors wearing light gold Ten-forged armor? Where did they come from?”

“Great Xia? We’ve never heard of such a camp on the Pingxi Plain!”

………………

Only Li Xuanling and Li Xuandu’s pupils flashed with a faint glimmer. Everyone else gasped in astonishment, some even leaping to their feet in disbelief.

Then there was Li Xuanyan, who remained calm throughout, as if his mind was elsewhere. He sat in silence, only showing a flicker of curiosity upon hearing the unfamiliar name of Great Xia.

Li Ying, standing in the hall, wasn’t surprised by their reactions at all.

Before dawn, when he had watched from a crevice in the outer rock formations as Great Xia crushed Wushuang, his own shock had been no less than theirs.

“What’s there to be so shocked about? Doesn’t this just confirm Second Uncle’s suspicion that an outside force is meddling in the Pingxi Plain?”

Seeing the room descend into a clamor, Li Xuanling spoke up. Her words made everyone pause, then they recalled what Li Tiancheng had said during the Longshan council three days ago, and their expressions instantly changed.

“Young Lord, are you saying that Hong Xia is connected to Great Xia?”

Zhou Yuan voiced the question on everyone’s mind. All eyes turned to Li Xuanling, awaiting her answer.

During the council three days ago, Li Tiancheng’s primary reason for suspecting an outside force was the sudden appearance of Hong Xia, who had saved Hou Hu at a critical moment on the night of the fourteenth.

He had appeared right at the moment when Hou Hu was about to be killed. How could there be such a coincidence in the world?

“I’m ninety percent certain.”

“One hundred percent!”

Hearing Li Xuandu’s speculative tone, Li Xuanling simply shook her head and gave a definitive judgment.

Hearing this, their faces instantly darkened.

“Wushuang has over thirteen hundred Earthforger realm warriors, plus three Frostwarden realm experts: Wu Xiong, Wu Ying, and Duan Pingyu. The entire camp has nearly thirty thousand people, and they had the home-field advantage. Yet they were taken in less than half an hour. Could it be that Great Xia’s fifteen hundred men are also a professional army?”

“It’s highly likely. Didn’t Li Ying just say Great Xia only has seven Frostwarden realm experts? That’s not enough to sway a battle of over a thousand people. To take Wushuang so quickly, the strength of those fifteen hundred men must be absolutely extraordinary!”

“The key is that we know nothing about this Great Xia camp—where their stronghold is, their total population, how many Earthforger and Frostwarden realm experts they have…”

“If those fifteen hundred are all regular soldiers, plus Hong Xia, and at least seven other Frostwarden realm masters… this Great Xia camp feels even stronger than Zhaoyang!”

………………

“What are you all panicking for? We don’t know anything for sure, so don’t scare yourselves!”

Seeing her subordinates speculating wildly, Li Xuanling frowned. Her expression had been placid from the start. After rebuking them, she turned to look at the massive map of Longyou behind her and asked in a low voice, “Has there been any new word from Second Brother?”

“Since the night of the fifteenth, when the Second Young Master sent a messenger to report that they had taken Yucheng, there has been no further news.”

The one who answered her was Li Ying. Not only was he a Frostwarden realm expert, but he was also a vice commander of the Longyou Army, responsible for intelligence and communications during military campaigns.

Hearing Li Ying’s report, everyone turned to the large map behind Li Xuanling, their gazes converging on the Yanglu camp, not far east of Yucheng.

According to Li Xuanling’s deployment plan from three days ago, the Second Young Master, Li Xuantian, was to take five hundred soldiers of the Longyou Army southeast. After securing Yucheng, he was to immediately proceed with Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan to take Yanglu, and finally, the Hive.

“Second Brother only took Yucheng on the night of the fifteenth and sent someone back to report. Today is the seventeenth. Based on the timeline, even if he moved at top speed, he might have just arrived at Yanglu. Perhaps he’s busy arranging camp affairs and doesn’t have a free hand. A messenger will probably arrive tonight.”

As Li Xuandu spoke, the others nodded slightly.

Leader Peng Bo has already defected to Longshan. As long as nothing unexpected happened, Li Xuantian could have taken Peng Bo to take over Yanglu on the very night they captured Yucheng. They might have already finished and could be on their way to the Hive.

This thought lifted everyone’s spirits.

The Third Young Master, Li Xuandu, had brought not only five hundred soldiers of the Longyou Army but also fifty full hunting squads, totaling seventeen hundred fifty men. He had set out on the night of the fourteenth, taken both Changning and Songyuan in just two nights, and after settling matters there last night, he had brought Zhou Yuan and Meng Ying to provide support here.

The Second Young Master has already taken Yucheng. With a little more effort to deal with Yanglu and the Hive, Longshan would have dealt with half of the ten camps in Longyou.

Their four-thousand-strong army, stationed at two key points, had already split Zhaoyang, Dongkang, Baiyuan, Xiling, Wushuang, and Hanqiong into three separate pockets, making it impossible for them to unite.

Next, they just needed to stabilize the five camps they had already occupied, and they could draw a continuous stream of manpower from them. Then, they could start picking off the six camps isolated by the Longyou Army one by one.

Just as everyone was lost in these thoughts, Li Xuanling’s gaze suddenly pulled away from the map. With a grave expression, she asked Li Ying a question.

“When Great Xia attacked Wushuang, how many defenders did Wushuang have?”

Hearing this question, Li Ying froze for a moment. He then lowered his head, recalling the scene he had witnessed, and his expression turned ugly.

Seeing his reaction, the others immediately understood.

At the head of the room, Li Xuanling’s brow furrowed tightly.

“Something’s wrong. Great Xia took Wushuang so quickly not because they’re too strong, but because Wushuang had hardly any defenders! The leaders of Hanqiong and Wushuang didn’t attend the alliance meeting. The two must have joined forces long ago. They either went to attack the Hive or Yanglu!”

Li Xuandu, on the left, shot to his feet and exclaimed.

His words instantly sobered everyone in the room.

“Yanglu. Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli must have taken their men and attacked Yanglu!”

Li Xuanling’s confident declaration immediately captured everyone’s attention.

“If nothing unexpected happened, Second Brother is either tied down at the Yanglu stronghold or has already taken it, which is why he hasn’t had time to send a message back.”

“Why not attack the Hive?”

Hearing Zhou Yuan’s question, Li Xuanling immediately countered, “Then where do you think Great Xia came from?”

Everyone froze, looking up at the map of Longyou.

“Longshan knows about all the massive camps here in Longyou. One couldn’t just appear out of thin air. Great Xia is definitely not a local camp. The Pingxi Plain is blocked by Longshan to the west, Mount Mang to the north, and a sheer cliff face past Hanqiong in the far east. The only way for an outside force to enter is through the southeast. I remember there used to be a camp south of the Hive called… Jing Xian!”

“There was a Jing Xian camp. I remember its leader was He Yuanhun, and he was very strong. Eight years ago, Chen Yingyuan asked the alliance for help, saying Jing Xian intended to annex the Hive. We were the ones who sent people to intimidate that He Yuanhun!”

As Li Xuandu spoke, everyone’s memories suddenly became clear.

Eight years ago, such a camp did indeed exist.

“So this Jing Xian camp is also connected to Great Xia?”

“I’m not sure, but we can basically confirm that Great Xia came from the direction of the Jing Xian camp. We need to send people to investigate Great Xia specifically.”

“Does that mean this Great Xia hasn’t just taken Wushuang, but has likely taken the Hive as well? They’ve swallowed two of our Longyou camps in one go?”

Hearing Zhou Yuan’s words, the faces of everyone in the hall became incredibly grim.

And Li Xuanling, who had proposed this theory, had the darkest expression of all.

“Great Xia must be very familiar with the current situation in Longyou. They are in the dark while we are in the light. They chose the perfect moment, during Longyou’s internal strife, to extend their reach into the Pingxi Plain.”

Bang!

Li Xuanling rapped the table, a flicker of anger appearing on her exquisite face.

An external power meddling in the Pingxi Plain was what Longshan had always feared most.

Ever since her father, Li Tianhua, had led Longshan’s powerful rise, Li Xuanling had considered all of Longyou to be as good as theirs.

Even the emergence of Zhaoyang’s Hou Hu couldn’t change that!

But now, an outside force had actually entered the fray.

“We can’t wait until nightfall to send scouts. Li Ying, Zhou Yuan, Meng Ying, Xuan Ping, the four of you will depart immediately. Go and investigate the situations at Wushuang, Yanglu, the Hive, and Hanqiong. Find out what’s happening and report back as soon as you have any news. Be careful out there.”

“Yes, Young Lord!”

The four men below acknowledged the order, immediately stood, bowed, and quickly walked out of the house.

Li Xuanling turned back to the map, her focus sharpening.

Information was simply too important.

It wasn’t that Li Xuanling didn’t understand this; the problem was that everything had happened too quickly.

An army of over four thousand had set out from Longshan on the night of the fourteenth. Half were stationed northwest of Baiyuan to cut off the communication route between Baiyuan and Xiling.

The other half, led by her personally, had force-marched for two nights to reach southern Baiyuan—their current position—to prevent the forces of Wushuang and Hanqiong from linking up with Zhaoyang’s men at Baiyuan.

Thus, she had only arrived here with the Longshan army last night.

Time had been too short for her to even dispatch scouts. If not for Wushuang’s proximity, which prompted her to send Li Ying to investigate at dawn, they would probably still be ignorant of the fact that Great Xia had taken it.

No, they wouldn’t even know of Great Xia’s existence.

“Wushuang, Hanqiong, Yanglu, the Hive… there must have been some unknown, drastic change among these four camps. All we can do now is wait for news from Li Ying and the others.”

After a moment of contemplation, Li Xuanling turned to Li Xuandu and asked in a low voice, “At Baiyuan, Hou Hu has arrived, hasn’t he?”

Hearing this, a light flickered in Li Xuandu’s eyes. He nodded slightly. “He’s there. The one thousand soldiers of the Blood Guard Army are garrisoned at the Baiyuan stronghold. Uncle Qing has been watching. The men from Xiling and Baiyuan haven’t made any significant moves. It seems Hou Hu… isn’t very eager to fight!”

“Heh…”

Li Xuanling let out a soft laugh. “It’s not that he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t dare. That thousand-man Blood Guard Army is Zhaoyang’s greatest asset. He lost over a hundred of them three days ago. He’s probably still hurting from that. How would he dare to fight us head-on again?”

She paused slightly before continuing, “He knows very well that Zhaoyang’s only chance of victory is to gather the forces of Wushuang, Hanqiong, Xiling, Baiyuan, and Dongkang—or even more camps—to wear down our Longyou Army. So, he must have plans for the south. He’ll likely make his move in the next few days. Stay vigilant!”

Zhaoyang also had a thousand-man Blood Guard Army, so Hou Hu was perfectly aware of the Longyou Army’s strength. Without a decisive numerical advantage, defeating Longshan was impossible.

Zhaoyang alone couldn’t field enough Earthforger realm warriors. Therefore, integrating the forces from other camps, gathering everyone for a decisive battle against Longshan, was Zhaoyang’s only path to victory.

This was also why Li Xuanling had immediately moved the Longyou Army to sever the routes between Zhaoyang and the other camps.

“From top-tier combatants, to regular army forces, down to the number of ordinary Earthforger realm warriors, Zhaoyang is inferior to us in every aspect. Even if he did manage to unite these five Longyou camps, his chances of winning would be thirty percent at best. The only variable right now is this sudden appearance of—”

“Qiu Peng, special envoy of Great Xia, requests an audience with the lords of Longshan!”

A clear voice suddenly rang out from outside the wooden house, not only interrupting Li Xuanling but also causing the faces of the seven remaining people in the room to change instantly. They all whipped their heads toward the entrance.

“Someone from Great Xia?”

“A special envoy? Here to request an audience!”

“What does this mean?”

…………

After exchanging glances, the seven men all turned their gaze to Li Xuanling.

“Let him in. Let’s hear what he has to say.”

Compared to the others, Li Xuanling appeared much calmer. She waved a hand at the last person below her, who immediately nodded, rose, and walked outside.

Although the house was lit by fire, it was daytime, and Earthforger realm warriors could not go outside. Therefore, only someone at the Frostwarden realm could escort the visitor in.

By the same token, since the person outside had come during broad daylight, he was naturally a Frostwarden realm expert as well. Having another Frostwarden realm expert greet him was not a breach of etiquette.

The man who had left quickly returned, leading a handsome man in black robes with a slender longsword on his back.

The moment they saw that slender longsword, the gazes of Li Xuanling and three others below her sharpened, and their expressions shifted subtly.

“So young!”

This was everyone’s first reaction upon seeing the black-robed man’s face.

Frostwarden realm experts weren’t a dime a dozen. Among the twelve great camps of Longyou, there might be many whose strength had reached or even surpassed the thirty-thousand catty limit, but the total number who had successfully broken through to the Frostwarden realm was no more than one hundred.

And the vast majority of these Frostwarden realm experts were over forty years old.

For example, of the eight Frostwarden realm experts from Longshan present, five were over forty. Of the other three, Li Xuandu was thirty-two, and Li Xuanyan was thirty-seven.

Are there young Frostwarden realm experts?

Of course. Li Xuanling is one.

Of Li Tianhua’s four children, the fourth, Li Xuanling, is only twenty-two, the youngest known Frostwarden realm expert in all of Longyou.

The problem is, all of Longyou has only produced one Li Xuanling.

And now, this young man stood before them.

From his appearance, he was also in his early twenties.

“At the very least, he can’t be older than twenty-five. He must be the offspring of some important figure in Great Xia. Could he be the leader’s son?”

Li Xuandu exchanged a subtle, cold glance with the men beside him.

The others clearly understood his thoughts, and their gazes toward the young man in black grew colder.

“May I ask if I am in the presence of the Youngest Lord of Longshan, Li Xuanling?”

Qiu Peng had no idea that the people in the room had mistaken his identity and were planning to attack him. He simply followed Chen Yingyuan’s description, deduced the identity of the beautiful woman at the head of the room, and spoke with a slight bow.

So, Great Xia knows the situation in Longyou like the back of its hand.

Seeing that he had recognized her at a glance, Li Xuanling’s gaze hardened. She stared at Qiu Peng for a moment before smiling. “Special envoy of Great Xia? This is the first time I’ve heard such a title.”

Seeing that Qiu Peng only had the strength of two manes, Li Xuanling’s tone was not polite. After mocking the title of “special envoy,” her voice suddenly dropped:

“Envoy Qiu, are you aware that trespassing on a fortified Longyou Army camp without reason is a fatal offense?”

Qiu Peng looked up at her words, staring straight back at Li Xuanling, not bothering to hide the challenge in his eyes.

“My life is worthless, Youngest Lord. You are free to take it. But before you do, my lord has a few words for the esteemed members of Longshan…”

Trying to intimidate me?

As if!

Qiu Peng’s face showed no fear. He paused, sneered inwardly, and then declared in a clear voice, “Great Xia has no interest in the lands of Longyou, nor does it wish to involve itself in the current disputes. We dispatched troops to the Hive and Wushuang only because their leaders actively sought our aid. If this has caused any offense, we hope Longshan will be understanding. Both Wushuang and the Hive have entered into an alliance with our Great Xia. From now on, our three camps will act as one, with Great Xia leading. We hope the esteemed members of Longshan will take note of this!”

After he finished speaking, the expressions of Li Xuanling and the seven others in the room had turned utterly grim. A clear killing intent now filled their eyes as they looked at Qiu Peng.

First, Qiu Peng’s words confirmed that Great Xia had indeed taken the Hive.

Second, while they didn’t know the specifics about the Hive, just minutes ago Li Ying had stood right where Qiu Peng was now and told them firsthand how Great Xia had conquered Wushuang.

And now Qiu Peng was claiming that Wushuang had actively sought Great Xia’s help.

This was a barefaced lie!

Not only had he come to brazenly declare sovereignty, but he was also treating them like fools.

As for Qiu Peng’s claim that Great Xia had no interest in Longyou and its disputes, they all dismissed it outright.

Only a fool would believe such words.

Who on earth had given this man the audacity to come before them and say such things!

Li Xuandu and the other six Frostwarden realm experts all rose from their chairs. The killing intent in their eyes reached a peak, and two of the more hot-tempered ones even started walking toward Qiu Peng.

Clearly, they were about to make a move.

Qiu Peng’s words did indeed sound like a death wish.

Li Xuanling remained silent, as if she hadn’t seen the movements of the other seven. Her gaze remained fixed calmly on Qiu Peng.

“I forgot to mention, my lord dispatched two special envoys this time. I am only one of them. By my calculations, the other should be arriving at Pinggu very soon. Before you act, you should think carefully.”

Thump…

With that one sentence, the killing intent on the faces of Li Xuandu and the other six instantly froze.

And on Li Xuanling’s exquisitely beautiful and calm face, a ripple finally appeared.

Chapter 243: An Irresistible Offer, a Narrow Escape

What kind of place was Pinggu?

It was the main lair of the Zhaoyang camp!

Within Longyou, very few people knew of this place, aside from the Frostwarden realm experts from the twelve camps. Yet, Qiu Peng knew.

This undoubtedly proved once again that Great Xia’s understanding of Longyou was far deeper than they had imagined.

Great Xia had dispatched two special envoys.

One was Qiu Peng, who had come to them.

The other had gone to Pinggu.

What other reason could there be for going to Pinggu? It was, of course, to find the Zhaoyang camp.

If they dared to kill him, Great Xia would surely stand with Zhaoyang and oppose Longshan.

How could the eight people present not understand the subtext in Qiu Peng’s words?

If it were just a single camp, then based on the strength Great Xia had shown so far, it honestly wasn’t enough to make Longshan wary.

The problem was, Qiu Peng had just stated that Hive and Wushuang had already entered into an alliance with Great Xia. From now on, both camps would follow Great Xia’s lead.

In other words, Great Xia could already represent three major camps.

If all three camps threw their lot in with Hou Hu, Longshan would be in much deeper trouble!

Thus, the seven who had been ready to move against Qiu Peng just a moment ago immediately halted.

“Great Xia has come from afar; you are our guests. What is the meaning of this? Sit down!”

Fortunately, Li Xuanling, seated above, provided them with a way to back down.

The seven either snorted coldly or wore looks of unwillingness, but they all sat back down.

“So, your Great Xia wishes to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight?”

Li Xuanling’s question struck at the heart of the matter, causing Qiu Peng’s expression to shift slightly.

Great Xia had sent out two special envoys, one to Longshan and one to Zhaoyang. The intention to watch the tigers fight was obvious, and it was no surprise that Li Xuanling could see it.

What truly made Qiu Peng’s face change was the heavy threat in Li Xuanling’s tone as he spoke. It immediately brought to mind the conversation he’d had with Xia Chuan just before leaving Wushuang.

…

“My Lord, at a time like this, taking the initiative to approach Longshan and tell them we won’t interfere in Longyou’s disputes… doesn’t that seem a bit like protesting too much?”

“Of course. By sending you and Zhao Long, one to Longshan and one to Zhaoyang, even a fool can see our intention to watch the tigers fight. No one will believe us!”

“Then what is the point of me and Zhao Long being sent as envoys to the two camps?”

“To put their minds at ease. At the very least, let them know that we haven’t partnered with the other side. We now hold Wushuang and Hive, which counts as three major camps. We already have the ability to influence the current balance in Longyou. Under these circumstances, what kind of attitude do you think Longshan and Zhaoyang will adopt toward us?”

“They will try to win us over. At worst, they’ll appease us and avoid making an enemy of us.”

“That’s the most likely scenario, but it’s not a certainty. Longyou has a strong xenophobic streak. As an outside force, Great Xia can easily become a common target. Moreover, we took down Hive and Wushuang with lightning speed. Once the people from Longshan and Zhaoyang learn of the situation, any intelligent person among them will become extremely wary of our Great Xia.

If both sides adopt the same attitude, then we’ll be the ones in trouble!”

It was not so easy to be the fisherman who reaps the rewards. In Longyou’s current situation, as an outside power, if Great Xia simultaneously aroused the wariness of both camps, it was more likely that the two would first join forces to deal with Great Xia.

Qiu Peng naturally understood such a simple principle.

His expression changed as he pondered for a moment, and he began to faintly guess at Xia Chuan’s true intent in sending him and Zhao Long as envoys.

“My Lord, you mean that you want me and Zhao Long to probe Zhaoyang’s and Longshan’s attitudes toward Great Xia? If both are wary, then we must change our strategy to do everything possible to prevent Great Xia from becoming their common target?”

“Only you. Zhao Long is different. I originally thought Zhaoyang had the upper hand in Longyou. But seeing as the Longshan army has been stationed here since last night without any reaction from Zhaoyang’s side, that idea was clearly wrong.

Since Zhaoyang is at a disadvantage, our three camps are a lifeline to them. Therefore, they must rely on us and will surely try to win us over. Zhao Long’s mission will certainly see him treated as a guest of honor by Zhaoyang. He’ll have a much easier time than you!”

With Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan providing information, combined with his own personal involvement, Xia Chuan already had a reasonably clear grasp of the situation in Longyou. This was the greatest foundation for his subsequent strategic maneuvers.

“To put it bluntly, Zhaoyang is in the north, still very far from us. Even if they are temporarily wary of Great Xia, they pose no threat to us. But that Longshan army camped north of Wushuang is a different story. Therefore, your primary task on this trip is to investigate the strength of that army. Secondarily, you are to probe Longshan’s attitude. Based on their strength and attitude, you will then make…”

…

As the Prefect of Great Xia’s Logistics Department, one of the six major departments, Qiu Peng was skilled in more than just hunting and cultivation.

Managing the camp’s vast quantities of supplies had long since trained his mind to be incredibly sharp. At the same time, his long-term cooperation with Xia Chuan had fostered a deep understanding between them, allowing him to grasp the meaning behind Xia Chuan’s words with precision.

That was why Xia Chuan had entrusted him with such an important mission as being an envoy to Longshan.

Qiu Peng was also a Frostwarden realm expert. As he had approached the wooden house, he had already sensed the general strength of the more than two thousand people inside. Combined with the threatening posture in Li Xuanling’s tone, he quickly made a decision.

“Youngest Lord jests. To sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, one must have the strength to do so. My Great Xia only wishes to live peacefully on our own little plot of land. We would never dare to harbor such thoughts. We hope Longshan will be magnanimous and not involve Great Xia in this conflict…”

Qiu Peng paused here, holding up three fingers before continuing:

“First, Great Xia, Hive, and Wushuang are willing to continue honoring Longshan as the lord of Longyou, as we always have. The annual tribute from all three camps will be paid as usual.

Second, the three camps of Great Xia will not cooperate with Zhaoyang in any form.

Finally, Great Xia is willing to designate the entire territory of Wushuang as a neutral zone, to be jointly managed with Longshan. In the future, Longshan personnel may travel through it freely.

As long as Longshan agrees to these three conditions, Great Xia can implement them immediately!”

As Qiu Peng stated the three conditions, the expressions of Li Xuanling and the seven men below changed in an instant. His final sentence—that Great Xia would implement them immediately upon Longshan’s agreement—agitated their minds even more.

As if feeling he hadn’t added enough fuel to the fire, Qiu Peng continued, “I also have a piece of information regarding the Hanqiong camp, which should be of great help to Longshan. As a show of sincerity, my Great Xia will give it to Longshan directly…”

Qiu Peng paused, then went on, “On April eleventh, Wushuang and Hanqiong joined forces to destroy the Yanglu camp. Wushuang dispatched eight hundred men, and Hanqiong dispatched one thousand. Wu Xiong, Wu Ying, Han Jiuli, and Wu Lin are all currently stationed at Yangyuan Peak.”

Thump…

Li Xuandu shot to his feet, and the other six also had strong reactions.

All seven looked toward the head seat, only to find Li Xuanling’s gaze fixed on Qiu Peng, unmoving, clearly deep in thought.

…

While Qiu Peng was on his mission to the Longshan army camp, back at Wushuang’s giant stone encampment.

After arranging the relocation plan for Wushuang’s people, Xia Chuan was leading Luo Yuan and a group of Frostwarden realm experts on a leisurely stroll, observing the surroundings of Wushuang and chatting.

From the smile on his face, it was easy to see that he was in a good mood.

“My Lord, honoring Longshan as the lord of Longyou and continuing to pay the annual tribute; promising not to cooperate with Zhaoyang against Longshan in any way… these two conditions are indeed good. But Longshan isn’t stupid. Why would they believe Great Xia?”

Remembering the words Xia Chuan had spoken to Qiu Peng before the mission, Luo Yuan could no longer hold back his questions.

“Did I say I wanted them to believe it?”

Xia Chuan’s counter-question left everyone stunned.

Among the eight people beside Luo Yuan, only Peng Bo’s expression was slightly condensed. He had evidently already guessed some of Xia Chuan’s intentions.

“Showing weakness. All three conditions are a show of weakness to Longshan!”

Xia Chuan turned his head slightly. Seeing it was Hong Guang who had spoken, a look of appreciation appeared in his eyes, and he nodded slightly.

Some people, faintly understanding, showed looks of sudden realization. However, most still looked at Xia Chuan with confusion, clearly waiting for his explanation.

“Tell me, when Longshan hears these three conditions, what will they think of Great Xia? Especially that last piece of information about the Hanqiong camp I had Qiu Peng give them for free. After hearing that, what will they feel?”

The three conditions: one, to continue honoring Longshan as the master of Longyou and maintain the annual tribute; two, to promise never to cooperate with Zhaoyang; and three, to make Wushuang a neutral zone managed jointly with Longshan.

This was clearly a gesture of both giving things away and acting subservient, and the offerings were not insignificant.

Combined with the final piece of information—telling them exactly how many men Wushuang and Hanqiong had sent to attack Yanglu—it served a dual purpose. On one hand, it was to inform Longshan that Hanqiong was currently undermanned. On the other hand, it was also a way of spelling out to Longshan that the only reason Great Xia had been able to conquer Wushuang was because Wushuang’s main force was away.

After hearing all this, what would Longshan feel?

They would naturally think that Great Xia was very weak, and that its capture of Hive and Wushuang was due to a mix of opportunism and luck. Now, even with three camps, they were still afraid of Longshan, which was why they came with these three conditions.

“An Great Xia that is willing to sacrifice so many benefits to Longshan and proactively show weakness is not one Longshan will expend great effort on, at least not at this stage. Their main enemy has always been Hou Hu.

Moreover, after ceding partial rights to Wushuang, Great Xia has nothing left worth Longshan’s attention. Forcing a move against us now would only push us to Hou Hu’s side. As long as their leader isn’t an idiot, he won’t refuse.”

“My Lord, is Wushuang that important?”

Zhao Hu turned to look at Wushuang’s giant stone walls, a puzzled look on his face.

Of the three conditions, he had thought the one about Wushuang was the most useless. But from Xia Chuan’s words, it seemed that condition was actually the most important.

“Of course it’s important. Yucheng has already been taken by Li Xuantian. If all goes as expected, he might be attacking Yanglu right now, or he may have already conquered it. When the time comes for the people of those two camps to head north and rendezvous with the main Longshan army, passing through Wushuang’s territory is the fastest and most convenient route.”

As soon as Zhu Yuan finished speaking, Zhao Hu immediately picked up a broken twig and drew a few lines in the snow. When the others saw it, comprehension dawned.

Wushuang was located in the center of Longyou. To its north was a branch of the Longshan mountain range, blocking the way to Zhaoyang, making it impassable. However, a small section in the northwest bordered Baiyuan, which was where the Longshan army was currently stationed. Directly south was Yanglu; southwest was Yucheng. To the west lay Songyuan, and beyond it, Changning; to the east was Hanqiong.

In other words, it wasn’t just Yucheng and Yanglu. Even if large forces were dispatched from Songyuan and Changning, traveling through Wushuang was still the fastest and most convenient path.

“There’s more. Have none of you studied the map of Longyou carefully?”

Seeing that the group still didn’t seem to grasp the full importance of Wushuang’s location, Peng Bo finally couldn’t help but interject.

At his question, everyone looked confused.

Peng Bo shook his head gently. Seeing Xia Chuan smile and nod at him, he took the branch from Zhao Hu’s hand and added to the simple diagram he had drawn.

He drew a simple sketch of a mountain range on the far left, clearly representing Longshan, and then divided the entire Longyou region into three sections: north, central, and south.

“Longyou is over thirteen thousand square kilometers, broadly divided into three sectors:

The north has only two camps: the largest, Zhaoyang, and Dongkang to its northeast.

The central region is larger. On the far west is Changning, whose territory is long and narrow from north to south. To its northeast is Xiling, directly east is Baiyuan, and southeast is Songyuan. Then there’s Wushuang, where we are now, and finally, the Hanqiong camp on the far east.

The south is simpler. From west to east are Yucheng, Yanglu, and Hive.”

As Peng Bo spoke and drew, everyone watched the rough map of Longyou take shape on the ground, and their expressions slowly began to change.

Finally, Peng Bo pointed to the area representing Wushuang with the branch.

“Now, do you understand?”

There was no need to answer Peng Bo’s question. The simple map on the ground made everything perfectly clear.

The territory of the Wushuang camp was situated right in the very heart of all of Longyou.

“From Wushuang, traveling to any other camp in Longyou is the fastest and most convenient. That’s why my lord offered to make Wushuang a neutral zone. Longshan is bound to be tempted, especially at this critical juncture.”

Only at this moment did everyone fully understand the true genius behind the three promises Xia Chuan had made to Longshan.

However, their expressions soon froze, and they all turned to look at Peng Bo.

My Lord?

Had they just heard Peng Bo’s form of address for Xia Chuan correctly?

Xia Chuan was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Peng Bo with an expression full of anticipation.

Peng Bo seemed to have finally figured something out. He clasped his fist in his hand, then bowed deeply to Xia Chuan, his voice heavy. “I, Peng Bo, pledge to serve Great Xia from this day forward!”

“Good, good, good!”

Xia Chuan said “good” three times in a row. He had extended an offer to Peng Bo as early as last night after conquering Wushuang, but Peng Bo had not agreed at the time.

Right now, he didn’t understand why Peng Bo had changed his mind, but his heart was filled with excitement and joy. A late-stage Frostwarden realm expert with the power of eight Manes, and the former leader of a major camp at that—Peng Bo’s addition was of absolute monumental significance to Great Xia.

Moreover, Peng Bo was different from Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, and Wu Tianxing. Those three had been coerced into joining Great Xia because their families were being held hostage.

But Peng Bo was different. Firstly, Great Xia had no grudge against Yanglu. Secondly, Yuan Cheng and the others had saved his life. His pledge was essentially genuine.

Furthermore, Peng Bo’s allegiance would be useful later in dealing with Yanglu, and that was what Xia Chuan valued most.

“Peng Bo, we are currently at war, so I will not assign you a position for now. Once the affairs in Longyou are settled and we return to Xiacheng, I will make arrangements. How does that sound?”

Having chosen to join Great Xia, Peng Bo naturally had no objections and bowed his head in agreement.

Luo Yuan, Zhao Hu, and the other eight were equally excited. They clearly understood what Peng Bo’s allegiance signified.

…

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, April 17th, daytime.

Three to four kilometers east of Yanglu, in a snowy field beside a massive tree seven or eight meters in diameter, the ground was littered with mutilated corpses and severed limbs. A rough glance suggested there were at least a thousand bodies.

A closer look revealed differences among the corpses.

Most of the bodies near the inner circle around the tree were dismembered, bearing marks of blades and swords, clearly killed by human hands. The bodies on the outer edge were mostly whole. Judging by their frozen limbs, it could be determined that the cold energy of the daylight had entered their bodies, freezing them to death.

The blood in the inner circle had mixed with the snow on the ground and had long since dried to an inky black. A nauseating, foul stench filled the air.

“Cough, cough… cough, cough, cough…”

From among the pile of bodies, a violent coughing sound suddenly erupted.

Scrape…

Two large, bloodstained hands suddenly pushed out from beneath a corpse.

Yuan Cheng abruptly sat up from the mountain of bodies, his expression panicked. He first took several deep, gasping breaths, then turned to survey his surroundings. Seeing nothing but corpses, the panic on his face subsided just a little.

But his pupils still held a deep fear and shock.

“How are you all doing?”

Suddenly, remembering something, Yuan Cheng quickly turned and shouted toward the large tree behind him.

When there was no response, he stood up in a fluster and began walking toward the tree, calling out as he went.

“Is everyone dead?”

“Is anyone alive?”

…

“My Lord, we’re still alive!”

Finally, after Yuan Cheng had called out a dozen times, a weak reply came from within the tree.

Hearing the voice, Yuan Cheng’s face lit up with joy. He walked directly to the tree and circled it until he found a small opening on the southern side, covered by a wooden plank.

“My Lord, you’re alive! That’s wonderful!”

The opening was pushed open from the inside, and Yuan Cheng immediately stumbled through.

The interior of the massive tree, seven or eight meters in diameter, had been completely hollowed out.

Seventy to eighty people were crammed inside. Many were leaning against the edges, stacked on top of one another. A number of wounded lay in the center. The already small space was packed so tightly that even breathing was difficult.

Although he couldn’t move after crawling inside, seeing so many people still alive in the tree hollow brought considerable relief to Yuan Cheng’s expression.

Suddenly remembering something, Yuan Cheng quickly looked up and asked:

“Where is Yuwen Tao? How is he?”

The person at the entrance immediately turned and pointed to the ground behind him, saying, “Lord Yuwen is fine, but he’s been unconscious this whole time. He hasn’t woken up.”

Yuan Cheng followed his finger and saw Yuwen Tao lying on the ground with his eyes closed. Only then did he finally relax completely.

Phew…

He took a deep breath. Seeing the terrified expressions on the faces of the Great Xia members inside the tree hollow, he was filled with immense guilt and remained silent for a long time.

He had been wrong!

Last night at Yangyuan Peak, that final moment of compassion had led to a terrible mistake.

In the last ten minutes before dawn, he had managed to retreat from the outskirts of Yangyuan Peak with over a hundred Great Xia men, carrying the unconscious Yuwen Tao.

According to the plan, they were supposed to find a large tree in that last bit of time. Then, all hundred of them would work together to create a simple tree hollow to survive the four hours of daylight. Once night fell, they could return to Hive, and everything would have been fine.

But they had never expected the horror that followed.

A large number of the people they had ‘rescued’ from Yangyuan Peak had actually followed them. Dewdrops were already covering their bodies. How could Yuan Cheng possibly let them get close?

He first warned them sternly, then lashed out, killing some to intimidate the rest.

At first, it worked. The people were frightened away.

But gradually, the situation changed.

Those people suddenly seemed to lose their fear of death.

One after another, they charged at Yuan Cheng.

There were thousands of them, including many Earthforger realm experts. No matter how strong Yuan Cheng was, he couldn’t possibly kill them all.

Moreover, dawn was drawing ever closer. If the hundred-odd members of Great Xia didn’t finish the tree hollow before sunrise, they would all surely die.

By then, Yuan Cheng had begun to regret his moment of compassion, but regret was useless. He could only grit his teeth and hold on, using his giant axe to fend them off for those last few minutes, allowing the Great Xia members to hide inside the tree hollow.

He didn’t know how many people he had killed. He only knew that when the sky finally brightened, the people attacking him started screaming. Many fled. Before he finally collapsed from exhaustion, he had hidden himself under a pile of corpses.

“My Lord, on your body…”

As Yuan Cheng was lost in thought, the person in front of him suddenly called out to him.

Seeing the terrified look on the man’s face as he pointed at his body, Yuan Cheng quickly looked down. The sight made his entire body freeze.

Being besieged by so many people last night had left him with numerous injuries. A quick glance revealed at least forty to fifty wounds on his arms, chest, abdomen, and both thighs.

He must have taken a Blood Sore Pill before passing out, as the wounds showed initial signs of healing.

What made him freeze was not these healing wounds, but the circle of white dewdrops that now surrounded each of them.

And these dewdrops seemed to have changed. Last night, the dewdrops that grew on everyone at Yangyuan Peak were the size of a thumbnail and transparent.

But now, the dewdrops near his wounds were at most a fifth of that size and had a milky white hue, much thicker than before.

As Yuan Cheng stood in shock, the man who had pointed at him also looked down at his own body.

His expression instantly froze as well.

“My Lord, I have them too.”

It wasn’t just him. The others in the tree hollow began to check themselves.

“I have them too.”

“Me too, near my wounds.”

“I don’t have any wounds, but I have them too, just not many.”

“Lord Yuwen Tao has them on his body as well.”

…

“Calm down, calm down, don’t panic! Do any of you still have any Congealing Fire Salve?”

There was no need for an answer. As soon as Yuan Cheng asked, he realized it was a stupid question.

When he was being besieged by those people last night, dewdrops had constantly formed on his body. The Congealing Fire Salve they had was almost all used on him alone.

“I have to go back to Hive first. You all wait for me here. I’ll be back with Congealing Fire Salve soon. Don’t go anywhere!”

“My Lord, wait until nightfall. Your injuries haven’t healed.”

“That’s right. It’s daytime now, it’s not safe outside.”

Seeing Yuan Cheng dragging his injured body to leave, the others in the hollow immediately tried to dissuade him. But Yuan Cheng paid them no heed, simply waving a hand at them as he stumbled out of the tree hollow and headed east, toward Hive.

Chapter 244: A Message, a Rebellion, and the Strange Wu Xiong

“There’s definitely something wrong with that group of people who fled from Yangyuan Peak.”

“This White Dew Plague spreads with extreme speed. Contact, even the air, carries a high probability of transmission. In other words, just getting close means you’ll be infected.”

“That anomaly is most likely using these dewdrops to control people.”

“At least four or five thousand people besieged me last night. When I just woke up, there were at most a thousand or so on the ground. That means a large number of them are still at large.”

“No, I can’t just go back to the Hive like this. If I bring the plague back with me, I’ll harm everyone else. I need to think of a way, preferably one that avoids contact.”

………………

Yuan Cheng dragged his injured body toward the Hive’s territory, his mind racing to find a solution.

The other camps in Longyou were still unaware of what had happened in Yanglu. Once this White Dew Plague spread, it would be an absolute catastrophe.

Even setting aside the plague’s effects, he still hadn’t seen the true form of the anomaly behind it. This demonstrated its formidable power and how well it was hidden. If it were allowed to continue killing people through the plague, who knew to what extent it would evolve? Could Great Xia, separated from Longyou by just a single forest, truly remain untouched?

This was the main reason he was in such a hurry to return to the Hive.

Of course, Yuan Cheng feared death. But in his heart, the survival of Great Xia was far more important!

“I absolutely cannot make contact, and I have to speak from as great a distance as possible. The most important thing is to get the message to the Lord!”

Gritting his teeth, Yuan Cheng quickened his pace. He only slowed down slightly to rest for a moment when he estimated he had reached the Hive’s territory.

“Huh?”

As soon as he slowed, Yuan Cheng took two steps and froze.

“What’s going on!”

Yuan Cheng looked down, pulling open his clothes to examine his wounds, and his expression instantly went blank.

The milky-white dewdrops near his wounds had started to turn red, just like what he had seen on Yangyuan Peak last night. They should be in the process of heating up.

But strangely, the process was exceptionally slow. It was nothing like the situation at Yangyuan Peak last night, where they heated up rapidly, burst, and spewed blue flames.

“And… I’ve been walking under the sun for over two hours. Normally, I couldn’t possibly stay in the sunlight for this long.”

The Frostwarden realm merely granted one the ability to be active during the day; it didn’t mean they could be exposed to sunlight around the clock.

When Yuan Cheng had broken through to the Frostwarden realm, he had already tested his limits. He could last two hours in the sun at most, and that was when his body was in a normal state.

His current condition was clearly not normal!

Yuan Cheng looked up at the sun in the sky, then touched the white dewdrops near his wound, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“It seems the cold light is counteracting the soaring temperature of these white dewdrops. The strength of my Hide can resist the high temperature of the dewdrops while also defending against the cold qi from the sunlight. The two have reached a balance on my Hide, so for now, they aren’t having any effect on me…”

Recalling the corpses he had seen frozen by the cold light outside the large tree when he first woke up, Yuan Cheng’s gaze hardened, his suspicion solidifying.

“The vast majority of those who fled Yangyuan Peak were ordinary people. They could neither resist the high temperature of the dewdrops nor face the cold light. That’s why they all fled in the final moments before dawn!”

That was it. If the warming dewdrops were considered the positive, then the cold light of the daytime sun was the negative. A Frostwarden realm expert could resist both, allowing the two to achieve a temporary balance on their body, which was why he had been fine after walking for so long.

“In other words, these dewdrops also fear the cold. From this, I can deduce that the White Dew Aberration on Yangyuan Peak, just like humans for now, is also afraid of the daytime…”

Thinking of Yuwen Tao and the others waiting for his rescue inside the tree hollow, Yuan Cheng continued onward, constantly deducing more information about the White Dew Aberration.

As Great Xia’s scale gradually expanded and its various regulations were perfected, Yuan Cheng’s reckless and gruff personality had mellowed considerably. This was especially true after the restructuring of the Six Departments, when Xia Chuan appointed him Prefect of the Garrison Department. His growth since then had been astonishingly rapid.

An anomaly’s strength was only one aspect of its power. More often than not, their true threat lay in their various mysterious and unpredictable methods. Therefore, intelligence and information were the most crucial tools for dealing with them.

News of the White Dew Aberration had not yet spread through Longyou. The only ones who had any indirect contact with it were himself and Yuwen Tao’s group. Thus, the firsthand information he could deduce was of paramount importance.

As he quickened his pace, Yuan Cheng finally reached the outskirts of the Hive before nightfall.

After Great Xia had conquered the Hive, they had not made any changes to the garrison. To go underground, one still had to find the giant rock entrance. Fortunately, it was daytime, and Yuan Cheng was familiar with the location, so he found it quickly.

Yuan Cheng did not approach the great rock. He covered himself tightly with his clothes, leaving only his face exposed. Then he picked up a few small stones from the ground and, from five or six meters away, threw them at the great rock. After the impact made a sound, he called out in a loud voice:

“The winds and rains from all corners cannot compare to the rain of our Redwood Ridge.”

After only four or five breaths, a voice replied from under the rock.

“When it rains on Longmen Mountain, the tigers descend from the snow plains.”

Great Xia’s secret phrase had never changed. While it was once genuinely used to guard against anomalies, it now served more as a preliminary screening method. At the very least, the guards could use the phrase to determine if the person was one of their own.

Of course, as the Prefect of the Garrison Department and a member of the upper echelon, almost everyone in Great Xia knew Yuan Cheng. This was especially true for the Earthforger realm experts from the Hunting Department who had come to Longyou; they were even more familiar with him.

An opening appeared beneath the great rock, revealing a pair of eyes. Despite the five or six-meter distance, the person inside recognized Yuan Cheng at a glance.

“Prefect Yuan is back!”

The guard’s voice was filled with joy as he opened the entrance, clearly intending to welcome Yuan Cheng back.

“Don’t open it! I can’t come in! Quickly send someone to inform Meng Yi and have him come out. Also, do you have any Congealing Fire Salve with you? If you do, throw it to me directly. If not, go and get some for me quickly.”

Yuan Cheng knew that Xia Chuan had taken men to attack Wushuang. Only Meng Yi and Hong Tian, along with a thousand of Great Xia’s Earthforger realm experts, had remained to guard the Hive, so he directly asked for Meng Yi.

Hearing Yuan Cheng’s words, the guard was perplexed, but he could tell from his grave tone that this was serious. He quickly threw out two pieces of Congealing Fire Salve from within and said:

“I’ll go inform Lord Meng right away. Prefect Yuan, please wait a moment.”

Yuan Cheng caught the Congealing Fire Salve, quickly crushed it, and applied it around his wounds. He then began to observe the state of the white dewdrops.

Sizzle…

The moment the milky-white dewdrops came into contact with the Congealing Fire Salve, they immediately let out a faint wisp of smoke. They then began to cool and fade, slowly turning transparent until finally, they became clear droplets of water.

Yuan Cheng wiped them away, his eyes instantly filling with delighted surprise.

“Thank goodness, it works!”

When he had climbed out of the pile of corpses and noticed the dewdrops were different from the previous night, he had felt a constant unease, worried that the White Dew Aberration’s abilities had grown stronger and that the dewdrops would be harder to get rid of.

Fortunately, the Congealing Fire Salve was still effective.

“Yuan Cheng, what’s going on?”

Meng Yi arrived. He walked straight out from under the great rock and approached Yuan Cheng.

“Don’t come near me! First, have someone prepare a batch of Congealing Fire Salve for me. Yuwen Tao is seriously injured, and there’s a group of people with him, trapped near Yangyuan Peak. I need to hurry back to save them. There’s an extremely urgent situation in Yanglu. I’ll tell you first, and you must immediately go to Wushuang to inform the Lord and the others…”

Meng Yi was aware that Yuwen Tao was posing as Lin Ye in Yanglu and that Yuan Cheng had led men to support him. Hearing the gravity in Yuan Cheng’s voice, although he was curious why he was being told to keep his distance, he immediately ordered his men to prepare the Congealing Fire Salve and focused on listening to Yuan Cheng.

The Longyou Army’s great victory, Wu Ying’s death, Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli’s defeat, Yuwen Tao’s severe injuries at the hands of Li Xuantian… As Meng Yi heard more and more, his expression grew increasingly grim.

When he finally heard about the White Dew Aberration and the plague, his pupils constricted, and his expression became incredibly grave.

“You wait here. The Congealing Fire Salve will be here soon. I’m leaving for Wushuang right now to report to the Lord.”

“Good. Be as fast as you can!”

………………

In the main building of the Wushuang rock garrison.

There were only three people in the main building: Xia Chuan sat at the head, with Peng Bo and Luo Yuan below him.

However, Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan were both watching Peng Bo with smiling eyes.

Peng Bo, on the lower left, was carefully holding a cup of aged liquor. He savored its aroma for more than a dozen breaths, intoxicated by the scent for a long while before finally downing it in one gulp. An expression of utter bliss washed over his face. After relishing the aftertaste for some time, he let out a faint sigh.

“I’ve lived for over fifty years and never drunk anything this good. Lord, what did you call this again?”

“Liquor. This kind is called aged liquor. It’s considered one of the most common types in Great Xia!”

Hearing that there was even better liquor, Peng Bo’s eyes lit up as he looked at the bundle on Xia Chuan’s table. After a sly chuckle, he spoke with some awkwardness, “There’s something even better than this? Lord, could I possibly…”

“Hahahaha, don’t even think about it. The production of this stuff is quite limited. I just happened to have a bottle on me, so I let you have a taste. When you return to Xiacheng in the future, you can exchange for it from the Logistics Department yourself!”

“Haha, this is just aged liquor. If Lord Peng had a taste of Bloodchill Wine, I’m afraid you’d never forget it for the rest of your life.”

He had asked for more after just one cup, a testament to how strongly the liquor had tempted Peng Bo. After teasing him for a bit, Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride.

Great Xia’s strength might not be the greatest in Longyou, but in terms of productivity and material wealth, from what they had seen so far, not even Longshan and Zhaoyang could compare.

Seeing the pride in their eyes, Peng Bo’s heart filled with anticipation not only for the Bloodchill Wine but also for Xiacheng, which the two mentioned repeatedly.

Having been a leader for so many years, Peng Bo was a keen judge of character. While the act of saving his three grandsons was the primary reason he had decided to join Great Xia, the things Xia Chuan and the others had inadvertently revealed were also very important.

Their strength went without saying. From what he had seen so far, the combined number of Earthforger realm experts in the Hive and Wushuang was already two thousand five hundred, with over a dozen in the Frostwarden realm. Based on these numbers alone, Great Xia was only slightly weaker than Longshan and Zhaoyang.

Crucially, this was only a fraction of the strength Great Xia had projected into Longyou.

Their material wealth was even more impressive. Even without the cup of aged liquor before him, a single glance at the pale gold armor worn by Great Xia’s Earthforger realm experts, and the regular clothes beneath their armor, was enough to see the whole picture.

“Little Ming, Little Feng, and Little Zu will set out for Xiacheng tonight. They should be able to see what Xiacheng is like a step ahead of me!”

As Peng Bo yearned for the future, the thought that his three grandsons would arrive in Xiacheng first and enjoy all kinds of resources he had never seen before set his mind at ease.

“Luo Yuan, how are the arrangements for the migration coming along?”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s sudden question, Luo Yuan immediately nodded and said spiritedly, “Everything is arranged. Wushuang currently has a total population of 25,210, including the 821 prisoners. They’ll be divided into five batches, led by Hong Gang, Huang Yong, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, and Lu Yang. Five Intermediate Hunting Teams will make five round trips to escort everyone to the Hive first. Once at the Hive, they’ll be sent south through Jinggu Valley in smaller groups, finally arriving at Xiacheng!”

It was impossible to move twenty-five thousand people all at once. Dividing them into five batches, personally escorted by five Frostwarden realm experts, would pose no major problems.

Noticing the excitement in Luo Yuan’s tone, Xia Chuan nodded with a slight smile, unable to hide the joy in his own eyes.

With Wushuang’s twenty-five thousand-plus people, on top of the Hive’s thirty-three thousand, Great Xia’s population was about to experience an unprecedented explosion. The key was that in the months since his elder brother Xia Hong had left, they hadn’t been idle; the population had been steadily increasing.

“Once we’ve moved both these groups back to Xiacheng, our Great Xia’s total population will be around…”

“How can the men of my Wushuang allow others to humiliate us like this? Have your backbones been ripped out? I’m back, what are you still afraid of? All of you, pick up your weapons and fight back!”

Xia Chuan, who was in the middle of calculating the total population, was cut off by an angry roar from outside. He shot his head up to look outside, and after hearing the words, his expression changed instantly as he rushed out.

“That’s Wu Xiong’s voice!”

Peng Bo drew his saber and charged out, even a step faster than Xia Chuan, because he recognized the owner of the voice as none other than Wu Xiong.

The three of them rushed out of the main building only to find a fierce battle already underway next to a large wooden house to their right.

A short figure in yellow wielding a long staff was being besieged by Hong Guang, Zhu Yuan, and Zhao Hu. Moreover, Huang Yong, Hong Gang, and the others who had heard the commotion were also joining the fray.

“Wu Xiong, you dog! I’ll have your life!”

Seeing that it was truly Wu Xiong himself, Peng Bo didn’t hesitate for a moment. He gripped his ghost-head great saber and charged forward with a furious roar, directly taking over Hong Guang’s position as the main attacker and unleashing a series of reckless, desperate strikes at Wu Xiong, his momentum utterly ferocious.

Swish, swish, swish…

However, the Frostwarden realm experts weren’t the only ones fighting.

From the large wooden house on the right, as well as four other houses near the main building, arrows began to fly out incessantly, all aimed at Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts.

“Don’t move! Nobody move! Anyone who moves again dies!”

“Do you have a death wish? Kill anyone who dares to move again.”

“The Leader is back! Brothers, don’t be afraid! Wushuang is our home, we can’t let these people take it! Charge with me!”

“That’s right! They killed so many of our people and still dream of ruling us! What bullshit Great Xia! Follow the Leader and fight back! Kill them and drive them out!”

………………

“Hong Guang and Zhu Yuan, just coordinate with Peng Bo to surround him. The rest of you, follow me into the houses to suppress those rebellious traitors!”

Hearing the commotion from the wooden houses and realizing that the people of Wushuang were rioting, Xia Chuan issued his orders without a moment’s hesitation.

After conquering Wushuang, he had only placed restrictions on the Earthforger realm experts.

For the rest of the people, both for convenience and to appease them, Xia Chuan had simply gathered them into five wooden houses without even disarming them. He had only stationed a hundred Earthforger realm experts in each house, watching them in rotating shifts.

After all, the vast majority of these five thousand-plus people were ordinary, with a small number in the Lumberjack realm. It wasn’t that a hundred of Great Xia’s Earthforger realm experts couldn’t handle them. The problem was that Wu Xiong, as their leader, clearly held great sway. If they couldn’t control the riot and he managed to incite everyone, then killing too many people would ultimately be a loss for Great Xia.

Therefore, the riot had to be suppressed first.

With Peng Bo, Hong Guang, and Zhu Yuan besieging him, Wu Xiong couldn’t escape even if he grew wings!

Xia Chuan gave Wu Xiong a single glance before summoning his black saber and charging into the wooden house where the riot was most severe.

Rushing into the house, Xia Chuan’s face darkened when he saw the group of people shooting arrows near the second-floor window. He leaped directly to the second floor, his black saber slashing out horizontally.

Crack…

With that single slash, the twenty-odd people gathered by the window were all decapitated. The people behind them, who had been clamoring to push forward, were splattered with blood. Their expressions instantly cooled, and their pupils filled with fear.

“Keep killing! It doesn’t matter if they stop or not! Kill five hundred of them!”

Xia Chuan roared, his voice amplified so that not only everyone in this house heard it, but everyone in the other four houses heard it as well.

There were a hundred of Great Xia’s Earthforger realm experts in each house, and Xia Chuan had just ordered the other six Frostwarden realm experts, aside from Zhu Yuan and Hong Guang, to join the suppression.

Thus, Xia Chuan’s order was swiftly carried out.

It didn’t matter if the rebellion stopped or not, they were to kill five hundred people!

Splurt… Crack… Squelch…

The wooden houses holding Wushuang’s twenty-five thousand people instantly became the scene of an utterly bloody slaughter. The number of people involved in the riot in each house was far more than five hundred, but Great Xia’s action of slaughtering them without so much as a question instantly sobered everyone in Wushuang up.

Whether they had participated in the rebellion or not, they were all wide awake now!

“I didn’t take part in the rebellion! Don’t kill me!”

“Me neither! I surrender! I shouldn’t have rebelled!”

“Stop! Please stop! You can’t let them kill anymore!”

“Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me…”

…………

Unfortunately, they had come to their senses too late.

No matter how pitiful their pleas for mercy were, Great Xia’s people, from Frostwarden realm experts like Zhao Hu and Zhao Bao down to the five hundred Earthforger realm experts, never stopped.

In the wooden house where Xia Chuan was, the people of Wushuang scrambled back toward the walls. The Earthforger realm experts at the door were still slaughtering, and as for Xia Chuan himself, he was hacking wildly with his black saber, his face a mask of blazing fury, showing no signs of stopping.

“A riot? A rebellion? You think you can overturn the heavens just because Wu Xiong is here?”

“It seems my Great Xia has been too good to you.”

“You mistook Great Xia’s benevolence for weakness!”

“You like to rebel? You like to cause chaos? Then I’ll let you have your fill!”

“Die! All of you, die!”

………………

The strongest in the house were merely in the Lumberjack realm. How could they possibly stop Xia Chuan?

With every sentence he spoke, Xia Chuan swung his black saber, taking a dozen lives.

He single-handedly carved out a small pit of corpses in the house. Only when the entire building fell silent and he estimated the count was near five hundred did he and his group of Earthforger realm experts finally stop.

The other four wooden houses were slightly slower, but they too eventually fell into a dead silence. It was clear they had been scared into submission.

The remaining four thousand-plus people in the house, from the elderly and able-bodied adults down to the children, stared at the blood-soaked Xia Chuan with eyes full of terror. They didn’t dare make another sound. Some women holding infants even covered their babies’ mouths, afraid they would make a noise.

Xia Chuan was drenched in blood, his handsome and refined face now an unrecognizable blur. Paired with his furious, blood-red eyes and the exceptionally large black saber in his hand, he looked like a demonic specter, chilling all who saw him to the bone.

“If you like to rebel, you can continue. But I’ll say this now: the next time there is any such commotion or rebellion, for any reason whatsoever, the number to be killed won’t be just five hundred!”

Xia Chuan’s voice was still loud, his words reaching the ears of everyone in the five wooden houses. He then turned from the people inside and strode toward the exit. But as he reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped again.

The four thousand-plus people inside, seeing Xia Chuan pause at the door, felt their nerves, which had just begun to relax, instantly tighten again. They all stared at his back in terror, not daring to make a sound.

“Clean up the floor. Not another sound from any of you!”

………………

At least another two thousand five hundred people had died.

This debt, naturally, would be tallied on Wu Xiong’s account for inciting the rebellion.

Xia Chuan walked out of the wooden house, his eyes cold as he watched the besieged Wu Xiong. Seeing that Wu Xiong was already showing signs of defeat, he drew his saber and charged.

Wu Xiong, who was being attacked by three people, sensed the black saber cleaving toward him. He abruptly retracted his staff to block behind him. Unfortunately, the black saber in Xia Chuan’s hand was no ordinary weapon.

Crack…

The black staff was severed, but that wasn’t all. Xia Chuan’s strike cut directly into Wu Xiong’s spine, sending his body flying forward for twenty or thirty meters.

Boom…

There wasn’t much snow on the ground inside the Wushuang garrison, so Wu Xiong slammed directly onto the earth. His body plowed into the ground and skidded forward for another seven or eight meters before slowly coming to a stop.

Zhu Yuan and Hong Guang were one thing, but Peng Bo, who had been the main attacker just moments ago, froze upon seeing the power of that strike, his face filled with shock.

Wu Xiong possessed the strength of a Seven Mane. In the siege just now, Peng Bo had been the primary aggressor, with Hong Guang and Zhu Yuan merely providing support. In fact, Peng Bo had believed that he was the only one present who could serve as the main attacker.

But Xia Chuan’s slash had completely overturned his perception.

Wasn’t Xia Chuan only at the strength of a Six Mane?

Gulp…

Peng Bo turned to look at Xia Chuan, only to discover that at some point, three vertical, blood-red cloud patterns had appeared on his forehead.

No, it wasn’t just Xia Chuan. Zhu Yuan and Hong Guang, who had been besieging Wu Xiong with him, also had them on their foreheads.

Setting aside Peng Bo’s shock for a moment, Xia Chuan’s rage had not yet fully dissipated. He raised his saber and charged straight for Wu Xiong, giving him no chance to catch his breath.

Swoosh…

However, a shocking scene occurred.

Wu Xiong, his spine almost completely severed, actually scrambled up from the ground and fled rapidly toward the north side of Wushuang.

“This…”

“What’s happening?”

…………

Peng Bo, Zhu Yuan, Hong Guang, and the other six, including Luo Yuan, who came out of the wooden houses, were all dumbfounded when they saw Wu Xiong flee.

They had all seen it clearly. Xia Chuan’s slash had, without a doubt, severed Wu Xiong’s spine. How was it possible for him to get up and run in such a condition?

“Something’s strange. Peng Bo, Hong Guang, Zhu Yuan, with me! After him!”

If the others reacted this way, imagine Xia Chuan, who had delivered the blow himself. His expression was one of shock, but he realized something was wrong. Leaping in pursuit, he didn’t forget to call out to the others.

Peng Bo, Hong Guang, and Zhu Yuan immediately followed behind him.

Chapter 245: Longshan’s Meddling, You’re Too Late

North of the Wushuang monolith garrison, on the snowy plains.

A short figure in yellow robes was fleeing north across the snow, a wretched sight.

Swoosh…

An iron arrow shot forth from behind, piercing straight through the yellow-robed man’s shoulder and causing his already desperate steps to falter.

“Thinking of running? It’s not that simple!”

Xia Chuan, wielding a massive, pale gold bow, his eyes glinting coldly, nocked a silver iron arrow after loosing the first.

The pale gold iron-core bow in his hands was named Divine Arm. With a draw weight of Six Mane, it was the pinnacle of the Great Xia’s current forging craftsmanship. His elder brother, Xia Hong, had been away when Mu Dong unexpectedly acquired a new material from Wuyuan. It had taken a long time to develop, combining it with the previously obtained dragon tendon and snow bamboo silk.

Xia Chuan had originally brought the Divine Arm to Longyou to give to his brother, but since he still hadn’t seen Xia Hong, he had kept it with him.

Now, in his pursuit of Wu Xiong, it had found its use.

Xia Chuan drew the string and fired again. The Six Mane draw of the Divine Arm bow was not only due to the special material of its string; the bow’s limb and its matching arrows were all crafted from thousand-forged iron. The iron arrows themselves were small, and the thousands of dense, silver forging lines stacked together gave them a silvery appearance.

Thwang…

When the Divine Arm was fired, the sound it made was completely different from an ordinary bow. As the string, having endured the force of Six Mane, snapped back into place, Xia Chuan’s pursuing figure paused for a fraction of a second. The airflow from the string’s recoil blasted the nearby snow outward, a testament to the bow’s power.

Swoosh…

If the mere recoil of the string could cause such a disturbance, the loosed arrow was another matter entirely. The iron arrow arrived in an instant, like a shooting star. No different from the first, it pierced straight through the back of Wu Xiong’s neck.

Pfft…

Wu Xiong face-planted into the snow. The arrow’s impact sent his body tumbling forward for more than ten meters, plowing the snow up high until it formed a small mound, where he lay, his fate unknown.

A wound through the back of the neck was one hundred percent fatal.

Not even the gods could save him now!

Just as a hint of triumph began to rise in the eyes of Xia Chuan and the three men following him—Peng Bo, Zhu Yuan, and Hong Guang—the snow mound suddenly exploded. A black shadow shot out from within and continued to flee northward, instantly freezing the expressions on their faces.

“He can still live through that?”

“Something’s not right. Is that really Wu Xiong?”

…

While Peng Bo and the others were still stunned, Xia Chuan had already given chase, his expression turning exceptionally grave.

“He can’t be killed. This is…”

Nothing but an anomaly could explain the scene before him.

Back at the Wushuang garrison, when he had seen Wu Xiong escape even after his spine had been severed, Xia Chuan had only been suspicious. Now, he was almost certain.

“This Wu Xiong is definitely connected to an anomaly!”

Aside from his grave expression, a sliver of worry also surfaced in Xia Chuan’s heart.

Yuan Cheng and Yuwen Tao had been at Yangyuan Peak last night.

Worry was worry, but seeing Wu Xiong already three hundred meters ahead, Xia Chuan quickly took out a piece of Congealing Fire Salve from his robes, crushed it, and smeared it onto an arrow before taking aim at the fleeing figure once more.

Thwang…

The iron arrow tore through the air, this time aimed at the back of Wu Xiong’s head.

Whoosh…

In the distance, Wu Xiong seemed to sense something. He abruptly ducked his head and dropped low. The silver iron arrow grazed past his scalp.

But Wu Xiong, having dodged the fatal shot, showed no joy on his face. The terrifying airflow from the arrow had actually knocked his newly steadied body to the ground.

How could Xia Chuan let such a perfect opportunity pass?

Whoosh…

In the next second, a black blade swept up a ten-meter wave of snow, reflecting in Wu Xiong’s slightly panicked eyes as it chopped straight for his head.

Clang…

However, the expected decapitation did not occur.

A silver serpent spear appeared before Wu Xiong, not only blocking Xia Chuan’s black saber but even pushing back against it.

“Who are you? Get…”

Obstructed by an unknown person, Xia Chuan roared in anger, but before he could finish, a familiar voice drifted over from nearby.

“Lord Prefect, this is the Third Young Master of Longshan, Li Xuandu.”

Qiu Peng!

Xia Chuan’s brow furrowed. He withdrew his black saber and looked up at the middle-aged man in white holding the serpent spear before him. Only then did he notice Qiu Peng leading a group of people toward them from a short distance away.

He gazed past Qiu Peng and saw two wooden houses a kilometer or two in the distance. He was startled to realize that, without noticing, he had pursued his target all the way to the plain where the Longshan army was stationed.

After escaping the monolith garrison, Wu Xiong had been fleeing north the entire time—directly toward the Longshan garrison.

The commotion of the chase had clearly alerted the people of Longshan.

Qiu Peng was currently serving as an envoy to Longshan, so it was not strange for him to be with them.

“Alerting Longshan is going to be a problem.”

From behind, Peng Bo, Zhu Yuan, and Hong Guang also caught up and stood behind Xia Chuan. Qiu Peng quickly broke away from the other group to stand by Xia Chuan’s side, whispering rapidly in his ear.

As Qiu Peng reported, Xia Chuan’s expression shifted subtly while he sized up the group from Longshan.

Besides Li Xuandu, who had stopped him, five others had come from Longshan. The leader was a peerlessly beautiful woman in white, and the other four appeared to be middle-aged men. One of them bore a slight resemblance to Li Xuandu.

“Li Xuanling, Li Xuandu, Li Xuanyan…”

Having learned their identities, Xia Chuan’s gaze focused on Li Xuandu. Seeing that Wu Xiong had already been helped to his feet, he immediately interrupted Qiu Peng’s report, turned to the leading woman, Li Xuanling, and spoke with a trace of respect as he cupped his hands.

“Xia Chuan, Prefect of the Great Xia, pays his respects to the Youngest Lord!”

Li Xuanling and the five others—including Li Xuandu, who had just blocked Xia Chuan—all six of Longshan’s present Frostwarden realm experts fixed their eyes on Xia Chuan, their faces filled with clear scrutiny.

A closer look would reveal that, aside from Li Xuanling, the other five had a hint of imperceptible shock, even apprehension, deep in their eyes.

This leader from the Great Xia seemed far too young.

Young, yet his strength was not to be underestimated.

The one who felt this most keenly was, naturally, Li Xuandu, who had just blocked Xia Chuan’s blade. He retracted his serpent spear and glanced at Wu Xiong behind him, giving him a meaningful look.

Wu Xiong, having escaped death, had a face full of gratitude. He received the signal and immediately moved to stand behind Li Xuanling and the other five.

“Youngest Lord, this Wu Xiong has most likely been controlled by an anomaly, or he himself is an anomaly in disguise. Longshan absolutely must not grant him refuge.”

…

After he spoke, a dead silence hung in the air for over ten seconds.

Xia Chuan looked up and saw the somewhat playful expressions in the eyes of the Longshan group. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, instantly Runderstanding what they were thinking.

“Xia Chuan, your Great Xia invaded Longyou, destroyed my Wushuang, and killed so many people in my camp! Now you make these vicious slanders, accusing me of being an anomaly! You’ve gone too far!”

Wu Xiong, now standing behind Li Xuanling, suddenly spoke with grief and indignation. He then knelt before Li Xuanling and the others, his voice tragic.

“I was once foolishly misguided, colluding with Hou Hu and betraying the alliance. My Wushuang camp has met its end, and I suppose we have only ourselves to blame. Whether you kill me or torture me, I will accept Longshan’s judgment. However, I must expose what the Great Xia did last night at Yanglu…”

Hearing this, Xia Chuan’s expression soured. He cut Wu Xiong off, his voice grave. “I am not making baseless accusations. Youngest Lord, you can check his back and neck. His back just took a blow from my saber, and his neck was pierced by my arrow. A normal person could not possibly have survived, yet he…”

Before Xia Chuan could finish, his face changed.

Because Wu Xiong had stood up and walked before the Longshan group, revealing his back and neck.

There was indeed a saber mark on his back, but it was not deep.

There was also a wound on the back of his neck, clearly from an arrow, but it too was shallow—at a glance, only two or three centimeters deep.

How long had it been? And he had already recovered this much?

Peng Bo, Zhu Yuan, and Hong Guang, who had just witnessed the severity of Wu Xiong’s injuries with their own eyes, were utterly shocked.

The three of them couldn’t help but take a step forward, ready to protest further.

But before they could speak, Xia Chuan stopped them.

“Youngest Lord, last night Han Jiuli and I were defending Yanglu. The Second Young Master led an attack, but the Longyou Army’s vanguard was too strong. We were no match for them at all. As our two sides were locked in a bloody struggle, the Great Xia attacked from the flank! I escaped in the chaos. The Second Young Master and his men… their fates are unknown. They were either killed by the Great Xia or captured.”

Swoosh…

After Wu Xiong finished speaking, Li Xuanling and the other six all looked up, glaring daggers at Xia Chuan and his four companions.

Not only that, but they even shifted their positions as if to surround the five of them.

What on earth had happened at Yanglu?

Right now, that was the only question on Xia Chuan’s mind.

The moment Wu Xiong revealed his wounds, he knew that anything he said now would be useless.

These people from Longshan would never believe him.

Longshan was certainly not happy that the Great Xia had taken Wushuang.

By saving Wu Xiong, they were clearly trying to make trouble for the Great Xia.

If he could expose Wu Xiong as an anomaly, perhaps he could have turned the situation around. But this anomaly not only had astonishing regenerative abilities but was also clearly cunning to the extreme.

“Youngest Lord, I won’t say more. You probably won’t believe anything I say now. I have something here. If you just smear it on Wu Xiong, you will understand!”

Xia Chuan pulled out a piece of Congealing Fire Salve from his robes and tossed it toward Li Xuanling.

“Nonsense! Hand over my Second Brother!”

Whoosh…

Li Xuanyan attacked without warning.

“Run!”

As the longsword slashed toward him, Xia Chuan’s eyes flickered. He blocked it with his black saber, no longer attempting to explain, and immediately fled with Qiu Peng, Hong Guang, and the others.

But it seemed a little too late to run now.

Li Xuanling, Li Xuandu, and the other four had already moved into position, surrounding the five of them. As soon as Li Xuanyan made his move, the other six followed suit almost simultaneously.

Pfft…

The strongest among them, Li Xuanling, didn’t go for Xia Chuan. Instead, she chose the weakest target, Zhu Yuan. Her movements were as fast as lightning. A single thrust pierced Zhu Yuan’s shoulder, and without pause, her sword slashed toward his neck.

Clang…

Just as the blade was about to connect, Xia Chuan, who had already run some distance, unexpectedly turned back. He blocked the attack with his black saber, grabbed Zhu Yuan, and used the force of the blow to retreat more than ten meters.

From the earlier clash when Li Xuandu had blocked his saber to save Wu Xiong, Xia Chuan had already sensed that his opponent’s strength surpassed his own. Now, having taken a blow from Li Xuanling, he realized this woman’s power was even more terrifying than Li Xuandu’s. His expression changed drastically, and he shouted to the others behind him:

“Quick, blow the bone whistles for help!”

Peng Bo, being a new addition, was still confused, but Zhu Yuan, Hong Guang, and Qiu Peng immediately took out their bone whistles. While fending off Li Xuanyan and the others, they blew frantically.

Dee… Dee… Dee… Dee… Dee…

They had pursued Wu Xiong for so long that they should have been quite some distance from the Wushuang garrison. Under normal circumstances, calling for aid would be impossible.

But the bone whistles in their hands could do it.

The Great Xia currently had two types of bone whistles. The ones issued to those in the Earthforger realm were made from the nasal bones of Frost Wolves and could carry for one or two kilometers at most.

The ones issued to the Frostwarden realm were made from the nasal bones of Frost-Lightning Apes. The sound was crisper and traveled farther. Combined with the lung capacity of a Frostwarden realm expert, they could reach up to twenty kilometers.

“Trying to call for help? Forget the others, capture Xia Chuan with me!”

Li Xuanling made a swift decision, heading straight for Xia Chuan. Hearing her, the other six abandoned their targets and all closed in on him.

“Protect the Prefect!”

Qiu Peng, without the slightest hesitation, gave up on fleeing and stood with Xia Chuan. Hong Guang and the injured Zhu Yuan did the same.

Even Peng Bo, after hesitating for only three or four seconds, made the same choice.

“I expected as much!”

However, Li Xuanling’s cold laugh made the men’s expressions freeze.

Whoosh…

The first to be targeted was, once again, Zhu Yuan.

Li Xuanling clearly understood that the stronger the opponent, the harder they were to kill. The correct strategy was to eliminate the weak first and then pick them off one by one.

Zhu Yuan, already with a sword wound in his shoulder, couldn’t possibly dodge Li Xuanling’s blade. In his desperation, he could only twist his body, taking the strike that was meant for his neck with his chest.

Rip…

Blood sprayed from his chest, and Zhu Yuan’s face instantly turned deathly pale. Not only did the greatsaber fall from his grasp, but he also collapsed toward the ground. If Xia Chuan hadn’t pulled him back in time with a white silken thread, Li Xuanling’s sword would have taken his head in the next second.

Huff…

However, Xia Chuan was not in a good position either.

His momentary distraction allowed Li Xuandu’s serpent spear to catch him in the shoulder, brutally gouging out a chunk of flesh. With no time to cry out in pain, he could only grit his teeth, pull Zhu Yuan back, and continue to flee south.

At present, only Peng Bo could put up a fight. Zhu Yuan was severely injured, and Hong Guang and Qiu Peng were not strong enough, forced to do nothing but dodge.

A prolonged defense was bound to fail, especially against seven powerful opponents like Li Xuanling and her group.

Whoosh…

Another sword strike came, its target once again Zhu Yuan.

“My lord, let go! Run on your own!”

This time, Zhu Yuan was determined not to be a burden. Seeing that Xia Chuan refused to let go, he gritted his teeth, stood his ground, and turned to face Li Xuanling’s sword with his own body.

The moment he turned to stand firm, the indecision on Xia Chuan’s face vanished. He immediately withdrew the silken thread and grit his teeth, continuing to run.

In this situation, not a single second could be wasted.

“Zhu Yuan, don’t worry, I will definitely—”

Swoosh…

An iron arrow shot straight from the south. Xia Chuan looked up, and his face instantly erupted with intense joy.

On the snowy plains to the south, Luo Yuan, Lu Yang, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Hong Gang, and Huang Yong—six men—were sprinting toward them, powerful bows in hand.

During their escape, the bone whistles had never stopped.

Luo Yuan and the others had actually come to support them!

“We’re saved! Zhu Yuan, get back here!”

Xia Chuan reacted with lightning speed. The instant he realized they were saved, he shouted, turned around, and sent out the silken thread again, latching onto Zhu Yuan and pulling him back with all his might.

Zhu Yuan’s response was perfectly in sync. He kicked off the ground and raised his saber to block Li Xuanling’s sword from behind. Though the wound on his chest tore open again and blood trickled from his lips, he used the momentum from Xia Chuan’s pull to retreat rapidly.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…

The six men led by Luo Yuan barely stopped shooting as they ran. Only when they had rendezvoused with the other five did they turn, sling their bows over their backs, draw their weapons, and charge to the front.

“My lord!”

“Zhu Yuan, how are you?”

“My lord, Meng Yi just arrived from the Hive. He said Yuan Cheng returned from Yanglu with extremely urgent news for you. I was just coming to find you…”

…

“Don’t talk now. Just run. We’ll talk when we get back to Wushuang.”

Hearing Luo Yuan say that Yuan Cheng had returned from Yanglu and sent Meng Yi with a message, Xia Chuan was delighted, but a glance back at Li Xuanling and her seven pursuers solidified his decision to flee first.

…

The moment they saw Luo Yuan’s group of six appear, Li Xuanling and the others looked grim, yet they couldn’t help but feel a sense of shock.

“Stop the pursuit. Any further and we’ll be at Wushuang!”

Seeing that Xia Chuan didn’t hesitate to flee even with reinforcements, Li Xuanling waved her hand and called a halt.

Wushuang housed the Great Xia’s garrison. If they pursued them inside, all seven of them would be in danger.

“Six plus five… This Great Xia actually has eleven Frostwarden realm experts!”

Li Xuandu stared at the eleven retreating figures, his tone incredibly grave.

It wasn’t just him. The other four from Longshan also showed deep apprehension on their faces. Even Li Xuanling’s eyes held a new flicker of gravity.

Among the twelve factions in Longyou, excluding themselves and Zhaoyang, each of the remaining ten camps had only three to five Frostwarden realm experts. For this suddenly emerged Great Xia to have eleven—how could they not be shocked?

However, their shock did not end there.

Behind them, Wu Xiong’s eyes glinted as he said, “It’s not just eleven. There are two more over at Yanglu. I remember, one is called Yuan Cheng and the other Yuwen Tao.”

Thirteen.

“Thirteen, and that’s just the people they brought to Longyou. They took over the Hive; would they not leave people behind to guard it? If you add that Hong Xia to the count, I don’t think this Great Xia is any less of a threat than Zhaoyang!”

Li Xuandu spoke in a low voice, and the expressions on the others’ faces grew even more serious.

“Return to the outpost. Wu Xiong, tell me everything that happened at Yanglu.”

“Yes!”

Hearing Li Xuanling’s command, Wu Xiong lowered his head, a sinister smile creeping onto his face. He quickly followed behind the six as they headed back to the Longshan outpost.

………

The Wushuang monolith garrison.

When Xia Chuan led his men back, an anxious-looking Meng Yi, who had clearly been waiting for a long time, saw their bedraggled state. His expression changed slightly, and he was about to ask what had happened.

“No questions. First, tell me how Yuan Cheng and Yuwen Tao are. What exactly happened at Yanglu?”

Meng Yi nodded with a grave expression and immediately relayed the message from Yuan Cheng, word for word.

As Meng Yi spoke, Xia Chuan’s expression grew increasingly severe. When he heard about the White Dew Aberration and the plague-like spread of the white dewdrops, his face changed dramatically.

“Prefect Yuan said that contact with the white dewdrops guarantees infection, and even close proximity can spread it. Those with injuries are more susceptible. He knows of at least three to four thousand people who fled from Yangyuan Peak last night. Wu Ying was killed on the spot. Longshan’s Li Xuantian and his three subordinates, along with Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, and Wu Lin—seven Frostwarden realm experts in total—are all missing. As for the remaining twenty to thirty thousand people, he has no idea how many have been controlled by the anomaly…”

As Meng Yi continued, Xia Chuan suddenly tore open his clothes. He looked down at his shoulder and chest, and his expression hardened.

During the siege by Li Xuanling and her group, his shoulder and chest had received several sword wounds. Now, around those very wounds, a dense layer of white dewdrops was clustered.

Seeing this, Peng Bo, Hong Guang, and Qiu Peng immediately opened their own clothes. When they saw the dewdrops near their wounds, their faces all went rigid.

Xia Chuan shook his head and walked over to the unconscious Zhu Yuan, exposing the wound on his chest.

His entire chest was almost completely covered in dewdrops.

“You’re too late!”

Before Meng Yi could react, Xia Chuan pointed at him and said, “You, undo your clothes and check yourself. See if you have any.”

Meng Yi hurriedly opened his clothes. When he saw the sparse white dewdrops that had appeared on his own body, his expression went numb.

“Send a messenger! Bring all the Congealing Fire Salve we have in stock at the camp.”

“Inspect the people of Wushuang. I suspect they’re all infected. Do not move them to the Hive for now. Wait until the salve arrives.”

“Notify the people at the Hive as well. They must conduct strict screenings. Anyone with dewdrops on them is to be gathered together. We cannot let this spread any further.”

………

Xia Chuan issued a series of orders, his gaze incredibly grim. He thought back to Wu Xiong, how he had been so familiar with the situation in Longyou, even using the opportunity to stir up trouble between the Great Xia and Longshan. A chill ran down his spine.

“This White Dew Aberration… is far more difficult to deal with than the previous two!”

Chapter 246: The Great Battle of Hanqiong, A Belated Realization

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, the seventeenth of April.

Atop the main building of the Hanqiong settlement, Xia Hong, who had been sitting cross-legged for the better part of the day, looked up at the gradually darkening sky, his brow furrowing slightly.

“The scouts Hou Tong sent out won’t be back until nightfall. Even in the best-case scenario, if Wushuang, Yanglu, and Hive send reinforcements, the earliest they could arrive would be the latter half of the night, perhaps even dawn. That means there definitely won’t be a fight tonight.”

Although Xia Hong could understand why Hou Tong used Earthforger realm experts as scouts, he strongly disapproved.

There weren’t many Frostwarden realm experts to begin with—Zhaoyang probably had less than twenty in total. Once split up, Hou Tong’s forces were even more stretched thin. With the Longshan Army watching menacingly from the border, sending Frostwarden realm experts out as scouts certainly took some nerve.

“That said, this is wartime. Controlling the surrounding situation is paramount. Only by seizing the initiative can one first secure an invincible position!”

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will emerge victorious in a hundred battles. In Xia Hong’s view, the transmission of intelligence was arguably the most critical factor in determining victory or defeat. If he were commanding this battle, he would have definitely sent out Frostwarden realm experts as scouts.

“Perhaps I should still go check on the situation at Hive…”

Xia Hong turned his head to the south, his brow creasing slightly.

During last night’s council, he had learned that Hou Hu had sent men to attack Hive long ago. What he was most curious about now was Hive’s current status.

“Given Xia Chuan’s personality, he will definitely bring his men over. I just don’t know how far he’ll go. Will he only help Hive defend against Zhaoyang, or will he be smarter and play the part of the oriole stalking from behind…”

Xia Hong knew his younger brother well. As Great Xia continued to expand, Xia Chuan’s aggressive nature had become more apparent. Especially after learning that resources could aid his own cultivation, his desire for territorial expansion had grown stronger.

Within this ambition, there also seemed to be an urgent need to prove himself before his elder brother.

Xia Hong stared south for a moment, then his gaze swept subtly to his left and right. In the end, he shook his head, suppressing the impulse.

With his current strength, the two pairs of eyes that had been constantly monitoring him from the shadows were plain as day.

A new Frostwarden realm expert had arrived at the settlement during the day. Judging by the direction he came from, he was likely from Zhaoyang or Baiyuan to the north—most probably sent by Hou Hu. Since that man’s arrival, two pairs of eyes had been fixed on him from the darkness.

“It seems Hou Hu is starting to distrust me…”

A flicker of amusement rose in Xia Hong’s eyes. To have built Zhaoyang into such a powerful force, Hou Hu was certainly no simple man. It wouldn’t surprise him if the man had belatedly realized there was something afoot with him.

The question was, what was the meaning of assigning two people to watch him?

“Is he trying to keep an eye on me, to confine me to the Hanqiong settlement, or…”

It was a real possibility. The Hanqiong settlement currently had two thousand five hundred Earthforger realm cultivators and six Frostwarden realm experts. If that was truly the intent, they had more than enough power to do it.

“No, that’s not right. At most, Hou Hu only suspects me. He wouldn’t go to such great lengths and pay such a price just to deal with me!”

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what other motives Hou Hu might have.

After a period of thought, he came up with nothing. He could only sigh softly. “Being a lone wolf has its freedoms, but this feeling of having no one to command is truly infuriating.”

His inability to figure things out was, at its core, due to the severe lack of information he had about the overall situation in Longyou.

In the end, Longyou only had twelve camps spread across an area of thirteen thousand square kilometers, which wasn’t that large. If he were in Great Xia, he could have dispatched men to gather intelligence. Once the information was consolidated, many things would become clear.

“Worrying won’t help. I’ll just have to see what tricks Hou Hu has up his sleeve. If he really wants to deal with me, it won’t be that simple!”

A cold glint flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes. His true combat strength was currently unknown to anyone in Longyou, including Hou Hu and Li Tiancheng. This fact alone was enough to ensure he always remained in an invincible position.

While he was lost in thought, the sky finally turned completely dark.

Besides the two thousand five hundred Earthforger realm cultivators, the remaining population of the Hanqiong camp was about thirty-five thousand. Although it was wartime and activities like hunting had ceased, life within the settlement hadn’t changed much.

Inside the settlement, small groups of two or three began to emerge from their wooden houses, preparing food, forging iron, or mining… each busy with their nocturnal lives.

It was worth mentioning that the Hanqiong settlement was also in a valley, strikingly similar to that of Great Xia, situated beneath the stone cliffs of Double Dragon Mountain on the eastern side of Longyou. But unlike Great Xia’s natural valley, Hanqiong’s gourd-shaped valley had been painstakingly carved out by human hands.

The entire settlement was composed of two circular spaces. The outer one had a diameter of over seven hundred meters, while the inner one was more than a kilometer across. The “waist” of the gourd connecting them was very narrow, only about twenty meters wide.

To accommodate over thirty thousand people in such a small area, the architecture naturally required more ingenuity. All the buildings in Hanqiong were five stories or taller, constructed with a wood-and-iron frame, which was the most rational and sturdy type of housing Xia Hong had seen so far.

The main building where Xia Hong was currently situated was particularly impressive. Built against the innermost cliff of the valley, it stood at least seventy meters tall and had a full fifteen floors. When Xia Hong had first seen it the day before, his jaw had nearly dropped.

“The ingenuity of humankind should never be underestimated. Regardless of these camps’ strength, their ability to adapt to their respective environments is quite formidable, as can be seen from their different architectural styles. If all this talent could be brought together, the level of construction in Great Xia would likely take a huge leap forward.”

Xia Hong surveyed the buildings within the Hanqiong settlement, marveling at the wisdom of the people in these Frostwarden camps.

Swoosh…

Suddenly, the faint sound of an unusual airflow reached his ears.

Xia Hong’s expression changed slightly. He whipped his head around to look toward the valley entrance.

“Is that… the sound of an arrow?”

The main building was over one thousand seven hundred meters from the valley entrance. Under normal circumstances, Xia Hong shouldn’t have been able to hear the sound of an ordinary iron arrow from so far away. But this arrow was clearly propelled with extraordinary force, creating a significant disturbance in the air that allowed him to hear it.

Swoosh… swoosh… swoosh…

Another series of rhythmic sounds of iron arrows cutting through the air followed. Certain that something was wrong, Xia Hong immediately leaped off the main building and rushed towards the valley entrance.

“Lord Hong, you have…”

“Enemy attack! Quickly, have the men prepare!”

The two men in the shadows saw Xia Hong move and immediately rushed out, following behind him. They began to ask a question as they gave chase, but Xia Hong cut them off before they could finish.

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, the two men’s expressions shifted. After exchanging a look, one of them turned and entered the main building, while the other continued to follow Xia Hong, running toward the valley entrance.

As it was wartime, Hanqiong had moved its entire population into the inner valley, while the two thousand five hundred Earthforger realm cultivators were garrisoned in the outer section.

Swoosh… swoosh… swoosh…

The closer he got to the valley entrance, the clearer the sound of arrows slicing through the air became. With about a hundred meters still to go, Xia Hong looked up at the entrance, and his face fell. He immediately shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Enemy attack! On your guard!”

Despite it being nighttime, Xia Hong’s vision far surpassed that of others. He could see with perfect clarity that the defenders stationed above and on both sides of the iron gate at the entrance were falling one by one, accompanied by the sound of whistling arrows.

This was clearly the work of a highly skilled Frostwarden realm archer, using a powerful bow from the darkness not far from the entrance to eliminate the guards at the iron gate.

The arrows struck extremely cunning spots—either the throat or between the eyebrows. Nearly every shot was a fatal blow. The men who were hit didn’t even have time to cry out; there was only the faint sound of bodies hitting the ground.

The two thousand five hundred Earthforger cultivators garrisoned in the outer area were some distance from the valley entrance, so they heard nothing at all.

“Enemy attack? What enemy attack?”

“Who’s shouting? What attack!”

“I don’t see anyone. Where’s the attack coming from?”

“Who’s spouting nonsense!”

“Are you tired of living? Don’t talk rubbish. I think that was Lord Hong.”

………

By now, many Earthforger realm cultivators were outdoors. Hearing Xia Hong’s voice, almost all of them were skeptical.

Even the men near the iron gate felt the same.

But soon, someone noticed that something was wrong.

“Enemy attack! Take cover!”

“It’s real! Someone’s shooting arrows from outside! There are bodies on the ground!”

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack! We need men to close the gate, quick!”

“It’s a real attack! There’s an army outside! Longshan! Longshan is attacking!”

………

Wuuuu…

A piercing horn blast shattered the silence.

Rumble… rumble…

It was immediately followed by the earth-shaking sound of a stampede. The expressions of those in the outer valley who had just been skeptical changed instantly.

The face of the Frostwarden realm expert who had been following Xia Hong finally changed as well.

He charged up to the iron gate. Seeing the dark tide of the Longshan Army swarming towards the valley not far away, he froze for a second, then yelled back into the valley in a panic.

“Close the gate! Quickly, quickly, quickly!”

Hearing the order, four hundred Earthforger realm cultivators rushed out. They split into two groups on either side of the gate and grabbed the iron chains on the ground.

As they pulled with all their might towards the inside of the valley, two massive iron gates, each over ten meters high and three meters thick, began to emerge from the valley’s stone walls and close.

“Too late!”

Xia Hong, who was already standing atop the gate, glanced at the distance of the army outside, then looked down at the closing speed of the gates and immediately shook his head.

As it turned out, Xia Hong’s assessment was correct.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh…

At a distance of over two hundred meters, they were well within the bow range of the army.

Wave after wave of straight-flying arrows soared through the air, all passing with precision through the still-open gap in the gates, heading straight for the four hundred Earthforger realm cultivators pulling the chains on either side.

Splurt… splurt… splurt…

The sound of iron arrows finding their marks echoed through the outer valley. The four hundred men immediately fell into disarray, which slowed the closing of the two iron gates even more.

“Slaughter the Hanqiong traitors!”

“Longyou Army, follow me and slay the enemy!”

“Brothers, charge!”

“Wipe out the Hanqiong rebels and bring glory to Longshan!”

“Charge!”

………

The first wave of a thousand men charging forward were all clad in Ten-forged iron armor, clearly not the standard equipment of the Longyou Army. But they carried the prestigious name of Longshan, and combined with their soaring morale, their momentum was nonetheless astonishing.

They covered the distance of over two hundred meters in less than six seconds.

By then, the gates were not even halfway closed.

Clang…

Atop the gate, Xia Hong drew his Dragon Sparrow Saber and cleaved through a small volley of arrows overhead. He looked towards the more than one thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army firing from the rear, his expression hardening slightly.

“All of them are powerful bows of thirty Stone or more. No wonder our men can’t hold. The outer valley is completely lost!”

Xia Hong didn’t even need to look at the two thousand five hundred men inside the valley. A simple comparison of the morale on both sides told him everything. If they could have closed the two iron gates, they might have been able to fight the Longshan Army by holding the pass.

Now that the gates had been breached, the pass was lost. They had no chance.

The Longshan army of over two thousand must have snuck over as soon as night fell. A Frostwarden realm expert likely led the way, systematically eliminating all the hidden sentries Hanqiong had placed along the route before they lay in wait just outside.

Although it was unclear how they had dealt with the guards at the gate just now, the fact that they had done so cleanly without alerting anyone showed that they had come prepared.

“Charge!”

Three Frostwarden realm experts wielding greatswords quickly cut through the crowd and charged directly through the gate. They swung their blades to slash apart a volley of arrows fired by the cultivators inside the valley, let out a heaven-shaking roar, and charged straight into the hundreds of men who were still trying to close the gate.

“Wu Xiong, Zhou Yuan, Meng Ying, stop!”

A sharp cry rang out. Hou Tong, the commander of the Hanqiong forces, had finally arrived.

He wasn’t alone. All five of the other Frostwarden realm experts stationed at Hanqiong had arrived with him.

The six of them formed pairs and immediately surrounded Wu Xiong and the other two.

Without a single wasted word, the six of them struck, swiftly driving the three away to prevent them from interfering with the Earthforger realm cultivators who were closing the gate.

Bang…

Hou Tong’s massive, eight-sided silver hammer slammed towards Zhou Yuan. Although Zhou Yuan dodged it, the shockwave from the hammer hitting the ground still made him stagger, nearly losing his footing.

“Wu Xiong, you dare betray us!”

His first strike having missed, Hou Tong’s face was filled with fury, but his anger was directed not at Zhou Yuan, but at Wu Xiong on the other side.

Unfortunately, Wu Xiong only glanced back at him once, his eyes lingering for a moment on the silver hammer in his hands, before ignoring him completely to focus on the two men who were attacking him.

Six versus three. The disadvantage of the Longshan Frostwarden experts was obvious.

But this disadvantage was soon compensated for by the Earthforger realm soldiers.

As the closing of the iron gates slowed, the Longshan army poured in even faster. The vanguard of over a thousand men quickly filled the area near the gate and then pushed forward into the valley.

Soon, they had cleared enough space for the Longyou Army behind them.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh…

The first contingent of the Longyou Army finally stepped through the iron gate.

They didn’t rush forward. Instead, they took aim with their bows at the six Frostwarden realm experts who were besieging Zhou Yuan’s trio and began to fire relentlessly.

With the help of the iron arrows, the pressure on Zhou Yuan’s group, who had just been showing signs of defeat, was instantly relieved.

Moreover, as more and more soldiers of the Longyou Army entered the gate and joined the archery line, the three of them were even able to turn the tables and begin pressing Hou Tong’s group of six.

“Lord Hong, it is time for you to act!”

Seeing his side being beaten back step by step, Hou Tong could no longer hold back and shouted to Xia Hong, who was still atop the gate, pleading for help.

Thud…

Unfortunately, the only response from atop the gate was a loud thud.

A specially-made iron arrow shot down from above, only to be deflected by Xia Hong’s ceremonial saber.

Despite having most of its force dispersed and its trajectory altered, the iron arrow still managed to embed itself firmly in the three-meter-thick iron gate.

Landing on the ground, Xia Hong looked up at the large boulders dotting the cliff face above, a grave expression on his face.

The highly skilled Frostwarden archer was hiding behind those boulders. The person who had just picked off the guards at the gate was definitely him.

“His strength is at least fourteen Mane. He could injure me, and a shot to a vital point could even kill me. To think Longshan can forge such a bow!”

This was getting troublesome.

Xia Hong subconsciously glanced outside the gate, his mind already calculating whether it was time to run.

Longshan’s strength was a bit too much!

More than half of the Longyou Army was already inside the gate. The hundreds of cultivators at the chains had long since begun to rout, their positions taken by Longshan’s men. The other two thousand cultivators garrisoned in the outer area had also partially engaged with the Longshan army.

The result was just as Xia Hong had expected. The moment the two sides clashed, the combined forces of Zhaoyang and Hanqiong crumbled like paper, immediately falling back in defeat.

He wasn’t here to throw his life away. If Hanqiong couldn’t even withstand this, he had to plan his escape route now.

However, it seemed Xia Hong’s reaction was also a step too slow.

Whoosh…

Hoo…

Swish…

A sword, a saber, a spear.

Three Frostwarden realm experts, each wielding a different weapon, suddenly leaped down from the cliff face above, their target unmistakably Xia Hong.

Even more fatally, the soldiers of the Longyou Army who had been providing archery support for Wu Xiong’s trio all turned their aim at that exact moment, loosing an incredibly dense volley of arrows at Xia Hong.

“The target… is me?”

Realizing only then what was happening, Xia Hong’s expression turned deathly grim.

Chapter 247: Ambushed and Rescued

The Longshan army, which had originally been charging toward the Hanqiong camp, had suddenly turned on him. Adding to that, three formidable Frostwarden realm experts were bearing down on him from above. How could Xia Hong not realize what was happening?

In this moment of crisis, there was no time to ponder the reason why.

Clang… Clang… Clang…

Xia Hong’s clothes billowed as the Hide on his body tensed. He moved at lightning speed, parrying the longsword aimed at his center. Then, in a flash, he drew his saber back and swung left and right, clashing with the broadsword and the long spear respectively.

“So fast!”

The sword-wielder had twelve Mane of power, the broadsword-wielder eleven, and the spear-wielder ten.

Ignoring the cry of surprise from above, Xia Hong gauged the strength of all three from that simple exchange. Then he spun around and bolted toward the iron gate.

Thud thud thud… Pfft…

A thousand arrows rained down, striking him in the back.

This was why Xia Hong had run.

Compared to the arrows from the Longyou Army, the three experts above posed a greater threat. He had to deal with them first, and the price was taking the full force of this volley.

From the sound of the iron arrows hitting his back, it was clear the first volley hadn’t caused much damage. Only two arrows, based on the sound, seemed to have broken through his flesh.

“Keep firing! Longyou Army, block the gate! Don’t let him escape!”

Li Xuanling’s cold voice rang out. Half of the Longyou Army that had already entered the valley immediately drew their longbows again and prepared for a second volley.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh…

“Get out of my way!”

As the sound of the second volley of arrows reached his ears, Xia Hong, now less than twenty meters from the iron gate, raised his head and roared. Holding his saber horizontally before him, he charged straight at the Longyou soldiers in his path.

Only half of the Longyou Army had entered through the gate; the other half was still stuck in the entrance, perfectly positioned to block his escape.

And then there were the three Frostwarden realm experts: Li Xuanling, Li Xuanyan, and Li Xuantian.

No, there was more. Above them was a master archer with fourteen Mane of power!

So, this is all for me…

Hearing the rain of arrows behind him, a flicker of excitement rose in Xia Hong’s eyes. Ever since he had grown stronger, he had rarely faced a true life-or-death crisis.

The last time he had been in such a dire situation was when he faced the wooden puppets in the valley.

His gaze turned bloodthirsty as he looked at the Longyou soldiers blocking the gate.

“If you won’t move, then you’ll die!”

Strictly speaking, he had no grievances with the Longyou camp. That was why he hadn’t killed anyone when the Longshan army first attacked.

But since they had shown their killing intent first, he would not hold back.

Bang…

Xia Hong didn’t use his saber. He turned his body sideways and slammed directly into the front rank of the Longyou Army.

Twenty-one Mane of power was two million one hundred thousand catties. The explosive force of such a terrifying collision could likely shatter a small mountain.

And yet, the Longyou Army held!

The sound was thunderous. The violent impact turned the five or six soldiers in the front rank into meat paste and sent at least twenty more flying.

The formation of nearly five hundred Longyou soldiers around the iron gate was thrown into disarray by his charge.

Every Longyou soldier stared at Xia Hong with panicked expressions, their faces pale. They clearly had not expected him to be this strong.

“Hold the line! Form a circle and surround him! He’s only one man!”

Li Xuanling’s voice cut through the chaos, and the Longyou soldiers immediately regained some composure. Over four hundred men quickly reformed, standing in a circle and raising their black iron serpent spears to trap Xia Hong in the middle.

The other half of the Longyou Army, which had entered the valley, now retreated and joined the encirclement, forming a thick barrier three layers deep, completely sealing Xia Hong in.

The innermost circle was a wall of several hundred spears, while the outer ranks continued to nock their arrows. The men of Longshan were clearly determined to annihilate him.

Thud thud thud… Pfft… Pfft…

The Longyou soldiers with serpent spears held their ground while the archers in the outer ring unleashed another dense volley. Unlike the previous two times, the distance was much closer, and many more arrows managed to pierce Xia Hong’s Hide.

These Longyou soldiers were all equipped with powerful bows with a draw weight of over thirty Stone. At such close range, their power was naturally far greater than before.

Had it been anyone else, they would have been shot into a pincushion on the spot.

Xia Hong was not having an easy time either. Relying on his formidable Hide and the rapid swings of his saber, he managed to deflect or block most of the iron arrows, but a few still found their way into his body.

Pfft… Pfft… Pfft…

While swinging his saber, Xia Hong deftly pulled out the four arrows lodged in his shoulder and back. He glanced toward the inner valley and saw that the Hanqiong garrison had already fully retreated from the outer valley into the inner one. His eyes instantly turned cold.

The moment his gaze met Hou Tong’s, who was positioned at the narrowest point of the valley, Xia Hong understood everything.

A trap.

From beginning to end, this was a trap set for him.

The Frostwarden realm expert who had come from the north during the day must have brought some order from Hou Hu. That was why the two of them had been watching him. Even Hou Tong’s sluggish response to the Longshan attack earlier was most likely intentional.

“If you want to kill me, let’s see if you have what it takes!”

Xia Hong retracted his gaze, ignoring the arrows flying at him from all directions. He once again brandished his saber, transforming into a whirlwind as he charged toward the iron gate.

Bang…

Just like before, his charge only managed to kill five or six Longyou soldiers. But unlike last time, his saber was also in motion.

Whoosh…

The one-point-seven-meter-long saber felt like a crossguard sword in Xia Hong’s hands. It sliced through a dozen spears and killed over ten Longyou soldiers. Though he failed to break the encirclement, he had engaged the Longyou soldiers at the western iron gate in close combat.

The moment he closed the distance, the arrow volleys stopped.

“Let’s see you shoot now! Die!”

Of course, Xia Hong hadn’t intentionally entangled himself with them for no reason. His aim was to prevent the Longyou soldiers in the back from firing their arrows so comfortably.

His saber danced, tracing arcs of silver light that flickered like lightning in the dark. Each flash of silver drew a line of blood. While not every strike was fatal, he carved out a large gap on the western side, forcing the surrounding army to retreat.

The Longyou Army fell back, but they did not break the encirclement. They rotated their men, taking turns to engage Xia Hong.

And then, their plan came into effect.

“You dare meddle in Longyou’s affairs, Hong Xia! Today, you will die!”

Li Xuanling’s cold cry rang out as a silver sword sliced toward him from behind, aimed straight for the back of his neck.

Longshan and Zhaoyang… they know about the Great Xia!

The thought flashed through Xia Hong’s mind. He raised his saber behind him to parry Li Xuanling’s sword. At the same time, he pushed off the ground, spinning to face the approaching Li Xuanling and throwing a powerful punch with his left hand.

Clang… Crack…

Two sounds rang out. One was his saber successfully blocking the sword. The other was the sound of a whip striking his fist and wrapping around it.

Li Xuanling’s movements were astonishingly fast. As Xia Hong turned to punch, she suddenly relaxed her sword hand, and as her body retreated, she drew a segmented whip with her left hand. It lashed out and coiled perfectly around Xia Hong’s left wrist with a sharp crack.

“Big Brother, Third Brother, now!”

Li Xuanling dropped her sword and gripped the whip with both hands, pulling back with all her might. Although she couldn’t move Xia Hong, she could feel his strength was far less than before. She immediately ordered Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu to attack.

A broadsword came chopping down from above, while a long spear thrust from the side.

It wasn’t just the three of them. The surrounding Longyou soldiers, seeing a rare opportunity, also thrust their long spears toward the center.

Hundreds of spears lunged at him simultaneously!

Xia Hong’s expression tightened. A faint light gleamed in his left eye. He yanked hard on the whip, pulling Li Xuanling directly toward him.

With the immense force of twenty-one Mane, even if the battle had drained some of his strength, how could a mere twelve-Mane Li Xuanling hope to restrain him so easily?

Li Xuanling looked utterly caught off guard. When Xia Hong pulled her within one or two meters of him, panic flashed in her eyes.

She had dropped her sword to wield the whip.

“Killing me isn’t that simple!”

A contemptuous smile touched Xia Hong’s lips. He raised his saber, preparing to place it against Li Xuanling’s neck. In that brief moment, he even had time to scan the Longyou soldiers and the ordinary Longshan troops further back.

The ones trying to kill him were mostly from the Longyou Army. Li Xuanling clearly knew that Longshan’s thousand or so regular soldiers posed no threat to him. They had been sent to keep an eye on the Hanqiong forces that had retreated into the valley.

Longshan must have initiated this ambush. Hou Hu had most likely agreed only to remain neutral, which was why Hou Tong had led his men to retreat into the valley.

It seemed Zhaoyang and Longshan were still wary of each other.

In that split second, Xia Hong had analyzed a great deal. Just as he was about to look away, his gaze paused on the front line of the Longshan army.

“Is that… Wu Xiong?”

The first three Frostwarden realm experts to rush into the valley were named Wu Xiong, Zhou Yuan, and Meng Ying. Xia Hong hadn’t known them, but Hou Tong had thankfully called out their names.

The reason Xia Hong’s eyes lingered on Wu Xiong was because, through his left eye, he could see an extremely dense, fiery red substance swirling around Wu Xiong’s body.

It wasn’t just Wu Xiong. Everyone from Longshan had some of it on them, though not as concentrated.

The substance was highly active and was slowly spreading toward the rear, clearly targeting the Hanqiong people who had retreated into the valley.

“Why does this feel… familiar…”

The process of observing Wu Xiong’s abnormality, though it sounds slow, happened in an instant. Xia Hong’s hands hadn’t stopped moving; his saber was only a few centimeters from Li Xuanling’s neck.

“Wait!”

At that critical moment, Xia Hong’s brow furrowed. As he pulled his saber back, he jerked his head to the side and dodged.

Whoosh…

An iron arrow glowing with a silver light shot past his left brow. It not only knocked the vermilion wood mask from his face but also tore away a piece of his flesh. Blood gushed out, instantly staining half his face red.

“So young!”

Seeing Xia Hong’s true face, Li Xuandu couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.

Beside him, Li Xuanyan’s face also tightened, a hint of jealousy flashing in the depths of his eyes. His killing intent grew stronger.

It wasn’t just them. Everyone from Longshan, including the Longyou Army, from Zhou Yuan, Meng Ying, and Wu Xiong down to the ordinary Earthforger realm soldiers, and even the distant Hou Tong and the people from the Hanqiong garrison—

The moment they saw Xia Hong’s true face, their expressions filled with disbelief.

“How can he be so young?”

“In his early twenties?”

“He seems… about the same age as Li Xuanling.”

…

The mask Xia Hong had been wearing had made him look to be just under thirty.

Age wasn’t the issue; it was his strength.

The younger one was, the stronger they were, and the greater their potential.

It was a simple truth.

The first time Xia Hong had appeared on the east side of Longshan and saved Hou Hu, he had already aroused Longshan’s wariness. Even if Hou Hu hadn’t said it at the time, he must have felt it.

For a Frostwarden realm expert, being forty was the norm. Reaching that level by thirty was considered genius. Someone like Li Xuanling was a once-in-a-century talent for Longyou.

Recalling the strength Xia Hong displayed three days ago on the right side of Longshan when he forced Li Tiancheng to retreat and saved Hou Hu, and then looking at his face, which was clearly just past twenty, one could only imagine the shock in their hearts.

But shock was secondary. More than that, there was dread.

“Hong Xia isn’t your real name either. Your true identity is Xia Hong, leader of the Great Xia. Am I right?”

The only person who remained calm was likely Li Xuanling.

She looked at Xia Hong, her face filled not with shock but with fighting spirit. In a single sentence, she exposed his true identity.

Xia Hong looked up at Li Xuanling with a smile and sighed softly. “It seems I’ve underestimated you.”

Then, with a hint of curiosity, he asked, “I don’t think I’ve slipped up at all. How did you figure it out?”

“Why don’t you surrender now? If you do, I’ll tell you. How about it?”

Seeing the confidence on Li Xuanling’s beautiful face, the smile in Xia Hong’s eyes deepened. He glanced at Wu Xiong behind her, then chuckled. “With just you people from Longshan, you think you can keep me here? If Hou Tong and his men joined in, there might be a small chance!”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling glanced toward the inner valley, her expression sinking.

Hou Tong leading his men back into the valley was a clear sign he had no intention of interfering. If she managed to kill Xia Hong now, the biggest winner would be Zhaoyang.

Xia Hong was pointing this out to her. How could she not understand?

Li Xuanling’s expression turned cold. She looked at Xia Hong and said gravely, “Compared to Hou Hu of Zhaoyang, I think you are the greatest threat to Longshan. Therefore, today, you must die!”

As her voice fell, Li Xuanling charged forward again. Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu followed close behind, and the three of them were once again locked in battle with Xia Hong.

Xia Hong’s saber flashed as he fought the three Frostwarden experts, dodged the constant thrusts of spears from the Longyou soldiers, and most critically, diverted a part of his attention to the master archer hidden high on the cliff face.

Li Xuanling’s plan was clear.

The three of them, plus the Longyou Army, would use a war of attrition to wear down his strength and will to fight, while the hidden archer waited for the perfect moment to deliver the fatal blow.

The arrow that had pierced his mask just now proved that this strategy was very effective.

“If I let this drag on, I really might capsize in a calm sea!”

Xia Hong sneered. He turned to look at the hundred or so Longyou soldiers at the iron gate, his eyes glowing with killing intent. While fighting Li Xuanling and the others, he slowly moved closer to them.

They were all human. Xia Hong still felt some reluctance to go on a full-blown killing spree. But if his own life was on the line, he would no longer show any mercy.

Kill!

The thought flashed through his mind. The light in his left eye flickered as his body shot forward. He charged straight at the Longyou soldiers by the gate and swung his saber.

Splurt…

With the brute force of his body and the lightning-fast swings of his thousand-forged saber, the dozen or so soldiers in the front rank were either crushed into a bloody pulp or decapitated.

“Fall back! Circle him, just keep him contained!”

Xia Hong, now at full power, displayed even greater strength than before. But Li Xuanling was still not giving up, shouting orders to the Longyou Army.

Seeing that the Longyou soldiers were still not abandoning the gate, Xia Hong’s left eye flew wide open, and an intense light began to gather within it.

Pfft…

However, at that very moment, an arrow suddenly shot in from outside the valley.

“Big Brother, we’re here!”

“You dare harm our Leader? I’ll have your lives!”

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

“Leader, we’ve come to save you!”

…

That arrow was just the beginning.

As more than a dozen familiar voices rang out, over ten iron arrows, each carrying immense force, pierced through twenty to thirty Longyou soldiers.

Whoosh…

A black saber came slashing in from outside the iron gate, followed closely by more than a dozen figures. Wielding sabers, swords, spears, or hammers, they all unleashed terrifying power. In less than five or six breaths, they had dispersed the hundred or so Longyou soldiers guarding the gate, carving out an opening.

Xia Hong’s left eye had already returned to normal. He turned to look at the breach.

Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, Qiu Peng, Lu Yang, Lin Kai, Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Zhu Yuan, Huang Yong, Hong Gang… A sea of familiar faces came into view. Xia Hong didn’t even stop to wonder why Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, and Peng Bo were among them.

“Hahaha, your timing is perfect!”

It had only been four months, but seeing his people from the Great Xia, Xia Hong broke into a joyous smile. The killing intent that had just been rising within him quickly dissipated.

“Haha, it seems the Youngest Lord’s perfect plan is about to fall apart!”

In his good mood, Xia Hong turned to see Li Xuanling’s incredibly grim face and couldn’t resist a taunt.

“You dare hurt Big Brother? I’ll kill you!”

“The Leader’s face was hurt by an arrow? Slaughter these bastards…”

“They hurt our Leader! Kill!”

…

Xia Hong’s mood had improved, but Xia Chuan and the others were not having it.

Seeing Xia Hong’s left cheek stained with blood, Xia Chuan was instantly consumed by rage. He charged toward the Longyou soldiers inside the gate with his black saber raised.

Reminded by him, the others also noticed Xia Hong’s injury. Their anger flared, and they followed behind Xia Chuan, their killing intent soaring as they rushed the Longyou Army.

In their hearts, their leader, Xia Hong, was no different from a god, a sacred figure. Even for Frostwarden realm experts, seeing him within the Great Xia’s settlement was a rare honor. Getting close to him was almost unthinkable.

But now, they saw the deity in their hearts injured like this.

For the people of the Great Xia, this was simply unacceptable.

Peng Bo, Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, and Wu Tianxing had no idea why Xia Chuan and the others were so furious, but seeing them charge ahead, they had no choice but to follow.

Fifteen Frostwarden realm experts, wielding different weapons, charged the gate at once.

The destructive power they unleashed was far more terrifying than what Xia Hong alone had accomplished moments before.

“Big Brother, the Divine Arm Bow! Catch!”

After charging through the gate and killing five or six Longyou soldiers, Xia Chuan immediately took the pale gold bow from his back, along with a matching quiver of arrows, and threw them to Xia Hong.

Xia Hong caught the bow and arrows. Seeing the thousand-forged silver patterns on the bow and testing the string, his spirits immediately lifted. He then casually glanced up at the cliff face, a flicker of coldness in his eyes.

“No need to kill! Let’s go!”

Xia Hong charged straight for the opening, shouting to stop Xia Chuan and the others from their slaughter. Then he ordered everyone to retreat.

Honestly, even with so many Frostwarden realm experts, they were no match for the entire Longyou Army. The only reason Xia Chuan and his group had made such an impact was because they had the advantage of surprise against the relatively few defenders at the gate.

“Formations! Surround and kill them! Don’t let them break the line!”

Li Xuanling was already mobilizing the rest of the Longyou Army.

They had to leave, now!

Chapter 248: Cause and Effect, Strategic Vision, and the Return to the Hive

The sudden appearance of fifteen Frostwarden realm experts from Great Xia doomed the operation to kill Xia Hong in Longshan to fail.

But one person was clearly unwilling to give up!

Swoosh…

The moment Xia Hong passed through the opening and ran out from between the iron gates, he heard the whistle of an iron arrow slicing through the air. A sense of danger once again washed over him.

This time, however, surrounded by Xia Chuan and the other fourteen, Xia Hong was not nearly as rushed as before.

His eyes narrowed. He raised the Divine Arm Bow that Xia Chuan had just given him, drew a silver iron arrow, and looked up. He drew the bow, nocked the arrow, and fired at a large boulder on the cliff wall, all in one smooth motion.

At the same time, he swung the Divine Arm Bow violently, striking the iron arrow that was shooting down toward his head. Then, in a flash, he reached out and snatched the arrow right out of the air.

Bang…

He caught the arrow shot by his opponent.

Meanwhile, the arrow he had fired struck the boulder high on the cliff with unerring accuracy, letting out a massive bang.

A section of the cliff wall shattered, and rubble rained down. Mixed in with the falling stones was a somewhat panicked dark figure, who also tumbled from the air and landed near Li Xuanling and the others.

The master archer who had been hiding on the cliff above was finally revealed.

He too was a middle-aged man dressed in black. His slightly gaunt face, slender frame, and sharp eyes perfectly matched the common stereotype of a master archer.

“Is that a bowstring?”

However, the first thing Xia Hong noticed was the stringless bow in the man’s hand and the large bundle of snow-white threads on his back.

“It’s Snow Bamboo Silk. A single strand of Snow Bamboo Silk is extremely resilient. If you twist many strands together, it can indeed withstand the pull of a ten-plus-Mane bow for a short time. This person must be replacing the string after every shot!”

As the Prefect of the Logistics Department, Qiu Peng was very familiar with various materials. He recognized the Snow Bamboo Silk on the man’s back at a glance and immediately deduced how he was able to fire arrows with such incredible force.

Hearing this, a look of disappointment crossed Xia Hong’s face. After just experiencing the power of a fourteen-Mane arrow, he had thought he might have made a new discovery. It turned out to be just a disposable item using Snow Bamboo Silk as a temporary string. The cost was too high for widespread application.

Besides, having to replace it after every shot was far too troublesome.

“Youngest Lord, until we meet again!”

Leading the men of Great Xia out of the iron gates, Xia Hong glanced back at the grim-faced Li Xuanling and couldn’t resist a taunt. He then fixed his gaze on Hou Tong and his men deeper in the valley before finally turning to leave.

Although Xia Chuan and the other fifteen looked at the forces of Longyou with indignant expressions, they understood that Xia Hong’s decision was the correct one and followed closely behind him.

Only after running for more than a kilometer did Xia Hong slow down. He turned to look at the group behind him, a smile appearing on his face before his eyes brightened slightly. He asked, “You’ve already taken the Hive, haven’t you?”

Xia Chuan nodded emphatically. He hadn’t seen Xia Hong in four months, and his excitement was palpable. He first bowed deeply to Xia Hong in a grand salute and said with immense emotion, “Greetings, Leader!”

“Greetings, Leader!”

Luo Yuan, Qiu Peng, and the other fourteen followed his lead, bowing in unison to Xia Hong and shouting their respects in a single, powerful voice.

Seeing that Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan’s group of four had also bowed along with Xia Chuan’s men, Xia Hong’s gaze shifted slightly as he looked to Xia Chuan, awaiting his answer.

“Leader, not only did we take the Hive, but we also took Wushuang…”

From receiving Xia Hong’s message to the fortuitous encounter with Zhaoyang attacking the Hive, to wiping out Hou Ming’s forces and capturing the Hive, to scouting Yanglu and attacking Wushuang… Xia Chuan recounted the entire series of subsequent events to Xia Hong in great detail.

“Yesterday, I noticed something was off with Wu Xiong and chased him all the way to the location of the Longshan army. Unfortunately, Li Xuanling’s group didn’t believe me. They insisted on rescuing him, and he tricked them into thinking that Great Xia had sabotaged Longshan’s efforts in Yanglu, so they pursued me relentlessly.

“The moment I returned to Wushuang, I immediately sent someone back to Xiacheng for the Congealing Fire Salve. Later that night, our scouts detected movement from the Longshan army, so I led a group to follow them. And that’s when I saw you, Big Brother, being ambushed by Li Xuanling and the others…”

Not only had they seized the Hive from Zhaoyang, but they had also conquered Wushuang.

Connecting all the events Xia Chuan described, Xia Hong immediately understood how today’s ambush against him had come about.

From the moment Xia Chuan sent Qiu Peng as an envoy to Longshan, Li Xuanling’s people not only learned of Great Xia’s existence but also connected Great Xia to his alias, Hong Xia.

Li Xuanling must have sent someone to inform Hou Hu, which allowed Hou Hu to belatedly realize his connection to Great Xia.

It seemed Hou Hu was still unwilling to completely sever ties with him. Otherwise, back in the Hanqiong Gourd Valley, Hou Tong shouldn’t have just retreated with his men into the inner valley; he should have joined Li Xuanling and the others in trying to kill him.

That Hou Hu is a clever one. He knows who the real enemy is!

After deducing the reasons for his near-death experience, Xia Hong turned his thoughts to the events that had transpired at the Yanglu settlement.

His earlier use of the Eye of Scrutiny to see the strangeness around Wu Xiong was indeed on the mark.

“Wait, look at me!”

Remembering the fiery red substance he had seen around Wu Xiong’s body and Xia Chuan’s description of the white dewdrops’ infectious properties, Xia Hong immediately sensed something was wrong. He wiped his hand across the wound near his left brow bone, clearing the blood, and gestured for everyone to take a look.

When the others saw Xia Hong’s wound, their expressions changed instantly.

“There are dewdrops.”

“The Leader’s been infected too.”

“That Wu Xiong must be a manifestation of the White Dew Aberration.”

“Big Brother, quick, use the Congealing Fire Salve.”

…………

Xia Hong took the Congealing Fire Salve, crushed it into a liquid, and applied it to the wound on his face. A sensation of alternating heat and cold spread across his skin, which not only made him immediately understand Yuan Cheng’s speculations but also left him with a strange expression.

Why does the feel of these dewdrops seem so familiar…

Before he had time to think about it further, he and the others had already arrived at the massive stone stronghold of Wushuang.

It was nighttime. The entrance to the stone stronghold was heavily guarded by many members of Great Xia. When they saw Xia Chuan and his group approaching from a distance, they all scrambled to their feet to salute. But before they could speak, they saw that the person behind Xia Chuan was none other than Xia Hong, and their expressions instantly turned to elation.

“Leader?”

“It’s the Leader! The Leader is back!”

“It really is the Leader! He’s back, hahaha…”

“Greetings, Leader!”

“Greetings, Leader!”

“Greetings, Leader!”

……………

One after another, cheers like a tidal wave resounded throughout the entire Wushuang settlement. This spectacle not only alerted everyone within the stronghold but also showed Peng Bo’s group of four, who were following behind Xia Chuan, just how high a status their leader, Xia Hong, held in the hearts of Great Xia’s people.

Among the four, Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan had the most complicated expressions.

After all, they had both been leaders themselves. They could feel the sincere fervor and reverence that Great Xia’s one thousand four hundred-plus Earthforger realm members held for Xia Hong.

Back at the Hanqiong settlement, the fanaticism Xia Chuan and the others had displayed toward Xia Hong had already shocked them. The problem was, they were only now realizing that the emotions of these Earthforger realm members were even more exaggerated.

The two of them even suspected that if Xia Hong ordered these people to die, they would do so without a moment’s hesitation.

It was no wonder their feelings were so complex. As fellow leaders, their standing within their own camps paled in comparison to Xia Hong’s.

“Alright, that’s enough. You may all rise!”

Pale gold armor, each man armed with a Type-Four Xia Blade… Seeing the familiar attire of Great Xia’s Intermediate Hunting Team put Xia Hong in a good mood. He smiled and gestured with his hand before heading to Wushuang’s main tower with Xia Chuan.

“The White Dew Plague has already spread completely through Wushuang and the Hive. When Meng Yi went back to Xiacheng to pass on the message during the day, he brought over three thousand units in advance. We prioritized giving them to the Earthforger realm members. The rest of the people have been placed under strict quarantine measures. We have to wait for the next shipment of Congealing Fire Salve to arrive before we can treat them.”

The moment Xia Hong sat in the main seat, he heard Xia Chuan’s report.

According to Xia Chuan, he had only discovered Wu Xiong’s abnormality during the day today. He had sent Meng Yi back to Xiacheng to report the news and request a large shipment of Congealing Fire Salve. The delivery definitely wouldn’t be this fast.

Congealing Fire Salve wasn’t weightless; each block was about five catty. Transporting a large quantity couldn’t be done by just a few Frostwarden realm experts. It would require carts for transport.

“When will the rest of the Congealing Fire Salve arrive?”

“The Xia Direct Road can be used from Xiacheng to Jing Valley, so it’s fine during the day. But the road from Jing Valley to the Hive and then to Wushuang is another matter. The shipment should have reached Jing Valley before nightfall. Assuming they set out from Jing Valley as soon as night fell, they should be reaching the Hive just about now. If all goes well, Meng Yi should be sending someone with it soon.”

Xia Hong nodded and said in a solemn voice, “So far, have the infected commoners shown any other symptoms?”

Xia Chuan turned to look at the back of the crowd, where a group of Intermediate Hunting Team captains who had just arrived were standing. They were currently in charge of guarding the people of Wushuang, so they naturally knew more.

Zhu Shun was the first to step forward. He bowed and reported, “Reporting to the Leader, people started dying after nightfall. The dewdrops become extremely active at night. Infants, children, and those with weaker constitutions have already started to explode and self-immolate.

“We have followed Meng Yi’s instructions and separated everyone as much as possible to prevent them from gathering in groups. Fortunately, this has prevented large-scale casualties. As of now, the death toll is around two thousand, but the number is constantly rising. Healthy young adults have started to die as well!”

Xiao Kangcheng also stepped forward and cupped his hands. “Reporting to the Leader, due to the emergency, we used the remaining one thousand-plus units of Congealing Fire Salve on the infants and children first. Therefore, most of the two thousand-plus who died were either elderly or had underlying health conditions. The population loss is not too significant.”

The blue flames that erupted after the dewdrops exploded would rapidly ignite the dewdrops on other infected individuals.

Thanks to the intelligence Yuan Cheng had brought back, Meng Yi had informed Xia Chuan of everything when he arrived during the day. This allowed the people in Wushuang to react in time, thus preventing massive casualties.

Even so, hearing their reports, everyone present, including Xia Hong, grew more solemn.

How long had it been? Wu Xiong had only arrived this morning, and it was just past nightfall now—a total of just over four hours. The power of this White Dew Plague was simply terrifying.

“Captain Xiao did very well. Children are the future; prioritizing their survival is what’s most important. Also, we can’t just wait here. Xia Chuan, you stay here with three Frostwarden realm experts. The rest of you, come with me to the Hive immediately. We will do everything we can to get a portion of the Congealing Fire Salve here. We can’t let too many people die. These lives will all be counted against that White Dew Aberration…”

Xia Hong’s words immediately made everyone’s expression tighten.

Anomalies grew by killing. With a killing method as efficient as the White Dew Plague, that anomaly’s rate of enhancement was likely far beyond their imagination.

Wu Xiong had already infiltrated the Longshan army. According to the news Yuan Cheng brought back, there were at least several thousand, possibly even ten thousand, people who had fled from Yangyuan Peak. Every minute they delayed, that anomaly would only grow stronger.

“There’s no time to lose. We leave now. I also need to go to the Hive to see Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng!”

Previously, Xia Hong’s focus had been on the struggle for hegemony in Longyou. But now, learning about the White Dew Aberration, he immediately shifted his priorities.

He had no choice. The psychological scars left by the Wooden Puppet Anomaly and the Jing Xian were too deep.

If an anomaly was left unchecked, the problem couldn’t be solved with just a few deaths.

Xia Hong acted decisively. The moment he finished speaking, he led eleven Frostwarden realm experts out of Wushuang and sped toward the Hive.

“Leader, Longshan and Zhaoyang are still fighting. Seeing how Wu Xiong has infiltrated them, it’s highly likely that both their armies have been infected. If we do nothing and let that White Dew Aberration kill so many people…”

Along the way, hearing Qiu Peng’s reminder, a hint of admiration rose in Xia Hong’s eyes. He couldn’t help but feel happy about Qiu Peng’s growth.

His rush to get the Congealing Fire Salve wasn’t just for the thirty thousand-plus people in Wushuang; he was also considering the people in the Hanqiong settlement and the Longshan army.

This was a matter of strategic vision!

In the current struggle between Longshan and Zhaoyang, the best way for Great Xia to profit would be to sit back and watch the two sides bleed each other dry, ideally until both their foundations were exhausted. Then, Great Xia could unify the entire Longyou region without lifting a finger.

But compared to that, dealing with the White Dew Aberration was undoubtedly more important.

The threat of an anomaly was far more significant than territory and power struggles.

Especially now, when Great Xia’s strength was far from sufficient to deal with anomalies, if the White Dew Aberration was allowed to grow powerful, Great Xia would suffer as well.

The fact that Qiu Peng could think beyond the scope of the power struggle and focus on more critical matters was proof that his strategic vision had already far surpassed that of many others.

“Let’s get the Congealing Fire Salve first. Of course we have to deal with Longshan and Zhaoyang, but the prerequisite is ensuring the safety of our own people. By the way, do you have a handle on our inventory of the salve?”

“When I left, the inventory was 92,183 units.”

As expected of the Prefect of the Logistics Department, Qiu Peng rattled off the stock number for such a vital resource almost instantly.

Over ninety thousand units would definitely be enough for Longyou.

Xia Hong’s mood relaxed considerably, and he quickened his pace.

The group soon entered the territory of the Hive.

They had traveled less than a kilometer to the southeast when they ran into a convoy of carts, a group of about twenty people rushing through the snow.

Seeing Hong Tian at the head of the group from a distance, Xia Hong immediately charged forward.

“Lord Luo, Lord Qiu… Leader, what are you doing here?”

Upon seeing Xia Hong among the group, Hong Tian’s face lit up with pleasure, and he hurriedly bowed in salute.

However, Xia Hong was clearly in no mood for small talk. He waved his hand, glanced at the carts, and immediately asked about the quantity of Congealing Fire Salve.

“A total of fifty thousand units of Congealing Fire Salve were sent from Jing Valley. We left twenty thousand at the Hive. This is thirty thousand units. We were just about to deliver it to Wushuang.”

“Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan, come back to the Hive with me. The rest of you, assist Hong Tian and get this Congealing Fire Salve to Wushuang as fast as possible!”

After giving his orders, Xia Hong took Chen and Peng and headed straight for the Hive.

The others nodded in acknowledgment, followed Hong Tian’s lead, and split off two people to clear the snowy path while the rest pushed the carts forward at high speed.

With the addition of nine Frostwarden realm experts, the convoy’s speed immediately increased several times over as it raced toward Wushuang.

Meanwhile, Xia Hong had already arrived at the Hive with Chen and Peng.

Walking down the massive stone passage into the earth and entering the iron gate of the main area, Xia Hong soon saw Meng Yi and a host of Great Xia members stationed there.

“Where are Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng? Take me to them.”

Before Meng Yi and the others could salute, Xia Hong cut them off.

Meng Yi also realized the urgency of the situation and immediately led him to see Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng.

In the main tower of the Hive Main Area, Xia Hong quickly saw the unconscious Yuwen Tao and the heavily wounded Yuan Cheng beside him.

“Leader, what brings you here?”

Yuan Cheng was thrilled and immediately stood up.

After he had rescued Yuwen Tao’s group from Yanglu, his injuries had been so severe that he had been recuperating in the Hive ever since.

Xia Hong’s arrival was a pleasant surprise for him.

Chapter 249: The White Dew Aberration and Hanping Jade Dew, a Chilling Smile in Hanqiong

“On the sixteenth of April, during the day, the Director led a few of us to scout the Yanglu camp. We discovered Li Xuantian, Peng Bo, and their group of four rescuing people. Afterward, he lied, claiming to be Lin Ye of Zhaoyang, and got close to Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli……”

In the great hall atop the Hive Main Area, Xia Hong listened to Yuan Cheng recount the events at the Yanglu camp while examining the unconscious Yuwen Tao.

Yuan Cheng’s account was detailed, especially the part where Xia Chuan sent him to support Yuwen Tao and he witnessed the White Dew Aberration reawakening on Yangyuan Peak. He didn’t dare omit a single word, recounting everything exactly as it happened.

After Yuan Cheng finished, Peng Bo also explained the history of Yangyuan Peak—the incident over ninety years ago when dewdrops had fallen from the sky.

Yuwen Tao’s injuries were severe. Not only did he have a piercing wound in his chest, but his body was also filled with a large amount of a fiery red substance. Recalling what he had just seen with Wu Xiong at Hanqiong, Xia Hong’s expression grew solemn.

He turned back to Yuan Cheng, a faint light flashing in his left eye. He stared intently at Yuan Cheng’s wounds for a moment, and his gaze darkened.

Sure enough, those same fiery red substances were present within Yuan Cheng’s many wounds.

“If any of you are wounded, show me your injuries!”

Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan froze for a moment before hastily pulling open their clothes.

They had just participated in Xia Hong’s rescue with Xia Chuan at the Hanqiong garrison and had all sustained minor injuries.

Among the five people present, only Meng Yi, who had not fought from beginning to end, was completely unscathed.

But he had clearly realized why Xia Hong was asking, and his expression shifted slightly as he inquired, “Leader, can that White Dew Plague seep into the body?”

No answer was needed. Seeing Xia Hong’s heavy expression, they all knew the truth.

Although they didn’t know how Xia Hong could tell, their innate trust in him made their expressions grow uneasy.

“The Congealing Fire Salve isn’t a guaranteed solution. I need to return to Xiacheng. Wait for me here. I’ll be back soon.”

“Yes, Leader!”

The men bowed, but when they looked up, Xia Hong, who had been standing before them just a moment ago, had vanished.

Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan exchanged a glance. A flicker of shock crossed their faces, but it quickly subsided as they recalled what had just happened at the Hanqiong garrison, and their expressions became composed again.

“Anyone who is injured will be infected by the dew… We’re at the Frostwarden realm, and even we’re affected. Wouldn’t ordinary people be…”

Meng Yi began to speak, his face full of worry, but before he could finish, Yuan Cheng cut him off, his voice filled with confidence, “The Leader will definitely have a solution. We just need to wait for him!”

Thinking of Xia Hong’s power, Meng Yi also relaxed considerably.

…………

Xia Hong sped out of the Hive, not even pausing as he passed through Jing Valley. He didn’t take the Xia Direct Road, instead cutting straight through the arrow bamboo forest to return to Xiacheng at top speed.

“Who goes there— Leader… Greetings, Leader!”

“The Leader is back?”

“Greetings, Leader!”

…………

“No need for formalities. Rise. I have urgent business!”

Xia Hong gestured for the guards to stand while striding swiftly through the city gate, a hint of surprise rising on his face.

Four months had passed, and the changes in Xiacheng were simply enormous.

A massive cast-iron gate, fifteen meters high and eight meters wide, had been installed. It was suspended by sixteen chains, each as thick as a man’s torso. Only half of it was open, and judging from the pulley and crank system on the inner side, its opening mechanism was clearly far more advanced than before.

Entering the gate, a wide, ten-meter road came into view, leading straight to the old valley entrance. Trees of various kinds were planted along both sides, and near the valley end, numerous new wooden houses had been built.

“The planning is quite good, and the population has grown so much. It seems there has been great progress these past four months!”

Xia Hong was in no mood to study the changes to the garrison. He sped through the valley’s iron gate and soon arrived before the main hall.

“My body… the reaction is getting stronger!”

Xia Hong leaped up to the main building. Before he even stepped into the great hall, he felt the burning sensation within his body intensifying, and a glimmer of joy flashed in his eyes.

Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Peng Bo, and Chen Yingyuan had all been infected by the dew through their wounds. As a fellow at the Frostwarden realm, Xia Hong was no exception.

Previously, when he applied the Congealing Fire Salve to his skin, there was an intense burning sensation as the white dewdrops were removed and healed. Now, as he approached the main hall, he felt the same sensation inside his body. The implication was obvious.

“The Frigid Ruins Cauldron works against the plague caused by the White Dew Aberration!”

Great Xia’s entire stock of Congealing Fire Salve had been sent to Longyou. He had rushed back precisely to see if the Frigid Ruins Cauldron could completely eradicate the white dewdrops from his body.

His last two encounters, with the Wooden Puppet Aberration and the Jing Xian, had made it abundantly clear: the camp system’s main structure, the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, was the ultimate weapon against anomalies. With such a treasure at his disposal, he naturally had to use it.

“I was right to come back!”

As he pondered, Xia Hong strode into the hall, walked right up to the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, and placed his hands on its scorching surface.

Tssss…

A faint sizzling sound immediately came from within his body. Xia Hong’s skin became scalding hot, and wisps of white smoke seeped out from the pores all over his body in a continuous stream.

However, upon seeing the white smoke, Xia Hong froze.

“This… smoke, why does it feel so familiar?”

Xia Hong furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment before his eyes lit up.

“Isn’t this the toxic gas that was emitted when I spied on the Hive’s main building boiling the Jade Bones? That’s right, it’s the same! The White Dew Aberration’s plague…”

Xia Hong sniffed the toxic gas and found that the two were indeed from the same source. In a flash of insight, he instantly recalled the five drops of Hanping Jade Dew that Hou Hu had given him.

“No wonder. No wonder that fiery red substance around Wu Xiong felt so familiar. Hanping Jade Dew is composed of large amounts of that very substance. Its temperature is extremely high, which is why it can counteract the intense cold toxin within the Jade Bones. Which means…”

The White Dew Aberration and the Hanping Jade Dew were from the same source!

The Wooden Puppet Aberration gave Xia Chuan its legacy: the black saber and the white threads.

From the Jing Xian anomaly, I only obtained the Sun-side Mirror, but I gained the Eye of Scrutiny, and that miraculous…

Remembering the enormous benefits he had gained after eliminating the two anomalies, Xia Hong’s eyes grew brighter.

“This White Dew Aberration… if handled correctly, it could be a great opportunity for the camp… No, a heaven-sent opportunity!”

If Xia Hong had been filled with apprehension before returning to Xiacheng, now, after realizing the connection between the White Dew Aberration and Hanping Jade Dew, he was filled with nothing but elation.

“Calm down, calm down. This White Dew Aberration isn’t simple. It can take the form of a Frostwarden realm being, and what’s more, it can pry into the original host’s memories, bewitch people’s minds, and obscure the truth. It won’t be easy to deal with. I must devise a thorough plan. Otherwise, forget opportunity—this could turn into a major disaster!”

Xia Hong stood in the great hall, gazing at the Frigid Ruins Cauldron before him, continuously mulling over strategies in his mind.

“Greetings, Leader. Zhu Ling requests an audience!”

“Enter.”

For this expedition to Longyou, Xia Chuan had taken almost all of the camp’s Frostwarden realm members. Only Zhu Ling remained to guard Xiacheng. Hearing the Leader had returned, he naturally came to inquire about the situation in Longyou.

However, Xia Hong clearly had no desire to speak at length. When Zhu Ling entered, he said directly, “Zhu Ling, make the arrangements. From now on, every household in Xiacheng is to provide its own heating. Those without shelter can come squeeze into the main building. There should be some Congealing Fire Salve left in the garrison. Minimize going outdoors during this period. We’ll return to normal once the main forces get back from Longyou.”

Provide their own heating, minimize going outdoors…

Zhu Ling was about to ask a question, but Xia Hong cut him off.

“No need for questions. Get it done quickly. The situation in Longyou is urgent, and I must leave immediately.”

“Yes, Leader, I’ll see to it at once!”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words and realizing the gravity of the situation in Longyou, Zhu Ling dared not delay any longer. He bowed and quickly exited.

“If Li Xuanling isn’t a fool, the fighting at Hanqiong must have already started. Wu Xiong’s plague has probably spread by now. I don’t know the exact situation on Yangyuan Peak, but based on the fact that the Wushuang people Wu Xiong infected in the morning started showing symptoms by nightfall, I can basically determine that the incubation period for ordinary people is about four hours. I need to hurry back. The more people who die, the stronger that White Dew Aberration will become!”

Xia Hong sensed a commotion stirring among the people in the inner city. Many were converging on the main building. Realizing Zhu Ling was making the arrangements, he sat down in the main seat and waited patiently, despite his urgency.

……………

“Youngest Lord, by stalling me here with your army, you’re just letting Great Xia reap the benefits for free. Why bother? Why not withdraw, and our two families can first discuss how to drive Great Xia away? What do you say?”

Just as Xia Hong predicted, Li Xuanling of Hanqiong was no fool.

After failing to encircle and kill him, allowing Xia Hong to escape, she made a decisive move and immediately led the Longyou Army to attack the inner valley of Hanqiong.

“Rest assured, Great Xia won’t be reaping any benefits, and Zhaoyang even less so. Here in the lands of Longyou, no one can take away Longshan’s position!”

Li Xuanling’s cold voice came from outside the valley entrance. With a loud crash, the inner valley’s iron gate was smashed open again by a silver-tipped iron battering ram carried by several hundred men, creating a new, gaping hole.

Swoosh…

The iron ram pulled back. The new hole merged with the previous ones, and Wu Xiong, Li Xuandu, Li Xuanyan, and five or six others surged in after Li Xuanling, immediately tearing open a breach at the valley entrance.

“Brothers, charge with me!”

“Kill all the rebels! Leave none alive!”

“Hanqiong are the traitors of Longyou! Kill them!”

“Kill! Charge with me!”

……………

With the cast-iron gate breached and seven or eight Frostwarden realm experts holding the line, the black-armored, long-speared soldiers of the Longyou Army immediately poured in one after another.

They didn’t just enter; they immediately followed the Frostwarden realm experts and charged the Hanqiong garrison who were guarding the gate’s chains.

The entire process took less than a dozen breaths. The area around the chains was cleared, and a hundred Longyou Army soldiers pulled on the chains together, heaving with all their might.

Ker-chunk…

With a tremendous noise, the inner valley’s gate opened.

More of the Longyou Army, including the regular troops of Longshan, instantly swarmed through the gate. Their morale was high as they brandished their sharp weapons and charged madly at the Hanqiong forces, clearly intending to vent all their frustration from their failed attempt to kill Xia Hong.

“Don’t panic! Everyone, hold the line! Kill one to break even, kill two to make a profit! Zhaoyang Army, charge with me!”

Hou Tong, wielding an eight-faced giant hammer, led fifteen hundred Zhaoyang soldiers straight toward the center of the Longyou Army’s position at the gate.

His words were bold, but his heart was filled with regret.

“If I had known, I shouldn’t have just stood by. I should have either joined Li Xuanling to kill Xia Hong or helped Xia Hong. Now I’ve offended both of them and brought disaster upon myself!”

Hou Tong felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He felt that his previous actions had been correct. After all, it was a fight between Longshan and Great Xia. Standing by and watching the tigers fight from a mountaintop was in Zhaoyang’s best interest.

“If Xia Chuan’s group hadn’t appeared, even if Xia Hong had been killed, the Longyou Army would have surely suffered heavy casualties. And with a great enmity forged between Longshan and Great Xia, Zhaoyang would have been in a better position to win Great Xia over. But…”

Who could have predicted that over a thousand Longyou soldiers, plus all of Li Xuanling’s Frostwarden realm experts, would still let Xia Hong escape?

He had betrayed Xia Hong once. Great Xia would be more than happy to see Longshan annihilate his Hanqiong group; they would never lend a hand.

Li Xuanling had seized the opportunity. The moment Xia Hong fled, she didn’t even hesitate, immediately leading her men to continue the assault on Hanqiong.

“The Longyou Army is too strong. We can’t win. The Leader is over at Baiyuan and won’t be able to reinforce us. If we want to escape, we’ll have to break out on our own!”

Wielding his giant hammer, Hou Tong violently swept aside three or four Longyou soldiers. Watching his own men fall one after another, his expression grew heavier. He exchanged a look with several Frostwarden realm experts beside him for a moment, and his gaze hardened.

“Brothers, charge for the gate! That’s our only way out!” Hou Tong roared, and the large number of Earthforger realm fighters beside him immediately followed.

Realizing this was truly their only escape, they charged toward the gate as if their lives depended on it. Even with the Longyou Army blocking their path, they were fearless, roaring as they began their charge.

Swoosh…

An iron arrow suddenly shot down from above. Hou Tong twisted his body violently, but his shoulder was still pierced. He didn’t dare look for the archer and could only press forward, swinging his hammer wildly.

“Whether you are from Hanqiong or Zhaoyang, surrender and you will not be killed! I, Li Xuanling, will keep my word. This is your only chance. Anyone who remains stubborn will have more than just themselves to blame afterward!”

Li Xuanling’s voice echoed across the battlefield. Many of Hanqiong’s Earthforger realm fighters exchanged glances and actually began to lay down their weapons.

Not just Hanqiong’s soldiers, but even some from Zhaoyang looked tempted.

“Don’t be swayed by her! Defeat means certain death!”

This sight made Hou Tong’s expression tighten. He turned and hammered another Longyou soldier to death, his voice booming over the sounds of the battlefield.

If they surrendered now, it would be the few of them at the Frostwarden realm who would suffer.

“Only a hundred meters left! Charge with me! Break through—”

Swoosh…

Before Hou Tong could finish his sentence, a silver streak of sword light suddenly flashed across his neck. His reaction to retreat was fast, but a long, bloody gash was still carved into his chest.

Judging by the spray of blood, the wound was clearly not shallow.

“You’ve run out of chances!”

The wielder of the silver sword was none other than Li Xuanling.

Wounding Hou Tong was only the beginning. Her body was like a swan as she gracefully descended. The dense ranks of the Zhaoyang army had already been torn apart by the Longyou forces. She shot straight toward Hou Tong and the others, her longsword attacking them furiously.

Not just Li Xuanling, but Li Xuandu, Li Xuanyan, Meng Ying, Zhou Yuan, and several other Frostwarden realm experts from Longshan had arrived as well.

A flicker of despair flashed in Hou Tong’s eyes.

Trapped by Li Xuanling and her group, his hopes of escape were now slim.

“Something’s growing on these corpses on the ground!”

“Wait, you have it on you too.”

“You have it on your wound, too! What is this?”

“Everyone has it! It’s near the wounds.”

“I don’t have any wounds, but it’s growing on me too.”

“I’m covered in them! What are these dewdrops?”

……………

However, just as Li Xuanling was about to kill Hou Tong and the others, a series of panicked shouts suddenly erupted from among the Hanqiong soldiers. Soon, it wasn’t just them; the men from Longshan began to panic as well.

“I’m covered in them too, and they’re getting hot.”

“What’s going on?”

…………

Li Xuanling wielded her longsword, each strike aimed at Hou Tong’s vital points. But in the brief moment before one blow landed, she glanced at the wound on his chest, and her pupils suddenly constricted.

A large patch of white dewdrops had grown on Hou Tong’s chest!

BOOM…

A violent blue flame suddenly shot up from a building deep within the valley, immediately followed by a series of piercing screams.

“Ahhh…!”

“What is that? What kind of fire is this?”

“Ahhh… help me, help me!”

“Run! Run! A lot of people are on fire! Run!”

“Ah… Help! Help me!”

……………

A massive crowd of people streamed out of that building in Hanqiong. Bizarrely, they were all engulfed in blue flames. Many were practically human torches, running only a few meters from the building before being burned to ashes.

This horrific scene instantly froze many on the battlefield in their tracks.

Everyone stared in horror at the building, or more accurately, at the blue figures of fire running out of it.

“Something’s wrong! The Aberration-Detecting Jade, it’s react—”

Li Xuandu pulled the scalding Aberration-Detecting Jade from his robes. He was about to tell Li Xuanling, only to find she was already holding one in her hand.

“Where is Wu Xiong?”

Li Xuanling scanned the crowd, her expression turning incredibly grim as she asked in a low voice.

Hearing her, Li Xuandu immediately understood. After a quick search, his own face grew ugly.

They both remembered what Xia Chuan had said that morning when they rescued Wu Xiong.

“Jie jie jie jie…”

Boom… Boom… Boom… Boom…

Accompanied by Wu Xiong’s chilling, sadistic laughter from within the valley, blue flames erupted from four more wooden houses, followed by even more terrifying screams.

“That Xia Chuan… he wasn’t lying to us!”

Chapter 250: The Undying Wu Xiong, Give Up

“Ah…”

“Wuuu… It hurts so much, save me, save me!”

“Aaaah… Save me!”

“Wuuu, save me!”

…

“Hehehehehehe…”

From the four wooden houses devoured by blue flames, countless shrill screams and agonized howls could be heard. Figures cloaked in blue fire scrambled and stumbled out from the four doorways, one after another.

Under the night sky, it was like a horde of evil ghosts squeezing out from the gates of hell.

Above the wooden houses, at the confluence of the four blue flames, Wu Xiong’s strange and crazed cackle made everyone’s heart skip a beat.

“Longshan forces, retreat!”

“Fall back out of the valley.”

“Don’t just stand there, pull back!”

Li Xuanling roared three times in succession, snapping everyone back to their senses.

Hearing her voice, they all turned in a panic and fled toward the valley exit.

But Wu Xiong, in the sky, now made his move.

Boom…

Wu Xiong transformed into a blue fireball and suddenly swooped down from the sky. A greatsword condensed from flames silently appeared in his hand, and the arc of fire it carved out instantly cut down dozens of men.

Several men reacted quickly, raising their weapons to parry in advance, but without exception, the moment their weapons touched the blue-flame greatsword, they were instantly melted through.

Even stranger, those struck by the blue-flame greatsword were not cut in two. Instead, a string of white dewdrops gushed from their wounds. The dewdrops were then ignited by the flames, and their bodies were engulfed, letting out immediate screams of pain.

“Hehehehe… Hehehehe…”

If the screams of the thousands in the four wooden houses had merely elicited a triumphant, sadistic cackle from Wu Xiong, then this moment—cutting down dozens of fleeing men with a single strike—sent him into a clear frenzy.

“Kill… Kill!”

Wu Xiong’s eyes were blood-red, his pupils gradually shrinking, and his face was twisted into a bloodthirsty grin. Seeing the crowd that was now even more terrified than before, he charged again, and the blue flames above his head shot up even higher.

Clang…

This time, however, it did not go as smoothly.

A silver longsword blocked him from behind an Earthforger realm expert, clashing hard against the fire greatsword in Wu Xiong’s hand.

Unexpectedly, not only was the silver sword not melted, but the collision even managed to sever a section of Wu Xiong’s greatsword.

“Use silver weapons! Block it, or everyone will die!”

As Li Xuanling’s voice fell, the four Frostwarden realm experts from Longshan—Li Xuanyan, Li Xuandu, Meng Ying, and Zhou Yuan—immediately pulled silver daggers from their robes and charged toward Wu Xiong.

The six Frostwarden realm experts from Zhaoyang, led by Hou Tong, first exchanged glances. Hou Tong was the first to take out a silver dagger.

Seeing this, the other five immediately followed suit.

“Youngest Lord, with this anomaly before us, we must join forces!”

“Enough talk. Deal with it first.”

Li Xuanling took the lead, already reaching Wu Xiong’s side.

Swoosh…

“Hmph!”

A silver arc of sword light suddenly shot forward. Wu Xiong, who had been charging toward the crowd, immediately ducked to evade. Although he succeeded, the arc of light still passed over him, and the three-meter-tall blue flame that enveloped him instantly shrank by a dozen centimeters.

Wu Xiong raised his blue greatsword and looked at the longsword in Li Xuanling’s hand. A flicker of fear had just crossed his eyes when ten silver glints suddenly besieged him from all directions.

The ten silver glints were, of course, the groups from Longshan and Zhaoyang who had just reached a quick consensus.

Ten Frostwarden realm experts struck simultaneously, using light weapons like daggers. The furious power they unleashed created a gale that alone was enough to make the blue flames enveloping Wu Xiong roar and flicker.

Swoosh…

Although Wu Xiong had already picked a direction to break through, Li Xuanling swiftly switched places with the person in that position, using her silver longsword to completely block his escape route.

Pfft!

Only four people managed to successfully plunge their silver daggers into Wu Xiong’s body: Li Xuanling, Li Xuanyan, Li Xuandu, and Hou Tong.

This wasn’t surprising, as the four of them were the strongest among the eleven present.

Moreover, Li Xuanling’s longsword had pierced straight through his glabella, running him through the head.

The suppressive effect of silver weapons on anomalies was known to all.

So, smiles appeared on the faces of all eleven people on the field, including Li Xuanling.

However, that smile soon shifted to Wu Xiong’s face.

“Hehehehehe…”

Wu Xiong abruptly raised his head. His pupils, completely filled with dewdrops, were horrifying. The laughter that seemed to be squeezed from his throat was enough to make one’s blood run cold.

“It won’t be that easy to kill me!”

Boom…

As his voice fell, the blue flames on his body soared into the sky, then abruptly transformed into a thick plume of smoke and vanished before everyone’s eyes.

“Pfft…”

“Help, help!”

“Ah…”

…

With Wu Xiong’s disappearance, agonized screams erupted one after another from the large group of Earthforger realm cultivators in the outer valley who had not yet fully evacuated.

Without a second thought, Li Xuanling and the other ten turned and charged toward the outer valley.

Wu Xiong, whom they had just struck with silver weapons, was now in the outer valley as if he were unstoppable, beginning a frenzied massacre.

The blue-fire greatsword in his hand had grown to over two meters long, and the blue flames covering his body had surged from three meters to four and a half meters. And with every kill, they continued to grow.

“We have to fight with everything we’ve got! If we don’t, we’ll all die! He’ll just keep getting stronger!”

This time, it was Li Xuandu who spoke.

He looked at the silver dagger in his hand, which was now an inch shorter than before. His eyes were filled with horror as he continued in a panicked voice, “It’s starting to consume the silver weapons! This is a characteristic of an advanced anomaly! We can’t let it continue!”

“No more talk, let’s go!”

Li Xuanling turned into a silver streak of light, instantly flashing past the crowd to engage Wu Xiong. The whistling sword light kicked up a huge cloud of snow mist, and the other ten people immediately followed, joining the fray.

Clang…

Once again, Li Xuanling saved an Earthforger realm cultivator, but the price was being sent flying back seven or eight meters. After forcefully stabilizing herself, she spat out a mouthful of blood.

Although she had managed to suppress Wu Xiong’s blue-flame greatsword by a few more centimeters, her eyes were filled with solemnity, and a trace of horror even greater than during their first clash.

“He was only at twelve Mane just now, but now he’s almost at eighteen Mane!”

Eighteen Mane was basically the strongest power level in Longyou at present.

Li Xuanling could judge this because of Xia Hong.

Her second uncle, Li Tiancheng, had fought Xia Hong and said that his strength was above seventeen Mane. From the clash just now, she could clearly sense that the power Wu Xiong had unleashed had already surpassed Xia Hong’s.

This was an anomaly. It hadn’t even used any special abilities yet, and its physical strength alone was enough to crush all of Longyou.

It was over!

Only Li Xuanling was aware of the change in Wu Xiong’s power. The others, like Li Xuanyan and Hou Tong, were oblivious and charged forward again.

“Don’t face him head-on! He has the strength of at least eighteen Mane!” Li Xuanling shouted a warning.

Unfortunately, the warning came a little too late.

Li Xuanyan, the first to rush forward, came face to face with Wu Xiong’s savage grin. Hearing Li Xuanling’s words, he frantically tried to retreat.

But how could Wu Xiong let him get away?

Swoosh…

The blue-flame greatsword suddenly swung down. The terrifying force whipped up a massive cloud of snow mist that instantly enveloped Li Xuanyan’s body. The greatsword slashed straight across his waist.

Tsk…

Unlike when Wu Xiong killed those in the Earthforger realm, where a single slash would cause countless white dewdrops to gush from the wound, when Li Xuanyan was hit by the blue-flame greatsword, a wound first appeared, and only then did the white dewdrops slowly emerge.

The body of a Frostwarden realm expert was clearly much stronger.

“That blue-flame greatsword is just an illusion he condensed from flames! It can only be used to spread the plague and has no physical form. So no matter how strong he is, he can’t cause us any substantial harm!”

Hearing Li Xuandu’s words, the others were still a little skeptical.

But in the next second, they immediately believed him.

Because Wu Xiong simply sucked a greatsword up from the ground with his left hand.

Swoosh…

This time, he swung a real greatsword at Li Xuanyan.

“Big Brother, watch out!”

Li Xuanling and Li Xuandu rushed over, one from the front and one from the back.

The latter intercepted the greatsword in Wu Xiong’s left hand.

The former used her silver longsword to block the blue-flame greatsword in his right.

Li Xuanyan took the opportunity to retreat, clutching the wound on his waist.

Crack… Whoosh…

When Wu Xiong’s right-hand greatsword struck Li Xuanling’s longsword, the blue flames on his body shrank by more than half. Meanwhile, the greatsword in his left hand was directly shattered by Li Xuandu’s dagger.

“A Hundred-forged greatsword is no match for my silver weapon!”

Seeing this, a look of delight appeared on Li Xuandu’s face. He immediately retracted his poised dagger and stabbed violently at the top of Wu Xiong’s head again.

At the same time, Li Xuanling’s sword drew an arc, circling around Wu Xiong’s neck with the clear intention of decapitation.

Hou Tong and the other eight Earthforger realm experts were no fools either. Their daggers simultaneously plunged into the back of Wu Xiong’s skull, piercing through.

Pfft…

“It’s working, but why can he just turn into smoke and escape!”

It was the exact same scene as before.

Wu Xiong turned into a plume of white smoke and once again vanished before their eyes. Immediately after, even more wretched screams came from the iron gate at the valley entrance.

This meant a new round of slaughter had begun.

As Li Xuandu followed Li Xuanling toward the iron gate, he roared out the confusion in his heart.

When the silver weapons pierced Wu Xiong’s body, they had a very distinct feeling that they were indeed burning it, proving that the silver did have a suppressive and destructive effect on him.

But he would turn into smoke and escape every time. What was this…

In just this short time, at least a third of the five thousand Earthforger realm cultivators from Longshan and Zhaoyang had died. If they let him continue killing, neither side could bear the final losses.

“What do we do?”

Hearing Li Xuandu’s quiet question, Li Xuanling’s expression turned cold.

She saw the desire to retreat in his eyes and naturally understood the meaning behind his words.

They couldn’t handle this anomaly.

If they continued to stay here, they might even get themselves killed.

“Hold on a little longer!”

Li Xuanling did not speak, but merely gave him a look.

Li Xuandu followed her gaze and saw that most of the people currently stuck at the iron gate were soldiers from the Longyou Army clad in black iron armor. He immediately understood Li Xuanling’s meaning and nodded heavily.

Their silent communication did not delay their efforts to contain Wu Xiong.

Killing Wu Xiong was already impossible, but letting him continue this slaughter was no solution either.

His strength would grow with every person he killed. Once he became strong enough, not only would the Longyou Army be lost, but even they themselves…

Bang…

As Li Xuanling clashed with Wu Xiong once again, her worries became reality.

This was the third time her sword had been used to save someone.

And this time, she failed.

Wu Xiong’s blue-flame greatsword sent her flying back dozens of meters. The webbing between her thumbs and index fingers split open, her body trembled uncontrollably, and not only did she vomit blood, but the Earthforger realm cultivator behind her was also blasted into a pulp.

“He’s even stronger than that Xia Hong now. Over twenty-four Mane, more than twice my strength!”

Li Xuanling no longer had the mind to care about the Earthforger realm cultivator killed behind her. While keeping an eye on the Longyou Army soldiers at the iron gate, she coordinated with Li Xuandu and the other nine Frostwarden realm experts to frantically tie down Wu Xiong, giving him no chance for a wanton massacre.

“You ants, die!”

Wu Xiong, or rather, the White Dew Aberration, seemed to have grown tired of this.

With a low roar, his blue-flame greatsword bypassed Li Xuanling and swung furiously at Meng Ying in the crowd.

The reason for choosing Meng Ying was simple: of the ten silver daggers wielded by the Frostwarden realm experts, his was the most depleted.

The others wanted to rush to his aid, but as Wu Xiong’s strength continuously increased, their speed could no longer keep up.

Meng Ying had not expected to be singled out. In his panic, he was about to dodge when he suddenly received a look from Li Xuanling.

He immediately understood, grit his teeth, drew the greatsword from his waist, and chose to meet Wu Xiong’s strike head-on.

Whoosh…

The blade descended with tyrannical force, accompanied by roaring blue flames.

The snow on the ground was violently kicked up dozens of meters high, shrouding the other ten Frostwarden realm experts in a snow mist. The very ground seemed to have been driven down a little by the impact of the flames.

The sheer power of Wu Xiong’s strike was utterly terrifying.

Whoosh…

Just as Li Xuandu had guessed, Wu Xiong’s blue-flame greatsword had no physical form and only reacted when it collided with silver weapons. It passed straight through the Thousand-forged greatsword Meng Ying had drawn.

Boom…

The blue flame went right through Meng Ying’s chest. His reaction was exactly the same as Li Xuanyan’s had been.

Tsk!

Strings of white dewdrops suddenly grew from his chest. As the flames burned, their temperature gradually rose.

An unnatural flush appeared on Meng Ying’s face.

“Hehehehehe…”

Swoosh…

Having heavily wounded another Frostwarden realm expert, Wu Xiong once again let out that same deranged, triumphant cackle. But the laughter was abruptly cut short by the sound of an iron arrow whistling through the air.

A silver iron arrow shot straight down from above. It happened almost in sync with Wu Xiong striking Meng Ying; the only gap between the two events was the time it took for Wu Xiong to laugh.

Pfft!

Ssh…

The expert archer from Longshan, hidden in the air, had made his move.

Li Xuanling had kept him hidden for so long precisely for this moment.

The sound of the iron arrow piercing through the skull was exceptionally clear.

Not just Li Xuanling, but Li Xuandu, Li Xuanyan, Hou Tong, and the rest of the Frostwarden realm experts all heard it distinctly.

They turned to look at Wu Xiong, their eyes filled with hope.

But as thick smoke began to rise from Wu Xiong’s body, the hope in their eyes instantly turned to disappointment, and then… to despair.

Strength above twenty-four Mane, an unkillable nature, and the ability to grow stronger by killing—this anomaly was simply unsolvable…

“Run!”

Li Xuanling had finally given up.

Li Xuandu and Li Xuanyan reacted the fastest, immediately following behind her as they darted toward the iron gate.

Next was Hou Tong. He looked at the cultivators from Zhaoyang who had not yet managed to escape near the gate, grit his teeth, and finally nodded at the other Frostwarden realm experts by his side.

The meaning was clear. They had to run!

Li Xuanling, plus ten Frostwarden realm experts, all fled.

The Earthforger realm cultivators still trapped in the outer valley, including the few survivors from the Hanqiong garrison, were instantly plunged into despair.

“Save me, my lord.”

“You can’t abandon us, my lord, save us.”

“I don’t want to die, save me, save me, wuuu…”

“Run, we can’t get away, we can’t get away!”

Chapter 251: Li Hu and Yang Zhong, Saving Lives and Slaying an Anomaly

“Zhong, I’m injured. You run first, don’t worry about me!”

In the outer valley, about a hundred meters from the iron gate, Li Hu glanced back at the ever-advancing Wu Xiong. Gritting his teeth, he let go of Yang Zhong’s hand and shoved him toward the gate, urging him to flee.

During Wu Xiong’s rampage just now, both of his legs had been struck by the blue-flamed broadsword. Though they weren’t broken, they were now covered in a dense layer of dewdrops. As the dewdrops grew hotter, he lost almost all ability to move.

If Yang Zhong hadn’t been supporting him, he never would have made it this far.

The three young lords and all the Frostwarden realm experts had already fled. If they didn’t hurry up and escape, Wu Xiong would be on them in moments.

Unwilling to drag his brother down, Li Hu saw that Yang Zhong was ignoring him and trying to come back to help. He roared, “Yang Zhong, you go first! Otherwise, neither of us will make it out alive! Now scram!”

Yang Zhong merely looked up at Li Hu, walked forward without a word, and heaved him over his shoulder. He then started running toward the iron gate again.

“Li Hu, when we became sworn brothers, we promised to live and die together. We either escape together or die together. No more nonsense!”

Hearing his brother’s roar, Li Hu’s eyes reddened instantly.

As a son of Li Xuantian and a third-generation direct descendant of Longshan, Li Hu had never enjoyed the proper treatment of a direct heir.

The reason was simple: he was an illegitimate son.

His birth was the result of a moment of impulse from his father, Li Xuantian, in his youth.

Over twenty years ago, Li Xuantian led a team to destroy a medium-sized camp. His mother, Li Yuning, was the daughter of that small camp’s leader.

After being captured by Li Xuantian, Li Yuning naturally became his spoil of war. What followed was a matter of course.

Li Xuantian had a total of three wives and eleven legitimate children. He had countless servant girls like Li Yuning, which meant there were even more illegitimate children like Li Hu—at least thirty of them.

Even the legitimate children rarely received Li Xuantian’s attention, let alone an unremarkable illegitimate son like Li Hu.

He couldn’t even dream of special treatment. In fact, because Li Xuantian’s status was so high and his wealth so immense, his three official wives often worried that the illegitimate children below might get improper ideas, so they would frequently make things difficult for them and suppress them.

If any illegitimate child showed too much promise, they might even invite a fatal disaster.

One could only imagine the hardships Li Hu had endured to grow up safely in such an environment and become an Earthforger realm cultivator capable of joining expeditions.

Ever since the age of nine, when he had personally witnessed his mother, Li Yuning, being forced to her death by his nominal Third Mother, Zhu Rou, he had harbored nothing but hatred for Li Xuantian and for Longshan.

If he hadn’t met his good brother Yang Zhong that year, he would have either left Longshan or gone to fight his nominal Third Mother, Zhu Rou, to the death. Besides those two fatal paths, there were no other possibilities.

Yang Zhong’s father was also one of Longshan’s core Frostwarden realm experts, the expert archer Yang Fengping. Coincidentally, or perhaps unfortunately, Yang Zhong was also an illegitimate son.

Even more coincidentally, Yang Zhong’s mother had also been forced to her death by the primary wife. Because that primary wife was so powerful, Yang Fengping didn’t even dare to acknowledge Yang Zhong, his own illegitimate son. He could only place him in Longshan’s orphanage.

Because of their similar experiences, the two quickly formed a friendship upon meeting. As they grew up together in Longshan, from breaking through the Lumberjack realm to the Earthforger realm, to joining a hunting party, and later forming their own, their friendship gradually deepened into an incredibly profound bond.

Both of them held a deep-seated obsession to avenge their mothers. At the same time, they knew that by staying in Longshan, their status would make it difficult to ever have the chance to break through to the Frostwarden realm. They had long since agreed that as soon as they reached the peak of the Earthforger realm, they would leave Longshan immediately—either to join Zhaoyang or to find another giant camp that could help them break through.

“On this expedition, if we kill enough enemies, there’s a Beast Blood reward!”

Recalling the words he had heard before setting out, Li Hu was filled with regret. If he hadn’t succumbed to the temptation, he wouldn’t be trapped in this death trap now. Not only would he die, but he would also drag his good brother Yang Zhong down with him.

“Zhong, what’s your base strength in catties now?”

“Twenty-seven thousand, about the same as you. Didn’t you already know that?”

Hearing Yang Zhong’s reply, Li Hu looked back and saw Wu Xiong was only five or six meters away. A look of resolve appeared on his face. He first pushed Yang Zhong away, then turned and charged straight at Wu Xiong.

“Zhong, if you survive and break through to the Frostwarden realm, remember to avenge my mother. And that place I told you about… go and see it for me.”

“Tiger, no!”

Seeing his good brother’s actions, Yang Zhong knew exactly what he intended. His eyes blazed with fury as he, too, turned back in an instant, trying to save him.

In that moment, their bond seemed to an even higher level.

Unfortunately, Yang Zhong was still too slow.

In the span of five or six meters, Li Hu’s charge brought him right before Wu Xiong. He was practically running into Wu Xiong’s blue-flamed broadsword.

His intention was clear: to hold Wu Xiong back for a moment, to create a chance for Yang Zhong to escape.

But the instant he turned back, Li Hu realized his naivety.

Wu Xiong’s blue-flame broadsword had become even stronger than before.

The people who had been slashed by the broadsword now had more than just dewdrops growing on their wounds.

The dewdrops on their wounds rapidly heated up and turned red, and were instantly detonated by the blue flames surrounding Wu Xiong’s body. Then, their entire bodies were swallowed by the blue flames, and they let out despairing, agonizing screams.

The scene unfolding before Li Hu’s eyes was this: with every person Wu Xiong cut down, a cluster of blue flames—or even multiple clusters—would erupt. Those blue flames would then ignite the dewdrops on others nearby.

Boom… Boom… Boom… Boom…

And so, the several thousand Earthforger realm cultivators in the outer valley were now like rows of matchsticks waiting to be lit. Wu Xiong was the spark, letting out a crazed, sadistic laugh as he madly detonated everyone.

How could such a scene not fill Li Hu with despair?

His plan had been to sacrifice his life to grapple Wu Xiong, even if it only stalled him for a breath or half a breath. That would give Yang Zhong a greater chance of escape.

Only now did he realize that he couldn’t even get close to Wu Xiong.

The moment he got near, the dewdrops on his legs would instantly be ignited.

And in fact, his legs were, at that very moment, sprouting blue flames.

Sizzle…

An intense pain shot through his thighs and into his mind. Li Hu thought of his deceased mother, his face full of unwillingness. He hadn’t avenged her yet; he hadn’t fulfilled her dying wish to see her old home, nor had he fulfilled his promise to his brother Yang Zhong to help him get his revenge.

“Tiger!”

Yang Zhong’s roar reached his ears, but Li Hu no longer had the heart to worry about his brother’s safety. Mumbling to himself that he would go on ahead, he closed his eyes.

Hum…

An ethereal, heavy sound entered his mind. The pain in his thighs vanished completely. Believing he was already dead, Li Hu first showed an expression of release. Then, he opened his eyes to the scene before him, his face filled with astonishment.

He wasn’t dead. He was still standing in the same spot.

And the blue flames on his legs were gone.

It wasn’t just him. The blue flames on many others around him, including those on the corpses throughout the valley, had all vanished in an instant.

Thud…

A giant, pale-gold, four-legged cauldron suddenly descended from the sky, crashing into the ground with a tremendous noise. The cauldron swelled to a height of seven meters, its four sides engraved with dozens of patterns of frost beasts. Inside the cauldron, flames several meters high roared fiercely, their light completely illuminating the valley.

The eyes of every survivor were drawn to it.

“Where did that cauldron come from?”

Whoosh…

The question unconsciously popped into Li Hu’s mind.

But he immediately realized that wasn’t what he should be concerned with right now.

Because Wu Xiong was right in front of him.

The moment the cauldron appeared, a flicker of panic crossed Wu Xiong’s face, but he reacted quickly. Seeming to realize he needed to kill more people, he immediately charged into the crowd ahead.

And at the very front of that crowd was Li Hu.

Whoosh…

The only blue flames still burning in the entire area were probably those on Wu Xiong and his broadsword. As the terrifying blade swung toward him, Li Hu instinctively turned to run, but with his leg injuries and Wu Xiong’s terrifying speed, he had absolutely no chance of escape.

He was still going to die!

Clang…

A long, narrow saber appeared, blocking the attack right in front of Li Hu.

The shockwave from the moment the saber met the blue flames sent the snow on the ground blasting outwards for over ten meters. Even without direct contact, the terrifying force sent Li Hu flying back more than ten meters, where he crashed into Yang Zhong, and the two of them were pushed all the way to the iron gate.

Li Hu frantically turned his head to look back, and his gaze instantly sharpened.

The owner of the saber was tall, dressed in black silk clothes that were clearly of high quality. The narrow, straight saber in his hands was a preposterous one point seven meters long. He wielded it with two hands, and as it clashed violently with Wu Xiong’s blue-flamed broadsword, its strength actually matched Wu Xiong’s, resulting in a stalemate.

No, it wasn’t just a stalemate!

As the blue flames on Wu Xiong’s broadsword met the saber in the black-clothed man’s hands, a wave of normal, yellow flames erupted.

Moreover, the yellow flames seemed to be canceling out the blue flames.

It was as if a normal fire was burning the blue fire.

“It’s that Lord who Li Xuanling and the others were trying to kill!”

If the giant cauldron that had saved him the first time hadn’t made much of an impression on Li Hu, then the black-clothed man who had now saved him a second time truly filled his face with gratitude.

He recognized Xia Hong at a glance. Although Li Xuanling had relied on the Longyou Army for the earlier ambush, Li Hu had been watching from the side.

“It’s that Lord, I think his name is Xia Hong! He’s a Leader from Great Xia!”

A man whom Li Xuanling, with so many Frostwarden realm experts and a thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army, had failed to kill was not someone Li Hu was likely to forget. Yang Zhong remembered him just as clearly.

“It’s him. I remember him too.”

“Does that giant cauldron belong to him as well?”

“Is he here to save us?”

“How is that possible? The Youngest Lord just led people to ambush him. Why would he come to save us?”

“Then why is he fighting Wu Xiong?”

…

It wasn’t just Li Hu and Yang Zhong. Most of the several thousand people in the valley also recognized Xia Hong. Watching him locked in a stalemate with Wu Xiong, their hearts were filled with confusion, but their eyes couldn’t help but glow with a sliver of hope.

Most of those present were Earthforger realm fighters from Longshan and Zhaoyang.

Li Xuanling and Hou Tong had already fled with all the Frostwarden realm experts, leaving them in utter despair. Seeing Xia Hong now, they naturally began to feel a sense of expectation.

“What are you standing around for? Run! Head southwest, someone will meet you!”

Their hopes had come true.

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, surprise filled the eyes of the vast majority. Without a second thought, they turned and fled toward the iron gate. A small number of them looked at Xia Hong, recalling what had just transpired with complex expressions, but knowing that their lives were on the line, they too quickly ran for the gate.

“Thirty Mane… almost as strong as me. If I let you keep killing…”

Seeing that the people had begun to flee through the gate, Xia Hong turned to face Wu Xiong. A faint glimmer flashed in his left eye. He let out a cold laugh, and before he finished his sentence, he swiftly drew back his saber and slashed directly at Wu Xiong’s head.

Swish…

The long, narrow saber, combined with Xia Hong’s terrifying strength, made a sound like a speeding needle as it sliced toward the top of Wu Xiong’s head in an instant.

Clang…

Wu Xiong hastily raised his broadsword to block. Though he succeeded in protecting his head, there was no smile on his face; instead, his expression grew even graver.

Sizzle!

The moment the blue flames on his broadsword touched Xia Hong’s saber, the same normal flames erupted again. This time, they burned brighter and brighter, gradually beginning to replace the original blue flames on his weapon.

It wasn’t just his sword; the blue flames on his body were also being suppressed, growing smaller and smaller.

Wu Xiong looked up and met Xia Hong’s gaze. Seeing the mockery in Xia Hong’s eyes, a surge of rage rose on his face, and his gaze hardened.

Sizzle…

He actually lowered his broadsword, allowing Xia Hong’s saber to slash down at him.

How could Xia Hong miss such a golden opportunity? He gripped the Dragon Sparrow Saber, which was coated in Congealing Fire Salve, and brought it down with all his might, cleaving Wu Xiong almost entirely in two, from the top of his skull to his lower body.

Boom…

Just as Wu Xiong had raised a cluster of blue flames with every strike against the ordinary Earthforger realm fighters, Xia Hong’s slash also caused flames to erupt from Wu Xiong’s cleaved body—only these were not blue, but normal.

Hiss!

Wu Xiong’s body suddenly spewed a large amount of white smoke. At the same time, an incredibly bloodthirsty and sinister laugh echoed from nearby.

However, this laughter didn’t even last for three breaths.

It was cut short by the sound of an iron arrow tearing through the air.

Swoosh…

Xia Hong held the Divine Arm Bow, his cold gaze fixed on a spot over a hundred meters to his left where Wu Xiong had used a corpse on the ground to reform his body.

The iron arrow he had just fired had already lodged itself firmly between Wu Xiong’s eyebrows. The Congealing Fire Salve on the arrow was clearly having a violent reaction with Wu Xiong’s body, causing black smoke to pour from his head. Soon, flames began to emerge from within.

“Ah… Ah…”

Wu Xiong, now transformed by the White Dew Aberration, finally stopped laughing.

This time, as black smoke billowed from his head, what came out were agonized screams. The eyes he fixed on Xia Hong were filled with a monstrous hatred.

“You can freely switch between bodies infected with your dew. Your ability is much stronger than previous anomalies. You almost got out of hand. Too bad for you… you ran into my Eye of Scrutiny!”

Thwack… Thwack… Thwack…

A cold smile played on Xia Hong’s lips. As he spoke, he continuously fired iron arrows coated with Congealing Fire Salve from his Divine Arm Bow.

With every arrow that pierced Wu Xiong’s body, the flames upon him grew larger. After a volley of dozens of arrows, Wu Xiong’s body was completely engulfed in fire. He could do nothing but let out agonizing screams.

Chapter 252: Secret Passage, Han Feng, The First Step

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…

The firelight from the Frigid Ruins Cauldron made the three sacred sigils on Xia Hong’s brow shine brilliantly. His gaze was like a torch. Even after Wu Xiong had gone completely silent, he did not approach, instead continuing to fire arrow after arrow.

The Divine Arm Bow only came with fifty custom-made iron arrows. Not until every single one was spent did Xia Hong finally stop and slowly walk over to Wu Xiong.

Wu Xiong’s head was so riddled with iron arrows it resembled a hedgehog. The flames produced by the Congealing Fire Salve were still burning steadily.

Unlike an ordinary body, the layer beneath Wu Xiong’s hide was not the flesh and blood of a normal human, but countless white dewdrops. After these dewdrops were melted by the flames, they slowly coalesced into sapphire-blue liquid spheres.

The moment he saw those liquid spheres, Xia Hong’s eyes lit up. He quickly took out a wooden box and held it ready.

One drop… two drops… three drops… fifteen drops…

By the time Wu Xiong’s body had finished burning, a total of thirty drops had been produced.

“Just as I expected. This White Dew Aberration and the Hanping Jade Dew share the same origin!”

Xia Hong looked at the thirty sapphire-blue, marble-like liquid spheres in the wooden box. He first reached out to touch one, feeling the extreme heat radiating from it, and his eyes filled with joy.

He had seen Hanping Jade Dew once before in Zhaoyang. The thirty drops lying in the box right now were clearly identical to it.

After the thick smoke cleared, all that remained of Wu Xiong’s body was his skeleton.

Xia Hong surveyed the entire outer valley and, finding it empty, walked directly toward the inner valley.

From his appearance to his slaying of the White Dew Aberration, the entire process had taken over an hour. As a result, any living people inside or outside the valley had basically fled. The entire Hanqiong settlement was now empty, devoid of any sound.

Having spent a day or two in Hanqiong before, Xia Hong knew which wooden cabins were inhabited. But with every cabin door he opened, his expression grew darker. It was only after searching every building in the settlement that he let out a heavy sigh.

“At least half of them are dead. This anomaly’s lethality against ordinary people is simply too strong. It barely even attacked them directly. Just the infection from the dewdrops killed this many people. If it had been allowed to go on any longer, I’m afraid no one in Hanqiong would have survived!”

A shadow passed over Xia Hong’s eyes. He entered Hanqiong’s main building and made his way to the top floor, where he found the largest living quarters.

Seeing that the room was neat and tidy, without the slightest sign of having been ransacked, Xia Hong’s eyes showed a glimmer of delight, and he hurriedly began to search the room.

Even Hou Tong rarely entered these quarters. He had noticed this on his previous visit. Coupled with the room’s opulent furnishings, this had to be the room of the Leader, Han Jiuli.

As a Leader, Han Jiuli must have had plenty of valuable possessions.

According to the news Yuan Cheng brought back, Han Jiuli was supposed to have died with Wu Xiong at Yangyuan Peak. If that were the case, then all his treasures would naturally fall to him.

However, after searching the room for a long time, Xia Hong still came up empty-handed.

It didn’t make sense. A Leader couldn’t possibly take everything with him when he went out. Even Xia Hong himself left plenty of valuables in his room at his own settlement.

After Xia Chuan and his men took down Wushuang, they had found many precious materials in Wu Xiong’s room, including a large silver ingot.

Thump, thump…

Xia Hong continued to explore the room, occasionally stomping on the floor. Soon, as he stepped on the main platform bed, the sound caught his attention.

It was hollow!

Xia Hong stomped hard a couple more times. Realizing the bed platform was indeed empty inside, his interest was piqued. He gave it a forceful push.

Bang…

The bed platform collapsed, revealing a deep, dark secret passage leading straight down. Xia Hong looked at the messy footprints near the entrance to the passage, raised an eyebrow, and immediately jumped down.

Hanqiong’s main building was built against the eastern stone cliff. It was a full fifteen stories and over seventy meters tall. After jumping into the passage, Xia Hong fell for more than fifty meters before his feet touched the ground. Only then did he see a secret path leading east.

The eastern cliff was the cliff of Double Dragon Mountain, which meant this secret passage led into the mountain itself.

Xia Hong’s eyes immediately lit up. He lit a torch and proceeded along the passage, discovering that it was on a continuous upward slope. His gaze grew fervent.

“It might lead to the upper part of Double Dragon Mountain…”

Whoosh…

As Xia Hong moved rapidly through the passage, a gust of wind whistled past his ear. His expression tightened. He stopped abruptly, drawing his saber and raising it above his head to block.

Clang… Crack…

What came down from above was a large saber.

The saber was of decent quality. It clashed violently with Xia Hong’s Dragon Sparrow Saber and didn’t break on the first impact. But when Xia Hong then deliberately pushed upward, his blade snapped it in two.

“The power of eight Manes. You’re Han Jiuli’s son, Han Feng, am I right?”

The owner of the saber was not yet thirty. Compared to his power, his appearance was surprisingly young. A thoughtful look appeared in Xia Hong’s eyes, and he instantly voiced the other man’s identity.

The Hanqiong settlement had three Frostwarden realm experts. The Leader Han Jiuli and Wu Lin had both met with disaster at Yangyuan Peak, leaving only Han Feng, who had never appeared from beginning to end.

On his first day at the Hanqiong settlement, Xia Hong had been puzzled as to why Han Feng never showed himself, but he later understood.

Hou Tong’s initial plan was likely never to cooperate with Hanqiong. By bringing one thousand five hundred Earthforger realm experts and five Frostwarden realm experts, he had in effect already completed a de facto annexation of Hanqiong.

Under such circumstances, if Han Feng was unaware of the actual situation at Yangyuan Peak and was unwilling to pledge allegiance to Zhaoyang, his only option would be to flee.

It now seemed that Han Feng had obviously not fled, but had been hiding in the shadows all along.

“Han Jiuli’s most praiseworthy accomplishment must be raising such a capable son. To reach the late stage of the Frostwarden realm at twenty-eight… looking across all of Longyou, aside from that prodigy Li Xuanling, there’s probably no one who can compare!”

Recalling Hou Hu’s assessment of Han Feng back in Zhaoyang, a flicker of interest rose in Xia Hong’s eyes. He then noticed the faint glow of firelight coming from the passage behind Han Feng and said with admiration, “It seems you managed to rescue quite a few people during the chaos just now. Hou Tong and Li Xuanling have all fled. The men your father took with him were killed by the anomaly at Yangyuan Peak. Where can you go with all these people? Why not bring them and join the Great Xia settlement? What do you say?”

To Xia Hong, Han Feng’s talent was, at most, worthy of a decent evaluation. Great Xia had a plethora of experts stronger than him: Yuwen Tao, Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Lin Kai, Yue Feng, Lu Yang… you could say there was a large handful.

What truly made him consider recruitment was Han Feng’s exceptional character.

Although Han Feng was unwilling to submit to Zhaoyang, he hadn’t fled alone. Instead, he had hidden in this secret passage for so many days, waiting for an opportunity to save people. From the footprints in the passage just now, it was highly likely that he had taken the initiative to come out and rescue people while Wu Xiong was slaughtering them in the valley.

This point alone was enough to prove his virtuous character.

Moreover, hiding in this passage for so many days without being discovered by Hou Tong and the others proved that he was also sufficiently quick-witted and adaptable.

Such a young Frostwarden realm expert with superior talent and outstanding character was enough to make Xia Hong want to recruit him.

Furthermore, the Hanqiong settlement was gone. This place, Gourd Valley, including the more than ten thousand survivors from Hanqiong, should rightfully belong to Great Xia. If he could recruit Han Feng, the Leader’s son, first, it would save a lot of trouble later on.

However, the other party seemed uninterested in his offer.

Inside the secret passage, illuminated by the firelight, Xia Hong saw the wary look in Han Feng’s eyes. His brow furrowed slightly as he asked in a low voice, “Judging from those footprints, you’ve saved at least a thousand people. With your strength, leading over a thousand people, it’s practically impossible to return to your old way of life…”

At this point, noticing the clear resistance on Han Feng’s face, Xia Hong paused, frowning. “The one who destroyed Hanqiong was Hou Tong. At the very least, you should be blaming Zhaoyang, blaming Hou Hu. If you saw things more clearly, the one who killed so many of your people was Wu Xiong, controlled by the White Dew Aberration. I killed it, so I should be considered your benefactor. It makes no sense for you to be so wary of me, does it?”

“Hou Tong and Hou Hu are not good people, and that White Dew Aberration that killed so many of my Hanqiong people is no saint either. But you… you’re essentially no different from them. In fact, in some ways, you’re even more ruthless…”

Hearing Han Feng’s words, Xia Hong looked stunned. But the next thing the young man said made his expression tighten, and he fell silent.

“You deliberately waited for Li Xuanling, Hou Tong, and those eleven Frostwarden realm experts to flee before you made your move and killed that White Dew Aberration. Wasn’t that also for the sake of annexing our Hanqiong settlement?”

Even as Han Feng spoke, his gaze flickered toward the passage behind him. When he saw that the people he had rescued had run a good distance down the passage, he breathed a small sigh of relief.

He then turned back to Xia Hong, a cold smile on his face.

Just now, Xia Hong had stood at the valley entrance, unmoving. Only when he saw Li Xuanling and the others escape did he finally erupt with power and kill the White Dew Aberration. Hiding in a cave mouth halfway up the cliff face, Han Feng had seen the entire process crystal clear.

He wasn’t stupid. He had quickly figured out Xia Hong’s intentions.

It was nothing more than wanting the anomaly to kill Li Xuanling, Hou Tong, and the other eleven. But as they all escaped one by one, that plan had clearly failed.

And once all eleven Frostwarden realm experts had fled, Xia Hong appeared like a savior, rescuing the Earthforger realm experts and all the other ordinary people from Longshan, Zhaoyang, and Hanqiong, becoming the biggest winner of the night.

Everyone else was in the dark. When they saw Xia Hong appear, they regarded him as a savior. But Han Feng, who had seen everything clearly, now looked at Xia Hong with nothing but vigilance and deep-seated resistance.

Even the hostile Li Xuanling and Hou Tong, upon realizing the White Dew Aberration’s power, had immediately set aside their differences and reached a consensus to fight the anomaly together.

But Xia Hong, who clearly had the strength to slay the anomaly, had stood on the sidelines to maximize his own gains, only making his move after Li Xuanling and the other eleven had all fled.

He didn’t hate Xia Hong. After all, without him, even more people from the Hanqiong settlement would have died, and he would not have had the chance to save so many.

But the problem was that Xia Hong’s actions had dealt a significant psychological blow to Han Feng. In his eyes, neither Li Xuanling nor Hou Tong could compare to the man before him when it came to ruthlessness.

That was why he was so resistant to Xia Hong’s offer of recruitment.

“You are a compassionate person!”

After a long silence, Xia Hong finally spoke.

There was no trace of shame on his face. Understanding why Han Feng resisted his offer, he seemed to grow even more appreciative. After the word of praise, Xia Hong’s expression sobered. “To hide in a secret passage for so many days without running, and to dare to come out and save people in such a dangerous situation just now, proves that you don’t only think of yourself. You still have compassion for others. Since that’s the case, I’ll tell you a very simple truth, and also the reason for my actions just now!”

Xia Hong paused, his tone growing serious. “Hou Hu’s provocation has already shattered the Longyou Alliance. In my view, a fragmented and warring Longyou is no less of a threat to humanity than the anomalies. I did indeed let the anomaly kill people, but if the sacrifice of this small number of people can bring a swifter end to the current fragmented state of Longyou, then it will benefit the greater number of people who remain. Do you understand?”

“You mean to say that the one who will unify Longyou in the future is Great Xia?”

How could Han Feng not understand Xia Hong’s meaning? But the more he understood, the colder his smile became. He didn’t doubt Xia Hong’s personal strength, but the idea that the little-known Great Xia could defeat both Longshan and Zhaoyang to ultimately unify the lands of Longyou was something he would never believe.

“It must be, and can only be, Great Xia!”

Xia Chuan’s voice suddenly came from behind them in the passage, answering Han Feng’s question.

“Big Brother!”

“Leader.”

…

It wasn’t just Xia Chuan who had arrived from behind. Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, and three others were also with him.

Seeing that Xia Hong was unharmed, all six of them breathed a sigh of relief. They hurriedly bowed in respect before turning their heads to look at Han Feng on the other side of the passage. A glint of coldness appeared in their eyes as they drew their weapons and slowly advanced on him.

“Let it go. Let him leave.”

Xia Hong gave a slight wave of his hand, stopping them. Seeing the astonished look on Han Feng’s face, he just shook his head and said, “You’ll understand me one day!”

With that, something seemed to occur to Xia Hong. He pulled a small packet from his robes, tossed it directly at Han Feng, and said, “Apply this to your body. It can treat the dewdrops.”

Han Feng caught the packet. He gave Xia Hong a deep look, clasped his fists in a salute, and subconsciously opened his mouth to say thanks. But he held the words back at the last moment, then turned and left without another word.

“Big Brother, who was that?”

Xia Chuan must have only heard Han Feng’s last question as he approached. Seeing Xia Hong let the man go, he asked curiously.

Xia Hong simply shook his head without answering. He only asked Xia Chuan, “Didn’t I tell you all to provide support from the southwest? How did you find your way here?”

Xia Chuan immediately nodded. “We received over ten thousand people in the southwest and have already sent them to the Wushuang settlement. Too much time had passed, and we were worried you were in danger, Big Brother, so we came to Hanqiong to find you. Then we found the secret passage on the top floor of the main building and followed it here.”

“Over ten thousand people, including the Earthforger realm experts from the three factions?”

Hearing this question, Luo Yuan, standing to the side, replied with an exhilarated expression:

“Reporting to the Leader, we received a total of 17,421 people, including 2,931 Earthforger realm experts. A preliminary inquiry confirmed they are from Longshan, Zhaoyang, and Hanqiong. The remaining 14,490 are all Hanqiong people. Only a small number of them are still afflicted with dewdrops. We’ve already distributed the Congealing Fire Salve. Once we confirm they are clear of the dewdrops, we’ll let them into the Wushuang settlement.”

Seeing the excitement on Luo Yuan’s face, Xia Hong had a strange expression. “What’s there to be so excited about? You don’t actually think these three thousand Earthforger realm experts will become Great Xia’s people from now on, do you?”

Luo Yuan froze, and the others, including Xia Chuan, also looked bewildered.

“The Leader saved all their lives. If they don’t join Great Xia, are they planning to go back to their original settlements?”

“I just asked around! Li Xuanling and Hou Tong abandoned them. Are these people out of their minds if they still want to go back?”

Hearing Xia Chuan and Zhao Long’s words, Xia Hong immediately shook his head.

“A life saved is a life saved. I don’t doubt that these people are grateful to me. But as for how many of them will switch allegiance because of this, I’m not very optimistic. Even if there are some, they’ll be few and far between.

“These Earthforger realm experts are mostly older and have families. They grew up in their respective settlements, where they live well. Their relationships with the core figures of their settlements are also extremely complex. How could they possibly switch sides so casually? Even if some did, they wouldn’t abandon their families. So…”

After hearing Xia Hong’s explanation, Xia Chuan and the others immediately understood, and their expressions soured.

The Hanqiong people were one thing. After all, their settlement was gone, so they had no other choice but to join Great Xia.

But the Earthforger realm experts from the other two factions…

Qiu Peng thought for a moment, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and said in a low voice, “Then in my opinion, the Leader shouldn’t have saved these Earthforger experts. If we let them go back to their settlements, they might fight against us later. We should have let that White Dew Aberration kill them all!”

Zhao Long was even more radical. “That’s not right. We don’t have to let the Earthforgers from the two factions go. We can just drag them back to Great Xia, throw them into the mines, and make them mine slaves, just like with the Hive!”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up instantly.

Even Xia Chuan obviously thought it was a good idea. He hurriedly turned to Xia Hong and said, “Leader, this is feasible! Just like with the Hive, we can chain them up with iron shackles and make them stay in the mines forever…”

“You need to look at the bigger picture!”

Xia Hong cut Xia Chuan off directly, speaking with deep meaning. Seeing the confused looks on their faces, he shook his head and said:

“The Hive’s method is like killing the chicken to get the eggs. There’s no need for us to copy it. Letting these people go back is the true first step for our Great Xia to begin conquering Longyou. Think about it. For now, let’s head back to Wushuang!”

Xia Hong had no intention of explaining further, merely telling them to think it over themselves. He then led the way back toward the passage entrance.

“Seal this passage. Prepare to send people to take control of Gourd Valley.”

“Yes, Leader!”

Chapter 253: Rescue, Deterrence, Surprise

“My child is dying! Help, help me!”

“I’m burning up! Save me, save me…”

“Help! Help! Sob…”

…

At the Wushuang outpost, a vast, surging crowd was gathered in the largest open area. Desperate cries for help filled the air, punctuated by the sound of flames igniting, followed immediately by sharp wails and screams of agony.

Judging by their attire, these were clearly the people who had fled from Hanqiong.

They were divided into three groups. The largest, on the right, comprised about ninety percent of the total number. The groups on the left and in the center were smaller, totaling only about sixteen or seventeen hundred people combined.

Though the scene was the very picture of chaos, a closer look revealed that the people in these three sections were not randomly crowded together. A distance of at least one meter was maintained between each person.

Moreover, figures clad in pale gold armor moved constantly through the crowd, maintaining order while using a black, oily substance in their hands to treat the afflicted.

“Captain, it’s no use! There are too many people, and they’re so loud and disorderly. We only have a little over fourteen hundred men, and we have to spare a group to guard those in the Earthforger realm. We can’t save them fast enough! We’re not going to make it!”

“And riots keep breaking out! We have to send men to suppress them. It’s not working.”

“That dewdrop plague is still spreading, and some of our own men have been infected. We can’t go on like this. We need a plan.”

“Many of them still don’t know about the Congealing Fire Salve. They’re starting to act recklessly out of desperation, inciting others to riot.”

…

On the high platform at the front of the open area, Lu Yang’s eyes flashed with anxiety as he listened to the reports from his four subordinates. Seeing another disturbance break out on the left side, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes. He drew the saber from his waist and strode forward.

“Brothers! We’re dead men if we stay trapped here! Follow me and let’s fight our way out! If we get back to Zhaoyang and find the Leader, we might still be saved!”

“That’s right! Follow Hou Jing and fight your way out, brothers!”

“Kill them!”

…

The eight hundred or so people on the left were the Earthforger realm cultivators from Zhaoyang. As Lu Yang approached, his brow furrowed upon hearing the instigator’s words. When he saw seven or eight others stirred up and rising to resist, he immediately raised his saber and charged.

Swish… Swish… Swish…

Lu Yang’s blade rose and fell in a flash. With extreme speed, he cut down all eight people who were about to riot, stunning a few of the nearby Great Xia Earthforgers who had been preparing to act.

If even they were shocked, it went without saying for the Zhaoyang Earthforgers. In an instant, they were all scared into silence, not daring to make another sound. A few who had also intended to join the riot were frightened back into their original spots, their gazes lowered.

Lu Yang turned and scanned the square. Seeing another commotion on the other side, he raised his voice and shouted, “Lin Kai, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, and all other squad leaders, listen up! If anyone dares to make a wrong move, kill them on the spot! I’ll take full responsibility for anything that happens!”

Swish… Swish…

Almost as soon as his words fell, the sound of blades cutting through flesh erupted in the central and right-hand sections of the crowd.

After three or four such waves of executions, the entire square fell quiet. Everyone shut their mouths. Even the children clamped their hands over their own mouths. Only a few infants, whose mouths couldn’t be covered in time, still let out faint cries.

Once the square was silent, Lu Yang returned to the high platform.

His voice had been so loud just now that everyone knew he was the one who had given the order to kill. Inevitably, all eyes were fixed on him.

Knowing he was the center of attention, Lu Yang wasted no time. He pointed to a young woman in her twenties on the right, who was holding a baby. “Men,” he ordered, “bring that mother and child to me.”

“My lord, have mercy! I didn’t do anything! I wasn’t moving!”

“My lord, don’t kill me! I beg you, my lord, spare me! Spare me!”

…

Seeing two Great Xia soldiers coming toward her, the woman thought Lu Yang intended to kill her child. Fear washed over her face, and she began to beg Lu Yang for mercy.

But the two soldiers ignored her completely, dragging her all the way to the high platform and presenting her to Lu Yang.

Lu Yang paid no mind to the woman’s pleas. He simply snatched the wailing infant from her arms.

The woman thought he was about to kill her child and immediately fell to her knees, pleading, “Don’t kill my child! Don’t kill my child! I beg you, my lord…”

The people from the Hanqiong group on the right collectively held their breath. A few Earthforgers even took two steps forward, clearly wanting to help the woman and save the infant.

But in the next moment, the woman’s cries stopped abruptly. The Earthforgers looking at the stage now wore expressions of bewilderment.

Lu Yang hadn’t killed the baby. Instead, he had unfastened its clothes, revealing the small dewdrops on its skin for all to see. Then, he took out a small piece of Congealing Fire Salve, crushed it, and spread it evenly over the infant’s body.

In just a moment, a sizzling sound came from the dewdrops on the baby’s skin. Lu Yang then wiped a hand across them, and they vanished completely.

The infant, who had been wailing because of its rising body temperature, immediately fell silent.

It even let out a clear, happy laugh.

“That black oily stuff… it can get rid of the dewdrops?”

“It’s true! I saw it just now, but you didn’t believe me.”

“Those people in the pale gold armor have been using the Congealing Fire Salve to save people this whole time. Didn’t any of you see?”

“We’re saved! We’re not going to die!”

…

In truth, the Great Xia soldiers had been using the Congealing Fire Salve to treat people all along. But because there were simply too many, most hadn’t seen it happen. This, combined with the fact that many people’s dewdrops were bursting into flames, only intensified the panic, leading to constant disturbances.

But this time, because Lu Yang had held the baby up high throughout the process, everyone had a clear view of the dewdrops slowly dissipating and turning into ordinary water droplets before being wiped away.

Realizing that Great Xia truly had a way to save them, a spark of hope ignited in everyone’s hearts. The fear in their eyes when they looked at Lu Yang was replaced with hope and eagerness.

“See? We have a way to save you. Now listen to me! Everyone, form three lines: Longshan, Zhaoyang, and Hanqiong. I will distribute the salve to each of you one by one. I will also have my men patrol the lines. Anyone in critical condition will be given priority. But let me make one thing clear: if any line erupts in chaos from this point on, I will immediately halt distribution to that line. Don’t blame me when that happens!”

The moment Lu Yang finished speaking, not another sound was heard from the more than ten thousand people below. With the help of the Great Xia soldiers, they all obediently formed three long lines and began to receive the Congealing Fire Salve one by one.

The situation was finally under control. After arranging for the distribution, Lu Yang breathed a small sigh of relief. Seeing Lin Kai, Zhao Hu, and the others in the crowd give him a thumbs-up, he felt a surge of pride.

The Director was right after all. These people won’t listen until they see blood!

During the rebellion Wu Xiong had stirred up previously, Xia Chuan’s method of handling it had been to use killing to stop the killing. It was bloody, but effective.

Lu Yang’s approach was a complete replica of Xia Chuan’s.

Seeing how well it worked, Lu Yang’s conviction in Xia Chuan’s final words was naturally reinforced.

…

“That thing can actually remove the dewdrops. It’s incredible!”

In Zhaoyang’s line in the middle section, Yang Zhong received a small piece of Congealing Fire Salve. After eliminating the dewdrops on his body, he joined Li Hu at the back of the crowd, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Li Hu had received his salve earlier and his legs had already recovered. He nodded at Yang Zhong’s words. “I heard someone in Longshan say before that the only thing that works against anomalies is silver. But silver is far too precious; ordinary people can’t afford it. To think that Great Xia possesses such a miraculous item!”

Few people actually knew about silver’s effectiveness against anomalies, but Li Hu and Yang Zhong were clearly exceptions. That was why they, more than anyone, understood the true value of the Congealing Fire Salve they had just used.

“The key is that they’re willing to give it to common folk like us. Hu, haven’t we always wanted to leave Longshan? This is our chance. I’ll go find one of those lords in a bit, how about it?”

Li Hu nodded at once, a flicker of excitement on his face. Then, a thought occurred to him. Seeing Yang Zhong’s eagerness, he smiled. “No need to rush. That Leader Xia risked his life to save us and is now handing out Congealing Fire Salve to all of us. Why do you think he’s doing all this?”

“You’re right.”

Yang Zhong caught on quickly and nodded.

Great Xia was doing all this to recruit them. There was no need for him to seek them out; someone from Great Xia would probably make an announcement soon enough.

But Yang Zhong scanned the people around them, then looked over at the line for Longshan. He smiled. “Besides the ten thousand-plus people from Hanqiong, I doubt many people from our two groups, Longshan and Zhaoyang, will be genuinely willing to join Great Xia.”

The people from Longshan and Zhaoyang were all in the Earthforger realm. Leaving aside their loyalty to their own camps, the vast majority of them had families. That alone made it unlikely for them to consider switching allegiances.

Li Hu naturally understood what Yang Zhong meant. But he glanced at Lu Yang and the other Frostwarden realm cultivators on the high platform, recalling how they had just used executions to intimidate the entire crowd. He sneered.

“Not many, of course. But I doubt they’ll have a choice!”

Judging from Lu Yang’s actions, it was clear that Great Xia was no benevolent force. Their leader had personally saved everyone, and now they were spending so much Congealing Fire Salve to treat them. It was unthinkable that they would simply let them walk away for nothing.

“Hearing you say that, my impression of this Great Xia isn’t so great anymore. Still, leaving Longshan is a good thing for us. We’ll stay with Great Xia for now. If it doesn’t work out, we can always find another place.”

Li Hu nodded in agreement.

“Look, that Leader Xia is back!”

“That anomaly… he must have killed it, right?”

“Obviously! Can’t you see how happy he looks?”

Hearing the murmurs from the crowd, Yang Zhong and Li Hu immediately turned their gaze toward the high platform.

Sometime during their conversation, seven more people had appeared on the stage. The man in black at the head of the group was none other than Xia Hong, the one who had just saved them in Gourd Valley.

Just as the crowd said, Xia Hong’s presence here, and with a smile on his face, likely meant that he had won the great battle back in the valley.

The thought that the anomaly—the one that had scared away Li Xuanling and all those Frostwarden realm cultivators—had been defeated at Xia Hong’s hands filled Li Hu with awe. He watched as Lu Yang and the others, who had been so imperious just moments ago, were now so deferential before Xia Hong. A sense of longing rose in his eyes.

“The Youngest Lord had so many Frostwarden realm cultivators and over a thousand soldiers from the Longyou Army with him, and still couldn’t kill it. In all of Longyou, I’m afraid no one can match Leader Xia’s strength, except maybe Li Tianhua!”

At the mention of Li Tianhua’s name, an unnatural expression flickered across Li Hu’s face, but it was quickly replaced by a cold smile. “How old is Li Tianhua? Even if he’s stronger, it doesn’t matter. Take a good look. How old do you think Leader Xia is?”

Yang Zhong had never paid attention to Xia Hong’s age before. Prompted by Li Hu, he stared at Xia Hong’s face. The sight made him freeze.

“Why do I get the feeling… that he’s even younger than the Youngest Lord…”

Yang Zhong didn’t finish his sentence. Li Hu immediately pulled him down, forcing him to lower his head.

The two looked at each other, a hint of nervousness in their eyes.

“I didn’t see that wrong, did I? Just now… was he looking at us?”

“Of course he was! With his level of strength, do you think he wouldn’t notice you staring at him from this close? Don’t say anything stupid.”

…

“Big Brother, do you know those two?”

On the high platform, Xia Chuan noticed Xia Hong’s gaze fixed on the two men not far away. He glanced over at them, his curiosity piqued.

Xia Hong shook his head and smiled. “Their names are very interesting!”

Xia Chuan was about to ask more when Qiu Peng came forward, his face etched with confusion. “Leader, are we really letting all these people go? The Earthforger realm cultivators from Longshan and Zhaoyang number 1,672 in total. If we let them go back, they might become our enemies in the future.”

“If you can’t figure it out now, you can think about it later. For now, just do as I say.”

Back in the secret passage, Xia Hong had been unwilling to explain much. Now that they were back in Wushuang, he had even less desire to do so.

Even though all the Frostwarden realm cultivators, including Xia Chuan, clearly agreed with Qiu Peng, he still chose to exercise his absolute authority. With a single sentence, he left the square and headed for the main building of Wushuang.

“Yes, Leader!”

Though Qiu Peng and the others didn’t understand, they said nothing more as they watched Xia Hong depart. After nodding in acknowledgment, they began to carry out his orders.

The most important organizational unit in Great Xia was the hunting team. The rule in the hunting teams was that members could voice dissent, but once the captain made a final decision, everyone else had to obey unconditionally. This rule, it could be said, permeated every aspect of the camp.

Therefore, they had to obey Xia Hong’s decision without question.

No matter how little they understood, it was the only way.

The Frigid Ruins Cauldron could indeed clear the dewdrops, but it required direct physical contact. Merely staying within the range of its radiating heat could only suppress the dewdrops and prevent them from heating up and igniting. To eliminate them completely, the Congealing Fire Salve was still necessary.

Xia Hong had realized this when he took out the Frigid Ruins Cauldron in Gourd Valley.

He obviously wasn’t going to have people line up to touch the cauldron. He had brought more than enough Congealing Fire Salve from Xiacheng this time.

Before his arrival, many people in the Wushuang square had been burned to death when their dewdrops ignited. But the moment he arrived and placed the Frigid Ruins Cauldron in Wushuang’s main building, the deaths in the square ceased completely.

…

“It’s so warm. Why did it suddenly get so warm?”

“The warmth is coming from the main building. I saw Leader Xia Hong go inside.”

“The dewdrops on my body don’t seem to be heating up anymore.”

“No one is dying. Leader Xia Hong must have done something, right?”

“It has to be him. If he can even kill that anomaly, it must be his doing.”

…

The rise in temperature and the suppression of the dewdrop plague occurred simultaneously.

Everyone turned to look toward the main building. After a moment of astonished discussion, their eyes filled, without exception, with reverence and gratitude.

Back in Gourd Valley, the rout and escape of Li Xuanling and his men, contrasted with Xia Hong’s timely arrival with the giant cauldron, had already created a stark comparison in their minds. Coupled with the Congealing Fire Salve that Great Xia had just distributed, the reverence and gratitude everyone felt for Xia Hong instantly soared to its peak.

Of course, not everyone shared this sentiment.

The Earthforger realm cultivators from Longshan and Zhaoyang, for example, wore mostly hesitant expressions. They seemed to want to say something to Xia Chuan and the others on the high platform but didn’t dare.

“May I ask the honorable lords of Great Xia, how do you intend to deal with us?”

Finally, after a long silence, an Earthforger from the Zhaoyang camp couldn’t hold back any longer and addressed Xia Chuan and the others on the platform.

The moment he spoke, the square fell dead silent. All eyes, filled with tension, converged on the platform.

The Earthforgers from Zhaoyang and Longshan were especially anxious.

“Don’t worry, you will be allowed to leave. There is only one hour left until dawn. Even if you left now, you wouldn’t get far. When night falls tomorrow, the outpost gates will be opened. Anyone who wishes to leave may do so freely!”

But soon, with Qiu Peng’s answer, the tension and anxiety on their faces vanished in an instant. A look of stunned disbelief was quickly replaced by an expression of profound complexity.

Great Xia… is actually letting us go?

Not just the Earthforgers from Longshan and Zhaoyang, but even the Earthforgers and common people from Hanqiong were clearly caught off guard by this answer.

“My lord, we have nowhere else to go. Can we join Great Xia?” someone from the Hanqiong group asked, being the first to recover.

Hearing this, the tense expression on Qiu Peng’s face finally relaxed a little. He smiled and replied, “Of course. Whether you leave or stay is up to you. We at Great Xia never force anyone to join!”

The more than ten thousand people from Hanqiong immediately felt much more at ease.

As for the sixteen hundred or so people from Longshan and Zhaoyang, the vast majority of them still wore complicated expressions. They stared at Xia Chuan, Qiu Peng, and the others on the stage, lost in thought.

In the crowd, Yang Zhong and Li Hu looked even more stunned than the rest.

They exchanged a look, and their eyes grew much more resolute.

Chapter 254: Understanding, Win Their Hearts First, The Next Step

The Congealing Fire Salve was distributed in an orderly fashion. Of the more than seventeen thousand people rescued from Gourd Valley, only a little over four hundred ultimately died from the Dewdrop outbreak. The rest were all successfully saved.

At the same time, the sky began to lighten.

Before dawn, Qiu Peng had led his men to settle the people from the three camps into the various buildings within the Wushuang garrison.

As expected, in the process, all fifteen thousand-plus people from the Hanqiong camp expressed their desire to join Great Xia.

However, among the more than sixteen hundred Earthforger realm individuals from Longshan and Zhaoyang, those who wished to switch their allegiance were exceedingly few—only twenty-three in total.

When Qiu Peng brought this number back to the main building to report to Xia Hong, his tone held an undisguised disappointment. He was clearly still unwilling to accept it.

In the top-floor hall of the Wushuang main building, Qiu Peng took a seat after finishing his report.

On either side of the hall sat Great Xia’s twelve Frostwarden realm experts: Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Zhu Yuan, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Hong Gang, and Huang Yong. They all looked up at Xia Hong, who sat at the head of the hall, waiting for him to speak.

Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, and Peng Bo sat in the rearmost seats. They first looked up at Xia Hong, then swept their gazes across the rows of sternly seated figures on both sides, a hint of shock on nearly all their faces.

Having been constantly rushing between the Hive and Wushuang, this was the first time the four of them had such a direct view of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts gathered in one hall.

Thirteen of them right here. I remember there was one named Meng Yi back at the Hive, plus the injured Yuan Cheng and Yuwen Tao. That means Great Xia has at least sixteen Frostwarden realm experts!

They couldn’t have left their main garrison completely unguarded, so there are definitely more than sixteen. As for the Earthforger realm, there are over one thousand four hundred here and one thousand at the Hive, making it more than two thousand four hundred. Same logic as the Frostwardens—they must have left a portion of their forces at their garrison. By a conservative estimate, they have at least three thousand Earthforger realm members. The strength of Great Xia is simply too formidable!

Of course, the most important factor is… his strength!

Chen Yingyuan sat on his chair, seemingly expressionless, but after carefully calculating Great Xia’s power, he was crying out in alarm internally. His gaze finally landed on Xia Hong at the head of the hall, and an unconcealable shock filled his eyes.

He had just followed Xia Chuan to Gourd Valley to rescue Xia Hong. Although he had appeared calm and collected throughout the entire ordeal, only he knew how shocked he truly was.

Li Xuanling, Li Xuandu, Li Xuanyan—the three Young Lords of Longshan. Meng Ying and Zhou Yuan—two of the Eight Great Guardians. And the expert archer Yang Fengping, whose strength was second only to Li Tianhua and Li Tiancheng. Excluding Li Tiancheng, these six were practically the strongest Frostwarden realm experts Longshan had at the moment.

In Chen Yingyuan’s view, those six men, plus a thousand soldiers from the Longyou Army, could kill anyone in all of Longyou except for Li Tianhua. Even if Li Tianhua’s younger brother, Li Tiancheng, had shown up, he would have been walking to his death.

And yet, their attempt to kill Xia Hong had failed!

Regardless of whether it was because Xia Chuan arrived with reinforcements in time, the result was that Xia Hong had not died. Not only was he alive, but aside from the arrow Yang Fengping had shot into his face and a few other non-critical arrow wounds, he had suffered no fatal injuries.

Chen Yingyuan couldn’t be certain if Xia Hong was stronger than Li Tianhua.

But he was sure that Xia Hong was definitely stronger than Li Tiancheng and Hou Hu!

A leader whose strength was enough to dominate Longyou; at least twenty Frostwarden realm experts; and an Earthforger realm force of over three thousand…

Putting aside the Longyou Army and the Blood Guard Army, Great Xia was already not too far behind Longshan and Zhaoyang in these three aspects alone. Not to mention, these were just his own conservative estimates.

There’s more. I’ve seen the pale gold armor worn by Great Xia’s soldiers and the weapons they use. Although they’re only Ten-forged grade, they’re comparable to the Hundred-forged grade items here in Longyou. This proves that Great Xia’s forging techniques are far superior. Then there are their clothes, the pills they use…

Faced with the astonishing number of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts and combining it with what he had seen and heard over the past few days, Chen Yingyuan’s shock at Great Xia’s strength grew. He turned to look at Chen Yingba beside him and could not help but sigh softly.

The Hive was, after all, gone in all but name. He had to start considering a future path for himself and his brother.

Great Xia… seems like a pretty good option!

…………

“Twenty-three want to join Great Xia? Not bad at all!”

Xia Hong, of course, had no idea that Chen Yingyuan was contemplating joining him. Hearing Qiu Peng report that twenty-three Earthforger realm members wanted to defect to Great Xia, he was clearly surprised and showed a look of keen interest.

But he soon noticed the unwillingness on the faces of Qiu Peng, Xia Chuan, and the others. Realizing they still hadn’t grasped his intentions, he shook his head with a helpless sigh.

“Let me ask you all a question.”

After a moment of thought, Xia Hong spoke slowly, drawing everyone’s attention before continuing, “Suppose, just suppose, that one day in the future, Great Xia suffers a defeat. You are captured by the enemy, and they demand that you renounce Great Xia and join their camp. Would you be willing?”

“Of course not!”

“Impossible.”

“I, Luo Yuan, live and die for Great Xia. I would never join any other camp.”

…………

Upon hearing this question, everyone from Great Xia, except for Chen Yingyuan’s group, answered almost without thinking. Many even looked angry, clearly feeling that Xia Hong’s question was somewhat insulting.

As for Xia Chuan, he didn’t even open his mouth. He simply lowered his brows, already pondering his father’s true meaning.

A hint of satisfaction appeared on Xia Hong’s face. He smiled and continued, “Since none of you would be willing, what makes you think others would be?”

“I understand what the Leader means, and I never intended to…”

Qiu Peng started to rebut but was cut off by Xia Hong raising a hand.

“Whether we coerce them into joining Great Xia or forcibly take them back as mine slaves, the end result is the same: their resistance toward Great Xia will only grow stronger. They might even look for any opportunity to rebel and escape back to their original camps. Do you admit this or not?”

Seeing them all lower their heads in deep thought, Xia Hong didn’t wait for an answer and continued, “You don’t need to guess. When I infiltrated the Hive camp, I spent time in the mining area and interacted with the mine slaves. I know very well what they think. Even if you don’t believe me, there is one person you should believe…”

Xia Hong’s gaze shifted, landing on Chen Yingyuan in the back row to his left. A faint smile touched his lips. “The Hive has been capturing mine slaves for many years. Leader Chen should understand their mentality best. How about you explain it to us?”

Suddenly being called upon, Chen Yingyuan was slightly caught off guard. He immediately stood up, first bowing to Xia Hong with his hands clasped, before speaking with a helpless tone, “I would never dare accept the title of Leader. If you do not mind, Leader, you may simply call me by my name.”

This Chen Yingyuan is quite tactful!

Xia Hong nodded with a slight smile. He knew full well that unlike Peng Bo, who had joined willingly, Chen Yingyuan, his brother, and Wu Tianxing were being so obedient because all of their family members were currently in Xiacheng.

Controlling three Frostwarden realm experts this way was not a long-term solution, and Xia Hong naturally understood that. But for the time being, he couldn’t find any other way to win them over, so this would have to do.

“Alright, then I won’t be polite. Chen Yingyuan, tell them!”

Hearing this, Chen Yingyuan’s expression relaxed considerably. He began to speak to Xia Chuan and the others about the Hive’s mine slaves.

“To be frank with you all, nearly all of the Hive’s mine slaves were acquired when we wiped out other camps. Therefore, almost without exception, they all hate the Hive with a passion. Even the few who eventually joined the Hive felt no loyalty to the camp. The moment a better opportunity arose, they would leave immediately. And those were the better ones. Before…”

Chen Yingyuan had also been a leader, so he could roughly guess Xia Hong’s intentions. He quickly gave a clear account of the situation with the Hive’s mine slaves.

It was just as Xia Hong had suspected. Anyone who was captured and forced into servitude as a mine slave became psychologically twisted and bore a deep-seated hatred for the Hive. As Chen Yingyuan said, those who managed to escape were the lucky ones.

The Hive had once experienced a mine slave revolt that resulted in many casualties. After that incident, the Hive was forced to forge more iron shackles to control them, and Chen Yingyuan had to assign a large number of men to guard the mining area, constantly vigilant against another uprising.

After finishing his account, Chen Yingyuan said in a solemn voice, “Thinking back on it now, the mine slave system is truly flawed. Even if it is to be implemented, the number of slaves must be strictly controlled. Once there are too many, they become a huge hidden danger. Not only does it waste a great deal of iron, coal, and manpower, but it brings little benefit.

“Because these people were all captured, they don’t put any effort into mining, only thinking about doing the bare minimum. As a result, the output is poor, and they stir up revolts from time to time. In the end, the losses for the camp outweighed the gains!”

As his voice fell, everyone else in the hall sank into contemplation.

Xia Hong looked at Chen Yingyuan with a trace of approval in his eyes. To be able to speak these final words showed that Chen Yingyuan was no fool; he had genuinely thought about the institution of mine slavery.

He gave everyone a moment to think. Seeing that many of them had started to understand, Xia Hong spoke again, “I said yesterday in the secret tunnel in Gourd Valley that letting all these people go is the first step for Great Xia to conquer Longyou. It seems none of you have figured it out yet. What do you think is the most important thing for us to conquer Longyou?”

“Strength, of course!”

Luo Yuan’s answer won unanimous agreement from the others.

Xia Hong nodded and continued to ask, “Then do you think Great Xia’s current strength is enough?”

Their expressions froze, and everyone, including Xia Chuan, shook their heads in unison.

Of course it wasn’t enough!

First, in terms of Frostwarden realm experts, Great Xia could at best contend with Longshan and Zhaoyang; it held no significant advantage.

Second, in terms of Earthforger realm members, Xia Hong had already told them about Zhaoyang’s situation—at least five thousand. Longshan, needless to say, had even more.

Finally, putting those two factors aside for the moment, until Great Xia established its own professional standing army dedicated to offensive warfare, the Longyou Army and the Blood Guard Army were two mountains they could not cross. Xia Hong felt this especially deeply after being ambushed in Gourd Valley.

Great Xia’s productivity was indeed impressive, but it was far from enough to close the gap between them and the two powers of Longshan and Zhaoyang.

Therefore, at present, it was impossible for Great Xia to conquer Longyou by relying on strength alone!

If strength wasn’t enough, they had to find another way.

Xia Hong wouldn’t have asked this question for no reason. Everyone lowered their heads in thought. Connecting it to his current intention to release the Earthforger realm members from Longshan and Zhaoyang, their expressions turned serious as the answer quickly formed in their minds.

“The Leader means that if we can’t win with strength, then we must first win their hearts!”

Having been a leader himself, Chen Yingyuan saw through Xia Hong’s thinking in a single sentence.

“Correct. It’s about winning their hearts!”

A look of approval crossed Xia Hong’s face as he continued, “I already saved their lives once in Gourd Valley. After returning to Wushuang, we saved them a second time with the Congealing Fire Salve. The debt of being saved twice is enough to make these people feel favorably toward Great Xia. Even if they return to their respective camps, they will naturally hold back whenever they face Great Xia in the future. Moreover, this sentiment is very likely to spread to the rest of Longshan and Zhaoyang upon their return.”

Hearing these words, Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and the others showed contemplative expressions, as if they were beginning to grasp Xia Hong’s plan.

“To Longyou, Great Xia will always be an outsider. We conquered the Hive, Wushuang, and Hanqiong through military might, and very few of their Earthforger realm members are left, so we don’t need to consider their resentment. But it’s a different story with the other camps!”

Xia Hong paused, his gaze sweeping across the hall as he continued, “You all must remember, Great Xia’s expansion is for territory, but more importantly, for population. If everyone in Longyou hates us, then even if we occupy this land, will you be able to live and hunt here in peace? Can you truly govern this region?”

“Furthermore, after taking over the Hive, Wushuang, and Hanqiong, the camp’s new population has grown by nearly seventy thousand. Most of these people are still in Longyou. Escorting them all back to Xiacheng is a massive undertaking. The subsequent integration will be another massive project. The manpower and resources required are already immense. If we cause more trouble over these sixteen hundred-odd Earthforger realm members, the losses will far outweigh the gains!”

“The biggest obstacles before us right now are the Longyou Army and the Blood Guard Army. If we were to truly go to war with them, do you think the current Great Xia could win? We need time, a great deal of time. First, to properly assimilate this new population. Second, to do everything in our power to close the strength gap between us and Longshan and Zhaoyang!”

…………

After Xia Hong finished his speech, shame appeared on everyone’s faces, including Xia Chuan’s.

Over the past few days, Great Xia had advanced triumphantly, conquering three camps in succession. This string of victories had made them all a little arrogant, and they had even started to underestimate Longshan and Zhaoyang.

Now, abruptly awakened to the fact that Great Xia was still weaker than those two powers, a cold sweat broke out on their backs.

Seeing the atmosphere in the hall turn heavy and knowing that everyone had sobered up, Xia Hong’s eyes first showed a hint of satisfaction. Then, a thought occurred to him, and a dark glint flashed in his eyes as he said slowly, “Besides, these more than sixteen hundred Earthforger realm members were all abandoned once by Li Xuanling and Hou Tong. Don’t you think there might be some resentment in their hearts?”

The eyes of Xia Chuan and the others instantly lit up.

In the back of the hall, Chen Yingyuan and the other three lowered their heads in thought for a moment. When they looked up at Xia Hong again, an inexplicable chill rose in their hearts.

“Li Xuanling, Hou Tong, and the others were likely all infected with Dewdrop. Both camps should have some silver, but from what I know, silver is rare. They certainly don’t have enough for everyone. Therefore, the Dewdrop plague among many of their people remains unresolved. If we let these sixteen hundred-plus people go back and take the news of the Congealing Fire Salve with them, what do you think they’ll do? Will they come to us?”

With the explanation reaching this point, Xia Chuan, Qiu Peng, Luo Yuan, and the rest finally and completely understood Xia Hong’s intentions. Their expressions immediately brightened.

Qiu Peng, who was in charge of the Logistics Department, was especially excited upon hearing the last part. Recalling how he had just dared to question Xia Hong, his face flushed with shame. He walked to the center of the hall and knelt before Xia Hong.

“This subordinate was short-sighted and nearly ruined the Leader’s grand plan. Please forgive me, Leader!”

Xia Hong shook his head. Not only would he not blame Qiu Peng, but he actually appreciated his courage to question him. After all, it meant Qiu Peng had his own thoughts and opinions, rather than being a subordinate who only followed orders blindly.

It had to be said that among Great Xia’s current Frostwarden realm experts, not many possessed this quality. According to Xia Hong’s observations, only Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Yue Feng, and Xu Ning had previously shown it.

Given Xia Hong’s supreme status in the hearts of his people, possessing this quality required courage, vision, and strength—all three were indispensable. Therefore, in Xia Hong’s eyes, anyone with this quality was capable of holding their own.

This was why Yue Feng and Xu Ning could serve as the Garrison Commanders of Jinggu Valley and Wuyuan, respectively.

Today, there was one more: Qiu Peng. Xia Hong was naturally even happier, as it meant that more and more talented individuals were emerging within Great Xia.

A smile appeared on Xia Hong’s face. As a thought crossed his mind, he suddenly spoke to those below:

“As for those twenty-three who want to join Great Xia, you should spend some effort investigating their situation thoroughly. Don’t just accept them carelessly. Just as we want to gather intelligence on Longshan and Zhaoyang, they might also want to gather intelligence on us.”

Everyone was stunned by his words. After a moment of thought, they understood Xia Hong’s meaning and all looked toward Qiu Peng.

Qiu Peng, who had just delivered the news of the twenty-three defectors, turned pale upon realizing the implication. A look of lingering fear appeared on his face. He looked up at Xia Hong, about to speak, but Xia Hong simply waved his hand.

“Handle the specific details yourselves. I’m going to begin my cultivation. Come find me only if something exceptional occurs.”

“Yes, Leader!”

Everyone bowed and then respectfully exited the hall.

As soon as they were outside, Qiu Peng immediately fell in step behind Xia Chuan.

“Lord Prefect, did the Leader mean that those twenty-three people are very likely feigning their defection to gather intelligence on Great Xia?”

Walking ahead, Xia Chuan nodded slightly, a cold glint in his eyes.

“Not necessarily all of them, but it’s highly probable that a few have been mixed in. That’s why the Leader told us to investigate thoroughly. There are still more than two hours until dark. First, call those twenty-three in for questioning one by one. As it happens, I have an idea…”

As Qiu Peng listened to the rest of Xia Chuan’s words, his eyes grew brighter, and a look of clear admiration appeared on his face. He waited until Xia Chuan finished before speaking.

“I’ll see to it at once!”

Chapter 255: A Thousand Gold for a Horse’s Bones, Yang and Li Pledge Allegiance

At daybreak, on the first floor of the Wushuang main building.

Ordinarily, it would be time to sleep, but Li Hu sat on the edge of his bed, his gaze flickering toward the door, his face fraught with anxiety.

“They’re not going to do something to Ah Zhong, are they? Could it be that our identities have been exposed? No, no, even if they were, Ah Zhong and I just declared our intent to join Great Xia. They have even less reason to move against us…”

Before dawn, the more than sixteen hundred Earthforger realm experts from Longshan and Zhaoyang had all been assigned to rest on the first floor of the Wushuang main building. He had been lucky enough to be assigned the same room as Yang Zhong.

But just a moment ago, someone from Great Xia had come and taken Yang Zhong away.

No matter how much he asked, the person wouldn’t say a thing, only telling him not to worry. But more than ten minutes had passed, and Yang Zhong still hadn’t returned. As Li Hu worried for his brother’s safety, his mind couldn’t help but race with wild thoughts.

Neither he nor Yang Zhong had reached the thirty thousand catty limit in their base strength; they weren’t particularly powerful. Thinking it over, he felt that the only value the two of them might have to Great Xia was their rather unique parentage.

But the problem was, what use was the status of an illegitimate son?

Neither his father, Li Xuantian, nor Yang Zhong’s father, Yang Fengping, had ever cared about them in the slightest. This was common knowledge throughout Longshan.

“Could it be that Great Xia doesn’t know this and thinks they can use us as leverage against Longshan?”

The more Li Hu thought, the more uneasy he became, and his worry for Yang Zhong grew.

But soon, his anxiety came to an abrupt halt with the sound of approaching footsteps.

The door was opened from the outside. Yang Zhong, his expression complicated, walked in carrying a heavy bundle, followed by two Great Xia soldiers.

“Ah Zhong, how are you?”

Li Hu shot up from the bed and instinctively asked Yang Zhong what was going on. But before Yang Zhong could answer, the two Great Xia soldiers cut him off.

“Don’t speak. Li Hu, come with me!”

Li Hu’s expression froze. He saw that Yang Zhong didn’t speak but merely mouthed something to him with a complex look. Seeming to understand, he gave a slight nod and followed the two Great Xia soldiers out of the room.

In the main building’s corridor, there was no one else besides the Great Xia soldiers posted as sentries every five steps and guards every ten.

Li Hu followed silently behind the two men. They soon reached the top floor and arrived at an antechamber off the main hall.

As he reached the doorway, a rich, meaty aroma wafted into his nostrils. Li Hu froze for a moment. After taking a careful sniff, a look of intoxicated curiosity appeared on his face.

“It smells like intermediate-grade beast meat. How can it be so fragrant?”

Li Hu led a hunting team in Longshan, so he immediately recognized the scent as originating from intermediate-grade beast meat. Yet the aroma clearly carried an unfamiliar fragrance that instantly piqued his curiosity.

“You’re in for a treat, kid. Get in there!”

The two Great Xia soldiers who had brought him couldn’t help but take a few sniffs of the aroma themselves, then urged him inside with a hint of envy on their faces.

“Thank you for showing me the way!”

Li Hu cupped his hands in a salute before slowly stepping into the antechamber.

Inside the antechamber, two men were seated around a small iron pot. The fragrance he had smelled was clearly wafting from it.

“Li Hu pays his respects to the Lord Prefect and to Lord Qiu Peng!”

Li Hu walked forward quickly and bowed to each of them in turn.

He had seen both men before. The young man in black on the left bore a seventy percent resemblance to the Leader, Xia Hong, whom he had seen earlier; he must be the one the Great Xia people called the Lord Prefect, Xia Chuan. The man on the right was Qiu Peng, the one who had announced they would be allowed to leave when they were handing out the Congealing Fire Salve.

“You and that good brother of yours, Yang Zhong, are both quite sharp.”

Xia Chuan made no effort to hide the appreciation on his face. When Yang Zhong had entered just before, he too had paid respects to him first, then to Qiu Peng.

“Their names are quite interesting!”

Having just learned Li Hu’s and Yang Zhong’s names, Xia Chuan now understood what Xia Hong had meant.

Three years ago, of the two men from Beishuo Town who had come to Redwood Ridge to throw their weight around, one was also named Li Hu. The other’s surname was also Yang, but his given name was Ning.

Thinking of that Li Hu and Yang Ning, a cold glint flashed in Xia Chuan’s eyes. He had never forgotten those two, especially the kick from Li Hu, which he still remembered vividly.

However, now was not the time to dwell on such things.

With a slight shift in his thoughts, Xia Chuan gave Qiu Peng a look.

Qiu Peng understood and nodded, extending a hand in invitation. “Li Hu, we should be about the same age. Make yourself at home. Come, sit and eat with us!”

Li Hu’s face showed some apprehension. But remembering the words Yang Zhong had mouthed to him just before he came, he pondered for a moment before gathering his courage and sitting down beside Xia Chuan and Qiu Peng.

The two brothers shared a deep understanding and trust. The words Yang Zhong had mouthed were “Be honest and straightforward.”

If that was the case, then he just needed to be honest and straightforward.

Li Hu sat at the table and, without waiting for Xia Chuan or Qiu Peng to speak, grabbed a piece of Frost Beast meat with his bare hands and stuffed it into his mouth.

Last night, they first assaulted Hanqiong and then encountered an anomaly. Not just him, but everyone from Longshan, Zhaoyang, and Hanqiong had gone more than twenty hours without food. They were all starving. Now that there was finally something to eat, and with Qiu Peng’s explicit invitation, he naturally wasn’t going to be polite. He dug right in.

But the moment the first bite of Frost Beast meat entered his mouth, Li Hu was stunned!

An unprecedented flavor exploded in his mouth, instantly filling his tongue and nasal passages with its unique taste. It was an incredibly refreshing sensation, making him feel as if every pore on his body had opened up.

“How can it be so delicious? Can this be… advanced-grade beast meat?”

In the end, Li Hu was too embarrassed to ask the question. He devoured three large pieces of beast meat in one go. Only when he looked up and saw the faint smiles on Xia Chuan and Qiu Peng’s faces did he hastily wipe his mouth, a bashful expression on his face.

“Don’t be polite. Keep eating. Use chopsticks. There’s more if this isn’t enough…”

Qiu Peng smiled and handed him a pair of chopsticks, gesturing for him to continue eating. After a moment’s thought, he went on, “A total of nine people from Longshan have expressed their desire to join Great Xia. Seven of them are from Changning, Songyuan, and Yucheng. They only recently joined Longshan, so it’s understandable they’d want to go elsewhere. But you and Yang Zhong are the only exceptions. Not only did you grow up in Longshan, but you could also be considered disciples of proper, direct lineage. Li Hu, do you think Great Xia will accept you and Yang Zhong?”

Clatter…

Hearing the final question, Li Hu put down his chopsticks, a trace of anger on his face. “Lord, since you already know everything, why must you use those words, ‘proper, direct lineage,’ to mock us?”

His status as an illegitimate son had always been a source of pain for Li Hu.

He didn’t covet the bloodline of the Longshan Li clan. He only hated that his status had caused the death of his mother, Li Yuning, robbing him of a normal family and preventing him from growing up like any other child.

His status as an illegitimate son had brought him nothing but pain and misery, no tangible benefits whatsoever. He never considered himself a member of the Longshan Li clan; his surname had always been his mother’s, Li.

And now, it seemed Great Xia was also unwilling to accept them because of their parentage.

A miserable look suddenly appeared on Li Hu’s face. He clenched his fists, then rose to his feet. “Since Great Xia is unwilling to take us, Yang Zhong and I will just leave after dark. My lords…”

“Not so fast!”

Just then, Qiu Peng suddenly cut Li Hu off and pushed him back down into his seat.

Li Hu, who hadn’t even reached the thirty thousand catty limit, was naturally powerless to resist. He could only glare at Qiu Peng indignantly, his eyes still burning with anger.

At that moment, Xia Chuan, sitting on the other side, began to speak.

“Zhu Rou’s father, Zhu Xing, is in the Frostwarden realm. Her son, Li Wuqing, is only a year older than you, but he started using Beast Blood two years ago. Whether you return to Longshan or go elsewhere, barring any miracles, your wish to avenge your mother will forever remain a distant dream…”

Hearing this, Li Hu’s expression went rigid, and the fury on his face intensified. But before he could react, Xia Chuan continued.

“And that’s to say nothing of Yang Zhong. His mother was forced to her death by Li Xuanqiu. Li Xuanqiu himself is a Frostwarden realm expert, and his father, Li Tiancheng, is currently Longshan’s strongest. The difficulty of his revenge is even greater than yours!”

They hadn’t just investigated him; they had a crystal-clear picture of Yang Zhong’s situation as well.

The anger on Li Hu’s face slowly subsided. Once he had calmed down completely, he looked at Xia Chuan again, a glimmer of hope gradually rising in his eyes. He said directly,

“Lord, please speak your mind.”

Since they had gone to such great lengths to investigate him and Yang Zhong, it proved that Great Xia had a purpose for them.

Looking at the delicious beast meat on the table—a delicacy he had never tasted before—and at Xia Chuan, whose status was second only to Leader Xia Hong, Li Hu already had a few guesses in mind.

Smart indeed!

Seeing Li Hu’s reaction, Xia Chuan couldn’t help but sigh in admiration once more.

If Li Hu’s gesture of bowing to them in the proper order only showed that he and Yang Zhong were observant, then his current reaction was enough to prove that his astuteness far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

“Good. Since you’re a smart man, I won’t waste words!”

Xia Chuan nodded at Qiu Peng, who immediately retrieved a large bundle from behind him. He then took out its contents one by one and placed them on the table.

First was an iron canister about ten centimeters in diameter, filled with a pure white crystalline substance. Smelling the fragrance wafting from the canister, Li Hu immediately realized something and looked at the beast meat on the table.

“This is salt. The beast meat you just ate was so delicious because we added this. You should also feel something in your body after eating it. Its effect isn’t just limited to making food taste good.”

Next came two wooden boxes. Xia Chuan opened them to reveal pills. The box on the left held fifteen emerald-green pills, while the one on the right contained only five golden ones.

“The green ones are Beast Origin Pills, which can increase your cultivation speed by thirty to fifty percent. The golden ones are called Blood Sore Pills, healing medicine for Frostwarden realm experts. For you, they are lifesaving treasures.”

The third item was a large bag of azure-blue beast meat, with faint red patterns running through it. A single glance told him it was intermediate-grade beast meat.

“Five hundred catties of intermediate-grade beast meat. Your base strength is twenty-eight thousand catties. With this batch of meat, plus that canister of salt and that bottle of Beast Origin Pills, I estimate you’ll be close to the thirty thousand catty limit by the time you’ve used them all.”

These three items alone were enough to make Li Hu’s breathing grow heavy.

But Qiu Peng wasn’t finished. He took out a leather pouch.

Xia Chuan took the pouch, opened it, and placed it in front of Li Hu.

Li Hu leaned forward. Seeing the crimson blood inside and smelling the incredibly familiar wild scent, his voice immediately became filled with excitement.

“Is this… Beast Blood?”

“That’s right. Beast Blood. Beast Blood that can help you reforge your Hide!”

Xia Chuan smiled, lightly weighing the pouch in his hand as he continued,

“This pouch contains about fifty catties. Technically, you can’t use it yet, but I can give it to you now. And in the future, when you break through to the Frostwarden realm, whatever amount of Beast Blood you need, Great Xia will provide it all…”

“Lord, you want me to return to Longshan and act as Great Xia’s inside agent, right?”

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Having endured scorn his entire life, Li Hu understood this deeply. Although each of the four items before him was something he had dreamed of, he quickly calmed himself and voiced what he believed to be Xia Chuan’s intention.

Other than that, he simply couldn’t figure out why Great Xia would prepare so many wonderful things for him.

Unfortunately, he had guessed wrong.

“Hahahaha…”

Hearing his words, Xia Chuan’s expression first went blank, then he burst into laughter. After a long moment, he looked at Li Hu and asked,

“Li Hu, how much use do you think one Earthforger realm inside agent is to us? And to buy over an Earthforger realm agent, would we really need to offer such a high price?”

These two questions instantly sobered Li Hu up.

For powerful, massive strongholds like Great Xia and Longshan, a single Earthforger realm agent truly wouldn’t be of much use. And buying one over certainly wouldn’t require such a high price.

Then why was he being given all these things?

Li Hu looked at Xia Chuan, his expression growing even more bewildered.

“You’re a smart man, so I won’t beat around the bush. I’ll tell you the truth. Last night, when the anomaly was killing people in the Hanqiong garrison, our Leader saw how you and Yang Zhong still upheld your brotherly bond at the moment of life and death. He felt that you two are talents worth cultivating.

We following our Leader’s words, we investigated your and Yang Zhong’s backgrounds and found that he was right. Your talents are both impressive, and your character is very much to Great Xia’s liking. Crucially, you also had the idea of joining us. So all of this, and what comes after, is all a test for you from Great Xia!”

A test?

Li Hu’s brow furrowed. He thought for a long time, and after grasping the meaning of the words, his expression changed dramatically. He looked up at Xia Chuan.

“Lord, you mean, I am to return to Longshan?”

“Correct. Great Xia does need inside agents, but an agent in the Earthforger realm can’t access Longshan’s core and can’t be of much use. So I need you to break through to the Frostwarden realm. Until you do, Great Xia won’t ask you to do a single thing. If you need resources, you can send word at any time, and we will deliver them. How about it? It’s a pretty good deal, isn’t it?”

Great Xia truly possesses such boldness!

The shock in Li Hu’s heart did not subside for a long time. He looked at Xia Chuan, his face a mask of complex emotions, unable to speak.

Xia Chuan’s meaning was clear. Since it was a test, there was a chance of success or failure.

Success meant he would use the resources given by Great Xia to break through to the Frostwarden realm, then successfully become Great Xia’s agent in Longshan and assist them.

Failure meant he would still use Great Xia’s resources to reach the Frostwarden realm, but he would not become their agent. He would have deceived Great Xia and remained a man of Longshan.

The thing was, no matter how you looked at it, he and Yang Zhong wouldn’t lose out in this process.

Great Xia was using all these resources to make a wager—a wager on his and Yang Zhong’s character, a wager that they hadn’t misjudged them.

Li Hu instantly understood why Yang Zhong’s expression had been so complicated when he returned. He also understood what he had meant by mouthing “be honest and straightforward.”

Because they both sought revenge for their mothers’ deaths, defecting from Longshan posed absolutely no psychological burden for either him or Yang Zhong.

If defecting could also bring them immense benefits, they wouldn’t hesitate for even a second.

Most importantly, the trust that Xia Chuan, Qiu Peng—or rather, Great Xia—was showing him at this very moment was something Li Hu had never experienced in his twenty-plus years in Longshan.

Li Hu’s expression gradually grew emotional. He didn’t look at the items on the table. Instead, he left his seat, turned to face Xia Chuan and Qiu Peng, and bowed deeply. In a voice filled with solemnity, he said,

“Lord, from this day forward, in life or in death, Li Hu is a member of Great Xia!”

It’s settled…

Xia Chuan nodded with a faint smile, his gaze on Li Hu growing increasingly satisfied.

Yang Zhong’s final reaction had been exactly the same.

These two brothers were truly cut from the same cloth.

Of the twenty-three people, it was likely that only these two brothers would be able to bring Great Xia a pleasant surprise.

Chapter 256: A Shortage of Meat, a Shortage of Manpower, a Timely Delivery

The second year of Great Xia, the twenty-eighth of April.

As night fell, a massive crowd of people streamed out from the entrance of the Wushuang giant rock stronghold. All of them carried weapons, and a few even wore iron armor. As they walked out the gates, they looked at the people of Great Xia, their eyes holding varying degrees of gratitude and emotion.

Someone in the crowd turned back and bowed to the iron gate, and the others followed suit, each offering a respectful bow before departing.

Inside the iron gate, seeing the behavior of the Earthforgers from Longshan and Zhaoyang, a smile touched Qiu Peng’s lips. He turned to Xia Chuan and chuckled.

“People’s hearts are made of flesh and blood, after all. The Leader was right. These people were saved by Great Xia twice, and now we’ve returned all their weapons and equipment without losing a single piece and let them all go. No matter what, they’ll remember this favor from Great Xia in their hearts.”

“It’s more than just a little favor…”

The smile on Xia Chuan’s face widened as he shook his head and continued, “Think about what happened in Gourd Valley. Then you’ll understand why they bowed like that.”

Qiu Peng pondered for a moment and quickly understood.

“That’s right. Last night in Gourd Valley, Li Xuanling led his men to ambush the Leader. These Earthforgers witnessed it with their own eyes. The Longshan group was even part of the ambush. As for Zhaoyang’s people, they hid inside the valley from start to finish, watching from the sidelines. Even if they didn’t directly participate, they were accomplices.”

After the attempt to kill Xia Hong failed, Li Xuanling led his men to attack the inner valley. Hou Tong led the defense, and then Wu Xiong revealed his true anomaly form, unleashing a massacre inside the valley and driving away Li Xuanling and the other Frostwarden realm experts. Just as he was about to turn the entire Gourd Valley into a living hell, Xia Hong appeared once again and saved them.

After piecing together the entire sequence of events, Qiu Peng couldn’t help but look back toward the main building where Xia Hong was, a heartfelt respect rising in his eyes.

“The ambush in Gourd Valley was clearly a joint plot by Longshan and Zhaoyang. After Big Brother escaped with his life, not only did he not hold a grudge, but he went back to save them in their moment of crisis. This isn’t just a simple matter of saving their lives. As long as these one thousand six hundred-plus people have a shred of conscience left, it’s highly unlikely they would ever take the initiative to attack our Great Xia in the future.”

“This must be what the Leader meant before when he spoke of repaying grievances with virtue, right? I didn’t quite understand it before, but today I’ve finally witnessed it firsthand.”

Although Qiu Peng now fully understood the actions of those people, what he felt more was a deep reverence and admiration for Xia Hong’s magnanimity.

“Ultimately, it comes down to his vision and strategic thinking. What Big Brother has in mind is probably too vast… never mind you, even I can’t fully grasp it!”

Xia Chuan sighed softly, a sense of urgency building within him. Seeing Xia Hong again after four months, he could clearly feel that the gap between him and his big brother was widening. This gap wasn’t just in terms of strength, but even more so in magnanimity, vision, and strategic foresight.

“The biggest reason we can’t take Longyou right now is because of us. We can’t keep dragging the Leader down like this anymore. Great Xia’s overall strength, and our individual strengths, must be accelerated!”

Qiu Peng nodded heavily, a look of shame appearing in his eyes.

Strictly speaking, Longyou currently had three major powers: Great Xia, Zhaoyang, and Longshan.

In terms of top-tier combat strength, Great Xia was not inferior at all. They all knew what had happened on the west side of Longshan on the night of the fourteenth. Neither Li Tiancheng nor Hou Hu was a match for their Leader.

The biggest problem now was the Blood Guard Army and the Longyou Army, as well as the fact that Longshan and Zhaoyang had far more Earthforgers than Great Xia.

To put it bluntly, it was a problem with the subordinates!

“Have Luo Yuan and Zhu Yuan finished counting the numbers?”

At Xia Chuan’s question, Qiu Peng immediately nodded. “They spent four hours this morning on it. The count is done, and they’ve reported it all to me.”

As he spoke, he took out a ledger from his robes and continued:

“Last night, a total of 17,421 people arrived from Hanqiong, among them 2,931 Earthforgers. After subtracting the 1,672 from Zhaoyang and Longshan who just left, 1,259 Earthforgers from the Hanqiong camp remain, and they are now considered our people. That was Luo Yuan’s count.

Next is Zhu Yuan. During the distribution of Congealing Fire Salve last night, 421 people died in the Dewdrop plague outbreak, almost all of them ordinary people without any cultivation. Among the remaining 14,069 people, 4,282 are at the Lumberjack realm, and the rest are ordinary people.”

Yuwen Tao was still recuperating at the Hive, so matters concerning the Earthforgers were naturally handled by Luo Yuan, the Vice-Prefect of the Hunting Department. Zhu Yuan was the Prefect of the Civil Affairs Department, so he was responsible for most population-related issues.

Xia Chuan didn’t react, merely continuing to look at Qiu Peng.

Understanding his gaze, Qiu Peng flipped through the ledger and continued:

“Here in Wushuang, excluding the 821 who were captured in battle with us, the total population is 28,814. There are no Earthforgers, but there are 3,821 at the Lumberjack realm. The remaining ordinary people number 24,993.

The Hive has 129 Earthforgers, 3,639 Lumberjacks, and 29,273 ordinary people.”

“What’s the status of the Hive’s relocation?”

“The relocation from the Hive started long ago. Meng Yi and Yue Feng, who is stationed in Jinggu Valley, began coordinating three days ago. According to the plan they agreed on, it should take a total of six days to move all the ordinary people to Xiacheng.”

Xia Chuan nodded. He had helped create the relocation plan, so he knew all the details. It had been decided three days ago: after all the prisoners were escorted back, the ordinary people would be given priority for relocation to Xiacheng, while the Lumberjacks and Earthforgers would remain for the time being.

“129 from the Hive, 1,259 from Hanqiong last night… that’s a total of 1,388 new Earthforgers. We had 1,000 Earthforgers stationed at the Hive, and we currently have 1,472 in Wushuang. All told, that’s…”

Xia Chuan murmured softly, his expression gradually turning grim.

“3,860 people!”

This was the total number of Earthforgers Great Xia currently had available in Longyou. Qiu Peng clearly knew this number and stated it directly without needing to calculate.

However, after saying it, his expression also grew grim.

Evidently, he had realized the same thing as Xia Chuan.

“No wonder the Leader said our strength is insufficient. Forget comparing us to the Blood Guard Army or the Longyou Army, we don’t even have as many available Earthforgers as either of those two factions!”

“It’s not that we don’t have as many, it’s that we’re far behind. Setting aside the number of Longshan’s own Earthforgers, they took over Yucheng, Changning, and Songyuan through decapitation strikes. If handled properly, the Earthforgers from those three camps can be armed and fighting for Longshan very soon.

Zhaoyang is even more of a threat. The three camps of Xiling, Dongkang, and Baiyuan haven’t even been committed to battle yet. The forces under those three, plus Zhaoyang’s own 3,500-plus people, mean their Earthforger numbers also far exceed ours!”

Hearing this, Qiu Peng’s expression became even heavier. “Before coming to Longyou, Great Xia had a total of 2,941 Earthforgers. We’ve already dispatched 2,600 of them. After factoring in the 100 stationed at Wuyuan and Jinggu Valley, there are only a little over 200 Earthforgers left guarding Xiacheng. Even if some more have broken through, the total can’t be over 300. We can’t spare any more people to send over!”

Today was April twenty-eighth. Great Xia had only started moving troops to Longyou eight days ago. In eight days, even if people were breaking through to the Earthforger realm every day, there wouldn’t be too many new ones.

Only a little over two hundred Earthforgers were left guarding Xiacheng.

Xia Chuan, whose attention had been entirely focused on Longyou for days, suddenly heard this from Qiu Peng, and his face immediately darkened.

Even including the hundred men at Wuyuan and Jinggu Valley, the number of Earthforgers left guarding Xiacheng was now critically insufficient.

Earthforgers were not just a guarantee of the camp’s safety; they were also the providers of beast meat. Without them hunting, how would the people in Xiacheng get the beast meat they needed for cultivation?

The crucial point was that the people from the Hive were already migrating to Xiacheng, and Great Xia’s population had been growing steadily over the past four months. With all this, was the camp’s current supply of beast meat still enough?

“The Logistics Department has already started using its stockpiled beast meat, right?”

At Xia Chuan’s question, Qiu Peng gave a wry smile. “Not only have we started using the stockpiles, but the night before last, when the Director returned to Xiacheng to transfer one thousand six hundred people, I realized the meat supply would soon become a problem. I’ve already notified the department to raise the price of beast meat to five contribution points per catty. We have a considerable stockpile, and if the population had remained stable, we could have lasted for another two months at that price. But now…”

Xia Chuan’s brow furrowed.

Qiu Peng’s unfinished sentence was clearly referring to the recent population explosion in Xiacheng.

He was right. Xiacheng’s previous population was just over thirty thousand. If it had stayed at that number, the Logistics Department’s stockpile would have lasted a long time. But now, that was clearly no longer the case.

“The population has suddenly swelled by more than seventy thousand. Once all these people return to Xiacheng, I estimate that even if we double the price again, our current stockpile will only last for a month.”

“The price has already gone up tenfold. Doubling it again would make it twenty times the original price. We can’t do that. This new wave adds 77,604 people, more than double our original population. Setting the price too high won’t help them integrate quickly into Great Xia. We must find another way.”

Only now did Xia Chuan truly realize how correct Xia Hong’s words from that morning had been.

“We need to properly integrate this new population; we need to do everything we can to close the power gap between us, Longshan, and Zhaoyang. What the Leader said earlier was spot on. We’ve been so absorbed in the joy of capturing three camps that we forgot to pay attention to the situation back in Xiacheng.”

Clearly, Qiu Peng had come to the same realization.

“We now occupy Wushuang, Hanqiong, and the Hive. We’ve certainly gained a lot of territory in Longyou, but we don’t have the manpower to hold it. With 3,860 people… based on the combat strength of the thousand Longyou Army soldiers we saw in Gourd Valley last night, I estimate that if we exclude the Frostwarden realm experts, even if we gathered all our men in one place, we still might not be able to defend it.”

There was a hint of helplessness in Xia Chuan’s voice, but he quickly composed himself and said solemnly, “The Dewdrop plague isn’t over yet. Longshan and Zhaoyang will most likely come to us for Congealing Fire Salve. That alone is enough to keep them from starting a war with Great Xia. We must make good use of this window of opportunity.”

“I’ll find time to go back to Xiacheng. For now, we’ll tighten the supply of cultivation resources like beast meat and pills, as well as the spots in the martial arts hall. We’ll prioritize those who are on the verge of a breakthrough and cultivate a new batch of Earthforgers as quickly as possible. We’ll see if Xiacheng can solve the meat shortage with its existing people.”

“Good!”

Xia Chuan immediately nodded in agreement with Qiu Peng’s proposal and continued:

“When you go back, inform Meng Yi and Yue Feng that the relocation plan remains unchanged. The Hive will only be left with a contingent of Lumberjacks to guard the camp. We must get everyone back to Xiacheng as fast as possible. Also, have Meng Yi dispatch eight hundred men to return with the migration convoy. The beast meat shortage at the camp cannot be allowed to get too severe!”

“Send eight hundred back? Then we’ll only have three thousand men left here in Longyou?”

Seeing Qiu Peng’s confusion, Xia Chuan shook his head slightly. “It’s enough. Longshan and Zhaoyang won’t attack anytime soon. And if they really did throw everything they have at us, whether those eight hundred men are here or not wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

Xia Chuan took out a map of Longyou, studied it for a moment, and continued, “The Hive is located in the southeastern corner of Longyou. To its north is Hanqiong, and to its northwest is Wushuang. Yanglu, directly to its west, is currently a dead zone. Given what happened with the Dewdrop plague, no one will dare go there, so it serves as a natural barrier.

We don’t need to garrison troops at the Hive at all. We can concentrate all three thousand men in Wushuang and Hanqiong. Both Wushuang and Hanqiong have branches of the Longshan mountain range running through them. When there’s no fighting, we can organize our men to hunt in the mountains. The game they catch can be transported back through the Hive and Jinggu Valley, which can also help solve Xiacheng’s beast meat problem…”

Xia Chuan and Qiu Peng, focusing on Great Xia’s current predicament, actively discussed and debated solutions. Walking and talking, they unknowingly arrived at the main hall on the top floor of the building.

Just as they were finalizing their decision and Qiu Peng was about to take his leave to rush back to Xiacheng, he looked up and saw Xia Hong sitting at the head of the hall.

“Greetings, Leader!”

Xia Chuan was also surprised. Xia Hong, who had just said that morning that he would be entering secluded cultivation, had emerged so soon. He immediately bowed in respect.

“So you’ve finally realized you’re short on manpower, have you?”

Xia Hong looked down at the two of them, a slight smile on his face.

He had heard most of their discussion. He was naturally pleased that they had been able to so quickly identify Great Xia’s most pressing challenges.

Hearing Xia Hong’s teasing remark, the two looked down slightly, a little chagrined.

“It’s not too big of a problem. Xia Chuan is right, Longshan and Zhaoyang won’t be attacking anytime soon. You’ll have plenty of time to solve the beast meat shortage and the lack of Earthforgers!”

Realizing that Xia Hong had heard everything he had just said, Xia Chuan immediately asked, “Leader, you think my plan is sound?”

“Of course it is. In fact, I think eight hundred men is still too few. With this population increase, Great Xia’s total population will surpass one hundred thousand. The amount of beast meat a hundred thousand people consume daily is enormous. It’s impossible for just over a thousand Earthforgers to meet that demand by hunting. Let’s do this: send another one thousand men back. Two thousand Earthforgers will be enough to hold things down here in Longyou!”

Seeing Xia Hong give a direct order, Xia Chuan and Qiu Peng looked hesitant but nodded without raising any objections.

“Have Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Zhao Hu, and Zhao Bao take one thousand Earthforgers to garrison Gourd Valley. The rest of your men and the other one thousand Earthforgers will stay here in Wushuang. Also, send people to take inventory of all iron mines, coal mines, and any other special resources within Hanqiong, Wushuang, and the Hive’s territories, including all their stockpiled supplies. Aside from what you need to keep for use here, everything else can be gradually transported back to Xiacheng.

“Increasing a camp’s strength isn’t just about cultivation. It can be done in other ways, too!”

Increasing a camp’s strength isn’t just about cultivation.

It can be done in other ways, too.

Repeating Xia Hong’s words in their minds, Xia Chuan and Qiu Peng felt a jolt. As if they’d been enlightened, their eyes instantly lit up.

That’s right!

The number of Earthforgers was certainly a foundational part of a camp’s strength, but other aspects were just as important: weapons, armor, infrastructure, even the morale of the people…

“Leader, I understand!”

“Leader, Director, I’ll head back to Xiacheng right now.”

Qiu Peng’s comprehension was clearly excellent. He eagerly took his leave from them. Once Xia Hong nodded, he turned and left the hall, rushing toward Xiacheng.

“After you broke through to the Frostwarden realm, what was your strength again?”

As soon as Qiu Peng left, Xia Hong immediately asked Xia Chuan.

“Six Mane!”

“It hasn’t increased much since then, has it?”

Xia Chuan looked startled for a moment, then nodded. “Intermediate-grade beast meat has almost no effect on me anymore, and the boost from sunbathing is also minimal. There really hasn’t been much change.”

After replying, he saw Xia Hong take out a wooden box with a smile. A guess formed in Xia Chuan’s mind, and his expression turned excited.

Xia Hong opened the wooden box. Lying quietly inside were thirty drops of Hanping Jade Dew, the very ones he had obtained after killing the anomaly-controlled Wu Xiong.

“I already have the recipe for Refining Jade Bones, and the medicinal herbs we’ve gathered from Wushuang and Hanqiong are more than enough. Have your men prepare the coal and other ingredients. We’ll try Refining Jade Bones right here in Wushuang. It’ll also be a good opportunity for you all to experience how Frostwarden realm experts cultivate.”

“Alright, Big Brother! But…”

Xia Chuan spoke excitedly, but he quickly realized something and his brow furrowed. “Big Brother, we don’t have any Jade Bones!”

Jade Bones were the bones of high-level Frost Beasts.

Xia Hong had been busy dealing with the various camps in Longyou during this time, so he definitely hadn’t had time to hunt high-level Frost Beasts. The same went for them.

“You just make the preparations. Someone will be delivering them to us soon enough!”

Hearing this, Xia Chuan’s thoughts clicked into place. His tightly furrowed brow immediately relaxed, and a slow smile spread across his face. He turned, walked out, and began to arrange the preparations.

Chapter 257: Alchemy, Special Envoys, and the Tripartition of Longyou

The cultivation method for the Frostwarden realm was incredibly harsh.

Setting aside the Jade Bones for a moment, Xia Hong had personally witnessed the power of a high-level Frost Beast in Jinggu Valley. If he hadn’t perfectly reforged his Hide and achieved the strength of nine Manes upon breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, any other ordinary cultivator at that level would likely not have survived.

Jade Bone was the main ingredient, so its extreme rarity was understandable. The key issue was that the dozen or so other ingredients in the formula were also astonishingly difficult to obtain.

The Zhu Silver Flower typically grew in two places: either near silver mines or in the settlements of a particular silver-furred, long-tailed rodent Frost Beast that excelled at burrowing and was incredibly fast.

White Frost Grass wasn’t hard to find, but it generally grew near water sources.

And Hanping Jade Dew was in a league of its own. The nearly fifty-year-long overt and covert struggle in Longyou could largely be traced back to the Hanping tree Hou Hu’s father had discovered, a testament to the item’s immense value.

“Besides these three most precious ingredients, there are the Crimson Sun Fruit, Frosty Whisker Grass, Dual-Colored Liquid Spirit Fruit, Coiling Incense Leaf, Jade Spirit Grass, Ice Soul Liquid, Yinyang Flower, and Exquisite Fruit. None of these remaining eight are easy to come by. They either grow in extremely harsh environments or are very difficult to harvest. It’s no wonder the Frostwarden realm is the ceiling of power here in Longyou. Just gathering these ingredients is no simple feat…”

Standing in the main hall, Xia Hong looked down at the dazzling array of medicinal herbs on the table and couldn’t help but sigh.

He was fortunate that Great Xia had successively conquered the Wushuang, Hanqiong, and Hive camps. Combined with the lucky break of killing Wu Xiong and obtaining thirty drops of Hanping Jade Dew, it was the only reason he had managed to gather all eleven herbs so quickly.

“These ingredients are only enough for twenty-five catties of Jade Bones. Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli were surprisingly poor!”

In refining Jade Bones, all the ingredients had a specific ratio. The four most precious main components—Jade Bone, Hanping Jade Dew, Zhu Silver Flower, and White Frost Grass—had a ratio of three catties to one drop to three stalks to three stalks, respectively.

Xia Hong shook his head slightly. Calling them poor was just a joke, of course. Both Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli had reached the late stage of the Frostwarden realm, so they must have used a great deal of the Jade Bone elixir. The fact that any ingredients were left over was likely because their supply of Hanping Jade Dew and Jade Bones couldn’t keep up.

“The twenty catties of Jade Bones from Hou Hu, plus the extra five, can be put to good use now. I’ll prepare these five catties first for Xia Chuan and the others. The rest of the ingredients will be collected and taken back to Xiacheng for the alchemy workshop to analyze.”

Since it was a formula, the alchemy workshop could surely identify it. Moreover, these eleven precious ingredients might be combinable with other things to create new pill formulas. He couldn’t just use them all up carelessly here.

Xia Hong sorted the herbs on the floor, setting aside enough for five catties of Jade Bones, and then called out to the entrance.

“Come in!”

A middle-aged man had been waiting respectfully outside for some time. Hearing Xia Hong’s voice, he immediately walked in slowly and bowed respectfully to the man at the head of the hall.

“Liu Xian pays his respects to the Leader!”

Xia Hong looked down at the middle-aged man and smiled. “I had you come from Hive to help me with alchemy. Take a look at these ingredients. Are they sufficient?”

Liu Xian nodded respectfully, then walked to the table and carefully examined the eleven types of herbs.

What Liu Xian didn’t know was that this was the second time Xia Hong had seen him.

Xia Hong had seen him once before when he infiltrated Hive’s alchemy room and had a good impression of their camp’s pharmacist. Since Wushuang had no suitable candidates for refining the Jade Bones this time, he had Liu Xian transferred from Hive.

“Leader, these are more than enough. However, I will need twenty Earthforger realm assistants and 350,000 catties of coal. It should take about one night. The elixir should be ready by dawn.”

One catty of Jade Bone required 70,000 catties of coal to refine!

Xia Hong had already learned from his spying in Hive that refining Jade Bones consumed a massive amount of coal, but hearing it stated so plainly still made him gasp.

350,000 catties of coal was nearly a year’s supply for a medium-sized camp.

It was a good thing the camp wasn’t short on coal now. Especially after conquering the three camps in Longyou, Great Xia should have a surplus of coal and iron for a long time to come.

“The men are ready for you, and the coal will be sent over shortly. Take the herbs and begin the process. Inform me when it’s done.”

“Thank you for your trust, Leader. I will get to it right away!”

Liu Xian clasped his hands in agreement, then stepped forward and carefully gathered the herbs before turning to leave, a hint of excitement on his face.

This man must be an alchemy fanatic.

Xia Hong wasn’t surprised by Liu Xian’s reaction. He had noticed during his time spying in Hive that Liu Xian looked at herbs with a different kind of intensity than others.

Previously, to maintain secrecy, Chen Yingyuan had never entrusted the three great elixirs to his subordinates, always adding them himself. Today, Xia Hong had brought out all the ingredients and handed them over to Liu Xian at once. It was only natural for him to be excited.

“He’s most likely a talent who was held back in Hive’s restrictive environment. I can assign him to Mu Dong at the alchemy workshop in the future. Perhaps he can bring some unexpected surprises.”

Xia Hong stored the remaining ingredients. Just as he stood up, he suddenly looked north, a bright glint in his eyes.

“They’re here. They arrived together. Quite fast!”

After a moment of thought, Xia Hong sat back down, watching the entrance with a calm and composed expression as he waited.

Soon, Xia Chuan’s voice came from outside the hall.

“Leader, the special envoys from Zhaoyang and Longshan request an audience.”

“Bring them in!”

Xia Hong spoke softly, a smile spreading across his face as he watched two familiar figures walk in behind Xia Chuan.

He didn’t speak first, however, merely watching them in silence.

“Longshan’s special envoy, Li Xuandu, pays his respects to Leader Xia Hong!”

“Zhaoyang’s special envoy, Hou Quan, pays his respects to Leader Xia Hong!”

It was clear that despite their respectful postures, both men wore distinctly unnatural expressions. Xia Hong couldn’t help but smile faintly.

It was understandable. Only a few hours had passed since their two camps had plotted together to ambush and kill him in Gourd Valley. Now they had to shamelessly come begging. It would be stranger if their expressions were natural.

But there was a difference in the degree of their awkwardness.

Compared to Li Xuandu, who had personally attacked him, Hou Quan’s expression was much less strained. Although it was a joint conspiracy, Longshan had been the one to act. The people from Zhaoyang Camp had, at most, stood by and watched him die, and Hou Quan hadn’t been personally involved.

Xia Hong poured himself a cup of Frostblood Wine. After taking a small sip, he gestured for the two to rise before speaking in a slow, unhurried tone. “We’re all acquaintances here. Rise. What matter brings you here in such a rush?”

Hearing this, a look of urgency appeared on both their faces. Hou Quan was the first to speak. “Great Xia saved over eight hundred of our people. Everyone in Zhaoyang is eternally grateful. My leader has specifically sent me to express his thanks to Leader Xia Hong. He offers five catties of Jade Bone. I hope Leader Xia Hong will not refuse!”

As he spoke, he took out two sets of cyan Jade Bones from his robes—clearly the primary bones of high-level Frost Beasts—and handed them to Xia Chuan.

On the other side, Li Xuandu could no longer hold back. He was even more direct than Hou Quan. He first pulled out three complete sets of Jade Bones before speaking in a deep voice, “Leader Xia Hong, you set aside our past grievances to save over eight hundred of my people from Longshan. My leader was also filled with gratitude upon hearing the news and sent me to express his thanks. He offers ten catties of Jade Bone. Please accept it!”

Xia Chuan smilingly accepted the fifteen catties of Jade Bone and placed them before Xia Hong. The smile never left his face, even after he returned to his position.

They had released those sixteen hundred-odd people in the first half of the night, and the returns were already coming in during the second half. And the crucial part was, these fifteen catties of Jade Bone were just the beginning…

“Longshan has a new leader?”

Xia Hong was oblivious to Xia Chuan’s thoughts. Hearing Li Xuandu’s words, his curiosity was piqued.

With Li Tianhua gone, Longshan should be without a leader!

“Is it Li Tiancheng?”

“My fourth sister, Li Xuanling, has just taken over the position of leader!”

Xia Hong nodded slightly. Li Xuantian was already dead in Yanglu. Compared to the Eldest Young Lord Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu, who stood before him now, Li Xuanling was the best choice in terms of both strength and intelligence. That Li Tiancheng wasn’t a complete fool.

“By rights, both your camps wanted to kill me. I shouldn’t have saved those sixteen hundred people last night. But considering that Great Xia, like your two camps, is struggling to survive in Longyou, and I couldn’t bear to see our kinsmen slaughtered by anomalies, I ultimately stepped in. Since this Jade Bone is a token of your gratitude, it would be disrespectful of me to refuse!”

There was no reason to refuse Jade Bones that were delivered to his doorstep.

Zhaoyang offered five catties, while Longshan gave ten. The meaning was obvious: besides thanking him for saving their eight hundred people, it was also an apology for last night’s ambush.

Of course, accepting the Jade Bones was just the first move.

Seeing Xia Hong accept the gift, Li Xuandu’s expression immediately relaxed. He clearly understood that Xia Hong was willing to discuss what came next.

Hou Quan wasn’t as patient. He immediately continued, “I heard from the people who just returned to Zhaoyang that Great Xia possesses a divine object called Congealing Fire Salve, which can cure the Dewdrop poison afflicting them. Leader Xia Hong holds his kinsmen dear to his heart and surely won’t stand by and watch so many from Zhaoyang die a miserable death. We beseech Leader Xia Hong to grant us some. All of Zhaoyang will be eternally grateful!”

Hearing Hou Quan place such a high-minded hat on his head, a strange look appeared on Xia Hong’s face.

“To be frank with you, Leader Xia Hong, I was also sent here for the Congealing Fire Salve. Longshan is not as ambitious as Zhaoyang. Since you released all those people, you must have some objective in mind. As long as you are willing to sell a portion of the Congealing Fire Salve to us, we are willing to give anything Longshan possesses in return!”

Compared to Hou Quan, Li Xuandu was far more direct. Not only did he voice Xia Hong’s intentions for releasing the sixteen hundred people, but he even smoothly proposed a trade.

This made things much simpler.

Even Hou Quan felt a little embarrassed after hearing that, quickly adding, “Zhaoyang has the same intention. We only ask that Great Xia be willing to sell a portion to us.”

Hearing that both of their requests were only to purchase a portion of the Congealing Fire Salve, Xia Hong couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Those sixteen hundred people must have brought the news of the salve back with them.

In other words, upon hearing about the Congealing Fire Salve, both Li Xuanling and Hou Hu had unanimously concluded that this item was extremely important and that Great Xia surely didn’t have much of it.

But the problem was, Great Xia had a lot of Congealing Fire Salve. An incredible amount.

Furthermore, its primary ingredient was wood, which meant that as long as there was wood, The Congealing Fire Salve could be produced endlessly.

Its production cost was so low, yet it could be used to combat the most dangerous and bizarre creatures that posed the greatest threat to humanity in the Ice Abyss World.

The Congealing Fire Salve truly was a divine object!

A divine object of no ordinary kind.

Xia Hong had realized the value of the Congealing Fire Salve early on, but only now did he truly grasp just how precious it was.

He could almost see the enormous role the Congealing Fire Salve would play in Great Xia’s foreign trade in the future!

Xia Hong temporarily suppressed his excitement and looked at the two men below with a faint smile. “Honestly, selling a portion to your two camps isn’t a significant problem for Great Xia.

“The issue is, both of your camps are too hostile toward us. If I save you now, and you turn around and attack Great Xia later, wouldn’t I be aiding the enemy?

“To be frank, I’m already starting to regret saving those sixteen hundred people last night. If they end up on the battlefield in the future and kill our people, I’ll become a traitor to Great Xia…”

Li Xuandu and Hou Quan must have been well-instructed before they came. Hearing Xia Hong’s words, they showed no signs of surprise. After a moment of thought, they each quickly produced a document from their robes.

“Rest assured, Leader Xia Hong. From this day forward, the former territories of the Wushuang, Hive, and Hanqiong camps will all belong to Great Xia. Longshan is willing to sign a non-aggression pact with Great Xia. From now on, our two camps will be friendly neighbors and shall not invade one another. This document was personally written by my leader. As long as Leader Xia Hong agrees to sign it, Great Xia will be a power in Longyou, and Longshan will have no objections.”

“The same goes for Zhaoyang. We also recognize Great Xia as a power in Longyou and are willing to sign a non-aggression pact. This was written by my leader. Please look it over, Leader Xia Hong!”

Xia Chuan took the documents from them. After a quick scan, he immediately presented both to Xia Hong’s desk.

Looking at the two documents on his desk, a sharp glint finally appeared in Xia Hong’s eyes. After reading their contents, he looked up at Li Xuandu and Hou Quan, his expression growing much more satisfied.

This was what he had been waiting for!

Of course, the documents were a formality.

What he truly cared about was the official acknowledgment from Li Xuanling and Hou Hu—or rather, from Longshan and Zhaoyang—of Great Xia’s formal entry into Longyou!

From the moment the documents from Li Xuanling and Hou Hu were placed on his desk, the tripartite balance of power in Longyou was officially established.

The struggles would certainly continue in the future, but for now, this was a phased victory for Great Xia.

Feeling a surge of excitement, Xia Hong waved his hand. “Good. Since both your leaders are so forthright, I won’t say any more. Xia Chuan, take the two special envoys and discuss the specific details of the Congealing Fire Salve trade. I won’t involve myself further. You handle it!”

“Yes, Leader!”

Xia Chuan clasped his hands and bowed, his face alight with excitement.

He was about to turn and call the two men, but they were even more anxious than he was and spoke first.

“Lord Xia Chuan, please, we must be quick. Our people at the settlement are waiting for the Congealing Fire Salve to save their lives. Any later, and more will die.”

“We beg you, Lord Xia Chuan, please hurry.”

“Of course, of course. To be honest with you two envoys, this Congealing Fire Salve is an extremely precious item in Great Xia. If not for the chaos caused by the anomalies, we would never just hand it out to others. Since both camps are in such a hurry, let’s head to the side hall at once to negotiate a price so you can get it back to save your people.”

Xia Chuan led the two men briskly toward a side hall, an irrepressible smile on his lips, clearly already thinking about how to fleece them.

Chapter 258: A Profiteering Frenzy, a Dangerous Thought, and Perfect Timing

The discussion regarding the details of the Congealing Fire Salve trade didn’t last long. It was over in just under an hour.

“We’re rich! We’re rich! Now, all our problems are solved…”

When Xia Chuan came to the refining room to find Xia Hong, his expression was one of extreme excitement, the smile never leaving his face, a clear sign of how profoundly the negotiation had shaken him.

As if remembering something, his face stiffened, and a hint of regret flashed in his eyes. He muttered to himself, “No, no, that’s not right. I was a fool. I should have quoted a higher price. They’re all waiting on the Congealing Fire Salve to save lives. They probably would have agreed even if I raised it. So stupid, so stupid…”

“How exactly are we getting rich? Tell me about it.”

Xia Hong glanced at the Jade Bones in the iron cauldron, estimating it would take another five or six hours for them to be ready. He then led Xia Chuan back to the main hall and asked with a smile about the results of the discussion.

Xia Chuan rubbed his hands together excitedly. “I told them that Great Xia currently only has five thousand pieces of Congealing Fire Salve in stock. We need to keep some for ourselves, so we can only sell two thousand pieces at most. They probably didn’t believe me, but they had no choice. They had to accept my price.”

Only five thousand pieces in total… he really had some nerve to say that.

Xia Hong’s expression was incredibly odd. He had previously learned from Qiu Peng that Great Xia had over ninety thousand pieces of Congealing Fire Salve in stock. They had brought fifty thousand pieces to Longyou this time, leaving twenty thousand at the Hive and thirty thousand here in Wushuang.

Last night, saving those sixteen thousand-plus people, each used about one catty. Each piece of Congealing Fire Salve weighs five catty, so at most they used twenty-two hundred pieces. That meant Wushuang still had at least twenty-seven thousand, eight hundred pieces left.

“Coal, iron ore, silver, gold, Jade Bones, Frost Beast meat, the eleven herbs Big Brother said were for Refining Jade Bones, and the special resources from Longshan and Zhaoyang that the two of them showed me—I priced everything separately, and they didn’t object at all. Looking back now, I actually regret it. They were in such a rush to go back and save their people, terrified we wouldn’t sell. How would they dare bargain with us? I should have set the price even higher!”

“What were your exact prices? Tell me.”

But as Xia Chuan listed the prices one by one, Xia Hong’s opinion instantly changed. The more he heard, the more shocked his expression became.

“For each of them to take one thousand pieces of Congealing Fire Salve, I quoted a flat price: one hundred catty of Jade Bones, twenty million catty of iron ore, fifty million catty of coal, one hundred thousand catty of silver, ten thousand catty of gold, three million catty of beast meat, thirty drops of Hanping Jade Dew, ninety stalks of White Frost Grass, ninety Zhu Silver Flowers, thirty Crimson Sun Fruits, Frosty Whisker Grass…”

“You really have some nerve. There’s no way they agreed to that, right?”

Xia Hong couldn’t help but interrupt Xia Chuan before he had even finished.

That price was just too outrageous! Congealing Fire Salve was indeed a miraculous item, but it wasn’t the only way to deal with anomalies.

Silver could also be used against anomalies, and he was almost certain that the Dewdrop Plague could also be treated with it. When Li Xuandu and Hou Quan first arrived, he had used his Eye of Scrutiny on them and saw that neither had the fiery red substance on their bodies that indicated a Dewdrop infection.

Nearly everyone who had been at Gourd Valley before had been infected, including Li Xuandu. But after a trip back to Longshan, he was clean. This proved that Longshan had used silver to remove the Dewdrop infection from his body.

The same applied to Hou Quan. After Hou Tong and his men returned to Zhaoyang, they must have brought the Dewdrop Plague back with them. The fact that Hou Quan was uninfected proved that Zhaoyang had also used silver.

He had been in Longyou for many days and had long since discovered that while it was unknown if Longshan and Zhaoyang had gold mines, they definitely had silver mines.

Setting aside Xia Chuan’s terrifying prices, the mere inclusion of silver and gold in the list of goods was ridiculous enough.

“Of course they didn’t agree!” Xia Chuan replied immediately, chuckling. “I did it on purpose to test their attitude toward silver and gold. Their expressions were pretty normal when they heard the other items, but they had the strongest reaction to the silver and gold.”

Hearing this, Xia Hong was momentarily stunned. Then, he looked at Xia Chuan, his face filled with approval.

He had only been thinking about using the Congealing Fire Salve to exploit the two camps’ resources and had truly overlooked this point. It was indeed a good opportunity to use the trade to probe them about their silver and gold mines.

Fortunately, Xia Chuan had thought of it.

“The two of them must have seen through my intentions. They immediately said their camps had no gold mines and couldn’t produce any gold. One hundred thousand catty of silver was also impossible. They told me directly that if you place raw silver ore in an extremely low-temperature environment, it dissolves into a liquid that can also cure the Dewdrop Plague. That’s how they treated the infection on themselves. If their two camps could produce one hundred thousand catty of silver, they wouldn’t have needed to trade with us for Congealing Fire Salve at all. They could have just used silver to save everyone.”

Raw silver ore dissolves into a liquid in an extremely low-temperature environment? Xia Hong’s interest in this silver resource, which he had never encountered before, was immediately piqued.

But now was not the time for that.

“Two possibilities. One is that silver is too precious, and they can actually produce that much but are unwilling to, so they made up that story to trick us. The other is that neither of them was lying, and Longshan and Zhaoyang truly don’t have much silver on hand—certainly not one hundred thousand catty.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, Xia Chuan nodded immediately. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe them outright; he had considered both possibilities as well.

“I thought of that too. But regardless of which is true, their desire for Congealing Fire Salve is genuine. I stalled them for a while, and in the end, I wore them down. They agreed to give us two hundred catty.”

A smile crept onto Xia Chuan’s face as he spoke. This was the advantage of holding the upper hand in a negotiation. Both camps were waiting on Congealing Fire Salve to save lives. He had seized upon this point, ensuring that no matter how the talks went, it would be a guaranteed win.

“I could tell that two hundred catty was basically their limit. The method of melting silver into water to save people must be very painful for them. Their willingness to give us two hundred catty in exchange for Congealing Fire Salve proves that silver is incredibly important and scarce.”

Xia Hong nodded and continued asking, “You demanded so many resources. How is the trade actually going to work?”

The Jade Bones and the other eleven herbs were one thing—a single person could carry them over. But the other items were different. Twenty million catty of iron ore, fifty million catty of coal, three million catty of beast meat… these three alone would require significant manpower and resources to transport. They certainly couldn’t be delivered all at once.

Xia Chuan replied, “I gave each of them one hundred pieces of Congealing Fire Salve upfront to take back. After they return, they will immediately bring over the Jade Bones and herbs. The three resources in the largest quantities—beast meat, coal, and iron ore—will be delivered to Wushuang in five batches over the course of one month.”

The two camps surely had considerable stockpiles of coal and iron ore, but producing so much in one go wouldn’t be easy.

As for the beast meat, that would be even more difficult. It wasn’t that he doubted their hunting abilities. Xia Hong had spent time in Pinggu, and Zhaoyang’s hunting prowess was definitely superior to Great Xia’s. Three million catty of beast meat wouldn’t be too difficult for the two camps to acquire.

The difficulty lay in producing so much all at once.

Zhaoyang had a population of over sixty thousand, and Longshan had over seventy thousand. A larger population meant greater resource consumption. Even assuming an average of one catty per person per day, their monthly consumption of beast meat would be over two million catty. No matter how strong their hunting abilities were, their stockpiles couldn’t be that large.

Three million catty of beast meat within a month should be more than achievable.

“With one hundred pieces of Congealing Fire Salve, based on last night’s situation, they can save five hundred-odd people at most. After these two go back, they should quickly bring over the Jade Bones, the eleven other herbs, and the silver. Once we give them the remaining nine hundred pieces, it still likely won’t be enough. As long as they’re prompt with the subsequent deliveries of beast meat, iron ore, and coal, we can release more Congealing Fire Salve. Our inventory is sufficient. As long as they’re willing to part with their resources, we can keep selling it to them endlessly…”

Xia Chuan’s expression grew more excited as he spoke, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “At this point, I’m starting to think this anomaly isn’t such a bad thing. The arrival of this White Dew Aberration was perfectly timed! Great Xia’s population just exploded, and we have a huge resource gap. I’m actually hoping this Dewdrop Plague lasts a little longer!”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, Xia Hong’s expression grew stern, and he chided him:

“There must be a limit to plundering resources. Don’t harbor such thoughts. Those who play with fire will get burned. Although I’ve already killed the White Dew Aberration, who knows what complications might arise if this Dewdrop Plague persists? Great Xia is now a part of Longyou. You need to take a long-term view. The more than one hundred and thirty thousand people of Longshan and Zhaoyang will sooner or later be people of Great Xia. If we let them all die, would that not be a loss for Great Xia as well?”

Xia Chuan’s expression froze. He lowered his head and thought for a moment before his mind gradually cleared. He said with a trace of lingering fear, “My thinking was warped. Thank you for the reminder, Big Brother.”

Seeing that Xia Chuan had truly come to his senses, Xia Hong nodded slightly, his expression softening.

Truth be told, Xia Chuan’s idea was highly feasible for Great Xia, which possessed a miraculous item like Congealing Fire Salve. By simply ignoring the anomaly and using the salve to trade for resources from other camps, they could be almost invincible.

But this idea was also very dangerous!

If Great Xia were to truly adapt to plundering resources in this manner, it would inevitably foster a culture of idleness and aversion to labor among everyone in the camp. After all, if everything could be obtained through trade, who would still go hunting, logging, or mining?

And that wasn’t even the most dangerous part. The key issue was that ignoring an anomaly was an extremely dangerous and terrifying act in itself. If they failed to manage the situation properly, they would end up harming others and themselves, and Great Xia would inevitably suffer a great disaster.

Of the three anomalies encountered so far, which one had been simple to deal with?

Take the recent White Dew Aberration. That night in Hanqiong, after Xia Hong was defeated and forced to flee, it realized the threat was gone and immediately began a massacre in Gourd Valley. It even scared off Li Xuanling and the ten other Frostwarden realm experts.

If Xia Hong hadn’t learned the details from Xia Chuan and the others in time, rushed back to Xiacheng to retrieve the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, and suppressed and killed it in Gourd Valley, the final outcome for Longyou would likely be completely different from what it was now.

Therefore, Xia Chuan’s idea had to be nipped in the bud.

“Continue to oversee the trade. When the two of them deliver the goods, bring them to me.”

Xia Hong waved a hand to dismiss Xia Chuan and turned back to the rear chamber, quietly waiting for news from the refining room.

Li Xuandu and Hou Quan moved quickly. In less than two hours, both had rushed back to Wushuang from their respective camps. After they departed again, Xia Chuan immediately came in a great hurry, carrying two hundred catty of Jade Bones and enough various herbs to create one hundred eighty portions of the Jade Bone Elixir, and presented them all to Xia Hong.

“Sixty drops of Hanping Jade Dew, one hundred eighty stalks of White Frost Grass, one hundred eighty Zhu Silver Flowers, sixty Crimson Sun Fruits, one hundred twenty stalks of Frosty Whisker Grass, one hundred twenty Dual-Colored Liquid Spirit Fruits, sixty Coiling Incense Leaves, one hundred eighty stalks of Jade Spirit Grass, sixty drops of Ice Soul Liquid, one hundred eighty Yinyang Flowers, and sixty Exquisite Fruits… all these herbs are enough to make one hundred eighty portions of the Jade Bone Elixir. Longshan and Zhaoyang are still quite wealthy, tsk tsk…”

Looking at the dazzling array of herbs on the floor and hearing Xia Chuan’s exclamation, Xia Hong couldn’t help but feel a little wistful. During his two days in Pinggu, Hou Hu had relentlessly played poor, implying in everything he said how precious Jade Bones and Hanping Jade Dew were, and how rare the materials for the Jade Bone Elixir were.

Yet now, they could produce so much in one go.

“Both camps have a considerable number of late-stage Frostwarden realm experts. How did they achieve that? They must have a stable source of Hanping Jade Dew. I even suspect they have fixed channels for acquiring the other eleven herbs, they’re just well-hidden, and we don’t know about them.”

After speaking, Xia Hong’s gaze shifted to the area behind the herbs. There lay two silver stones, each the size of a baby’s fist.

The stones were irregularly shaped and radiated a pure, silvery light. They glittered brilliantly under the hall’s firelight, inevitably drawing the eye.

He thought, “Two hundred catty of silver is actually such a small piece, not even a tenth the size of a palm. These two pieces are two hundred catty, and that might not even be enough to forge a single dagger.”

The moment he saw the silver, Xia Hong immediately understood why the two camps didn’t use it to save those infected with the Dewdrop Plague.

Judging by its volume, even if the silver were melted into water at low temperatures, there would probably only be a tiny amount. How many people could that save?

Xia Hong stepped forward and pinched the silver. After applying a little pressure, his mind stirred slightly.

“Its hardness, density, and weight all far exceed that of iron ore. Melting and forging it must be much more difficult than iron as well. At this volume, the weight of a single silver weapon would be beyond imagination. No wonder…”

He recalled the scene at Gourd Valley: only Li Xuanling had wielded a silver longsword, while the other ten Frostwarden realm experts only had silver daggers. Understanding suddenly dawned in Xia Hong’s eyes.

He hadn’t understood at first. If they had silver mines, why forge such small daggers? It turned out the density of silver was just that exaggerated.

Extrapolating from the volume and weight of the two pieces of silver before him, the daggers held by those ten Frostwarden realm experts must have weighed at least a thousand catty each.

“I’ve given them the remaining nine hundred pieces of Congealing Fire Salve each. Now we’ll just have to see if the two camps deliver all the resources as promised.”

Xia Chuan said, his face beaming with success. In fact, the moment this batch of supplies arrived, the deal was already profitable for Great Xia.

Of course, the upcoming three million catty of beast meat, twenty million catty of iron ore, and fifty million catty of coal were also very important. He certainly didn’t want the two camps to break their promise.

“They most likely won’t. As long as they’re not fools, they can guess that we still have more Congealing Fire Salve. If they want more later, they’ll have to deliver this batch of supplies in full. Seeing how ridiculously dense this silver is, I estimate they’ll be coming to us for a second batch of Congealing Fire Salve very soon. Just wait, the resources will arrive quickly…”

“Leader, Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng are here!”

Just as Xia Hong was speaking, Luo Yuan’s voice suddenly came from outside the door.

Hearing that Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng, who had been recovering at the Hive, had arrived, a smile appeared on Xia Hong’s face. “Bring them in!”

The Jade Bone Elixir would be ready soon. These two certainly had perfect timing.

Chapter 259: Yuwen Tao’s Speculation, the Jade Bone Elixir

“Greetings, Leader!”

Soon, Luo Yuan led Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng inside.

Seeing Xia Hong again after four months, the two were quite emotional. Disregarding their unhealed injuries, they bowed respectfully to him.

“No need for formalities. How are your injuries?”

“They’re mostly fine. Thank you for your concern, Leader!”

“Same here. I’ll have no problem fighting.”

Hearing their answers, Xia Hong nodded. Then, as if remembering something, a faint light flashed in his left eye. He carefully examined their bodies, and his expression suddenly tensed.

“Leader, is there still something wrong with us?”

Seeing the change in Xia Hong’s expression, their hearts leaped into their throats, and they hurriedly asked.

Xia Hong didn’t answer. He simply stepped forward and pulled open Yuan Cheng’s shirt, then turned and gestured for Yuwen Tao to take his off as well.

When the wounds on their upper bodies were all exposed, Xia Hong looked again with his Eye of Scrutiny, and his expression grew much more solemn.

Both men had taken many healing elixirs, and their bodies were now covered in a layer of Congealing Fire Salve. The wounds had mostly started to close and scab over.

The problem was, under Xia Hong’s gaze, a faint, thin, fiery-red substance was still floating in the deep tissue beneath those wounds.

That fiery-red substance was identical to the one on Wu Xiong.

Although there was only a little under each wound, it was definitely still there.

Xia Hong quickly turned to look at Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan.

At his glance, Luo Yuan and Xia Chuan immediately understood. They exposed the few wound sites on their upper bodies and waited nervously for Xia Hong to speak.

“Put your clothes back on. There’s nothing inside you!”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan immediately showed expressions of relief.

On the other hand, Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng remained tense, looking at Xia Hong.

“Go to the center and place your hands on the Frigid Ruins Cauldron!”

At Xia Hong’s command, the two men hurried to the center of the hall and placed their hands on the Frigid Ruins Cauldron.

Hiss…

A faint sound immediately came from within their bodies. A moment later, a wisp of white smoke rose from all the wounds on their bodies simultaneously.

“It’s really there? The Congealing Fire Salve can’t completely remove the Dewdrop from inside the body?”

Xia Chuan’s question instantly made Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng, who had just started to relax, as well as Luo Yuan nearby, tense up again. All three turned to look at Xia Hong, awaiting his answer.

If what Xia Chuan said was true, this wasn’t just about Yuan Cheng and Yuwen Tao. Everyone infected with the Dewdrop would probably have to be screened.

“It’s not that serious. I’ve checked everyone else; they’re clear. It’s probably because your injuries were too severe, and the Dewdrop seeped into your bodies through the wounds. Congealing Fire Salve can’t be taken internally, so it was ineffective. That’s why this happened.”

Xia Hong spoke first to reassure the three, then lowered his head and fell into thought.

It had long been established that Congealing Fire Salve could not be ingested. This was no secret in Great Xia, so his speculation should be sound.

In the dead of night on the twenty-seventh of April, before the White Dew Aberration appeared on Yangyuan Peak, Yuwen Tao had been stabbed through the chest by Li Xuantian. He was subsequently infected with the Dewdrop Plague, and his body was even briefly set ablaze. Although Yuan Cheng managed to extinguish the flames in time with Congealing Fire Salve, Yuwen Tao’s injuries were still extremely severe.

The same was true for Yuan Cheng. According to him, before dawn, he had held off an siege of several thousand people for over ten minutes to ensure one hundred Great Xia soldiers could hide safely in a tree hollow. His body was covered in countless wounds, his injuries not much lighter than Yuwen Tao’s.

The Dewdrop most easily infected the wounded. Comparatively, Yuan Cheng and Yuwen Tao’s injuries were indeed more severe than others’, so it was entirely possible that some of the Dewdrop had invaded their bodies.

The question now was, what was the situation inside everyone else?

They weren’t the only two who had been injured. Among the more than forty thousand people currently gathered at the Wushuang garrison, many were severely wounded. Who knew if they had it inside them?

“Leader, I just heard from Lord Prefect that you killed the White Dew Aberration at the Hanqiong garrison. This subordinate dares to ask, on what basis did you reach this conclusion, Leader?”

Yuwen Tao suddenly spoke with a solemn expression, posing a question to Xia Hong.

Hearing this question, everyone else’s expression tensed.

Clearly, they all understood the subtext of his question.

Yuwen Tao was suspecting that the White Dew Aberration was not yet dead.

The death of the White Dew Aberration and the persistence of the plague were not necessarily related. In everyone’s minds, the bloodthirsty and contagious Dewdrop was a kind of plague, a virus. It was perfectly normal for it to continue spreading even after its creator had died.

As long as the Congealing Fire Salve was used to cure everyone of the Dewdrop, the plague would naturally disappear.

But Yuwen Tao’s words were clearly an attempt to overturn their previous assumptions.

Even Xia Hong’s expression changed slightly as he lowered his head in thought.

But soon, he spoke, refuting Yuwen Tao’s idea:

“It wasn’t Wu Xiong I killed, but the White Dew Aberration itself. It can freely switch bodies among the corpses infected with Dewdrop. Wu Xiong’s body was just a shell for it. After the Congealing Fire Salve burned it to ashes, it even produced thirty drops of Hanping Jade Dew. A normal human of the Frostwarden realm wouldn’t produce these things upon death!”

This wasn’t Xia Hong’s first encounter with an anomaly. If he didn’t have sufficient evidence, he wouldn’t have so hastily concluded that he had truly killed the White Dew Aberration.

The Wooden Puppet Aberration back then also had methods of controlling others, but it only controlled those it had killed, and those puppets didn’t drop precious items like Wu Xiong did when they died.

“Moreover, Yuan Cheng told me that on the night the White Dew Aberration appeared, not counting you and him, there were at least nine other Frostwarden realm experts on Yangyuan Peak: Li Xuantian, Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, Wu Lin, Yue Qian, Song Kang, and Cheng Guang, plus the deceased He Tu and Wu Ying. If the White Dew Aberration could possess multiple people at once, it would have had no reason to send only Wu Xiong.”

Hearing this, Yuan Cheng at the side immediately nodded. When Xia Hong went to the Hive, he had indeed told him everything that had happened on Yangyuan Peak.

Seeing everyone fall silent, Xia Hong also bowed his head and continued to ponder.

There was another point he hadn’t mentioned: Wu Xiong’s strength.

The power of anomalies lay mainly in their詭秘莫测 methods. The strength of the anomaly itself, or the human it possessed, had a limit.

“Wu Xiong’s” maximum strength that night had already exceeded thirty Mane.

If that wasn’t even the White Dew Aberration’s true body, the implications were terrifying.

He didn’t mention this point because the first two reasons were already enough to convince everyone.

Including Yuwen Tao, who had raised the doubt, whose brows were now tightly furrowed. Clearly, the reasons Xia Hong provided were sound.

“What you say makes sense, Leader. I really can’t find any reason to refute it. But I’ve had contact with that anomaly, and I always feel that the White Dew Aberration isn’t that simple. That night, it clearly had the opportunity to kill everyone on Yangyuan Peak, yet it deliberately let several thousand people escape in the end. I refuse to believe it didn’t have some other scheme.

“Moreover, besides Wu Xiong, no one knows the current status of the other six Frostwarden realm experts, like Li Xuantian. Setting aside Han Jiuli and Wu Lin for a moment, Longshan has silver weapons. It’s not certain that Li Xuantian and the other three died on Yangyuan Peak that night. Who knows if that White Dew Aberration left some kind of contingency on any of them?”

After saying this, Yuwen Tao paused for a moment before continuing in a heavy voice:

“Leader, the lesson of the Jing Xian is still fresh in our minds. We must not be careless with creatures like aberrations. From my observations, on Yangyuan Peak that night, the White Dew Aberration was likely only in a newly awakened state. And ngay upon awakening, it nearly wiped out the entire Yanglu camp. If Wu Xiong wasn’t its true body and it’s still hiding in the shadows, who knows what kind of disaster it will cause in the end!”

Hearing Yuwen Tao’s final warning, not only Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and Yuan Cheng, but even Xia Hong’s expression instantly grew solemn.

Wu Xiong was not its true body!

This sentence flashed through Xia Hong’s mind, and he recalled the scene from March of last year when tens of thousands of people in Jinggu Valley had committed suicide simultaneously. An involuntary shudder ran through him.

If Yuwen Tao’s speculation was correct, the consequences would be far too severe.

“I have to go to Yangyuan Peak and see the situation!”

The White Dew Aberration had awakened on Yangyuan Peak. To verify Yuwen Tao’s speculation, the best way was, of course, to go to Yangyuan Peak and see for himself.

But as soon as Xia Hong spoke, he was immediately stopped by Xia Chuan.

“Leader, you absolutely must not! Regardless of whether Wu Xiong was the White Dew Aberration’s true body, this plague hasn’t completely passed yet. Yangyuan Peak is the origin of the plague; no one knows what the situation is like. No one dares to go near it now.”

“That’s right, it’s too dangerous over there. Leader, you can’t go.”

“Even if someone has to go, we should be the ones to scout first.”

…

The other three also chimed in to dissuade him, with Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng reacting most strongly.

Clearly, the two still harbored a significant fear of Yangyuan Peak.

Their persuasion made Xia Hong hesitate as well.

He was genuinely frightened by Yuwen Tao’s speculation.

If Wu Xiong wasn’t its true body, it would prove that the White Dew Aberration on Yangyuan Peak was far beyond his imagination in both its methods and its power.

What was the difference between rashly barging into its lair and seeking death?

“Leader, let me go. I’ve dealt with the White Dew Aberration once, so I have experience. As long as I bring enough Congealing Fire Salve, it shouldn’t be a big problem.”

“Me too, I can go!”

…

Seeing everyone volunteer for the mission, a look of gratification flashed across Xia Hong’s face, but he still shook his head. “Unless we can ensure safety, no one is to go. A speculation is still just a speculation. True or not, we don’t need to risk our lives to verify it. No one is going…”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “Even if Yuwen Tao’s speculation is true, it proves at least one thing: that White Dew Aberration does not yet have the ability to steamroll the three powers of Longyou. Otherwise, it would have no need to hide in the shadows.

“The urgent priority is to screen everyone from Great Xia to ensure the Dewdrop Plague doesn’t spread back to Xiacheng. Other matters can be discussed later.”

Xia Chuan immediately looked back at the Frigid Ruins Cauldron and said, “Some of the Hive forces should have already reached Jinggu Valley. Wushuang has also begun migrating people to the Hive, and everyone will arrive in succession later on. For now, no one from Longyou should have reached Xiacheng yet.”

“I’ll take the Frigid Ruins Cauldron to Jinggu Valley immediately and conduct a full screening there. Only after coming into contact with the Frigid Ruins Cauldron can anyone return to Xiacheng.”

Everyone nodded. Xiacheng was their main base; they absolutely could not let the Dewdrop invade it. With the Frigid Ruins Cauldron serving as a transfer station in Jinggu Valley, the problem would be manageable.

“Xia Chuan, our deals with Longshan and Zhaoyang aren’t over yet. For now, you will stay behind with some men at Wushuang until everyone from Longyou has been moved back to Xiacheng. Then, discuss with Yuan Cheng and decide on the appointments for the Garrison Commanders of the Wushuang, Hanqiong, and Hive garrisons. There won’t be any more fighting in Longyou for a while, so it shouldn’t be a problem whether I’m here or not.”

“Yes, Leader!”

Xia Hong thought for a moment, then added, “Send someone to inform Longshan and Zhaoyang of Yuwen Tao’s speculation. It’s best to confirm the whereabouts of Li Xuantian and the other six Frostwarden realm experts. If the White Dew Aberration really isn’t dead, it will most likely be active by possessing one of those six.”

“Understood, Big Brother!”

In truth, even at this moment, Xia Hong still believed the White Dew Aberration was already dead. But as long as there was even the slightest possibility that Yuwen Tao’s speculation was true, he could not ignore it.

After all, if this speculation came true, it would lead to terrifying consequences.

Informing the other two factions in advance was the responsible thing to do.

Great Xia had him, the Congealing Fire Salve, and the Frigid Ruins Cauldron. If the White Dew Aberration truly wasn’t dead, it would most likely target Longshan and Zhaoyang first. If those two had no defenses prepared, their fate would be uncertain.

“Reporting to the Leader, the Jade Bone Elixir is ready!”

Just as Xia Hong was about to say more, Liu Xian’s voice suddenly came from outside the hall.

The elixir is ready so soon!

Xia Hong looked up at the light outside the window and was startled to realize they had been discussing for so long without noticing that the sky had already brightened.

“Bring it in!”

As Liu Xian entered with four others, carrying five small, covered iron pots, the solemn atmosphere in the hall instantly eased.

“Leader, there are five catties of elixir in total. We’ve already divided it.”

After speaking, Liu Xian was the first to open the iron pot in front of him. The other four also opened theirs.

Hiss…

A rich aroma instantly wafted out, filling the entire hall with fragrance.

Xia Chuan and the other three moved closer to the iron pots. Inhaling the blood-colored fragrance, their faces quickly flushed, and they all wore expressions of utter bliss.

Inside the five pots was a thick, jade-green liquid—a medicinal solution refined from high-grade beast bones and other herbs at high temperatures.

“You two are just in time. Here, one catty each, have a taste!”

Xia Hong said with a teasing smile, gesturing for Liu Xian and the others to withdraw first. Then he had Xia Chuan and the other three each take a catty to try.

Unlike the four of them seeing the Jade Bone Elixir for the first time, he had already tasted it in Zhaoyang Pingu and was very familiar with the scent, so he wasn’t as captivated as they were.

“Leader, you should have it all. Our battle physique aptitude isn’t good enough. Wouldn’t it be a waste for us to use it?”

“One catty each, cut the nonsense. This time it’s free. In the future, you’ll have to honestly exchange contribution points for the Jade Bone Elixir. If you don’t want it, I’ll give it to someone else!”

Hearing this, Yuan Cheng chuckled. Without another word, he lifted the iron pot and began pouring the medicinal liquid into his mouth.

Seeing this, the other three also started drinking.

Xia Hong did the same, lifting an iron pot and starting to drink.

The Jade Bone Elixir was this viscous, jade-green medicinal liquid. The method of consumption was simple and crude: just pour it into your body.

The five of them drained the elixir. Except for Xia Hong, who stood his ground and remained unchanged, the other four’s faces instantly flushed beet-red.

Without needing a reminder from Xia Hong, the four instinctively sat down cross-legged and began to control the pores on their hide.

As wisps of blood-colored energy drifted out from them, the flesh and blood within their bodies began to rumble. Under the impact of the immense energy from the elixir, their flesh repeatedly contracted and expanded.

During this process, the crimson flush on their faces gradually receded, and the strength of their muscles, including their base power, began to improve step by step.

“The process of absorbing the elixir is very slow. This is just the first round. Hold on as long as you can and absorb as much as possible. When the reaction inside your body is no longer intense, you can get up and go out. You can use the cold light after dawn to begin the second round of absorption. You can sense how much of the elixir’s energy is left in your body. You must wait until the energy from the previous round is completely absorbed before starting the next. Otherwise, the conflict will damage your flesh and muscles…”

Xia Hong was also absorbing the elixir’s energy himself. Unlike the others, this one-catty dose was easy for him to handle, so he didn’t even need to sit cross-legged. He stood there absorbing it while simultaneously having enough spare energy to teach everyone the taboos of consuming the Jade Bone Elixir.

“Alright, it’ll probably take you a while. I’m heading back to Jinggu Valley first!”

Xia Hong quickly finished absorbing the first round of the elixir. Seeing the four still immersed in their cultivation, he left a final word, took the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, and departed.

Chapter 260: Building the Direct Road and the Meat Problem

In the Ice Abyss, the line between one day and the next was drawn at dawn.

By the time the Jade Bone Elixir emerged from the cauldron, day had already broken. Strictly speaking, it was the twenty-ninth of April in the second year of the Great Xia.

Xia Hong stored the Frigid Ruins Cauldron in his system inventory and sped southeast. He bypassed the Hive, continuing directly south toward Jing Valley.

Along the ten-plus kilometers from the Hive to Jing Valley, traces of human activity were everywhere. Some of the tracks, at a single glance, were clearly left not long before dawn.

“The Hive has about thirty thousand ordinary people. According to their migration plan, over four nights, an estimated twenty thousand have already passed through Jing Valley on their way back to Xiacheng. No one can be allowed to slip through the net. I must get back to Xiacheng first to screen that group, and then I can bring the Frigid Ruins Cauldron to Jing Valley.”

Traveling alone, Xia Hong moved with incredible speed, reaching Jing Valley in a short while.

It was daytime, so Jing Valley was naturally silent. Not a soul could be seen outside the outpost, but within the forty orderly wooden houses, every single one had the glow of a fire, clearly indicating they were occupied by many people.

Xia Hong walked directly toward the main building in the center of the outpost, which had already been renovated.

“Someone’s here?”

“To be outside during the day, he must be a Frostwarden realm expert, right?”

“Look at his clothes. The material is similar to what Lord Yue Feng wore last night. He should be one of Great Xia’s Frostwardens too.”

………………

The wooden houses were currently filled with people who had migrated from the Hive. Most were still unaccustomed to the new environment and hadn’t fallen asleep at all. Seeing Xia Hong walking down the path through their windows, they chattered with curiosity.

“Yue Feng pays his respects to the Leader!”

As Xia Hong strode in so openly, Yue Feng rushed out of the main building before he even got close, bowing in greeting.

Yue Feng must have already heard from Meng Yi about Xia Hong’s return to the encampment, so while he looked excited, he showed little surprise.

“Rise. How many people are in Jing Valley now? And how many have you already sent to Xiacheng? You should have the exact numbers, correct?”

Yue Feng immediately nodded and answered, “Over the past four nights, a total of 19,284 people have come from the Hive. Of those, 15,242 have already taken the Xia Direct Road back to Xiacheng. The remaining 4,042 are still here in Jing Valley, including the 1,014 prisoners from Wushuang and the Hive.”

That was more or less as expected.

Although it was only ten-some kilometers from the Hive to Jing Valley, migrating over five thousand people in a single night was basically the limit. Once they reached Jing Valley, things became much easier. Taking the Direct Road back to Xiacheng was very efficient.

“Among the 1,014 prisoners, how many are in the Earthforger realm?”

Xia Hong already knew that Great Xia had fought two battles in Longyou, but he didn’t know the specific number of captives, so he asked out of curiosity.

Hearing this, Yue Feng’s face lit up with excitement. “466 Earthforgers and 548 in the Lumberjack realm, from both Zhaoyang and Wushuang. We were just worrying about who would dig the two iron mines here in Jing Valley, so we’ve kept this group here. As the Lord Director instructed, I’ve already registered these people under the squads that captured them. Their mining output can be used to offset the squads’ quotas.”

Xia Hong was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly.

He had almost forgotten about Great Xia’s regulations for prisoners.

According to the rules, these thousand-plus people had all fought directly against Great Xia on the battlefield and would certainly be sentenced to three or more years of corvée labor. The coal and iron ore they mined during their service could be used to fulfill the mining quotas of the hunting squads that captured them.

“Xia Chuan told me that all thirty-two Intermediate Hunting Teams were deployed this time. Your squad must have captured quite a few prisoners, right?”

At this, Yue Feng grinned. “There was no other choice. The Director ordered me to guard Jing Valley, so the Mountain River Squad could only be led by Li Yuankun. That kid is pretty good. All in all, he captured 82 prisoners, 24 of whom were Earthforgers. Among the thirty-two Intermediate Squads, they ranked sixth.”

“If you ranked sixth, which squads were in the top five?”

Xia Hong asked with great interest. Although Xia Chuan had told him about the events at the Hive and Wushuang, he didn’t know the details of the battles. He only knew that the Hive had gotten lucky by picking up Zhaoyang’s leftovers without a scratch, but twenty-eight people had died fighting Wushuang.

“Cloud Serpent, Tiger Leopard, Falcon, Steel Mane, and Martial Might.”

Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, Hong Guang. The names of the five squad leaders immediately surfaced in Xia Hong’s mind, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.

Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng must have been delayed at Yangyuan Peak and missed the great battle at Wushuang, which was why the Dragon Martial and Dragon Slaying Squads didn’t make the top five.

“The Martial Might Squad made the top five too. Hong Guang’s performance was quite good this time!”

Previously, Hong Guang had made a mistake in Wuyuan, and he had directly disbanded the Martial Might Squad. After Hong Guang broke through to the Frostwarden realm, the squad was re-established. Placing in the top five this time was a testament to Hong Guang’s growth. A hint of gratification appeared on Xia Hong’s face.

“The camp is gaining a lot of people in this wave, and over forty thousand more will follow. You’re going to be busy. The situation in Longyou has just stabilized, so I’ve already ordered Xia Chuan to send 1,800 people back. Your Mountain River Squad should be among them. You won’t be short on manpower. Just ensure everyone’s safety during the migration and dispatch more patrols along the route.”

Yue Feng nodded. Although he had not yet been to Longyou, he had learned much about the situation there through the handovers during the nightly migrations. He knew that a large number of people would be coming later.

However, seeing that Xia Hong was about to leave, he hurriedly spoke up, “Leader, those Lumberjack realm prisoners can’t mine, so keeping them here is useless. I discussed it with Qiu Peng, and we thought we might as well send them to fell trees and build the Direct Road at night. That counts as a form of service. Qiu Peng said we could set aside a portion of beast meat each month to reward the diligent and steadfast among them, giving them some motivation. If they break through to the Earthforger realm, they can be transferred to the mines…”

Xia Hong’s eyes instantly lit up.

“Not only does that utilize the Lumberjack realm prisoners, but it also motivates them during their service and gets the Direct Road built at the same time. That’s an excellent idea.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s praise, a smile spread across Yue Feng’s face.

He and Qiu Peng had come up with the idea together.

The inspiration came from the population migration of the past four nights.

Every day, over five thousand people set out from the Hive, heading south to Jing Valley. Although it was only a dozen or so kilometers, the procession was so massive that their pace was terribly slow.

The factors limiting their speed were, one, the weather; two, the terrain; and three, the occasional Frost Beast along the way.

The best solution, of course, was to build a Xia Direct Road connecting the Hive and Jing Valley. This was not just for the current migration; as Great Xia’s territory expanded into Longyou, establishing connections between the various outposts was imperative anyway.

Building a Xia Direct Road was no easy task.

The massive amount of timber required was a secondary issue; as long as they sourced it locally, it wasn’t too difficult.

The hardest part was the actual construction.

Everyone knew how thick the snow was on the ground in the Ice Abyss wilderness. Just clearing the snow from the ground was an extremely tedious and massive undertaking, though fortunately, those in the Lumberjack realm could participate in this process.

Furthermore, driving the foundation piles could only be done by those in the Earthforger realm. And because the Direct Road was often over ten kilometers long, it required the investment of at least several hundred, or even a thousand, Earthforger realm personnel. Even then, the construction period would be at least a month or more.

Then came the subsequent installation of the tunnel, the placement of torches and coal stoves, maintenance and upkeep after completion, and arranging for dedicated teams to patrol and clear out the various Frost Beasts that gathered around the tunnel. There were many aspects to consider.

“Currently, there are five Xia Direct Roads within Great Xia’s territory. Three lead to the coal and iron mines in Redwood Ridge, one goes to Wuyuan, and one to Jing Valley. I originally estimated that the Direct Road from Jing Valley to the Hive would take three months to build. But since the Leader has recalled 1,800 people, the construction time can be cut in half. It can probably be open by June. By then, transporting goods and personnel will be much more convenient.”

Xia Hong nodded, his face full of approval.

The Hive, Wushuang, and Hanqiong had quite a few iron and coal mines under their names. Moreover, just last night, they had finalized the Congealing Fire Salve trade with Longshan and Zhaoyang. With this Xia Direct Road, the resources from Longyou could be efficiently and continuously transported back to Xiacheng. This would be of tremendous help to Great Xia.

As for the movement of personnel, that went without saying.

“Using Lumberjack realm prisoners to build the Direct Road is a fine idea. Remember to report it to Xia Chuan later so he can add it to the prisoner regulations. You and Qiu Peng will both be credited for it.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s praise, Yue Feng showed a hint of hesitation. “Leader, I don’t need the credit. This subordinate has a request, and I hope the Leader will grant it!”

This was rare. Yue Feng was actually making a request of him.

Xia Hong’s curiosity was piqued. “What is it?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Yue Feng clasped his fists and said, “During this campaign to expand into Longyou, this subordinate has been stuck guarding Jing Valley, unable to contribute at all. I’m about to go mad from inaction! I request that the Leader appoint someone else as the Garrison Commander of Jing Valley and transfer me to Longyou!”

“Hahahaha…”

Xia Hong burst out laughing. He had wondered what the request might be, but it turned out Yue Feng was just getting restless.

It was true. Nearly all of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts had been deployed in the Longyou campaign. Only Yue Feng, Xu Ning, and Zhu Ling had remained behind. Seeing everyone else earning merits while he could only watch, it was understandable that he would feel anxious.

However, Xia Hong glanced at the orderly Jing Valley, shook his head slightly, and did not grant Yue Feng’s request.

Seeing Xia Hong shake his head, a look of disappointment crossed Yue Feng’s face.

Xia Hong smiled and said, “Don’t be impatient. Serving as a Garrison Commander doesn’t actually conflict with fighting on the front lines. If you can train someone who can look after Jing Valley in your absence, then won’t you be free?”

At these words, Yue Feng’s eyes lit up instantly.

That’s right!

It was just like with his Mountain River Squad. He, the captain, hadn’t gone on the expedition to Longyou, but didn’t the squad still perform well under Li Yuankun?

“Alright, think it over yourself. I’m heading back to Xiacheng.”

“A respectful farewell to the Leader!”

Before Yue Feng could finish his bow, Xia Hong had already transformed into a gust of wind, speeding south toward Xiacheng.

………………

Xiacheng Inner Valley, Main Building.

On the second floor, personnel were constantly moving in and out of the Logistics Department.

Qiu Peng was inspecting the Logistics Department’s warehouse, with a young man behind him continuously reporting something.

“On the twenty-sixth, after the Prefect issued the order, we immediately raised the price of beast meat tenfold. It is now five contribution points for one catty. Many people in the camp realized there would be a shortage of beast meat soon, so a run on it occurred that very day.”

“You didn’t take any measures?”

“We did. That same day, we stipulated a daily exchange limit of 100 catties for the Frostwarden realm, 10 catties for the Earthforger realm, and 5 catties for the Lumberjack realm. But even so, the beast meat consumption on the twenty-seventh reached a staggering 118,250 catties. The exchange volume for the following two days hovered around 110,000 catties. Our reserve of beast meat, originally over 1.2 million catties, shrank to 910,000 catties in just three days.”

“110,000 catties? How was that much exchanged? So many Frostwardens and Earthforgers went to Longyou. Did they exchange for meat too?”

Hearing the figure of 110,000 catties, Qiu Peng’s face filled with confusion.

The young man gave a helpless smile. “The Prefect may not know, but before those people left for the expedition, they had already given their contribution point exchange permissions to their families.”

That explained it!

Qiu Peng shook his head slightly, finally understanding.

Those on the expedition were risking their lives for the camp; it was perfectly reasonable for them to give their contribution points to their families to use. He couldn’t say anything about it.

During his report to Xia Hong at the Frigid Origin Festival at the start of the year, the camp’s total number of Earthforgers was 2,192, and there were 11,924 Lumberjacks. Now, four months later, these two numbers had naturally undergone a world-shaking change.

“3,282 and 16,293.”

Qiu Peng opened the Logistics Department ledger in his hands. Seeing the two new figures, his expression tightened slightly before revealing a mix of joy and worry.

The joy, of course, was due to the sharp increase in the number of Earthforger and Lumberjack realm members in Great Xia.

The worry was that with the exploding population, the consumption of beast meat was becoming increasingly terrifying.

With 3,282 Earthforgers and 16,293 Lumberjacks, based on the exchange limits his subordinate had just reported, if everyone exchanged their full amount, the Logistics Department’s daily beast meat consumption would be exactly 110,000 catties.

“Last December, in that month alone, the total amount of beast meat turned in by the Hunting Department was 2.1 million catties. Normally, if everything was fine, this level of consumption would be nothing to us, but now…”

Qiu Peng raised a hand, signaling his subordinate not to continue.

The situation had changed, and he understood that perfectly.

He remembered clearly reporting that figure of 2.1 million catties from last December to Xia Hong in the main hall himself.

The problem was, back then, the entire Hunting Department was going all out hunting Frost Beasts. It wasn’t like now, with 2,600 Earthforgers, including thirty-two Intermediate Hunting Squads, gone to Longyou.

“The reserve was 1.2 million catties. Over the next three days, about 110,000 catties were exchanged each day, leaving only 910,000 catties today. Does that mean that over these three days, the Hunting Department only turned in a little over 40,000 catties of beast meat?”

As soon as Qiu Peng finished asking, the young man nodded immediately, a wry smile on his face.

“That’s all there was. Here in Xiacheng, we currently only have ten Low-level Hunting Squads, and three of them were just formed. Their hunting capability is really lacking. Fortunately, Lord Zhu Ling has been leading them personally, bringing back around twenty thousand catties per night. Add that to the twenty-thousand-plus catties from Jing Valley and Wuyuan combined, and that’s how we reached a bit over forty thousand.”

Qiu Peng shook his head. Even with her Frostwarden realm cultivation, Zhu Ling could probably only hunt low-level Frost Beasts with those low-level squads; otherwise, there’s no way she could kill twenty or thirty in a single night.

Yue Feng in Jing Valley and Xu Ning in Wuyuan were likely doing the same, leading the hundred or so remaining Earthforgers to hunt low-level Frost Beasts to supplement the camp’s supplies.

“Lord, shouldn’t we temporarily halt the beast meat supply for the reservists? They consume thirty to forty thousand catties a day, and even when they break through, they’ll still only be in the Lumberjack realm. According to your instructions, Lord, we should prioritize cultivating a batch of Earthforgers right now. We should cut theirs off first to save some beast meat for others…”

“That won’t be necessary. I forgot to tell you, the Leader has already recalled some people. Over the next few days, 1,800 people will be returning to Xiacheng, including many Intermediate Squads. By then, the beast meat reserve shouldn’t be a problem!”

Qiu Peng had been dealing with other matters since his return last night and apparently hadn’t had the chance to share this news.

Hearing this, the young man’s expression instantly relaxed.

“1,800 people, and many Intermediate Hunting Squads at that! Then there’s definitely no problem. Can we lower the price of beast meat back down?”

Given the current situation, with forty thousand catties of beast meat coming in daily, once the 1,800 people returned from Longyou, the camp’s meat crisis would be resolved in an instant. Thinking of the large remaining stock of beast meat, the young man immediately asked Qiu Peng if they should lower the price.

Qiu Peng shook his head. “The price will stay as it is for now. The population is going to increase by a terrifying amount this round. Let’s first observe the actual consumption situation and talk again after things stabilize.”

The population increase this round will be terrifying?

The young man was clearly unaware of the situation in Longyou and asked curiously:

“Over the past three nights, more than fifteen thousand people have already arrived. Does my lord mean that more are still coming?”

Qiu Peng suddenly raised his head and looked at the ceiling.

The young man thought he hadn’t heard clearly and was about to speak again.

“There should be another forty thousand or so coming over in succession. I’m going upstairs to see the Leader. Wait for me here; I’ll be right back.”

Going upstairs to see the Leader?

The Leader is back…

“Yes, my lord!”

The young man’s expression turned solemn as he respectfully looked up toward the ceiling.

Forty thousand more people!

Only after Qiu Peng had left did the young man register what he had just heard.

“Did I hear that right? My lord just said another forty thousand-plus people will be coming. The camp’s population is already this large. With another forty thousand, won’t that be…”

His expression froze, his face filled with utter shock.

Chapter 261: Construction Bottlenecks, Screening, and the Idea of an Army

【Camp: Great Xia (Level 0)】

【Lord: Xia Hong】

【Cultivation: mid-Frostwarden realm (Twenty-two Mane)】

【Population: 53,129】

【Resources: Wood 8,200,000, Coal 7,520,000, Iron 4,160,000, Silver 80, Gold 0】

【Buildings Unlocked (7): Frigid Ruins Cauldron (Level 4), Martial Arts Hall (Level 3), Alchemy Workshop (Level 2), Weaponry Workshop (Level 3), Blackearth Wall (Level 2), Spirit Tablet (Level 3), Yellowearth Land (Level 1)】

【Buildings Locked (2): Small Wooden Table, Thick Iron Chain】

…………

In the grand hall on the top floor of the main building, Xia Hong sat alone on the high seat, reviewing the resource data in the system. His expression was a mixture of joy and worry.

The joy, naturally, was from the explosive growth over the past four months in all resource data, including the population.

The worries, however, were many.

First, the system still judged the camp as Level 0.

“If I’m not mistaken, it’s probably waiting for me to unlock all nine buildings before it assigns my camp a level.”

Second, the conditions for unlocking the last two buildings were too difficult.

Small Wooden Table: Iron 10,000, Silver 3,000

Thick Iron Chain: Silver 1,000, Gold 5,000

Looking at the resources required to unlock the final two buildings, Xia Hong couldn’t help but shake his head.

He had already converted the four hundred catties of silver from Longshan and Zhaoyang into the system’s resource units. The conversion rate for silver was one point for every five catties.

Judging by the diminishing conversion rates from coal and iron to silver, the rate for gold in the future would likely be two catties or even one catty per point.

Five catties of silver for one point meant that to unlock the Small Wooden Table, he needed to save up at least fifteen thousand catties of silver.

Even in such a dangerous situation, Longshan and Zhaoyang had only been willing to part with two hundred catties each to buy Congealing Fire Salve from Great Xia.

That alone was enough to prove how precious silver was.

Fifteen thousand catties!

Without finding a silver mine, it would be impossible to gather that much.

If the Small Wooden Table was already this difficult, the Thick Iron Chain was completely out of the question.

“I still can’t unlock these two buildings. And since I haven’t acquired all the Yellowearth Land and Blackearth Walls, the upgrade conditions aren’t met. The remaining Spirit Tablet, Martial Arts Hall, Frigid Ruins Cauldron, and Weaponry Workshop all require silver to upgrade!”

In other words, despite having sufficient other resources, the only things he could acquire were more Blackearth Walls and Yellowearth Land.

Without obtaining silver, all these other buildings would have to remain as they were.

“The only thing I can upgrade is the Alchemy Workshop!”

Alchemy Workshop (Level 2)

Upgrade Conditions: Wood 200,000, Coal 200,000, Iron 400,000, Synthesized Recipes 20

Xia Hong looked at the upgrade conditions for the Alchemy Workshop and then checked the thirty-one recipes it currently possessed. A sliver of relief finally washed over him.

“Silver, silver, I have to find a way!”

Xia Hong sighed and then waved his hand, placing the Frigid Ruins Cauldron in the center of the hall.

He had returned unnoticed. Most people in the camp still didn’t know he was in the great hall. Placing the Frigid Ruins Cauldron was a way of alerting them.

The flames of the Frigid Ruins Cauldron flared to life, and a wave of warmth instantly spread outward from the hall. Its five-kilometer radius warmed the inner city, the outer city, and even a portion of the area beyond.

“Hey, why is it getting warm in the streets?”

“I didn’t light my coal stove, but my house is warm now.”

“It’s coming from the main building. Has the Sacred Cauldron been lit?”

“It must be. The Leader is back.”

“The last time the Leader took the Sacred Cauldron away, Lord Zhu told us to light our own coal stones for warmth. The Leader must have brought it back.”

……………

The heating effect of the Frigid Ruins Cauldron was immediate. Many people instantly realized that Xia Hong had returned with the Sacred Cauldron.

“Greetings, Leader!”

The first to arrive at the top-floor hall was Qiu Peng.

“Greetings, Leader!”

He was followed by Zhu Ling, who had been guarding Xiacheng, Mu Dong, the Prefect of the Artisan Department, and the Prefect and Vice-Prefect of the Harvesting Department, Cheng Feng and Bai Dongying.

“The Dewdrop Plague in Longyou isn’t over yet…”

Xia Hong cut straight to the point, explaining that the Dewdrop could invade the human body. He immediately gave an order to Qiu Peng: “To be safe, the Logistics Department is to notify everyone immediately. All 53,129 people currently in the camp, including yourselves, must be screened with the Frigid Ruins Cauldron. After that’s done, I’ll place the cauldron at the outer city gate. Everyone coming from Jing Valley from now on must be screened.”

“I will see to it at once!”

Knowing the severity of the situation, Qiu Peng wasted no time. He bowed with his hands clasped and immediately left the hall to inform the others.

Only Mu Dong, Cheng Feng, and Bai Dongying remained in the hall.

“Mu Dong, the Weaponry Workshop seems lively. Did you forge something good?”

When he had just returned to the main building, Xia Hong had heard a commotion from the Weaponry Workshop behind it. Guessing they had forged something remarkable, he took the opportunity to ask.

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, Mu Dong, as if prepared, drew the saber from his waist and showed it to Xia Hong with an excited expression.

The moment Xia Hong saw the blade, his eyes lit up.

It was a saber with a hundred silver forging lines along its flank.

An ordinary hundred-forged saber would naturally not have elicited such a reaction from Xia Hong.

The key was that the edge of the saber blade carried a faint, fiery red luster. Even from five or six meters away, Xia Hong could clearly feel the high temperature radiating from it.

“Leader, you previously told us that the Weaponry Workshop could forge weapons with a Beast-quelling attribute, but after all this time, the Artisan Department hadn’t managed to produce a single one. I was terribly frustrated. Today, it must be thanks to your immense good fortune, Leader. The moment you returned, the Weaponry Workshop produced one, hahaha…”

Mu Dong was overjoyed. After failing for so long to forge the Beast-quelling weapon Xia Hong had described, he had been truly dejected. He had never doubted Xia Hong, always assuming there was a problem with his own forging techniques. Finally producing one today was a great relief to him.

Xia Hong shook his head with a light chuckle, not taking the compliment seriously. He took the saber and touched the searing-hot blade, his gaze slightly narrowed.

Frost Beasts, as their name implied, were naturally drawn to the cold. The fact that the frigid light of day made them more energetic and violent was proof of this.

So, did that mean weapons with a Beast-quelling attribute would possess this strange heat?

Xia Hong ran a finger along the blade’s edge and found that its sharpness was no different from an ordinary hundred-forged weapon made in Great Xia.

“Leader, this Beast-quelling weapon, just like that Frigid Blood Saber of yours, is made specifically for Frost Beasts. It’s not particularly effective against humans. If the hunting teams could all be equipped with such weapons, their hunting success rate would surely increase dramatically.”

Mu Dong had apparently seen Xia Hong’s intention in testing the saber and quickly explained.

Xia Hong nodded. He recalled the description of the Level 3 Weaponry Workshop, which mentioned a one percent chance of creating a Beast-quelling weapon. He asked with curiosity, “You’ve forged quite a number of weapons. Why did it take so long to produce one with the Beast-quelling attribute? Do you have any ideas yourself?”

Mu Dong also knew about the one percent probability and had clearly thought about it. He replied with a guess, “I’ve considered this question. If I’m not mistaken, it’s likely that only hundred-forged or higher-grade weapons have a chance of gaining this Beast-quelling attribute. Recently, because of the camp’s military engagement in Longyou, I’ve had the people at the Weaponry Workshop mass-producing hundred-forged weapons.”

That was it!

Only hundred-forged weapons had a chance of gaining the Beast-quelling attribute.

Xia Hong nodded, immediately agreeing with Mu Dong’s theory.

The Weaponry Workshop had produced thousands, if not tens of thousands, of ten-forged weapons. Statistically, at least a few should have appeared. It was unlikely he was that unlucky. Mu Dong’s guess was clearly very reasonable.

“Mass-producing hundred-forged weapons… what’s your efficiency like?”

Hearing Mu Dong mention this, Xia Hong’s interest was piqued.

Come to think of it, during his trip to Longyou, he had discovered that even compared to the Hive camp, let alone Longshan and Zhaoyang, Great Xia’s proliferation of hundred-forged weapons was much lower.

Even now, among the twenty-six hundred Earthforger realm cultivators from Great Xia still in Longyou, ninety percent of them were using ten-forged weapons.

If that was the state of their weapons, their armor was even less worth mentioning.

Great Xia truly needed to improve its weaponry quickly.

“Not just weapons, we’re also stepping up the production of armor. The Weaponry Workshop can currently support fifty forges operating simultaneously. The war is important, so we’ve only left five forges for other items. Of the remaining forty-five, twenty are used for forging weapons, and twenty-five for armor. The entire Artisan Department is working in shifts, almost day and night without stopping. On average, we can produce about five hundred-forged weapons and two sets of hundred-forged armor each day.”

This efficiency was truly slow!

Though Xia Hong lamented the slow pace in his heart, he knew such things couldn’t be rushed.

He himself had personally forged Great Xia’s first ten-forged great saber, Chill驚. He knew very well how difficult it was to forge weapons.

Forging the iron wasn’t difficult; the hard part was continuously hammering out the forging lines, one by one. This process couldn’t be skipped and relied solely on manual labor. Therefore, a massive expenditure of time was unavoidable.

Armor was even more intricate and complex than weapons, naturally taking even longer.

And this was with the bonus effect from Great Xia’s Weaponry Workshop. The speed at which an ordinary camp could forge hundred-forged weapons would only be slower.

“Rest assured, Leader. As the number of our Earthforger realm artisans increases and our forging skills improve, this efficiency will continue to rise.”

Mu Dong apparently sensed that Xia Hong thought it was too slow and quickly added.

“It’s not that slow. Just do your best. I remember at the beginning of the year, you said you had a total of 580 artisans. How many are there now?”

“There are now 845 people, among them 320 at the Earthforger realm. I heard from Prefect Qiu that there are many skilled craftsmen among the people coming from Longyou this time, so there will be even more then.”

Almost a thousand people!

Xia Hong nodded slightly. After this wave of population growth, the camp’s population would likely exceed one hundred thousand. The number of talented artisans emerging from that group would surely be substantial; breaking one thousand should be easy.

“Cheng Feng, I have eleven types of medicinal herbs here. Take them to the Alchemy Workshop later to be identified. See if they can generate any new pill recipes!”

After asking about the Artisan Department, Xia Hong called Cheng Feng over and took out the eleven herbs for Refining Jade Bones, handing them to him.

Presented with the dazzling array of herbs, Cheng Feng’s eyes widened.

He had been the Prefect of the Harvesting Department for a long time and had seen countless types of medicinal herbs. He could easily tell if an herb was precious or not.

Just by smelling the eleven herbs Xia Hong took out, he knew how valuable they were. The thought of discovering several new recipes instantly excited him. He and Bai Dongying took out wooden boxes and carefully packed the herbs separately.

“The three of you are Prefects, after all. Your cultivation should be improving as well. Is the camp very short on Beast Blood recently?”

Xia Hong glanced at the three of them and noticed that their base strength had all reached the thirty-thousand-catty limit, but their hides were unchanged, clearly indicating they hadn’t used Beast Blood even once. He couldn’t help but ask.

Among Great Xia’s six department prefects, there seemed to be only four who had not broken through to the Frostwarden realm. Besides Shi Ping, the Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department, it was the three standing before him.

“I saw Shi Ping in Wushuang. His base strength is over fifty thousand. He’s probably not far from a breakthrough. You three shouldn’t fall further and further behind.”

In the Ice Abyss World, strength was what ultimately mattered.

Although Xia Hong had not initially stipulated that the six department prefects must be stronger than others, they couldn’t fall too far behind.

Including Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan, Great Xia already had over twenty Frostwarden realm experts. With this round of territorial expansion and power growth, the number of Frostwarden realm cultivators would surely continue to rise.

If these three didn’t break through soon, it was inevitable that others would have opinions.

The three of them clearly understood the subtext in Xia Hong’s words, and a look of shame appeared on their faces. In the end, it was Mu Dong who answered:

“Leader, it’s not a lack of Beast Blood. But ever since the Director transferred a large number of personnel to Longyou, we knew the camp was in dire need of manpower. So, we tried our best to leave crucial cultivation resources like Beast Blood for others who were closer to a breakthrough.”

Hearing this, Xia Hong remembered what Qiu Peng had said in Wushuang about raising the price of beast meat, and he immediately understood.

A large number of hunting teams had gone to Longyou, causing the beast meat supply to become strained. Beast Blood, then, would be even scarcer. With all thirty-two Intermediate Hunting Teams in Longyou, the Logistics Department was likely receiving no new Beast Blood and was relying entirely on its stockpile.

When ordinary people saw that the beast meat supply was becoming an issue, they started to hoard it. The camp’s upper echelons and those with higher cultivation, like Mu Dong and Cheng Feng, were obviously more farsighted. Knowing they were far from a breakthrough, they relinquished their resources to allow others to advance first.

From the tightening supply of these two resources, beast meat and Beast Blood, it was clear that the war in Longyou was having a significant impact on normal life back in Xiacheng.

No, it wasn’t just the war in Longyou. In the future, any large-scale external military campaign would severely affect normal life.

There was only one way to change this.

“Establish a regular, professional army!”

The grand military formations of the Blood Guard Army and the Longyou Army appeared in Xia Hong’s mind. A flash of desire crossed his eyes, but his expression quickly turned grim again.

It was unrealistic!

One, strength exceeding the thirty-thousand-catty limit.

Two, a full set of hundred-forged weapons and armor for every soldier, plus a thirty-Stone bow.

Based on the recruitment standards for those two armies, Great Xia certainly couldn’t meet them.

Even without a detailed check, Xia Hong could roughly estimate that Great Xia currently had no more than two hundred Earthforger realm cultivators whose base strength had reached the thirty-thousand-catty limit.

Moreover, all of them were captains of hunting teams. Assembling them into an army would undoubtedly create a powerful fighting force, but the impact on the hunting teams below them would be immense.

“The ideal situation is to let them develop and grow together. Use the hunting teams as basic units, with multiple teams forming a larger army. This not only saves a great deal of integration time but also doesn’t compromise their combat effectiveness.”

The fact that only twenty-three people died in the battle at Wushuang was the best proof of this idea.

“Time. I still need time. I hope Longyou can remain peaceful for a while longer. Zhaoyang and Longshan better not cause me any more trouble!”

Not just time, but resources also had to keep up, especially beast meat and Beast Blood.

“Qiu Peng has started screening the personnel. You three go help as well!”

Xia Hong noticed movement below and knew that Qiu Peng had begun using the Frigid Ruins Cauldron to screen people. He immediately sent Mu Dong and the others away. Then, he sat alone in his chair, constantly pondering how to increase the camp’s strength quickly.

“Those eighteen hundred people are about to return from Longyou. The price of beast meat must be restored. Also, cultivation resources like the Martial Arts Hall, pills, salt, wine… all need to be prioritized for the Earthforger realm cultivators, as well as some Lumberjack realm cultivators who are close to a breakthrough. I need to increase the quantity and quality of the camp’s core forces as quickly as possible. The sooner the army is built, the sooner Longyou can be conquered!”

Chapter 262: Mission, Powerlessness, The Screening is Underway

The second year of the Great Xia era, the twenty-ninth of April, nightfall.

Ever since the Logistics Department began selling plots of land last May, Great Xia had officially entered an age of separate family residences.

In the early days, land prices were high. Few could afford it, and even fewer could build their own homes. The buyers were mostly the upper echelon, like Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, and Luo Yuan. But now, a year later, the situation was entirely different.

Centered around the main building, the sides of the three wide main roads were packed tightly with houses. Aside from some variations in exterior decoration, the styles were largely identical, creating a neat, clean, and incredibly orderly vista.

At the entrance to the Inner City, a young Xiang Liang was leading a massive, swirling crowd of people slowly through the iron gate.

“Don’t push! Keep moving forward slowly!”

“There are still a lot of people behind you. One at a time, no shoving.”

…

Xiang Liang moved along the side of the column, maintaining order. As they entered the Inner City, he looked at the houses lining the streets, his face filled with envy. Then, a thought struck him, and he called out to the crowd in a loud voice:

“You’ve been here for a few days, and this is your first chance to enter the Inner City. Take a good look around! The houses in here are much better than the ones in the Outer City!”

As expected, upon hearing his words, everyone turned their heads to look at the houses.

The moment they looked, the previously chaotic crowd instantly fell silent.

“Why are so many of these houses golden?”

“Glimmerwood. These houses must be made of Glimmerwood.”

“Hiss… all those houses are made entirely of Glimmerwood!”

“Look at that one! Why is its roof covered with a blue blanket?”

“That’s no blue blanket. That’s a huge number of Frost Wolf pelts sewn together.”

“It covers the whole roof. How many pelts would it take to make one that big?”

“Beast pelts are nothing. Look at that one up ahead. Not only is the roof covered in a massive pelt, but the door and windows are made of iron.”

“No, no, look over there! That house doesn’t just have an iron door and windows; even the eaves are made of iron! And look at the white Frost Beast sculptures on the eaves—those are carved from beast bones.”

…

Gasps of astonishment rose and fell within the group.

Xiang Liang wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear their exclamations.

He had guessed this would happen before bringing these people from Hive into the Inner City.

Four months ago, when he first came to the Great Xia Valley and saw these wooden houses in the inner valley, his own reaction hadn’t been much better than that of these people from Hive.

Over the past three nights, a total of fourteen thousand people had arrived from Hive, all of whom were temporarily housed in three wooden buildings in the Outer City.

From what Xiang Liang had observed, this batch of new arrivals had already received quite a shock during their first few days in the Outer City.

“It seems that even among giant settlements, the standard of living can vary greatly. Judging by the clothes these people from Hive wear and the things they use, it’s quite evident. Father also said that Hive has only a little over seven hundred Earthforgers in total. Compared to our Great Xia, the gap is just too vast!”

Four months ago, as a reward for presenting the Frigid Marrow Iron, Xiang Liang’s four relatives were all exempted from corvée labor, and the entire family of five successfully became members of Great Xia.

His father, Xiang Ping, was an Earthforger and had successfully joined a low-level hunting team four months prior. Just from the contribution points his father earned, their family never lacked for beast meat for their cultivation.

Not to mention, he himself had joined the Harvesting Department, and the income from gathering and logging was enough to support his own cultivation needs.

Xiang Liang had originally been quite content with such a life.

But ever since he had a taste of Beast Origin Pills and salt; learned of the Martial Arts Hall’s existence; and heard that the youngest Earthforger in Great Xia was a boy named Hong Shaokang, who was only fifteen years and one month old…

After learning all this, Xiang Liang’s perspective changed in an instant.

He was already almost seventeen this year, yet his foundational strength was only 5900 catties. At his current pace, he calculated that he wouldn’t break through to the Earthforger realm until he was nineteen, or even twenty.

Forget comparing himself to Hong Shaokang. After some observation, Xiang Liang had noticed that the young people in the settlement who broke through to the Earthforger realm could be roughly divided into three tiers: before the age of sixteen, before seventeen, and before eighteen.

In other words, if he continued at his current pace, his aptitude wouldn’t even place him in the third tier of the settlement.

This was extremely difficult for the proud Xiang Liang to accept.

So he had to find a way to earn more contribution points to exchange for resources that would speed up his cultivation, allowing him to break through to the Earthforger realm sooner.

The problem was, he was only at the Lumberjack realm. He couldn’t earn many contribution points just by logging and gathering every night. Highly sought-after resources like salt, aged liquor, Beast Origin Pills, and a training spot at the Martial Arts Hall—he would have to save up for a very long time to afford even one.

Nine days ago, the Director had dispatched a large number of people to Longyou. Seeing that the Logistics Department was short-handed, Xiang Liang immediately volunteered to help. He never expected that by a stroke of luck, he’d actually get in.

For three consecutive nights, the more than ten thousand people from Hive had to be received and settled by the Logistics Department. Xiang Liang happened to be one of the people assigned to the task. The group of about five hundred people following him now was his specific responsibility.

Integrating newcomers into the settlement wasn’t just about arranging temporary housing for them. He had to explain all of Great Xia’s rules and regulations, including the contribution point system, as well as everything they needed to pay attention to within the settlement.

To put it bluntly, his job was to get these newcomers from Hive to integrate into Great Xia as quickly as possible and return to a normal life of hunting and gathering.

There were twenty-eight other people who had taken on the same task. Above them was a captain, and when the job was done, the captain would reward them with varying amounts of contribution points based on how well their respective groups integrated.

With contribution points as a reward, Xiang Liang was naturally working very hard. To help these five hundred people quickly understand and adapt to the settlement, he had eaten and lived with them in the temporary wooden houses in the Outer City for the past three nights and had become quite familiar with them.

Seeing that everyone was still staring intently at the various houses in the Inner City, Xiang Liang cleared his throat and said, “Last night, I told you that the price of land in the Outer City is currently around 1500 contribution points. How much do you think a plot of land in the Inner City cost when it was first planned?”

“3000?”

“Probably more. 3500?”

“I’ll guess 4000.”

…

These people were already very familiar with Xiang Liang, so they all began to guess boldly.

But not a single person was right. Xiang Liang shook his head, negating all their answers before saying, “The lowest was 4000, and the highest was 7000!”

Hiss…

A collective gasp swept through the crowd.

Xiang Liang had told them before that a Lumberjack, barring any unexpected windfalls, could earn at most one to three contribution points per night from logging and gathering.

They had already felt hopeless when they heard the price of land in the Outer City last night.

Now, hearing that the land in the Inner City cost a minimum of 4000, they wilted, completely dejected.

“Don’t worry, you’re pretty much out of the running for the Inner City anyway. All 4200 plots of land here have owners, and they’re all fully built on. Take a look. Is there even a single empty plot left?”

Hearing his words, the crowd immediately scanned the area and saw that, apart from the streets, there was indeed not a single patch of empty land in the Inner City. Their expressions were filled with shock.

“It’s basically impossible for a Lumberjack to buy land on their own. According to what Lord Xiang said last night, only by breaking through to the Earthforger realm and joining a hunting team is there any hope of saving up that many contribution points. All 4200 plots in the Inner City have owners… what does that imply?”

“That Great Xia has more than 4200 Earthforgers?”

“That’s… how is that possible!”

…

Hearing the whispers from below, Xiang Liang’s expression flickered, but he didn’t offer an explanation.

Having joined the Logistics Department, he knew the current number of Earthforgers in Great Xia was just over 3000, not yet 4200.

He remained silent for the sake of his mission.

Xiang Liang knew very well that people are drawn to strength. The best way to get a group of newcomers to integrate quickly was to make them feel the power of Great Xia.

Once they felt Great Xia’s power, they would naturally take the initiative to integrate.

Instead of plainly telling them that Great Xia was strong, it was far more effective to let their imaginations run wild with guesses and speculation.

“Alright, stop gawking at the houses. Keep moving forward.”

Xiang Liang urged them on, and the crowd immediately quickened their pace.

Soon, the imposing and solemn main building came into view. Everyone halted, their breathing seeming to pause for a moment.

The three-story main building was about fifteen meters tall and two hundred meters wide, like a colossal abyssal beast crouching in the valley.

Compared to four months ago, the main building was now darker, clearly due to an increased proportion of iron in its construction. Though it still presented a mix of gold and black, black now dominated, lending it an air of greater solemnity and dignity.

At the top of the wooden building, a golden banner with a large, black “Xia” character in the center fluttered in the cold wind.

Beneath the eaves of each floor hung forty to fifty coal lamps. The carved dragons and phoenixes on the corners of the eaves and the beast bone sculptures, as translucent as white jade, were all brought to life by the flickering light, creating a dazzling and mesmerizing sight.

All three floors of the building were brightly lit. Figures could be vaguely seen on the first and second floors, but the third floor was too high to see anything clearly, though it was the brightest of all.

“Heh… Ha!”

In front of the main building, a group of children in their early teens, numbering around two thousand, were practicing punches with their upper bodies bare. With each punch, they let out a sharp cry. Their combined shouts were powerful, and with the main building looming behind them like a crouching beast, their presence was all the more imposing.

“Am I seeing things? The hundred or so in the front row… are they all Lumberjacks?”

“How old are they? Eleven or twelve at most, right?”

“Eleven or twelve? They look barely over ten.”

…

The shock from the main building hadn’t even subsided when the crowd was stunned by the young Great Xia members training in front of it. There were over a hundred Lumberjacks who were barely over ten years old—not just one or two, but over a hundred.

The people from Hive were not uninformed!

They also came from a giant settlement and had seen just as much as, if not more than, the people of Great Xia.

Hive had ten-year-old Lumberjacks too.

But over a hundred of them, all appearing at the same time…

Gulp…

Seeing the dumbfounded expressions on everyone in his group, Xiang Liang looked at the youths in front of the main building, especially the three at the front—Liu Peng, Lu Dong, and Zhao Yuanwu—and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

There was envy, jealousy, and above all, a sense of powerlessness!

Although he had never been inside the Martial Arts Hall, he knew a lot about what went on there.

These three had all broken the record for the youngest breakthrough to the Lumberjack realm. Liu Peng at eleven, Lu Dong at ten years and ten months, and Zhao Yuanwu at ten years and nine months.

If Xiang Liang remembered correctly, Zhao Yuanwu’s record had held until last November, when it was finally broken by his younger cousin, Zhao Yuannu, at ten years and six months. He hadn’t been to the Martial Arts Hall in four months, so he didn’t know if Zhao Yuannu still held the latest record.

In other words, Liu Peng, standing before him, was only twelve this year, while Lu Dong and Zhao Yuanwu were only eleven.

Thinking about the age gap between himself and the three of them, Xiang Liang couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of powerlessness. He was almost seventeen, with a foundational strength of 5900, while these three, four to five years younger than him, also had foundational strengths of over 5000.

Comparing yourself to others is truly infuriating!

Xiang Liang shook his head slightly, then quickly led the group around the youths and arrived at the base of the main building.

His eyes fell on the four-legged square cauldron at the foot of the building, and he froze, subconsciously glancing up at the main hall on the top floor.

Four months ago, he had gone to the top-floor hall to present his treasure. Although he had seen a three-legged round cauldron then, he could clearly sense that this larger, four-legged square cauldron was the same object. He just didn’t know why its shape had changed.

This cauldron should be in the top-floor hall. Why was it moved down here?

“Everyone, come forward one by one and touch the Sacred Cauldron. After you’re done, leave from the other side. No one is to be missed. Begin!”

The order Xiang Liang had received tonight was to bring his group to the front of the Inner City’s main building. At first, he thought it was just for his group, but then he realized all fourteen thousand people from Hive were coming. He had assumed it was a mobilization rally to officially welcome them into Great Xia.

But now, hearing the words of the Logistics Department captain, he realized he had been wrong.

“Touch the Sacred Cauldron? What does that mean?”

Xiang Liang couldn’t help but mutter to himself. But remembering his mission, he obediently began to organize his people to step forward one by one and touch the Sacred Cauldron.

After his entire group of over five hundred, including himself, had touched the cauldron, Xiang Liang discovered that it wasn’t just the fourteen thousand people from Hive. Everyone from Great Xia, from both the Inner and Outer Cities, had come.

Everyone was lined up on the main street, touching the Sacred Cauldron in sequence before departing through a nearby passage.

“What is going on?”

“I don’t know. The Prefect just gave the order.”

“Touching the Sacred Cauldron… could it be a blessing?”

“Perhaps. The Leader just returned, so it must be his idea.”

“Well, that settles it. I’ve always wanted to see the Sacred Cauldron. Now that I can finally touch it, I’m going to savor the moment.”

“Hahaha, you’re right. The Sacred Cauldron is usually kept on the top floor where we can’t even see it. We have to make the most of this opportunity today.”

…

With Xia Hong’s current prestige, almost everyone in the settlement would follow his orders unconditionally. Moreover, the Frigid Ruins Cauldron already held a supreme status in the hearts of the people of Great Xia.

Qiu Peng had deliberately turned this screening into a ritual resembling religious worship. It was clearly aimed at the newcomers from Hive, intended to create an initial impression of reverence for the Frigid Ruins Cauldron. In the future, if it displayed any other miraculous properties, they would not only accept it more readily but would likely develop an even deeper, more fanatical reverence for the cauldron and for their Leader, Xia Hong.

The process of simply touching it was not too complicated, and with people constantly maintaining order, it was very efficient.

Even so, with more than fifty thousand people in the settlement, the screening lasted well into the latter half of the night.

“Take your people directly to the gate of the Outer City. I’ll move the Frigid Ruins Cauldron over there. The group from Jing Valley should be arriving soon. It will be the same for the next few days. Everyone coming from Jing Valley must touch the Frigid Ruins Cauldron before they can enter the city.”

Inside the Alchemy Workshop, Xia Hong was listening to Cheng Feng speak. Sensing that the screening at the main building had concluded, he immediately interrupted Cheng Feng to give orders to Qiu Peng first.

“Yes, Leader! I’ll go at once!”

About five thousand people could arrive in a single night. With roughly fifty thousand more still to come, it would take at least ten nights, meaning the migration wouldn’t be complete until the ninth of May.

After a quick calculation, Xia Hong turned back to Cheng Feng and said:

“Continue. How many formulas have you synthesized in total during this time? Show me all the pills.”

Cheng Feng immediately took out four porcelain vials from his robes, his expression excited as he spoke.

“Leader, please take a look…”

Chapter 263: Alchemy Workshop Upgrade, Population Explosion, Resource Relaxation

“Is this bottle made of… porcelain?”

Instead of looking at the pills, Xia Hong’s attention was immediately drawn to the four bottles that contained them. Each was about the size of a fist, colored either green, blue, yellow, or red. Their surfaces were lustrous and crystalline, adorned with exquisite beast-shaped patterns, which instantly made him think of porcelain.

Cheng Feng looked startled for a moment. “Porcelain? I’m not sure. It’s a new material the Artisan Department developed last month. I heard it’s made by firing kaolin clay brought back from Wuyuan. It looks beautiful, and it’s become quite popular with the women in the settlement recently. Because the raw materials are scarce, production is low, and its price in the Logistics Department is anything but cheap. A small bottle like this, just for pills, costs four hundred contribution points, and even then, you might not be able to get one.”

Fired from kaolin clay. It really was porcelain!

Xia Hong took the bottles, a look of wonder rising in his eyes. He had only been away for a little over four months, and the settlement had somehow managed to produce porcelain.

It wasn’t that porcelain was exceptionally precious, but its existence was significant. Not only could it serve as a carrier and symbol of civilization, but it also marked that Great Xia was no longer solely focused on basic needs like food and clothing. A nascent demand for spiritual and aesthetic pursuits had emerged.

This must be Great Xia’s first true luxury item!

Xia Hong mused to himself, then opened the four porcelain bottles. A unique fragrance immediately wafted out. Seeing the four different types of pills, his eyes lit up.

Seeing Xia Hong open the bottles, Cheng Feng immediately began his introduction:

“The eleven medicinal herbs the Leader gave me this afternoon must be very valuable. They synthesized into thirteen new pill formulas. These four bottles contain the four most useful ones: the Sunwarden Pill, the Beast Spirit Pill, the Blood Origin Pill, and the most precious of all, the Yang Core Pill…”

Eleven herbs, yet thirteen formulas.

Evidently, the numerous herbs already recorded by the Alchemy Workshop had interacted with these eleven to synthesize so many new recipes. This proved that nearly every one of the eleven herbs he had brought back could serve as the primary ingredient in a formula. No wonder Cheng Feng had called them precious.

As Cheng Feng continued his explanation, Xia Hong grew increasingly excited.

The Sunwarden Pill, with Zhu Silver Flower as its main ingredient, allowed anyone who consumed it to move under the sun for a short period: one hour for the Lumberjack realm and over two hours for the Earthforger realm.

The Beast Spirit Pill, mainly composed of Crimson Sun Fruit, Exquisite Fruit, and intermediate-grade beast meat, increased the efficiency with which the Earthforger realm absorbed beast meat. It could be seen as an upgraded version of the Beast Origin Pill, with an effect more than ten times stronger—a holy grail for Earthforger realm cultivation.

The Blood Origin Pill, with its primary ingredients being the Dual-Colored Liquid Spirit Fruit, Coiling Incense Leaf, and intermediate-grade Beast Blood, enhanced the efficiency of an Earthforger realm practitioner’s absorption of Beast Blood to remodel their Hide.

“And finally, the Yang Core Pill…”

When it came to the last pill, Cheng Feng paused before continuing.

“I requested three catties of Jade Bone from you earlier, Leader, specifically to refine this pill. Its formula is the most complex, incorporating not only the eleven herbs you gave me but also seven of our Alchemy Workshop’s existing rare herbs. Combined with three catties of Jade Bone, we managed to refine one furnace-full. A single furnace yields about nine pills, and they’re all here. If I’m not mistaken, this should be the spirit pill for Frostwarden realm cultivation that you mentioned, Leader!”

Xia Hong carefully poured out a pill from the last red porcelain bottle. Inhaling its unique fragrance, a look of intoxication appeared in his eyes.

The Yang Core Pill was fiery red with several black patterns running through it, as if it were coated in a layer of magma. It felt scorching to the touch; without the Hide strength of the Frostwarden realm, one would likely be burned just by holding it.

“The only drawback of this Yang Core Pill is that it consumes a large amount of coal during refinement. Last night, I used fifty thousand catties in total.”

Fifty thousand catties was nothing!

Normally, brewing the Jade Bone Elixir required seventy thousand catties of coal for every catty of Jade Bone. Refining a furnace of Yang Core Pills with only fifty thousand catties of coal was as economical as it could get.

Gulp…

Without hesitation, Xia Hong swallowed the pill in his hand. Then, right in front of Cheng Feng, he closed his eyes and began to feel the effects of the Yang Core Pill.

His Hide began to rumble as the flesh and blood beneath it were torn apart and reformed by the medicinal power. The potent energy couldn’t be fully absorbed and even began to radiate outward through his Hide.

The astonishment in Xia Hong’s eyes deepened, and his face gradually broke into a look of ecstasy.

“Three times… no, it’s almost four times stronger. The medicinal power of a single Yang Core Pill is at least four times that of one catty of Jade Bone Elixir. This is simply heaven-defying!”

All the herbs Cheng Feng needed to refine the pills had come from Xia Hong, so he knew perfectly well that this furnace of Yang Core Pills had only consumed the equivalent materials for three catties of Jade Bone Elixir.

What did that mean?

With the materials to brew three catties of Jade Bone Elixir, the Great Xia Alchemy Workshop could refine nine Yang Core Pills. And the potency of one Yang Core Pill was three to four times that of the elixir.

“It’s not just three to four times more potent. The absorption efficiency for flesh and blood is also far superior to the directly brewed Jade Bone Elixir. If we can continuously produce Yang Core Pills, the cultivation efficiency of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts will far surpass that of every other settlement!”

Xia Hong was overjoyed. He looked down at the other three types of pills, his expression growing even more feverish.

“Beast Spirit Pill, Blood Origin Pill, Yang Core Pill, and if we include the Beast Origin Pill, Great Xia now has pills for every stage of cultivation from Lumberjack to Frostwarden. As long as we can ensure the production of these pills, Great Xia’s cultivation speed for these four stages will far exceed that of most other settlements.”

The Sunwarden Pill was also remarkable, allowing even Earthforger realm practitioners to appear in the sunlight.

On a smaller scale, for an individual, this was a life-saving item in a critical moment.

On a larger scale, for the settlement, a sufficient supply of Sunwarden Pills could alter the course of a battle in minutes.

The only thing to consider now was the source of the herbs!

All eleven of these herbs came from Longyou. At present, Great Xia couldn’t acquire a single one of them on its own.

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed slightly. He then turned to Cheng Feng and gave an order.

“Tell everyone in the Alchemy Workshop to pause what they’re doing.”

Cheng Feng was puzzled but immediately had everyone stop their work.

Great Xia had a considerable number of pharmacists, more than sixty in total.

Everyone stopped and looked back at Xia Hong, their faces filled with confusion.

With a thought from Xia Hong, the system’s resource panel instantly decreased by two hundred thousand wood, two hundred thousand coal, and four hundred thousand iron.

At the same time, the twenty furnaces and the dark green, circular cauldron in the center of the Alchemy Workshop erupted in a brilliant flash of light.

Seeing this, Cheng Feng and the others clearly realized what was happening, and their expressions turned to excitement.

A dozen or so breaths later, the light faded.

The Alchemy Workshop had undergone an astonishing transformation.

First, its area had tripled, with a new ten-meter square open space added at the back, its purpose unknown.

Second, the twenty refining furnaces were a size larger than before, and the space for fuel beneath them had doubled.

Finally, while the green cauldron in the center remained the same size, it was now encircled by a layer of ancient cloud patterns and emitted a faint glow, occasionally releasing a strange medicinal aroma.

Alchemy Workshop (Level 3): Refining equipment. Insert any item to identify its properties. Items with medicinal properties will be automatically recorded.

Special Function 1: Can automatically generate formulas based on recorded items. Materials can be placed into the cauldron according to a formula; add water and fire to automatically form pills.

Special Function 2: The refining furnaces can be used to analyze medicinal principles and refine pill formulas.

Special Function 3: Refining pills with the furnaces increases a pharmacist’s success rate by thirty percent.

Special Function 4: Includes a ten-meter medicinal field, which can cultivate spirit herbs by consuming coal.

Consumption: 1000 coal/hour for refining; identification function consumes coal based on item rarity; medicinal field consumes 200 coal/day.

Upgrade Requirements: 1,000,000 Wood, 1,000,000 Coal, 5,000,000 Iron, 10,000 Silver, 100 Synthesized Formulas.

…

Three new special functions. The second and third were clearly aimed at nurturing pharmacists. With these furnaces, Great Xia should soon have its own homegrown pharmacists.

The fourth was even more exciting—a medicinal field!

Great Xia could now cultivate its own spirit herbs. A daily consumption of two hundred coal per day meant four thousand catties a day. While this was a terrifying amount, it was nothing if it could provide a continuous supply of spirit herbs for the settlement.

Besides, the settlement’s coal supply was constantly in surplus anyway!

Seeing the first four special functions, Xia Hong was thrilled, but his face fell when he saw the upgrade requirements at the end.

“These upgrade conditions are getting harsher and harsher!”

The wood, coal, and iron were manageable, but the last two were the real problem.

One hundred synthesized formulas—even with the thirteen new ones, Great Xia currently had only forty-four in total. They were still fifty-six short, and synthesizing new formulas would only get harder.

And silver was a whole other story. Ten thousand units, equivalent to fifty thousand catties of silver. This was more than the silver required for all the other building upgrades combined.

Until they found a silver mine, he wouldn’t even have to look at the other seven buildings, aside from the Blackearth Wall and Yellowearth Land. This thoroughly extinguished any thought Xia Hong had of upgrading buildings.

After explaining all the functions of the upgraded Alchemy Workshop to Cheng Feng, Xia Hong thought for a moment and added more instructions:

“I’ll have someone send another batch of herbs and Jade Bone over. Prioritize refining Yang Core Pills, then use the remaining herbs for Blood Origin Pills and Beast Spirit Pills. Make as many as you can. Also, start researching how to use the medicinal field.”

“As you command!”

Cheng Feng was ecstatic. He immediately led his people to inspect the new medicinal field.

Technically, the four workshops—Alchemy, Forging, Tailoring, and Carpentry—all fell under the jurisdiction of the Artisan Department. However, because Cheng Feng’s Harvesting Department frequently used the Alchemy Workshop, he was made responsible for its affairs, which lightened the burden on Mu Dong, the Prefect of the Artisan Department.

Back in the main building, Xia Hong quickly sorted through a large batch of Jade Bone, Hanping Jade Dew, and the ten other precious herbs, then had them all sent to the Alchemy Workshop.

“Thanks to Xia Chuan’s bold demand, this batch of herbs from Longshan and Zhaoyang is enough for one hundred and eighty catties of Jade Bone Elixir. Sent to the Alchemy Workshop, it should yield about sixty furnaces of Yang Core Pills. If all goes well, that’s five hundred and forty pills, definitely enough for me to cultivate to the peak of the Frostwarden realm, or even break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm. With this, the cultivation problem for the Frostwarden realm is basically solved!”

A glint appeared in Xia Hong’s eyes. Cultivation in the Frostwarden realm concerned both himself and the rest of the settlement, and had always been a top priority. Now that this issue was resolved, he could focus his attention on the settlement’s development.

…

The screening process continued, alongside the great migration from Longyou.

Every night, around five thousand newcomers arrived from Jing Valley. There were two or three unexpected Frost Beast attacks along the way, but fortunately, they were all small-scale and were handled without major incident, with minimal loss of life.

From the twenty-ninth of the fourth month to the ninth of the fifth, the massive migration finally came to an end. In total, over forty-nine thousand more people had arrived.

At dawn on the tenth day of the fifth month, when Xia Hong checked the system panel again, the settlement’s population had officially surpassed the one hundred thousand mark.

【Territory Population: 102,942】

In the great hall on the top floor of the main building, Xia Hong sat alone on the high seat, looking at the population data as a trace of reminiscence flickered in his eyes.

“The Nine Towns of Mo’ao Mountain… In terms of population alone, the gap between Great Xia and them shouldn’t be too large. I wonder how far we still lag in terms of strength.”

He thought of Yang Ning and Li Hu.

Those two “chosen ones” from Beishuo.

A hint of contempt appeared in Xia Hong’s eyes. His use of “chosen ones” was, of course, mostly sarcastic. Even three years ago, he had never taken them seriously, let alone now.

What truly interested him was Beishuo, and the other eight towns of Mo’ao Mountain!

What kind of bustling scene would nine town-level settlements, each with a population of over one hundred thousand, create?

How magnificent was the Mo’ao Mountain Range that Yang Ning and Luo Ming had spoken of?

What did the five types of anomalies—Artisan, Nightmare, Malice, Spirit, and Demon—look like?

And what about the leader Luo Ming had mentioned, the one named Yang Zun? Even proud individuals like Yang Ning and Li Hu would show reverence and fervor whenever his name was mentioned, insisting that everyone add the prefix “Great Lord.” Just how powerful was this Yang Zun?

…

These many questions had been suppressed in the depths of his heart, limited by his past strength. Now, as his own power and the scale of Great Xia grew, they naturally resurfaced.

Xia Hong stood up and turned to look at the map of Great Xia’s territory behind him.

“I can’t lose sight of my priorities. I must first stabilize the rear before I can focus on finding these answers.

“The current focus of expansion must still be Longyou. Yanglu is a dead end. After taking Hive, Great Xia has basically secured control over the eastern and northern entrances to Redwood Ridge. Redwood Ridge’s southern border is the Xing River, which almost certainly has no human settlements. The western side most likely abuts Longshan, with no major entrances either. This means…”

Xia Hong drew a large circle on the map, enclosing the entire Redwood Ridge. “The whole of Redwood Ridge is now under Great Xia’s control. The next step is exploration, to convert Redwood Ridge’s resources into strength as soon as possible.”

At this thought, a sense of pride inevitably rose in Xia Hong’s eyes.

By now, Xia Hong had a rough outline of Great Xia’s geographical situation.

Previously, influenced by Luo Ming, his understanding was that the Pingxi Plain only began after crossing the Arrow Bamboo Forest to the north.

Now, it seemed that the entire area west of Double Dragon Mountain was at the same elevation.

Therefore, Double Dragon Valley, where Great Xia was located, as well as Redwood Ridge to the west, should all be considered part of the Pingxi Plain.

“From the perspective of Frost Beasts, vegetation, herbs, and minerals, there are only three major resource areas in the entire Pingxi Plain. In order from smallest to largest, they are Arrow Bamboo Forest, Redwood Ridge, and Longshan.

“Now, both Redwood Ridge and Arrow Bamboo Forest belong to Great Xia. As for the largest resource area, Longshan, Great Xia also controls the two entrances at Wushuang and Hanqiong, allowing us to take a piece of the pie. From a resource perspective alone, conquering Longyou is only a matter of time. Zhaoyang and Longshan have no hope of turning the tables!”

From a long-term perspective, resources indisputably equaled strength.

Moreover, when it came to the efficiency of converting resources into strength, Great Xia was in no way inferior to other settlements; it was, in fact, superior.

Although Longshan and Zhaoyang were currently stronger than Great Xia, Xia Hong was confident that this situation would soon be reversed.

And the speed of this reversal would be unimaginably fast!

Tap, tap, tap…

A set of footsteps from behind interrupted Xia Hong’s thoughts.

Following them was Qiu Peng’s voice.

“Reporting to the Leader, the screening of all personnel has been completed. The final batch was moved into the settlement tonight. A total of 65,924 commoners from the three Longyou factions are now housed in the temporary wooden cabins in the Outer City.

“The Logistics Department has registered all of them. Nearly thirteen thousand people from the three factions remain in Longyou. Among them, 1,388 Earthforger realm practitioners have been split into two groups and are assisting our garrisons in Wushuang and Hanqiong. The remaining Lumberjack realm practitioners are mostly stationed at Hive, with a small number transferred to Wushuang and Hanqiong to handle logistics for the outposts!”

Xia Hong’s spirits lifted slightly. He knew that the sixty-thousand-plus people who had been prioritized for migration from Longyou were all commoners who had not yet reached the Lumberjack realm, while the Lumberjack and Earthforger realm practitioners had been left behind.

So, strictly speaking, Great Xia’s current population had surpassed one hundred and ten thousand.

Qiu Peng’s report wasn’t finished. He continued, “Our own Earthforger realm practitioners have also returned home, 1,800 in total. This includes one thousand people from twenty Intermediate Hunting Squads, and the remaining eight hundred from forty basic hunting squads.”

This time, all thirty-two of the settlement’s Intermediate Hunting Squads had been dispatched to Longyou. Xia Chuan had clearly considered the need to garrison Wushuang and Hanqiong, so he had left twelve elite Intermediate squads behind.

Xia Hong nodded slightly and asked, “Is that all? Who else has returned?”

Qiu Peng nodded. “I heard from those who arrived first that the Lord Prefect intends to personally oversee Longyou. Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Meng Yi, Zhu Yuan, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Huang Yong, Hong Gang, Peng Bo, and Chen Yingyuan—all eleven of them are currently in Jing Valley and should be back soon.”

Excluding himself and including Peng Bo, Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, and Wu Tianxing, Great Xia currently had twenty-three Frostwarden realm experts.

Zhu Ling and Qiu Peng were in Xiacheng, Yue Feng was in Jing Valley, and Xu Ning was in Wuyuan.

Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Zhao Hu, and Zhao Bao had been sent by him to garrison Hanqiong.

Xia Chuan himself was likely stationed at Wushuang with Zhao Long, Chen Yingba, and Wu Tianxing.

That meant a total of eight Frostwarden realm experts were currently stationed in Longyou.

Eight Frostwarden realm experts in Longyou should be enough for now!

“The Lord Prefect sent a message back. He said that the three outposts in Longyou have all begun to operate normal hunting routines. Once the direct road between Jing Valley and Hive is completed, the various resources from Longyou can also be transported back to Xiacheng.”

Xia Hong nodded. The people at Hive could head south into Redwood Ridge to hunt and log, and both Hanqiong and Wushuang had entrances to branches of the Longshan mountain range. With no war in Longyou, the three outposts could sustain themselves normally.

“Since the Hunting Department’s members are all back, prepare to lower the price of beast meat again. The qualifications for the Martial Arts Hall will remain unchanged for now, with priority still given to those on the verge of breaking through to the Earthforger realm. Also, there’s another matter I need you to handle…”

With so many hunting teams back, the supply of beast meat was no longer an issue. It was time to relax resource controls. A price of five contribution points per catty of beast meat was not very friendly to the sixty thousand-plus people who had recently joined the settlement.

Hearing that Xia Hong wanted to lower the price of beast meat, Qiu Peng looked noticeably hesitant. Still, he listened patiently until Xia Hong finished speaking. Only then did he say with a hint of uncertainty, “Leader, as it happens, I have a suggestion I’d like to make as well…”

Chapter 264: The Shock of Peng and Chen, The Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament

In the second year of Great Xia, the ninth day of the fifth month.

It was the final half hour before dawn.

Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, and the eleven other Frostwarden realm experts, along with the one thousand eight hundred Hunting Team members who had been dispatched to Longyou half a month ago, had all returned home safely.

Just as the Inner City was quieting down for the morning, the return of these one thousand eight hundred men instantly filled it with a lively clamor. It was nearly dawn, a time when most people would be sleeping.

As soon as the one thousand eight hundred iron-clad Hunting Team members passed through the iron gates of the Inner City and heard their captains’ orders to dismiss, they trudged, travel-worn, toward their homes.

“My dear, you’re back!”

“Dad, Dad, I’m here, I’m here.”

“Big Brother is back! Dad, Big Brother’s home!”

“Second Brother, hurry inside.”

“Hubby, quick, take off your armor. I’ll go make some food.”

………………

Amidst a chorus of joyous cries, hundreds, even thousands, of houses in the Inner Valley soon lit up with the glow of coal lamps and bonfires.

The Earthforger realm warriors, returning dusty and weary from Longyou, saw their families waiting for them at their doorsteps. Their faces broke into broad smiles, and in that instant, all traces of hardship and fatigue seemed to vanish.

On the central street of the Inner City, Yuwen Tao was leading eight other Frostwarden realm experts toward the main building. They still had to report to their Leader, so they couldn’t go straight home like the others.

“It’s no wonder. These Earthforger realm men are husbands, fathers, or brothers… basically the pillars of their families. Being away for so long, it’s inevitable that their families back at the settlement would worry!”

Luo Yuan’s words resonated with the others.

“I received the Director’s notice to go to Longyou on the sixteenth. When I was leaving, my wife was nagging me something fierce, so afraid something would happen to me.”

“When we used to go out hunting, it was only for a few hours at most. We’d be back before dawn at the latest. Even if we were stationed at Jing Valley or Wuyuan, we could come back on our own every few days. But this trip to Longyou was different. The first group left on the twentieth of last month, so it’s been almost twenty days. It’s the first time we’ve been away from the settlement for so long, so of course it’s different!”

“You know, after being away for so many days, I’m actually a bit homesick myself.”

“Same here. My boy just turned three. I want to go back and see him.”

Hearing the words of Hong Gang, Huang Yong, and the others, Luo Yuan chuckled softly. Then, his gaze fell on Yuwen Tao at the front, and he glanced around the group. An idea came to him, and he teased them with a grin, “You all have wives, kids, and a warm home to return to, but there are three people here who haven’t even married yet!”

The others paused, then all eyes focused on Yuwen Tao, Lin Kai, and Lu Yang.

“That’s right, I forgot. Our Lord Prefect hasn’t taken a wife yet.”

“And Lu Yang, too. I hear a lot of people have tried to set you up. Are your standards a bit too high, kid?”

“Lin Kai, I heard your sister has paraded several groups of girls through your house just to get you married, but you haven’t taken a fancy to a single one?”

“Hahahahaha…”

…

Speaking of which, Yuwen Tao, the Prefect of the Hunting Department, was powerful but, at only eighteen, was actually the youngest of the nine.

Lu Yang and Lin Kai were also only twenty-one or twenty-two.

The three of them were highly capable on the battlefield or during a hunt, but their age was what it was. Being teased by six married men, they couldn’t help but look a little embarrassed. They quickened their pace, heading rapidly toward the main building.

Seeing their窘迫姿態, the others grew even more enthusiastic, calling out one after another as they followed close behind:

“Hahaha, what kind of girl does the Prefect like? I can introduce you to some!”

“Does he need your introductions? If the Prefect said he wanted to get married, his doorstep would probably be trampled flat in an instant.”

“Lin Kai, Lu Yang, I happen to have two nieces who are good-looking and have nice personalities. How about I arrange for you two to meet them someday?”

“One niece for each of them? You wish, Old Huang. Lin Kai, don’t be fooled. With a face like Old Huang’s, what kind of pretty niece could he possibly have? My niece, Hong Shaojun, now she’s a real beauty, and her cultivation talent is very high. I’ll introduce you.”

“Old Hong, you’re the one with an ugly mug.”

“Hahahaha…”

“Prefect Yuwen, look at my daughter! My daughter is very pretty.”

“My daughter is plump and chubby, now that’s what you call blessed! She’s a better match for the Prefect!”

…

“Alright, we’re here. Quiet down and come see the Leader with me!”

Seeing the teasing grow louder and even attract jests from the residents along the street, Yuwen Tao, his face dark, cut them off.

The men looked up and saw they were indeed near the main building. They immediately reined themselves in and followed Yuwen Tao upstairs, preparing to see Xia Hong in the great hall.

Just as they reached the third floor, they ran into Qiu Peng, who was walking out of the great hall.

“You’re all back!”

Qiu Peng first greeted them with a smile, but then he noticed only nine had returned and asked curiously, “Where are Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan?”

Yuwen Tao replied, “Those two were in a hurry to see their families, so I let them stay in the Outer City for now. They should be coming in soon.”

The families of Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo had arrived in Xiacheng over ten days ago. Considering the great calamities their families had suffered, it was normal for them to be worried. Qiu Peng didn’t press the matter further.

“The Leader is waiting for you inside. Go on in!”

He seemed to be in a bit of a hurry. After speaking to Yuwen Tao and the others, he quickly descended the stairs.

Although Yuwen Tao’s group was curious about what Qiu Peng was rushing for, they remembered that Xia Hong was waiting for them and proceeded into the great hall first.

…

While Yuwen Tao and the other eight entered the main building’s great hall to see Xia Hong, Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan in the Outer City had also met their respective families.

In the room on the top floor of the number one temporary wooden longhouse, closest to the Inner City’s iron gate.

Seven-year-olds Liu Ming and Qin Feng, seeing Peng Bo again after half a month, were so overcome with joy that they burst into tears and rushed into his arms.

“Great-Grandfather, you’re finally back!”

Peng Bo picked up the two children, his expression also somewhat moved. His two sworn brothers, Qin Gu and Liu He, had had their entire families wiped out, leaving only these two descendants. No matter what, he had to raise these children and help his brothers continue their bloodlines.

“Where’s Little Zu?”

Before the children could answer, a middle-aged woman walked out of the bedroom behind them. She was holding an infant. It was none other than his grandson, Peng Zu.

“Greetings, Lord Peng Bo. My name is Zhu Mei. I was arranged by the Logistics Department to take care of the three young lords.”

The woman first handed the infant to Peng Bo before curtsying.

“Great-Grandfather, Auntie Mei has been very good to us. She’s been taking care of us and Little Zu this whole time.”

Peng Bo paid no attention to his grandsons’ words. His gaze was fixed on his grandson, Peng Zu, in his arms. After a moment, he turned to look at Liu Ming and Qin Feng, a hint of astonishment rising in his eyes.

“Your foundational strength…”

“I almost forgot! Grandfather, our foundational strength is at one thousand five hundred now. How about that? Impressive, right?”

Peng Bo was interrupted by Liu Ming before he could finish.

The usually calmer Qin Feng couldn’t help but chime in, his voice tinged with excitement. “For the past half a month, Auntie Mei has been feeding us a lot of good things. There are Beast Origin Pills, salt, Aromatic Preserved Fruit… Auntie Mei is a great cook. The beast meat she makes is especially delicious. And she brought us Beast Fruit Milk, which I’ve never seen before. Little Zu stops crying as soon as he drinks it, and he’s getting healthier and healthier. He’s not even afraid of the cold during the day anymore…”

Hearing his two grandsons prattle on about how good Zhu Mei was, Peng Bo nodded with a constant smile, but his expression remained impassive when he looked at her.

He was a mighty Frostwarden realm expert. It was only normal that his three grandsons would receive special treatment after he joined Great Xia.

He could tell as much just from where his grandsons were living.

This temporary wooden longhouse was only two stories. The first floor was crowded with at least five hundred people, while his three grandsons lived in this private room on the second floor.

In Peng Bo’s mind, this woman named Zhu Mei had clearly been sent by the higher-ups of Great Xia. The only reason she was so good to his grandsons was to win him over.

This Zhu Mei was most likely a servant assigned to him.

Peng Bo was, after all, the former Leader of Yanglu and had long held a high position. Why would he show any cordiality to a mere servant?

But Zhu Mei’s next words made him realize instantly just how wrong he was.

“Since Lord Peng has returned, it is time for me to take my leave.”

Although Zhu Mei addressed him as “Lord,” her tone was calm, without the slightest hint of a servant’s demeanor. She continued, “These three children must have suffered a great deal outside. When they first arrived, they had injuries and a lot of cold energy in their bodies. I exchanged for some Warming Wind Pills from the Logistics Department, and they felt a bit better after taking them, but they’ll still need to recuperate. It’s best not to stop the beast meat and Warming Wind Pills.

“And that infant, he hasn’t had mother’s milk in a long time. He was probably only fed fruit nectar before, so his body is very weak. When you have time, Lord Peng, you should go to the Logistics Department to exchange for some Beast Fruit Milk. If he keeps drinking it, his health will improve greatly…”

Zhu Mei rattled off a long list of instructions. Finally, she looked down at Liu Ming and Qin Feng, a gentle smile on her face. “Little Ming, Little Feng, you must listen to your grandfather from now on. Auntie Mei also has a child your age at home named Huang Tianxi. When you come to the Inner City in the future, I’ll have him befriend you, alright?”

“Okay, Auntie Mei.”

Liu Ming and Qin Feng quickly agreed, watching Zhu Mei leave with reluctant expressions.

She just… left…

Peng Bo stood rooted to the spot, a look of utter bewilderment on his face.

This Zhu Mei wasn’t a servant assigned to him by Great Xia?

During his time in Longyou, Peng Bo had learned a few things about Great Xia.

Director Xia Chuan, the six departments of Great Xia, the Logistics Department, the pills, the clothing, the contribution points system, the rules for captives… He had already heard about all these aspects of Great Xia from Luo Yuan and the others.

He even had his own contribution points record while he was in Longyou.

If he remembered correctly, he had been rewarded with contribution points by Xia Chuan for both hunting down Wu Xiong and rescuing Xia Hong in Hanqiong. The total should be around 800 points.

Arriving in Xiacheng tonight and seeing the black city walls that stretched for several kilometers, the various clothes worn by the people of Great Xia, the different tools they used, and the detached houses they lived in—Peng Bo had to admit that when this vibrant and prosperous scene unfolded before his eyes, he was truly and deeply shaken.

But no matter how shaken he was, he was also very clear that with his cultivation and strength, he was bound to hold a high position in Great Xia. By the same token, his three grandsons would naturally receive special treatment with ease.

But now he was discovering that this might not be the case!

“Grandfather, Great Xia is really nice. Every day, someone comes to the longhouse to distribute free beast meat to all of us. It was Auntie Mei who saw that we were in poor health and exchanged for some extra for us. She doesn’t just take care of us; she also looks after many orphans in this building. Sometimes, when she cooks something good, she’ll invite many people to eat together…”

Liu Ming might have simply felt that his grandfather wasn’t being very warm to Zhu Mei. But the usually quiet Qin Feng seemed to have guessed what Peng Bo was thinking and spoke up slowly, “Grandfather, Auntie Mei wasn’t giving us special treatment. I went out to play a few nights ago. There are over sixty temporary wooden longhouses here in the Outer City. I heard that every longhouse has someone like Auntie Mei who is responsible for taking care of children like us who don’t have adults to look after them…”

Anyone over the age of six who hadn’t broken through to the Lumberjack realm was considered a reservist and received a daily quota of one to two catties of free beast meat.

Once one broke through to the Lumberjack realm, they received their own contribution point record. Everything in the settlement—clothing, food, housing, and transportation—had to be exchanged for with contribution points. Apart from the Leader, Xia Hong, everyone in Great Xia was treated equally.

Anyone who broke through to the Earthforger realm had to register with the Hunting Department, either by creating or joining a hunting squad. They had a minimum monthly quota for turning in beast meat, iron ore, and coal. This applied to everyone.

…

As Liu Ming and Qin Feng recounted everything that had happened over the past half-month in full detail, Peng Bo’s understanding of Great Xia became more and more comprehensive. The astonishment in his eyes grew thicker, and a strange light began to shine within them.

Back in Longyou, when he listened to Luo Yuan and the others describe Great Xia, Peng Bo had already realized that Great Xia was superior to the Yanglu settlement in terms of both resources and systems. But at the time, he had been somewhat skeptical, assuming that Luo Yuan’s group must have been exaggerating to secure his loyalty.

But listening now, it seemed that wasn’t the case at all.

Children were far more credible than adults, especially Liu Ming and Qin Feng, whom he had watched grow up. Their words were certainly more believable than anyone else’s.

“You two wait here. I’m going to the Inner City to have a look and see the Leader!”

Finally, Peng Bo interrupted his grandsons’ account.

He decided to go and see for himself.

Was the Logistics Department, one of the six great departments, truly overflowing with inexhaustible supplies of beast meat, beast hides, iron ore, and coal, just as Luo Yuan had described?

Were the living conditions in the Inner City really that much better than in the Outer City?

And what about the pills and weapons that Luo Yuan had been boasting about, the Weaponry Workshop and Alchemy Workshop that produced them, and the mysterious and miraculous Martial Arts Hall that could enhance a person’s cultivation efficiency…

Peng Bo handed his grandson Peng Zu over to Liu Ming and Qin Feng for safekeeping and walked out of the room. He left the longhouse and, seeing the Inner City’s iron gate just a short distance away, walked straight toward it.

Just then, a familiar figure approached from the other side.

“Leader Peng… Brother Peng, are you also going into the Inner City for a look?”

Peng Bo looked up and saw Chen Yingyuan, his face filled with obvious curiosity and surprise. He immediately guessed that the other man’s purpose was the same as his.

Chen Yingyuan must have heard similar descriptions from his family.

“Let’s go! Let’s go see for ourselves if Great Xia is truly as good as they say!”

Chen Yingyuan nodded and fell into step beside Peng Bo, walking into the Inner City with him.

“Did you hear? The price of beast meat has been reduced. It’s now one contribution point per catty. As long as there are no major changes, the price won’t change again.”

“That’s good. I thought one point for two catties was too cheap before. Those new Lumberjack realm cultivators could exchange for seven or eight catties in a single night just by logging and gathering.”

“Our Leader is just too kind. Anyone over six who hasn’t reached the Lumberjack realm counts as a reservist and gets beast meat every day. How can the settlement possibly sustain that? My husband faces so much danger every time he goes out hunting!”

“It’s the same for my husband. His hunting squad wants to be promoted to intermediate rank recently, and he comes back with injuries every time. It’s terrifying to look at.”

“Well, congratulations! With an intermediate squad, your family’s life will be much more comfortable from now on.”

…

It was nighttime, and the main road in the Inner City was bustling with people. The sounds of conversation drifted from the houses on both sides of the street, mostly from women and children. These sounds naturally did not escape Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo.

The two deliberately slowed their pace, listening carefully to the conversations while observing the houses on either side of the street, trying to analyze Great Xia’s current policies and the living conditions of the Inner City’s residents.

The more they heard and the more they saw, the more shocked they became. They would glance at each other from time to time, seeing the same astonishment and horror in the other’s eyes.

Clothing, food, housing, the iron carts that were everywhere—not to mention the Earthforger realm experts, even the toys in the hands of some children in the Inner City were made of iron. There were also some teenagers, around ten years old, who had already reached the Lumberjack realm, and some were even at the Earthforger realm.

“This is…”

“How can there be so many ten-year-old Lumberjack realm cultivators? And that group of kids, they can’t be more than sixteen or seventeen, right? They’re all at the Earthforger realm?”

“Are there just too many geniuses in this Great Xia?”

“Some of the women have even reached the Earthforger realm!”

…

The two were so shocked that they couldn’t help but voice their thoughts aloud.

Peng Bo was the leader of Yanglu, and Chen Yingyuan was the leader of the Hive. Neither of them was unworldly. They had seen ten-year-old Lumberjack realm cultivators before, but seeing so many at once completely shattered their understanding.

There were plenty of sixteen- and seventeen-year-old Earthforger realm cultivators in Longyou, but each power had only two or three at most. Here in Great Xia, they had already encountered at least a dozen just walking down the street.

What did that even mean?

Was Great Xia a place where geniuses gathered in droves?

“Brother Peng, think about the Xia Hong and Xia Chuan brothers, Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, and the other Frostwarden realm experts in Great Xia…”

It was Chen Yingyuan who reacted first, offering a reminder.

Hearing this, a look of understanding dawned on Peng Bo’s face.

That’s right. Not only were the Earthforger realm cultivators in Great Xia young, but even the Frostwarden realm experts were terrifyingly young!

The two walked a little further and had just caught sight of the main building’s outline when the already bustling street suddenly became even more clamorous and festive.

Throngs of people poured out of their homes, all heading toward the main building.

Their faces were alight with excitement, clearly anticipating something.

“The Logistics Department is holding another competition!”

“What competition?”

“I think the Leader personally established it. It’s called the Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament.”

“It’s probably like the previous mining and gathering competition. They’ll award contribution points based on rank!”

“This time is different. It seems to be a combat tournament on a platform. I heard the rewards are plentiful.”

“It’s been a while since they held a competition.”

“A combat tournament? They’ll probably have gathering and archery competitions as well, right?”

“I don’t know. I heard a lot of people are crowded over there watching.”

“Let’s go take a look. Someone just told me that people from the Logistics Department are putting up a notice, and Lord Qiu Peng will come out to announce it personally.”

“Let’s go, let’s go! Hurry and see!”

…

Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan exchanged a look and quickened their pace.

When they arrived at the base of the main building, they were immediately dumbfounded.

There were simply too many people.

It seemed as though all four thousand-plus households of the Inner City—men, women, young, and old—had come. Many from the Outer City were there as well. The square in front of the main building was currently packed with at least thirty thousand people.

Being Frostwarden realm experts, the two used a few minor tricks and quickly squeezed their way to the front. Only then did they see that a seven or eight-meter-high platform had been erected in the main building’s square. Qiu Peng was standing on it, speaking eloquently.

“The Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament will begin on the first day of the sixth month every year. The tournament will be divided into three divisions: Frostwarden realm, Earthforger realm, and Lumberjack realm. Anyone who meets the cultivation requirements, regardless of gender, may participate.

“The number of Frostwarden realm participants is small, so we will only take the top five.

“The Earthforger realm will take the top ten, and the Lumberjack realm will take the top one hundred.

“As for the rewards, I won’t tell you the specifics right now. I can only say they are exceptionally generous. These rewards include massive amounts of contribution points, cultivation slots in the Martial Arts Hall, fine wine, pills, beast meat, weapons… and even the chance to receive personal guidance in your cultivation from the Leader himself. Even I am green with envy!”

As Qiu Peng’s voice fell, the originally noisy square instantly fell silent.

Everyone replayed Qiu Peng’s words in their minds, their gazes burning with fervor, their breathing unconsciously growing heavier.

Who was Qiu Peng?

He was one of the six great Prefects of Great Xia, and the Prefect of the wealthiest department, the Logistics Department.

The significance of rewards that even he would envy was self-evident!

“The specific competition rules will be posted later. Those who wish to participate can start preparing now.”

Qiu Peng was very satisfied with the crowd’s reaction. He clapped his hands, and three people from the Logistics Department promptly came forward and posted some information about the competition on the main building’s doors.

At the same time, Qiu Peng continued to speak.

“In addition, there is another matter to announce to everyone today. I will say it here once, and later, people from the Logistics Department will go to the Outer City to announce it again. That is, the reservist system is going to be reformed…”

Hearing about the reform of the reservist system, many in the Inner City didn’t seem to care much, but a small number of people who had come from the Outer City grew tense.

Qiu Peng continued, “The old rule was that anyone over the age of six who had not yet reached the Lumberjack realm could receive one to two catties of beast meat every day. Now that Great Xia’s population has exceeded one hundred thousand, if we continue this way, the demand for beast meat will be too great, so things must change.

“From now on, only orphans over the age of six, or those whose entire families have no one at or above the Lumberjack realm, can enter the reservists and enjoy the daily quota of one to two catties of free beast meat. Does anyone have any objections to this?”

“Of course not! It’s our duty to take care of the orphans. The settlement’s population is too large now. Continuing as before is definitely not feasible. The consumption of beast meat must be controlled.”

“That’s right. If a family has even one member at the Lumberjack realm, with the current price of beast meat in our Logistics Department, it’s not difficult to exchange for four or five catties a day, let alone if they have a family member at the Earthforger realm. I support the reform of the reservist system.”

“I support it too. As the population grows, we must control consumption.”

…

Hearing everyone’s support, a hint of satisfaction rose in Qiu Peng’s eyes.

The suggestion he had just made to Xia Hong was precisely about the reservists.

With this population boom to 110,000, if they followed the old rule where anyone over six who hadn’t reached the Lumberjack realm was considered a reservist, the settlement’s daily beast meat consumption would be terrifyingly high.

While in Longyou, Qiu Peng and Xia Chuan had made a rough estimate. Not counting the consumption of the Frostwarden, Earthforger, and Lumberjack realm cultivators, the reservists alone would consume over one hundred thirty thousand catties of beast meat per day.

Including other consumption, the estimated daily total would exceed two hundred thousand catties.

This rate of consumption was simply too terrifying!

The settlement’s current hunting teams clearly could not keep up.

Therefore, reform was imperative.

The price of beast meat had been lowered, but it was still double what it was before. This was a necessary measure considering the settlement’s current population and consumption needs.

In fact, Qiu Peng had already anticipated that the residents of the Inner City would readily accept the reform.

Those who could live in the Inner City were all old-timers of Great Xia.

On one hand, they remembered the settlement’s kindness and could thus understand its difficulties.

On the other hand, there were very few reservists in the Inner City. Since it didn’t affect their own interests, they would naturally accept it willingly.

“Next is to coordinate with the people in the Outer City. It shouldn’t be a big problem. Never mind one contribution point for one catty, even at five points per catty, Great Xia’s benefits are far superior to those of the three powers in Longyou. Not to mention, aside from the basic resource of beast meat, Great Xia has many things their original settlements lacked.”

After this thought, Qiu Peng scanned the crowd, raised his voice to its maximum volume, and continued, “Alright, that’s all for today. Registration for the tournament will begin on the fifteenth, right here at the main building. You are all dismissed.”

His gaze then fell directly on Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo in the crowd. He stepped down from the platform, walked over to them, and said with a smile, “You two, please come upstairs with me. The Leader is waiting for us.”

Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo nodded and followed him upstairs.

Chapter 265: Garrison Candidates, Tournament Fever, and the Eve of the Breakthrough Tide

A magnificent, gilded circular dome.

A blue beast-hide carpet covering the entire floor of the great hall.

Stark white beast-bone statues of various shapes lined both sides.

Eight solemn and majestic golden support pillars.

Hundreds of beast-shaped coal stoves forged from pure iron.

A four-legged, square giant cauldron in the center of the hall.

…

Upon entering the great hall on the top floor of the main building, Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo were immediately stunned by the dazzling and utterly opulent decor.

Hive and Yanglu didn’t lack coal or iron.

But first, neither camp was anywhere near this extravagant. They had to turn over a significant amount of iron ore to Longshan every year. The remaining iron was either used to strengthen their camp’s defenses or forged into weapons and armor, with nothing to spare.

Second, the moment they entered Xiacheng, they knew their own forging and smelting techniques were far inferior to Great Xia’s.

“Our resources are less plentiful, our craftsmanship isn’t as good, and we lag far behind in alchemy, forging, and even construction. In terms of resource allocation and system, Hive is also far inferior to Great Xia. In that case…”

Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Yingyuan’s mind. Finally, as if having made a decision, he looked up at Xia Hong on the high platform, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. He bowed deeply.

“Chen Yingyuan pays his respects to the Leader!”

Peng Bo, standing behind him, clearly understood the deep meaning behind Chen Yingyuan’s actions. A complex look appeared in his eyes, but without the slightest hesitation, he also walked to Chen Yingyuan’s side and bowed respectfully to Xia Hong.

“Peng Bo pays his respects to the Leader!”

At this moment, Xia Hong was not the only one in the great hall.

Qiu Peng, who had arrived earlier, was already standing to the side. Including Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Meng Yi, Zhu Ling, Zhu Yuan, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Huang Yong, and Hong Gang, all eleven Frostwarden realm experts currently in Xiacheng were present.

The crowd, which had been somewhat noisy, instantly fell silent upon seeing the respectful posture of Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo.

No one showed much surprise; it felt more like an expected outcome.

Conversely, Xia Hong, who was holding a wine cup on the high platform, showed immense delight in his eyes when he saw the two bow respectfully and heard them call him “Leader.”

Although Chen, Peng, and the other two had technically joined Great Xia in Longyou, obeying every command from him and Xia Chuan, Xia Hong knew this was only because their families were in Xiacheng.

Getting an ordinary Frostwarden realm expert to join Great Xia was no simple task, let alone these four who were quite powerful. Moreover, Chen and Peng had both been leaders of their respective camps, holding a status equivalent to his own.

Whether these four would willingly join Great Xia had been an unknown before their return to Xiacheng.

Xia Chuan’s decision to leave Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing in Longyou while having Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo return was clearly intentional.

As long as these two nodded in agreement, the other two would not be a problem!

Their actions now undoubtedly showed their stance.

Chen Yingyuan, late-Frostwarden realm, with the strength of Seven Manes.

Peng Bo, late-Frostwarden realm, with the strength of Eight Manes.

Chen Yingba, late-Frostwarden realm, with the strength of Six Manes.

Wu Tianxing, late-Frostwarden realm, with the strength of Six Manes.

In other words, from this moment on, these four late-Frostwarden realm experts had truly joined the camp and become members of Great Xia.

“Rise. Since you have joined the camp, you will be treated as equals from now on. You two should have already registered with the Hunting Department. You can form your own hunting squads and participate in the camp’s normal hunting life. If you have any questions, you can go to Qiu Peng and Yuwen Tao for clarification.”

Though happy, Xia Hong did not show an overly enthusiastic attitude toward the two. After giving his instructions, he waved for them to join the ranks. He then glanced around at the thirteen people present before smiling and continuing, “I’ve summoned you all here for two matters!”

Yuwen Tao and the other nine had all just returned home once and were now being summoned for a second time.

“For the first matter, Yuan Cheng, you speak!”

Yuan Cheng nodded at the words, stepped forward, and addressed the crowd, “My Garrison Department has added three new outposts: Hanqiong, Wushuang, and Hive. Therefore, we need to appoint three Garrison Commanders. If anyone is interested, you may recommend yourself to the Leader now!”

Upon hearing this, aside from Yuwen Tao, Qiu Peng, Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, and Zhu Yuan—the five who already held positions in the six departments—the other eight all showed expressions of interest.

Guarding a territory was definitely better than staying in Xiacheng as an ordinary hunting squad captain, both in terms of actual benefits and personal status.

The only drawback was that being stationed outside was perhaps not as safe or comfortable as being in Xiacheng.

But everyone present had walked on the edge of a knife to get where they were. Danger was never a factor in their considerations.

Besides, Frostwarden realm experts were not like those in the Earthforger realm. Given Great Xia’s current level of development, as long as the outpost’s safety could be ensured, they could return whenever they wished; they just couldn’t stay in Xiacheng for long.

“Leader, Hong Gang is willing to go to Longyou to garrison!”

“I, Huang Yong, am also willing.”

“This subordinate would also like to go.”

“Meng Yi wishes to go as well.”

“If possible, Peng Bo is also willing.”

……

All eight of them expressed their desire to go.

Xia Hong smiled without a word from the high platform, clearly having anticipated this.

Yuan Cheng’s preparations were even more thorough. Seeing all eight state their intentions, he smiled and said, “If everyone wants to go, then we’ll have to compete. The most capable person will get the post…”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “A Garrison Commander, in the end, is responsible for acquiring resources from the outpost for Great Xia. How about this: we’ll use the next month as the time limit. Among you eight, the three with the most contribution points earned will become the Garrison Commanders of these three outposts.”

Earning contribution points was, ultimately, about turning over various resources to the camp.

This itself was a way to compete based on ability, and none of the eight had any objections.

Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo, who had yet to form their hunting teams, also nodded, already mentally planning to create their own squads as quickly as possible.

Xia Hong waved for Yuan Cheng to step back and continued, “Next, I’ll move on to the second matter: next month’s martial arts tournament. I will personally be in charge of the Frostwarden realm group. So today, I’ll brief you Frostwarden realm members who are in the camp. Qiu Peng, after you’ve heard this, make a trip to Wuyuan, Jing Valley, and Longyou personally to inform Xia Chuan, Yue Feng, Xu Ning, and the other ten.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Everyone’s expression sharpened slightly upon hearing this as they looked up at Xia Hong.

Qiu Peng had mentioned on the plaza below that the rewards for this tournament were something even he coveted, making everyone incredibly curious.

Xia Hong smiled, first taking out a small red porcelain bottle from his robes. He then poured out thirteen pills and flicked them toward the crowd.

The moment the bottle was opened, the thirteen people who smelled the pill’s unique fragrance froze.

When they reached out and expertly caught the pills, they looked down at the spiritual pills in their hands. The surface, like red-hot magma, and the intense craving emanating from their flesh and blood made their breathing grow heavier.

“This… this pill, its medicinal power feels like… the Jade Bone Elixir…”

“It’s very similar. No, not just similar. Its medicinal power is stronger.”

Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo spoke one after the other, immediately drawing the attention of the other eleven.

“It’s true. This pill is indeed more potent than the Jade Bone Elixir. Just its scent is making the flesh beneath my hide react.”

“This is clearly several times stronger than the Jade Bone Elixir I took in Wushuang.”

“Leader, is this for Frostwarden realm cultivation?”

Luo Yuan and Yuan Cheng, who had taken the Jade Bone Elixir in Wushuang before, also spoke up, confirming Chen and Peng’s speculation.

Yuwen Tao even guessed the pill’s purpose directly and asked Xia Hong for confirmation, his face full of anticipation.

“Correct. This is called the Yang Core Pill. Its function is the same as the Jade Bone Elixir, but its effect is three to four times greater. From now on, our Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts won’t have to worry about cultivation pills.”

Yuan Cheng’s eyes darted around, and he immediately bowed to Xia Hong.

“Thank you, Leader, for bestowing this pill!”

“Hahaha, don’t be a clever little brat. This Yang Core Pill is too precious. I won’t be giving them to you for free.”

Seeing his little scheme exposed by Xia Hong, Yuan Cheng chuckled embarrassedly.

The others smiled softly and continued looking at Xia Hong, waiting for his explanation.

Xia Hong said with a smile, “Refining this Yang Core Pill is not simple. In addition to the eleven herbs used for brewing the Jade Bone, seven others are added. These eighteen herbs are all very rare. So, unless you can procure more herbs, future production won’t be high.

Currently, the Logistics Department has priced it at three thousand contribution points per pill. Whether the price can be lowered will depend on your ability to provide the herbs!”

Three thousand points per pill!

Everyone was slightly shocked. Apart from land plots and a very few weapons, this price was currently the most expensive single item in Great Xia.

But considering the Yang Core Pill was for Frostwarden realm cultivation and its effect was several times that of the Jade Bone Elixir, they quickly felt it was reasonable.

It was only right that it was expensive!

“Qiu Peng, when you go to inform Xu Ning and Yue Feng later, bring ten pills to give to them. This first pill is a little bonus from me. It will only cost you fifteen hundred contribution points, which the Logistics Department will deduct. Take it after you return. Next, I’ll talk about the grouping for the Frostwarden realm in the tournament…”

Xia Hong paused for a moment, then continued with a smile, “The Frostwarden realm group will use a two-person, single-elimination tournament format. Because Great Xia doesn’t have many Frostwarden realm experts at present, I’ve made the rewards for this tournament quite generous.

First: For every match fought, regardless of win or loss, everyone will receive one Yang Core Pill. This is the basic reward.

Second: This competition will award the top five finishers, all of whom will receive additional rewards.

The reward for first place is: five Yang Core Pills, thirty thousand contribution points, one thousand-forged silver-plated weapon, one-month exclusive access to the Martial Arts Academy, three catties of Bloodchill Wine, and one hundred catties of refined salt.

Second place: three Yang Core Pills, twenty-five thousand contribution points, one custom thousand-forged silver-plated weapon, one-month exclusive access to the Martial Arts Academy, two catties of Bloodchill Wine, and one hundred catties of refined salt.

Third place: two Yang Core Pills, twenty thousand contribution points, one thousand-forged silver-plated weapon, one-month exclusive access to the Martial Arts Academy, one catty of Bloodchill Wine, and one hundred catties of refined salt…”

The rewards for fourth and fifth place were not much different from third place: one Yang Core Pill, with contribution points decreasing by five thousand for each rank, while the rest remained unchanged.

By the time Xia Hong finished announcing the rewards for the top five, everyone’s breathing had become heavy, and their eyes burned with fervor.

There were only twenty-three Frostwarden realm experts in total. Just by fighting one match, they could get a Yang Core Pill. This meant the person who won first place would likely have to fight five matches. Combined with the first-place prize, that was a total of ten Yang Core Pills.

Ten pills!

Everyone looked down at the Yang Core Pill in their hand, their expressions incredibly fervent.

It wasn’t just the Yang Core Pills. The contribution point reward of up to thirty thousand, the month of exclusive access to the Martial Arts Academy, the custom thousand-forged silver-plated weapon, and the Bloodchill Wine—of the six rewards Xia Hong mentioned, the least attractive to the crowd was, ironically, the one hundred catties of refined salt.

The raw material for refined salt was intermediate-level beast bones. As Great Xia’s intermediate squads grew in number, the production of refined salt naturally increased. The Logistics Department had long ago lowered the price from the initial five hundred points per catty to two hundred points per catty.

Even so, that “least attractive” refined salt reward was worth a full twenty thousand contribution points.

“Top five. I must get into the top five.”

“Lord Director, Prefect Yuwen, Peng Bo, Chen Yingyuan… those four are too strong. They will likely take the top four spots. I can still fight for fifth.”

“Strength isn’t everything. The final rules for the tournament haven’t been released yet. I have other ways. I must fight for a spot in the top five…”

“Even if I can’t make the top five, I must last for one more match. One Yang Core Pill is three thousand contribution points. One more match is three thousand points earned.”

…

The thirteen people below had flickering eyes. Some began to calculate whether they had the strength to make the top five; some considered working the rules to their advantage for a top-five finish; others just aimed to fight one more match…

Seeing their reactions, Xia Hong’s smile widened.

It seemed his investment and such generous rewards were not in vain. He hoped the first year’s martial arts tournament would bring him some pleasant surprises.

“As for the specific format and rewards for the Earthforger and Lumberjack realm groups, Qiu Peng, you go discuss it with Xia Chuan. Just follow my template.

Also, for the Earthforger and Lumberjack groups, the preliminary matches can be held at the five outposts below. Have them come to Xiacheng for the finals to avoid disrupting the normal life of the five outposts.”

“This subordinate will handle it well. Rest assured, Leader!”

Qiu Peng nodded. There were still a large number of Earthforger and Lumberjack realm members at the five outposts of Wuyuan, Jing Valley, Wushuang, Hive, and Hanqiong. It was impossible to recall everyone to the camp for a tournament, so setting up branch venues was necessary.

At this time, Yuwen Tao thought of something and proposed to Xia Hong with a bow, “Leader, with more and more outposts and a growing population outside, should the six departments establish branches in the five outposts below? It would save people the trouble of returning to Xiacheng for every little thing.”

Hearing this suggestion, Xia Hong’s eyes lit up. He looked at Yuwen Tao and said, “That’s an excellent suggestion. I approve. You all can discuss it amongst yourselves and present me with a final plan.”

In reality, with only five outposts, such a measure wasn’t strictly necessary yet. But as the number of outposts grew in the future, Yuwen Tao’s suggestion would be very useful.

Controlling all the outposts below through the six departments… this had the makings of a centralized power structure.

Xia Hong’s mind stirred, and a faint idea for the future development of Great Xia began to form.

“Alright, go and attend to your own matters.”

“This subordinate takes his leave!”

At his words, everyone bowed and filed out of the great hall.

…

Year Two of Great Xia, May 15th.

If one were to pick the most sought-after place in Great Xia right now, it would undoubtedly be the Martial Arts Academy, bar none.

Especially in the four months since this year’s Frigid Origin Festival, after more than ten high-ranking members of the camp like Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, and Qiu Peng successfully broke through to the Frostwarden realm at the Martial Arts Academy, this place had become even more sacred in the eyes of all Great Xia’s people.

And with the announcement of the martial arts tournament on the first of June, this place had also become the most tense and competitive spot in the entire camp.

The reason was simple. Ever since Director Qiu Peng of the Logistics Department returned from Longyou on the 28th of last month, the Martial Arts Academy had changed its rules. Instead of trying to accommodate everyone in the camp as before, it now only allowed people in the Lumberjack and Earthforger realms to enter.

There were two hundred spots: one hundred fifty for the Lumberjack realm and fifty for the Earthforger realm. Moreover, one had to be close to a breakthrough to spend contribution points for the qualification to enter.

For the Earthforger realm, being close to a breakthrough meant they were about to challenge the thirty thousand-catty limit.

People in this age group, unless they were exceptionally talented, were usually around thirty years old. Most of them were elites or even captains of various hunting teams. Their minds were mature, and though they were interested in the tournament, they wouldn’t show it on their faces, choosing to cultivate in silence.

But the others in the Lumberjack realm were different.

The current average age for breaking through to the Earthforger realm in Great Xia had been lowered to around seventeen, with the youngest being only fourteen or even thirteen.

At such a hot-blooded age, the Martial Arts Academy was naturally bustling every day.

Today was no exception!

“Xiao Heng, how about a match with me?”

In the Lumberjack realm area of the Martial Arts Academy, Xiao Heng, who was training, was interrupted by a black-clothed youth about his height, holding a saber.

Behind the youth stood a beautiful girl in white clothes. A glance at their faces revealed they were siblings. The girl held a hundred-forged longsword and was looking at him with a teasing expression.

Xiao Heng first glanced at the white-clothed girl before looking directly at the youth before him, his brow slightly furrowed. “Zhao Yuankong, Zhao Yuanwu, your little tricks won’t fool me. If you really want to fight me, then wait patiently for next month’s tournament!”

Hearing Xiao Heng’s words, the siblings’ faces darkened slightly. After giving him a deep look, they snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Seeing them leave, Xiao Heng sneered.

The Zhao Yuanwu siblings were among the most active Lumberjack realm members in the camp recently.

Starting five days ago, the two had been challenging peak Lumberjack realm cultivators everywhere, not just in the Martial Arts Academy. They called them challenges, but in reality, they were trying to stimulate those at the peak of the Lumberjack realm to break through during combat.

Their deeper motive, of course, was for next month’s tournament.

The news of the tournament was now common knowledge, and everyone knew about the three divisions: Frostwarden, Earthforger, and Lumberjack.

The Zhao siblings were clearly trying to reduce their competition by making those who were intentionally holding themselves at the peak of the Lumberjack realm break through. This way, they would be assigned to the Earthforger group. Anyone with a bit of sense could figure it out quickly.

But alas, some people still couldn’t resist taking up their challenges.

For five consecutive days, at least a dozen peak Lumberjack realm cultivators had fallen for their trap. The matter had caused quite a stir, and it was said that a few, feeling indignant, reported the siblings to Lord Qiu Peng, who was in charge of the tournament.

Xiao Heng had been visiting his sister’s home frequently lately, so he knew a lot of inside information.

He heard that when Lord Qiu Peng learned of the matter, he just laughed it off, saying that the siblings’ actions hadn’t violated any rules. Those who fell for the trap were just not patient enough and had no one to blame but themselves.

Thinking about it, it made sense. To Prefect Qiu Peng, people like them who hadn’t even reached the Earthforger realm were just a bunch of kids. He naturally wouldn’t intervene in children’s squabbles.

However, Xiao Heng thought a layer deeper. He believed Prefect Qiu Peng wasn’t wrong. That was the reality. The Zhao Yuanwu siblings hadn’t forced anyone to accept their challenges. Those who fell for it truly couldn’t control themselves and had no one to blame.

Recalling how his eldest and second eldest sisters had gathered him, Xiao Lin, and several other cousins to solemnly instruct them to wait until after the tournament to break through, Xiao Heng’s eyes were filled with curiosity.

“Why be so serious about it? What could the rewards possibly be?”

That was right. It had been five days since Qiu Peng announced the Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament, but the specific rules for the competition had yet to be released.

Let alone the rewards.

Everyone knew the rewards were generous, but what exactly they would be, no one knew yet.

Suddenly, Xiao Lin came running over from the other side of the Martial Arts Academy, panting.

“Heng, Heng, I found out, I found out…”

His face was full of excitement. He pulled Xiao Heng aside and continued in a low voice, “The format for the Earthforger realm is out. I heard it’s a screening system. Right now, there are over four thousand Earthforgers in Great Xia. Each person will initially get ten chances to fight. They’ll be ranked by the number of victories, and if the number of wins is the same, then by the speed of victory. The top one hundred twenty-eight will advance, and then there will be seven rounds of elimination to determine the top ten.”

Xiao Heng turned to look toward the depths of the Martial Arts Academy and saw that those at the limit of the Earthforger realm were indeed gathered together, discussing something. He immediately asked, “What about the rewards? Did you find out about the rewards?”

Xiao Lin immediately said, “They’ve been announced. It’s posted in front of the main building, but we can’t go over there right now.”

Xiao Heng nodded. It was daylight outside, and they couldn’t leave the Martial Arts Academy. They had to wait until dark to go see the notice at the main building’s entrance.

“But I just heard clearly what the reward for tenth place in the Earthforger group is!”

“What is it? Tell me, quickly.”

Hearing there was more, Xiao Heng immediately urged him on, his face full of anticipation.

Gulp…

Xiao Lin swallowed hard before continuing.

“Tenth place: five Blood Origin Pills, two hundred catties of Beast Blood, five thousand contribution points, one custom thousand-forged weapon, one-month exclusive access to the Martial Arts Academy, twenty catties of aged liquor, and fifty catties of refined salt.”

Xiao Heng’s face instantly went blank, and then his breathing quickened, his eyes glowing with incredible fervor.

Xiao Lin couldn’t help but start calculating aloud, “Fifty catties of refined salt, at the current Logistics Department price of two hundred points per catty, that reward alone is worth ten thousand contribution points!

Aged liquor is even more expensive, four hundred points for one catty, so twenty catties is eight thousand points!

One month of exclusive access to the Martial Arts Academy… right now, a day in the academy only costs fifty contribution points, so that’s normally only worth fifteen hundred. But this is an exclusive one-month slot, meaning you can stay here for a whole month straight. The value of that is probably more than ten times that amount, let’s just count it as ten times.

A custom thousand-forged weapon… if I remember correctly, only the Leader has one in our camp right now. The Artisan Department did bring out two thousand-forged weapons last month, but they were priced at twelve thousand and no one has redeemed them yet.

Beast Blood is currently twenty contribution points per catty, so two hundred catties is four thousand points.

Finally, the five Blood Origin Pills. I heard from those Earthforgers that the Blood Origin Pill is a spiritual pill you can only take after breaking the thirty thousand-catty limit and starting to reshape your hide with Beast Blood. The Logistics Department currently prices it at seven hundred points per pill, so five pills are three thousand five hundred contribution points.

Add the five thousand contribution point reward.

That means, for the Earthforger group, just the reward for tenth place has a total value of…”

“Fifty-seven thousand five hundred. No, more. The true value would only be higher!”

Xiao Heng was the first to calculate it. Now he finally understood why his older sisters had been so solemn about it.

Nearly sixty thousand contribution points was a huge sum!

An amount of contribution points like that would make even his father, Xiao Kangcheng, the captain of the Xiaoshan Squad, extremely envious.

“The Xiaoshan Squad is already an Intermediate Hunting Squad, but on average, Father earns about twenty-five hundred contribution points per month. This sum alone is more than what he would earn in two years.

And this is just the reward for tenth place in the Earthforger group!

So what will first place get?”

Gulp…

Xiao Heng also couldn’t help but swallow, his face full of shock and emotion.

Of course, what followed was an incredibly fervent fighting spirit.

If the Earthforger realm was like this, then the rewards for the top one hundred in the Lumberjack realm would definitely not be bad either.

“This is my chance. I’ve already fallen quite far behind the camp’s first-tier geniuses. One step behind means I’ll always be a step behind. If I can get such a large amount of resources, plus my father’s support, my cultivation progress in the Earthforger realm will speed up a lot. Maybe I can even catch up to Hong Shaojun, Hong Shaokang, Li Yuanqing, and that group!”

Hong Shaojun, Hong Shaokang, Li Yuanqing…

These were the people who had previously broken the age records for reaching the Earthforger realm. As their names surfaced in his mind, Xiao Heng first clenched his fists, but then, realizing something, his expression froze and became somewhat strange.

“That bunch must be regretting it to death right now, right?”

They had all broken through to the Earthforger realm not long ago, so in this tournament, they would naturally be assigned to the Earthforger group.

In the Earthforger group, those who could contend for the top ten were bound to be those who had already surpassed the Earthforger realm limit and started using Beast Blood. The Hong siblings, Li Yuanqing, and the other recent breakthrough artists had basically no chance at a placing.

“Heng, I see you’ve been running over to your brother-in-law’s place a lot recently. Do you know some inside information? Don’t forget your brother if you’ve got something good!”

Seeing Xiao Lin’s anxious and expectant gaze, Xiao Heng revealed a helpless expression.

“Isn’t my eldest sister pregnant? My mom boils meat soup for her every day and has me deliver it just before dawn. Don’t worry, if I really knew any inside information, I definitely wouldn’t forget you.”

Hearing this, Xiao Lin was relieved and pulled him back to continue their training.

…

Behind the great hall on the top floor of the main building, Xia Hong, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, quietly opened his eyes. A faint smile appeared on his face as he shook his head and said to himself:

“These kids are quite shrewd. It seems this breakthrough tide won’t come until after the tournament. But that kid Xia Chuan, he didn’t even tell me about such a big deal…”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, then stood up. He turned his head to glance at Xia Chuan’s house on the side of the main building. After a moment of thought, he picked up a few things and vanished from the room.

Chapter 266: Strategizing, an Elder Brother is like a Father

“Eldest Sister, Second Sister, I’ve brought soup.”

“Coming!”

In House 1, next to the main building, Xiao Heng carried a heavy box of meat and bone soup. Smiling, he followed his second sister, Xiao Yu, who had come to open the door, inside.

“You brought more? Didn’t I tell Mother not to make any more? I’m so sick of eating this every day.”

His eldest sister, Xiao Ning, was sitting in the hall. Though her words were a complaint, her face was wreathed in smiles. When Xiao Heng approached, she immediately waved him over, brushed the snow off his clothes, and then pushed him down into a chair.

“Eldest Sister, don’t make me drink any more. I already had a full meal at home, and now I have to have another one here. I’ve been stuffed to the gills these past few days.”

Seeing his eldest sister take out a bowl and chopsticks to fill it for him, Xiao Heng immediately waved his hands in refusal. But Xiao Ning paid him no mind, simply placing the bowl in front of him.

Xiao Yu teased from the side, “Who asked you to be so eager to deliver it? Just say you don’t want to bring it next time. Since you brought it, you have to eat.”

Xiao Heng’s face fell. When his mother gave an order, how could he dare to disobey?

Joking aside, Xiao Heng knew perfectly well that both his sisters were at the Earthforger realm. They didn’t lack contribution points, and with their brother-in-law Xia Chuan’s status and ability, there was no way they would be short on something like beast meat.

Just in the past five days alone, every time he visited his brother-in-law’s home, he never left empty-handed. His two sisters would always find a way to stuff things into his hands.

Mid-grade beast meat, refined salt, Beast Origin Pills, cloth, and the catty of aged liquor his eldest sister gave him last night, which was promptly intercepted by his father, Xiao Kangcheng, who cruelly left him with only a single cup.

In the first few days, he had blamed his mother a little. Delivering soup had turned into him just taking things from them. But today, after leaving the Martial Arts Academy, he suddenly understood.

His brother-in-law, Xia Chuan, had been in Longyou for almost a month and wasn’t home.

His mother’s real intention was likely that, with his brother-in-law away from the camp, she was afraid his two sisters would be too lonely at home. So, she used the excuse of delivering soup to have him come chat with them every day and help them unwind.

Once he understood this, Xiao Heng wasn’t as quiet as he had been on previous visits. While sipping the soup, he actively started a conversation with his sisters.

“Sisters, I was at the Martial Arts Academy today and heard that all the rules for the Earthforger realm division’s tournament are out. The rewards are terrifying!”

Seeing her younger brother start a conversation, Xiao Ning smiled and nodded in response. “I know, right? So many good things, I’m drooling just looking at them. It’s a pity your second sister and I aren’t strong enough. My base strength is twenty-seven thousand, and your second sister’s is fourteen thousand. We don’t even have a hope of qualifying.”

Xiao Heng nodded. “That’s for sure. All fifty of the Earthforgers who entered the Martial Arts Academy last night have broken the thirty-thousand-catty limit. I heard from Father that there are almost four hundred Earthforgers in the camp who have broken that limit now. You’d need a base strength of at least sixty thousand to have any hope of qualifying!”

At this moment, Xiao Yu thought of something and chimed in, “By the way, Little Heng, I haven’t seen Father in a long time. And Uncle Yuan, what are their base strengths now? Do they have any hope of qualifying?”

Xiao Ning’s interest was also piqued, and she looked at her brother with anticipation.

It had been over a year since Xiaohe Camp was merged into Great Xia. The Xiaoshan Squad, founded by their father Xiao Kangcheng and their uncle Xiao Yuan, had now been promoted to a mid-grade squad. Naturally, their strength had also risen. Xiao Ning remembered that her father and Uncle Yuan had both reached the peak of the Earthforger realm last September. They should be even stronger now.

“I don’t know either!”

However, Xiao Heng was not aware of his elders’ cultivation levels.

After a moment’s thought, he added, “The two of them have been trading for a lot of Beast Blood recently, and they often go to the Martial Arts Academy to cultivate. Their night hunting sessions are getting longer and longer, too. They must be preparing.”

Hearing their brother’s words, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu immediately understood. Their father and Uncle Yuan were definitely aiming to qualify, and smiles bloomed on their faces.

“Eldest Sister, Second Sister, I heard the Frostwarden realm’s tournament will be personally overseen by the Leader. Do you think Brother-in-law will get first place?”

The two women smiled莞尔一笑, a hint of pride on their faces.

People tended to focus their gazes on the strong.

For this tournament, the event that everyone in Great Xia cared about most was the Frostwarden realm division.

Of the camp’s current twenty-three Frostwarden realm experts, perhaps only the Leader himself truly understood everyone’s strength, but that didn’t stop the discussions.

Currently, there were rumored to be four favorites to win the Frostwarden realm division: Director Xia Chuan, Prefect Yuwen Tao of the Hunting Department, the newly joined Hive Leader Chen Yingyuan, and Yanglu Leader Peng Bo.

Xiao Heng asking this question clearly showed his bias toward his brother-in-law.

Of course, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu were even more biased toward their own husband.

The two women didn’t answer the question directly, only smiling without a word.

Seeing his sisters’ silence, Xiao Heng’s eyes darted around, and he continued to ask:

“Sisters, the rules for the Lumberjack realm competition still haven’t been announced. Do you know anything about it?”

Thwack…

“Ouch…”

The moment Xiao Heng finished his question, his second sister, Xiao Yu, gave him a rap on the head.

“You brat, getting devious ideas now, are we? Forget that I don’t know; even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

Xiao Ning’s reaction wasn’t as strong. She pondered for a moment and said, “Including those from Wuyuan, Jing Valley, and Longyou, the total number of people in the Lumberjack realm in our Great Xia is at least thirty thousand. From what I’ve observed these past few days, there are at least two thousand people like you who are intentionally holding back from breaking through. And there’s still half a month until the tournament officially starts on the first of June. That number is only going to grow…”

Xiao Heng had seen quite a few people holding back from breaking through to the Earthforger realm at the Martial Arts Academy, but he had estimated there were at most three to five hundred of them.

Hearing his eldest sister say there were more than two thousand, and that the number would only increase, he was instantly dumbfounded.

“How can there be so many?”

“Tch…”

His second sister, Xiao Yu, scoffed and said in a sweet voice, “Silly brother, the reason Prefect Qiu isn’t doing anything about Zhao Yuanwu and her brother is because there are simply too many people holding back their breakthroughs. A mere dozen people won’t affect the tournament at all. Just you wait. When the tournament starts on June first, a whole bunch of people will break through the moment they step into the arena.”

Xiao Heng’s expression immediately grew heavy. If two or three thousand people were holding back, then his base strength of over nine thousand nine hundred catties wasn’t much of an advantage at all.

Based on the proportion that four thousand people would be eliminated in the first screening round of the Earthforger realm, the Lumberjack realm would see at least thirty thousand eliminated in the first round. In other words, with his level of strength, whether he could even survive the first round was a problem.

“Don’t be so downcast. Silly boy, while your base strength doesn’t give you much of an advantage, you’re not at a disadvantage either. Your brother-in-law personally taught you Long Fist. In terms of power generation technique, even if you’re not the best, you’re better than the vast majority. As long as you follow the competition rules and use your head, I refuse to believe you can’t even make it into the top hundred.”

After Xiao Ning finished, Xiao Yu added, “For the Earthforger realm division, each person is said to have ten chances to fight, but given the number of participants, a single loss will probably get you eliminated immediately. Only those with ten consecutive wins, and quick ones at that, will have a chance to advance.

“Your Lumberjack realm division has too many people. To determine the top one hundred from thirty thousand, it’s impossible to use the same rules as the Earthforger division. They will definitely use a different method, and the first round will undoubtedly eliminate over ninety percent of the participants. Think carefully, what kind of method could achieve that?”

Xiao Heng calmed down a little. He wasn’t stupid; he knew this was his second sister helping him strategize, to think of a way to advance. He immediately lowered his head and began to think.

Soon, his eyes lit up. “To eliminate over ninety percent of the Lumberjack realm contestants at once, they’d definitely arrange an opponent that’s completely unbeatable for everyone. That’s the only way to cause a mass elimination.”

Quite smart!

A look of approval appeared on Xiao Ning’s face as she continued to guide him, “Exactly. And since it’s a mass, indiscriminate elimination, it can’t possibly account for every individual’s strength. Therefore, I suspect strength won’t be the decisive factor in this first round. You can try to think of other aspects.”

Strength isn’t the decisive factor!

Besides strength, what else could they test?

Xiao Heng immediately fell into deep thought.

Luck, connections, ability, teamwork…

Knock, knock, knock!

A knocking at the door suddenly interrupted Xiao Heng’s train of thought.

The three of them immediately turned to the door, their faces filled with curiosity.

Xia Chuan’s house rarely had visitors. Plus, he was in Longyou recently, a fact most of the camp’s upper management knew. It was almost dawn; who would come at this hour?

As she walked to the door, Xiao Yu asked curiously, “Who is it?”

“It’s me. Open up!”

Hearing the voice from outside, Xiao Yu’s expression froze, and a hint of nervousness appeared on her face. Xiao Ning immediately pulled her brother up from his chair, and they walked to the door with Xiao Yu and opened it.

“Greetings, Leader!”

Xiao Heng was initially confused, but when the door opened and he saw the man in black outside, his expression instantly became tense.

“Gree… greetings… Leader!”

If Xiao Ning hadn’t given him a pull, Xiao Heng would have probably stayed stunned for much longer.

The visitor was the Leader!

Although Xiao Heng had been in Great Xia for over a year, he had never seen Xia Hong this up close. He hurriedly bowed, his voice trembling slightly.

It wasn’t fear, but excitement!

In his year in Great Xia, Xiao Heng had heard countless legendary tales about the Leader, Xia Hong.

Succeeding as the Leader of Great Xia at eighteen; leading over a hundred people from the camp to escape death at the hands of anomalies; hunting Frost Beasts alone while still in the Lumberjack realm; helping Rogge Camp exterminate anomalies as soon as he broke through to the Earthforger realm; taking over Double Dragon Valley from Luo Ming, then unifying Redwood Ridge; driving away the Gnawing Rat swarm on the northern slope of the cliffs; being the first to hunt a mid-grade Frost Beast; being the earliest to break through to the Frostwarden realm…

Like many young people in Great Xia, through constant exposure, Xiao Heng harbored an incredibly strong sense of admiration for Xia Hong. The word “idol” was insufficient to describe this emotion; it had long since become fanaticism.

To suddenly see Xia Hong up close, one could imagine the excitement in his heart.

“We’re family, no need to be so polite. Come in, it’s cold outside!”

Xia Hong spoke with a light laugh and walked into the house first. Seeing the exquisite furnishings in Xia Chuan’s home, he nodded in satisfaction and said, “It seems Xia Chuan hasn’t treated you two sisters poorly.”

Perhaps because Xia Hong rarely made normal appearances in the camp, it wasn’t just Xiao Heng; Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu also looked visibly nervous. Hearing his teasing remark, their cheeks flushed, and their expressions relaxed slightly.

“Lea… Big Brother is joking. My husband treats us very well. Since he’s been away in Longyou, he gave his contribution points directly to us to use.”

Xia Hong smiled and nodded. He was aware of this. It was a common practice in most families in Great Xia for the husband to grant his wife the right to use his contribution points while he was away.

He glanced down at Xiao Ning’s belly and indeed sensed a faint aura of life. He smiled and said, “Xia Chuan was hiding it from me, but why were you two hiding it from me as well? How many months has it been?”

At Xia Hong’s question, Xiao Ning’s face turned beet red. After a long moment, she replied in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, “Replying to Big Brother, it’s been about two months.”

Seeing this, Xiao Yu covered her mouth and giggled.

It was only May now. In the Ice Abyss, pregnancy also lasted ten months. At just two months, the baby probably wouldn’t be born until early next year.

This would be the first of their family’s second-generation members!

In this respect, his younger brother Xia Chuan was better than him.

The smile on Xia Hong’s face grew wider. He took out three porcelain bottles from his robes, two large and one small, and placed them directly in Xiao Ning’s hands. He said with a smile, “Speaking of which, as your big brother, I haven’t cared for you all much. I even had to overhear about your pregnancy from others. I’m a bit unqualified. Take these three bottles of Spirit Pills as my gift to you.”

The labels on the three bottles were very clear: Beast Spirit Pill, Blood Origin Pill, Yang Core Pill.

Xiao Ning had been pregnant for some time and mostly stayed within the camp, but she still went to the Logistics Department often. She knew very well that these three pills had only been stocked a few days ago.

The Beast Spirit Pill was an enhanced version of the Beast Origin Pill, costing two hundred contribution points per pill.

The Blood Origin Pill was even more precious. It was a Spirit Pill that could only be used after reaching the limit of the Earthforger realm to reconstruct one’s Hide, costing seven hundred contribution points per pill.

The Yang Core Pill was even more out of reach; it was a cultivation Spirit Pill for the Frostwarden realm, costing three thousand contribution points per pill.

Furthermore, there was a personal redemption limit for all three pills, which meant that even the Logistics Department didn’t have much in stock.

Xiao Ning took the three porcelain bottles, felt the number of pills inside, and her breath caught for a moment. But she immediately tried to refuse.

“Big Brother, please don’t think that. Actually, after my husband learned I was pregnant, he wanted to inform you, but considering how busy you are with a myriad of affairs every day, he thought it would be better to tell you after the baby is born. These pills… I absolutely cannot accept them!”

However, Xia Hong cut her off directly with a wave of his hand.

“Your base strength is already twenty-seven thousand. With this batch of Beast Spirit Pills, supplemented with beast meat, and a few more trips to the Martial Arts Academy, it shouldn’t be difficult to break through the thirty-thousand-catty limit within a few months. I’ll have someone send you five hundred catties of Beast Blood later. Try to break through to the Frostwarden realm as soon as possible, preferably before you give birth…”

At this point, Xia Hong paused before continuing, “I’m not giving these things to you. Your breakthrough to the Frostwarden realm will be beneficial to your unborn child’s future talent.”

Xiao Ning’s expression froze. She knew she had no chance to refuse, and a wave of emotion washed over her heart.

“This house is a bit too quiet. I’ll have Qiu Peng arrange two maids for you later. It will be good to have someone to take care of you in your daily life.”

Hearing that he was going to arrange maids for her, Xiao Ning subconsciously started to refuse.

After conquering the Wushuang, Hive, and Hanqiong, they had indeed taken in many female captives. However, the option for maids had never been opened up by the Logistics Department, clearly brewing something for the future.

Currently, the only person in Great Xia qualified to have maids was Xia Hong, the Leader. For anyone else to use maids would be overstepping boundaries. This was one of the current rules of Great Xia. For Xia Hong to assign her maids was clearly against the rules.

“Alright, I’ll talk to Qiu Peng. Don’t worry.”

However, Xia Hong still gave her no chance to refuse. After speaking, he smiled and asked, “You haven’t chosen a name for the child yet, have you?”

Hearing this question, Xiao Ning immediately remembered something and replied:

“Not yet. My husband said before that an elder brother is like a father. This is his first child, and the first second-generation member of our Xia family. It is only right that Big Brother should be the one to name him or her.”

Hearing this, Xia Hong’s expression was stirred with emotion.

This was indeed something Xia Chuan, with his personality, would say.

He pondered for a moment, and a difficult expression appeared on his face.

The surname Xia was actually quite difficult for naming.

One wrong choice, and it would become a joke!

“What can ‘Xia’ be associated with that also sounds good…”

Seeing him deep in thought, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu did not interrupt, but waited quietly.

Soon, Xia Hong’s eyes lit up.

“If it’s a girl, let’s call her Xia Yuning. If it’s a boy, Xia Yuzong. What do you think?”

Hearing these two names, Xiao Ning’s eyes instantly brightened.

“Yuning, Yuzong… Big Brother, these names you’ve chosen are too good!”

“Hahaha, they’re alright…”

Xia Hong also looked quite pleased with himself, letting out a few hearty laughs. He didn’t forget to tease Xiao Yu, who was standing beside Xiao Ning. “You’d better work harder. You won’t miss out on what your sister has.”

Xiao Yu immediately lowered her head, her face flushing red.

Seeing how thin-skinned she was, Xia Hong didn’t continue teasing her. He smiled and turned to look at the youth behind the two sisters. “You’re Xiao Heng, right?”

The Leader actually remembers my name?

Stunned at first, Xiao Heng’s eyes then erupted with intense joy. He bowed deeply to Xia Hong and said, “Xiao Heng greets the Leader!”

“You wanted to know the competition rules for the Lumberjack realm division, didn’t you? How about I leak a little inside information?”

So the Leader knew all about my little schemes…

How could Xiao Heng not hear the teasing tone in Xia Hong’s voice? His face filled with unease, and he stammered for a long time, not daring to answer.

“Hahaha, your sisters are right. For the first screening round of the Lumberjack realm, strength isn’t the decisive factor. Luck, connections, ability, teamwork—none can be missing. That’s all I’ll reveal to you. Whether you can seize the opportunity is up to you…”

It was rare for Xia Hong to be in the mood to tease someone. He turned and took a few steps toward the door before continuing, “The prize for first place in the Lumberjack realm is thirty Beast Spirit Pills, one thousand catties of mid-grade beast meat, three thousand contribution points, a set of Hundred-forged weapons and armor, a ten-day training slot in the Martial Arts Hall, and twenty catties of refined salt.

“Oh, right. For both the Lumberjack and Earthforger divisions this time, everyone who places will be able to watch the Frostwarden realm competition up close. Kid, I look forward to seeing you there.”

Hearing this, Xiao Heng’s breathing grew heavy. Long after Xia Hong had departed, he remained lost in a daze, unable to recover his senses.

Chapter 267: Supplies Arrive, News from Longshan

The second year of the Great Xia, the twentieth day of the fifth month.

In the Great Hall atop the main building of the Wushuang Megalith Garrison.

Xia Chuan sat in the main seat, a smile on his face as he waited for something.

“Greetings, Director.”

“Greetings, Director.”

Soon, Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing walked in from outside. Surprise was written all over their faces as they saluted Xia Chuan in turn and took their seats below.

“So, how did the Yang Core Pill taste? Not bad, I hope?”

Seeing the surprise on their faces and knowing they had been in seclusion for the past two days, Xia Chuan immediately guessed that they had both taken the Yang Core Pills in their possession. He couldn’t resist a playful jab.

Qiu Peng had delivered the four Yang Core Pills on the tenth of the month, but at the time, only he and Zhao Long had dared to take them. Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing were clearly wary of pills bestowed by the Great Xia and had refused to consume them.

It wasn’t until three days ago, when Qiu Peng visited again with a personal letter from Chen Yingyuan and letters from Wu Tianxing’s family, that the two of them finally put their fears to rest.

Hearing the teasing tone in Xia Chuan’s voice, both Chen and Wu looked a little uncomfortable, but their expressions quickly returned to ones of delighted surprise as they answered.

Chen Yingba said, “This Yang Core Pill is incredibly potent—at least three times more effective than the Jade Bone Elixir. Since the Leader has bestowed such a divine pill, from now on, I, Chen, will follow Big Brother and place myself at the Leader’s disposal.”

Wu Tianxing followed, “I, Wu, can never repay the Leader’s grace in gifting this pill. Whatever the Leader commands in the future, be it a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, I will not hesitate!”

Hearing their words, Xia Chuan simply nodded slightly, smiling without speaking.

Their declarations of loyalty weren’t actually that important.

Chen Yingba obviously followed Chen Yingyuan. According to Qiu Peng’s description, both Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo had already pledged their hearts to Xia Hong. That being the case, it didn’t matter whether Chen Yingba made a declaration or not.

As for Wu Tianxing, that went without saying. His entire family was in Xiacheng; it was impossible for him to have a change of heart.

What prompted their statements was, one, the news about Xiacheng that Qiu Peng had brought, and two, likely the shock the Yang Core Pills had given them.

To make Frostwarden realm warriors like Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing feel a genuine sense of belonging to the Great Xia, one ultimately had to offer benefits that would move their hearts.

The Yang Core Pill was undoubtedly one such benefit.

Xia Chuan knew full well why his big brother had specifically sent Qiu Peng with the Yang Core Pills.

But today, he had summoned them for a different matter.

“In ten days, the Martial Arts Tournament will officially begin. The Wushuang and Hanqiong garrisons don’t have many people, leaving the Hive garrison without anyone in charge. I plan to send the two of you to oversee the Hive’s tournament alongside Hong Tian. What do you think?”

There were no ordinary people left in the three Longyou garrisons—only those in the Lumberjack and Earthforger realms. The Hive was, after all, the transfer point between Longyou and Redwood Ridge, and it had the largest concentration of Earthforger and Lumberjack realm warriors. Naturally, its tournament required more people to manage.

Wushuang and Hanqiong still had defensive duties, so Xia Chuan had pulled Hong Tian from the four at Hanqiong and was now taking Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing from his own side, putting the three of them in charge of the tournament at the Hive.

“No problem!”

“But Director, when does the Frostwarden realm’s tournament begin?”

Wu Tianxing was the first to agree, and Chen Yingba nodded as well. But something occurred to him, and he asked another question.

When Qiu Peng first delivered the Yang Core Pills, he had told them about the rewards for the Frostwarden realm division of the tournament. After taking the pills, it was clear the two of them were now paying close attention to the tournament.

It made sense. Just by fighting one match, one could earn a Yang Core Pill.

Even he himself was green with envy over the tournament’s rewards!

Understanding this, Xia Chuan smiled and said, “The Frostwarden realm tournament will be personally overseen by the Leader. It will only start after the Lumberjack and Earthforger divisions have concluded. Don’t worry, you’ll be notified when it begins.”

The two men bowed their heads, a hint of joy on their faces.

Recalling the tournament rules Qiu Peng had mentioned, Chen Yingba’s expression turned incredibly excited.

“With my strength of around a Six Mane, even if I can’t get into the top three, as long as I don’t run into the Director, Yuwen Tao, Peng Bo, or my Big Brother, surviving two rounds shouldn’t be a big problem. With a bit of luck, I could get my hands on three Yang Core Pills at most!”

Wu Tianxing’s expression was much the same; they were clearly thinking along the same lines.

“There’s no time to waste. Head to the Hive now. You already know the rules for the Lumberjack and Earthforger divisions, so just follow them. You can return to Wushuang when it’s over.”

“Yes, your subordinate takes his leave!”

The two men stood, bowed to Xia Chuan, and left the hall directly.

Not long after Chen and Wu left, Zhao Long came in, looking excited.

“Lord, the things from Longshan have all been unloaded!”

Hearing this, Xia Chuan’s spirits immediately lifted, and he asked, “This is the third shipment, right? How much is there?”

“One million catties of beast meat, five million catties of iron ore, and ten million catties of coal. Including the previous two shipments, Longshan has now delivered all the supplies they promised.”

“Hahahaha, good! A worthy hegemon of Longyou. Li Xuanling is much more straightforward than Hou Hu. The next time Longshan wants Congealing Fire Salve, we can sell them a little more.”

Xia Chuan’s face was wreathed in smiles. He had been waiting for Zhao Long in the main hall; assigning Chen and Wu to the Hive was just something he took care of along the way.

“The ones who came from Longshan this time were Zhou Yuan and Meng Ying. A total of ten large carts, with two hundred Earthforgers pushing them. I heard it took them four days… tsk tsk…”

Zhao Long’s tone was one of awe; the carts laden with goods had clearly left a deep impression on him.

Xia Chuan laughed. “This shipment weighs sixteen million catties in total. I remember the first shipment arrived on the eighth of the fifth month: one million catties of beast meat, ten million catties of iron ore, and twenty million catties of coal. A total of thirty-one million catties of supplies, and it took them ten days to deliver. This shipment is half the weight, so just under half the time makes sense.”

Zhao Long nodded. The fifth of the eighth month, the fifteenth, and today, the twentieth—he had been in charge of receiving all three shipments, so he knew the details clearly.

But he continued to marvel, “The three shipments were delivered one after another with almost no gap in between. This means Longshan didn’t spend any time gathering these supplies; they came straight from their inventory. Longshan is truly wealthy. I remember Great Xia’s beast meat inventory never exceeded one point five million catties at its peak, yet they can casually pull out three million catties. And that’s not even mentioning the iron ore and coal.”

Xia Chuan nodded at his words, his expression turning a little more solemn.

Zhao Long’s statement revealed more than just Longshan’s wealth.

To be able to produce so many supplies so casually was a testament to Longshan’s power.

“No wonder. I’ve observed the armor and weapons of the Longyou Army soldiers. While the forging techniques aren’t as good as our Great Xia’s, their strength lies in the fact that they are all hundred-forged grade. On average, forging a single set requires at least fifty thousand catties of iron ore. By that count, for an army of a thousand men, just manufacturing their armor and weapons would consume over fifty million catties of iron ore. And that’s assuming one set per person. Longshan has three such armies of a thousand men!”

The three-thousand-strong Longyou Army was no longer a secret in the Great Xia.

Hearing Zhao Long’s words, Xia Chuan’s brow furrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice, “They’ve been the hegemon of Longyou for nearly fifty years and control the largest entrance to Longshan. It’s normal for them to have deep pockets.”

Zhao Long nodded, then thought of something and continued, “That Hou Hu is really dragging his feet. It’s been almost a month. Longshan has delivered everything, but he’s only sent two shipments. Combined, they total six hundred thousand catties of beast meat, three million catties of iron ore, and nine million catties of coal. That’s not even a fifth of the total. I wonder if he’s really that poor, or if he has other plans?”

At Zhao Long’s final question, a cold glint flashed in Xia Chuan’s eyes. He shook his head and said, “As long as he isn’t blatantly defaulting, we don’t need to worry about him. As long as he wants to keep buying Congealing Fire Salve from us, he’ll have to deliver the rest of the supplies eventually.”

With two hundred catties of Jade Bone, four hundred catties of silver, and eleven types of spirit herbs, this deal was already a sure win for the Great Xia.

Three million catties of beast meat, twenty million catties of iron ore, and fifty million catties of coal—the numbers were truly enormous. Xia Chuan hadn’t actually been so optimistic before. He had just been making an outrageous demand, thinking that even if the two factions delivered half, or even a third, the Great Xia would still have made a massive profit.

But now Longshan had delivered in full, while Hou Hu had sent so little. It was inevitable that Xia Chuan’s thoughts about the Zhaoyang camp would take a different turn.

As long as he held the monopoly on Congealing Fire Salve, there would always be a way to deal with Hou Hu.

Besides, whether that White Dew Aberration was truly dead was still an open question.

Who knew what might happen next?

Xia Chuan composed himself and glanced out the window. Seeing the first light of dawn, he asked, “It’s almost morning. How are their two hundred-odd men going to travel?”

The previous two times, Longshan’s delivery team had arrived in the first half of the night. As soon as the supplies were delivered, they would head back immediately. This time, they had likely misjudged their timing.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t leave, but traveling at dawn was troublesome. They wouldn’t get far before having to find a place to hide.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to stay and rest for four hours, then leave after nightfall.

Zhao Long replied, “I asked them to stay. Zhou Yuan and Meng Ying didn’t want to and left immediately. As for the other two hundred or so Earthforgers, I’ve already arranged a room for them. They’ll leave after nightfall.”

Xia Chuan nodded. “The Martial Arts Tournament starts in ten days. There aren’t many people here at Wushuang either. I’ll leave you in charge of it. How’s that?”

“No problem!”

Hearing about the tournament, Zhao Long’s expression immediately became energized.

On one hand, he was also salivating over the rewards for the Frostwarden realm tournament.

On the other hand, this was a major event for the Great Xia, so he was naturally excited.

“Wushuang only has a thousand-man garrison. Including those who have recently broken through, the total number of Earthforgers is just over a thousand. As for the Lumberjack realm, there are only about three thousand. With so few people, and given the preliminary selection method Qiu Peng announced three days ago, I expect even fewer will be able to advance successfully. The workload won’t be that heavy.”

Xia Chuan chuckled. “True. I’ve been paying attention these past few days. The number of Earthforgers here at Wushuang who have broken the thirty-thousand-catty limit is just over seventy. Ninety percent of them have only just broken through. Right now, it looks like only Liu Yuan is a sure bet to qualify. As for the others, even if some of them are lucky enough to win ten consecutive matches, when it comes to comparing victory times, getting into the top one hundred twenty-eight will probably be a stretch.

Hanqiong’s situation is likely similar to ours. The Hive has very few Earthforgers, so their chances of advancing are even slimmer.

And don’t even get me started on the Lumberjack realm. According to the preliminary standards set by Qiu Peng, I estimate that out of the more than twelve thousand Lumberjack realm warriors in the three Longyou garrisons, we’ll see if even ten teams can advance to participate in the second round in Xiacheng.”

“Hahaha…”

Zhao Long burst out laughing. “Director, you’re overestimating them. The standard Qiu Peng set for the preliminaries is too difficult. Five teams at most. I even doubt there will be five.”

Xia Chuan’s expression faltered slightly. He thought for a moment and nodded.

Indeed, the preliminary selection method Qiu Peng had devised was truly too difficult for these Lumberjack realm warriors. Perhaps not many would pass even in Xiacheng.

“Director, I’ll go make preparations then.”

“Alright, go on!”

After seeing Zhao Long off, Xia Chuan sat back down at the main seat. He picked up a charcoal pencil and took out a large stack of beast hide scrolls. After carefully comparing them, he began to sketch on the map of Longyou spread across the table.

In the twenty-odd days he had been stationed in Longyou, he had not been idle. Taking advantage of the lull in fighting, he had dispatched over a hundred Earthforgers to conduct reconnaissance around Wushuang, mapping out the surrounding terrain, including the borders with other camps, until everything was crystal clear.

“Luo Ming said that three years ago, Yang Ning and Li Hu were scouts for the Beishuo Town Garrison. The reason they trespassed into Redwood Ridge was because they were ordered to create a map of the area around Beishuo Town. This just goes to show the importance of maps. Only by thoroughly understanding one’s surroundings can one achieve surprise and a decisive victory when a real battle comes.”

The importance of the map itself was only one part of it.

A faint light flashed in Xia Chuan’s eyes. More importantly, that incident three years ago was enough to prove that the Great Xia was likely not far from Beishuo Town. Otherwise, Yang Ning and Li Hu would not have accidentally strayed into Redwood Ridge.

This meant that one day in the future, the Great Xia would very likely encounter Beishuo Town, and perhaps even the other eight towns of Mo’ao Mountain.

If that day ever came, Xia Chuan had no desire for a repeat of three years ago.

He still remembered Li Hu’s kick with perfect clarity.

Xia Chuan’s focused work on the map lasted only for about ten minutes before he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside.

The person who entered was Liu Yuan, the vice-captain of the Cloud Serpent Squad. He wore a look of annoyance, clearly in a very bad mood.

Seeing Liu Yuan’s expression, Xia Chuan found it inexplicably amusing.

Liu Yuan had started using Beast Blood long ago, and his base strength was now over eighty thousand. He was considered one of the top ten contenders in the Earthforger division. For the last half-month, he had been hiding away in secluded cultivation. He must have been disturbed by something to look so cross.

“What’s wrong?”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s question, Liu Yuan reined in his emotions slightly and reported with a cupped-fist salute, “Director, we caught a suspicious person downstairs. He’s one of the people who came from Longshan tonight to deliver supplies. He says his name is Li Hu and he has something important to ask you. He said you’ll understand once you see him!”

As he said the name Li Hu, he kept his eyes on Xia Chuan’s expression.

Seeing Xia Chuan’s face freeze, Liu Yuan instantly realized that the man he had just caught was telling the truth. He quickly called out to the hall entrance.

“Bring him in!”

Not long after he spoke, two Great Xia soldiers brought in a young man dressed in the white clothes of Longshan.

Li Hu, held between them, looked utterly helpless. He only truly relaxed when he saw Xia Chuan. Before the two men could even untie him, he quickly said, “Li Hu pays his respects to Lord Director.”

“Untie him. You may all leave!”

Seeing Li Hu salute Xia Chuan the moment he entered, Liu Yuan was stunned. Then, hearing Xia Chuan’s order, he immediately understood something. He gestured to the two soldiers beside him and quickly led them out.

“Not bad. You’ve made considerable progress recently.”

Xia Chuan stared at Li Hu for a moment before praising him with a smile.

After not seeing him for more than twenty days, Li Hu’s base strength had reached twenty-nine thousand, just a step away from the thirty-thousand-catty limit.

“It is all thanks to the pills and beast meat the Lord gave me. Li Hu is eternally grateful!”

Li Hu must have had a rough time when Liu Yuan caught him. He rubbed his arm constantly as he replied, a wry smile on his face.

“You’re quite bold, daring to sneak in here. If someone else had found you first, you might have lost your life.”

In this main building, not to mention Zhao Long, Chen Yingyuan, and Wu Tianxing, there were plenty of people who had broken the thirty-thousand-catty limit, and many whose base strength was higher than Li Hu’s. If he could just barge in recklessly, things would get out of hand.

Li Hu had clearly learned his lesson. A look of lingering fear crossed his face. “I almost lost my life just now. Lord, you should give me something to prove my identity. Otherwise, the risk I have to take to see you is just too great.”

Xia Chuan smiled and shook his head. After a moment’s thought, he took out an iron token engraved with the two characters for “Cloud Serpent” and tossed it to Li Hu.

“This is my hunting team’s token. Hold onto it for now. Next time, don’t just barge in. Zhou Yuan and Meng Ying have already left, so it shouldn’t be hard to avoid being seen by your own people. If you run into anyone from the Great Xia, just have them bring you to me. Don’t be so sneaky about it…”

Xia Chuan paused, then continued, “So, you have important news?”

Not only had Li Hu mixed in with the supply delivery team, but he had also taken such a great risk to see him. He clearly had some news to report.

Li Hu nodded and, without wasting words, took out a beast hide scroll.

“Lord, this is a topographical map of the Longshan garrison. It covers all the buildings and the population distribution within the garrison. It also contains detailed records of everything I currently know about Longshan. Yang Zhong and I compiled it together over the past twenty-odd days. It should be useful to our Great Xia!”

A sharp gleam appeared in Xia Chuan’s eyes. He immediately stepped forward and took the scroll. After unfurling and looking it over, his eyes filled with delight.

He took a deep breath, looked back at Li Hu, and continued to ask, “Is there anything else you need to tell me?”

“Yes!”

Li Hu’s expression turned serious. He continued, “Li Xuantian, Cheng Guang, Yue Qian, and Song Kang, along with a total of over four hundred Longyou Army soldiers, have all returned to Longshan.”

Hearing these four names, Xia Chuan was first taken aback. Then, as realization dawned, his expression instantly became grave.

“The Lord should know, these are the people who went missing after attacking Yanglu. They all returned half a month ago.”

Xia Chuan’s brows drew low as he quickly asked, “Li Xuanling isn’t that foolish, is she? She let them all enter the camp directly?”

Li Hu nodded and replied, “Li Xuanling and the others were suspicious. They didn’t let them in at first and used the Congealing Fire Salve to test them, but none of them showed any problems. To ensure safety, Longshan made them wait outside the garrison for a full seven days, using all sorts of tests. Only after confirming that everyone was fine did they let them into the garrison…”

The Congealing Fire Salve had been traded from the Great Xia; Li Hu knew this. So, after he finished speaking, he wasn’t surprised to see Xia Chuan fall into deep thought. He continued, “Ever since we started using your Congealing Fire Salve, the Dewdrop Plague in Longshan has completely disappeared. There was nothing abnormal about Li Xuantian’s group, and it’s been seven or eight days since they entered the garrison, but the plague hasn’t reappeared. So, they should be fine…”

Xia Chuan waved his hand, cutting Li Hu off. Given Li Hu’s cultivation and insight, his judgment couldn’t be trusted. However, this piece of news was incredibly important for the Great Xia.

A look of approval appeared on his face as he said, “Li Hu, the two pieces of information you’ve brought are both very useful. If any other important situations arise, continue to find opportunities to pass them on to me…”

At this, Xia Chuan paused. He took a porcelain bottle from his robes, then walked to the back of the hall and retrieved two leather bags.

“This bottle contains Beast Spirit Pills, which are several times more potent than Beast Origin Pills. There are also these two hundred catties of Beast Blood. Take them back and split them evenly with Yang Zhong. If you need anything else for your cultivation in the future, find a chance to come to Wushuang. That’s all for tonight. Go back now, and don’t let anyone notice anything unusual.”

Li Hu had already tasted the Beast Origin Pill. Hearing that the Beast Spirit Pill was several times more potent, his breathing grew heavy.

He took the porcelain bottle and hoisted the two hundred catties of Beast Blood. After calming himself, he bowed respectfully to Xia Chuan and said, “Your subordinate will take his leave. Rest assured, Lord, if there are any unusual developments in Longshan, I will report them immediately.”

With that, he turned and walked out.

“Big Brother’s judgment is so sharp. Those two are truly talented!”

After watching Li Hu leave, Xia Chuan sat back down in the main seat. He looked down at the beast hide scroll Li Hu had delivered, the excitement in his eyes refusing to fade for a long, long time.

Chapter 268: The Martial Arts Tournament Officially Begins, Impossible to Advance

The first day of the sixth month, Year Two of Great Xia.

The Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament, which had been brewing for more than twenty days, finally began.

Before nightfall, lights lit up early in every house in Xiacheng. Countless figures scurried about within, and the clanging sounds of metal on metal echoed from the rooms—the unmistakable sounds of people donning armor and preparing their weapons.

When night officially fell, everyone immediately left their homes, flooding the streets and converging toward the gates of the Outer City.

“Let’s go, let’s go! It’s about to start! Let’s get a good spot.”

“Sis, let’s go!”

“Mom, bring me my saber, quick.”

“I’m heading out, Dad.”

“Big Brother, I’m going in. Good luck!”

…

From the Inner City, a group of spirited youths were the first to run out of their homes. Their objective was clear; the moment they were out the door, they made a beeline for the Outer City.

Xiao Heng and Xiao Lin, along with their cousins Xiao Jing and Xiao岑, had also arranged to leave their homes together. Their family also lived in the Inner City, not far from the iron gates, so they immediately saw large groups of their peers as soon as they stepped outside.

All four were clad in iron armor, each carrying a five-Stone bow, a quiver of arrows, and a primary weapon. For their age, they were armed to the teeth.

Perhaps because it was his first time wearing armor, Xiao Lin had a distinct look of pride on his face. However, when he saw the crowds on the main street, he was instantly dumbfounded.

“How are there so many people in armor?”

Yesterday, when the Logistics Department had gathered all Lumberjack realm participants for preliminary grouping, it had been announced that the qualifying matches for the Lumberjack realm group would begin after nightfall today near the Xiacheng city gates.

Therefore, among those currently heading toward the city gates, aside from some women and commoners there to watch the spectacle, it was easy to tell who was a participant and who wasn’t.

The problem was, as far as Xiao Lin could see, every person who looked to be of a similar age and headed to the tournament like himself was clad in armor and armed with weapons. Almost no one was in their regular clothes.

Xiao Heng, however, had anticipated this. He smiled and said, “They’re all from the Inner City. A set of Ten-forged armor and a five-Stone bow cost only 280 contribution points in total. Which family can’t afford that? If you think you can advance just with this, you’re dreaming.”

Xiao Lin nodded. 280 contribution points wasn’t just affordable for the four thousand-plus households of the Inner City; many in the Outer City could manage it as well. It seemed that armor and a five-Stone bow were the standard equipment for the Lumberjack realm group in this tournament.

“Look at the Zhao Yuanwu siblings. Why is their armor golden?”

Hearing Xiao Lin’s voice, Xiao Heng and the other two, who were walking ahead, quickly turned to look in the direction he was pointing.

At a glance, all three of their expressions grew much more solemn.

Zhao Yuanwu and Zhao Yuankong were also walking toward the Outer City, about twenty meters away from them. The Ten-forged armor the siblings wore was shimmering with a golden light.

“That’s Ten-forged armor forged with the skull of a Thunder Kui. It’s the same type that most members of the camp’s Intermediate Hunting Teams currently wear. I can’t believe those two had a custom-fitted set made!”

Hearing Xiao Cen’s words, Xiao Heng recalled something and nodded. “I heard from my father that the camp has recently been encouraging members of the Intermediate Hunting Teams to upgrade to Hundred-forged armor and weapons. The Logistics Department has reclaimed a lot of Ten-forged Thunder Kui Armor. A set costs 700 contribution points to exchange for, and if you want a custom-fitted one, you have to order it three days in advance. Those two are really willing to spend!”

280 points was nothing, but 700 contribution points was quite high. The crucial part was that it didn’t guarantee advancement, so not many people would be willing to spend that much.

Xiao Jing shook his head. “Of course. Their father is Lord Zhao Hu, a Frostwarden realm expert himself, and the Steel Mane Squad is so powerful. Their family definitely isn’t short on contribution points.”

The other two nodded in agreement. The Zhao Yuanwu siblings didn’t just have a great father; their two uncles were also Frostwarden realm experts who led their own powerful hunting teams.

As they walked, Xiao Lin scanned the crowd for others wearing the pale gold armor. After counting, his face fell. He turned to Xiao Heng and said, “Heng, this is bad. I looked around, and there are quite a few of them. I saw at least a hundred people who’ve upgraded to the pale gold armor. Our chances in this preliminary round are looking really shaky. If I’d known, I would have asked Father for some contribution points to get a set too.”

Xiao Heng smiled and shook his head. “Don’t worry. I already told you, in the preliminaries, strength is definitely not the deciding factor. Better armor won’t make a huge difference, trust me!”

Xiao Lin, however, had a different opinion. “That can’t be right. Weren’t the groups already set last night? A hundred people per group. Many are guessing that only five people will advance from each group.”

Xiao Jing and Xiao Cen both nodded. The entire camp had over sixteen thousand Lumberjack realm participants, and they had been divided into 172 groups of one hundred last night. Although the format of the preliminaries hadn’t been announced, they also guessed that it would be a competition within the group, with only the final victors advancing.

“That’s impossible. There are seventeen thousand in Xiacheng alone, and another fifteen thousand from the five branch venues—Wuyuan, Jinggu Valley, Wushuang, Hanqiong, and the Hive. That’s over thirty-two thousand people in total, making more than three hundred groups. Even if we used the Earthforger realm’s method of comparing victories and the time taken to win, it would probably take ten days to half a month. A competition within each group would likely take over a month to finish, so that’s even more impossible!”

Although Xiao Heng’s tone was certain, Xiao Lin and the others still looked skeptical.

Seeing that they didn’t believe him, Xiao Heng didn’t press the matter and changed the subject. “I’m in group 51. What groups were you guys assigned to?”

Xiao Lin: “I’m in group 29.”

Xiao Jing: “Group 88!”

Xiao岑: “I’m in group 102.”

Hearing their group numbers, Xiao Heng shook his head with some disappointment. It couldn’t be helped; there were simply too many Lumberjack realm participants here in Xiacheng. With 172 groups, the odds of the four of them being assigned to the same one were incredibly slim.

But Xiao Lin and the other two clearly thought differently.

They still believed it would be an intra-group competition. Not being in the same group meant the four brothers wouldn’t have to compete against each other, which was a good thing.

The four of them soon followed the crowd through the iron gates of the Inner City and into the Outer City.

Because the nearly seventy thousand people from Longyou were living in temporary wooden houses, the buildings in the Outer City were not as dense as in the Inner City. After passing through a small cluster of structures, the area became much more open, and they soon saw the city gates in the distance.

But the moment they saw the gates, everyone froze.

Near the city gates, ten enormous, square iron cages had been erected at some point. The cages were estimated to be two hundred meters wide and twenty meters high.

The layout inside all ten cages was similar, featuring rockeries made of giant boulders, several half-felled colossal trees, tall snow slopes, and deep trenches and snow pits…

“What’s this for? Are we supposed to have a free-for-all inside?”

“I’m afraid so. A hundred-person brawl to decide the last few standing.”

“Why else would they group us? It must be a free-for-all.”

“But we’ve all been equipped with weapons. How will victory be decided?”

“Exactly. What counts as being eliminated?”

“They said last night when we were being grouped that we could bring any weapons and armor, even pills. If it’s really a hundred-person free-for-all, there are bound to be a lot of casualties!”

…

The moment they saw the cages, the crowd immediately began to buzz with discussion.

Most people voiced their speculations directly.

Only a small number of people pondered for a moment before their expressions flickered; they had clearly figured something out but intentionally kept silent.

Xiao Heng was also observing. He stared at the cages for a long time, and then his expression suddenly froze, as if a thought had struck him.

He turned and saw Xiao Lin and the others starting to split up to find their respective groups. He immediately rushed forward and grabbed them.

“Lin, wait. I think I’ve figured it out…”

Halted by his call, the three of them immediately gathered around.

With a solemn expression, Xiao Heng lowered his voice and quickly instructed, “Once you find your group, get to know the others as quickly as possible. I suspect…”

“All participants have one hundred breaths of time remaining to join their groups. Anyone who has not found their group by the time limit will be disqualified. The countdown begins now. 100… 99… 98… 97…”

Xiao Heng wanted to say more, but the Logistics Department official presiding over the tournament from atop the city gate had already started the countdown.

He had no choice but to stop and separate from Xiao Lin and the others to find his own group.

Around the ten cages, wooden signs had long been set up, clearly marked with numbers from 1 to 172, obviously indicating the group numbers. Many people were already standing under their respective signs.

It had to be said that after living long-term in a harsh environment like the Ice Abyss, even without strict training, human organizational skills were naturally strong. This was why the Logistics Department had only given them a hundred breaths of time.

“10… 9… 8… 7…”

Over seventeen thousand people, surrounding the ten cages in the square, quickly formed 172 small phalanxes along the wooden number signs.

“3… 2… 1… Time’s up!”

As the final countdown ended, not a single person was left wandering in the square. Everyone was standing in their assigned group.

“Good, not bad!”

Qiu Peng’s voice replaced that of the previous Logistics Department official. He walked to the edge of the city wall, offering a word of praise with a smile.

As one of the six Prefects and one of the few Frostwarden realm experts in the camp, Qiu Peng commanded considerable authority. The moment he spoke, the crowd of over ten thousand below fell silent. Everyone looked up at the city gate, quietly waiting for him to continue.

“I know that many of you have been trying to find out over the past few days what selection method the preliminaries will use. I specifically ordered everyone not to leak any information. So, as of this moment, I can guarantee that not a single person—not among the seventeen thousand of you here, nor the fifteen thousand at the other five branch venues—knows the selection method for the preliminaries.”

Qiu Peng looked somewhat pleased with himself. Gazing down at the one hundred and seventy-two phalanxes, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he continued, “Weapons, armor, pills… I said it all last night. Aside from your parents, you are allowed to bring anything that can enhance your combat strength.”

“Hahaha…”

…

A wave of laughter erupted from below after Qiu Peng finished his sentence.

Unlike the Earthforger realm, the participants in the Lumberjack realm group ranged from as young as nine to as old as their early twenties. The age gap was simply too great.

This meant that many of the younger participants weren’t focusing on the competition itself. Some had tried to get inside information from their parents, some had their parents spend contribution points on weapons and armor from the Logistics Department, some got pills… in short, there were all sorts of attempts to gain an unfair advantage and pass the preliminaries.

“I specifically ordered everyone not to leak any information.”

The smug look on Qiu Peng’s face when he said this clearly stemmed from his confidence that the selection method had not been leaked, serving as a small lesson for those who had tried to find a shortcut.

Atop the city gate, Qiu Peng raised his hand to quiet the crowd. Once they had settled down, he spoke again, “Alright, I can see you’ve all come well-prepared with your weapons, armor, and pills. I won’t waste any more time. I will now announce the selection method for today’s preliminaries…”

Qiu Peng turned and nodded to Yuan Cheng and the others behind him.

Rumble, clank…

From below Qiu Peng, the loud sound of massive iron chains suddenly echoed.

Everyone looked down to see that the enormous portcullis—fifteen meters high and eight meters wide, suspended mid-air—had begun to move.

Roar… Roar… Roar…

From behind the city gate, several roars suddenly grew louder as they approached.

“What’s that sound?”

“It sounds like… a Frost Beast!”

“What? A Frost Beast?”

“It really is a Frost Beast! I’ve heard the roar of a Frost Beast before, that’s what it is.”

“It is. Don’t you remember the Frost Beast tide? We all heard it then.”

“Why would there be a Frost Beast?”

…

As the roars grew closer and more incessant, the hundred-plus phalanxes in the city square began to stir with unease.

Roar…

An furious roar erupted from behind the gate, followed by the appearance of Yuan Cheng, dressed in black, casually walking in while holding an iron chain in one hand.

At the other end of the chain was a bound Long-tongued Snow Mane.

The Snow Mane was over three meters long, its blood-red pupils fixed hatefully on Yuan Cheng.

It was panting heavily, and though the spikes on its back had all been cut off, its four limbs were still thrashing and struggling on the ground, kicking up clouds of snow with terrifying force.

The roar that burst from its open mouth seemed to shake one’s very soul. But those with sharper eyes could clearly see that its long tongue had been tied into a dead knot…

“It’s a real, live Frost Beast…”

“It looks like it’s injured.”

“A Long-tongued Snow Mane… That’s Prefect Yuan. Why did he capture a Snow Mane?”

“Don’t tell me, they’re going to make us…”

Swoosh…

The moment the Long-tongued Snow Mane appeared, at least half the people in the square took a slight step back. This was especially true for the Lumberjack realm participants who were along the main path as Yuan Cheng deliberately dragged the chain past them; deep fear showed on their faces, and some of the more timid ones even stumbled and fell.

“Hehehe…”

Yuan Cheng saw the fallen individuals and broke into a wide grin.

In reality, the Lumberjack realm participants of Xiacheng, including the sixty to seventy thousand commoners who had recently arrived from Longyou, were not unfamiliar with Frost Beasts.

The hunting teams brought back Frost Beasts every night, and not just low-grade ones, but mid-grade ones as well. Normally, the sight of a Frost Beast shouldn’t have frightened them this much.

The problem was, the Snow Mane that Yuan Cheng was dragging was alive.

Among the seventeen thousand-plus Lumberjack realm participants in Xiacheng, probably less than a tenth had ever seen a live Frost Beast. And of that tenth, the vast majority had only seen them during the Frost Beast tide that Jing Xian had orchestrated back in March of last year.

That’s right. If not for the Frost Beast tide caused by Jing Xian, the Lumberjack realm participants of the Great Xia camp would have had almost no opportunity to see a living Frost Beast.

The reason was simple: those in the Lumberjack realm were not qualified to hunt.

In the past, they might have encountered one or two sleeping beasts while gathering lumber at Redwood Ridge. But now, as the Great Xia hunting teams grew stronger and cleared the outer perimeter of Redwood Ridge more thoroughly, their chances of seeing a Frost Beast had become increasingly rare.

Seeing a Frost Beast and seeing the corpse of a Frost Beast were two completely different concepts.

This was especially true for the Lumberjack realm participants in tonight’s tournament. More than half of them were youths between the ages of ten and fifteen. Apart from a very small number who had experienced the Frost Beast tide, the rest knew nothing about Frost Beasts except for having eaten their meat.

A ferocious Frost Beast appearing right before their eyes was clearly still a terrifying deterrent for these youths.

The gate of cage number one was opened. Yuan Cheng gave the chain a hard tug, throwing the Long-tongued Snow Mane directly inside. He then quickly moved forward and unfastened the chains from the Snow Mane’s body.

The Snow Mane was clearly terrified of Yuan Cheng. The first thing it did after being unchained was glance at the cage entrance. Then, as if realizing something, it immediately turned and ran toward the rockery inside the cage, hiding behind it.

“Heh, you know what’s good for you. Close the cage.”

Yuan Cheng walked out and signaled for the others to close the cage gate.

“Roar…”

Another furious roar sounded, and everyone turned to look at the city gate again.

This time it was Yuwen Tao, and he was dragging a Golden-eyed Demonic Ram.

Like the Snow Mane before it, all the eyes on this demonic ram’s back had been blinded, and the sharp horn on its forehead had been filed down. It had clearly been dealt with as well.

Yuwen Tao threw the demonic ram into the second cage.

“Roar…”

As the subsequent eight Frostwarden realm experts, including Luo Yuan, came through one by one, the roars of Frost Beasts never ceased.

A Bone-spined Frost Wolf, a Blue Moon Spirit, a Cloud-Mist Soaring Flood Dragon, a Golden-armored Thunder Kui, a White Bear, a Flint Tiger, a Frost-Lightning Ape, and an Azure Thunder Roarer—the eight cages were soon filled.

At the same time, Qiu Peng’s voice rang out from atop the city wall once more.

“I can now tell you the selection method for the preliminaries. Each group will draw a lot and enter a cage. By whatever means necessary, as long as you successfully hunt the Frost Beast inside, the entire group advances.”

Swoosh…

The square erupted in an uproar. Every face was filled with utter astonishment.

It wasn’t just the children in their early teens; even some of the adult Lumberjack realm participants were instantly stunned. They turned to look at Qiu Peng on the city wall, their faces full of disbelief and confusion.

“Are they sending us to our deaths? What kind of tournament is this?”

“This is impossible! Even if these Frost Beasts are injured, we’re no match for them. Our weapons and arrows can’t even break through their hides!”

“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”

“An adult Snow Mane has extremely tenacious vitality. Its strength is at least fifteen thousand or more. We’d be lucky to escape with our lives if we met one in the wild. How could we possibly hunt one?!”

…

Waves of dissent rose from the square, causing the expressions of the Frostwarden realm experts who had just returned to the city wall to darken.

Qiu Peng, Yuan Cheng, Lin Kai, and Lu Yang, in particular, looked extremely grim.

Chapter 269: The Assessment Target, Hell-Level Difficulty

“It hasn’t even started, and they’re already this scared?”

“A hundred people per group, weapons, bows, armor, pills… they can bring everything they can carry. The Frost Beasts have even had most of their strength suppressed, and they’re still afraid?”

“It can’t be helped. They’ve never truly faced a Frost Beast before. It’s normal to be scared.”

“The youngest is just over nine years old. It’s indeed a bit too early to send a bunch of kids to deal with Frost Beasts.”

“This method of selection is a bit premature for them.”

………………

As the crowd below stirred with discussion, the Frostwarden realm experts above the city gate also began to voice their opinions. Some felt that the Lumberjack realm contestants below were performing poorly, while others thought the preliminary round was too harsh and that it was too soon for these children to be facing Frost Beasts.

Yuan Cheng, Lin Kai, and Lu Yang wore grim expressions and remained silent.

The host, Qiu Peng, looked even more downcast, with a hint of anger simmering beneath the surface.

But he didn’t say much, only shouting down to the crowd below:

“Enough nonsense! We will now draw lots. Ten groups per round. The number you draw is the cage you go to. This selection is not compulsory. If more than a tenth of a group chooses to give up, the entire group will be considered to have forfeited. Also, there’s a rule I forgot to add earlier…”

Qiu Peng paused, a trace of contempt on his face as he continued, “We won’t waste too much time on vermin and trash like you. Therefore, the assessment time for each group is limited to one hour. If you fail to kill the beast within one hour, you fail. Let’s begin!”

Hua…

Not only did they have to hunt a Frost Beast, but they were also limited to one hour.

This additional rule from Qiu Peng was simply outrageous. For a moment, many were too shocked to even notice the names he had called them.

“In the Prefect’s eyes, are we all just vermin and trash?”

In Group 51’s formation, Xiao Heng glanced around and saw that the vast majority of his team members looked extremely pessimistic. Although there was anger on their faces, deep down they had to admit that the label fit them well.

“Kill a Frost Beast in one hour? Impossible!”

“A low-level hunting party in our camp consists of twenty people, twenty Earthforger realm cultivators, and even they can’t guarantee a one hundred percent success rate. How are we supposed to win with just us?”

“Most of us only brought five-Stone bows. We can’t even pierce a Frost Beast’s hide. Why don’t we just give up?”

“Prefect Qiu never said whether people could die in this selection. If there’s an accident, we…”

………………

“Everyone, calm down and listen to me!”

Seeing that some in the team were even suggesting the idea of giving up, Xiao Heng knew he couldn’t just stand by any longer. He spoke up, cutting through the chatter, and walked to the center of the formation.

Xiao Heng had a certain reputation among the younger generation in the camp.

The moment he stepped forward, many recognized him.

“Is that Xiao Heng?”

“Xiao Heng is on our team.”

“Isn’t he the Director’s brother-in-law?”

“That’s useless. The Director’s brother-in-law is still only in the Lumberjack realm.”

………………

Xiao Heng took a deep breath and continued in a loud voice, “I only have one question for you all. Is it possible for a hundred Lumberjacks, working together with one heart, to hunt a low-level Frost Beast?”

“Of course not!”

“How could it be? Lumberjacks aren’t even qualified to hunt outside!”

“No way. Absolutely not.”

…………

That Lumberjacks couldn’t hunt was common knowledge among the people of the Ice Abyss.

Hearing the unanimous response, Xiao Heng didn’t argue. He first nodded, and after the voices died down, he continued, “I only became a member of Great Xia in the fourth month of the first year. Some of you have been here longer, some shorter. I want to ask those of you who’ve been around longer about a story concerning the Leader. Tell me, is it true or false…”

Xiao Heng paused, then went on, “Back when the Leader had just broken through to the Lumberjack realm, he went out alone and brought back a young Snow Mane. Later, when the Director and Prefect Yuan also broke through to the Lumberjack realm, the three of them hunted an adult Snow Mane that very night. That’s not a fabrication, is it?”

As his words fell, the surrounding crowd instantly fell silent.

Everyone exchanged glances, then lowered their heads in shame.

There were many stories about the Leader, Xia Hong, but the one about him hunting a Frost Beast right after reaching the Lumberjack realm was undoubtedly the most credible, as many eyewitnesses were still around.

Besides, when they were practicing martial arts below the main building, many had personally heard the Director and Prefect Yuan tell them this very story.

“Of course, it’s true. It’s only been four years. I was one of the witnesses on the earthen slope back then. I’ve been listening from the side for a while now. The words Prefect Qiu used, ‘vermin’ and ‘trash,’ couldn’t be more fitting for you lot.”

From behind Squad 52, a contemptuous voice suddenly spoke up.

Hearing themselves called vermin and trash, a flicker of anger appeared on everyone’s faces as they turned to look.

At the rear of the team, a youth clad in light gold armor and holding a saber was staring at them with utter disdain.

Next to him stood six others of similar age, also in light gold armor and wielding standard-issue Great Xia blades, most of them wearing the same scornful expression.

“Liu Peng!”

“Aren’t you just a Lumberjack too?”

“You’re just like us, what are you being so arrogant for?”

………………

Liu Peng was the one who had broken the Lumberjack realm record last May.

Unlike the others’ heated reactions, Xiao Heng’s expression immediately became serious the moment he saw Liu Peng’s group of seven.

“The auras of these seven… they seem similar to mine, on the verge of a breakthrough. How is that possible?”

Liu Peng had reached the Lumberjack realm at eleven. Only a year had passed, so he couldn’t be thirteen yet, making him more than three years younger than Xiao Heng.

And the six with him—two were about his age, while the other four were around Liu Yuan’s age, looking clearly younger than him.

What did this mean?

The current Martial Arts Academy record for reaching the Earthforger realm was held by Hong Shaokang at fifteen years and one month. In other words, if not for this Martial Arts Tournament, the five youths before him could have casually broken Hong Shaokang’s record?

Xiao Heng shifted his gaze from Liu Peng’s group and surveyed the entire Squad 52. After a quick calculation in his mind, the astonishment in his eyes grew even thicker.

Liu Peng’s group of seven, plus himself, made eight. There were another seven older members in the team who were also clearly on the verge of a breakthrough, bringing the total to fifteen.

Judging by the assessment method, the Logistics Department surely hadn’t arranged the groups randomly last night. It was highly likely that each squad had about fifteen members on the brink of a breakthrough.

This meant that in Xiacheng’s one hundred seventy-two squads alone, there were over twenty-five hundred people intentionally holding back from breaking through to the Earthforger realm.

And then there were the other five outposts…

“Big Sis really wasn’t lying to me. There are at least two thousand people holding back their breakthrough to the Earthforger realm. Looking at it now, the number is probably far greater!”

Xiao Heng swallowed hard. Just as he was suppressing his shock, Liu Peng had already started arguing with others in the team.

“What, you’re not happy about being called trash? You… you… you… and you nine. Weren’t you just talking about giving up? The nine of you can go forfeit and get lost. Anyone else who wants to quit can scram now, so you don’t hold us back later.”

The nine people Liu Peng pointed out flushed red. They had indeed spoken of giving up just moments ago, but after hearing Xiao Heng’s story about the Leader, they had begun to waver. Now, being called out and cursed by Liu Peng, they changed their minds completely.

“I won’t forfeit! It’s just killing a Frost Beast. I’ll have to do it sooner or later after I reach the Earthforger realm. I’ll give it a try. Even if I fail, it’s no big deal.”

“Liu Peng, don’t look down on people. I’d rather die in there than forfeit.”

“That’s right, I’m not forfeiting either.”

“I won’t forfeit.”

…………

Seeing that the nine who had wanted to give up had all changed their minds, Xiao Heng immediately understood. He turned to look at Liu Peng, a profound look in his eyes.

“Good, at least you have some spirit left. You haven’t disgraced our Great Xia!”

As Liu Peng spoke, he maintained his contemptuous expression, but his tone held a clear note of relief, his goal achieved.

Qiu Peng had stated clearly just now that if more than a tenth of a group chose to give up, the entire group would forfeit.

Therefore, Liu Peng’s seemingly disdainful act of suppressing the nine was, in fact, a way to provoke them into not giving up.

At this moment, many in the team had figured out Liu Peng’s intention and gathered around him. Even Xiao Heng found himself unconsciously walking toward him.

“Group 6, thirteen members choose to forfeit. The entire group is eliminated!”

“Group 25, eleven members choose to forfeit. The entire group is eliminated.”

“Group 35, fourteen members choose to forfeit. The entire group is eliminated.”

………………

Just then, a series of announcements echoed across the plaza.

Some groups were being eliminated because the number of people forfeiting exceeded one-tenth.

Nine people!

Their Group 52 had just been teetering on the edge of elimination!

Everyone in the team, including the nine who had wanted to give up, showed looks of lingering fear, and then all focused their gazes on Liu Peng.

“The selection has begun. Ten groups per round. We’ll be assessed in the sixth round, so we don’t have much time. Everyone, gather around!”

The first round of the selection had officially started. Group 6 was eliminated, and Group 11 had been brought in as a replacement. Groups 1 through 11 had all drawn their lots and were preparing to enter the iron cages.

Xiao Heng and the others turned to look at the ten cages, noticing that some groups had already started to engage the Frost Beasts. They quickly gathered around Liu Peng.

The fourteen strongest members stood in the center, while the others tactfully stood around the periphery, clearly aware of their own strength.

Liu Peng’s expression turned serious as he continued, “There are too many contestants in the Lumberjack realm Martial Arts Tournament, so they have to eliminate a batch in the fastest way possible. Using Frost Beasts to test our courage is only the first part. ‘If more than a tenth give up, the entire team forfeits.’ Why do you think Prefect Qiu made that rule?”

Hearing this, everyone exchanged confused glances.

“Morale!”

Only Xiao Heng spoke these two words.

“Brother Xiao, you are indeed impressive!”

Liu Peng looked up at Xiao Heng with a hint of surprise in his eyes, then turned back to the crowd. “I observed when I first arrived. The one hundred seventy-two groups are, by and large, evenly distributed by age and strength. So I speculate that the number of people wanting to give up in each squad is likely to be similar. Therefore, the second part of this assessment should be to see if we can resolve the morale problem within our team!”

Everyone nodded, their respect for Liu Peng growing.

“Courage, morale…”

Liu Peng suddenly stopped mid-sentence. As if struck by an idea, he deliberately asked Xiao Heng, “Brother Xiao, what do you think they’ll test next?”

Seeing Liu Peng, who was two or three years younger than him, gradually taking control of the team, Xiao Heng’s competitive spirit began to rise. Although he knew what Liu Peng wanted him to say, he deliberately phrased it differently.

“No matter what they test, the ultimate goal of the assessment is for us to hunt the Frost Beast in the cage. If our team of a hundred people rushes in like a headless fly, we’ll definitely fail. So, I propose we select a team leader, and everyone else will be under the leader’s unified command. This will surely increase our chances of success.”

Hearing Xiao Heng’s words, everyone showed their approval.

Liu Peng clearly saw through Xiao Heng’s intentions. A faint smile appeared on his face as he nodded. “Brother Xiao is right. The final thing being tested is unity and cooperation. Of course, a Lumberjack doesn’t have hunting capabilities, but for a hundred fully armed Lumberjacks, as long as they are united and have a clear-headed leader, killing a Frost Beast with most of its strength suppressed is not difficult.”

Courage, morale, unity, and cooperation!

After listening to Liu Peng’s explanation, everyone finally understood.

“So, who should be the leader?” a slightly older man suddenly asked.

The vast majority of the team immediately turned their eyes to Liu Peng.

Xiao Heng, along with three or four other stronger members, had a glint in their eyes, clearly interested in the position as well.

“I propose Liu Peng!”

“I also support Liu Peng.”

“Liu Peng.”

“Liu Peng!”

“Liu Peng!”

“I support Liu Peng too.”

…………

The six standing beside Liu Peng spoke up one after another, and a chorus of voices instantly echoed through the team. Including the nine who Liu Peng had just taunted, nearly ninety percent of the group, without exception, called out Liu Peng’s name.

Xiao Heng looked at the six people standing with Liu Peng and sighed inwardly.

He had guessed it the moment he saw their positioning.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Liu Peng must have approached these six last night after the groups were formed, gotten to know them quickly, and reached some sort of agreement in advance. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so obedient to him.

After the groups were formed last night, he too had guessed that unity and cooperation would be key, but he had never been certain until he saw the ten iron cages, which finally confirmed that a Frost Beast was the target.

Clearly, Liu Peng had not only figured it out earlier than him but had also acted upon it.

One step behind, every step behind!

Since Liu Peng had already gained control of the team, Xiao Heng didn’t dwell on it. He cupped his hands and added to the chorus, “I also vote for Liu Peng!”

Hearing Xiao Heng’s words, Liu Peng smiled. After a cupped-fist salute of thanks, he turned his gaze to the other peak Lumberjacks in the team, his eyes filled with a certainty that was almost aggressive.

Under his gaze, the remaining few could only slowly speak up:

“Liu Peng!”

“Liu Peng.”

………………

The position of leader was his!

Liu Peng’s expression was triumphant. He waved his hand and said in a deep voice:

“Alright, I’ll start the deployment now. I’ll make it brief…”

The following plan concerned whether they would advance, so everyone listened with rapt attention, not daring to miss a single detail.

But as they listened, looks of joy gradually appeared on their faces. By the time Liu Peng finished explaining his plan, there was a newfound respect in everyone’s eyes when they looked at him.

Even Xiao Heng was no exception.

“I remember his Big Brother, Liu Yuan, is the Vice-captain of the Cloud Serpent Squad. His brother must have taught him all this!”

Ability, insight, even knowledge about Frost Beasts—in every aspect, Liu Peng seemed stronger than him.

The only thing he could probably compete with was his cultivation level.

The problem was, Liu Peng was more than two years younger than him.

By that measure, he couldn’t even compare in terms of cultivation!

Xiao Heng clenched his fists, a strange sense of urgency rising in his heart.

Just then, the assessment for the first round’s ten groups concluded.

“First round, all ten groups are eliminated. Next group!”

Qiu Peng’s slightly disappointed voice came from above the city gate. Liu Peng and the others, who had just finished their discussion, all wore grave expressions.

“Hurry in and rescue them! The Frost Beast has been driven to the side.”

“Carry everyone out.”

“Group 1: twenty-nine seriously injured, fifty-two lightly injured, the remaining nineteen are fine.”

“Group 2: sixteen seriously injured, seventy-nine lightly injured, the remaining five are fine.”

…………

“Group 11: twenty-nine seriously injured, seventy-one lightly injured. Everyone’s accounted for.”

At that moment, the wounded were being carried out from the ten cages by the Earthforger realm cultivators of the Logistics Department. As the casualty reports for each group were announced, the remaining people in the plaza who hadn’t yet entered all swallowed hard.

These casualty figures were a bit terrifying…

“Groups 12 to 21, lot drawing is over. Prepare to enter the cages!”

Qiu Peng’s voice rang out from the city wall again. Ten more formations below began to move. They walked to the entrances of the ten cages and began to enter.

Having missed the first round, this time Liu Peng, Xiao Heng, and everyone in Group 52 stared intently at the cages, wanting to figure out how the others were being eliminated.

But after watching for only a short while, they were all stunned.

“Group 14 eliminated!”

“Group 18 eliminated.”

“Group 21 eliminated.”

…………

“Group 12 eliminated.”

The time limit Qiu Peng had set for the assessment was one hour.

But in reality, from the moment all ten groups entered the cages to the moment they were all eliminated, not even thirty minutes had passed.

“These Frost Beasts are terrifyingly strong.”

“Group 12 drew cage number 1. Both eyes of that Snow Mane had already been gouged out by the previous group, and it still hasn’t been worn down?”

“Group 14 was really unlucky. They drew the White Bear in cage number 7. They had just entered the cage, before they could even get into formation, half of them were sent flying by the White Bear’s charge. At least twenty were seriously injured, and the rest had no ability to fight back.”

………………

Hearing the discussions around him, Liu Peng’s expression darkened considerably.

“Courage, morale, unity, and cooperation—solving these three problems is only the first step of the selection. After that, you need both luck and strength. This preliminary selection… it’s hell-level difficulty!”

Beside him, Xiao Heng also looked extremely grim. After a soft sigh, he couldn’t help but look up at the Frostwarden realm experts on the city wall and ask in his heart:

“Can anyone actually pass this?”

Chapter 270: Scared Witless, the Stunning Zhao Yuankong

Could anyone really pass?

Xiao Heng wasn’t the only one thinking this.

Liu Peng, all the members of Group 52, and most of the people in the square were all thinking the same thing.

But regardless of their thoughts, Qiu Peng didn’t call a halt.

The third round of the assessment continued in an orderly fashion.

Groups 22 to 32 quickly drew their lots and began entering their respective iron cages.

“This round probably isn’t hopeful either. Six of the groups are still in a state of internal conflict. The remaining four have no conflict, but there are too many people talking!”

Hearing Liu Peng’s words beside him, Xiao Heng roughly scanned the ten groups’ situations.

Indeed, in this round, more than half the squads were still arguing fiercely before even entering the iron cages. Some felt it was impossible to pass and that going in was a waste of time; others kept trying to rally everyone, saying there was no harm in trying. Then there were those with apprehensive expressions and flickering gazes, clearly afraid.

The remaining four squads, though not arguing, were also divided into clearly distinct factions. They seemed to be discussing how to jointly deal with the Frost Beast. Some felt an hour was too short and advocated for rushing in all at once; some believed there was ample time and suggested a slower, more strategic approach; others thought they should use the many rocks and trees in the cage, combining it with the Frost Beast’s characteristics for a tactical, roundabout hunt…

After briefly observing the situation of the ten squads in the third round, Xiao Heng shook his head, almost certain that not a single squad would pass this time.

“Father once said that when a settlement is weak and faces a powerful enemy, unity is the only way out. Before taking action, there can be many different opinions, but once execution begins, there can only be one voice. Otherwise, those differing opinions will inevitably become the fuse for failure!”

Xiao Kangcheng had been a Leader for over a decade. As his only son, Xiao Heng had been raised as his successor since childhood and had naturally learned a great deal from his father.

The 172 teams currently trying to pass were no different from the countless weak settlements in the Ice Abyss. The Frost Beast in the iron cage was the powerful enemy they now faced. Without unity, they could not possibly succeed…

Bang!

Xiao Heng’s train of thought was interrupted by a loud bang.

He looked up at Iron Cage 1 and saw that the group that had just entered was already engaged with the Snow Mane.

“Ah!”

“My leg is broken.”

“My chest hurts so much.”

“Save me, save me!”

………………

It was less of an engagement and more of the group serving themselves up on a platter for the Snow Mane.

One hundred people, armed with sharp blades and clad in iron armor, were sent tumbling the moment they entered the cage by a charging Snow Mane.

Though more than a dozen of the stronger members, on the verge of breaking through to the Earthforger realm, hastily raised their great sabers and longbows in an attempt to resist, they were no match for the Snow Mane in either speed or strength.

More importantly, unlike them, who were only in it for the assessment, the Snow Mane in the cage was truly fighting for its life!

“Roar…”

The Snow Mane roared incessantly. After knocking over the crowd, its movements remained agile. Its limbs, tail, and even its knotted tongue became weapons. In less than ten minutes, the hundred people in the cage had been completely scattered to all corners.

The Snow Mane took advantage of the opportunity to repeatedly ram the cage walls, clearly trying to find a way to break free and escape. Many people had noticed, but they intentionally did nothing about it.

Soon, cries and shouts echoed from within Iron Cage 1.

“Help!”

“I forfeit.”

“Forfeit.”

“Help me.”

…

The gate of the iron cage was open, and the Earthforger realm experts outside had been on standby. Whenever someone was severely injured, they would immediately rush in to rescue them. Even those with minor injuries would be brought out as long as they shouted that they forfeited.

“Get lost!”

An Earthforger expert holding a great saber rushed in to save an injured man. Just as he did, the Snow Mane charged in his direction. The Earthforger realm expert brandished his saber and bellowed.

The Snow Mane’s eyes had clearly been shot out, but upon hearing the furious shout, its charging form froze. A look of fear flashed across its face, and it actually turned and fled, going after the others instead.

The assessment had been going on for two rounds now. It wasn’t just this Snow Mane; the nine other Frost Beasts in the other nine cages had more or less figured out the pattern. As long as they didn’t kill anyone, the Earthforger realm experts with powerful bows surrounding the cages wouldn’t attack them.

So they had grown smarter, only severely injuring people before immediately backing off to find others who could still move.

The 172 squads participating in the assessment had similar compositions. Each had only about fifteen peak Lumberjack realm members. Once the majority of the squad was scattered, these fifteen couldn’t make much of a difference on their own.

The dozen or so people left in Iron Cage 1 ended up hiding in a large tree, but climbing a tree didn’t guarantee their safety.

Especially since they continued to shoot arrows from their perch, allowing the Snow Mane, despite its blindness, to pinpoint their location by sound alone.

“Roar…”

The Snow Mane let out a furious roar, ignoring the iron arrows flying at it as it charged straight for the large tree. In just three or four breaths, it had scrambled up.

“Run!”

“Quick, run…”

Two people were the first to cry out a warning, and the dozen others in the tree panicked, jumping down one after another.

But some were still too slow.

Two of them were caught by the Snow Mane’s two bone-white tusks.

One had his shoulder pierced straight through and was sent flying over ten meters from the tree. The other had his calf impaled, tearing away a large chunk of flesh and blood. He fainted on the spot after hitting the ground.

“I forfeit.”

“Help, I forfeit.”

“Forfeit.”

As the last group of people in Iron Cage 1 shouted their forfeiture, the Earthforger realm experts who had long been waiting outside rushed in and brought everyone out.

“Group 29, eliminated!”

………………

“These kids… they’re so stupid I can’t even watch anymore!”

Atop the city gate, Lin Kai watched the assessment of Group 29 with a look of utter disbelief. After speaking, he couldn’t help but add, “Do they not have brains? That Great Xia Frost Beast Annals is just sitting there on the first floor of the main building. Have they never even flipped through it once?”

“It’s not that they haven’t read it, it’s that they’re all scared witless…”

Yuan Cheng picked up where Lin Kai left off, sneering, “These brats have basically never seen a live Frost Beast before. Some of the older ones might have gone outside to chop some trees or pick some fruit at most. The younger ones don’t even know what the outside world is like. Their food, clothing, and everything they use have always been provided by their parents and families. Forget getting injured, they don’t even know what it feels like to be cold. To suddenly have to fight a Frost Beast to the death… it’s normal for them to be scared witless.”

Beside them, Yuwen Tao also averted his gaze, no longer watching the assessment below. He shook his head and said, “They may be young, but their strength isn’t weak. The base strength of the Lumberjack realm is at least five thousand, with a maximum of over nine thousand. They have free use of iron armor, weapons, pills, and all the resources from the Logistics Department. If they just had clearer heads and proper coordination, they could even kill a low-level adult Frost Beast at its peak.”

The ten Frost Beasts in the cages below were performing at half their strength, at best. Even so, they had managed to send hundreds of Lumberjack realm cultivators into a chaotic rout. So far, not a single squad had passed.

Hearing this, the other Frostwarden realm experts all shook their heads, their faces a mixture of disappointment and helplessness. In the end, they didn’t know what to say.

“The Leader is right. You can only grow beautiful flowers in a greenhouse, not towering trees. This assessment has truly tested the mettle of these brats. A group like this, even if they break through to the Earthforger realm and join a Hunting team, I’m afraid thirty to fifty percent of them will die. And if they go onto the battlefield, they won’t just get themselves killed, they’ll drag others down with them!”

Among the Frostwarden realm experts on the city gate, Qiu Peng had the ugliest expression.

As the one presiding over the assessment, his face darkened a few shades with every pathetic cry of forfeiture from below. Hearing the words of Lin Kai, Yuan Cheng, and Yuwen Tao, he remained silent for a long time, saying nothing.

“Maybe we should just call it off. The number of injured is growing.”

“I doubt anyone will be able to pass.”

“It’s still too soon for them.”

…

“If no squad passes, then we’ll just end the Lumberjack realm grouping like this!”

Qiu Peng decisively rejected everyone’s suggestions. He turned to look down below and sneered, “One hundred Lumberjack realm cultivators can’t even kill a single heavily injured Frost Beast. All the Hunting teams in the settlement risk their lives and shed their blood every day, only to raise a bunch of trash like this. If they can’t even pass such a simple preliminary selection, then they can forget about the rewards for the top hundred in the Martial Arts Tournament.”

Hearing the anger in Qiu Peng’s words, the others fell silent.

………………

Below, the assessment had already progressed to the fourth round.

Groups 33 to 43 drew their lots and once again entered their respective iron cages.

“Look at the group in Iron Cage 2! They seem… a little different.”

“That’s Group 38!”

“The one leading them is Zhao Yuankong. I know him.”

“The son of Lord Zhao Hu, Captain of the Steel Mane Squad?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

………………

Hearing the crowd’s discussion, Xiao Heng immediately looked toward Iron Cage 2.

Group 38, which had drawn Iron Cage 2, was indeed distinctly different from the other teams.

Like Liu Peng, Zhao Yuankong had apparently become his squad’s leader.

After entering the iron cage, not a single one of the hundred members of his team made a sound.

Zhao Yuankong immediately gave a hand signal to those behind him.

The hundred members swiftly split into five smaller teams. They began to move slowly along the cage walls, using the rockery where the Golden-eyed Demonic Ram hid as their center, soon forming a massive encirclement.

“The Demonic Ram has already been blinded. By not making a sound, they won’t attract its attention. So smart!”

“It’s true! In the past three rounds, the Frost Beasts in six of the cages have been blinded. As long as you don’t make too much noise, the Frost Beasts really can’t determine the location of people nearby.”

“Zhao Yuankong might have a chance of passing.”

…

As murmurs of approval spread, the remaining people in the square all turned their attention to Iron Cage 2.

It was only natural. The situations in the other nine cages were basically the same as the previous rounds. Only in Iron Cage 2 had more than ten minutes passed without any commotion.

Seeing Zhao Yuankong’s methodical command and calm demeanor, everyone naturally focused on his team.

It wasn’t just the people in the square. Atop the city gate, the Frostwarden realm experts also turned their gazes to Iron Cage 2 with interest.

“Zhao Hu, this is your second son, right? Not bad!”

“He’s willing to use his brain, and knows how to use it. That alone puts him ahead of a whole crowd of people.”

“There’s definitely hope. Look, it seems they’ve brought torches.”

“That kid has moved to the rear. He’s probably planning to climb the tree.”

“His personnel arrangement is reasonable too. He’s grouped the squad’s fifteen peak Lumberjack realm members into his own team. He probably intends to occupy the tree and shoot arrows.”

………………

“Hahaha, the Prefects are too kind. This boy of mine is indeed a bit of a schemer, not really fit for the big stage, hahaha…”

On the city gate, hearing the praise from Yuan Cheng and the others, Zhao Hu, despite his humble words, couldn’t stop himself from grinning from ear to ear. The look he gave his son was clearly full of expectation.

………………

Inside Iron Cage 2, Zhao Yuankong, having reached the base of the large tree, looked up at the Golden-eyed Demonic Ram, which was only about twenty meters away. He waved his hand forcefully at the people behind him.

Sssizzle…

In the team to his left rear, the leader suddenly lit a small torch. The moment it ignited, everyone in that small team moved.

The leader stuck the torch into the ground, then he and the other dozen or so members of his team quickly scattered.

“Roar…”

The Demonic Ram behind the rockery clearly noticed the torch. It let out an excited roar, and its huge body shot toward the torch like a cannonball, kicking up snow several meters high, a testament to its terrifying momentum.

“Get in the tree, nock your arrows, and prepare to fire!”

The moment the Demonic Ram charged, Zhao Yuankong spoke.

At his command, the dozen or so people in his team all scrambled up the tree, while he himself nocked an arrow on the spot and shot it directly at the torch beside the Demonic Ram.

Swoosh…

Zhao Yuankong’s archery was extremely accurate. With a single arrow, he extinguished the torch.

The obsession Frost Beasts had with torches was no secret in Great Xia.

By extinguishing the torch, Zhao Yuankong had undoubtedly enraged the Demonic Ram to the extreme.

Roar…

“Fire!”

As Zhao Yuankong spoke this time, more than a dozen iron arrows flew from the tree, all accurately hitting the Demonic Ram’s face. A few even knocked out the two arrows already stuck in its eyes and replanted themselves in the sockets.

“Roar…”

The Demonic Ram’s roar grew even more furious.

A look of excitement appeared on Zhao Yuankong’s face as he once again waved his hand forcefully at a team to his right rear.

Sssizzle…

A second torch lit up.

The Demonic Ram, which had been enraged just a moment ago, changed direction again and charged toward the location of the second torch.

Swoosh…

Zhao Yuankong used the same trick again.

The torch was extinguished, the Demonic Ram grew furious, and the dozen or so people in the tree fired their arrows, inflicting another round of significant injuries on the beast.

…

“Good kid, smart!”

“Hahahaha…”

Atop the city gate, hearing even Qiu Peng praise his son, Zhao Hu finally couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Zhao Yuankong’s technique wasn’t sophisticated. He was simply using the Frost Beast’s attraction to fire to split its attention, draining the Demonic Ram’s stamina while having the peak Lumberjack realm cultivators continuously shoot arrows to inflict more damage.

This continued for six rounds, and about three-quarters of the time had passed.

The Demonic Ram’s breathing was heavy, and its legs were even starting to tremble.

Zhao Yuankong finally stopped having his people light torches. First, he called down the dozen or so people from the tree, then he gestured for the members of the other four teams to gather around him.

“It’s almost out of strength. Everyone, shoot all the arrows you have left. You fourteen, with me first. The rest of you, follow behind.”

Swoosh swoosh swoosh…

As his words fell, the eighty-plus people who had only been responsible for lighting torches all took out the five-Stone bows on their backs and frantically fired all their iron arrows.

The Demonic Ram was indeed exhausted, but under the assault of so many arrows, it still charged toward the crowd. However, its momentum was no longer as terrifying as before, giving Zhao Yuankong and the others enough time to prepare.

Hwoosh…

A vicious glint flashed in Zhao Yuankong’s eyes. He charged forward, saber in hand, and ruthlessly chopped at the Demonic Ram’s front horn.

His strength was still inferior to the Demonic Ram’s. The powerful collision sent him stumbling back more than ten meters.

But while he alone wasn’t enough, the combined strength of many was!

The second wave, the fourteen peak Lumberjack realm members, also arrived.

Wielding various weapons, they attacked from the left and right sides, hacking and stabbing at the Demonic Ram’s body.

Unlike Earthforger realm experts, they couldn’t directly pierce the Demonic Ram’s flesh, but with base strengths near the ten-thousand-catty threshold, their combined force, coupled with their many Ten-forged weapons, managed to open several dozen wounds on its hide.

And behind them, the eighty-plus people who had finished shooting their arrows also arrived.

They swarmed the Demonic Ram with their weapons. Those who couldn’t find a spot to strike even resorted to grabbing its limbs with their bare hands, while others climbed onto its back.

Thankfully, the golden eye on the Demonic Ram’s back had been blinded by Yuwen Tao; otherwise, the few who climbed onto its back would have likely met a miserable end.

But setting that aside for a moment, the crucial thing was that, using these methods, the hundred of them had actually managed to bring the charging Demonic Ram to a dead stop!

“They stopped it!”

“Group 38 stopped it.”

“They weren’t scattered! Not a single one of them has been knocked out!”

…

Splurt!

Just as the crowd in the square was exclaiming in amazement, Zhao Yuankong made his next move!

He had been directly in front of the Demonic Ram. Seeing it restrained by the combined effort of the group and unable to move, he tossed aside his saber, drew a short sword from his waist, and plunged it straight into the Demonic Ram’s left eye socket.

Dark green blood spurted out, drenching Zhao Yuankong’s face.

Far from being afraid, his expression grew even more ferocious. He braced the short sword and began to frantically churn it within the Demonic Ram’s skull.

“Good kid, he’s got a fierce streak.”

“They can really pass.”

“No, wait, look! The Demonic Ram is getting desperate. Someone’s been thrown off!”

………………

Everyone in the square—whether they were participants, the Earthforger realm experts maintaining order and safety, or even Qiu Peng and the other Frostwarden realm experts on the city gate—had their eyes fixed on Zhao Yuankong.

Without exception, a look of hopeful expectation appeared in their eyes.

Chapter 271: Advancement, Rebuke, Inspection

Bang…

The dying Demonic Sheep was clearly growing hysterical.

It thrashed its body wildly, flinging off a small portion of the people clinging to the mane on its back. Then, it fell onto its side and began to roll and struggle on the ground, trying to crush and drive away everyone who remained.

Bang!

Pfft…

The Demonic Sheep was five or six meters long, already one of the largest low-level Frost Beasts. With its violent thrashing, it immediately smashed into the people who were still gripping its mane on either side, causing them to cough up blood.

“Don’t let go! Everyone, hold on!”

“Its strength isn’t enough to crush us! If you can’t take the pain, take a Bloodrage Pill!”

“Just a little longer! We’re almost there!”

Seeing that more than half of his team had been thrown off, with fewer than forty people still holding on, Zhao Yuankong roared furiously. He was the first to swallow a Bloodrage Pill, and then he leaped and flipped his body, clamping his legs around the Demonic Sheep’s neck.

“Aaargh…”

Sensing the Demonic Sheep’s strength continuing to wane beneath him, Zhao Yuankong let out a thunderous shout. He briefly freed his right hand, drew another short sword from his waist, and clenched his teeth. Aiming for the Demonic Sheep’s left eye, he plunged the blade down with all his might.

Squelch…

The first short sword, which had been stabbed into the Demonic Sheep’s right eye, was already buried to the hilt. The blood had long since drained out; what now oozed from the wound was a milky-white substance—its pulverized brain. The agony it must have been suffering was unimaginable.

With its left eye now pierced and its brain exposed, the Demonic Sheep’s body convulsed violently. Its rolling and struggling ceased abruptly. Its entire body went rigid for a moment before collapsing to the ground with a deafening thud, like a deflated ball.

Thump…

The Demonic Sheep crashed to the ground, and the entire plaza fell silent.

More than ten seconds passed before people began to exclaim in disbelief.

“They did it!”

“Group 38 did it!”

“Zhao Yuankong actually killed the Demonic Sheep.”

“Someone advanced!”

…

“Hahahahahahaha…”

Atop the city gate, Zhao Hu’s hearty, unrestrained laughter instantly reached the ears of everyone in the plaza. Only then did they truly believe it: Zhao Yuankong’s Group 38 had actually advanced and passed the trial.

Some of the thirty-odd groups that had just been eliminated were still in the plaza. They stared at Zhao Yuankong in the iron cage, their eyes filled with envy.

The faces of those in the plaza still awaiting their turn were filled with shock and apprehension.

As for the older Earthforger realm warriors surrounding the cage to ensure the competition’s safety, their faces showed relief. But when they turned to look at Zhao Hu, their eyes held a hint of sourness and envy. Then, searching for their own sons in the crowd, a glimmer of expectation appeared in their gazes.

“Group 38, all members advance! The assessment continues! The draw for the fifth round will now begin!”

Atop the city gate, after Qiu Peng announced Group 38’s advancement, his perpetually tense expression finally eased. Signaling for the assessment to continue, he turned to Zhao Hu and gave him a thumbs-up. “A tiger father doesn’t sire a dog, indeed,” he praised. “You haven’t wasted your efforts on that boy of yours. He’s good stock!”

“You flatter me, Prefect! Hahahaha…”

Zhao Hu beamed with joy. His name happened to contain the character for ‘tiger’, so the phrase “a tiger father doesn’t sire a dog” struck a deep chord with him.

“It’s a shame the Leader went to Longyou. It would have been great if the boy could have shown off in front of him, hehe…”

Hearing Zhao Hu’s private thoughts, the others chuckled lightly.

Zhao Hu had originally been stationed at Hanqiong. Xia Hong had left for Longyou three days ago, deciding there was no need to keep so many people at Hanqiong; otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the chance to return.

“This bunch of brats gets paralyzed with fear at the sight of a Frost Beast. It makes me angry just watching them. If the Leader were here, he probably wouldn’t even last one round before turning around and leaving,” Yuan Cheng said with absolute certainty.

The others considered his words for a moment and nodded in agreement.

They had all gone hunting with Xia Hong before. Xia Hong was the type to plan every move meticulously. Even when he could crush his prey with sheer force, he would still lead them to find the most time and energy-efficient method.

Even Zhao Yuankong’s performance would likely fail to impress Xia Hong, let alone the eliminated groups. He probably wouldn’t have been able to stomach even a single round.

“Alright, it’s about time. Prefect Yuwen will continue to oversee things here. Zhao Hu, Luo Yuan, Zhu Yuan, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, you five come with me to the Inner City. It’s time to prepare for and preside over the Earthforger realm qualifiers!”

The five men whose names were called nodded and followed Qiu Peng into the Inner City.

The Martial Arts Tournament was, at its core, just a mid-year assessment of their cultivation progress. If it took up too much time and disrupted the settlement’s normal hunting routine, the losses would outweigh the gains.

Xia Hong had only given them three days for the Earthforger and Lumberjack realm competitions, so they had to be held simultaneously to finish as quickly as possible.

In the Outer City, Yuwen Tao and the remaining seven Frostwarden realm warriors continued to preside over the Lumberjack realm preliminaries.

…

Longyou, the Wushuang giant rock encampment.

Wushuang had only formed thirty-two teams, and their manpower wasn’t as plentiful as Xiacheng’s. They had set up only two iron cages, allowing two teams to be tested simultaneously per round. At this rate, they could finish the preliminaries in a single night.

As it turned out, Yuan Cheng’s earlier deduction was spot on.

During the first round of the Lumberjack realm selection, Xia Hong watched as the two teams entered the iron cages in a chaotic mess, without even having chosen a leader. He shook his head, turned, and walked straight back to the main building without a second glance.

Seeing Xia Hong leave, Xia Chuan didn’t watch any further and followed him back to the main building. Noticing Xia Hong’s deeply furrowed brow, he assumed he was displeased with the Lumberjack realm warriors’ performance and immediately said, “Big Brother, the conditions here in Wushuang aren’t the best. Our own Lumberjack realm warriors back in Xiacheng should be a bit better!”

Xia Hong took the main seat and shook his head. “Wushuang has a population of over thirty thousand, not that much less than us before. The performance of these Lumberjack realm warriors is a good indicator of the situation back in Xiacheng. The moment they see a live Frost Beast, they’re all scared stiff. It’s one thing to lack hunting experience, but the key is that they don’t even use their brains. They’ve been raised to be completely useless in the settlement…”

He paused, then continued, “From this alone, the situation in Xiacheng might not be any better than here. Between Xiacheng and its five outposts, judging by the state of those thirty-two teams outside, I estimate that not even ten teams will advance.”

As Xia Hong spoke, his brows knitted together.

One hundred Lumberjack realm warriors, working together to kill a single, heavily injured, low-level Frost Beast.

In Xia Hong’s eyes, this should have been the simplest of tasks.

When Qiu Peng first proposed this assessment method, Xia Hong had even thought it was too easy and suggested using a regular, uninjured low-level Frost Beast.

Thinking back now, if Qiu Peng had actually listened to him, probably not a single team would have advanced in the preliminaries. The entire Lumberjack realm division of the tournament would have been a wash.

“I’ve never paid much attention to the Lumberjack realm population in the settlement. I only hear you all talking about how their numbers are breaking records and how someone at the Martial Arts Academy is breaking age records every day. I thought these kids were all formidable. Turns out they’re just a bunch of pewter spearheads that look like silver—all show and no substance. If I’m not mistaken, the casualty rates for the Hunting Department have been climbing higher and higher these past few months, haven’t they?”

Xia Chuan’s expression froze as he heard this. As if struck by a realization, a look of dawning comprehension appeared on his face, followed by a nod. His face was filled with shame.

“After the Frigid Origin Festival this year, the number of new teams in the Hunting Department grew rapidly. For the first, second, and third months straight, the casualty rate for hunting teams on expeditions did indeed get higher and higher. At first, I thought it was normal for casualties to increase since the number of teams and hunters had grown. But now, seeing the performance of these Lumberjack realm warriors…”

“What are the exact casualty numbers?” Xia Hong interrupted him, his tone sharp.

“In the first month, 79 dead, 290 injured. In the second month, 121 dead, 382 injured. In the third month, 152 dead, 472 injured. The numbers for the fourth month haven’t been tallied yet, but…”

Xia Chuan had been in the settlement for the first three months of the year and clearly knew the figures by heart. Though the fourth month’s numbers weren’t compiled, the trend was obvious.

Xia Hong’s expression immediately grew grave.

Casualties from hunting meant that the figures Xia Chuan reported were all from the Earthforger realm population. In just three months, the number of people who had died hunting added up to more than three hundred, with over a thousand injured.

This was unacceptable!

“That’s over three hundred Earthforger realm warriors! If they hadn’t died, with the settlement’s current resource-gathering capabilities, they could have grown strong and become over three hundred members of the Longyou Army or the Blood Guard Army. Have you calculated how many Frostwarden realm warriors could have emerged from their ranks?

“Something this major, not only did you not tell me, but you also took no measures to improve or resolve the situation. You didn’t think it was a big deal, did you?”

Thump…

Feeling the anger and rebuke in Xia Hong’s words for the first time, Xia Chuan knelt before him, his face etched with even deeper shame. “Big Brother, I was wrong. I was only focused on their cultivation progress and neglected to develop and improve their hunting abilities. After this tournament, I will definitely find a way to make improvements and quickly reduce the casualties from hunting expeditions.”

“Don’t think that just because the settlement has more people, anyone is expendable, or that it’s fine if some die. The settlement’s most precious asset has never been coal or iron, nor silver or any other material. It’s the living, breathing people. I told you this a long time ago. Don’t let your high cultivation level make you look down on the Earthforger and Lumberjack realm warriors below you…”

Xia Hong paused here, his tone heavy, before continuing,

“You and I, we also started as ordinary people and cultivated step by step to where we are now.”

Xia Hong had realized that it wasn’t just Xia Chuan. Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Lin Kai, Lu Yang… even those who had been with him from the very beginning at the earthen mound. As their cultivation and status grew, their mindsets had begun to change.

It wasn’t a matter of their loyalty to the settlement.

It was that, compared to before, they had developed a certain callousness toward life.

They no longer seemed to respect life as much as they once did.

This was especially true after the war in Longyou. Perhaps it was because their hands were now stained with blood, combined with Great Xia’s rapidly expanding population and the swift rise in their own power and status, that their attitudes had become somewhat arrogant.

Such an attitude was the most taboo before their enterprise was fully established.

This Lumberjack realm selection had revealed that Xia Chuan, the Director in charge of all the settlement’s affairs, was already becoming derelict in his duties.

As for Qiu Peng, Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, and the others, even without a deep investigation, Xia Hong could roughly guess their states of mind.

If he didn’t rebuke them now, by the time they suffered a truly great loss, it wouldn’t be a problem that could be solved by the deaths of a few Earthforger or Lumberjack realm warriors.

“After this tournament, I’ll give you one more month. From now on, the casualties in the Hunting Department must be reduced to the single digits. We didn’t incorporate so many people into the settlement just to feed them to Frost Beasts.”

“Yes, Big Brother! I will do it!”

Xia Chuan was so thoroughly reprimanded that he dared not even lift his head. Hearing the goal Xia Hong set for him, he immediately responded with a heavy affirmation, clearly making a solemn vow to himself.

Seeing the shame on Xia Chuan’s face and remembering that he was not yet twenty and had been saddled with such a massive burden, Xia Hong sighed inwardly. After a moment’s thought, his tone softened slightly.

“The situation in Longyou is uncertain. To continue contending with Longshan and Zhaoyang, establishing an army is imperative. After the Frostwarden realm tournament is over, whoever takes first place between you and Yuwen Tao will be the first to establish an army. Seize the opportunity!”

Hearing these words, Xia Chuan was stunned for a moment, then a look of determination flashed across his face as he nodded firmly.

The winner of the Frostwarden realm tournament would inevitably be either him or Yuwen Tao. By telling him this in advance, Xia Hong’s intention was obvious.

“The first army of Great Xia must, and can only be, established by me!”

Xia Hong said no more, simply waving his hand. “Go and continue presiding over the Earthforger realm tournament. I need to inspect Hanqiong and the other outposts. I won’t be staying in Wushuang for long.”

Xia Chuan nodded, bowed, and left the main building.

Xia Hong sat down in the main seat, took out the map of Longyou that Xia Chuan had recently drawn, and began to study it carefully.

“This kid hasn’t been wasting his time. The direct road between Jinggu Valley and the Hive is almost complete and should be finished by the seventh month. According to this map, if we continue building the Xia Direct Road to connect Hanqiong, Wushuang, and the Hive, the entire southeastern corner of Longyou will fall under Great Xia’s control.

“Moreover, once we’ve fully mastered this map, it will be impossible for Longshan and Zhaoyang to ever take these three outposts back from Great Xia!

“And most importantly, the strategic value of this Wushuang outpost…”

Wushuang was located in the very center of Longyou. Xia Hong had recognized its importance early on, which was why he had rushed back here as soon as he learned that Xia Chuan had captured it, and had even dispatched men to garrison it specifically.

“This tournament will probably only offer some surprises in the Earthforger realm division. The Lumberjack realm division is basically not worth watching. We’ll have to wait until Xia Chuan implements his improvements; perhaps next year will be more interesting. The real question is how many of the Earthforger realm members can achieve a breakthrough after this competition. The most important matter right now is still establishing the army!”

Xia Hong sighed softly. Based on the standards for forming the Longyou Army and the Blood Guard Army, Great Xia’s current number of Earthforger realm warriors who could exceed the thirty-thousand-catty limit was definitely not enough.

He could only hope that after this tournament, a sufficient number of them would break through.

“Releasing a large batch of resources was also meant to accelerate their breakthroughs. But even if these Lumberjack realm kids break through, they’ll likely be of little use in the short term. We can only place our hopes on the existing Earthforger realm warriors!”

Xia Hong put away the map and stood up.

“There’s no need to inspect Hanqiong or the Hive. I’ll go to Wuyuan. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Xu Ning. The northern mountain region should have been expanded with many new areas by now!”

Chapter 272: An Unexpected Surprise, the Rapidly Growing Xu Ning

To get from Wushuang to Wuyuan, one had to pass through Jinggu Valley and Xiacheng.

Upon arriving at these two locations, Xia Hong stopped for a brief, incognito moment to roughly observe the selection process for the Lumberjack realm groups. In the end, he shook his head in disappointment and left.

It was much like what he had seen in Wushuang. Most of these Lumberjack realm groups hadn’t even decided on a leader. Or if they had, disagreements still plagued the team right before they were meant to enter the field. Xia Hong could tell without even watching that they had no chance of advancing.

Xiacheng was already on its seventh round of assessments, yet only two groups had managed to advance.

This result left Xia Hong with no desire to continue watching.

“Wuyuan will probably be much the same, but I should still take a look!”

Leaving Xiacheng, Xia Hong traveled swiftly through the snowy night. In just over ten minutes, he arrived at Five Ape Mountain, the current site of Great Xia’s Wuyuan outpost.

The Wuyuan outpost was located on Zhongyuan Peak, rebuilt upon the foundation of the original Three Tigers Camp. Besides being thoroughly cleared out on the inside, a thirty-meter-wide, hundred-meter-long enclosed wooden shed had been constructed along the cliff face outside.

From a distance, Xia Hong could already see three iron cages outside the wooden shed.

Inside each cage, a squad of one hundred men was hunting a Frost Beast. Surrounding them were more than twenty other hundred-man groups, clearly all participating Lumberjack realm warriors. At the very front of the groups, Xu Ning stood with a powerful bow in hand, his eyes fixed on the three cages, likely standing guard against any rampaging Frost Beasts or other accidents during the assessment.

“Hmm…?”

As Xia Hong observed the situation inside the three cages from afar, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He then found a spot with a relatively clear view and continued to watch for a while, his expression growing more and more satisfied.

Unlike in Xiacheng and the other four outposts, the three squads currently being assessed here in Wuyuan not only each had a leader issuing commands, but the remaining members, whether gathered or dispersed, clearly maintained distinct formations.

This point alone made them far superior to their counterparts in Xiacheng and the other outposts.

“Could Xu Ning be cheating? Did he tell them the assessment content ahead of time?”

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed. The assessment for the Lumberjack realm groups had three objectives: courage, morale, and teamwork and coordination.

Electing a leader, resolving issues with team morale and internal conflicts, and finally finding a way to unite the team and build cohesion—these were all part of the assessment itself. If Xu Ning had told these people in advance, then this Martial Arts Tournament would be meaningless.

It was no different from cheating!

“No, Xu Ning doesn’t seem like the type to resort to deception. I’ll listen in first.”

Xia Hong moved a little closer, positioning himself near the Lumberjack realm warriors who had yet to be assessed, specifically to overhear what they were discussing.

“Hahaha, it’s all thanks to the Lord Guardian! During our downtime from picking fruit and logging, he organized us to go out with the Hunting teams. And what do you know, the tournament is testing us on hunting Frost Beasts.”

“And they’re heavily injured Frost Beasts at that. With a hundred Lumberjack realm warriors working together, as long as the leader keeps a clear head, it’s definitely not a big problem.”

“The key is, those who went out with the Hunting teams are all at the peak of the Lumberjack realm. This time, they were all split up among the different squads. There are thirty-one squads, and each one has fifteen of them. As long as the rest of the team isn’t stupid, advancing is no problem at all!”

“I didn’t understand why the Lord Guardian did it before. When Lumberjack realm warriors go out with a Hunting team, they can’t do much besides odd jobs. Now I know he was planning ahead, hahaha.”

“They’re not doing anything like this over in Xiacheng. I bet the Lumberjack realm warriors there are all dumbfounded right now. Very few of them will advance this time.”

“Hahaha, the Lord Guardian is so farsighted.”

…

After listening for a while, Xia Hong’s furrowed brow immediately relaxed. He looked at Xu Ning, who was standing at the forefront before the cages, his eyes full of approval.

To have put in the work beforehand and have it coincidentally pay off could, at most, be called good luck. It certainly couldn’t be considered cheating.

“Good fortune only favors those who are prepared!”

Ever since the settlement’s expansion had shifted toward Longyou, Xia Hong hadn’t really paid much attention to the situation in Wuyuan. Xu Ning had remained there, deeply cultivating his base, and rarely showed his face in Xiacheng.

To think of having the Lumberjack realm warriors go out with the Hunting teams in advance to train and enhance their hunting experience proved that Xu Ning’s growth during his year-plus tenure as Wuyuan’s Guardian had far exceeded his own imagination.

Xia Hong’s brow twitched. He broke off a thumb-length icicle with his hand and lightly flicked it toward the treetop.

Rustle…

The commotion from the Martial Arts Tournament at the outpost was loud, making the sound of the cluster of snow falling from the treetop almost inaudible. Yet, Xia Hong noticed at once that Xu Ning, who had been at the front of the cages, had vanished.

“Who’s there, skulking around!”

Xu Ning’s low shout reached Xia Hong’s ears at the same time as his descending saber.

Whoosh…

The more than three-meter-long saber sliced through the air. Its tyrannical force stirred the surrounding air into a fierce gale, shearing off all the icicles on the trees as it chopped down violently toward Xia Hong’s head.

“Leader!”

The very last moment before the blade struck, Xu Ning recognized the man as Xia Hong and tried to retract his saber.

But a colossal weapon like his saber was difficult to pull back once swung, especially since Xu Ning had only recently broken through to the Frostwarden realm and his control over his own strength was clearly lacking.

So, the massive blade continued its descent.

Seeing that he couldn’t stop the saber and that Xia Hong hadn’t even drawn his own weapon, Xu Ning’s face was filled not just with regret, but with fear.

He was terrified that he would actually injure Xia Hong.

Clang…

But in the next second, Xu Ning was utterly dumbfounded!

He didn’t even see how Xia Hong moved. He only felt a tremendous force surge up from his arm, and in the next moment, he found his saber had been met by a slender, narrow blade.

And it wasn’t just blocked. He felt as if all the force he had just put into the strike had been reflected back at him. The web between his thumb and forefinger split open, a tremor shot through his chest, and he nearly stumbled backward.

Shhh…

Xia Hong smoothly guided his slender blade downward, deflecting more than half of the saber’s force. Then, just as the saber was about to strike a large tree branch, he gave a sharp lift, stopping Xu Ning’s blade less than an inch from the limb.

“A little over Three Mane. That’s about the same as Yuan Cheng and Luo Yuan. Very good!”

“Xu Ning pays his respects to the Leader!”

Xu Ning gripped his saber, taking a full three or four breaths to compose himself. He first bowed respectfully to Xia Hong, then suppressed the shock in his heart and gave a wry, silent laugh.

I was being foolish. With my level of strength, how could I possibly have hurt the Leader?

Two months ago, when he had just broken through to the Frostwarden realm, Xu Ning believed that while there was certainly still a gap between him and Xia Hong, it shouldn’t be too large. He had thought that if they were to truly fight, holding his own for a short while wouldn’t be a problem.

Thinking of it now, Xu Ning felt his face burn.

Based on that brief exchange just now, if Xia Hong hadn’t smoothly guided the blade downward to dissipate the saber’s rebounding force, he would have been sent flying, weapon and all. In the end, his saber would have inevitably shattered, and even if he wasn’t killed, he would have been severely injured.

His base strength was clearly over Three Mane, yet the moment his saber clashed with Xia Hong’s slender blade, he had the illusion that it was like when he was only at the Lumberjack realm, trying to plow the earth or dig ore with a goat-horn pick. Not only was it ineffective, but he couldn’t even withstand the force that rebounded back.

“The Leader’s base strength is at least seven or eight times mine!”

If he knew what Xu Ning was thinking at that moment, Xia Hong would have surely shaken his head helplessly.

He hadn’t been lying just now. Xu Ning’s strength of over Three Mane was definitely considered quite good in Great Xia at present.

Besides himself, among the current Frostwarden realm warriors in the settlement, Peng Bo likely had the highest base strength at Eight Mane, followed by Chen Yingyuan at Seven Mane. Then came Wu Tianxing and Chen Yingba, both at Six Mane.

Below them were Xia Chuan with a little over Six Mane; Yuwen Tao with a little over Five Mane; Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, and Xu Ning right here, all with a little over Three Mane. The rest, like Zhao Long and others, were basically somewhere between one and three Mane.

Of course, strength alone wasn’t everything. With the existence of the four grades of battle physique aptitude, potential was the most important factor after breaking through to the Frostwarden realm.

Peng Bo, Chen Yingyuan, and the other two were all in the late stage of the Frostwarden realm.

When breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, a base strength of over two Mane resulted in a superior combat physique; over 1.6 Mane was a medium combat physique; and over 1.2 Mane was inferior.

In other words, when they had first broken through, their base strengths were mostly between one and two Mane. After observation, Xia Hong had determined that aside from Peng Bo, who had a superior combat physique, Chen Yingyuan was medium, while Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing were merely inferior. Among the current crop of Frostwarden realm warriors in Great Xia, the potential of these four was not considered high.

Xu Ning, on the other hand, had over Three Mane as soon as he broke through—a superlative combat physique, no doubt. In the future, as long as he progressed steadily through the middle and late stages, his base strength would soon surpass that of Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan.

“Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao could be considered the first tier. Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, and Xu Ning are the second tier, while the rest can only be considered the third tier. Great Xia currently has quite a few with good battle physique aptitude, and that’s not even counting the bonus from sacred sigils. In the future, Great Xia will definitely be much stronger than other settlements in terms of Frostwarden realm warriors!”

Xia Hong’s mood, which had been soured by the Lumberjack realm group tournament, improved considerably after seeing the selection process in Wuyuan and Xu Ning before him.

“It’s a good thing you knew to train these Lumberjack realm warriors in advance. Wuyuan should shine brilliantly in this tournament. How many groups have advanced so far?”

Hearing Xia Hong’s praise, a smile spread across Xu Ning’s face. He replied, “Wuyuan doesn’t have many Lumberjack realm warriors, so we only formed thirty-one squads. We’ve gone through seven rounds of selections so far, and eleven squads have already advanced. I’ve taken a look, and I estimate that about fifteen squads will advance in the end.”

If these numbers got back to Xiacheng, Qiu Peng’s jaw would probably drop.

Thinking of this, Xu Ning looked quite pleased with himself.

“The selection situations in Xiacheng and the other four outposts are truly terrible this time. When you have a moment, go back and explain to Qiu Peng in detail how you train your Lumberjack realm warriors. If it’s feasible, we’ll promote it directly from now on.”

Xu Ning nodded immediately, though he was also a little curious about just how bad the situation was in Xiacheng and the other four outposts.

“It’s been almost half a year since those four camps north of the mountain were incorporated. How is the situation in that whole territory north of Wuyuan now?”

After giving his instructions, Xia Hong didn’t forget the purpose of his inspection tour and began to ask about the situation in the north.

At this, Xu Ning’s expression immediately became excited. He took out a map made of animal hide from his robes, unfolded it, and handed it to Xia Hong.

“We have basically explored the original territories of the four northern camps. We found a total of two iron mines and four coal mines. There are also quite a few rare fruit-bearing and medicinal plants. As per the Artisan Department’s special instructions, any that can be transplanted have already been sent to Xiacheng. For the others that are difficult to move, we send people to patrol regularly and harvest them as soon as they mature. Leader, please look here!”

After reporting on the situation in the northern territories, Xu Ning pointed to a location even further north on the map and reported, “North of the territories of those four camps is a sheer cliff. I’ve already brought back the people from three small settlements near there. Any further north, and we’d have to climb Double Dragon Mountain!”

Xia Hong looked at the map and nodded after a moment of thought.

Five Ape Mountain was situated on the north bank of the Xing River. Like the river, it ran from east to west, stretching fifteen kilometers long and five kilometers wide from north to south.

The earliest eleven camps, including Xiao Kangcheng’s, had really only ever been active on the southern slope of Five Ape Mountain. After Great Xia took over, they began to explore to the north of the mountain.

Xiao Kangcheng’s group had been incorporated in April of last year. Xu Ning had led people to explore northward for a full eight months before finding the four camps on the northern side. Later, before this year’s Frigid Origin Festival, he had brought those four groups into Great Xia.

Now, four months later, the exploration of the entire northern region was complete, reaching the southern rock face of Double Dragon Mountain. Further north, there was indeed nowhere left to explore.

Climbing Double Dragon Mountain was clearly Xu Ning’s jesting remark.

The rock walls of Double Dragon Mountain were often two or three thousand meters high, and they were either covered in perennial solid ice or shrouded in a misty area of cold energy. Even Xia Hong himself wouldn’t dare to climb them casually, let alone anyone else.

“What, you want to continue exploring eastward?”

Xia Hong turned his head and noticed Xu Ning’s gaze was fixed on the eastern side of Five Ape Mountain on the map. He immediately teased him with a smile.

Xu Ning nodded seriously and said, “To be honest with you, Leader, after I discovered there wasn’t much value in exploring further north, I’ve been thinking about this. Didn’t you say before that Xinggu Pass is likely the only passage connecting us to the outside world? Such a strategically vital route—the sooner we open it up and get a firm grasp on it, the better, to prevent any future complications!”

“Xinggu Pass.”

Looking at the name he himself had given on the map, Xia Hong turned to gaze at the dense forest that rose steadily from west to east, a spark of ambition igniting in his eyes.

But he quickly calmed himself down and said in a deep voice, “Our strength is not yet that great. At the very least, there is still a definite gap between us and the Nine Towns of Mo’ao Mountain that Yang and Li mentioned. Since that’s the case, there’s no need to rush to open a connection between the valley floor and the outside world.

“Right now, the most important thing is to take Longyou. We already occupy two of the three most important resource lands in the valley. Only Longshan remains. As long as we get a firm hold on Longshan, the entire world of the Pingxi Plain valley floor will inevitably fall into the hands of Great Xia. That will be the best time for us to turn our gaze to the outside world!”

Xu Ning was slightly shaken by these words. Although he hadn’t been to Longyou recently, he had been paying close attention to the situation there, so he immediately understood the meaning behind Xia Hong’s words.

Take Longyou, control Longshan, occupy the three most important resource lands in the valley world, and finally, unify the Pingxi Plain—it would be a matter of course.

Unify the Pingxi Plain!

Xu Ning silently repeated these four words in his mind, his expression gradually growing excited.

“Just proceed step by step. You continue to preside over the Lumberjack realm preliminaries. They should be ending soon. When you’re done here, you can accompany me to the Xing River. I came here this time because I want to take a look at the Xing River!”

Hearing that Xia Hong wanted to go to the Xing River, Xu Ning subconsciously wanted to dissuade him. But remembering their clash just moments ago, he held his tongue, nodded, and turned to go back to supervising the preliminaries.

Chapter 273: The Terrifying Red Carp and the Precious Plant

“A bit stronger than expected. A total of sixteen teams advanced.”

In the snowy forest on the southern slope of Five Ape Mountain, Xu Ning, who had just finished presiding over the preliminary selection, grabbed only a saber and hurried to find Xia Hong.

Wuyuan’s preliminaries were held concurrently with Xiacheng’s, also starting at nightfall. The thirty-one teams had taken a total of over eight hours, which was already considered quite fast.

It was now the middle of the night, the coldest time.

“Sixteen teams advancing, meaning one thousand six hundred people made it to the second round. That’s not bad at all!”

Xu Ning smiled and nodded. “The second round will use the Earthforger realm’s tournament format. Each person fights ten matches, and the top one hundred twenty-eight will be selected for the finals. I took a look, and there are more than twenty promising prospects who should be able to make it.”

As Xia Hong led the way south toward the Xing River, he said, “There will definitely be more than that. The signs were already there in the first round. The Lumberjack realm cultivators from Xiacheng and the other four outposts are worlds apart from yours. I estimate that out of the top one hundred twenty-eight in the Lumberjack realm division, Wuyuan will account for at least seventy percent.”

Seventy percent or more—that was over eighty people!

A look of shock flashed across Xu Ning’s face; he was clearly skeptical.

Xia Hong didn’t explain further, simply shifting his gaze toward the Xing River and changing the subject. “You’ve been stationed here for a year. Have there been any unusual occurrences around the Xing River?”

At the mention of the Xing River, Xu Ning’s expression immediately grew serious. He shook his head.

“Apart from the cold snaps, nothing unusual has happened. I tried to get closer before, but whenever I came within a hundred meters, a strong sense of fear would well up inside me. Just as you said, Leader, there must be some terrifying creature living in there. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have felt that way for no reason!”

Xia Hong nodded. When Xu Ning had first come to Wuyuan, he had warned him in advance not to approach the Xing River carelessly.

He himself had been the first to discover it.

On the seventh day of the third month last year, he had not yet broken through to the Frostwarden realm. To gather enough Beast Blood for his breakthrough, he had hunted in Redwood Ridge for a long time.

On his way out, to make it easier for the camp’s subsequent teams to survey Five Ape Mountain, he had scouted ahead. It was then that he had approached the Xing River for the first time.

At that time, his heart had begun to pound violently when he came within a hundred meters, leading him to deduce that a terrifying creature must live within the river.

“My strength now is a world of difference from what it was then. I’d like to see if I still get that feeling!”

Xia Hong led Xu Ning south for a long while longer. Soon, they could see the cold mist over the river and the crystal-clear green aquatic plants along its banks from a distance.

Unlike the first time, Xia Hong’s expression was much more excited upon seeing those crystalline green plants, and his pace quickened.

From his first visit, Xia Hong knew those plants were special.

To survive in a frigid environment like the Ice Abyss, and to grow in a place like the Xing River that inspired an inexplicable dread, they couldn’t possibly be ordinary green aquatic plants.

The problem was that his strength had been too weak back then. Just getting a little closer to the riverbank made his heart palpitate, so he had been forced to give up on harvesting them.

This time was different. Even if he didn’t venture out onto the river’s surface, he had to at least gather a few of these plants and take them back to the Alchemy Workshop for identification to see if they were valuable.

Xia Hong led Xu Ning onward, and they soon reached a spot just over a hundred meters from the river. It was then that Xu Ning’s steps suddenly faltered.

“What’s wrong? You still feel that heart-pounding sensation?”

Hearing Xia Hong’s question, Xu Ning nodded with a grave expression, his eyes full of vigilance as he stared at the dense cold mist over the river.

“Alright, you wait here. I’ll go have a look!”

Xia Hong had experienced that feeling of dread himself, so he didn’t force Xu Ning to accompany him. He ordered him to stay put and slowly walked forward alone.

“The stronger I am, the less of a threat the creature in the river poses to me. That’s why the palpitations should gradually disappear. That must be it!”

Xia Hong took a shallow breath and walked straight to the river’s edge. He didn’t immediately try to pick the plants on the bank but instead carefully observed the river’s surface.

It was much as he had guessed. The river was indeed covered in a thick layer of solid ice. The ice surface had likely turned white with age, completely obscuring what lay beneath.

Gurgle…

However, upon listening closely, Xia Hong’s expression immediately changed.

There was running water below.

And it was flowing west!

“There are no signs of the ice being broken. Even if there are creatures underwater, it proves they’ve never come ashore. If that’s the case, then why don’t Frost Beasts dare to approach this place? And what is the source of that feeling of dread?”

Xia Hong looked toward the middle of the river, his brow slightly furrowed.

The mist was thicker in the center of the river, almost completely obscuring his vision. He couldn’t see a thing.

“Maybe I should go to the middle of the river and take a look!”

The thought rose in Xia Hong’s mind, and he immediately lifted his right foot. But just as he was about to step onto the ice…

Gurgle… Splash…

A massive rush of water suddenly sounded from beneath the ice.

That feeling of dread surged in his heart once more. Xia Hong’s expression changed drastically. He whipped out the Dragon Sparrow Saber from his waist and, without a second thought, slashed at the plants on the bank, snatching a handful before rapidly retreating.

But he was still too slow.

Crack…

BANG!

The solid ice shattered in an instant, followed by a heaven-shaking roar.

The two sounds were only an instant apart!

The originally silent river surface suddenly erupted with a terrifying, massive wave dozens of meters high, crashing toward Xia Hong like a mountain.

BOOM…

As the immense wave rushed toward his back, Xia Hong didn’t even have a chance to turn around. Glimpsing the crimson beast’s shadow beneath the curtain of water, his heart contracted violently. He fled north in a frenzy.

“Run! Run now!”

Seeing that Xu Ning hadn’t fled immediately but was instead drawing his bow, attempting to shoot the crimson shadow behind the wall of water, Xia Hong roared at him to stop.

Xu Ning gritted his teeth and put away his longbow. He didn’t flee right away either, waiting until Xia Hong was less than ten meters away before retreating with him.

CRASH!

Before the giant wave struck his back, Xia Hong had already held his breath and mobilized his Hide for defense. But when he truly collided with that force, a trace of fear still appeared on his face.

Pfft…

Xia Hong’s body shot through the air like a cannonball, sent flying several hundred meters.

Just before being blasted away, Xia Hong gritted his teeth and managed to pull Xu Ning along with him.

He had no doubt that if Xu Ning had been hit by a wave of that force, his body would have simply exploded.

CRASH…

Xia Hong didn’t know how many large trees he had smashed through. He only knew his body flew forward for at least five hundred meters, a distance of over half a kilometer, before he finally came to a stop with half of his body embedded in the ground.

Splat!

It wasn’t over. He couldn’t suppress the injuries on his back and violently spat out a mouthful of blood. He looked up at the crimson silhouette in the direction of the riverbank, his eyes filled with horror.

“Leader, you…”

“No time to talk, keep running!”

The giant wave kicked up by that crimson shadow was still rolling toward them.

Xia Hong cut Xu Ning off. Enduring the immense pain, he quickly fled north.

Xu Ning stopped talking. He didn’t even dare to look back, simply following close behind Xia Hong as they raced away.

“Screee…scree…scree…”

A series of rapid, sharp cries, like a bird’s call, came from behind them. Xia Hong, who had just consumed a Blood Sore Pill, had a look of shock and terror on his face. He didn’t dare to slow down in the slightest, continuing to flee north with Xu Ning.

“Leader, those calls… it sounds like…”

“It’s a warning. It’s warning us not to approach the river!”

Xia Hong’s voice was filled with horror, mixed with a thick sense of fear.

A hundred Manes… a thousand Manes?

No, Xia Hong couldn’t even quantify the force of the wave that had struck him. It was like a power from another dimension, utterly despairing.

The crucial thing was that this wasn’t even an attack from the creature’s physical body—it was merely the force of the wave it had created by breaking through the ice.

Xia Hong led Xu Ning for a full three or four kilometers, not stopping until they reached the foot of Five Ape Mountain.

After stopping, he immediately turned to Xu Ning and asked, “What was that crimson shadow? Did you get a clear look?”

The instant the giant wave had risen, Xia Hong had only caught a glimpse of a crimson shadow before turning to flee. The entire time after, his back had been to the ferocious beast, so he hadn’t seen it clearly. Xu Ning, however, had been facing the riverbank and should have gotten a better look.

Xu Ning, his face still pale with lingering fear, took more than ten seconds to compose himself before answering.

“The curtain of water was too big. I didn’t get a complete view either. I only saw it had a pair of glowing cyan eyes, no limbs, and its main body seemed to be oval-shaped. It was covered head to tail in red scales, and the part exposed above the water was over a hundred meters long.”

As he spoke, he drew a rough sketch of the beast’s shape in the snow.

When Xia Hong saw what he had drawn, his expression froze.

Others might not recognize what Xu Ning had drawn.

But he recognized it at a glance.

It was a Red Carp!

Of course, considering the creature’s size, power, and the strange cries it made, it certainly had no relation to the red carps of his previous life.

“No wonder the Frost Beasts don’t dare approach the water. That thing broke through the ice and raised a giant wave in a single instant. Even a high-level Frost Beast, from where I was standing, would probably have been swallowed in one gulp!”

Besides, who knew if that ferocious beast could come ashore?

Just like how all Frost Beasts could climb trees, one couldn’t judge the Ice Abyss’s underwater creatures by common sense. That was why Xia Hong had led Xu Ning so far away.

“Just a random underwater beast is this powerful. The dangers of the world beneath the water are probably even more terrifying than those on land.”

Hearing Xu Ning’s sigh, Xia Hong nodded slightly. At the same time, a fiery glint appeared in his eyes as he looked toward the Xing River.

The greater the danger, the greater the reward. This was an eternal truth!

That Red Carp was so powerful, a fact that was undoubtedly linked to the rich resources beneath the Xing River. Moreover, its final warning clearly had the tone of someone defending their territory. That Red Carp most likely considered that area of the river, and the bank, its domain.

“It won’t even let me pick them. These plants must be truly extraordinary!”

Xia Hong took out a total of five crystalline green plants from his hand. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he smelled their fragrance, his eyes filled with anticipation.

The five plants were all identical, clearly of the same species.

It couldn’t be helped. The situation had been critical, and that last grab had been in a single spot, so it was inevitable that he only managed to get one type.

“It’s a pity I didn’t see any White Frost Grass. It’ll probably be a long time before I can get close to this area again. It seems I’ll still have to find a way in Longyou!”

Although this trip to the Xing River was mainly for reconnaissance, Xia Hong had another objective: to find White Frost Grass.

White Frost Grass usually grew near water sources and was one of the eleven medicinal ingredients for refining Yang Core Pills. It was also used in several other pills. The supply he had previously obtained through trade from Longshan and Zhaoyang was already depleted. If he could find it here by the Xing River, Great Xia would have a stable source.

Unfortunately, the Red Carp had ruined his plans.

Xia Hong took a deep breath and instructed Xu Ning, “That ferocious beast most likely stays near the northern bank. From now on, without my order, don’t let anyone approach the Xing River.”

“Yes, Leader!”

If Xia Hong hadn’t pulled him away, he would have lost his life tonight. Even without Xia Hong’s command, Xu Ning would never let anyone near the Xing River again.

“It seems you don’t have many Earthforger realm cultivators here. Those advancing Lumberjack realm cultivators—are you planning to send them to Xiacheng tonight or tomorrow night?”

During the war in Longyou in the fourth month, most of Wuyuan’s Earthforger realm cultivators, including the members of Xu Ning’s Black Arrow Squad, had been transferred away, so there really weren’t many left.

Having few Earthforger realm cultivators meant that Wuyuan couldn’t host the Martial Arts Tournament selection for that division.

“I only have seventy-some Earthforger realm cultivators here. They happen to need to return to Xiacheng for the selection. As soon as the Lumberjack realm selection ended in the first half of the night, I had these seventy-plus people escort the one thousand six hundred Lumberjack realm cultivators back along the Xia Direct Road. They’ve probably just departed.”

After the first round, the advancing Lumberjack realm cultivators had to go to Xiacheng for the second round of selection.

A total of one thousand six hundred people from Wuyuan had advanced. With so many people, all at the Lumberjack realm, traveling from Wuyuan to Xiacheng, they would certainly need an escort, even on the Xia Direct Road.

“Perfect. I’m heading back to Xiacheng myself. I’ll escort them for a bit.”

Xu Ning immediately bowed and nodded. Then, remembering something, he saw that Xia Hong was already turning to leave and quickly asked, “Leader, when will the Martial Arts Tournament for the Frostwarden realm division begin?”

He coveted the rich rewards of the Frostwarden realm tournament as well and had been eagerly preparing for it, racing against time. With Xia Hong right in front of him, he naturally couldn’t help but ask.

“It will start after the Earthforger and Lumberjack realm tournaments are over, probably on the fifth. Don’t worry, I’ll have someone notify you.”

“Alright, Leader. I’ll be heading back now!”

Having received his answer, Xu Ning nodded and bowed before heading toward Wuyuan.

Xia Hong didn’t linger either. Carrying the five plants, he sped through the snowy night, found the direct road between Wuyuan and Xiacheng, and soon spotted the group that had set out from Wuyuan. He then trailed alongside the group to ensure their safety.

When Xiacheng appeared in his line of sight, Xia Hong left the group, hurried ahead to the main building, and immediately sent for Cheng Feng.

“Cheng Feng, take these five herbs to the Alchemy Workshop and have them identified.”

“Yes, Leader!”

Cheng Feng took the five plants and immediately ran off toward the Alchemy Workshop.

Chapter 274: Elimination, the Breakthrough Tide, and the Green Hibiscus Grass

“Arena Three, Meng Ning’s tenth match, begin now!”

“Arena Forty-one, Chen Hua’s eighth match, begin.”

“Arena Seventeen, Zhu Xing’s ninth match, begin.”

“Arena Fifty, Tong Xingsheng’s tenth match, begin.”

………………

The main thoroughfare of the Inner City was buzzing with a cacophony of voices.

As the referees’ calls echoed one after another, the fifty arenas cordoned off by wooden posts became a whirlwind of flashing blades and flying shadows. In matches with a great disparity in skill, a victor was decided in just over ten breaths. In more evenly matched bouts, the fighters were locked in a fierce struggle, unable to determine a winner even after a hundred breaths.

“Go, Dad!”

“Go, Daddy, go, Daddy!”

Beside Arena Twenty-one, the siblings Xiang Yan and Xiang Rong were shouting themselves red in the face, cheering on their father, Xiang Ping, who was fighting in the ring. They paid no mind to the teasing glances from the people around them.

“Which match is Father on now?”

Suddenly, two hands clapped onto the siblings’ shoulders. They turned around at the same time, and their faces immediately broke into smiles.

“Brother, is the selection for the Lumberjack realm group over?”

“Big Brother, did you qualify?”

Xiang Liang didn’t answer verbally, simply nodding with a grin.

“Brother, I just heard that only seven teams qualified. You’re so strong!”

“Big Brother is the best.”

Seeing the smile on their older brother’s face, the siblings knew instantly that he must have qualified. They cheered with delight, and eight-year-old Xiang Rong couldn’t help but throw herself into her brother’s arms.

Xiang Yan and Xiang Rong had always looked up to their big brother, Xiang Liang. Their admiration had grown even deeper after he risked his life to escape the camp and offer a treasure to Great Xia, sparing their family from corvée labor.

However, neither of them noticed the clear trace of disappointment on Xiang Liang’s face.

But Xiang Liang didn’t say much. Watching Xiang Ping locked in combat with his opponent on the stage, he asked again, “Which match is Father on now?”

Xiang Yan replied at once with a hint of pride, “Father has already won four matches in a row. This is his fifth.”

Only the fifth match…

Xiang Ping sighed softly as he looked at his father on the stage, who was gradually showing signs of defeat.

Father probably won’t be able to qualify.

Although the preliminary round for the Lumberjack realm was difficult, it was ultimately a team-based selection. As long as you were lucky enough, there was always a chance to advance. He himself was a prime example.

The Earthforger realm was different.

Though they were said to have ten chances to fight, in reality, a single loss meant immediate elimination, with no opportunity for subsequent matches. Moreover, even winning ten consecutive matches didn’t guarantee advancement; one still had to compete against others with ten wins based on the total time taken for victory.

Xiang Liang had just walked over from the Outer City, passing many arenas along the way, and had already heard a lot of news. In the Earthforger realm group, more than 128 people had already won ten consecutive matches, so comparing victory times was inevitable. His father, Xiang Ping, was only on his fifth match and was already beginning to lose. Advancement was naturally a hopeless dream.

Clang…

“I yield!”

Things unfolded just as Xiang Liang had expected. On the stage, as Xiang Ping’s broadsword was sent flying by his opponent, he chose to surrender immediately.

“Xiang Ping, fifth match, defeated, eliminated!”

“Zhou Yingkai, seventh match, victorious. Time taken: 126 breaths. Prepare for the eighth match.”

As the Logistics Department referee at the side of the arena announced the result, Xiang Ping showed no anger at his loss. Instead, he cupped his fist towards his opponent and smiled. “Congratulations on your mid-battle breakthrough, Brother Zhou. You might just advance to the next round!”

Xiang Ping considered his combat talent to be quite good; his weakness was his base strength. Before joining Great Xia at the beginning of the year, his strength was close to fifteen thousand. In the past six months, thanks to Great Xia’s abundant supply of beast meat, his base strength had surged to nineteen thousand.

With a base strength of nineteen thousand, making it to the fifth match was already a rare achievement.

The tournament selection for the Earthforger realm group was supposedly a completely random matching of opponents, but any careful observer would notice that one’s opponents grew stronger with each subsequent match. Therefore, to win ten matches in a row without breaking the thirty-thousand-catty limit was basically impossible.

His opponent in this round, Zhou Yingkai, already had a base strength of over twenty-nine thousand. Relying on his rich combat experience, Xiang Ping had managed to hold his ground for dozens of breaths. To his surprise, Zhou Yingkai actually broke through mid-battle. Once he surpassed the thirty-thousand-catty limit and his hide changed, Xiang Ping immediately realized he couldn’t possibly win and simply chose to yield.

His opponent had broken through the thirty-thousand-catty limit and now had a shot at the top 128. If he continued to entangle him, he would only be adding to his opponent’s total time. It was better to do him a favor; perhaps the man would remember the gesture.

Zhou Yingkai clearly understood Xiang Ping’s intentions and shook his head with a wry smile. “It seems Brother Xiang hasn’t been paying much attention to the Earthforger group’s situation. To get into the top 128 now, you need a base strength of at least forty thousand catties. I definitely don’t have a chance.”

Forty thousand catties? How is that possible!

Xiang Ping froze, his face a mask of disbelief.

But the Earthforger realm cultivator from the Logistics Department presiding over Arena 21 nodded with a smile. “That’s right. Among the top 128 ranked so far, the one with the lowest base strength is over thirty-eight thousand catties. And there’s still a large number of people who haven’t competed. That benchmark will definitely rise to forty thousand catties in the end.”

The lowest base strength in the current top 128 is thirty-eight thousand!

Xiang Ping’s expression stiffened instantly, his pupils filled with disbelief.

And there were even more things to disbelieve.

Seeing Xiang Ping’s expression, Zhou Yingkai knew he hadn’t been watching the other arenas. He sighed softly. “Brother Xiang, you probably don’t know yet. When the Earthforger group selection began in the first half of the night, four people—Ying Xuan, Ying Yi, Zou Yuankai, and Tong Xinglong—broke through to the Frostwarden realm in their very first match and announced their direct advancement. I heard several others broke through later as well. As for people like me who broke through the thirty-thousand-catty limit, there are probably close to two hundred of us. I never had any hope of advancing in the first place!”

…………

Even after stepping down from the arena, Xiang Ping’s head was still spinning.

Since coming to Great Xia at the beginning of the year and joining a hunting team, he had lost his direct perception of the camp’s overall situation. He only knew that Great Xia was very strong, but he had never imagined it would be this strong.

According to what Zhou Yingkai had just said, quite a few people had broken through to the Frostwarden realm, and breaking the thirty-thousand-catty limit was nothing special. Did that mean someone like him, whose base strength hadn’t even reached twenty thousand, didn’t even count as mid-tier among the camp’s Earthforger realm cultivators?

“Great Xia… just how many Earthforgers are there?”

Xiang Ping’s mumbling was overheard by Xiang Liang, who had come up to meet him.

He had also heard the conversation on the stage and understood his father’s confusion. After a moment of thought, he said, “Before the tournament, there were probably around four thousand six hundred. But I estimate that by the time this tournament is over, that number might double, or possibly even more!”

Double would be over nine thousand, almost ten thousand.

How is that possible!

Xiang Ping was stunned. He turned to find his three children standing beside him.

Remembering that his eldest son, Xiang Liang, helped out at the Logistics Department and was surely well-informed about the camp’s population, he pressed on, “How can there be so many?”

Xiang Liang shook his head helplessly. “Our camp already had nearly twenty thousand Lumberjack realm cultivators. Adding the twelve thousand from Longyou, the total exceeded thirty thousand. Ever since the tournament was announced last month, everyone has been suppressing their cultivation, holding off on breakthroughs. As soon as the tournament started tonight, people have been breaking through continuously. It’s actually not so bad here in the Earthforger group. The breakthrough situation in the Lumberjack realm groups was simply…”

Insane!

That was the only word Xiang Liang could use to describe it. Because his group was scheduled much later, he had watched the entire Lumberjack realm selection process.

Starting from the fourth round, when Zhao Yuankong’s team advanced, in the fifth round of assessments, one team had all three members break through to the Earthforger realm simultaneously inside the iron cage.

The breakthrough itself wasn’t the main point. The key was that Qiu Peng didn’t halt the assessment, instead allowing that team to successfully hunt the Frost Beast and pass. With that, everyone knew that breaking through to the Earthforger realm during the assessment was not a violation of the rules.

Realizing this, the remaining teams all went crazy.

As soon as they entered the iron cage, anyone who could break through began to do so mid-battle. After all, breaking through would lower the difficulty of hunting the Frost Beast and greatly increase their chances of advancing.

Moreover, the pre-tournament grouping rules had assigned a dozen peak Lumberjack realm cultivators to each team. As a result, people breaking through to the Earthforger realm began popping up one after another like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

“There were eighteen rounds of selection in total. From the fifth round onward, almost every team that entered the iron cage had five to seven members break through to the Earthforger realm. By my count, I saw at least seven or eight hundred people break through. And that’s just in Xiacheng. Including those who broke through in Jing Valley, Wuyuan, and the three Longyou outposts, the number must be over a thousand.

“And this is only the first day of the tournament. Since breaking through to the Earthforger realm doesn’t affect participation in subsequent events, the number of people breaking through in the next few days will definitely keep increasing…”

After listening to his son, the shock on Xiang Ping’s face gradually faded, replaced by numbness, and finally, a hint of loneliness crept into his eyes.

Before being absorbed into Great Xia, Riverfront was a mid-sized camp, and as its leader, Xiang Ping naturally had a certain amount of pride.

After being incorporated into Great Xia at the beginning of the year, he didn’t sink into despair. Instead, he quickly chose to join a hunting team, earning contribution points through hunting to exchange for resources and cultivate diligently, hoping to gradually improve his status as he grew stronger.

If possible, he also wanted to create his own hunting team and gradually climb into the upper echelons of Great Xia.

But now, it seemed that idea was a bit naive!

The Hunting Department currently stipulated that one’s personal base strength had to be at least twenty-five thousand to be eligible to form a small team. He hadn’t even reached that standard yet, not to mention that it was only one of the criteria.

Seeing the dejection in his father’s eyes, Xiang Liang offered some comfort. “Father, don’t be discouraged. We’ve only been in the camp for half a year. It’s normal for there to be a gap between us and the others. As long as we strive to catch up, it’s only a matter of time before we distinguish ourselves!”

Xiang Ping nodded, a glimmer of fighting spirit gradually rising in his eyes.

Although he was already thirty-eight years old this year, which, according to the average lifespan of over forty in the Ice Abyss, meant he was well into his later years, as long as he broke through to the Frostwarden realm, he would gain another sixty years of life. He would still have plenty of time and opportunities.

Remembering that his son also participated in the Lumberjack realm selection, Xiang Ping immediately asked, “Ping’er, did you qualify?”

“Big Brother qualified, he’s the best!”

Before Xiang Liang could speak, his sister Xiang Rong, who was in his arms, answered for him.

Hearing that his son had qualified, Xiang Ping’s face filled with surprise. His son’s base strength was barely six thousand catties, which was by no means outstanding among the camp’s Lumberjack realm cultivators. That he could qualify was completely unexpected.

Clearly, his father didn’t understand the selection mechanism for the Lumberjack realm group yet.

After explaining the process, Xiang Liang shook his head and said:

“I was in Group 168. I was lucky. A leader named Zhu Wu led our entire team to advance together. The second round starts tomorrow night, and it’s like the Earthforger realm group—each person gets ten matches, and in the end, the top 128 will be selected for the finals. I definitely don’t stand a chance in this round!”

Only then did Xiang Ping understand that his son had advanced through luck. Hearing the despondency in his son’s tone, he smiled and said, “Weren’t you just consoling me? Now you’re all down yourself. This is only the first year, what’s the rush? I heard from my captain that this tournament will be held once every year from now on. If you work hard, you might make it into the top hundred next year.”

That was true. With Great Xia’s current abundant supply of beast meat, Xiang Liang would definitely reach the peak of the Lumberjack realm before next June, which would greatly increase his chances of cracking the top hundred.

“I know, Father. I’ll just treat this as gaining experience. Next year, I’ll definitely aim for the top hundred. No, the top ten!”

Xiang Liang’s expression lifted, and he raised his goal significantly higher.

Not just the top ten, he thought. Given my age, if I want to catch up to the most outstanding people in the camp, I’ll have to get into at least the top three next year to have any hope!

“Ambitious!”

Seeing the determination in his son’s eyes, Xiang Ping naturally encouraged him. Then, he took his three children to watch the matches at other arenas.

The more he watched, the more his heart pounded with shock!

“Those who just broke through to the Earthforger realm are basically just making up the numbers when they get on stage. Everyone who can win ten matches in a row has a base strength that has surpassed the thirty-thousand-catty limit. Some unlucky Earthforger limit cultivators even lost in their ninth match. No wonder that Zhou Yingkai said he had no hope of advancing.”

After watching the situation at more than a dozen arenas, a question gradually formed in Xiang Ping’s mind. He couldn’t help but turn and ask Xiang Liang.

“Ping’er, do you have any idea exactly how many people in Great Xia have a base strength that has surpassed the thirty-thousand-catty Earthforger limit?”

Xiang Liang thought for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m not sure. I suppose only Prefect Qiu and a few other lords would know…”

He paused, then continued, “It should be over two hundred!”

………………

After all, holding a position in the Logistics Department, Xiang Liang’s guess had some basis. However, he hadn’t factored in the impact of this particular tournament.

After daybreak, in the great hall on the top floor of the main building, Qiu Peng was reporting to Xia Hong with immense excitement about just how exaggerated the breakthrough tide from last night’s tournament had been.

“Leader, it’s terrifying! In the Lumberjack realm group, just from the 172 subgroups here in Xiacheng, more than 800 people broke through to the Earthforger realm! Wuyuan had 232, and Jing Valley had 167. I haven’t even counted the people from the three outposts in Longyou yet. I estimate that the number of new Earthforgers from last night is at least 1,700. And this is just the first night. At this rate, by the end of the tournament, the total number of new Earthforgers will be at least 3,000.”

The smile on Qiu Peng’s face grew wider as he spoke. Seeing that Xia Hong didn’t have much of a reaction, he continued, “The situation in the Earthforger realm group is just as scary. Last night, a total of eight people broke through to the Frostwarden realm mid-battle. They are Ying Xuan, Ying Yi, Zou Yuankai, Tong Xinglong, Zhu Shun, Lu Sheng, Li Longkai, and Xiao Kangcheng. As for those who broke through the thirty-thousand-catty limit, there were far more—a total of 242 people. Including those from before, we now have 504 Earthforger limit cultivators in Xiacheng. If we include those from Longyou, the number is definitely over 600.”

Hearing this, Xia Hong finally showed a reaction, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

When he had returned to Xiacheng earlier, he had estimated that Great Xia only had over 200 Earthforger limit cultivators. Now, it was clear he had underestimated.

“Over 600, not bad. How many more days do you expect it will take to finish the tournaments for these two groups?”

Qiu Peng answered immediately, “The second round of selection for the Lumberjack realm group will begin as soon as night falls. The people from Longyou should arrive in the latter half of the night. We expect to select the top 128 tonight, and the finals should conclude in the first half of tomorrow night.

“The Earthforger realm competition is already more than halfway done from last night. It should finish in the first half of today, and we’ll continue with seven rounds of elimination tournaments in the latter half of the night. That will be quick. I estimate we’ll have the results for the Earthforger realm before dawn tomorrow.”

The top ten of the Earthforger realm would be decided before dawn on the third day of the sixth month.

The Lumberjack realm had too many participants, and they needed to determine the top one hundred, so it was normal for it to take a little longer. The results would likely be out on the night of the third day of the sixth month.

Xia Hong nodded. “The tournament for the Frostwarden realm group will be held in the latter half of the night on the third day of the sixth month. Once the rankings for the top ten Earthforgers and the top one hundred Lumberjacks are all confirmed, I will choose a location, and we will officially begin.”

Hearing that the Frostwarden realm tournament would begin in the latter half of the night on the third, Qiu Peng’s expression turned solemn. He was in that group, so he naturally had to pay close attention.

“How many more people do you expect will break through the Earthforger limit?”

At this question, Qiu Peng first pondered for a while. The Logistics Department had a rough outline of the cultivation levels of the camp’s population, and as its Prefect, he was naturally more informed than others. He quickly gave Xia Hong an approximate number.

“I predict there are still over two hundred people here in Xiacheng. As for the situation among the 2,000 people in Longyou, I’m not that clear on it recently. I’ll have to wait until their selection results come out to know.”

600 plus 200 is over 800.

Adding in those from Longyou, the total should be around 1,000.

Xia Hong breathed a small sigh of relief and waved his hand. “You may go rest. Finish the tournament as soon as possible after nightfall.”

“Yes, your subordinate takes his leave!”

Not long after Qiu Peng left, a string of information prompts appeared in Xia Hong’s mind.

[Green Hibiscus Grass: A Beast Spirit Herb. Can help beasts gain sentience and increase their strength. Can also be used in human alchemy. No current synthesis formula.]

“It’s those five plants I brought back from the banks of the Xing River!”

Xia Hong reacted instantly, then confirmed the information again. A look of sudden realization dawned on his face.

“No wonder that Red Carp was so angry. A Beast Spirit Herb… does that mean it’s specifically for Frost Beasts? It can also be used for alchemy, and ‘no current synthesis formula’ means that among the medicinal ingredients currently recorded in the Alchemy Workshop, there are none that can be used in combination with it.”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, and then something occurred to him. His eyes lit up.

Chapter 275: Disappointment and Surprise, a Surge in Frostwarden Numbers

In the second year of the Great Xia, on the second day of the sixth month, after midnight.

Xiacheng was still buzzing with noise, but unlike the previous day, it seemed as if the entire camp had flooded into the Inner City. Everyone crowded the sides of the main road, cheering on the combatants in the arenas.

At the same time, explosive news spread by word of mouth, setting the crowd abuzz. The looks of astonishment on everyone’s faces never ceased.

“Someone broke through again!”

“I already knew. It was Chen Ying from Ring 5, right?”

“No, it’s Lu He from Ring 8.”

“It’s only just past midnight, and in the second round of the Earthforger division finals, two more people have broken through. Doesn’t this mean that even being at the Frostwarden realm isn’t enough to secure a spot in the top ten?”

“Definitely. Eight people broke through last night. Add Chen Ying and Lu He to that, and the Earthforger division already has ten at the Frostwarden realm. There will surely be more. Without Frostwarden realm cultivation, you can forget about the top ten in the Earthforger division.”

“This is terrifying. They call it the Earthforger division, but to get into the top ten, you need to be at the Frostwarden realm at the very least.”

“The Lumberjack division is pretty much the same. Tonight is the second round of the preliminaries. Anyone who can last more than five matches on the stage has reached the Earthforger realm.”

“Of course. In last night’s preliminary assessment, you could still advance through luck. Tonight, you can’t. Once you’re in the ring for a one-on-one fight, it all comes down to strength.”

“I heard that in last night’s preliminaries, over seven hundred people broke through in Xiacheng alone. Counting the other five strongholds, it’s even more. Without reaching the Earthforger realm, there’s not a shred of a chance to make it into the top 128!”

………………

In the crowd, Luo Ming, who had just stepped down from an arena, clenched the fists hidden in his sleeves. A trace of resentment flashed in his eyes as he overheard the discussions around him.

“Old Chen and Old Lu actually broke through before us!”

“Chen Ying and Lu He… didn’t they used to buy coal from us? Now they’ve broken through to the Frostwarden realm. It’s really…”

…………

Li Baihe and Shang Ping murmured beside him before they both looked at Luo Ming in the center and fell silent.

Chen Ying and Lu He were the leaders of the Chen and Lu families, respectively. They were old acquaintances, and when Rogge Camp was in charge of Redwood Ridge, they had dealt with the two men frequently.

Three years ago, when Luo Ming led them away from Redwood Ridge, those two were only at the Lumberjack realm. Now, they had broken through to the Frostwarden realm, their cultivation higher than any of theirs.

When it came to the feeling of how much things had changed, Luo Ming probably felt it more keenly than any of them.

After all, back then, Luo Ming had been an equal to Xia Hong.

But now, setting aside old acquaintances like Lu He and Chen Ying, even the old members of Rogge Camp like Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, and Zhao Bao… not only had they all broken through to the Frostwarden realm, but each held an important position in Great Xia. Their status was a world apart from what it once was.

In fact, in the month since they had returned from Longyou, Luo Yuan and the others had yet to visit them even once.

Naturally, neither Li Baihe nor Luo Ming dared to have any objections.

Riddled with guilt, they even consciously avoided the old members of Rogge Camp, afraid to interact with them.

After all, they were the ones who had abandoned these people and fled from Redwood Ridge. Now that they had returned in disgrace, how could they have the face to see them?

Seeing Luo Ming’s spirits sink lower, Li Baihe sighed softly and tried to console him.

“Big Brother, don’t be discouraged. You’ve already started using Beast Blood. With Great Xia’s current resource supply, breaking through to the Frostwarden realm is just a matter of time. Making it into the top 128 this time is already quite an achievement.”

Shang Ping nodded, picking up where Li Baihe left off.

“That’s right. Baihe and I should also be able to break the thirty-thousand-catty limit this year. When we all break through to the Frostwarden realm and make more contributions to the camp, Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, and the others will naturally accept us again!”

Hearing his two brothers’ words of comfort, Luo Ming looked up and smiled.

But the smile was clearly a bit forced.

How could he not understand the principle of ‘one step behind, always behind’?

A gap had already formed between him and the likes of Luo Yuan. Closing it would be difficult.

But just then, Xu Kang ran over from the edge of the crowd, his face wreathed in smiles.

“Big Brother, Little Cheng has already won ten matches in a row! He’s currently ranked 79th in the Lumberjack division. As long as he can maintain his standing until dawn, he’s guaranteed a spot in the top 128, and he has a high chance of making the top 100 tomorrow!”

Hearing Xu Kang’s news, Luo Ming and the other two were overjoyed. They hurriedly followed him toward the front of the Main Building.

“Isn’t Little Cheng still short of the Earthforger realm? He only advanced yesterday because he got lucky. How could he win ten matches in a row? And be ranked 79th? How is that possible?”

After his initial elation, Luo Ming immediately began to worry about potential losses.

Although his son had arrived in Great Xia a little earlier than them, his base strength was only just over 8,600 catties when the tournament began. He had only advanced from yesterday’s preliminaries through a stroke of luck, getting through with his group.

For today’s Lumberjack division top 128, there was no hope without reaching the Earthforger realm. Luo Ming hadn’t held out much hope for his son at all.

He actually advanced? Could it be that his base strength had skyrocketed past ten thousand overnight, breaking through to the Earthforger realm?

“Hahaha, you three weren’t there, but I watched all ten of Little Cheng’s matches with my own eyes. His spear arts are just too strong! No one at the Lumberjack realm can last more than ten moves against him, and he can even defeat those who have broken through to the Earthforger realm with his spear skills. It was only because the opponents in his last three matches were a bit stronger that his ranking isn’t even higher.”

Xu Kang was incredibly excited. As he spoke, he led the three of them to the base of the Main Building, where they quickly found Luo Cheng below a public notice board.

Luo Cheng was staring at the rankings on the notice board, a tense expression on his face.

Beside the board, a member of the Logistics Department stood with a charcoal pencil. Whenever a messenger ran over from the arenas, he would update the information on the board.

[84th place: Luo Cheng, 10 wins, total time 382 breaths]

Seeing his son’s information on the board, the stone in Luo Ming’s heart finally settled. But when he realized his son’s ranking had already dropped five places, he immediately grew tense as well.

That’s right, the rankings for the top 128 were based on the time taken to win. This meant that if anyone else won in less than 382 breaths, his son’s rank would continuously fall. If he fell off the list by the end, he would miss the top 100.

“Good kid! With such strength, you’re the only one from the Lumberjack realm on this list. Even if you don’t make the top 100, you’ll have bragging rights for months!”

“Hahahaha, not necessarily, not necessarily. It depends on how the rest of the night goes. Maybe he really has a chance. You’ve given us a huge surprise, kid!”

Li Baihe and Shang Ping were much more excited. Their strength was inferior to Luo Ming’s, and they hadn’t even made it into the top 128 of the Earthforger division. If their nephew Luo Cheng could make it into the top 100 of the Lumberjack division, it would be a point of pride for them as well.

However, faced with the praise from his father and two uncles, eleven-year-old Luo Cheng showed no pride. Instead, his tone was somewhat defeated. “The Leader personally guided my spear arts for over two months and gave me so many good things. If I still can’t make it into the top one hundred, I’ll surely disappoint him!”

It had been nearly two months since they arrived in Great Xia. Not just Luo Cheng, but Luo Ming and the others had also learned that Hong Yu from the Hive was, in fact, Xia Hong.

Luo Cheng clenched his fists. Back in the Hive, he had tried to perform the ceremony to become Xia Hong’s formal disciple but was rejected. He hadn’t understood at the time, but after arriving in Great Xia last month and learning Xia Hong’s true identity, he finally realized why.

“There are just too many geniuses in Great Xia. In yesterday’s preliminaries, there were at least a hundred Earthforgers my age. My cultivation level is nothing in Great Xia. No wonder Master wouldn’t accept me. I suppose my talent is still not worthy of his notice…”

Luo Cheng felt a sense of helplessness, especially as he watched his rank on the list drop another two spots to 86th. His expression grew even more tense.

As he had just said, if Xia Hong hadn’t taught him spear arts for two months, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to make it into the top 128 with his current cultivation.

“Putting aside the strength of Liu Peng, Zhao Yuankong, Zhao Yuanwu, Lu Dong… I don’t even have much of an age advantage against them. If I don’t strive to catch up, the gap between us will only grow wider.”

Although he was young, Luo Cheng already had a clear perspective on things.

His adaptability was good, but he had only been in Great Xia for two months and didn’t know many people his age. He had previously thought that his talent was top-tier even in Great Xia.

But last night’s preliminary round had shown him the reality.

Forget top-tier; in terms of cultivation alone, there were at least a hundred people in Great Xia stronger than him. If he hadn’t been fortunate enough to be taught spear arts by Xia Hong, he would have had no hope of advancing to the top 128.

“I can’t even compare to them in terms of family background. I definitely can’t compete with them for resources through normal means. That’s why I have to give my all in events like the Martial Arts Tournament, where I can earn more resources through my own strength. That’s the only way I can gradually close the gap with them. And that’s how I can get truly closer to Master. Perhaps one day, he’ll truly acknowledge me!”

Luo Cheng clenched his fists, a determined glint gradually appearing in his eyes.

Although Xia Hong had only taught him for two months, in his heart, Luo Cheng already considered Xia Hong his master. But with his current strength, voicing such thoughts would only invite ridicule.

So he could only set goals for himself in secret. He believed that as long as he was strong enough and displayed extraordinary talent, Xia Hong would one day truly acknowledge him as his disciple.

“I must get into the top 128. As long as I do, and I survive one more round, a spot in the top 100 will be secure. Then I’ll earn the right to watch the Frostwarden realm tournament, and I might even have a chance to see Master up close!”

It was almost laughable. Though he had been taught spear arts by the man for two months, Luo Cheng still had no idea what Xia Hong looked like.

Because Xia Hong had worn a mask in the Hive.

After learning this, Luo Cheng had become desperate to see Xia Hong.

He wanted to know what Uncle Yu, the man who had truly taught him for over two months, actually looked like.

Unfortunately, in the nearly two months since arriving in Xiacheng, he hadn’t caught a single glimpse of Xia Hong.

Although he knew Xia Hong was in the great hall on the top floor of the Main Building, he had no right to enter that place.

Currently, aside from the Director, the six Prefects, and some of the Frostwarden realm experts, no one else was qualified to enter the great hall on the top floor of the Main Building.

Unless Xia Hong personally summoned them.

But for him, such an opportunity was even more impossible.

What reason would there be for Xia Hong to summon someone at the Lumberjack realm?

This Martial Arts Tournament was a rare opportunity.

As long as he could make it into the top 100, he could go to the great hall and see Xia Hong.

“I have to make it, I have to…”

It seemed Luo Cheng’s prayers weren’t having much effect.

As news from the arenas came in one after another, his rank on the list was constantly pushed down. It soon dropped from 86th to 100th, then to 110th.

By the time dawn was approaching, his rank had fallen to 126th.

Only two spots remained. If two more people’s ten-win streak times were shorter than his, he would be pushed off the list, missing his chance at the top 100.

“Ring 3, Wu Qing wins ten matches in a row, time taken: 379 breaths.”

Soon, news from another arena arrived.

Luo Cheng’s rank fell to 127th.

Only one spot left. Luo Cheng clenched his fists, his expression incredibly tense.

“The second round of selection for the Lumberjack division has ended. Calculation for the top 128 is terminated!”

Fortunately, the heavens smiled upon him.

The calculations had stopped. His rank was frozen at 127th.

Luo Cheng pinched his thigh hard, forcing himself not to cheer out loud.

But others couldn’t hold back.

“Hahahaha, I didn’t fall off the list! I can make it to the top 100!”

“The list is finalized! I have a chance at the top 100!”

“Hahaha… I’m still here, I’m still on the list.”

………………

Luo Cheng looked around and saw that most of the people cheering were, like him, ranked very low. They had clearly been on edge all night. Now that the list was finalized, they couldn’t help but celebrate.

“I need to get back quickly and prepare for tonight’s elimination tournament. If I win one match, I’ll be in the top 64. If I lose, I’ll have to fight with the others for the remaining 36 spots.”

There were a total of seven rounds in the elimination tournament. Opponents were decided by a random draw. Win and you move to the next round; seven consecutive wins made you the champion. The 64 who lost the first round would enter a loser’s bracket to vie for the last 36 spots in the top 100.

His spot in the top 100 wasn’t secure yet. He had to prepare in advance.

Luo Ming and the other two knew this was a critical moment for Luo Cheng. They hurried back with him to help him prepare for the final tournament that evening.

It wasn’t just Luo Cheng; all 128 contestants in the Lumberjack division quickly returned to their homes to prepare for the final elimination tournament.

Some, like Luo Cheng, were just focused on securing a spot in the top 100; others were aiming for the top ten; some had even more aggressive goals, wanting to be in the top three. As for those aiming for the championship, there were probably only a few extremely confident individuals.

………………

At dawn, in contrast to the streets that had returned to silence, the great hall on the top floor of the Main Building was bustling with activity.

In the center of the hall stood ten people. Though they all bore injuries, their faces were alight with excitement. Their eyes, especially when they looked at Xia Hong on the high platform, were filled with emotion.

“Alright, as long as the rankings are out, that’s what matters. Qiu Peng, distribute the rewards.”

Xia Hong didn’t waste words and simply waved a hand at Qiu Peng.

Qiu Peng immediately stood up with a smile. Ten people then walked out from both sides of the hall, each carrying an iron tray. They quickly approached the ten contestants in the middle of the room.

At the same time, Qiu Peng held up a register and began to announce the names:

“Champion of the Earthforger division Martial Arts Tournament, Liu Yuan: thirty Blood Origin Pills, five hundred catties of Beast Blood, fifteen thousand Contribution points, one custom Thousand-forged weapon, one month’s exclusive Martial Arts Academy training slot, thirty catties of aged liquor, and fifty catties of refined salt.

“Second place, Ying Xuan: twenty-five Blood Origin Pills, four hundred fifty catties of Beast Blood, thirteen thousand Contribution points, one custom Thousand-forged weapon, one month’s exclusive Martial Arts Academy training slot, twenty-five catties of aged liquor, and fifty catties of refined salt.

“Third place, Li Longkai: twenty Blood Origin Pills, four hundred catties of Beast Blood…”

The types of rewards for the top ten of the Earthforger division were all the same; only the quantities of pills, Beast Blood, Contribution points, and aged liquor varied.

From first to tenth, the winners were Liu Yuan, Ying Xuan, Li Longkai, Ying Yi, Zou Yuankai, Zhu Shun, Lu Sheng, Tong Xinglong, Li Yuankun, and Xiao Kangcheng.

Hearing Qiu Peng announce the top ten, Xia Hong’s expression showed no surprise.

It was more or less consistent with what he knew of the camp’s population and cultivation levels.

Great Xia’s development had a discernible pattern.

Among these ten, Ying Xuan, Li Longkai, Ying Yi, Zou Yuankai, and Zhu Shun were all members of Great Xia’s earliest hunting teams. Liu Yuan and Li Yuankun were from the first batch of people in Great Xia to break through to the Lumberjack realm. Lu Sheng and Tong Xinglong were among the survivors from the early days of Rogge Camp. Only the last one, Xiao Kangcheng, had joined from Five Ape Mountain.

If anything surprised Xia Hong, it was perhaps Liu Yuan taking the championship.

“Not bad. You’ve reached nearly three-Mane strength right after your breakthrough. You’ve improved a lot.”

Hearing Xia Hong state his strength so pointedly, Liu Yuan was first startled, but his expression quickly returned to normal. He chuckled and said, “You flatter me, Leader. I’m the Vice-captain of the Cloud Serpent, I can’t bring shame to the Lord Prefect!”

Qiu Peng, as well as Yuan Cheng, Lin Kai, and Lu Yang at his side, all laughed upon seeing Liu Yuan’s smug expression.

They were all Great Xia veterans who had been there since the earth mound days. They were as close as brothers, so they were naturally happy for Liu Yuan’s breakthrough to the Frostwarden realm and his victory.

“Qiu Peng, there were more than just these ten who broke through to the Frostwarden realm, right?”

The finals for the top ten of the Earthforger division had taken place on the first floor of the Main Building. Even if Xia Hong hadn’t been paying close attention, he had a rough sense of the situation, so he knew.

Qiu Peng nodded. “There were fourteen in total. Chen Ying, Lu He, Bai Wuting, and Lin Fan did not make it into the top ten.”

Fourteen. This meant the camp’s total number of Frostwarden realm experts was now thirty-seven.

Upon realizing this, Xia Hong was in a great mood. He waved his hand magnanimously and declared, “The fourteen who have just broken through will each be rewarded with a Yang Core Pill as compensation for being unable to participate in this Frostwarden realm tournament.”

One Yang Core Pill per person!

Hearing this reward, surprise appeared on the faces of Qiu Peng and the others.

Liu Yuan and the other nine already knew what the Yang Core Pill was, and their expressions grew even more excited. After exchanging glances, the ten of them bowed in unison to Xia Hong.

“Thank you, Leader, for bestowing these pills!”

Xia Hong wasn’t concerned. From the medicinal herbs he had acquired from Longshan and Zhaoyang recently, he had refined over five hundred Yang Core Pills. Fourteen was nothing. He couldn’t use so many at once anyway. Instead of letting them sit, it was better to give them to these newly advanced cultivators to raise the camp’s overall strength.

“Alright, all of you go back and rest. Continue the Lumberjack division tournament after nightfall. Notify me directly once the top one hundred have been decided.”

“Yes, Leader!”

Xia Hong waved his hand, dismissing everyone in the great hall, then turned and returned to the back room.

Chapter 276: The Top Hundred Emerge, Entering the Hall, The Unit Designation is the Team Name

On the third day of the sixth month, night fell.

The battle for the top one hundred spots in the Lumberjack realm division began on time.

It was worth mentioning that because Qiu Peng and the others needed to prepare for the Frostwarden realm group’s Martial Arts Tournament in the latter half of the night, they had entrusted full responsibility for these finals to Liu Yuan and the other fourteen newly promoted Frostwarden realm cultivators.

“Yuan Bai, you can do it! One more win and you have a chance to make the top ten.”

“Yuankong, go for it!”

“Third Sister, you have to get into the top three.”

“A’Heng, come on! Try to rank higher than your father.”

…

The first floor of the Main Building was abuzz with a cacophony of voices.

By the ten arenas, the air was filled with the sounds of relatives cheering on their family members.

Besides the relatives, many in the Earthforger realm and even contestants who hadn’t made it into the top 128 had also come. Listening to the cheers from the sides of the arenas, they felt a pang of envy while silently vowing to themselves that next year, they would be the ones on that stage, making their families proud.

By the suspended staircase on the second floor, Liu Yuan stood with a group of Frostwarden realm cultivators, watching the arenas.

Though they had been given full responsibility, their role was mainly to prevent any accidents during the matches. The Logistics Department had its own people to manage the tournament itself.

“There are few new faces. Most of the top 128 are still from Xiacheng. The three Longyou outposts only have fourteen combined. These kids are still holding their own.”

Hearing Liu Yuan’s words, everyone smiled and nodded.

The people from Wuyuan and Jing Valley had originally come from Xiacheng, which was different from the three Longyou outposts that had been recently integrated into the camp.

Although they were all people of Great Xia now, in terms of closeness, they naturally hoped to see more people from Xiacheng on the list of the top hundred.

Li Yuankun smiled and added, “I took a look. Wuyuan probably has the most in the top hundred. Brother Ning is really clever. He knew to let Wuyuan’s Lumberjack realm cultivators go out with the hunting teams to adapt to the environment ahead of time. They had sixteen teams qualify from the preliminaries alone, taking up a full ninety-eight spots in the top 128.”

They had all come up together from the early days at the earthen slope, and Li Yuankun was great friends with Xu Ning’s younger brother, Xu An, which was why he called Xu Ning “Brother Ning.”

Hearing Li Yuankun’s last sentence, everyone looked slightly surprised.

Ninety-eight out of 128 spots… In that case, Wuyuan would likely occupy at least seventy or eighty percent of the final top hundred list.

Only Liu Yuan showed little surprise, clearly having already understood the general situation. He smiled at Li Yuankun and said, “You probably don’t know yet, but Brother Ning came back from Wuyuan during the day. I heard the Leader rewarded him with three Yang Core Pills and asked him to share his experience with Qiu Peng. In the future, Xiacheng will probably also organize outings for Lumberjack realm cultivators with the hunting teams.”

Three Yang Core Pills!

Upon hearing this, Li Yuankun and the others immediately showed looks of envy.

“The Leader is rewarding Xu Ning probably because he wants to create a competitive relationship between the outposts. The annual Martial Arts Tournament will likely be even more exciting in the future.”

Ying Xuan was very sharp and immediately perceived the intention behind Xia Hong’s reward.

Xiao Kangcheng also realized it and nodded. “Definitely. And as the number of personnel stationed at each outpost grows, it’s very likely that there will be competition in all three divisions: Lumberjack, Earthforger, and even Frostwarden.”

“Tsk, tsk, Brother Xiao, you really dare to dream. If the Frostwarden realm has its own competition, the number of Frostwarden cultivators in our Great Xia will be something else.”

“Hahaha…”

At Zhu Shun’s teasing remark, Xiao Kangcheng and the others burst into laughter.

But within the laughter, there was a clear sense of anticipation.

Everyone understood what Zhu Shun meant.

The competition between outposts in this tournament was limited to the Lumberjack realm division. This was because the total number of Earthforger realm cultivators in Great Xia was not large. Apart from the Wushuang and Hanqiong outposts, which each had a thousand Earthforger realm cultivators and were qualified to hold independent preliminaries, the other three outposts had too few to do so and could only return to Xiacheng to compete.

The Earthforger realm wasn’t a problem. Looking at the Breakthrough Tide from this tournament, by the time of next June’s tournament, Great Xia would certainly have enough Earthforger realm cultivators to support independent preliminaries at each outpost. At that point, it would be natural for the outposts to compete over the number of promotions.

But if it was as Zhu Shun said, with the Frostwarden realm division also competing, the difficulty would skyrocket. At the very least, each outpost would need enough Frostwarden cultivators to hold its own elimination tournament, right?

“I estimate that day won’t be too far off. Our Great Xia already has thirty-seven Frostwarden cultivators now, and there will only be more in the future. Maybe it will happen in just three to five years.”

Li Yuankun’s bold declaration slightly lifted everyone’s spirits.

Although they didn’t quite believe it, as they looked up at the top floor, a sliver of anticipation inexplicably rose in their hearts.

They had a Leader who was good at creating miracles.

Maybe, just maybe, it was possible!

…

“First place, Tie Xinchuan.”

“Second place, Zhou Yalong.”

“Third place, Ji Hong.”

…

As the names were announced from the first floor, Liu Yuan and the others fell silent, listening intently to the list of the top hundred.

“Seventh place, Zhao Yuanwu.”

“Eighth place, Zhao Yuankong.”

“Ninth place, Yuan Bai.”

“Tenth place, Liu Peng.”

“Eleventh place, Lu Dong.”

“Twelfth place, Zhao Yuanwu.”

…

“Eighteenth place, Xiao Heng.”

…

“Seventy-eighth place, Qin Zhan.”

“Seventy-ninth place, Luo Cheng.”

…

“One hundredth place, Ning Dong.”

…

“Tie Xinchuan, Zhou Yalong, Ji Hong… never heard of any of them. They seem pretty old, too!”

As Li Yuankun spoke, everyone turned their gazes to the top hundred queue below, focusing on the three people at the very front. They saw that the three indeed looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, and a hint of surprise appeared in their eyes.

Before the Martial Arts Tournament, the record for breaking through to the Earthforger realm in Great Xia was just over fifteen years old. During this tournament, that record had been lowered to twelve, and the current average age for breaking through had even dropped to sixteen.

Breaking through to the Earthforger realm at seventeen or eighteen… The talent of Tie Xinchuan and the other two, by Great Xia’s current standards, couldn’t even be considered passing.

“Cultivation level doesn’t completely determine strength. Breaking through early only proves high talent, it doesn’t mean you’re necessarily stronger than others!”

“I heard these three, Tie Xinchuan and the others, are the ‘living maps’ of the Harvesting Department. They have quite a reputation here in Xiacheng. They spend all their time in Redwood Ridge and know the locations of all sorts of medicinal herbs and fruit trees like the back of their hands.”

“No wonder. Those three must have had plenty of encounters with Frost Beasts. Beating these kids must have been a piece of cake.”

…

Hearing the words of Xiao Kangcheng and the others, Liu Yuan, who had been stationed in Longyou, finally understood. After a moment of thought, he nodded as well.

Indeed, people like his younger brother Liu Peng, who broke through to the Lumberjack and even Earthforger realms very early, naturally had high talent. But in terms of actual strength, there was definitely a gap between them and the older ones who had already been out training.

Thinking about it that way, Liu Peng ranking tenth was already very impressive.

“Those three Zhao siblings are amazing. The oldest, Zhao Yuanwu, is only fourteen and ranked 7th. Zhao Yuankong is thirteen and ranked 8th. Zhao Long’s son, Zhao Yuanwu, only broke the Lumberjack realm record last year, and this year he not only broke through to the Earthforger realm but also ranked 12th. Those three siblings don’t just have high cultivation talent; their combat talent is astounding as well.”

“When it comes to combat talent, I think it’s those three. Look…”

After speaking, Xiao Kangcheng pointed towards the back of the queue below. Everyone followed his finger and was slightly taken aback.

Lumberjack realm!

In the queue of the top hundred, there were actually people who hadn’t broken through to the Earthforger realm.

“Chen Ping at 67th, Qin Zhan at 78th, and Luo Cheng at 79th.”

Zhu Shun thought for a moment, then turned to Chen Ying beside him and said, “Not bad, Old Chen. That Chen Ping, is he your younger son?”

“Hahaha…”

Seeing Chen Ping at the back of the crowd, Chen Ying’s grin had already stretched wide across his face. Hearing Zhu Shun’s words, he burst into proud laughter.

He hadn’t made it into the top ten of the Earthforger realm division this time and was originally quite displeased. But his youngest son had made him proud, fighting his way into the top hundred with only a Lumberjack realm cultivation, which really made his father proud. He was naturally overjoyed.

“This kid really has some combat talent. Didn’t bring shame on his old man!”

The former members of Rogge Camp in the crowd, like Ying Xuan, Ying Yi, and Li Longkai, all focused their gaze on Luo Cheng, their expressions a little complicated.

They all knew that Luo Cheng was Luo Ming’s son.

After all this time, they no longer held any resentment towards Luo Ming. On the contrary, as their strength grew, they even felt a little grateful.

After all, if Luo Ming hadn’t handed the camp over to Great Xia back then, they probably wouldn’t be living their current lives, let alone breaking through to the Frostwarden realm.

From that perspective, they really ought to thank Luo Ming.

Of course, that was just a joke.

As their lives improved and their cultivation grew stronger, they had long since become completely devoted to Great Xia and Xia Hong. Facing their former master, Luo Ming, their hearts hardly stirred anymore.

“Now that the candidates have been decided, bring them all up!”

Suddenly, a voice came from the great hall on the top floor.

“That’s the Director’s voice!”

“The Director is back from Longyou.”

“It must be. The Frostwarden realm tournament starts in the latter half of the night.”

“Didn’t Brother Ning come back too? All the Frostwarden realm cultivators must be back.”

Recognizing Xia Chuan’s voice, the group looked somewhat surprised.

Liu Yuan quickly reacted and went downstairs, beginning to assemble the top hundred from the Lumberjack realm division, preparing to lead them into the great hall for an audience with Xia Hong.

…

Soon, the top hundred from the Lumberjack realm division followed Liu Yuan and the other fourteen newly promoted Frostwarden realm cultivators up the central suspended staircase of the Main Building to the great hall on the top floor.

From the first-place Tie Xinchuan down to the one-hundredth-place Ning Dong, it was the first time any of the top hundred from the Lumberjack realm division had entered the great hall.

Vermilion main doors; wooden floors carved with beast patterns; a golden ceiling above, clearly painted with a lacquer mixed with Glimmerwood powder; and sixteen two-meter-tall statues of Frost Beasts carved from beast bones placed around the hall…

Unlike the others, they had endured three difficult nights of selection, and most of them entered the great hall with the mindset of a pilgrim.

With such a mindset, combined with the solemn and majestic atmosphere inside the hall and the various things they would never see in the camp on a normal day, the hundred of them found their breathing growing heavier.

Finally, when everyone’s gaze fell upon Xia Hong, seated on the high platform on the east side of the hall, their eyes filled with deep reverence and fervor.

They saw him.

Finally, they saw the Leader in person!

It had to be said, as Great Xia’s population and territory grew, it was truly no easy feat for those in the Lumberjack and Earthforger realms to get a chance to see Xia Hong.

“Greetings, Leader.”

Xia Chuan, who had just returned from Longyou, was the first to bow to Xia Hong.

Everyone standing behind him also bowed to Xia Hong.

“Greetings, Leader!”

Xia Chuan and the other thirty-seven Frostwarden realm cultivators represented the pinnacle of Great Xia’s current combat strength.

The top hundred from the Lumberjack realm division behind them, while not quite the new generation, represented the most outstanding group of youths that Great Xia was gradually nurturing.

Seeing over a hundred people bow to him in unison, Xia Hong’s heart also swelled with emotion.

“Alright. Qiu Peng will distribute the rewards for the top hundred of the Lumberjack realm division later. For now, I have two announcements to make.”

After composing himself, Xia Hong continued, “The most important purpose of this Martial Arts Tournament is to select talent for Great Xia. Selecting you was just the first step. The second step is the matter of where you talents will go.”

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Xia Chuan, looked stunned. Clearly, Xia Hong had not mentioned this to him before.

“Great Xia is about to follow the example of Longshan and Zhaoyang and form our first official army. Therefore, we will be drawing many people from the camp’s current elite hunting teams. As a result, many teams will find themselves short-staffed. You top hundred, along with the newly promoted Earthforger realm cultivators in the camp, can fill those spots as new members. So…”

Hearing this, the expressions of the Frostwarden realm cultivators present immediately brightened.

Forming an army, drawing people from hunting teams, replenishing members…

They understood Xia Hong’s meaning at once.

From now on, the annual Martial Arts Tournament would be like a draft, where all the hunting teams could select suitable members.

And who were the suitable members?

Why, the top hundred people standing in the great hall at this very moment.

Although this group had just broken through to the Earthforger realm, their combat talent was among the best in the camp. Moreover, many among them also possessed first-rate cultivation talent. If they could join a hunting team, they would be an incredible asset.

Once they realized this, their gazes toward the hundred members from the Lumberjack realm division became much more fervent.

Of course, a few of the Frostwarden realm cultivators, such as Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, and even Yuan Cheng and Luo Yuan, remained unmoved. They looked at Xia Hong with a different meaning in their eyes.

Forming an army!

These few had personally seen the Longyou Army and the Blood Guard Army, so right now, the only words in their minds were the ones Xia Hong had just spoken.

Great Xia was going to form an official army.

Given Xia Hong’s leadership style, he would at most provide the necessary support for this army but would not command it personally.

Therefore, he would inevitably choose one of them to be in charge.

Who would it be?

Many present realized this, but the ones with the most fiery gazes were Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao.

Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo were also tempted, but after realizing something, they exchanged a glance, shook their heads slightly, and suppressed their emotions.

Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Qiu Peng, Lin Kai, Yue Feng, and the others also sighed softly after realizing their strength was insufficient.

“It seems you are all interested. Well then, I won’t keep you in suspense. Let’s have a fair competition. Whoever takes first place in this Frostwarden realm tournament will be in charge of building the army. The designation of Great Xia’s first army will also be named after the winner’s hunting team!”

The designation of the first army would be named after the winner’s hunting team.

In other words, if Xia Chuan won, Great Xia’s first army would be the Cloud Serpent Army. If Yuwen Tao won, it would be the Dragon Martial Army. If Luo Yuan won, the Tiger Leopard Army…

At this, the eyes of every Frostwarden realm cultivator present blazed with an intense fire.

A goose leaves its cry as it passes; a man leaves his name where he lives.

These were eight words Xia Hong had once told them years ago. To have their own hunting team’s name become the designation of an army was, for them, an unparalleled honor.

“Alright, draw lots. Longyou cannot be left without a Frostwarden realm cultivator on guard. The tournament must be completed in the latter half of the night. The battleground will be Redwood Ridge. After you’ve drawn, everyone can head over there directly.”

Xia Hong gestured to Qiu Peng beside him.

Qiu Peng immediately took out an earthenware pot and placed twenty-three paper balls, each marked with a number, into it.

“The Frostwarden realm division will use a random matchup format. There will be four rounds of drawing lots.

The first round is 23 into 12, with one person getting a bye. The second round is 12 into 6. The third round is 6 into 3. The fourth round is 3 into 2, with one person getting a bye. The fifth round, the finals, will not have a draw. The victor from the previous round will fight the one who received a bye. The winner will be first place. The loser can challenge the one who received the bye to compete for second place.”

After the rules were explained, all twenty-three Frostwarden realm cultivators tensed. Starting with Xia Chuan, they each drew a paper ball from the pot.

The Frostwarden realm division’s Martial Arts Tournament had officially begun!

Chapter 277: Weakness and Strength, The Final Battle Begins

On the outskirts of Redwood Ridge, a clearing five hundred meters in diameter had long been prepared as the arena for the Frostwarden realm group in the Martial Arts Tournament.

The biting midnight wind did little to dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm for the spectacle.

Following Xia Hong to the eastern side of the field, everyone’s gazes were fixed on the twenty-three Frostwarden realm combatants about to face off.

Xia Hong wasted no time and directly announced the results of the first-round draw:

“First round draw results: Number 1, Chen Yingyuan; Number 2, Luo Yuan; Number 3, Yuan Cheng; Number 4, Hong Guang; Number 5, Hong Tian; Number 6, Meng Yi; Number 7, Huang Yong; Number 8, Xia Chuan; Number 9, Yuwen Tao; Number 10, Hong Gang; Number 11, Zhu Yuan; Number 12, Peng Bo; Number 13, Zhu Ling; Number 14, Chen Yingba; Number 15, Xu Ning; Number 16, Lin Kai; Number 17, Yue Feng; Number 18, Lu Yang; Number 19, Zhao Hu; Number 20, Qiu Peng; Number 21, Wu Tianxing; Number 22, Zhao Bao; Number 23, Zhao Long.”

There were twenty-three lots in the first round. The matches would proceed in numerical order: Number 1 would fight Number 2, Number 3 would fight Number 4, and so on. The person who drew Number 23 would receive a bye.

Therefore, the moment Xia Hong read out the numbers, everyone instantly knew their opponent. Naturally, some were pleased while others were dismayed.

They were all at the Frostwarden realm. While they might not know the exact strength of their peers, they had a general idea.

Among the twenty-three existing Frostwarden realm practitioners in Great Xia, the strongest were undoubtedly Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, Chen Yingyuan, and Wu Tianxing. There was no question about it.

Thus, Luo Yuan, Huang Yong, Hong Gang, Zhu Yuan, Zhu Ling, and Zhao Bao, who were matched against these six, couldn’t help but shake their heads, lamenting their poor luck.

Zhao Long, who had drawn the Number 23 bye, showed no joy on his face either.

According to the rules Xia Hong had set earlier, everyone who fought a match, win or lose, would receive one Yang Core Pill.

A bye meant advancing directly to the second round, but it also meant missing an opportunity to fight. More importantly, he knew his own strength well. Even if he advanced, his chances of reaching the top five were slim. He would have preferred to draw a weaker opponent and secure a Yang Core Pill first.

“First match, Chen Yingyuan versus Luo Yuan. You may begin!”

At Xia Hong’s command, Chen Yingyuan and Luo Yuan entered the arena.

“It’s starting! I’ll finally get to see just how powerful the Frostwarden realm is.”

“When Lord Prefect Yuwen killed that bird that strayed into the Main Building at the beginning of the year, I was too far away to see clearly. This time, I’ll have a close-up view.”

“My father said the unit for measuring a Frostwarden’s strength is the Mane, which represents the impact force of a mature, mid-tier Snow Mane. I wonder how much that is in catties?”

“This is the realm Father and Uncle He are striving for!”

………………

Zhao Yuanwu and her brother, Liu Peng, Xiao Heng, Luo Cheng, and the ninety-some other Earthforger realm practitioners present had never witnessed a Frostwarden in action. At this moment, their excitement was palpable, far greater than anyone else’s.

It was only natural. For those who had not yet officially participated in a hunt, the Frostwarden realm represented the pinnacle of power.

Luo Yuan and Chen Yingyuan, having entered the arena, began their match.

“Please!”

Knowing he was the weaker of the two, Luo Yuan seized the initiative.

As the word left his lips, he shot toward Chen Yingyuan like a cannonball. His great saber carved a dazzling arc in the night, catching everyone’s eye.

“So fast!”

“Why is the saber’s light so bright?”

“That’s not the light from the saber. It’s the mist from the snow being vaporized by the high-speed airflow. Lord Luo is too fast and too strong; the snowflakes in the air are melting instantly.”

“Hiss!”

If the spectacle created by Luo Yuan’s strike had merely drawn gasps from the Earthforger practitioners, Chen Yingyuan’s response left them utterly stupefied, their mouths agape, unable to utter a single word.

Chen Yingyuan’s long spear actually chopped down from above, not only bringing Luo Yuan’s saber to a dead stop but also continuing its trajectory straight for Luo Yuan’s neck.

It was that downward chop, the moment their powers collided.

Clang…

A deafening sound erupted as an invisible shockwave spread out in all directions, sweeping away the light layer of snow that had just accumulated on the ground.

Whoosh…

A fierce wind howled forth. The hundred new Earthforger realm practitioners were sent stumbling, and a few nearly fell over.

Zhao Yuanwu, Liu Peng, Xiao Heng, Luo Cheng, and all the other young people who had never been on a hunt were instantly stunned.

“The aftershock of their clash alone is enough to knock us down?”

“How can they be so strong!”

“So this is the Frostwarden realm. Is Father this powerful now?”

“I must break through to the Frostwarden realm. I must!”

“Breaking through to the Earthforger realm is nothing at all…”

“This… this is true power!”

“If Lord Luo is already this strong, how powerful must the Leader be?”

………………

Though their thoughts varied, the desire to reach the Frostwarden realm emerged in all their minds simultaneously.

They looked at the two combatants in the arena, at the thirty-some Frostwarden experts watching from the sidelines, and at Xia Hong standing at the very front, their eyes filled with intense yearning.

………………

Unlike the grand display created by Luo Yuan’s great saber, Chen Yingyuan’s long spear produced only a faint glint of cold light.

But that tiny glint was enough to break through Luo Yuan’s wide, brilliant saber blade.

Before anyone could even see clearly, the spear tip had stopped right before Luo Yuan’s neck.

“I can’t even withstand a single move? The difference in strength is just too vast!”

Although he knew he would lose, being defeated in one move was still hard for Luo Yuan to accept, and a dazed look appeared on his face.

“There’s a threefold difference in strength between us, Lord Luo. If you’d lasted more than one move, I’d be a complete failure. Even the Leader wouldn’t have been able to watch!”

Seeing Luo Yuan’s bewildered expression, Chen Yingyuan smiled. “After taking the Yang Core Pill the Leader gave me, my strength has increased to nine Mane.”

So that was it!

Hearing this, Luo Yuan finally felt a bit better.

“First match, Chen Yingyuan wins!”

As Xia Hong’s voice rang out, the two immediately withdrew.

The second pair, Yuan Cheng and Hong Guang, took the stage.

Hong Guang’s base strength was only a little over one Mane, no match for Yuan Cheng’s three Mane. Although he relied on his combat experience to hold out for a while, he was ultimately defeated.

Next was the third match: Hong Tian and Meng Yi.

Their base strength was comparable, but in the end, Meng Yi’s superior combat experience gave him the edge.

The fourth match, between Huang Yong and Xia Chuan, was almost a forgone conclusion.

The fifth match, the sixth, the seventh…

Unlike the others, who watched every match with great interest, Xia Hong felt a bit drowsy. He didn’t even focus his attention on the two combatants most of the time.

It couldn’t be helped. Of the twenty-three Frostwarden realm participants tonight, aside from Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, and two others, he was all too familiar with the remaining nineteen.

He had personally trained Xia Chuan and the others. How could he not know their respective base strengths, combat experience, and even their combat aptitudes?

Basically, as soon as two of them stepped up, he already knew who would win.

Under such circumstances, he naturally had little interest in watching the matches.

The only fights he was truly interested in and curious about were those between Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Peng Bo, and Chen Yingyuan.

Unfortunately, the four did not face each other in the first round.

With Wu Tianxing’s defeat of Zhao Bao in the eleventh match, the first round came to a close.

“The second round draw begins!”

The eleven winners from the first round, plus Zhao Long, made twelve participants for the second round draw.

Soon, Xia Hong had a new list in his hands.

“Number 1, Zhao Long; Number 2, Yuan Cheng; Number 3, Xia Chuan; Number 4, Xu Ning; Number 5, Chen Yingyuan; Number 6, Wu Tianxing; Number 7, Peng Bo; Number 8, Qiu Peng; Number 9, Yue Feng; Number 10, Yuwen Tao; Number 11, Chen Yingba; Number 12, Meng Yi.”

It really was a case of good things come to those who wait!

In the second round draw, these four still hadn’t been matched against each other.

Xia Hong lost interest in the second round as well and simply told them to begin.

Winning this round not only meant another Yang Core Pill but also direct advancement to the top six, with a chance to compete for the top five.

As a result, the second round was noticeably more intense.

Zhao Long and Yuan Cheng, the first to take the stage, immediately activated their Great Xia Sacred Sigils. They battled for several hundred breaths, but in the end, Yuan Cheng’s double-bladed great axe proved superior.

Next were Xia Chuan and Xu Ning. Xu Ning activated his sacred sigil but was still defeated.

Chen Yingyuan was stronger than Wu Tianxing, so his victory was certain.

Peng Bo almost completely crushed Qiu Peng to become the fourth winner.

Yuwen Tao defeated Yue Feng; Chen Yingba defeated Meng Yi.

The top six were decided.

“They should finally face each other this round!”

Xia Hong waved his hand, signaling the six to begin the third round draw.

“Number 1, Xia Chuan; Number 2, Yuan Cheng; Number 3, Yuwen Tao; Number 4, Peng Bo; Number 5, Chen Yingba; Number 6, Chen Yingyuan…”

After reading the results, Xia Hong continued, “After this round, the top three will be determined. I can’t be bothered to distinguish between fourth and fifth. We’ll simply rank the three losers based on how long they lasted. The one who held out the longest gets fourth, and the next gets fifth. Any objections?”

The opponents were random, so everything was fair. Naturally, no one raised any objections and all nodded in agreement.

“Alright, let’s begin!”

The match to watch this round was the second one: Yuwen Tao versus Peng Bo.

Because the fourth and fifth places were at stake, Yuan Cheng, in the first match, knew he couldn’t beat Xia Chuan but still gave it his all, managing to last for two hundred thirty-nine breaths.

Then, Xia Hong focused his attention on the second match: Yuwen Tao versus Peng Bo.

Yuwen Tao still wielded his broadsword. Without a word, he entered the arena and immediately activated his Great Xia Sacred Sigil, lunging at Peng Bo to seize the initiative.

Although he had never fought Yuwen Tao, Peng Bo had been in Great Xia long enough to have some understanding of him. He didn’t let his guard down. He raised his ghost-head great saber with both hands, holding it defensively to test his opponent’s strength first.

Bang…

“Close to eight Mane!”

After just one clash, Peng Bo’s expression changed instantly.

Whoosh…

Of course, it was just a change of expression.

He was in the late-Frostwarden realm, with a base strength of eight Mane. After taking the Yang Core Pill from Xia Hong, his strength had increased even further. While it wasn’t enough to crush Yuwen Tao, he still had the advantage.

And in terms of combat experience, would a man in his fifties be afraid?

“Prefect Yuwen Tao, be careful!”

Peng Bo’s expression turned serious. As he spoke, his ghost-head great saber suddenly swung forward from behind him, not only sweeping aside the broadsword but also continuing in a fierce diagonal slash. The blade whipped up a flurry of snow, and the piercing shriek of the saber echoed across the arena.

Swish…

As the saber flew toward his chest, Yuwen Tao showed little fear on his face. Using the force from Peng Bo’s recent sweep, he retracted his broadsword and plunged it into the ground beneath him. Gripping the hilt with both hands and pushing off with his legs, his body began to move in a low, circular motion.

Whoosh!

Yuwen Tao had actually managed to dodge Peng Bo’s attack.

No, it wasn’t just a dodge.

After landing, he pulled his broadsword from the ground, shifted his grip to hold it flat, and turned the sharp edge into a blunt surface, slamming it fiercely toward Peng Bo, who couldn’t stop his momentum.

Peng Bo knew his strength surpassed Yuwen Tao’s, so he had put his all into that last strike. With the terrifying force of over eight Mane driving him, he couldn’t stop his body in time. In his haste, he could only bring his great saber to his side to block.

Bang…

The broadsword slammed into the great saber. Peng Bo, already in a forward rush, was sent flying by Yuwen Tao’s powerful, charged-up blow. Like an iron arrow released from a bowstring, he shot backward over a hundred meters. The massive thud of his landing shook the ground for hundreds of meters around.

Even then, he skidded for more than ten meters before finally coming to a stop.

Swish…

How did I get sent flying?

Peng Bo, still on the ground, hadn’t yet had time to figure it out when a sharp whistle of a blade reached his ears.

His reaction was swift. He hooked his fingers into the ghost-head pommel, twisted his wrist, and flipped the great saber upright from the ground, blocking in the direction of the sound.

Clang…

Blocked!

Just as the thought crossed Peng Bo’s mind, a heavy fist suddenly slammed into his face.

Thump!

Yuwen Tao hadn’t come at him with his sword. He had thrown the broadsword to draw Peng Bo’s block with his saber. The real killing move was his fist.

In that split second, Peng Bo realized what was happening, but it was too late.

His body was launched straight up from the ground, soaring at least twenty meters into the air.

The worst part was, he had lost his grip on his ghost-head great saber!

And as he ascended, Yuwen Tao not only retrieved his broadsword but also kicked the ghost-head great saber away, using the momentum to leap into the air.

Swish…

The broadsword shot upward. Peng Bo, having just righted himself in mid-air, hadn’t even landed yet when he felt the flat of the blade slide past his forehead.

After landing, Peng Bo caught a lock of his own black hair. His face was filled with astonishment. He remained silent for more than ten breaths, then looked up at Yuwen Tao’s youthful face and let out a heavy sigh, his age suddenly showing.

“No wonder Lord Yuwen is in charge of the Hunting Department. I’m truly impressed!”

As Peng Bo finished speaking, the entire arena fell silent.

The Earthforger realm practitioners probably didn’t understand the significance of Yuwen Tao’s victory.

But the other Frostwarden experts like Xia Chuan, Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, and even Yuan Cheng all wore expressions of shock and disbelief.

Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan, in particular, looked at Yuwen Tao not just with shock, but also with a newfound gravity.

“Yuwen Tao did well. Peng Bo was defeated after 381 breaths. He’ll be provisionally fourth.”

Xia Hong smiled, giving his first words of praise tonight to Yuwen Tao.

Yuwen Tao was indeed impressive.

When your strength is inferior, the only ways to win are through combat experience, combat talent, or fighting to the death.

In an internal competition, neither side needed to fight to the death.

And in terms of combat experience, Yuwen Tao was clearly no match for Peng Bo.

Therefore, Yuwen Tao’s victory was purely due to his extraordinary combat talent—something that Xia Hong himself couldn’t teach.

“Third match, let’s continue. Chen Yingba versus Chen Yingyuan!”

This match held even less suspense.

Although Chen Yingba’s base strength was six Mane, he was not in the same league as his older brother in terms of either combat experience or talent.

Crucially, Xia Hong had fought them both and knew very well that Chen Yingba had likely been taught everything by his older brother.

In that case, there was nothing more to say.

Chen Yingyuan seemed to have a devious idea, intending to deliberately prolong Chen Yingba’s defeat time. But after a slight cough from Xia Hong as a reminder, he immediately realized he couldn’t fool anyone and defeated his younger brother outright.

“Third match, Chen Yingyuan wins. Chen Yingba is sixth. There’s no need for a fourth-round draw. You’ll have a bye. After Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao’s match is decided, you can compete with the loser for second place.”

No draw for the fourth round?

Chen Yingyuan got a bye, and could only place second or third.

Most of the hundred Earthforger practitioners in the crowd looked confused. Only a few of the sharper ones caught on from the laughter among the Frostwarden experts and Chen Yingyuan’s embarrassed grin.

There was a price to pay for trying to be clever.

In reality, it wasn’t much of a price.

Xia Hong was certain that Chen Yingyuan’s strength was not on par with Peng Bo’s.

Rather than punishment, it was more a matter of saving time.

Chen Yingyuan nodded with an embarrassed smile and raised no objections. It was clear he already had a good idea of where he stood.

“Come on, the final match! Yuwen Tao versus Xia Chuan!”

The winner would get to form the first army of Great Xia.

Yuwen Tao, having rested through one match, walked back into the center of the arena.

Across from him, Xia Chuan also began to walk slowly toward the center.

However, he was followed by a three-meter-tall behemoth.

Seeing the colossal figure, Yuwen Tao’s eyes filled with gravity, and his grip on his sword tightened.

“That’s…”

“Director Xia Chuan’s… saber puppet!”

“Wasn’t the Director’s saber puppet five meters tall? Why has it shrunk?”

“The Director must have developed a new one during his time in Longyou. I feel like it’s even more terrifying than the original five-meter one.”

Chapter 278: The Stunning Saber Puppet, Vindicating His Name, the Cloud Serpent Army

Xia Chuan rarely showed his saber puppet in the camp.

Apart from the members of the Cloud Serpent Squad, most had only ever seen its static form in the Weaponry Workshop. No one knew its true capabilities.

Moreover, the saber puppet before them was clearly very different from last year’s model.

Last year’s saber puppet stood over five meters tall, had a red exterior, and its head lacked any detail save for an open mouth. At the ends of its four limbs were four massive, two-meter-long Hundred-forged blades. The main trunks of its limbs and torso were also studded with countless one-meter-long, Hundred-forged daggers, as if it were covered in a layer of thorny blades.

This new saber puppet, however, was only just over three meters tall and gold in color. Attached to the end of each limb were two blades, each over a meter long. The blades were clearly specially forged and mounted vertically in a cruciform pattern, forming a point that was bladed on four sides.

The main trunks of its limbs and torso were still covered in daggers as before, but the daggers had been scaled down by half, now only just over half a meter long.

Although this new saber puppet was smaller, under Xia Chuan’s control, its movements were clearly far more agile. From a distance, it almost resembled a slender, well-proportioned human.

But the cold glint that occasionally emanated from its body was incredibly oppressive.

“A cruciform arrangement, bladed on four sides—is that even a saber anymore?”

“It’s a puppet, different from a normal person. The Lord Director controls it with threads and force. Whether it’s a saber or not doesn’t matter.”

“Thousand-forged! Look closer, those eight blades are all Thousand-forged grade.”

“They really are. The daggers on its limbs and torso are Hundred-forged, but the eight blades at the ends of its limbs are all Thousand-forged.”

“Thousand-forged weapons aren’t cheap. Besides the Leader, almost no one in the camp has one. Eight blades, plus all those Hundred-forged daggers on its body… how many Contribution points must this saber puppet have cost to build?”

“Obviously. Never mind the hunting prowess of the Cloud Serpent Squad; just for leading the army to conquer the three clans of Longyou in April, the Director probably earned around a hundred thousand Contribution points. Right now, he’s likely the one with the most Contribution points in the entire camp.”

“Tsk, tsk, a hundred thousand… That’s terrifying.”

………………

In contrast to the astonishment of the surrounding spectators, the two men in the center of the field were exceptionally calm.

Xia Chuan directed the saber puppet to walk behind him and stand still as he met Yuwen Tao’s gaze.

Although neither man spoke, everyone could feel the invisible sparks that flew as their eyes met.

This was, in fact, normal.

In Great Xia, there had always been a persistent debate surrounding Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao, one that had yet to reach a clear conclusion.

And that was: between these two, who was truly stronger?

In terms of talent, Yuwen Tao was a year younger than Xia Chuan, giving him a slight edge in cultivation speed. However, upon breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, Xia Chuan’s base strength had reached Six Mane, a little stronger than Yuwen Tao’s Five Mane, giving Xia Chuan the advantage in aptitude.

From these two perspectives, their talents were more or less equal.

Therefore, the only thing that could distinguish them was strength!

The problem was, the two of them had never once crossed hands.

The question of who was stronger remained a hotly debated topic in Great Xia.

Stemming from this topic was an even more critical issue: was Xia Chuan, as Director, worthy of his position?

In the Ice Abyss World, strength was everything.

The “virtue” in this context naturally referred to strength.

When Jing Xian was absorbed into Great Xia last year, Xia Hong had reorganized the six divisions and directly appointed Xia Chuan as Director. This decision had been questioned by many at the time.

This was especially true for the group that had come over from Jing Xian. Yuwen Tao himself might not have had strong objections, but Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Meng Yi, and the others were deeply resentful.

Even now, a few whispers still circulated in the camp, saying that Xia Chuan had only become Director because he was the Leader’s younger brother.

Everyone, including Xia Chuan, knew full well who was spreading these rumors. Of course, he wouldn’t let such gossip get to him.

But to say he felt absolutely no emotion about it would be an overstatement.

He was only nineteen, an age full of youthful vigor. How could he completely disregard such doubts?

Ultimately, he chose to ignore them only because these voices caused no real harm to the camp.

But given the chance, he would naturally choose to vindicate himself!

This moment was a rare and perfect opportunity.

“Prefect Yuwen, I will not be holding back today. Be careful!”

“I have long wished to experience your saber puppet, Director. Now that I finally have the chance, I would be disappointed if you were to hold back, my Lord.”

Yuwen Tao’s explosive response was clear proof that he, too, was not indifferent to the discussions in the camp.

“The Director’s saber puppet is formidable. I, Tao, will be so bold as to take the first move!”

His actions were as sharp as his words.

Swish…

As his voice fell, the sacred sigil on Yuwen Tao’s brow flared to life. He raised his broadsword with both hands and charged directly at Xia Chuan. His body, propelled by a gargantuan force of nearly Eight Mane—almost eight hundred thousand catties—was like a small mountain. The sheer heat from the friction of his charge against the air melted the falling snow into mist.

The fog of snow kicked up by Yuwen Tao was so vast that it was difficult to even see the glint of his sword within it. The crowd only felt a fierce wind blast toward them, and in the next second, they saw that he had already arrived in front of Xia Chuan.

“He’s ignoring the saber puppet to go straight for Xia Chuan. To catch the bandits, first catch the king. A good idea.”

Xia Hong saw through Yuwen Tao’s intentions at a glance but only rated the idea as “good.”

Clang…

The reason was simple. Although the new saber puppet was smaller than last year’s model, it was still over three meters tall. Compared to a human, it was enormous. With Xia Chuan positioning it by his side, Yuwen Tao’s plan was doomed to fail.

Xia Chuan simply tugged a thread with his left hand, and the puppet immediately raised its left arm, its large blade blocking Yuwen Tao’s broadsword horizontally.

At the same time, the small dagger in Xia Chuan’s right hand suddenly transformed into a black blade over a meter long. He raised his arm, carving a black edge through the air as he brought it down on Yuwen Tao.

In a martial contest, one would naturally not strike a lethal blow. Just as Yuwen Tao had aimed for his limbs upon charging, Xia Chuan’s strike was aimed at his left shoulder.

Clang… Whoosh…

The broadsword and the black blade collided, first with the crisp sound of metal on metal, followed by an invisible shockwave that radiated out from the two of them. It completely swept away the thin layer of snow on the ground, exposing the bare earth and forming a large circle four to five hundred meters in radius.

Hum!

The crowd of spectators outside the field only now realized why Xia Hong had designated an arena five hundred meters wide for the Frostwarden realm tournament.

But realizing it now was a bit too late.

The shockwave radiated outward. The thirty-odd Frostwarden realm experts were fine, but the hundred Earthforger realm cultivators were in for a rough time. They all drove their weapons into the ground, grabbed hold with both hands, and braced themselves, preparing to withstand the impact.

The aftershocks from the earlier bout between Luo Yuan and Chen Yingyuan had been enough to knock them all over; during the fight between Yuwen Tao and Peng Bo, they had also struggled to stay on their feet.

The shockwave produced by Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao was clearly even more terrifying than the previous two pairs.

If they didn’t take precautions, being sent flying might be one thing, but getting injured would be far too humiliating.

Everyone clenched their jaws, watching the shockwave approach.

Just as the aftershock was about to reach them, Xia Hong, at the very front, moved.

He simply extended his right leg and stomped on the ground.

Thud!

The crowd felt a sudden jolt beneath their feet, and the astonishingly powerful shockwave that had been rushing toward them was instantly and completely neutralized.

Everyone, including the more than thirty Frostwarden realm practitioners, was left dumbfounded.

“Just a single stomp. I didn’t even see the Leader use any force.”

“The Leader’s strength… so powerful!”

………………

While the spectators on the sidelines were stunned by the power of Xia Hong’s gentle stomp, the battle between Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao in the center of the field was already approaching a white-hot intensity.

The black blade Xia Chuan had just swung with his right hand did not successfully strike Yuwen Tao’s left shoulder. Using the rebound from his broadsword’s clash with the saber puppet, Yuwen Tao flipped his body in mid-air and circled around to the puppet’s rear.

Yuwen Tao clearly realized that he couldn’t defeat Xia Chuan while ignoring the saber puppet, so he immediately changed his target to the puppet itself.

He gripped his broadsword tightly with both hands, avoiding the puppet’s larger limb blades while wildly chopping, swiping, and blocking against its torso and main trunk. After a series of clanging sounds, he had actually managed to sever quite a few of the daggers.

“His broadsword is also Thousand-forged grade. The daggers on Xia Chuan’s puppet’s torso and trunk are only made of Hundred-forged material, so naturally, they can’t withstand it.”

A glimmer flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes, a hint of appreciation rising in his gaze as he watched Yuwen Tao.

Because the saber puppet’s body was covered in daggers, Yuwen Tao had to avoid them, which severely limited his range of movement in his fight against Xia Chuan.

Cutting off those daggers must have been only the first step.

The second step would be to deal with the main limbs!

Just as Xia Hong predicted, after severing a large number of daggers, Yuwen Tao indeed set his sights on the puppet’s limbs—specifically, the large blade at the end of the puppet’s right leg.

However, Xia Chuan was not so easily dealt with.

Even with the thorny dagger armor on the puppet’s trunk largely destroyed, Xia Chuan showed no signs of panic. His left hand controlled the four limbs in a frenzied assault, continually shrinking Yuwen Tao’s maneuvering space, while his right hand constantly lashed out with the black blade, forcing Yuwen Tao back step by step and preventing him from focusing his attack on the puppet’s right leg.

“Break a point to sever the line. Xia Chuan controls the puppet with the five fingers of one hand, focusing on balance. If one finger’s control is broken, the other four must reduce their force to maintain that balance. He figured that out so quickly. Clever!”

Clang…

The broadsword clashed with the right leg once more, and a fierce spray of sparks erupted. Xia Chuan’s little finger twitched, and the puppet raised both its arms, bringing them down vertically toward the hands Yuwen Tao was using to grip his sword.

“He’s not dodging?”

Xia Chuan’s intention was to force Yuwen Tao to abandon his attack on the puppet’s right leg.

This same scene had already played out three or four times, so he expected that Yuwen Tao would surely dodge this time as well.

But it turned out that this time, he was wrong!

Not only did Yuwen Tao not dodge, but he also slammed down with both hands, actually bending the large blade on the puppet’s right leg with sheer force.

“So arrogant. You’re going to lose…”

The puppet was suppressed, but Xia Chuan himself could still move.

Maintaining control of the puppet with his left hand, he leaped forward powerfully. His sword-wielding right hand carved a black arc through the air, heading straight for Yuwen Tao’s back.

Whoosh…

In the heat of battle, Xia Chuan had also unleashed his sacred sigil. With a thirty percent boost, his strength was over Eight Mane, even greater than Yuwen Tao’s.

The problem was, at this moment, he was wielding the blade with one hand!

A one-handed grip meant he couldn’t exert his full strength.

Although the strike was imposing, Xia Chuan knew in his heart that it didn’t pose a significant threat to Yuwen Tao. At the very least, it couldn’t decide the match in a single blow.

“Ah!”

As he expected, Yuwen Tao did not turn to dodge the strike. Instead, with a roar, he pressed forward, forcing the blade on the puppet’s right leg completely to the ground and even deep into the earth.

Crack…

As the puppet knelt, the taut threads were violently yanked back. Xia Chuan heard a sharp crack from his finger bones, and his expression changed dramatically.

Bang!

Despite his shock, Xia Chuan’s black blade ultimately struck Yuwen Tao’s back.

However, Yuwen Tao also possessed a superlative combat physique.

Xia Chuan’s strike, delivered without his full strength, failed to break through his Hide. It didn’t even manage to completely knock him off balance.

“My apologies, Director!”

Yuwen Tao bellowed, retracting the broadsword that had just pinned the puppet and whipping around to slash at Xia Chuan’s chest.

“His real target was Xia Chuan all along!”

This time, not just Xia Hong but all the Frostwarden realm experts present saw what was happening.

Yuwen Tao’s target, from the very beginning, had been Xia Chuan.

Focusing his attacks on the puppet and pinning its right leg blade were all ploys to lure Xia Chuan closer.

His true goal was to take a blow to the back in exchange for the chance to swing his broadsword around for a counter-attack.

His timing in this move was, to say the least, absolutely stunning!

“This is an innate combat instinct. It has nothing to do with talent; it can’t even be cultivated. Yuwen Tao is a born fighter. This isn’t even a life-or-death battle. If it were, Xia Chuan might really…”

Xia Hong’s thoughts were cut short. The very next scene completely changed his perspective, and the look in his eyes as he watched Xia Chuan instantly transformed.

Hisss…

It was the sharp, piercing sound of threads being retracted at immense speed, creating friction with the air.

Swish, swish, swish…

The saber puppet began to vibrate violently. Around its right leg, dust and gravel were sent flying.

Amidst the swirling debris, the very ground itself was torn open.

Thump… thump… thump…

“The blade on the puppet’s right leg is spinning!”

“So fast! With its four sharpened edges, it’s plowing right through the ground.”

“The puppet doesn’t need to stand up; it can attack directly from the ground.”

………………

Whoosh!

Just as the people behind Xia Hong were exclaiming, the puppet’s vibration was caused by its buried right leg beginning to spin at high speed.

The blade, already sharp on four sides, tore through the ground with its rotation and shot toward Yuwen Tao’s back.

Yuwen Tao, in the middle of his horizontal swing, already sensed the large blade coming at him from behind, but he was still unwilling to give up. His broadsword continued its path toward Xia Chuan’s waist.

Splurt…

Xia Chuan had failed to break through Yuwen Tao’s Hide earlier because he had been using only one hand.

But Yuwen Tao’s strike was different. He was using both hands, and it was a swing that had built up momentum.

The blade sliced across his waist, and blood instantly began to flow from Xia Chuan’s lower abdomen.

This was the most serious injury in tonight’s Martial Arts Tournament.

The expressions of all the watching Frostwarden realm experts changed. They turned to look at Xia Hong at the front, only relaxing when they saw his face remained impassive.

Bang…

His waist slashed open, Xia Chuan’s body was sent flying like a cannonball.

But he only flew a little over ten meters before stopping.

With his full strength of nearly Eight Mane, it was impossible for Xia Chuan to have been knocked back such a short distance. The threads in his hands were still intact. What was he doing…

Thoughts raced through Yuwen Tao’s mind. His expression changed in alarm as he abruptly pulled back his sword and turned around.

But he was too slow.

Crack…

The saber puppet’s rapidly spinning right leg first slammed into his broadsword, followed by its two arms and its left leg. Three large blades, all four-sided and spinning rapidly, smashed into his sword.

Bang!

The saber puppet was controlled by Xia Chuan, so the maximum force it could exert was limited to Xia Chuan’s own peak strength.

So, Yuwen Tao gritted his teeth, clutched his sword with all his might, and ultimately managed to block the force of the four blades.

But that was all he could do!

The saber puppet had lost the use of its limbs, but it still had a head.

Though that head only had a mouth.

Or more accurately, a pitch-black hole.

The moment the saber puppet’s head was pressed against his face, Yuwen Tao’s expression froze.

Although the puppet didn’t move, the pitch-black hole where its mouth should be seemed to contain something extremely dangerous. Just by looking at it for a moment, a drop of cold sweat trickled down Yuwen Tao’s forehead.

“Prefect Yuwen, you have lost!”

A flash of unwillingness crossed Yuwen Tao’s face, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on his broadsword. But after a moment’s hesitation, he relaxed his hands.

“I have lost!”

Xia Chuan had won.

The entire field fell silent. Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Lu Yang, Lin Kai, Luo Yuan, and the other veteran members of Great Xia had faces filled with excitement and joy.

Meanwhile, Meng Yi, Hong Guang, Hong Tian, and their group all trembled slightly.

Even Peng Bo, who had just lost to Yuwen Tao, wore a look of utter shock.

Unlike the others, only Xia Hong stared at the pitch-black hole on the saber puppet’s face, a flicker of curiosity and speculation in his eyes.

“It seems there’s a retractable slender blade hidden in there, connected to the limb blades. The rotation of the limbs charges it up…”

The victor, Xia Chuan, tended to the wound on his waist before walking back with an impassive expression, alongside Yuwen Tao.

He made no effort to hide his gaze as he looked at Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Meng Yi, Zhu Yuan, and the others. The question in his eyes was obvious.

After meeting his gaze, all of them lowered their heads slightly.

“Lord Director, your skills are superior. This subordinate accepts his defeat wholeheartedly!”

This final acknowledgment from Yuwen Tao meant that from this day forward, Xia Chuan’s position as Director was truly earned and undisputed.

A smile appeared on Xia Hong’s face as he laughed heartily.

“Good! The Frostwarden realm Martial Arts Tournament is now concluded. It seems the designation for Great Xia’s first army has been decided.”

Cloud Serpent Army!

At that moment, Xia Chuan and Liu Yuan became the two most excited people on the field.

The Cloud Serpent Squad was the first hunting squad in Great Xia to be officially recognized as an army.

Such an important event would surely leave a bold and brilliant stroke in the Chronicle of Great Xia that Yue Feng kept. As Captain, Xia Chuan, and as Vice-captain, Liu Yuan, an immense sense of honor swelled within them.

Chapter 279: Soldier-Hunter Integration, the Military System, and a Call to Hunt

In the second year of Great Xia, on the fourth day of the sixth month.

At dawn, in the top-floor great hall, all of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts had gathered.

Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, and Yuan Cheng had all received their rewards for placing in the top five of the Frostwarden realm division in the Martial Arts Tournament. The Yang Core Pills for Chen Yingba and the others had also been distributed.

Xia Hong scanned the crowd below, his gaze finally resting on Xia Chuan and the Prefects of the six departments standing behind him.

“Xia Chuan, tell me, how many people in the settlement are currently at the Earthforger limit?”

With the Martial Arts Tournament concluded, the next order of business was the specific details of establishing the army.

Everyone’s expression sharpened, and they pricked up their ears to listen intently.

Xia Chuan’s face grew solemn. He cupped his hands and replied, “Reporting to the Leader, there are 782 in total.”

The night before last, Qiu Peng had estimated that there would be over six hundred people at the Earthforger limit after the tournament. Clearly, he had still somewhat underestimated the cultivation levels of the settlement’s current population.

“782 people. According to the army formation regulations of Longshan and Zhaoyang, our numbers are still insufficient. But Longyou urgently needs reinforcements, so we can’t delay any longer. We’ll have to make an exception for now. We will draft an additional 218 Earthforgers with the highest cultivation levels to meet the organizational requirements for the Cloud Serpent Army.”

Everyone nodded upon hearing this, except for Yuwen Tao, who looked troubled. He stepped forward and clasped his hands. “Reporting to the Leader, I have something to say…”

“You intend to say that these one thousand people are all elite core members of the squads under the Hunting Department. If they are drafted, the Hunting Department’s strength will be greatly diminished, hunting yields will plummet, and it will affect the settlement’s supply of beast meat, am I right?”

Yuwen Tao nodded, and the expressions of the other Frostwarden realm experts also changed slightly.

Indeed!

The 782 people at the Earthforger limit, plus the 218 strongest Earthforgers—it was obvious that these individuals were either hunting team captains or core members of intermediate hunting teams. Drafting them would indeed have a massive impact on the settlement’s hunting capabilities.

A reduction in hunting yields would have far-reaching consequences. Logistics, artisans, logging, and even the garrison and civilian life—almost all of the other five departments would be affected.

Qiu Peng, Yuan Cheng, Mu Dong, and the other five Prefects realized this as well.

“Rest assured, I’ve already thought it through!”

Xia Hong smiled faintly. Establishing an army was not a whim; he had been planning it for a year and was now confident in his approach.

“At this stage, Great Xia still relies on gathering and hunting to survive. Hunting, in particular, is crucial as it concerns everyone’s cultivation resources. Therefore, even the army must continue to hunt. In fact, one could say that since the army comprises the settlement’s strongest individuals, their hunting duties will be even more arduous than those of the hunting teams…”

What kind of military system would suit Great Xia?

Xia Hong had been pondering this question long before deciding to establish the army.

Given the harsh reality of the Ice Abyss World, it was a given that in a crisis threatening the settlement’s survival, everyone would be a soldier. But during normal times, that wasn’t necessary.

Conscription, the Fubing system, the military household system, militia corps, soldier-farmer integration, reservists, recruitment, garrisons…

A plethora of military systems existed in Xia Hong’s mind, but none of them were a perfect fit for Great Xia’s current situation.

First, Great Xia’s total population was only a little over one hundred and ten thousand, which ruled out many options. Second, the soldiers were selected based on a high cultivation standard—the Earthforger limit—which eliminated another large batch of systems.

Finally, relying on a household registration system was even more impossible. In the Ice Abyss, where cultivation determined everything, systems like the Fubing and military household systems would inevitably create an incredibly formidable class with special interests. This could eventually devolve into something similar to the Hive’s previous elitist system, which was completely unacceptable.

After much deliberation, Xia Hong decided to create a system based on the settlement’s actual circumstances.

The purpose of an army was, simply put, to expand territory and defend the homeland.

In essence, it boiled down to one thing: acquiring more new territory while protecting what one already possessed.

And territory, in the end, meant resources.

With this clear, Xia Hong’s line of thinking became very straightforward.

“From now on, Great Xia will adopt a military system of Soldier-Hunter Integration.”

Soldier-Hunter Integration!

This was the system Great Xia’s army would follow from now on. Upon hearing these four words, everyone present immediately perked up their ears, waiting to hear more.

“Soldier-Hunter Integration, to put it simply, means that soldiers and hunters are one and the same. The army will not only be responsible for patrolling Great Xia’s territory and engaging in external warfare, but it will also not neglect hunting.

“To summarize, there are three main points:

“First, from now on, all members of the Hunting Department will be considered the army’s reservists; the entire personnel pool will be available for military selection.

“Second, the army’s greatest duty is combat, so they cannot waste time in the mines. Therefore, they will not be required to meet quotas for turning in ore. However, in times of peace, their hunting duties will be heavier.

“Third, although the two roles are nominally combined, the army’s responsibilities are clearly greater than the Hunting Department’s. Therefore, soldiers cannot be as lax as they were in the Hunting Department, free to come and go as they please. Currently, only Xia Chuan is qualified to command troops. I won’t go into the specific military strategies; we can discuss those in private.”

There didn’t seem to be any benefits.

The three points Xia Hong laid out merely described the characteristics of the Soldier-Hunter Integration system.

The canceled coal and iron quotas were simply converted into a bigger burden for hunting Frost Beasts, so it evened out. Moreover, the third point clearly emphasized that joining the army meant a loss of personal freedom, which was an obvious drawback.

One had to reach the thirty-thousand-catty limit to join the army. It couldn’t be that the stronger a person was, the worse their treatment in the settlement would be, right?

Knowing that Xia Hong had more to say, the crowd remained silent, quietly waiting for him to continue.

“Of course, with greater responsibilities come better benefits. Next, I will focus on the compensation for joining the army…”

What Xia Hong said next was what everyone was most interested in.

“First, from now on, the army will only need to turn in half of their hunting spoils; the rest they can distribute amongst themselves. Second, weapons, armor, and healing pills used by the army will not be a personal expense; they will all be uniformly provided by the Logistics Department. Finally, all soldiers will receive a fixed military reward of one thousand contribution points, three Blood Origin Pills, and fifty catties of Beast Blood every month.”

As he finished listing these three benefits, the breathing of everyone below grew a little heavier.

A suit of hundred-forged armor currently cost 3,500 points in the Logistics Department.

A hundred-forged weapon was cheaper, at 2,000 points.

The Blood Sore Pill was an upgraded version of the Golden Sore Powder. Strictly speaking, it was a healing elixir for the Frostwarden realm, making it a miraculous healing item for Earthforgers. Its current price in the Logistics Department was 200 points per pill.

The Blood Origin Pill was a cultivation elixir for those at the Earthforger limit, priced at 700 points each.

Beast Blood was worth 20 contribution points per catty, so fifty catties amounted to 1,000 points.

Not even counting consumable items like armor, weapons, and healing pills, the fixed monthly military reward alone was worth a total of 4,100 points.

Just by becoming a member of the Cloud Serpent Army, one would receive that many contribution points every single month!

“Don’t get too excited, I’m not finished…”

Seeing the excitement on their faces, Xia Hong smiled and continued, “After every battle, there will also be rewards based on individual performance on the battlefield. Of course, the exact number of contribution points awarded will depend on the actual circumstances of the war.”

In addition to the fixed reward, they would also be rewarded based on their performance in battle!

At these words, more than ninety percent of the Frostwarden realm experts present felt their hearts begin to pound.

Except for Xu Ning, Yue Feng, and Zhu Ling, everyone present today had personally participated in the battle in Longyou back in April, even the four newcomers including Chen Yingyuan.

They knew very well how many contribution points could be earned in a single war.

“What I’ve described is just the compensation for an ordinary soldier in the army. As for the specific military system, Xia Chuan, why don’t you explain it to everyone?”

Hearing his name, Xia Chuan’s expression brightened, and he immediately nodded and stepped forward.

He had always been determined to be involved in the army’s formation. Ever since Xia Hong had told him about it, he had already been considering the details with Wushuang. He had even reported his thoughts to Xia Hong last night after the tournament.

By asking him to speak now, Xia Hong was clearly showing his approval and letting him present his ideas for everyone’s consideration.

“According to the Leader’s intention, we should have developed the hunting teams first, at least until the hunting squads were promoted to high-level before forming an army. However, the current situation is special, so we have to draw people from all the hunting teams to establish the Cloud Serpent Army first and consider other matters later.

“Since it’s based on the hunting teams, the military structure must naturally revolve around them.

“I propose that in the army, twenty men form a squad, with one captain. Five squads form a battalion, with one commander. Nine battalions, plus an elite scout battalion, will form an army, led by a marshal. My initial thought was that all commanders should be of the Frostwarden realm, but the settlement’s current strength doesn’t permit this. So, we’ll have to settle for the next best thing. With the exception of the scout battalion commander, who must be of the Frostwarden realm, all other positions in the army will be competed for based on strength.”

Xia Chuan’s proposal was clearly well-thought-out.

The smallest unit in the army was a squad of twenty, the same size as a low-level hunting squad.

According to the promotion rules for hunting teams established by Yuwen Tao, a high-level hunting team consisted of one hundred members, which corresponded perfectly to a battalion-sized unit.

In a perilous environment like the Ice Abyss, a scout who knew the terrain or was skilled at reconnaissance was often the key to victory on a real battlefield. A configuration of nine combat battalions plus one elite scout battalion was more than reasonable.

The requirement that the scout battalion commander must be of the Frostwarden realm was also quite logical; after all, you couldn’t rely on a scout who could only go out at night to gather intelligence on the enemy and the environment.

“Very reasonable. I agree with the Director’s proposal!”

“I agree as well. This military system aligns with our combat habits from the hunting teams and won’t affect our combat effectiveness after the army is formed.”

“I agree.”

“Seconded!”

…

Thud!

Xia Hong stood up from his chair and said with a smile, “Alright, that’s all on the matter of forming the army. What I’ve said is just an initial plan. The finer details will be discussed by Xia Chuan and the six Prefects. Just show me the regulations once you’ve drafted them. Starting tonight, after the military system is announced, the Cloud Serpent Army can begin drafting personnel from the Hunting Department.”

“As you command!”

Xia Chuan and the six Prefects bowed in unison.

“There’s one other thing. On the ninth of last month, I said I would give you eight individuals one month to compete for the garrison positions at the three outposts of Wushuang, Hanqiong, and Hive. Today is already the fourth, which means there are only five days left. Make the most of it. In five days, a decision must be made, and we will rotate the troops stationed in Longyou.”

The eight individuals competing for the three garrison positions last month were Meng Yi, Zhu Ling, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Huang Yong, Hong Gang, Chen Yingyuan, and Peng Bo.

Xia Hong had said at the time that the three with the highest contribution points earned within the month would become the Garrison Commanders of these three outposts.

With only five days left, a few clues could be gleaned from the reactions of the eight.

Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo had arrived late and clearly had little hope. Of the remaining six, Meng Yi and Lu Yang appeared confident and determined, suggesting they had likely secured their positions. The other four looked somewhat tense, clearly still in the thick of competition.

Xia Hong was concerned with selecting the three Garrison Commanders quickly; he didn’t particularly care who went to guard which post. Noticing that Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan both looked a bit downcast, he thought for a moment, then smiled and said:

“The Cloud Serpent Army has already taken all of the settlement’s current Earthforger limit experts, and their complementary weapons and armor are not yet ready. I expect it will be a long time before the formation of a second army can be put on the agenda. However, I can set the qualification requirements for forming one now…”

To establish a foothold and develop in the Ice Abyss, Great Xia certainly couldn’t rely on just one army.

The qualification requirement for forming an army meant that whoever met it would earn the right to establish the second army!

Upon hearing Xia Hong’s words, everyone’s eyes lit up.

Especially Yuwen Tao, who had just lost to Xia Chuan, clenched his fists and looked at Xia Hong with eyes full of anticipation.

“Xia Chuan was right just now. Under normal circumstances, we should wait until your hunting squads are promoted to high-level before they are qualified to form an army. That the Cloud Serpents are forming an army while still an intermediate hunting squad is an exception. This won’t happen again in the future.

“Therefore, the next to form an army will be whichever of the Hunting Department’s squads is the first to be promoted to high-level.”

A high-level hunting team!

All the Frostwarden realm experts present immediately turned their gazes to Yuwen Tao.

Knowing what they were thinking, Yuwen Tao spoke up at once, “I’ve already established the assessment a long time ago for an intermediate squad to be promoted to high-level. You just need to hunt three different types of high-level Frost Beasts within a single month!”

Hearing this requirement, the expressions of many turned apprehensive.

Only Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, and the other two newcomers remained unfazed.

Evidently, these four were confident.

This was not surprising. Although Great Xia now had a considerable number of Frostwarden realm experts, they had not yet even attempted to hunt a high-level Frost Beast. In fact, the only ones who had seen one in person were Yuwen Tao and Yue Feng.

The two had seen one during a previous beast tide in the Arrow Bamboo Forest, when a high-level Snow Mane had mistakenly strayed into Jing Valley. That incident had resulted in many casualties. If he hadn’t arrived in time to intervene, the losses would have been even greater.

Unlike the Frostwarden experts of Great Xia, Peng Bo, Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, and Wu Tianxing had not only seen but had likely also hunted high-level Frost Beasts before. It was only natural for the four of them to be confident.

“Alright. Xia Chuan, you will stay in Xiacheng for now. I’ll give you five days to work with Qiu Peng and Mu Dong to handle all matters related to the army’s formation. Once the Cloud Serpent Army is fully established, set out immediately and relieve the garrison at Wushuang. Afterward, you can proceed to Longyou to train your troops while standing guard.”

“As you command!”

After giving his instructions, Xia Hong called out specific names, “Yuwen Tao, Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, Peng Bo, Wu Tianxing, Luo Yuan, Xu Ning, Yuan Cheng, Yue Feng. The nine of you, prepare yourselves. After nightfall, you’ll enter Redwood Ridge with me to hunt.”

Hunt in Redwood Ridge?

The four named newcomers, like Chen Yingyuan, showed little reaction, but Yuwen Tao, Luo Yuan, and the other five were stunned at first, then their faces flushed with excitement.

The other Frostwarden realm experts who weren’t called, like Lin Kai and Lu Yang, had looks of disappointment on their faces. Even Xia Chuan and Qiu Peng were no different.

The Leader was going hunting in the mountains again!

Given Xia Hong’s current strength, if he was going hunting in the mountains, his targets would surely be high-level Frost Beasts. Going with Xia Hong meant that earning a large number of contribution points was secondary; the crucial part was being able to witness him in action and get a sense of the Leader’s true power. That in itself would be an incredible experience.

“Among those named, even the weakest, Yue Feng, has the strength of three Manes.”

“It still comes down to strength. We wouldn’t be much help, so the Leader…”

“Our strength is still too weak!”

…………

Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Zou Yuankai, and the others who had long hoped to go hunting with Xia Hong all clenched their fists slightly, their expressions a mix of disappointment and unwillingness to accept it.

Xia Hong saw all their expressions. He naturally knew what they were thinking. Though he found it amusing, he still offered some words of comfort:

“Alright, all of you should focus on your cultivation. There will be plenty of opportunities to hunt with me in the future. I’m leading a team out tonight, first, to expand our surveyed area in Redwood Ridge, and second, to show you what high-level Frost Beasts are like, so you’ll all have a better understanding and suffer fewer casualties when you hunt them in the future.”

With a wave of his hand, Xia Hong dismissed them, and everyone bowed and took their leave.

The formation of the army was, at best, just a set of established regulations.

To truly possess a formal army like those of Longshan and Zhaoyang was not something that could be achieved overnight. The most immediate problem they faced was equipment.

Just gathering a thousand sets of hundred-forged armor and weapons was no easy task. Giving Xia Chuan five days, he could at most pull together the organizational structure of the Cloud Serpent Army. A fully formed and equipped army was certainly impossible.

“It’s not just armor and weapons, but also bows and arrows. The Longyou Army and the Blood Guard Army are all equipped with thirty-Stone strongbows. The Weaponry Workshop can make bows of this caliber, but a thousand of them is not a simple matter.”

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed slightly. And these were just the basics. If he remembered correctly, the armor and arrows used by the Blood Guard Army were blood-red, which proved they weren’t made of simple hundred-forged iron.

“Li Xuantian’s strength is about ten Manes, yet those blood-red arrows were able to threaten him and the other four Frostwarden realm experts at the time…”

Forming the army was just the first step.

How to increase its combat effectiveness was another major challenge!

Xia Hong turned to look at the map of Great Xia’s territory behind the main seat and let out a soft sigh.

Chapter 280: The Terrifying Hundred-Eyed Demonic Sheep

On a snowy night, the depths of Redwood Ridge were unusually quiet.

A towering tree over twenty meters in diameter suddenly trembled a few times.

Swoosh…

The icicles on the great tree’s branches rustled as they fell. Padded by the snow on the ground, the sound wasn’t loud, but in the perpetual silence of the deep, snowy forest, it was crystal clear.

If one looked closely at the top of that great tree, they would discover a sheep-like Frost Beast, no more than two meters long with six horns and four limbs, lying prone on the thickest branch, chewing on something.

The Frost Beast’s snowy white fur hung down wantonly, almost translucent, blending perfectly with the icicles hanging from the branches. Coupled with its small size, it was impossible to spot without careful observation.

Swoosh…

The massive tree trembled again. This time, it was finally clear: the tree was shaking because the Frost Beast had shifted its position. It was obviously eating some kind of plant on the tree, moving to a new spot after finishing the last one.

The tree was fifteen meters in diameter and nearly two hundred meters tall.

It was hard to imagine that such a massive tree would tremble just from the movement of such a tiny Frost Beast.

But that was the reality!

After changing its position, the Frost Beast found a comfortable spot and began to eat again. The faint chewing sounds were somewhat unnerving in the quiet, snowy night.

Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…

Suddenly, the sharp, piercing sound of three iron-tipped arrows tearing through the air rang out.

This was immediately followed by the thud, thud, thud of the three arrows striking the great tree.

“Roar—”

The Frost Beast that had been eating in the tree let out an enraged roar. It transformed into a streak of white light and shot from the treetop, charging straight for another large tree over a hundred meters to its left.

Crash!

That tree was also over ten meters in diameter, but before the white light of the Frost Beast, it was incredibly fragile. Without even the cracking sound of breaking wood, it was simply sliced in two at its trunk.

“Spread out! The rest of you, fire your arrows! Old Chen, help me tie it down!”

“It’s a high-level Demonic Sheep, a common hundred-eyed grade one. First, we need to make it open its eyes.”

As the great tree collapsed, nine black figures swiftly scattered from its canopy.

Following the furious shouts of Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan, the other seven immediately understood. They continued to disperse before quickly nocking arrows and firing rapidly at the Demonic Sheep.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

The iron arrows shot by the seven men all glinted with a silver light. An uninformed observer might have thought the arrows were forged from silver, but a closer look would reveal it was because of the sheer number of forging lines on them—well over a hundred—creating the illusion of silver.

“Aside from the Divine Arm Bow in the Leader’s hands, the strongest iron-core bows the Weaponry Workshop can currently produce only have a three-Mane draw strength. These seven must be Mu Dong’s finest work. I wonder if they can pierce the hide of a high-level Demonic Sheep.”

From behind a large tree, Xu Ning fired three successive arrows, his eyes filled with anticipation.

He wasn’t the only one. After Luo Yuan, Chen Yingba, and the other six loosed their arrows, their eyes also held a hint of expectation.

“You can’t. A high-level Demonic Sheep’s physical strength is above fifteen Mane, and its hide can easily defend against ten Mane of impact, making it thirty percent stronger than a Snow Mane. Your job right now is to create a distraction while Old Chen and I force it to open its eyes…”

Clang… clang… clang…

As if to prove Peng Bo’s words, though the iron arrows fired by Xu Ning, Luo Yuan, and the others all hit the Demonic Sheep with perfect accuracy, not a single one could penetrate its flesh. They all ricocheted off as if hitting an iron wall, clattering to the ground.

One of them even struck the Demonic Sheep’s left eye, but it was blocked the instant the creature shut its eyelid.

Whoosh…

Being blocked was one thing, but after realizing the arrows from the seven men posed no threat, the Demonic Sheep’s movements immediately became much bolder.

It kicked off a tree with its hind legs and shot forward, once again transforming into a streak of white light that cut a straight, snowy line through the night as it slashed directly towards Peng Bo, who was closest.

Clang…

Peng Bo’s reaction was not slow. He first sidestepped, then swung his ghost-head great saber in a diagonal slash, attempting to use the force of the Demonic Sheep’s impact to dodge its attack.

Unfortunately, he had clearly underestimated the Demonic Sheep’s strength.

Bang!

The moment his saber struck, the skin between Peng Bo’s thumb and forefinger split open. The saber was knocked from his grasp, and his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string for nearly a hundred meters.

Crucially, the Demonic Sheep was still ramming its head into the side of his waist.

Pfft…

Its strength is double mine, nearly twenty Mane! How is this possible?!

Peng Bo spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with disbelief. But then, a realization dawned on him, and his expression changed drastically.

“This is a Demonic Sheep on the verge of advancing to the thousand-eyed grade! Fall back!”

His warning was a little too late.

Chen Yingyuan, who was pursuing from a tree behind them, was descending from the sky, wielding his spear with both hands. The tip of his spear was aimed right at the Demonic Sheep’s left eye on its forehead.

Chen Yingyuan had heard Peng Bo’s warning, but he had already leaped from the tree. At this point, it was impossible to pull back his strength.

He could only grit his teeth and continue his downward thrust.

“Roar!”

The Demonic Sheep violently threw its head back, first sending Peng Bo flying, then immediately ducked down low. With an upward roar, the six golden-glowing horns on its forehead met Chen Yingyuan’s spear tip with incredible precision.

Ting…

Crack!

The clash of spear tip against horn tip was not loud, but an extremely crisp cracking sound came from Chen Yingyuan’s hands.

It was the sound of breaking bones.

“Run!”

Just like Peng Bo a moment ago, Chen Yingyuan’s expression changed. Without even a thought for the fact that he was still being targeted by the Demonic Sheep, he turned his head and roared at Luo Yuan, Xu Ning, and the other seven who were rushing over, signaling them to run.

Chen Yingyuan didn’t know if Luo Yuan and the others had run, but he certainly couldn’t escape now.

After knocking his long spear away, the Demonic Sheep relentlessly kicked off the ground and intercepted him in mid-air. It followed with a fierce ram, sending his body hurtling toward Peng Bo.

The Demonic Sheep had already torn a large hole in Peng Bo’s waist. Grievously injured, he was staggering forward, trying to escape, and had no time to look behind him.

Bang!

Chen Yingyuan’s body crashed directly into Peng Bo. Although he had absorbed much of the force at the moment of impact, he still sent Peng Bo flying.

It was a good thing he managed to grab hold of Peng Bo and neutralize most of the force. Otherwise, the collision would have worsened Peng Bo’s injuries, and he himself would not have fared any better.

This Demonic Sheep was actually trying to skewer two in one go. It didn’t want to let a single one of them go.

Whoosh…

“Run!”

Chen Yingyuan, who still had some strength left, sensed the Demonic Sheep charging over again. He shoved Peng Bo to the right and dodged to the left himself.

Normally, Chen Yingyuan’s reaction would have been fast enough, but he couldn’t compete with the Demonic Sheep’s incredible speed.

The horns on either side of the Demonic Sheep’s head pierced through both of their waists, leaving them impaled.

“It’s over. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have been so overconfident.”

A shadow of despair flickered in Chen Yingyuan’s eyes, and his heart trembled.

Peng Bo tried to free himself, fiercely hacking at the Demonic Sheep’s horn with his ghost-head great saber in a desperate attempt to stop it. But when he realized his efforts were futile, his expression also dimmed.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

A volley of swift iron arrows flew in from behind. Realizing that Luo Yuan and the others hadn’t abandoned them but were following, a glimmer of hope rose on the faces of both Chen and Peng.

But that glimmer was immediately extinguished.

The Demonic Sheep made no attempt to dodge. While continuing its forward charge with the two men impaled on its horns, the two eyes on its forehead suddenly burst open.

Zzzt…

From within two pure-gold, vertical pupils, a beam of golden light shot out from each.

The golden light carried a sharp aura, cutting through the snowy night and illuminating the surrounding few meters as it shot toward the space between Chen’s and Peng’s eyebrows.

“Block it!”

Neither Chen nor Peng sat and waited for death. They frantically twisted their heads to dodge.

Unfortunately, with their waists pierced, the range of movement for their heads was extremely limited. Although they narrowly avoided a fatal blow to the spot between their eyes, the golden light still pierced the sides of their foreheads. A large patch of flesh and scalp was torn right off, and blood instantly covered their faces.

Pfft!

“Roar—”

Intense pain shot through their minds. Before Chen and Peng could even think of a way to free themselves and escape, they suddenly heard the Demonic Sheep’s pained roar. Looking down, a joyful expression appeared on both their faces.

“Run, quickly!”

It was Xu Ning.

Xu Ning had managed to run over ahead of the others. Taking advantage of the brief moment the Demonic Sheep opened its eyes, he had pierced its left eye with an arrow.

Presented with such a perfect opportunity to escape, Chen and Peng didn’t hesitate. They both kicked hard at the Demonic Sheep’s head, enduring the pain to pull themselves free and flee.

However, the wounds on their waists were too severe; they couldn’t move quickly at all.

“Roar!”

The Demonic Sheep, having been struck by Xu Ning’s arrow, clearly had no intention of letting them escape.

Swoosh!

The Demonic Sheep erupted with even more terrifying speed and force than before. It closed the distance in an instant, and the horrific impact knocked both men down together. This was followed by a series of frenzied stomps.

Bang, bang, bang, bang…

“Roar!”

As it trampled them madly, the Demonic Sheep’s roars never ceased. Its originally two-meter-long body rapidly expanded with each roar. In no more than a dozen breaths, it transformed into a massive behemoth over twenty meters long.

“This is the Demonic Sheep’s combat form, just like that Snow Mane from Jinggu Valley!”

This thought flashed through Yue Feng’s mind as he quickly nocked an arrow and shot at the Demonic Sheep’s right eye. It wasn’t just him; Luo Yuan, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, and the other five did the same. They were all trying to use their bows to save Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo.

However, after the Demonic Sheep grew in size, rescuing them became much more difficult.

They couldn’t even see Chen and Peng, who were pinned under the Demonic Sheep’s body. And since they couldn’t pierce its hide, how could they even talk about rescuing the two?

What was worse, after its left eye was pierced, the Demonic Sheep became much more vigilant. It kept its head lowered, and even if it did lift its head, it would close its right eye, giving them no opportunity.

“It has its eyes closed, so how can it still fight without being affected?”

This thought flashed through Xu Ning’s mind. Recalling the Demonic Sheep’s characteristics, inspiration struck. He turned to a large tree beside him and quickly climbed up.

Bang, bang, bang…

The Demonic Sheep’s trampling continued. Seeing Chen and Peng struggling desperately under its feet, the faces of the others were filled with anxiety.

“I can’t just watch Big Brother die! I’m going to save him!”

Chen Yingba was the first to lose his composure. Chen Yingyuan was his biological older brother; he couldn’t just stand by and watch. He drew his great saber, charged forward, leaped onto the Demonic Sheep’s back without a second thought, and began hacking furiously at its neck.

Unfortunately, as Peng Bo had already said, none of them could break through this Demonic Sheep’s hide.

Just as Peng Bo had predicted, Chen Yingba’s actions were completely useless.

A casual toss of the Demonic Sheep’s head was enough to send him flying.

And that wasn’t all. A beam of golden light suddenly shot out from the Demonic Sheep’s back, speeding toward Chen Yingba.

Schlick!

As the golden light flew toward him, Chen Yingba blocked with his saber and spun around to dodge.

Although his clothes were torn, he had ultimately dodged it.

What was that sound just now?

Chen Yingba turned to look at the Demonic Sheep’s back, and his eyes instantly lit up.

An iron arrow glinting with silver was embedded in the Demonic Sheep’s back.

It was Xu Ning again!

Just as the Demonic Sheep was about to kill him, Xu Ning, from his perch in the tree, had acted again.

He had pierced the eye that the Demonic Sheep had opened.

“Get in the trees! No wonder closing its eyes didn’t affect its fighting. It has many eyes on its back that it opens from time to time to observe. We’ll have a chance from the trees! Wu Tianxing, you keep it busy and create an opening for Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo!”

Following Xu Ning’s furious shout from the tree, Luo Yuan and the others reacted instantly, all of them climbing into the surrounding trees.

Although a trace of fear flashed across Wu Tianxing’s face, he gritted his teeth, raised his great saber, and charged forward.

Under the frenzied trampling of the nearly thirty-meter-long Demonic Sheep, the snow on the ground had long since been swept away, revealing several craters in the bared earth. Inside, Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo dodged frantically, clearly exhausted.

Their dodging was more about avoiding fatal blows. It was basically impossible to completely evade the Demonic Sheep’s stomps without sustaining any injuries.

“This is not working! This Demonic Sheep has figured out our intentions and isn’t giving us any openings.”

“This beast is too smart.”

“Wu Tianxing’s strength isn’t enough to threaten it. It’s focused on killing them now.”

“Big Brother, dodge!”

…

However, with more people in the trees, the Demonic Sheep refrained from using its deadliest attacks again.

Seeing its body suddenly tense as it lowered its head to look at Chen and Peng below, everyone immediately understood its intentions. They cried out in alarm, warning Chen and Peng to find a chance to escape.

Nine Frostwarden realm experts, four in the late-Frostwarden realm, and two with nearly nine Mane of strength were not only powerless against a single high-level Demonic Sheep, but were even facing the possibility of being killed.

For an instant, whether it was Xu Ning, Luo Yuan, and the others in the trees, or Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo whose lives hung by a thread, they were all in a daze.

BOOM!

The Demonic Sheep lifted its two front hooves high into the air and brought them stomping down.

A massive bang erupted, and with the Demonic Sheep’s hooves as the epicenter, a horizontal shockwave of air suddenly erupted outwards.

Rumble…

As the shockwave spread, all the trees within a radius of five or six hundred meters shuddered violently.

Then, an incredibly terrifying scene unfolded.

All the trees within a radius of over five hundred meters were snapped in half at their bases.

The shockwave had actually blasted these trees, all around twenty meters in diameter, clean in two.

“Gulp…”

Xu Ning swallowed hard. Feeling the great tree beneath him begin to break, he quickly pushed aside his shock and leaped towards the snowy ground nearby.

Like him, Luo Yuan and the other five men in the trees also jumped down to safety.

Even Wu Tianxing, who had been tangling with the Demonic Sheep, was shocked speechless by the scene and retreated madly.

But in the moment everyone was dodging…

The Demonic Sheep moved!

Its back, its abdomen, its forehead, even its tail—every single muscle on its body began to stir.

…

Chapter 281: Thousand-Eyed Demonic Sheep, Terrifying Strength, Spirit Herbs

“ROAR!”

After the muscles all over the Demonic Sheep’s body finished twitching, it let out a heaven-shaking roar.

Immediately following, the seven who had yet to fully land—Luo Yuan, Xu Ning, and the others—as well as Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo, who were struggling to dodge under the Demonic Sheep’s belly, all seemed to sense something and glanced over simultaneously.

With that one glance, all nine felt their scalps tingle, and their bodies froze stiff.

What did they see!

On the surface of the Demonic Sheep’s body, covered in snow-white mane, hundreds upon thousands of eyes had opened at once.

The outer rims of those eyes were riddled with blood vessels, appearing hideously crimson from a distance, while inside were vertical, golden pupils. Eyes on different parts of its body were staring at the people in that direction, even turning to follow their movements, eerie and bewitching to the extreme.

“This isn’t a hundred-eyed grade… it’s a thousand-eyed grade Demonic Sheep! We’re finished!”

On the ground, Peng Bo looked up and saw the countless pupils on the Demonic Sheep’s belly. He then met the gaze of Chen Yingyuan, who was not far away. In an instant, they both saw despair on each other’s faces.

The Demonic Sheep had just shattered all the trees within half a kilometer precisely to drive Luo Yuan and the other seven down from their perches. In the moment it took for the seven to fall from the massive trees, they naturally had no chance to nock their arrows.

And it seized this opportunity to open all the eyes on its body.

Its purpose was self-evident!

Luo Yuan and the other six were farther away; they still had a chance to escape.

But the two of them were right under the Demonic Sheep’s belly.

There was simply no chance of escape.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh…

The next moment, just as Chen and Peng had feared, the thousand golden pupils on the Demonic Sheep’s body suddenly shot out a thousand sharp, golden beams.

Countless golden rays streaked across the snowy night, instantly illuminating the surrounding area for several kilometers.

Of the seven who fell from the trees, Yuan Cheng, Xu Ning, Luo Yuan, and Yue Feng were unable to dodge in time. At least four or five golden beams pierced through their bodies, and after they hit the ground, they were essentially immobilized.

Yuwen Tao, slightly stronger than the other six, managed to block the vital points with his broadsword, but his shoulder was still struck, and a large chunk of flesh was sheared off.

Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing, being the closest, suffered the worst fate. Their shoulders, chests, abdomens, and lower limbs were each hit by two or three golden beams on average, leaving their bodies riddled with a dozen bloody holes. They had already lost consciousness before they even hit the ground. Once they landed, blood gushed from their wounds, quickly staining their clothes red.

If the seven on the periphery, who were farther away, fared so poorly, then Chen and Peng, who were directly under the Demonic Sheep’s belly, should have been dead without a doubt.

But in reality, not only were they not dead, their injuries were the lightest of all.

“Leader!”

“Leader.”

A dark figure had blocked the way in front of them, deflecting all the golden beams shooting from the Demonic Sheep’s belly. Not only that, but the figure even picked them both up and threw them directly next to Yuwen Tao.

Having escaped death, Chen and Peng recognized that their savior was Xia Hong the moment they were thrown through the air. They cried out in overjoyed relief.

But in the next second, realizing that this thousand-eyed Demonic Sheep was even more terrifying than Xia Hong, they immediately prepared to shout a warning.

Unfortunately, before they could speak, Xia Hong spoke first.

“Didn’t you say there would be no problem? One Demonic Sheep, and it beat you into this state?”

Hearing the displeasure in Xia Hong’s tone, Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo immediately explained.

“Leader, we misjudged. This is a thousand-eyed Demonic Sheep.”

Peng Bo had previously thought this Demonic Sheep was merely on the verge of breaking through to the thousand-eyed grade. But having personally witnessed it shatter all the trees within half a kilometer, how could he not realize it now? They had been deceived by this Demonic Sheep.

“The strength of a high-grade Demonic Sheep is measured by the number of eyes on its body. The hundred-eyed grade is the most common, with strength between fifteen and eighteen Mane. This Demonic Sheep has over a thousand eyes on its body; its strength is definitely above twenty Mane…”

He quickly explained the Demonic Sheep’s strength, wanting to persuade Xia Hong to flee, but he was interrupted before he could finish.

Bang!

He was interrupted by Xia Hong’s high kick.

After tossing the two of them aside, Xia Hong remained standing under the Demonic Sheep’s abdomen. He didn’t even draw the saber from his waist; he simply kicked upward, striking the Demonic Sheep’s belly.

Then, a scene that left everyone dumbfounded occurred.

The Demonic Sheep, with its massive, nearly thirty-meter-long body, was kicked straight into the air by Xia Hong, flying twenty or thirty meters high.

And that wasn’t all. Xia Hong pushed off the ground, leaping over the Demonic Sheep’s head. A blood-jade-colored saber had already appeared in his hand.

Pfft!

Xia Hong reversed his grip on the saber and plunged downward, piercing straight through the Demonic Sheep’s neck. The terrifying force slammed the Demonic Sheep’s body into the ground, causing a tremendous bang.

Boom!

The Demonic Sheep had only shattered the trees within a half-kilometer radius just now. The shockwave from Xia Hong’s strike was even more terrifying, extending outward for another two hundred and fifty meters.

Crack…

“ROAR…”

The cracking of the bones in the Demonic Sheep’s neck was incredibly crisp. The roar it let out this time was even more furious than before, and because it was laced with a hint of pain, it was almost hysterical.

Thrash… thrash… thrash…

It was being pinned firmly to the ground by Xia Hong. Its four limbs flailed a dozen times. Realizing its strength was no match for Xia Hong’s, it let out a sudden roar, and the dense golden eyes all over its body opened once more.

Without exception, every one of the golden pupils in those eyes was locked onto Xia Hong.

It was going to fight for its life!

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh…

Hundreds of golden beams shot out from the eyes on the Demonic Sheep’s back, all aimed at Xia Hong.

Tch…

Xia Hong sneered, gripping his saber with both hands. While dodging the golden beams, he swung the blade around the Demonic Sheep’s neck, pulling it sharply downward from the left side.

At such a close distance, with hundreds of golden beams coming at him, it was unrealistic for Xia Hong to dodge them all completely. So, he merely avoided the vital areas, leaving his shoulder and back to take several dozen hits.

Those golden beams, which could pierce through the bodies of Peng Bo, Chen Yingyuan, and the others, only managed to break through Xia Hong’s hide when they struck him; they couldn’t penetrate his flesh.

Coupled with the fact that none of the hit areas were vital, Xia Hong was barely injured. His movements didn’t even falter.

The Demonic Sheep couldn’t hurt him, but the damage he inflicted on the Demonic Sheep was devastating.

That downward slash with the saber around the Demonic Sheep’s head left a half-meter-deep, exceptionally long gash on the left side of its neck.

Strangely, not a single drop of blood flowed from the wound!

In fact, when Xia Hong had first plunged his saber into the Demonic Sheep’s neck, no blood had spurted out either.

Such a deep wound, yet no blood?

The faces of Chen and Peng were filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Soon, an exclamation from Yuwen Tao cleared up their confusion.

“The Cold Blood Saber! The Leader’s Cold Blood Saber can devour the blood of Frost Beasts!”

Thrash… thrash… thrash…

Its life-saving move had failed. Realizing it was cornered, the Demonic Sheep began its most frantic struggle, its limbs flailing wildly on the ground. From time to in time, it tried to gore with its sharp horns, attempting to throw off or knock away the man on its neck.

However, it was all in vain.

Xia Hong switched to a one-handed grip, keeping the Cold Blood Saber embedded in the Demonic Sheep’s neck while his other hand drew the Dragon Sparrow Saber. Following the gash that had already been cut open in its neck, he stabbed it straight in.

Pfft…

With this strike, Xia Hong aimed straight for the Demonic Sheep’s skull.

As the blade pierced through, the Demonic Sheep’s body instantly tensed up. Its flailing limbs went rigid, and all movement ceased.

Schlick…

Realizing the Demonic Sheep was dead, Xia Hong quickly withdrew the Cold Blood Saber to prevent it from draining all the blood from the corpse.

After the Demonic Sheep’s last breath faded, its massive body immediately began to shrink, gradually contracting from its nearly thirty-meter length back to its previous size of just over two meters.

Once it returned to its normal form, the densely packed golden eyes on its surface were clearly visible, nauseating and utterly unsettling.

Xia Hong shifted his gaze from the Demonic Sheep’s corpse to the Cold Blood Saber in his hand, its color now even more vivid. His expression trembled slightly.

He could clearly feel that the Cold Blood Saber in his hand had become heavier!

When Mu Dong gave him the Cold Blood Saber at the beginning of the year, it was only a little over four hundred catties. When he killed the first high-grade Frost Wolf just now, it became over five hundred catties. Now, after killing this Demonic Sheep, it had become over six hundred catties.

“It’s basically confirmed. This Cold Blood Saber can continuously increase its weight by absorbing the blood of Frost Beasts. I just don’t know what its limit is!”

Generally speaking, a weapon that weighs one-tenth of one’s base strength could be considered suitable. With his current base strength, even the sixty or seventy thousand catty Dragon Sparrow Saber felt unwieldy. The four-hundred-plus catty Cold Blood Saber was even more so; it felt almost as light as a feather in his hand.

The problem was, with the camp’s current forging capabilities, crafting a weapon of a suitable weight for him was a secondary concern compared to the sheer amount of time, manpower, and difficulty involved. It was something that definitely couldn’t be accomplished in a short period.

This feature of the Cold Blood Saber perfectly solved that problem.

While Xia Hong was excited about the Cold Blood Saber’s special property, Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, and the seven injured members, including Yuwen Tao, stared at the Demonic Sheep corpse at his feet, their hearts already churning with monstrous waves.

The image of Xia Hong slaying the Demonic Sheep flashed repeatedly in their minds. Their faces were filled with shock and horror, and only one question remained.

“Just how strong is the Leader?”

Compared to Yuwen Tao and the others, the shock in the hearts of Chen and Peng was even greater.

Since returning from Longyou, they had learned a lot about the situation in Great Xia. They knew very well that Xia Hong’s greatest feat to date was rescuing Hou Hu from Li Tiancheng.

From that incident, it seemed Xia Hong’s base strength was between seventeen and eighteen Mane. This was already considered top-tier in Longyou, very strong indeed.

But only now did they realize that Xia Hong’s strength was far beyond that.

“The power that Demonic Sheep just unleashed was definitely above twenty Mane, but in the Leader’s hands, it didn’t even have a chance to fight back before it was killed!”

“The Demonic Sheep’s ultimate attack couldn’t even pierce the Leader’s flesh, only breaking his hide. This strength… this strength…”

Chen and Peng exchanged a glance and swallowed hard.

“Everyone, get up. Check on their injuries.”

Hearing the displeasure in Xia Hong’s voice, Chen and Peng’s faces flushed red. Seeing that everyone around them was injured, they were filled with guilt. After getting up, they walked directly to Xia Hong and bowed deeply.

“This subordinate has failed in his duties. I beg for the Leader’s forgiveness!”

“Peng Bo’s strength was lacking, and I boasted recklessly, causing my brothers to be injured and nearly lose their lives. Please punish me, Leader.”

There was a reason for their proactive plea for punishment.

Last night, when they entered deep into Redwood Ridge, Xia Hong had intended to lead everyone to hunt a few high-grade Frost Beasts to test the waters. It was Chen and Peng who volunteered, saying they could handle it with the other seven. Only then did Xia Hong let them hunt on their own while he went deeper.

He never expected that he had only just hunted a Frost Wolf in the deeper regions when he came out to find the nine of them beaten so badly. If he had been any later, there would likely have been deaths.

Xia Hong had no intention of blaming them. He just waved his hand helplessly and asked, “Yanglu and Hive are both north of Redwood Ridge. This surely isn’t your first or second time entering the ridge. How could you still pick the wrong prey?”

The biggest problem in this disaster was clearly that Chen and Peng had chosen the wrong target, a Frost Beast far stronger than them. It was no injustice that they were beaten so badly.

The issue was that both of them were leaders of their respective factions. In terms of age, they should have had rich hunting experience. To make such a severe mistake was indeed inappropriate, which was why Xia Hong had asked.

Hearing the underlying meaning in Xia Hong’s words, the two old men’s faces turned beet red.

Finally, Chen Yingyuan spoke up to explain, “Leader, you may not know, but we have always entered Redwood Ridge from the north before, generally only going about ten kilometers deep. Normally, the high-grade Demonic Sheep that appear in that range are all hundred-eyed grade. For a thousand-eyed grade Demonic Sheep to appear only seven kilometers in, both old Peng and I truly did not expect it…”

Hearing this explanation, Xia Hong finally understood.

Hive and Yanglu were both north of Redwood Ridge. For Chen and Peng, the eastern side of the ridge was indeed completely unfamiliar territory. Adding to that, Yuwen Tao and the others knew nothing about high-grade Frost Beasts. In that case, such a mistake was indeed unavoidable.

“The hunting grounds for high-grade Frost Beasts can only be slowly explored by you all from both sides. It would be best to connect the north and east sides. That way, the hunting grounds will be much broader in the future. Also, consolidate the hunting area information from Yanglu, Hive, and Wushuang and submit it to Great Xia as soon as possible to avoid such mistakes in the future!”

Yuwen Tao immediately nodded. “Rest assured, Leader. I already took care of this last month. The current exploration depth on the north side is ten kilometers, while the east side is only five. The Hunting Department’s recent exploration focus has been on the northeast. It should only take a few months to completely connect the two areas.”

Only then did Xia Hong show a satisfied expression and nod.

Just then, Peng Bo seemed to think of something. Dragging his injured body, he hurried over to the large tree where the Demonic Sheep had been resting. After rummaging around for a bit, he soon let out a cry of surprise.

“Leader, come look!”

The Demonic Sheep had already knocked down all the trees within half a kilometer, and the tree it had been occupying was naturally no exception.

Xia Hong led the group to the top of the broken tree and followed the direction Peng Bo was pointing. His expression instantly shook.

On some of the main branches of that large tree, clusters of spiraling, dark green leaves were growing. And in the center of some of those leaves grew a few fist-sized, dual-colored fruits, more than ten in total.

The fruits were half blue and half red, with flesh as transparent as liquid, making them quite ornamental.

“Dual-Colored Liquid Spirit Fruit and Coiling Incense Leaf!”

Xia Hong went forward and sniffed the leaves and fruits, his face immediately lighting up with pleasant surprise.

“Leader has sharp eyes. These are indeed the two essential spirit herbs for concocting the Jade Bone Elixir. This Coiling Incense Leaf is a symbiotic spirit plant of the Demonic Sheep and also their favorite food. Wherever a Demonic Sheep makes its lair, there’s a high probability of finding it. This Demonic Sheep must have been here for quite some time; there’s a lot of Coiling Incense Leaf. If we had come earlier, there might have been even more spirit fruits.”

Essential spirit herbs for concocting the Jade Bone Elixir!

Xia Hong and Peng Bo’s points of excitement were not the same.

Or rather, he was excited about more than just that.

These two spirit herbs were not only used to refine Yang Core Pills; crucially, they were also the main ingredients for refining Blood Origin Pills.

The Blood Origin Pill was a supplementary cultivation pill for those at the Earthforger limit. In a sense, it could accelerate the creation of Frostwarden realm experts in the camp.

Xia Hong suddenly thought of something, his eyes brightening. He looked at Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo and continued to ask, “Are there any other types of spirit herbs that are symbiotic with other high-grade Frost Beasts? You’ve hunted quite a few high-grade Frost Beasts before. Tell me everything you know.”

This was critical information that could be obtained without risking lives.

Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo had been in the camp for so long, yet he was only asking about this now.

Xia Hong slapped his forehead, cursing himself for his stupidity.

Chapter 282: Winning Loyalty, Expanding Territory, and the Vanishing Army

Xia Hong had originally thought that the greatest significance of annexing the three Longyou camps was gaining a massive population.

But after this hunt, he was shocked to realize it was far more than that.

It wasn’t just the population; the decades of survival experience accumulated by the three camps in hunting, foraging, alchemy, food, and production were also an extremely precious asset.

From the perspective of the camp’s development, this experience was even more important than the population.

Danger often stems from the unknown, and absorbing the accumulated experience of predecessors was the fastest and most cost-effective way for future generations to understand and familiarize themselves with the unfamiliar.

He became even more certain of his thoughts, especially when Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo each described the methods for finding and gathering two or three types of precious spirit ingredients.

“The Crimson Sun Fruit tree is very small, but it loves the cold light, so it usually grows in high places. It blooms at night and bears fruit during the day. The ripening period is very short, lasting only two hours, so you have to pick it at midday.”

“Frosty Whisker Grass and Exquisite Fruit are the favorite foods of high-grade Blue Moon Spirits. If you want to find these two spirit herbs, you need to find high-grade Blue Moon Spirits first.”

“Ice Soul Liquid is a gel formed when Ice Soul Stones absorb cold energy. Ice Soul Stones are naturally occurring stones with smooth, oval surfaces that are exposed and not covered by snow. These stones are rare and are usually found on mountain peaks or in the nests of high-grade avian Frost Beasts.”

“The Yinyang Flower is considered a specialty of Longshan. It can be found in caves that see no light year-round, or in deep valleys and ravines.”

Crimson Sun Fruit, Frosty Whisker Grass, Exquisite Fruit, Ice Soul Liquid, Yinyang Flower…

If he had to rely on himself or the camp’s hunting teams to figure this all out, it would not only take a vast amount of time but would also likely cost many lives.

But now, they had learned it directly from Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo.

And that wasn’t all. As the leaders of their respective camps, the survival knowledge Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo possessed surely went beyond these few points.

“This is no small matter. I must inform Xia Chuan when I get back and have him and the Six Departments compile all the survival experience from the three camps. It would be best to compile it into a book…”

While Xia Hong was mulling this over, Yuwen Tao and Chen Yingyuan had already gathered all the injured.

Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing were the most seriously injured and had fallen unconscious. Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, and the other two were slightly better off, having recovered some mobility after taking Blood Sore Pills.

“Let’s prepare to send everyone back to Xiacheng. Peng Bo, I left some prey in that big tree over there. Go and get it.”

More prey?

Peng Bo was stunned for a moment, but he immediately ran in the direction Xia Hong pointed.

Chen Yingyuan and the others were also a little confused, but their expressions soon froze when they saw the prey Peng Bo brought back from the large tree.

What Peng Bo brought back was a blue Frost Wolf, over a meter long.

The Frost Wolf’s entire pelt was a brilliant, washed blue. Aside from the eyeball pierced through on the left side of its face, there were no other obvious wounds. Its body, not yet completely stiff, indicated that it had been dead for no more than ten minutes.

In other words, this Frost Wolf had been killed instantly with a single stab through the eye!

No, Yuwen Tao and the other seven even suspected that the Frost Wolf hadn’t even entered its combat form before Xia Hong killed it with a single blow.

The Leader had just killed a high-grade Frost Wolf?

The image of Xia Hong cleanly killing the Demonic Sheep was still fresh in their minds. The seven of them had not yet recovered from their shock. Now, learning that Xia Hong had also killed a high-grade Frost Wolf before saving them, the tremor in their hearts was unimaginable.

“Just how many Mane is the Leader’s base strength now?”

“Ten times mine? Could it be even more?”

…

Xia Hong was, of course, unaware of the thoughts in the seven men’s minds. He lifted the Demonic Sheep’s corpse, weighed it in his hands a few times, and immediately had a good idea.

“The Frost Wolf should yield just over three catties of bone; the Demonic Sheep a bit more. It should yield over five catties.”

This was normal. The stronger the Frost Beast, the greater the yield of Jade Bone.

“Leader, it’s not just the Jade Bone. The flesh and blood of a high-grade Frost Beast are precious too!”

Peng Bo had already taken out a skin pouch and was collecting the Frost Wolf’s blood. Seeing that Xia Hong had only mentioned the Jade Bone yield, he immediately spoke up to remind him.

“A high-grade Frost Beast has about ten to fifteen catties of blood. It might seem like only a quarter of a mid-grade Frost Beast’s, but its effect is more than ten times greater.”

“The meat is even more remarkable. High-grade beast meat not only contains an enormous amount of energy, but critically, this energy can be stored in the human body and released automatically according to physical exertion!”

After Peng Bo finished, Chen Yingyuan nodded and continued, “Furthermore, the flesh and blood of high-grade Frost Beasts can be considered two types of spirit ingredients themselves, useful for alchemy. We at Hive had a pharmacist before who had many pill recipes that used them.”

Hearing their reminders, a smile appeared on Xia Hong’s face.

He had cut off the arm of a high-grade Snow Mane in Jing Valley before, so he was well aware of the special properties of high-grade Frost Beast flesh and blood.

The reason he smiled was because of Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo’s initiative.

After all, they were leaders of giant camps. Combined with the not-so-honorable methods Great Xia had used to march into Longyou and subdue their two camps, Xia Hong was well aware that these four—Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, Wu Tianxing, and Chen Yingba—had little sense of belonging to the camp.

Clearly, the portion of strength he had just displayed had caused a subtle change in their attitudes.

It wasn’t to say that the four of them would become die-hard loyalists to Great Xia from now on.

A change in attitude doesn’t happen overnight; it’s bound to be a slow process.

As long as there was a good start, it would eventually bear fruit.

“Alright, let’s head back!”

At Xia Hong’s command, the group carried the unconscious Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing on their backs, packed up the two kills, along with the harvested Dual-Liquid Rainbow Spirit Fruits and Coiling Incense Leaves, and followed him on the journey back.

On the way back, sensing the auras of many high-grade Frost Beasts nearby, the group couldn’t help but quicken their pace, as if they only felt safe by Xia Hong’s side.

Xia Hong noticed their movements and shook his head slightly. His gaze then shifted to the western depths of Redwood Ridge, and he sighed softly to himself.

“If we continue at this pace, I wonder how many years it will take to explore all of Redwood Ridge. I have to think of a way!”

Before the Longyou conflict, the Hunting Department’s exploration depth in Redwood Ridge was only six kilometers. When the hostilities in Longyou began, a large number of elites were transferred over, and exploration came to a standstill.

It was hard to imagine that in the nearly three years since Xia Hong took over the valley, Great Xia’s exploration of Redwood Ridge had only covered the outer six kilometers. Including the extra kilometer they advanced tonight, it was only seven kilometers in total.

Of course, as Xia Hong’s strength grew, he was able to observe more and more, so he wasn’t as ignorant about Redwood Ridge as before.

“I can now basically confirm that Redwood Ridge’s eastern side is Double Dragon Mountain; its southern end is the Xing River; the northern side is Pingxi Plain; and it connects to Longshan in the west. In the future, as long as we merge our explored territory with that of Yanglu and Hive, and control the southern border along the Xing River, all that’s left will be to explore westward. Once we can see Longshan, we’ll have taken the entirety of Redwood Ridge…”

Xia Hong had explored before; the total depth of Redwood Ridge to the west was visually estimated to be over two hundred kilometers. At the camp’s current exploration efficiency, it would likely take several decades, or even a century, to explore the entire territory.

“Hunting teams are too small and not strong enough, after all. To speed up exploration, we’ll have to rely on the army. I hope the Cloud Serpent Army doesn’t disappoint me!”

A glint flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes as he withdrew his gaze and continued heading towards Xiacheng.

An army comprised of a thousand fully equipped and well-trained warriors at the Earthforger limit. Unless it was a massive beast tide on the scale of tens of thousands like the one in the Arrow Bamboo Forest, no Frost Beast could stop them. They could even hold their ground against small or medium-sized beast tides.

Once the Cloud Serpent Army truly became a fighting force, exploring Redwood Ridge would be much simpler.

…

Xia Hong returned to Xiacheng quietly with the nine men. The Frostwarden realm experts were all shocked to see their injuries.

Since they would also be hunting high-grade Frost Beasts in the future, they eagerly tried to get information from Yuwen Tao and the others. Naturally, Yuwen Tao’s group held nothing back and told them everything.

Chen Yingba’s and Wu Tianxing’s injuries were too severe, so they had to stay in Xiacheng to recuperate for over a month. For the time being, the camp had lost two high-end Frostwarden realm combatants.

Fortunately, Great Xia had no battles to fight in the near future, so the impact wasn’t significant.

Xia Chuan moved quickly. Although Xia Hong had given him five days, he took only one day to finalize the thousand-man roster for the Cloud Serpent Army in the Hunting Department.

On the night of the fifth day of the sixth month, the list was placed on Xia Hong’s desk.

Perhaps because he had already begun managing the army, Xia Chuan was now wearing light gold Hundred-forged armor. He cupped his hands and explained to Xia Hong, “We currently have 803 people at the Earthforger limit. The remaining 197 all have a base strength of over twenty-seven thousand. With a sufficient supply of Beast Spirit Pills and beast meat, it’s estimated they can all break through to the Earthforger limit within three months.”

After a quick scan of the list, Xia Hong asked:

“Have all these people gathered in Xiacheng?”

Xia Chuan shook his head and replied, “Two hundred seventy-five people are scattered between the Wushuang and Hanqiong outposts. The remaining seven hundred twenty-five are in Xiacheng. I’ve given them one day to handle all their personal affairs. After nightfall on the ninth day of the sixth month, I will lead them to Wushuang to rendezvous with the others.”

Before the Martial Arts Tournament, Wushuang and Hanqiong each had a thousand Earthforger realm warriors stationed there, and naturally, some of them were at the Earthforger limit.

This newly drafted army was intended to be stationed in Longyou anyway. It was more convenient for Xia Chuan to take the seven hundred-plus men from Xiacheng directly there rather than have the two hundred-plus men from the outposts make a trip back.

Xia Hong nodded and continued asking, “How many sets of weapons and armor has the Artisan Workshop prepared? It’s probably not enough yet, is it?”

The weapons and armor for the army had to be of Hundred-forged grade. If he remembered correctly, when he returned at the end of the fourth month, Mu Dong had said the workshop produced five Hundred-forged weapons and two sets of Hundred-forged armor per day. It had been less than forty days since then, so the quantity was definitely insufficient.

As expected, Xia Chuan nodded, a helpless look on his face.

“The Artisan Department has only managed to gather 350 Hundred-forged Sabers, 870 thirty-Stone iron-core bows, and 140 sets of Hundred-forged Thunder Kui iron armor. The weapons aren’t an urgent issue; basically every Earthforger limit warrior in the camp has a Hundred-forged weapon of their own, so they can use those for now. Combined with their own bows, we have enough iron-core bows as well. The main problem is the battle armor. I’ve already ordered Mu Dong to speed things up.”

The Hundred-forged iron armor forged by Great Xia’s workshop was mixed with Thunder Kui skulls, which was why it had a faint golden sheen and its defensive capabilities were at least thirty to fifty percent stronger than normal Hundred-forged iron armor.

The forging process was more complex, so it naturally took more time.

“How long is it expected to take?”

Xia Chuan pondered for a moment before answering, “All fifty furnaces in the Weaponry Workshop are being used to forge battle armor. They can produce about four to five sets a day. At the fastest, it will likely still take four to five months.”

This was an issue of foundation!

Great Xia had started too late, after all. Things like Hundred-forged battle armor had nothing to do with forging skill; they simply required a massive investment of time to manufacture.

The reason Longshan and Zhaoyang could produce so many was simple: they had previously invested a great deal of effort in this area.

If Great Xia wanted to catch up now, it had to spend the same amount of time.

“Too slow. Tell Mu Dong to find a way to increase the number of artisans. Hundred-forged battle armor, weapons, and iron-core bows—these are both necessities and consumables. We’ll need more and more of them in the future. With the recent population boom, have him put more effort into this. Such a slow forging speed will cause delays down the line.”

“Understood, Big Brother!”

The lack of battle armor was a problem that certainly couldn’t be solved in the short term.

Fortunately, they weren’t going to war immediately. At worst, they could make do with Ten-forged grade armor for a while. As long as no major battles occurred, it wouldn’t be a serious issue.

Over the next two days, Xiacheng visibly stirred to life.

Many warriors at the Earthforger limit bid farewell to their former hunting teams, made arrangements with their families, and reported to the barracks that Xia Chuan had constructed in advance in the Outer City.

The so-called barracks was just a simple, two-story wooden building. Perhaps to maintain the Cloud Serpent Army’s mystique, Xia Chuan had constructed the entire building to be completely enclosed, with only a few windows on the top floor, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to see what was happening inside.

After nightfall on the sixth day of the sixth month, the seven hundred twenty-five men in Xiacheng had all entered the barracks. Once inside, they never came out again.

The sounds of fighting often came from the barracks, making the residents of the Outer City very curious. Many people tried to get a closer look but were driven away by the soldiers guarding the perimeter.

This undoubtedly added to the Cloud Serpent Army’s mysteriousness, piquing even more people’s curiosity. Unfortunately, no matter who came, the Cloud Serpent Army denied them entry.

“I heard they’re disciplining the disobedient ones. The beatings are brutal.”

“Nonsense. They’re clearly selecting captains and military officers.”

“No, no, they’re being divided into battalions. I heard the Cloud Serpent Army is split into ten battalions. The strongest group was assigned to the Scout Battalion. The remaining one through nine are also divided by strength. The stronger you are, the lower your battalion number.”

“What’s the Scout Battalion?”

“You don’t even know that? The Scout Battalion is the most elite group. They get to stay by the Marshal’s side, acting as his eyes and ears, basically his personal guard. I heard the commander of the Scout Battalion has to be at the Frostwarden realm.”

“A Frostwarden realm expert as a commander, tsk tsk!”

…

Some rumors quickly spread, causing a stir both inside and outside Xiacheng. Everyone became even more curious about the Cloud Serpent Army.

Unfortunately, the secrecy surrounding the barracks was simply too good.

Since the barracks were sealed on the sixth day of the sixth month, no one had been able to get near, not even those at the Frostwarden realm.

It wasn’t until the ninth day of the sixth month, after nightfall, that people leaving the city were shocked to discover that the massive barracks in the Outer City had vanished into thin air.

“It vanished? The barracks vanished?”

“It didn’t vanish, they left.”

“What about the wooden building? Such a big building is gone too?”

“They dismantled it. I happened to see it right after nightfall. More than seven hundred men tore the building down directly. They finished in just a few minutes, astonishingly fast.”

“The whole army is gone?”

“Gone. I heard they went to Longyou to relieve the garrison.”

Chapter 283: The Vanished Beast Tide, Ten Times the Marching Speed

The Second Year of Great Xia, the ninth day of the sixth month.

More than an hour after nightfall, northwest of the Hive, snow filled the sky.

Due to the low vegetation coverage on the Pingxi Plain, the accumulated snow on the ground was much thicker than elsewhere, often reaching three to five meters. It was not unusual for some low-lying areas to be a dozen meters deep, and the occasional ravine could even approach a hundred.

Given the hardness of the ground in the Ice Abyss, a fall from a dozen meters could break the bones of even a Lumberjack realm practitioner; from a height of nearly a hundred meters, even a newly ascended Earthforger would likely be severely injured.

As a result, travel had become a troublesome affair for those living in the Longyou region.

Fortunately, the vast majority of people usually kept to their own territory and rarely crossed into the domain of other camps. As for those at the Frostwarden realm, or the stronger practitioners of the Earthforger realm, they could find ways to overcome these difficulties.

“That’s under normal circumstances. From late April to early May, we relocated a total of more than seventy thousand people from Longyou back to Xiacheng. We encountered all sorts of accidents along the way—frost beasts, roadblocks, ravines, snowdrifts… We suffered around four hundred casualties during the migration. We were lucky we didn’t run into any anomalies, or that number would have likely multiplied several times over.”

On a raised, snowy hill, Xia Chuan, Peng Bo, Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, Lu Yang, Meng Yi, and Lin Kai stood in a circle behind Xia Hong.

Clad in pale gold armor, Xia Chuan couldn’t help but sigh with emotion upon hearing Peng Bo’s description of the Longyou terrain.

Peng Bo nodded in agreement. “Last month’s population migration was indeed a special case. We don’t usually have so many people moving together. But honestly, to successfully move more than seventy thousand people from Longyou all the way to Xiacheng in half a month with a casualty rate of less than one percent… I doubt anyone from any other camp would believe it if they heard.”

Peng Bo’s words immediately struck a chord with Chen Yingyuan.

“From Wushuang to the Hive, then through Jing Valley to Xiacheng, it’s over seventy kilometers in a straight line. Factoring in the detours, it’s at least a hundred kilometers. To complete the migration of more than seventy thousand people in half a month is truly incredible!”

Hearing the sighs of Chen and Peng, the three who had participated in the migration—Lu Yang, Meng Yi, and Lin Kai—showed a hint of pride on their faces.

Xia Chuan was no exception, but after a moment’s thought, he smiled and explained, “It was thanks to having people from Wushuang who knew the routes, plus we deployed a large number of elite troops along the way to ensure safety. That’s why the migration was so smooth. Of course…”

He paused, turning his head to look at a spot not far from the snowy hill, and continued, “The most important thing was the Xia Direct Road. The hardest part of the journey was actually this stretch in Longyou. Once everyone reached Jing Valley, they could take the direct road back to Xiacheng, and their speed increased several times over.”

Everyone followed his gaze and nodded slightly.

Clang, clang, clang…

From the base of the snowy hill, the rhythmic sound of metal being hammered echoed.

Following the sound, one could see a five-meter-tall bonfire not far from the hill.

Several hundred people were gathered around the fire: some forging iron, some driving stakes, some cutting wood, some hauling logs. On the periphery, numerous well-armored members of elite hunting teams, holding powerful bows, were on patrol.

Everyone had a clear role, carrying out their duties with fiery enthusiasm.

“We need a log, two meters in diameter!”

“Starting to lay the horizontal planks! Need ten people to lend a hand!”

“Clear the snow path ahead! Get ready to drive stakes over there!”

“Coming, coming!”

………………

Upon closer inspection, one would discover a black tunnel entrance buried in the snow directly behind the bonfire.

People carrying tools were constantly going in and out of the entrance, some transporting lumber and iron, others hauling coal and stone… They were clearly construction workers.

It was hard to imagine that in the extreme cold of a deep night in the southeastern corner of Longyou, there could be such a large-scale construction site with so many people involved.

“The Xia Direct Road from Jing Valley to the Hive is already complete. There are two sections currently under construction simultaneously. This one before us connects the Hive to Wushuang, and the other connects the Hive to Hanqiong’s Gourd Valley. Once both are finished, whether it’s transporting supplies or mobilizing personnel from Longyou to Redwood Ridge, not only will the efficiency be far greater than before, but the speed will be more than ten times faster.”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, the expressions of the group brightened with excitement.

Transporting supplies was secondary; mobilizing personnel was the key.

What did ten times faster even mean?

A journey that originally took ten hours could now be completed in just one. For an individual, it might not seem like much, but what about for a large army?

Crucially, the Xia Direct Road was buried beneath the snow, completely enclosed and dark. This meant that travel would not be affected during the day either.

“The Xia Direct Road is a massive project requiring a great deal of manpower and resources, so the construction period is long. But precisely because of this, it is also difficult to destroy. Unless a Frostwarden realm practitioner relentlessly attacks it over a long period, or a massive beast tide tramples it, at most only a section would be damaged. As long as it’s repaired in time, its maintenance cost is almost negligible compared to the enormous benefits it brings to the camp.”

Spoken like a true leader, Chen Yingyuan had pinpointed the crucial aspect of the Xia Direct Road in a single sentence.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Once the Xia Direct Road is built, there’s almost no maintenance cost. It’s just a matter of periodically clearing the snow above it and having the hunting teams at each outpost patrol it once every night. If there are any problems, they report them to the Artisan Department for timely repairs. Moreover, as the camp’s supply of iron ore becomes more abundant, the construction standards for the direct roads everywhere are getting higher. For example, this road connecting the Hive and Wushuang already uses a lot of iron for stability. We won’t even need to clear the snow anymore, so the maintenance cost will only get lower.”

After finishing his supplement, Xia Chuan turned his head only to find that Xia Hong had been staring fixedly in the southwest direction. He immediately stepped forward and asked softly, “Leader, are you worried about that White Dew Aberration?”

Xia Hong came back to his senses. He first shook his head, then glanced at the Xia Direct Road under construction, and asked the group with a slight frown, “What do you all think? Is it possible that the absence of the beast tide in the Arrow Bamboo Forest in May has something to do with that White Dew Aberration?”

At this question, everyone’s expression tensed slightly as they fell into thought.

After nightfall, they had not taken the Xia Direct Road with the Cloud Serpent Army. Instead, they had traveled through the snow, crossed the Arrow Bamboo Forest to Jing Valley, journeyed from there to the Hive, and finally arrived at their current location.

The reason Xia Hong asked this was because Yue Feng had reported something to him when they passed through Jing Valley.

All eight of them had been present at the time, so they had heard it too.

The beast tide in the Arrow Bamboo Forest, which had previously occurred once every four months, had vanished!

After Yue Feng’s report, not just Xia Hong, but all of them had been stunned.

It went without saying for Xia Chuan and the others, but since Yanglu and the Hive had previously relied on Redwood Ridge for survival, Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo also knew about the beast tide.

In the past, every four months, after the crystal fruits ripened, tens of thousands of frost beasts would gather in Redwood Ridge, forming a massive beast tide that rushed towards the Arrow Bamboo Forest.

According to the schedule, it should have arrived in early May.

But this year, it was truly gone.

In early May, they had been busy migrating the large population from Longyou. It was only after Yue Feng’s reminder that the nine of them, including Xia Hong, finally realized it.

It was a good thing the beast tide didn’t come this year; otherwise, the migration certainly wouldn’t have been so swift.

Xia Hong’s recent distraction was clearly due to him constantly pondering the reason for the vanished beast tide.

There is a reason for everything. The beast tide, which had occurred every four months without fail for years, had suddenly disappeared this year. It was not unreasonable for Xia Hong to connect this event with the resurgence of the White Dew Aberration this year.

But the eight of them remained silent, none daring to speak up and confirm Xia Hong’s suspicion.

The reason was simple enough. The idea that the White Dew Aberration was not dead was, up to this point, just a guess by Yuwen Tao, with no evidence to support it.

If Xia Hong’s guess were correct, it would be an indirect admission that Yuwen Tao’s theory was true—the White Dew Aberration was indeed not dead, and it was highly likely that it was secretly controlling a large number of frost beasts, plotting something sinister.

If that were the case, this matter would be enormous!

“Alright, I’m being foolish. Asking you all is worse than going to Yanglu to see for myself. After we rest in Wushuang for two days, Peng Bo, you will lead the way. We’ll go to Yangyuan Peak and see what the situation is.”

“Yes, your subordinate obeys.”

Peng Bo’s expression was somewhat emotional. Yangyuan Peak was the home he had lived in for decades. It had been nearly two months, and he thought about going back to see it every single moment.

“Someone’s coming from the direct road!”

“It’s an army! It’s the army from Xiacheng!”

“Make way, everyone, make way!”

“It must be the army being stationed at Wushuang. Quick, make way!”

“Clear a path for the army!”

……………………

Suddenly, a commotion erupted among the crowd building the direct road not far from the snowy hill.

The workers who had been clustered around the bonfire immediately cleared a path from the tunnel’s mouth.

As the tunnel entrance became visible, soldiers clad in pale gold armor, wielding Hundred-forged sabers, and carrying powerful bows and quivers, marched out at a brisk pace.

“Is this… the army from Xiacheng?”

“Their armor… why is it all gold?”

“Look at the sabers in their hands! They’re all Hundred-forged sabers.”

“Their bows! Even the bows on their backs are Hundred-forged grade!”

“Just the weight of this gear must be ten thousand kilograms, right? And they’re walking without even breathing hard. This…”

“Is Great Xia’s strength really that terrifying?”

………………

Most of the people building the direct road here were captives from Longyou; only a small portion were artisans transferred from Great Xia.

The first time the artisans from Great Xia saw the Cloud Serpent Army, their faces filled with pride. But it was different for the Longyou captives. They had not yet been to Great Xia, and upon seeing these soldiers, they all gasped in astonishment.

The captives building the road were only at the Lumberjack realm; they couldn’t see through the cultivation levels of the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers at all and could only guess at their strength based on the weight they carried.

“Raise the banner!”

Whoosh…

After about a hundred soldiers had emerged, a sharp command rang out. A seven- or eight-meter-tall banner was suddenly raised at the front of the formation, unfurling in the cold wind.

The banner was predominantly black, about two meters wide and four meters long. A large, golden character for “Xia” dominated the entire front, while the back was embroidered with a golden, soaring serpent. The cold wind howled, making the banner snap and flutter, and the soaring serpent seemed to be gliding through the clouds, incredibly lifelike.

“Accelerate the advance! Don’t delay the construction of the direct road! Move!”

………………

“That’s Liu Yuan’s voice leading them, right? You made him the Commander of the Cloud Serpent Army’s Scout Battalion. What about your Cloud Serpent Squad?”

On the snowy hill, upon seeing that the commander was Liu Yuan, Xia Hong immediately questioned Xia Chuan.

The formation of this army had drained nearly every Earthforger limit member from all the Intermediate Hunting Squads, and the Cloud Serpent Squad was no exception. He had thought that Xia Chuan would keep Liu Yuan in the squad, but unexpectedly, he had been brought into the Cloud Serpent Army as well.

“I had no choice; there was no one else available. Anyway, I brought the Cloud Serpent Squad to Wushuang as well. Liu Yuan can serve as my Scout Battalion’s Commander while also being the Captain of the Cloud Serpent Squad. There’s no conflict.”

As expected, the Cloud Serpent Army would be stationed at Wushuang for the long term. By bringing the Cloud Serpent Squad over as well, it truly wouldn’t affect Liu Yuan holding two positions. This could be considered Xia Chuan finding a loophole.

Xia Hong shook his head with a light laugh, not minding it, and continued to ask, “How long did it take the army to get here from Xiacheng?”

When Xia Hong asked this, the gazes of the other seven men immediately focused on Xia Chuan, their faces showing a hint of curiosity.

Xia Chuan looked up at the sky and replied, “One hour.”

One hour!

Hearing this answer, all eight people present, including Xia Hong, were visibly stirred, their faces tinged with excitement.

“It’s seventeen kilometers from Xiacheng to Jing Valley, twenty-four kilometers from Jing Valley to the Hive, and the distance from the Hive to here is about eight kilometers. That means the fully armed Cloud Serpent Army, using the Xia Direct Road, has a marching speed of about fifty kilometers per hour!”

“It’s more than that. The Cloud Serpent Army was only formed a few days ago and hasn’t undergone systematic training. This speed can still be increased.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s calculation, Xia Chuan immediately added with an excited tone.

Xia Hong’s heart trembled slightly at his words.

He had brought the eight of them here to wait on this snowy hill in advance not just to watch the construction of the direct road. The most important purpose tonight was to test just how fast the Cloud Serpent Army’s marching speed could be on the Xia Direct Road.

Fifty kilometers in an hour meant six hundred kilometers in a day.

What did that even mean!

An idea struck Xia Hong, and he immediately asked Xia Chuan:

“Last time you told me, in order to attack Wushuang, you first moved troops from Xiacheng to the Hive, and then assembled men from the Hive to march on Wushuang. How long did that whole process take?”

“I remember we mobilized a total of sixteen hundred men, with fifteen hundred combat personnel. We set out as soon as night fell on April twenty-sixth. By the time we reached the Hive, it was almost dawn. After assembling more men and marching to attack Wushuang, it was already April twenty-seventh, with only an hour left until dawn.”

Perhaps feeling that this was not intuitive enough, Xia Chuan thought for a moment and rephrased, “I remember very clearly, at that time there was no direct road from Jing Valley to the Hive. It took fifteen hundred men a full five hours to cover those twenty-four kilometers. Based on that, the normal marching speed for an army of a thousand is only about five kilometers per hour.”

Using the Xia Direct Road, one hour was fifty kilometers.

Ten times the marching speed!

Gulp…

Hearing this, the seven men present couldn’t help but swallow hard. They then turned their heads to look at the Cloud Serpent Army, which had now fully emerged from the Xia Direct Road, their expressions suddenly filled with shock.

“Go back and notify the Six Departments to temporarily transfer all captives in the camp here. I want the direct roads connecting the three Longyou outposts laid out at the fastest possible speed. This Xia Direct Road might just be our greatest weapon against Longshan and Zhaoyang!”

A marching speed ten times that of the enemy—what did that mean?

The phrase “speed is precious in war” was no mere saying.

This was especially true in a world like the Ice Abyss where every step was a struggle.

The strategic significance of the Xia Direct Road was too immense!

After giving his instructions, Xia Hong felt it wasn’t enough and added:

“Captives alone won’t do. Use contribution points to mobilize the camp’s Lumberjack realm practitioners as well. That will be even faster. In short, spare no expense to lay down the Xia Direct Roads connecting the three Longyou camps as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, Leader!”

Xia Hong calmed himself down a little. Seeing that Liu Yuan was already leading the army towards Wushuang, he turned to Meng Yi and Lu Yang. “You two return to your posts at the Hive and Hanqiong. If there are any unusual situations, send someone to report to Wushuang immediately.”

“Yes, Leader. Your subordinates take their leave!”

Today was already the ninth of the sixth month. The results of the competition for the Garrison Commander positions at the three Longyou outposts were out. They were Lin Kai, Lu Yang, and Meng Yi, which was why he had brought the three of them to Longyou.

Meng Yi would serve as the Garrison Commander of Hanqiong, and Lu Yang as the Garrison Commander of the Hive.

Wushuang’s position was special. With the Cloud Serpent Army stationed here, and with Xia Hong and Xia Chuan staying here for the immediate future, Lin Kai’s position as Wushuang’s Garrison Commander would be purely nominal for the time being.

“Alright, it’s still nineteen kilometers to Wushuang from here. It will probably take the army another four hours to arrive. You all can accompany the army. I’m heading to Wushuang first.”

“We respectfully see the Leader off!”

The remaining six men bowed and watched Xia Hong depart before walking over to the side of the Cloud Serpent Army, joining the troops as they continued their march northwest towards the great stone fortress of Wushuang.

Chapter 284: The Frustration and Resentment of Yang and Li

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, the first day of the sixth month.

Beneath the snowy night, the Longshan mountains coiled and wound, their terrain rising and falling unpredictably.

Coupled with the dense and tangled variety of vegetation within the mountains, visibility in the snow-covered forest at night was extremely low. Large patches of shadow appeared from time to time, creating an overall impression of chaos, unlike the neat and orderly Redwood Ridge.

Frost Beasts were creatures that were active during the day and rested at night, their habits the exact opposite of humans.

They too needed a sense of security at night. The Frost Beasts of Redwood Ridge, for instance, would climb trees to rest. In that regard, compared to a well-ordered environment like Redwood Ridge, the chaotic and shadow-filled Longshan was undoubtedly more appealing to them.

And indeed, it was so.

“It’s like you can never finish killing the Frost Beasts in these Longshan mountains. Our camp has over four hundred hunting teams now, yet we can still run into two Hyena-spotted Tigers at once in the outer regions. We nearly got tripped up by something so simple!”

Deep in a forest ten kilometers into Longshan, a young man in white stood with a large saber in hand, one foot on the corpse of a saw-toothed tiger with white fur and black spots. He was applying ointment to a claw mark on his chest while sighing at the trees.

Thump… thump… thump…

As he finished speaking, five figures jumped down from the trees.

The five were dressed similarly to him and were of a similar age. All carried strong bows and were armed with sabers, a clear sign they were a hunting team.

The leader of the five, a man in black holding a three-meter-long iron staff, walked directly to the Hyena-spotted Tiger. He squatted down and, while pulling the iron arrows from the tiger’s corpse, responded to the young man’s lament.

“It’s not as if there have always been over four hundred hunting teams. That’s just a development from the camp’s growth in recent years. Just the eastern outer edge of Longshan alone stretches fifty to sixty kilometers from north to south and is over thirty kilometers wide. Factoring in the rugged, undulating terrain, the total area is at least two thousand square kilometers. A domain this large is bound to have a staggering number of Frost Beasts, not to mention the constant supply coming from the inner regions.”

Hearing the black-clad leader’s words, the others all turned to look west toward the inner regions of Longshan, their faces filled with a mixture of longing and curiosity.

The young man in white remembered something and squatted down as well. While pulling out arrows, he grinned at the leader. “Brother Zhong, once you and Brother Hu break through to the Earthforger limit, will our team be able to venture twenty kilometers deep and try hunting mid-grade Frost Beasts?”

The black-clad young man had just finished pulling the iron arrows from the Hyena-spotted Tiger. He froze for a moment at the question, then looked around at the five others without saying a word.

“Forget it, Xue Ping. Our team only has seven people in total. Even if Li Hu and Yang Zhong both break through, we won’t stand a chance hunting mid-grade Frost Beasts. Never mind needing a full squad, you need at least twenty people to even have a chance.”

An honest-faced young man in the group spoke up, answering Dong Ping’s question for Yang Zhong.

Hearing his words, the expressions of the other three men dimmed slightly.

Yang Zhong, his head lowered, had a flicker of rage in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

It was the white-clad young man, Xue Ping, who immediately lashed out at the speaker.

“Yang Yue, I was asking Brother Zhong! Is it your place to interrupt?”

Li Hu and Yang Zhong were the captain and vice-captain of their hunting team. As a team member, Yang Yue showed them no respect, which naturally provoked Xue Ping, who held the two in high regard.

However, his angry rebuke didn’t make the other man back down.

“The master isn’t worried, so why is a dog like you so anxious?”

Hearing Yang Yue’s taunt, Xue Ping’s face flushed with anger. But he quickly realized something, and after calming down, he stared at Yang Yue and burst out laughing.

“Hahahaha…”

He laughed until Yang Yue began to feel unnerved, then said sarcastically, “The wicked love to judge others by their own standards, splashing their filth on everyone else. I never used to believe it, but now I do. I admire the Captain and Brother Zhong’s strength, so I respect them. Is there a problem with that?

“But you, Yang Yue, it’s common knowledge that you’ve been wagging your tail and begging like a dog for certain people in the camp. Hahaha…”

Yang Yue’s face turned beet red at these words. When he saw the other three team members looking at him with strange expressions, he flew into a rage, drew the longsword at his waist, and charged at Xue Ping.

“I’ll kill you, you mutt!”

Xue Ping’s base strength was comparable to Yang Yue’s. Seeing him make a move, he was not about to show weakness and instinctively reached for his own weapon.

Thump…

Just as a fight was about to erupt within the team, Yang Zhong, the vice-captain, could not stand by and watch. He stepped forward and sent Yang Yue flying with a kick.

Ptui!

Yang Yue’s base strength was only fifteen thousand, almost half of Yang Zhong’s. He was kicked more than ten meters through the air and took five or six breaths before he could climb up from the snow. After spitting out the blood that rose in his throat, he looked at Yang Zhong. Fear was in his eyes, but it was overshadowed by venomous resentment.

“Yang Zhong, you dare to strike me?”

It was hard to imagine that someone so much weaker would dare question him in such a threatening tone.

Yang Zhong tightened his grip on his staff, forcefully suppressing the urge to kill Yang Yue. He took a long moment to compose himself before speaking to Yang Yue in a low voice.

“Yang Gan and Li Yuanqing sent you to join this team, but it should have been just to watch me and Brother Hu, not to sabotage my hunting team. Believe me, even if I cripple you right here, they won’t do anything to me. At most, they’ll just get another dog to watch us, right?”

Hearing the chill in Yang Zhong’s voice, Yang Yue shivered slightly. He stood his ground, his expression shifting uncertainly for a long time before he finally sheathed his saber.

“We have enough of a haul for tonight. Pack up the kills, prepare to head back. The Captain’s wound should be mostly healed. Let’s go find him!”

Yang Zhong put away his iron staff and gave the order, leading the team back east.

Yang Yue sneered. He waited until Xue Ping and the other three had shouldered the carcasses before following them.

Yang Zhong turned his head and saw Yang Yue’s defiant attitude. The anger in his heart flared, but after a moment’s thought, he swallowed it down with a slight sigh.

Crippling Yang Yue was just something he’d said in anger. If he really dared to do it, he wouldn’t even need Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan to intervene; the camp’s rules alone would be enough to condemn him to a life in the sunless mines.

Killing Yang Yue would be even easier. Since they were in the same hunting team and often ventured into Longshan to hunt Frost Beasts, opportunities were plentiful.

The problem was, they had done something like this before.

Before Yang Yue, Yang Gan and Li Yuanqing had sent a man named Liu Ming to watch them. After he and Li Hu had plotted to have Liu Ming killed, the two sent Yang Yue.

That was the crucial point. Killing him wouldn’t solve anything. Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan had made it clear that they would always have someone keeping an eye on him and Li Hu.

Plotting the death of a team member was a capital offense if discovered by the camp. Rather than take such a high risk, it was better to keep this fool around.

This was why he and Li Hu tolerated Yang Yue’s presence in the hunting team.

This was an unspoken understanding between him, Li Hu, Xue Ping, the other three members, and even Yang Yue himself.

Yang Yue had been manageable before and had never really crossed the line.

But recently, he seemed to be watching him and Li Hu more and more closely, and his attitude was clearly more impertinent.

“No doubt, it’s because my and Li Hu’s cultivation has been progressing too quickly lately, which has alerted those two. That’s why they’ve ordered Yang Yue to watch us so closely!”

Walking at the front, Yang Zhong sensed Yang Yue’s gaze from behind. A grave look flickered in his eyes, and he quickened his pace eastward.

Using the markers they had left on the trees earlier, Yang Zhong led the group about four or five kilometers outward, soon arriving near a conspicuous large tree.

“You’re here!”

A voice came from the tree, and a figure leaped down. Who else could it be but their captain, Li Hu?

Li Hu’s right arm was wrapped in a cloth bandage, with a fair amount of bloodstains showing through.

“Captain, is your wound healed?”

At Xue Ping’s question, Li Hu grinned and raised his large saber with his right hand. The movement was only slightly strained, showing his injury was mostly healed.

“It’s nothing serious. Let’s head back!”

Li Hu gestured for everyone to continue their return journey, then exchanged a silent, meaningful look with Yang Zhong. Seeing Yang Zhong purse his lips, he immediately glanced at Yang Yue.

The two brothers had a deep understanding. Even without words, Li Hu knew Yang Zhong was signaling that Yang Yue had been causing trouble again.

But he didn’t say anything, only a cold smirk touching his lips before he walked up to stand beside Yang Zhong and clapped him on the shoulder.

At the touch on his shoulder, Yang Zhong’s pupils contracted sharply and his body jolted. He then looked up at Li Hu, his eyes filled with disbelief.

“Two kills tonight, a good haul. Let’s go!”

Li Hu signaled for the group to set off, and he and Yang Zhong immediately started walking ahead.

The pair walked side-by-side, putting a good hundred meters between themselves and the others before Yang Zhong could no longer contain his excitement and asked in a low voice, “Hu-zi, you’ve broken through?”

Li Hu’s face was wreathed in smiles. He nodded in exhilaration and whispered back, “The Beast Spirit Pills Lord Prefect gave us are incredibly effective. It’s only been twenty days since the tenth. I took just ten pills and broke through. Not only did I reach the Earthforger limit, I’ve already started using Beast Blood to reforge my hide.”

Not only reached the Earthforger limit, but started using Beast Blood!

Joy instantly filled Yang Zhong’s face, not just because of Li Hu’s breakthrough, but also for himself. On tomorrow night’s hunt, it would be his turn to feign injury, stay behind, and go to their old stash spot to consume the Beast Spirit Pills and cultivate.

“My progress is about the same as Hu-zi’s. Maybe I can break through tomorrow night too!”

Amid his excitement, Yang Zhong remembered Yang Yue behind them and couldn’t help but remind Li Hu in a low voice, “Yang Yue is watching us more and more closely. It’s probably because our cultivation is progressing too fast and those two at the camp have noticed.”

At Yang Zhong’s reminder, Li Hu’s expression froze. He glanced back at Yang Yue, who was trailing behind them, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

“It’s fine. I’ve already broken through, and you’re next. If we just proceed step-by-step like this, it’s only a matter of time before we break through to the Frostwarden realm. Once we do and become Council Elders, none of this will be a problem…”

Furthermore, after becoming Council Elders, they could legitimately participate in the Longshan Council’s affairs, allowing them to provide more valuable intelligence for Great Xia.

Although Li Hu didn’t finish his sentence, the long-standing rapport between them was enough for Yang Zhong to understand his meaning.

Yang Zhong nodded, continuing to walk alongside Li Hu.

A pent-up frustration simmered in both their hearts, and their steps became heavier.

It was laughable, really. The Beast Blood, pills, and salt that Xia Chuan had given them—they didn’t dare bring them back, and they were even afraid to hide them at the encampment. They had to be stored here in the Longshan mountains to be safe.

Storing them was one thing; consuming them was even more troublesome. They had to wait for a hunt, use the excuse of an injury to separate from the team, and then secretly take them.

There was no other way. The surveillance and suppression from Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan had reached a pathological level.

One could tell from their hunting team’s numbers alone. For an ordinary hunting team, having two members on the verge of breaking through to the Earthforger limit would have other Earthforger realm practitioners scrambling to join.

But because of Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan’s suppression, their team had managed to recruit only five people, one of whom, Yang Yue, had been sent by those two.

Thinking of the reason for Li Yuanqing’s suppression, Li Hu felt both hateful and amused.

Li Yuanqing was actually afraid that if he performed too well, he would steal his thunder, gain Li Xuantian’s favor, and perhaps even attract the attention of Li Tiancheng.

Honestly, the only person Li Hu had ever hated was Zhu Rou, the woman who drove his mother to her death. He didn’t even hate Li Yuanqing that much. As for his father, Li Xuantian, he felt nothing, just indifference. The others in Longshan mattered even less.

But Li Yuanqing was like a man possessed, relentlessly suppressing him from the very beginning of his cultivation, terrified that his progress might be even slightly too fast.

Coincidentally, Li Yuanqing wasn’t alone in this. Yang Zhong’s half-brother, Yang Gan, was just the same.

That these two men could be so small-minded was, at times, baffling to Li Hu and Yang Zhong.

But that was the reality, and aside from finding ways to deal with it, they had no other choice.

“Thankfully, things are different now. We are men of Great Xia. With the resources Lord Prefect has given us, breaking through to the Frostwarden realm is only a matter of time. Revenge will be within our grasp. And if we can help Great Xia defeat Longshan in the future, our prospects, Zhong’s and mine, will be limitless…”

As Li Hu mused to himself, they soon left Longshan and reached the encampment.

Resource control in Longshan was extremely strict. They had to first go to the camp warehouse to submit their kills before they could take their share. If they wanted to trade for other supplies later, they had to use their portion to do so.

The ratio was thirty-seventy. In other words, if a kill yielded five hundred kilograms of meat, they could take one hundred and fifty kilograms. This would be a lot for a single person, but divided among seven people, it was only a little over twenty kilograms each.

With two kills tonight, he and Yang Zhong each received over fifty kilograms, which was considered a decent haul.

Of course, that was before.

Ever since they had tasted the salt and pills from Great Xia, Yang Zhong had lost most of his interest in ordinary beast meat.

As for Li Hu, he had just broken through to the Earthforger limit tonight. His mind was completely preoccupied with the Beast Blood hidden in Longshan, making him care even less about the meat.

“Let’s head back first. I’ll save the meat and trade it for a new set of clothes later.”

“Pointless. I’ll save mine too. When I have enough, I’ll trade it for some healing medicine.”

After leaving the warehouse, the two walked home together.

Neither of them had low cultivation, so they each had their own house in the encampment, which happened to be right next to each other.

They left the central area of the camp and soon reached the outer region where their homes were. In the past, the sight of their houses would usually bring a smile to their faces.

Today was clearly different.

They were still over a hundred meters away when both of their expressions darkened simultaneously.

Their homes had been invaded by a number of people. Many of their personal belongings were scattered at their doorsteps, and some people were even inside, rummaging through their things and tossing them out. They were obviously searching for something…

Chapter 285: Humiliation, and the Founding of a New Army

“Stop!”

As the two of them strode toward the house, still over ten meters away, the more hot-tempered Yang Zhong furiously berated the men.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the two young masters, back from your hunt.”

“You’re a bit early today. There are still two hours before dawn!”

“Third Young Master, why the temper? We’re just having a look around.”

………………

The sarcastic remarks from the men at the door fanned the flames of Yang Zhong’s already blazing anger. His hands, gripping his staff, trembled uncontrollably.

Hearing the final address, “Third Young Master,” he could no longer contain himself and charged toward the man who had spoken, ready to strike.

That man was clearly not very strong. Seeing Yang Zhong rush at him, he scrambled back a few steps in fright.

Smack…

Fighting among members within the garrison, once confirmed, would result in at least one month of hard labor in the mines, regardless of the reason. If the consequences were severe, it could even lead to a lifetime of service in the mines.

Li Hu, who knew the garrison’s rules well, naturally couldn’t let Yang Zhong attack. He shot out a hand and grabbed him, then gave him a meaningful look.

Yang Zhong was no fool. Seeing Li Hu’s glance, he instantly calmed down. He stood his ground, took a few deep breaths, and stared at the man who had retreated, a trace of contempt in his eyes.

The man, clearly having lost face, realized a moment later that the two wouldn’t dare to actually fight. He resumed his taunts: “Third Young Master, your strength has really improved lately. You even dare to start a fight in the garrison.”

“You barge in without reason—”

“Why waste words on these dogs? Let’s go find their master.”

Li Hu cut Yang Zhong off before he could finish.

At Li Hu’s words, the dozen or so men around the house looked furious. Just as they were about to retort, an extremely calm voice came from Li Hu’s house on the left.

“Fourth Brother, come in.”

“Third Brother, you get your ass in here too!”

If the first voice was placid, betraying no emotion, the second was its polar opposite—an imperious roar, dripping with viciousness and cruelty, clearly showing immense disgust for the “Third Brother” it addressed.

Hearing the two voices from the house, the expressions of Li Hu and Yang Zhong immediately darkened, but they quickly regained their composure and walked inside.

There were thirteen people in the room. Eight of them, dressed as subordinates, were still rummaging around. The remaining five were about Li Hu’s age, their clothes clearly more opulent than the others. They stood in the center of the room, sizing up Li Hu and Yang Zhong as they slowly entered.

The moment Li Hu and Yang Zhong stepped inside, the five men’s expressions flickered, as if they had noticed something.

The man in the center fixed his gaze on Li Hu and said in a low voice, “Fourth Brother, I haven’t seen you in half a month, and you’ve already broken through to the Earthforger limit. Is there something you haven’t told me?”

“What, Li Wuqing? You’re allowed to cultivate, but I’m not allowed to break through?”

Li Hu wasn’t surprised that Li Wuqing saw through his cultivation level at a glance. After all, his opponent had reached the Earthforger limit two years ago and had started using Beast Blood.

Li Wuqing looked very surprised, clearly not used to seeing Li Hu act so defiantly. He stared down at him for a moment, and then, as if realizing something, chuckled.

“Li Hu, you probably think that by reaching the Earthforger limit, you can join the Longyou Army. Once you’re out of the hunting teams, I won’t be able to control you anymore. Am I right?”

Li Hu let out a cold laugh, which served as his answer to Li Yuanqing.

The reason Li Yuanqing could so brazenly plant people in his hunting team was because his maternal grandfather, Zhu Xing, was in charge of all the ordinary hunting teams in Longshan.

Just as Li Yuanqing said, now that he had reached the Earthforger limit, he would soon be able to join the Longyou Army. Once he was no longer in a hunting team, not even Zhu Xing could touch him, let alone the man before him.

The Longyou Army was Longshan’s sharpest weapon and was managed with extreme strictness. Apart from the Leader, Li Tiancheng, and a few others, no one else could interfere in its affairs. Zhu Xing wouldn’t even dream of it.

He had been desperately pushing himself to break through precisely so he could enter the army sooner and escape the surveillance of Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan.

Of course, his more important goal was to steal… for the sake of Great Xia…

Whoosh!

As Li Hu’s thoughts raced, a fist suddenly flew toward his face.

Li Yuanqing had attacked him many times before, so Li Hu’s reaction was swift. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he drew his greatsword to counter.

Infighting was forbidden within the Longshan garrison, but since the other party had struck first, he had no scruples. He knew he wasn’t as strong as Li Yuanqing, who had broken through two years ago, which was why he had immediately drawn his greatsword.

He broke through two years ago, so his base strength is at most ten thousand-odd catties higher than mine. To think he could defeat me with his bare fists…

Bang!

Li Hu’s train of thought was shattered by Li Yuanqing’s straight punch.

Crack…

The fist struck his greatsword directly. A terrifying force surged through his arm, and a sharp crack echoed from his bones. Li Hu’s expression changed instantly.

The greatsword flew from his grasp as he was sent flying back more than ten meters. He crashed through the wall of the house behind him, his body slamming half a meter into the ground.

Pfft…

“Brother Hu!”

Yang Zhong stood stunned for a few seconds. When he came to his senses, he frantically tried to help Li Hu up, but he had barely taken two steps before Yang Gan, who was beside Li Yuanqing, sent him flying with a single kick.

“Third Brother, did Big Brother say you could move?”

After kicking Yang Zhong away, Yang Gan pressed his advantage, rushing forward and viciously stomping on Yang Zhong’s left cheek. He ground his head a dozen centimeters into the dirt, leaving only his left eye exposed.

“Third Brother, your base strength has also increased quite a bit recently. Tell Big Brother honestly, how did you and Li Hu do it?”

Yang Zhong was far more volatile than Li Hu. Faced with such humiliation, his fiery temper erupted. Even knowing he was no match, he roared, “Yang Gan, if you have the guts, kill me! As long as I’m alive, I’ll kill you one day.”

Perhaps it wasn’t the first time he had heard such words from Yang Zhong. A flicker of killing intent crossed Yang Gan’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and sneered, “A piece of trash who hasn’t even broken the thirty thousand catty limit at twenty-two. If it weren’t for the garrison’s rules, you would have died countless times already. Give you another ten years, and you’ll still be under my boot. Do you understand, you piece of trash?”

Thump!

“Trash! You piece of trash!”

Yang Gan had an extremely violent temper. Apparently feeling unsatisfied, he cursed while viciously stomping on various parts of Yang Zhong’s body.

It was clear, however, that Yang Gan wasn’t trying to kill him. Judging by the kick that sent Yang Zhong flying, if he had used his full strength, Yang Zhong wouldn’t have survived.

He didn’t deliver a killing blow, but he took the humiliation to the extreme.

“If you have the guts, then kill me! Kill me!”

“You mongrel! Kill me! Go on, kill me!”

“You beast! I’ll kill you! And I’ll kill your mother!”

………………

His head buried in the earth, Yang Zhong continued to roar, refusing to submit no matter the pain. It was as if he were deliberately provoking Yang Gan, and in the end, he even shouted out the deepest thoughts in his heart.

Hearing him threaten to kill his mother, Yang Gan was clearly enraged. His eyes filled with cold killing intent as he raised his foot high, obviously preparing to strike a fatal blow.

“Li Yuanqing, you’ve broken through to the Frostwarden realm?”

But just then, from the other side, Li Hu suddenly spoke.

Li Hu’s question seemed to agitate Yang Gan. A thought crossed his mind, and though he still brought his foot down, he pulled back seventy or eighty percent of his strength.

Yang Zhong’s roars ceased. He turned his head to look at Li Yuanqing, and his prone body trembled slightly as a look of despair crossed his face.

Evidently, the reason Li Hu asked that question was because he had felt Li Yuanqing’s power when he had taken that punch.

Li Yuanqing reached the Earthforger limit two years ago and began using Beast Blood to reconstruct his Hide. The meaning behind Li Hu’s question was self-evident.

“At least you have some sense!”

Li Yuanqing’s voice was full of pride. He slowly walked over to Li Hu, kicked him out of the ground, and then crouched before him. “Li Hu, your and Yang Zhong’s cultivation speed has been abnormal lately. You must be hiding something. If you know what’s good for you, tell me now. Otherwise, if I have to get serious, you and Yang Zhong won’t even have the chance to hunt in Longshan again. Do you believe me?”

Seeing Li Hu remain silent, a cold light flashed in his eyes as a thought occurred to him. “Right, you’ve reached the Earthforger limit, and so has Yang Zhong. What you need next is Beast Blood…”

Yang Gan immediately picked up where Li Yuanqing left off, sneering contemptuously, “You two little bastards want to trade for Beast Blood? In your dreams!”

Hearing Yang Gan’s words, the expressions of Li Hu and Yang Zhong, still lying on the ground, dimmed considerably.

Yang Gan’s father, Yang Fengping, was not only the garrison’s strongest expert archer but also managed all of Longshan’s elite hunting teams. The Beast Blood vault was managed by his mother, Li Xuanqiu.

Li Xuanqiu was the one who had killed Yang Zhong’s mother; she would never let them exchange for Beast Blood like any other cultivator at the Earthforger limit.

So, Yang Gan was right. It was a dream for them to acquire Beast Blood.

“How about this? Tell me the secret to your accelerated cultivation speed, and I’ll make sure no one obstructs you when you go to the warehouse to trade for Beast Blood from now on. How about it?”

After pretending to ponder for a moment, Li Yuanqing laid out his terms, giving Yang Gan a look, clearly telling him to play along.

Yang Gan immediately responded, his eyes glinting. “That’s right, Third Brother. We’re still family, after all. As long as you tell me the secret, I won’t give you any more trouble. What do you say?”

Heh…

Both Li Hu and Yang Zhong sneered inwardly.

Having grown up under the noses of Zhu Rou and Li Xuanqiu, how could they be so easily deceived? Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan’s little trick was obvious to them.

The two remained silent, and the atmosphere in the room instantly grew cold.

Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan waited for a long time without a response. Realizing their ploy had been seen through, their faces finally twisted with annoyance.

“Fine, don’t talk if you don’t want to. It’s not like I ever cared about two pieces of trash like you anyway. But…”

Li Yuanqing’s tone grew sinister as he continued, “If you think you’ll be safe after joining the Longyou Army, you’re gravely mistaken. The garrison council decided last night to establish a new unit, the Longyou New Army. I’ve already been appointed as one of the two Provost Captains. Even if you join the new army, you won’t escape my grasp.”

At this, Yang Gan couldn’t help but speak, sneering at Yang Zhong on the ground.

“I’m not far from breaking through either. You won’t escape my grasp either!”

Hearing this, Li Hu and Yang Zhong’s faces tightened.

Today was the first of June. Yesterday was the last day of May, which was indeed the day of Longshan’s monthly council meeting. Li Yuanqing was probably not lying.

The Longyou Army was formed in units of a thousand. Establishing a new army meant that subsequent cultivators who reached the Earthforger limit would be assigned to this new unit.

The command structure of the Longyou Army was one Commandant and four Captains.

The Commandant led the entire army. Two Command Captains each led a regiment of five hundred and were responsible for actual command. Each regiment was also assigned a Provost Captain, who was in charge of military punishments, battlefield discipline, and awarding merits after battle.

If they broke through at this time, they would inevitably be assigned to the new army. With only two regiments of five hundred, it wouldn’t be difficult for Li Yuanqing to pull some strings and get them assigned under his command.

So, his claim that they wouldn’t escape his grasp was no empty threat.

“I’ll give you one last chance. Tell me the secret to your recent accelerated cultivation progress…”

Li Yuanqing asked again, unwilling to give up. Seeing Li Hu and Yang Zhong remain silent, he finally lost his patience and laughed in fury.

“Fine, fine! You refuse a toast only to drink a loss. In that case, I’ll make sure you don’t even have the chance to go out hunting once a night. Without any beast meat income, let’s see how you’ll trade for Beast Blood and continue to break through!”

With that, Li Yuanqing turned and left with Yang Gan.

The rest of the men followed behind them and walked out.

In the house, the two men lying on the ground remained motionless for a long time.

Only the sound of their increasingly heavy breathing revealed that their minds were anything but calm.

After a long while, Li Hu, who was less injured, was the first to get up. He looked at the chaos in his home, and though rage was boiling within him, he suppressed it and walked over to help Yang Zhong to his feet.

“Hu-zi, why don’t we… just go to Great Xia…”

“Don’t be foolish. I know what you’re thinking!”

Li Hu cut Yang Zhong off and began silently tidying up the mess on the floor.

His voice had become unusually calm as he continued, “If we go to Great Xia now, we’ll be nothing but two stray dogs. Not only would we be letting down the Lord Prefect for all the cultivation resources he gave us, but we’d also find it hard to make a name for ourselves in Great Xia.”

He paused for a moment before adding, “Today’s humiliation was worse than before. It’s probably because our cultivation speed has been increasing, making them feel threatened. This is a good thing. There’s no need to be discouraged.”

Yang Zhong’s expression tensed, still hesitant.

“But if we really join that new army, Li Yuanqing…”

“Li Yuanqing isn’t that capable. If he were really so powerful, he wouldn’t just be a Provost Captain. He’s just using his authority to skimp on our cultivation resources when rewards are given out. But we’re different…”

Li Hu stopped, then looked up, his eyes filled with hatred, and continued in a low voice, “Once we’re in the new army, we’ll have access to the garrison’s upper echelons and know all the movements of the Longyou Army. Tell me, how important do you think that information is to Great Xia and the Lord Prefect?”

Yang Zhong’s expression froze, and a light immediately shone in his eyes.

“As far as I know, the garrison doesn’t have enough cultivators at the Earthforger limit right now. Establishing a new army consumes an enormous amount of resources. Longshan wouldn’t build one for no reason. It’s highly likely the garrison is planning a major move. We must get this news to the Lord Prefect immediately.”

Hearing Li Hu’s words, Yang Zhong nodded at once, but his face soon clouded over with difficulty.

“They’re watching us too closely these days, even inside the garrison. We have no opportunity to go out alone. How can we send a message?”

“We need to recruit a trustworthy newcomer, someone who won’t draw Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan’s attention, to deliver the message for us.”

Xue Ping!

The name surfaced in Yang Zhong’s mind almost instantly.

Chapter 286: Breakthrough, New Army, High-Intensity Training

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, the fourth day of the sixth month.

Shortly after nightfall, about five kilometers deep into Longshan.

Thud!

A Blue Spiked Wolf, riddled with iron arrows, collapsed to the ground. Li Hu, leading Xue Ping and four others, leaped down from the trees, their faces alight with excitement.

“Tonight’s going well! We just came out and already bagged a Spiked Wolf.”

Hearing Xue Ping’s exclamation, Li Hu smiled without a word. He just walked quickly to the Spiked Wolf’s side and asked, “Zhong, are you hurt?”

“Cough, cough, cough… I should be fine.”

Yang Zhong’s coughs came from beneath the Spiked Wolf’s corpse. Xue Ping quickly lifted the carcass, and Li Hu stepped forward at the right moment to help Yang Zhong up.

Only then did everyone notice that Yang Zhong’s left leg was bleeding.

“Brother Zhong, you’re injured again?”

At Xue Ping’s words, Li Hu didn’t hesitate. He tore off a strip of cloth and bandaged the bleeding spot on Yang Zhong’s left leg. His eyes flickered as he asked in a low voice, “How is it? Can you continue?”

“The old wound on my left leg from the day before yesterday reopened. It’s nothing serious. I can continue!”

Hearing the weakness in Yang Zhong’s voice, Xue Ping said worriedly, “We should have rested tonight. The wound reopened last night, and now it’s happened again. If this goes on, it might never heal properly.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me. Let’s go, let’s move on!”

Yang Zhong forced himself to stand, but he limped, which was clearly not normal.

Li Hu frowned and said directly, “Forget it. We can’t let you go on. Just like last night, you stay here and rest. The six of us will go on ahead. We’ll come back for you when the hunt is over.”

“But…”

Seeing Yang Zhong’s reluctance, Xue Ping immediately added, “The Captain is right. Brother Zhong, you can’t push yourself anymore. If that leg injury becomes a chronic problem, it’ll be a huge issue later on. Just like the past two days, stay here and recover. We’ll come get you when we’re done hunting.”

The other three in the team remained silent. Yang Yue curled his lip, as if about to say something sarcastic, but held his tongue when he saw Yang Zhong’s bloody left leg.

“Alright, then. I’ll watch the kill here. You all go on ahead.”

Yang Zhong was finally persuaded and nodded.

The group helped Yang Zhong hang the kill from a high branch and cleared a spot for him in the tree before setting off deeper into the mountains.

Before leaving, Li Hu gave Yang Zhong a subtle glance.

Once the others were far away, Yang Zhong, who was in the tree, immediately stood up. He tore off the bandage on his left leg, a sharp glint in his eyes.

There was no real injury on his leg at all, just a small cut. The amount of blood flowing out was not nearly as horrifying as it had looked.

He jumped straight down from the tree and began searching through the snowy woods, his legs moving freely without the slightest sign of injury.

After a short while, he reached a slope. He felt around its face for a moment and, with familiar ease, found the entrance to a small cave.

Yang Zhong was cautious. He didn’t enter the cave directly but first looked back to ensure no one was following him. Only then did he go inside, making sure to immediately block the entrance with wood after he entered.

Sizzle…

Inside the cave, Yang Zhong lit a small campfire, then walked to the back. He quickly took out an iron pot, five pieces of reddish beast meat, a jar, and a porcelain bottle.

“I wish I didn’t have to cultivate in secret like this. It’s the third day. If I don’t break through soon, I’ll really be out of time.”

While setting up the pot to cook the meat, Yang Zhong quickly swallowed a Beast Spirit Pill and began to cultivate.

This cave was where he and Li Hu hid their supplies.

As for the injury, it was an act he and Li Hu had staged to get away from Yang Yue’s prying eyes and cultivate in peace.

Li Yuanqing’s and Yang Gan’s surveillance was just too intense. Ever since they returned from Great Xia, this was how he and Li Hu had been secretly using the cultivation resources Xia Chuan had given them.

Originally, the two of them would take turns every one or two days. But after Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan had caused trouble three days ago, a sense of urgency had grown within them. Plus, Li Hu had already broken through to the Earthforger limit, so for the past three days, he had given all the cultivation opportunities to Yang Zhong.

“I’m just over two hundred catties away. With one Beast Spirit Pill and ten catties of intermediate-grade beast meat cooked with refined salt, breaking through tonight shouldn’t be a problem.”

Once the meat was cooked, Yang Zhong began stuffing it into his mouth. Aided by the Beast Spirit Pill, the energy contained within the meat quickly spread throughout his body.

He immediately started practicing his punches to burn off the energy, increasing his strength and muscle density.

With the pill’s assistance, steam rose continuously from his body. The force of his punches grew heavier with each strike, his physique clearly and constantly improving.

This cultivation speed, five or six times faster than before, was something he had experienced more than once, but feeling his base strength rapidly increasing at this moment, Yang Zhong couldn’t help but marvel:

“The Beast Origin Pills were already potent enough, but this Beast Spirit Pill is at least ten times more effective than the Power-Gathering Powder used in Longshan. And that’s not even mentioning the refined salt! Not only does it make the beast meat so delicious, but it also helps the body absorb the meat’s energy. To be able to produce such miraculous items so easily, Great Xia’s strength is definitely not to be underestimated. They might have even more amazing things at their settlement!”

Longshan had items to boost cultivation speed too, but compared to these things from Great Xia, they were practically worthless.

“Tiger and I haven’t even broken through yet, and the Director was willing to give us two hundred catties of Beast Blood, plus so many Spirit Pills and so much refined salt. I can’t imagine what we’ll get after we break through. If we can provide Great Xia with more useful intelligence, Tiger and I won’t have to worry about cultivation resources in the future.”

Yang Zhong’s eyes were filled with yearning for Great Xia.

To be precise, it was a yearning for these incredibly potent cultivation resources.

Because of their backgrounds, he and Li Hu had never been treated fairly in Longshan. Instead, they were constantly humiliated by Li Yuanqing, Yang Gan, and others. Naturally, they felt no loyalty whatsoever.

In contrast, although the people of Great Xia were strangers, they had not only saved their lives twice but were also willing to invest so heavily in them. Therefore, even though they knew they were being used, Yang Zhong and Li Hu gladly accepted it.

“The New Army has been established for two days, and there aren’t many spots left. I must break through tonight. Besides, Li Yuanqing has already started meddling with our hunting team. If those three leave, there will barely be enough of us left to qualify for mountain hunts.”

Li Yuanqing hadn’t been lying that day. The very next day, the second of the month, the camp announced the regulations for establishing a New Army. Although it has only been two days, they’ve already recruited over eight hundred people, with only the last one hundred spots remaining.

Li Hu had broken through to the Earthforger limit three days ago but hadn’t applied to join yet because he was waiting for Yang Zhong.

Joining the New Army served two purposes. First, to gather more intelligence on Longshan’s high command and the specific movements of the Longyou Army, allowing them to pass more useful information to Great Xia. Second, to deal with the targeted harassment from Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan.

The day before yesterday, Li Yuanqing had sent people to talk to the other three members of their team. Yang Zhong didn’t need to ask to know why.

The Longshan camp had a rule: a regular hunting team needed at least five members, and an elite team at least ten, to be able to hunt in the mountains.

Of course, if a team was short on numbers, they could also prove their strength to be granted permission.

The problem was, Li Yuanqing could interfere with that strength-proving process.

The rule’s original intent was clearly to ensure safety during hunts, so it wasn’t bad in itself. But now, it had become a tool for Li Yuanqing to use against them, which was utterly laughable.

Li Yuanqing sent people to approach those three team members for one reason: to get them to leave the team. This would prevent them from hunting in the mountains, effectively cutting off their supply of beast meat.

Beast meat was the basic currency in all major camps, and Longshan was no exception. If their income of beast meat dwindled, they wouldn’t be able to afford any other cultivation resources. So Li Yuanqing’s move had indeed hit them where it hurt.

“As long as we get into the New Army, it’ll be fine. The army has a fixed quota of Beast Blood, and a mere Provost Captain like Li Yuanqing wouldn’t dare to mess with that.”

As Yang Zhong calculated, he had already devoured all the meat in the pot. The speed of his punches increased, and the blood-essence aura emanating from his body grew thicker.

When the aura reached its peak, his body seemed to hit a critical point. He let out a muffled grunt, retracting his fist to gather power.

Zzzzz…

His hide suddenly tightened with a faint sound. Then, the blood-essence aura surrounding him seeped back into his body through his pores.

At that very moment, he snapped open his eyes and threw a punch at the cave’s stone wall.

Bang!

The wall shattered, and his fist drove more than ten centimeters deep into it.

“I broke through!”

Yang Zhong pulled out his fist, feeling the thirty thousand catties of base strength and the resilience of his tightened hide. His face was filled with excitement and emotion.

He stood frozen for a long while before moving to the back of the cave. He opened a leather pouch and looked at the crimson Beast Blood inside, a flicker of eagerness in his eyes.

But he quickly suppressed the feeling.

“The Director only gave us 250 catties in total. Instead of splitting it between us, it’s better to give it all to Tiger and focus everything on helping him break through to the Frostwarden realm.”

Li Yuanqing had already broken through, and Yang Gan was close. If one of them didn’t break through first, they would have no chance of winning against those two.

Having made up his mind, Yang Zhong packed up all the supplies, extinguished the campfire, and restored the cave entrance to its original state. He then returned to the large tree where he’d been left and waited quietly for Li Hu and the others to return.

“Zhong, we’re back.”

He waited until the latter half of the night before Li Hu finally returned with the others.

Seeing Yang Zhong jump down from the tree, Li Hu clearly sensed something and his expression brightened slightly, but he said nothing. He just told everyone to take the kill and hurry back to the settlement.

As soon as Yang Zhong returned to the settlement, Li Hu took him straight to the military compound to enlist.

Anyone at the Earthforger limit was qualified to join the New Army. Since both of them had broken through, there was no issue, and they were directly assigned to the Second Regiment of the New Army.

Of course, as expected, the Provost Captain of the Second Regiment was none other than Li Yuanqing.

What’s more, they were both assigned to Yang Gan’s company.

In the Longyou Army, a regiment consisted of five hundred men, and a company consisted of one hundred. With Yang Gan’s cultivation level, it wasn’t strange for him to be a captain. But for both of them to be so coincidentally assigned to his company, something was clearly afoot.

But Li Hu and Yang Zhong said nothing. They didn’t even go to the Command Captain, Cheng He, to complain. They just silently accepted the arrangement.

“If Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan want to give us a hard time, let them. Our most important task is to stay in the New Army. Training officially starts in the military compound tomorrow, so just keep your head down and don’t cause any trouble.”

Li Hu cautioned Yang Zhong after they returned from the military compound.

Yang Zhong had a shorter fuse than him and was easily provoked. If Li Yuanqing caught him on some minor infraction during training, getting kicked out of the army would be the least of his worries. If he violated military law, the consequences would be severe. That’s why Li Hu had to say a few more words.

Yang Zhong took his advice to heart, nodding and saying in a low voice, “I understand. It’s just a matter of enduring a little longer. We’ve endured for over a decade; what’s a little more?”

Only then did Li Hu feel at ease. He and Yang Zhong practiced their martial arts together in the courtyard.

But subsequent developments were clearly beyond their expectations.

On the fifth day of the sixth month, after they entered the New Army and began training, Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan didn’t come looking for trouble, not even once.

Although Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan both held military posts, they were also required to participate in the training, so Li Hu and Yang Zhong saw them regularly.

Judging by his expression, Li Yuanqing clearly still wanted to cause them trouble, but for some unknown reason, he never actually did.

“This Longyou Army… it’s actually pretty strict!”

Li Hu and Yang Zhong mulled it over for a long time but couldn’t figure out the reason. In the end, they could only attribute it to the army’s strict regulations.

But soon, they began to understand.

The intensity of the New Army’s training was absurdly high.

Practicing spear formations in the camp was one thing, but as soon as the Second Regiment was full, they were dragged to Longshan that very night to start hunting Frost Beasts as a unit.

Every night thereafter, they practiced spears for the first half of the night and engaged in real combat in Longshan for the second half. There was almost no time to rest.

Command Captain Cheng He was always watching over them, and even the New Army’s Commandant, Zhou Yuan, personally came to inspect or command.

Under such high-intensity, high-stakes training, Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan were also exhausted and disheveled every day. Forget not having the opportunity; they probably didn’t have the energy to think about causing trouble for them.

“This level of training intensity… just as I expected. The camp must be planning a major operation. There’s no other reason for this.”

On the tenth day of the sixth month, at dawn, everyone in the military compound was sound asleep. Lying on his bed, Li Hu spoke softly to Yang Zhong beside him.

“But we haven’t heard any news. The other three Longyou Army regiments aren’t making any moves either. They’re in the compound every day, following the same schedule as us.”

Hearing Yang Zhong’s words, a glint flashed in Li Hu’s eyes. He said, “The fact that they’re here every day is the signal. Those three Longyou Army regiments don’t need this kind of training. Normally, they should be out hunting in groups or busy with other things. But they’ve been staying in the camp this whole time. They’re obviously preparing for something!”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “It should be soon.”

As if to confirm his words, a sudden clattering and banging erupted from outside the barracks—the unmistakable sound of a large amount of metal clashing together.

“Line them all up! They need to be sent over after dark. Don’t miss anything!”

“Move them over here! Ten crates per squad, don’t mix them up.”

“Over here, hurry up!”

…

Hearing the commotion outside, Li Hu and Yang Zhong exchanged a look, a bright gleam appearing in both their eyes.

Chapter 287: Astonishing Training Results and a Spy

Second Year of Great Xia, June 25th.

On a snowy night, within a branch of the Longshan mountains north of Wushuang.

Boom…

About seven or eight kilometers deep into the mountains, a large bonfire, five or six meters high, suddenly burst into flames in the middle of three large trees.

The moment the bonfire ignited, the snowy forest seemed to awaken instantly.

Faint, strange noises began to emanate from several kilometers around.

Crack…

First came the sound of icicles falling from the trees.

Huff… huff… huff…

Immediately after, dozens, even hundreds, of faint panting sounds from Frost Beasts could be heard.

A careful observer would notice that, with the bonfire as the center, many pairs of eyes suddenly lit up in the darkness-shrouded forest.

These were clearly Frost Beasts that had been woken from their slumber.

Their gazes all turned toward the bonfire. Their once-drowsy eyes suddenly focused, turning crimson as if engorged with blood from extreme excitement.

“Roar!”

It was unknown which Frost Beast it was, but its patience seemed to be wearing thin. It was the first to let out an enraged roar and charge toward the bonfire.

A chorus of roars from other Frost Beasts followed. The ones that had been resting in the trees all leaped down and charged toward the fire.

There was a pack of blue wolves, as fast as lightning, arriving in an instant.

Several black Snow Manes charged forward side-by-side with overwhelming momentum.

There were a few larger Demonic Sheep, their heads lowered as they charged single-mindedly, not even slowing down when they knocked over trees in their path.

There were also over a dozen Soaring Serpents, twisting and coiling in the treetops, using the trees to move their bodies, soon closing to within four or five hundred meters of the bonfire.

…

The once-silent dense forest instantly became a scene of clamor.

The Frost Beasts charged as if they were possessed, their bloodthirsty, slit-pupil eyes fixed on the bonfire, filled with a deep desire and craving.

Rumble…

A dark mass of over a hundred Frost Beasts, perhaps more, galloped madly toward the bonfire from all directions, instantly forming a small-scale beast tide. The surrounding snow was kicked up dozens of meters into the air, and the great earth trembled ceaselessly.

Thump, thump, thump!

Even more alarmingly, the heavy footsteps of another dozen or so Frost Beasts, ranging from seven to ten meters in length, sounded from the outer periphery of the beast tide as they, too, closed in.

Anyone with a little hunting experience would know that those were mid-grade Frost Beasts.

The strength of a human in the Frostwarden realm was measured against a mid-grade Snow Mane—one Mane possessed the strength of one hundred thousand catties. Most mid-grade Frost Beasts could match this impact force, and a few even surpassed it.

Even Blue Moon Spirits and Frost Wolves, not known for their strength, still possessed around seventy to eighty thousand catties of force.

A dozen mid-grade Frost Beasts charging toward the same spot at once created a commotion even more terrifying than that of the hundred-plus low-grade Frost Beasts.

A food chain existed among Frost Beasts. Normally, low-grade Frost Beasts wouldn’t dare to covet something that a dozen mid-grade Frost Beasts had set their sights on.

But the situation at this moment seemed somewhat unique.

The pupils of the hundred-plus low-grade Frost Beasts were filled with madness as they stared at the bonfire in the center. They showed no sign of stopping at the arrival of the mid-grade beasts. Instead, they grew even more violent, their charging speed increasing dramatically.

The pull of that bonfire was simply too strong for them.

So strong that they would risk their lives to get closer.

In an instant, the front row of a dozen low-grade Frost Beasts had charged to within a hundred meters of the bonfire. They leaped into the air, pouncing straight toward the flames.

“Loose!”

Just then, a thunderous command echoed from mid-air.

Swish… swish… swish…

From the three large trees surrounding the bonfire, countless iron arrows suddenly flew out, their targets none other than the first wave of a dozen charging Frost Beasts.

The number of black arrows was simply too great, and they were all aimed at the same targets. a “rain of arrows” was not enough to describe it; it was almost a solid wall of black, a wall that was now pushing outwards at incredible speed.

Splurt… splurt… splurt…

Under the first volley, the initial dozen low-grade Frost Beasts were riddled with so many holes in mid-air they looked like sieves.

But it wasn’t over. This was not the only volley of arrows.

The second wave followed immediately. Thousands of iron arrows converged, their terrifying force sending the bodies of the Frost Beasts, not yet landed, flying backward to smash into the beasts behind them.

Bang!

The body of a low-grade Snow Mane, shot into a sieve, was sent flying by the second volley of arrows, knocking a Frost Wolf a full dozen meters back.

“Roar!”

The Frost Wolf, dazed and confused from the impact, stood up, shook its head, and let out a furious roar before continuing its charge toward the bonfire.

The Frost Wolf was just one example. Most of the other Frost Beasts that were knocked away reacted in the same way, all continuing their charge toward the fire.

Of course, a few smarter ones raised their gaze slightly, their pupils constricting abruptly as they saw the tops of the three trees surrounding the bonfire.

The tops of those three trees were packed densely with people.

They were all clad in iron armor, wielding powerful bows. They faced in different directions, continuously loosing iron arrows at the beasts.

“Empty your quivers in fifteen breaths! Now!”

Another thunderous command rang out. The men in the three trees all increased their rate of fire, loosing three or four arrows per breath. Incredibly, almost ninety percent of them had truly emptied the dozens of arrows from their back quivers within fifteen breaths.

The power of thirteen volleys of arrows was terrifying. In an instant, about thirty percent of the hundred-plus low-grade Frost Beasts had fallen. More importantly, this wave of slaughter had clearly sobered up the beasts that followed.

Of course, their eyes were still full of greed as they looked at the bonfire, but more of them could now clearly see the people in the three trees.

“Roar!”

The remaining seventy-odd Frost Beasts continued to charge toward the bonfire, but not as mindlessly as before. Seeing that the arrows had run out, they charged first toward the three trees beside the fire.

This was just the low-grade Frost Beasts. The dozen or so mid-grade ones farther away were not frightened by the arrows at all. The Soaring Serpents wound their way through the treetops, the Frost Wolves raced through the snow, and the Snow Manes and Demonic Sheep charged straight ahead, relying on their tough hides…

In an instant, the Frost Beasts had crossed the final distance and completely surrounded the three trees. The closest wave was less than ten meters from the base of the trees.

“Glaive Battalion, dismount and form ranks!”

The same commander’s voice rang out again. From each of the three large trees, a hundred-man company jumped down. They were all clad in pale gold armor, each wielding a double-edged, long-handled blade. The blade was over ten centimeters wide, and the weapon’s shaft was over a zhang long.

After jumping down, the three hundred-man companies quickly formed up facing three directions. They held their blades upright, pointing forward, forming three walls of sharp blades aimed at the charging Frost Beasts.

“Roar!”

Human weapons could not frighten Frost Beasts.

Moreover, Frost Beasts were extremely cunning; they knew how to use their bodies flexibly.

Even with so many blades aimed at them, they still charged forward, relying on the toughest parts of their bodies.

The Snow Manes used their long, barbed backs; the Frost Wolves used the ring of bone spikes around their necks; the Demonic Sheep used their hard, six-pointed horns; and the Thunder Kui used the hardest part of its skull…

“Glaive Battalion, hold the line! Saber Battalion, all dismount! Prepare!”

The same commanding voice rang out again. The three Glaive Companies on the ground watched the approaching Frost Beasts, their expressions tightening. The veins on their hands bulged as they gripped their blades, showing no sign of retreat.

From the three large trees, another two hundred men jumped down from each. All were armed with the standard short-handled saber of Great Xia. They stood behind the Glaive Battalion, their eyes fixed on the charging Frost Beasts, their footing canted slightly forward, poised to strike.

Bang!

Finally, the Frost Beasts crashed into them.

The first wave of at least twenty or thirty Frost Beasts slammed their hardest body parts viciously against the wall of upright blades formed by the three Glaive Companies.

The Frost Beasts were much larger than humans, so even with only twenty-odd of them, their impact covered the front of all three companies.

Crack… crack… crack…

Mixed in with the immense sound of the impact were the sounds of many bones shattering—likely from both Frost Beasts and humans.

The circle formed by the three Glaive Companies did indeed shrink inward by a layer.

The sheer size of the Frost Beasts, combined with their terrifying strength—the impact force of more than twenty of them charging at such a speed was difficult for a normal person to imagine.

Whoosh…

To put it one way, the airflow generated by the beasts’ charge alone was enough to snap all the icicles off the three large trees.

The three Glaive Companies had actually held!

Splurt… splurt… splurt…

Not only did they hold, but they even began to counterattack.

The Frost Beasts were clever, knowing to use the hardest parts of their bodies to crash against the wall of blades.

Humans, naturally, were not fools either.

After the first wave of impact, they immediately began to swing their large blades, hacking and slashing at the Frost Beasts before them.

“Saber Battalion, charge!”

Six hundred-man Saber companies surged like a tide past the Glaive Battalion, charging into the beast tide that had just been brought to a halt.

Sabers were inherently agile. After these men charged into the beast tide, they immediately broke into units of twenty, each unit taking on a Frost Beast.

Their techniques were masterful, their roles clearly defined. Once engaged with a Frost Beast, they had main attackers, support attackers, disrupters, and controllers. The faster units could slay a beast in less than ten breaths, while the slower ones took twenty breaths at most.

Compared to the Saber Battalion, the three hundred-man Glaive Companies killed much more slowly, but their objective was clearly not to exterminate, but to block.

After the Saber Battalion interspersed and engaged the Frost Beasts, the Glaive Battalion immediately filled the gaps and pushed forward, suppressing the unattended beasts and preventing them from interfering with the Saber Battalion’s slaughter.

This beast tide had barely numbered over a hundred to begin with. Fifteen volleys of arrows had eliminated more than thirty percent; another dozen or so died in the initial clash with the Glaive Battalion; now, after this round of slaughter by the Saber Battalion, another thirty-plus had fallen.

In less than twenty breaths, the entire beast tide had been whittled down to just over thirty beasts.

And as the six Saber Companies finished off their first targets and freed up their hands, the fate of the last thirty-odd beasts was not hard to guess.

“Roar…”

The problem was, all these hundred-plus Frost Beasts were merely low-grade.

Just as the six Saber Companies surrounded the last thirty-odd beasts, the dozen mid-grade Frost Beasts from the periphery finally charged in.

Compared to the low-grade beasts, they were even larger, and their impact force was naturally even more astonishing.

One mid-grade Soaring Serpent, which had come by winding through the treetops, spotted a gap in the Glaive Battalion’s formation. It opened its fanged maw and swooped down from the sky.

Just then, a black blade flicked out and sent its head flying. Several white silk threads shot out from beneath the tree, piercing through its pupils.

Roar…

The intense pain made the Soaring Serpent roar incessantly, but the threads did not stop because of its roars. They passed through its pupils, exited from the back of its skull, wrapped around its head several times, and then suddenly pulled tight.

Bang!

The Soaring Serpent’s head was yanked violently downward, smashing hard into the ground. Xia Chuan, holding his black blade vertically, leaped down from the tree, the tip of his blade plunging straight through the creature’s skull.

At the same time, Xia Chuan issued his final command.

“Scout Battalion, engage!”

Liu Yuan led one hundred elites of the Scout Battalion as they leaped down from the tree. Unlike the other nine companies, which were only equipped with glaives and sabers, these hundred elites wielded a variety of weapons—blades, spears, swords, staves… clearly their own preferred arms.

They leaped down from the tree, but unlike the other nine companies, they did not split into twenty-man units. Instead, they charged straight for the last dozen mid-grade Frost Beasts, swarming them all at once.

Stabbing eyes, piercing bodies—the hundred elites targeted the weak points of the dozen mid-grade Frost Beasts with stable, precise, and ruthless movements. In an instant, they had managed to pin all dozen mid-grade beasts in place.

Though they couldn’t necessarily kill them, the suppression they exerted on the Frost Beasts was clearly far greater than that of the other nine companies.

And in that brief moment, the other nine companies finished off the last thirty-odd low-grade Frost Beasts.

With their hands now free, they didn’t need another command from Xia Chuan. They swarmed forward and immediately surrounded the dozen mid-grade beasts.

With the nine companies coordinating with the hundred elites, it took them less than fifty breaths to completely kill the last dozen mid-grade Frost Beasts.

Bang!

As the last mid-grade Frost Wolf fell while trying to escape, this small-scale beast tide was declared completely over.

“One hundred twenty-six low-grade, sixteen mid-grade, for a total of one hundred forty-two Frost Beasts. The smallest three-digit beast tide, total time taken was two hundred eighty-nine breaths. Thirty breaths less than last time. Not bad!”

Xia Chuan, clad in pale gold armor, turned to look at the thousand men behind him, a smile gracing his face.

Hearing the results he announced, Liu Yuan, who was closest to him, and the thousand-plus men behind him all looked elated.

“We’re getting faster and faster. If this keeps up, maybe we won’t even need two hundred breaths to deal with a small-scale beast tide in the future.”

“What’s two hundred breaths? Didn’t the Lord Prefect say our goal is under one hundred breaths? I reckon a few more times and we’ll be about there.”

“Don’t call him that. In the army, you’re supposed to call him Marshal.”

“Right, right, my mistake.”

…

Hearing the men’s banter, a flicker of excitement appeared in Xia Chuan’s eyes as well.

After the Cloud Serpent Army arrived at Wushuang on the night of June 9th, Xia Chuan had taken them into the Longshan mountains the very next day to begin their training.

In half a month, they had progressed from dealing with a few beasts at a time, to using small torches to attract over ten beasts within three nights.

Then it took another four nights to progress to lighting a large bonfire like tonight’s to actively create a small-scale beast tide.

For the subsequent eight days, Xia Chuan had the Cloud Serpent Army face two such small-scale beast tides every night.

From the earliest attempts that resulted in casualties and took tens of minutes or even a couple of hours, their time improved to several tens of minutes, and then was shortened to several hundred breaths. The growth of the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers was stronger day by day.

Today, they could already compress the time to under three hundred breaths.

The results of this half-month of training had far exceeded his expectations.

“This is the power of an elite army. I was worried that drawing the elite personnel from the hunting teams would affect the camp’s meat supply. Looking back now, that was truly laughable. An elite army like this has terrifying hunting capabilities. If we could form a few more, the camp would never lack for beast meat and Beast Blood in the future!”

Xia Chuan sighed with some emotion, then looked at the soldiers of the ten companies, a bright light flashing in his eyes.

“Big Brother was right. Glaive Battalion, Saber Battalion, elite Scout Battalion… focusing on the differentiation of these three unit types and the timing of their entry into battle is even more important than improving their individual strength.

“The fine-tuning of unit types must continue. That way, when they reach a real battlefield, the power they unleash will be even more terrifying.”

“Who’s there? Get the hell out here!”

Just as Xia Chuan was lost in thought, Liu Yuan, who was leading men to clean up the battlefield on the other side, seemed to have discovered something. With a furious roar, he charged directly toward a large tree on the left periphery of the battlefield.

“Someone’s spying!”

Xia Chuan’s brow furrowed sharply as he turned to look in Liu Yuan’s direction.

The Cloud Serpent Army had arrived in Wushuang on June 9th, and he had hurriedly brought them into the Longshan mountains on the 10th. Training was, of course, the most important objective.

But there was another reason: he didn’t want the forces from Longshan and Zhaoyang to find out about the Cloud Serpent Army too soon.

Being spied upon was a major taboo!

Liu Yuan was already dragging a person over.

Xia Chuan looked at the person, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

Chapter 288: Movements from Two Factions, What Does the White Dew Aberration Want to Guard?

The person Liu Yuan had caught was a young man dressed in white.

He had probably caught a glimpse of the Cloud Serpent Army slaughtering the Frost Beasts. He was still in a daze, his pupils filled with shock.

“Marshal, this should be one of Longshan’s men!”

Xia Chuan waved his hand. He had already known from the man’s attire; the color and style were clearly from Longshan.

At the same time, the white-robed youth came to his senses. When he looked up and saw Xia Chuan’s murderous gaze, he shuddered and hurriedly spoke.

“My lord, spare me! My name is Xue Ping. I was entrusted by someone to deliver a message to Great Xia. I stumbled upon this place by accident; I wasn’t deliberately spying.”

Xia Chuan’s expression first flickered with surprise. He then turned to look three or four kilometers away, pondered for a moment, and asked, “Who sent you to deliver a message?”

“Li Hu and Yang Zhong.”

It was them, indeed!

A flash of understanding crossed Xia Chuan’s eyes. This was the branch of the Longshan mountain range closest to Wushuang. Their current position was about eight kilometers deep into the mountains. Traveling from Longshan to Wushuang without crossing the plain would mean passing through the outer four kilometers.

“I was just on my way to Wushuang when I noticed a commotion here. I guessed it was Great Xia’s men on a hunt, so I came straight over. I didn’t mean to spy on Great Xia’s military drills. I beg for your forgiveness, my lord!”

Despite this explanation, Xia Chuan didn’t lower his guard. He merely gestured for Liu Yuan to release Xue Ping and continued to ask, “What message did they want you to give me?”

After being released, Xue Ping hesitated for a moment but quickly replied, “There are two messages. First, Longshan has recently added a new thousand-man army. Second, Longshan is sending a large shipment of supplies to Baiyuan. Brother Hu is ninety percent certain that it contains complete sets of hundred-forged weapons and armor, numbering around eight hundred sets.”

Upon hearing these two pieces of news, Xia Chuan’s expression changed drastically.

So did Liu Yuan’s, who was standing behind Xue Ping.

Longshan already had the three-thousand-strong Longyou Army, making them nearly invincible in Longyou. To add another thousand troops clearly meant they were preparing for something.

Baiyuan had long since pledged allegiance to Hou Hu. Zhaoyang’s one thousand Blood Guard Army soldiers were currently stationed at the Baiyuan camp. For Longshan to send complete sets of hundred-forged weapons and armor to Baiyuan… what did that mean?

A trade?

Impossible. Hundred-forged armor and weapons were strategic assets for any camp. One or two sets, or a small quantity, might be traded, but a large number could never be a simple transaction.

Eight hundred sets were nearly enough to arm a thousand-man army.

Xia Chuan had been worrying about the Cloud Serpent Army’s equipment recently, so he had reason to believe that neither Great Xia, Zhaoyang, nor Longshan would ever sell eight hundred sets of hundred-forged weapons and armor to one another.

Considering the previous relationship between Longshan and Zhaoyang, it was absolutely impossible for Li Xuanling to sell eight hundred sets to Zhaoyang.

The corner of Xia Chuan’s eye twitched as a bold guess suddenly flashed through his mind.

No, it was more than just a guess. He was almost certain.

The relationship between the two factions had likely undergone a dramatic change!

Xia Chuan quickly forced himself to calm down and continued questioning Xue Ping. “Why didn’t Li Hu and Yang Zhong come themselves? What is your relationship with them?”

Xue Ping didn’t say much. He simply took out a token from his robes, handed it to Xia Chuan, and cupped his hands. “This is the token Brother Hu gave me. Both Brother Hu and Brother Zhong have joined the New Army and cannot leave the barracks for long periods, so they could only entrust me with delivering the message to you, my lord.”

Xia Chuan looked down at the token in his hand, and his suspicion of Xue Ping vanished.

It was his hunting team token, the very one he had personally given to Li Hu when he came to Wushuang to deliver a message on the 20th of last month.

Xue Ping then added, “Longshan originally planned to send that batch of supplies to Baiyuan after nightfall on the 10th. But for some reason, the date was delayed. They will be sent on the 20th.”

Xia Chuan’s expression sharpened. The date Xue Ping mentioned must be from the Longyou calendar. The Longyou calendar was ten days ahead of the Great Xia calendar. A delivery on the 20th would be the 30th of this month according to the Great Xia calendar—in other words, after nightfall five days from now.

“Liu Yuan, you will remain here with the army. Continue training at night as usual and return to the barracks at dawn. I will come find you before dawn on the 30th.”

“Yes, sir!”

After giving his orders to Liu Yuan, Xia Chuan turned to Xue Ping. “You’re coming with me. For the time being, you will stay in Wushuang. I’ll let you return to Longshan when the time is right.”

Xue Ping was taken aback, but he quickly understood and nodded, following behind Xia Chuan as they headed towards Wushuang.

The Wushuang encampment was surrounded by over eight hundred massive stones. Each stone was more than ten meters tall, three to five meters wide, and about ten meters thick.

The interior of the encampment was a circular space with a diameter of roughly one kilometer, filled with buildings that clustered around a central Main Building.

Great Xia had occupied Wushuang for over two months now, and the original giant stone formation had naturally undergone some changes.

The gaps between the outer stones had all been filled with molten iron, and the tops of the stones were now covered with iron spikes, obviously to prevent anyone from climbing over.

The only exit, the eastern gate, had been replaced with a new, thicker, and heavier iron gate. Its opening mechanism was now like Xiacheng’s city gate, hoisted into the air by iron chains.

These two points alone were enough to show that after Great Xia’s modifications, the defensive capabilities of the Wushuang encampment were much greater than before.

The interior of the encampment had also changed significantly.

Presumably to adapt to the reduced population, there were far fewer buildings—less than fifty in total. From their appearance, most were now cast from iron, still clustered around the Main Building in the center, just as before.

“Greetings, Director!”

“Arrange a place for him to stay.”

Xia Chuan led Xue Ping to the base of the Main Building. After instructing his subordinate, he turned to Xue Ping and said, “Stay here for the time being. Don’t go anywhere. Once this matter is over, I will let you go back.”

Xue Ping didn’t speak, just nodded and followed the man.

Xia Chuan, on the other hand, went straight to the top floor of the Main Building. Seeing the empty main seat at the back of the hall, his expression tightened slightly.

“Wasn’t the Director training the troops in the mountains? Why is he back?”

Lin Kai, having heard of Xia Chuan’s return, hurried over. Seeing Xia Chuan’s grave expression, he asked with curiosity.

Xia Chuan looked up. Seeing Lin Kai, he didn’t hide anything and recounted everything Xue Ping had told him in full detail.

“Eight hundred sets of hundred-forged weapons and armor, sent by Longshan to the Baiyuan camp? How is that possible? My lord, are you certain there’s nothing wrong with this Xue Ping?”

After hearing the news, Lin Kai’s face was filled with disbelief. His immediate reaction was to suspect Xue Ping, worried that he might be bringing false information.

But he immediately realized that Xia Chuan wouldn’t be so easily deceived. He had likely brought Xue Ping back because he was confident in the intelligence.

“What could Zhaoyang possibly offer? What could be worth Longshan paying such a high price? Eight hundred sets of finished hundred-forged weapons and armor… not to mention the immense time and effort from the artisans, the iron ore alone would amount to hundreds of millions of catties…”

Lin Kai paused, then continued, “Besides, wasn’t Zhaoyang challenging Longshan for its dominant position before? The relationship between them should be terrible, right? Sending so many weapons and armor over is blatantly arming the enemy. Are the people of Longshan that stupid?”

“The key is, Longshan just established a new army. Even if Longshan’s treasury is full, and they can spare that many weapons and armor after equipping their new troops, there’s no need to be so wasteful as to sell them all to Zhaoyang, is there?”

Hearing Lin Kai’s words, Xia Chuan’s expression tightened as he asked, “Why are you so sure that Longshan and Zhaoyang have a bad relationship?”

Lin Kai was stunned by the question, looking at Xia Chuan with confusion.

Xia Chuan spoke in a low voice, “Having a bad relationship was in the past. Before Great Xia intervened in Longyou, their relationship was indeed terrible. But what about now?”

Lin Kai’s expression froze as he realized the meaning behind Xia Chuan’s words. His face turned pale.

“Director, are you saying… the two factions are cooperating to deal with us?”

“Aside from that reason, I can’t think of any other that would make Longshan willing to hand over eight hundred sets of hundred-forged weapons and armor to Hou Hu.”

Lin Kai shuddered, finally understanding why Xia Chuan looked so grim.

“How many days has the Leader been gone?”

Lin Kai quickly replied, “Today is the third day.”

After arriving at Wushuang on the ninth of June, Xia Hong had been in seclusion for thirteen consecutive days. He only came out three days ago, and as soon as he did, he took Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo to investigate the situation at the Yanglu camp. He had yet to return.

Noticing the worry on Xia Chuan’s face, Lin Kai tried to comfort him, “The Leader is so powerful, nothing will happen to him. Don’t worry, Director.”

Xia Chuan shook his head slightly. “Of course, the Leader will be fine. I’m worried about whether Longshan and Zhaoyang have truly joined forces. If they have, Great Xia’s situation is about to get very difficult. And this matter of the eight hundred sets of weapons and armor—whether we should let Longshan deliver them successfully to Zhaoyang is also a problem!”

“Of course not—”

Lin Kai began to speak instinctively, but he stopped himself mid-sentence. A difficult expression appeared on his face, and he didn’t continue.

They both knew the importance of those eight hundred sets of weapons and armor.

But wouldn’t Longshan and Zhaoyang know as well?

Great Xia’s forces in Wushuang consisted of the one thousand Cloud Serpent Army soldiers and a total of seven Frostwarden realm experts, including themselves and the Leader, Xia Hong.

With Xia Hong and the other two away, only four Frostwarden realm experts remained.

The Cloud Serpent Army was certainly strong, but the Longyou Army and the Blood Guard Army were not weak either.

With their current strength, trying to seize that shipment of supplies was likely…

Longshan had already formed a new army. Zhaoyang wanted this shipment of weapons and armor, most likely to form a new army of their own. If they stood by and did nothing now, Great Xia’s troubles would only grow.

Besides, the Cloud Serpent Army coveted those weapons and armor!

Xia Chuan’s thoughts gradually cleared. He made a snap decision and ordered Lin Kai, “Return to Xiacheng. If we’re short on men, mobilize them. We cannot let Longshan deliver those things to Hou Hu so easily.”

“Yes, sir!”

Lin Kai cupped his hands in acceptance and immediately turned to leave.

“There are still five days. Big Brother might return in the meantime. Besides, the Cloud Serpent Army has been using Beast Tides for practice all this time. It’s hard to say how they’ll perform on a real battlefield. It’s a good opportunity to take them out for a real test against the Longyou Army and the Blood Guard Army!”

Of course, even if it was just a test, they had to be fully prepared.

Xia Chuan treasured every single soldier in the hard-won Cloud Serpent Army. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have personally gone into the mountains to train them. The fact that not a single soldier had been injured or killed in the past half a month was proof of that.

“Longshan’s supply route, the location where Zhaoyang might try to rendezvous, and the meeting point of the two parties—all these factors must be considered. We can only engage one of them, and we must also consider an escape route…”

Xia Chuan took out the map from his robes, found a seat in the hall, and began to study it carefully.

Since the situation in Longyou stabilized at the end of April, Great Xia had not stopped surveying the environment around Wushuang. Now, more than two months later, the map had naturally become much more detailed.

Crucially, Liu Yuan hadn’t just been accompanying the troops for training in the Longshan branch range for the past half-month. His Scout Battalion had long since infiltrated the territories of Baiyuan and Songyuan, gathering a great deal of intelligence about the situation within their borders.

What Xia Chuan didn’t know was that Xue Ping, who had been led to a guest room, was currently feeling both nervous and shocked.

The reason for his nervousness was, of course, Xia Chuan’s lack of trust in him.

Xue Ping wasn’t a fool. He knew very well why Xia Chuan was keeping him here. Only after five days, when the two pieces of news he brought were confirmed, would he have passed this test and earned Xia Chuan’s true trust.

The reason for his shock was,

“I’ve seen the Longyou Army train before. At most, they would just advance step by step, pushing back the Frost Beasts on the outskirts of Longshan. But Great Xia… they actually use a Beast Tide for training! I saw it clearly—it was a Beast Tide! How did they create a Beast Tide? This… this… this is… too insane!”

…

South of Wushuang, within Yanglu’s territory, atop a massive tree.

Xia Hong, dressed in black, stood at the very top of the tree. Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo stood behind him. The three of them stood in unison, all gazing into the distance towards the west.

The treetop where they stood was about two hundred meters from the ground. Below the great tree was a thick white fog. The fog was so dense that it completely obscured the tree trunk in mid-air, and the ground was entirely invisible.

On the Pingxi Plain, there were not many trees to obstruct the view. Even at night, visibility was extremely high. Yet now, when the sky was just beginning to brighten, the visibility was still so low, which spoke to the density of the fog.

Roar… Roar…

Within the white fog below the tree, the roars of beasts were almost continuous.

Anyone with even a little hunting experience would know at a listen that such dense beast roars meant the concentration of Frost Beasts here was terrifyingly high.

“Well, we’ve found the reason for the disappearance of the Beast Tide in the Arrow Bamboo Forest. So many Frost Beasts from Redwood Ridge have all come to Yanglu’s territory.”

Hearing Chen Yingyuan’s words, Peng Bo nodded and continued, “In three days, we’ve only advanced ten kilometers, yet we’ve encountered three clusters of Frost Beast packs, four advanced Frost Beasts, and countless scattered ones. I’ve hunted in Redwood Ridge for so long and never seen anything like this.”

“It must be the Frost Beasts from the depths of Redwood Ridge. They’ve all run over here. This white fog zone is the reason, isn’t it, Leader?”

After speaking, Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo both looked towards Xia Hong in front of them.

Xia Hong nodded in response, then turned to look at the packs on their backs and asked, “How much Congealing Fire Salve do you have left?”

If someone were nearby, they would see that all three were coated in a layer of black grease, making them look like three people who had been scorched by fire.

However, the grease on their bodies was constantly diminishing as it was eroded by the white fog. Clearly, the fog contained an extremely potent anomalous energy.

“I have twenty-seven pieces left.”

“I have thirty-one.”

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed slightly. When they left Wushuang, he had given each of them one hundred pieces of Congealing Fire Salve. It had only been three days, and they had already used two-thirds of it. The key was that they had only advanced ten kilometers.

“Peng Bo, how far are we from Yangyuan Peak?”

Peng Bo’s brow furrowed. He looked up and observed for a while before answering, “Probably still more than twenty kilometers.”

More than twenty kilometers. The Congealing Fire Salve would definitely not be enough.

“So many Frost Beasts have gathered here, yet we haven’t seen them band together to attack the surrounding human camps. It seems they simply like staying in this foggy area. I’ve lived for fifty or sixty years and have never seen anything like this.”

After speaking, Chen Yingyuan took out a piece of Jade Bone from his bag and said, “The Frost Beasts we’ve killed along the way, whether low, mid, or high level, show no signs of being controlled. Their beast meat, Beast Blood, and even their Jade Bones are all in a normal state. Does the Leader truly believe that the gathering of these Frost Beasts here is related to that White Dew Aberration from Yangyuan Peak?”

Xia Hong’s resolute expression served as an answer to Chen Yingyuan’s question.

In fact, the moment he saw the dense fog in Yanglu three days ago, Xia Hong had already concluded that the White Dew Aberration was definitely not dead.

The reason was simple. What appeared as a white fog to Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo was, under his Eye of Scrutiny, clearly an area covered by a fire-red substance.

He had seen that same fire-red substance on Wu Xiong, who was controlled by the White Dew Aberration when Hanqiong was destroyed.

From this, he could basically confirm that the Wu Xiong he had killed that day was merely a puppet controlled by the White Dew Aberration.

Not only was the White Dew Aberration not dead, but it had also become much stronger.

The fact that it could create a fog zone spanning several dozen square kilometers and attract so many Frost Beasts to gather here was proof of this.

“Leader, how about I go back and get some more Congealing Fire Salve, and then we’ll probe deeper?”

Peng Bo was eager to see Yangyuan Peak again. Perhaps worried that Xia Hong would be unwilling to continue exploring, he took the initiative to suggest it.

Xia Hong stood there and pondered for a moment before saying, “You and Chen Yingyuan should take the Frost Beasts we’ve hunted over the past three days back. I’ll continue to scout deeper and see just how dense the Frost Beasts become.”

“Leader, this…”

Chen Yingyuan was likely worried about Xia Hong’s safety. Peng Bo clearly wanted to continue following him, but with their dwindling supply of Congealing Fire Salve, he was undecided.

“Alright, that’s settled. Judging by the density of Frost Beasts in these outer ten kilometers, I expect I’ll be driven out by them before I can even reach Yangyuan Peak. You two can head back first!”

Since Xia Hong insisted, Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo could say no more. They cupped their hands in a salute, then leaped down from the tree and headed north towards Wushuang.

Xia Hong turned to look south in the direction of Yangyuan Peak, a flicker in his eyes.

“Attracting a large number of Frost Beasts here without bothering the surrounding camps… The goal is to turn this place into a forbidden land, to keep others from getting close. The Frost Beasts are acting as protection. Just what is it that you want to guard?”

…

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, June 20th.

After nightfall, outside the Longshan camp.

A thousand-man army, fully geared and ready, guarded ten massive, four-wheeled iron carts, forming a line over two hundred meters long.

To the east of the camp, a road wide enough for the four-wheeled carts had clearly been cleared in the past few days.

The army’s Commandant, Zhou Yuan, stood at the head of the column, loudly giving instructions.

At the rear of the column, Yang Zhong and Li Hu stood side by side, looking at the one hundred large wooden crates loaded on the ten carts, and exchanged a look of inexplicable meaning.

“Alright, move out!”

Commandant Zhou Yuan finally finished his instructions. With a single command, the first company began to push the carts forward, and the units behind followed, one after another.

In the ninth company, Yang Zhong and Li Hu, along with twenty other men, walked to the front of a four-wheeled cart, slung ropes over their shoulders, and began to pull with all their might.

“The ten-day delay was for training, wasn’t it?”

“Originally, the Second Army was supposed to be the escort, but Commandant Zhou Yuan said that since our Fourth Army has just been formed, a mission that isn’t too difficult like this is perfect. First, it’s good practice for us. Second, it’s a good way to intimidate Hou Hu.”

“Intimidate Hou Hu? This shipment is clearly hundred-forged weapons and armor. But I heard that Hou Hu has already submitted to us in Longshan. This batch of weapons is a gift from our camp to them.”

“I think so too. What can Zhaoyang use to fight our Longshan? It was only a matter of time before they surrendered. Tsk, tsk, these hundred-forged weapons and armor… the New Army just got fully equipped, and we’re already giving so many to them.”

…

Hearing the discussion within the ranks, both Li Hu and Yang Zhong sighed softly.

Five days ago, after discovering that the contents of the crates were destined for Baiyuan, they had immediately instructed Xue Ping to report to Great Xia.

But who would have thought that in the following five days, more and more rumors would spread throughout Longshan. They, too, had heard the news of Hou Hu surrendering to Longshan.

Upon hearing it, their first instinct was to report it to Great Xia, but the problem was that Xue Ping had not returned, and they could no longer find anyone else to help.

It wasn’t that they were unpopular. It was mainly because of the meddling of Li Yuanqing and Yang Gan that few people dared to associate with them. Finding another trustworthy person like Xue Ping was practically impossible.

“The news of Hou Hu surrendering to Longshan is most likely true. I saw people from the Zhaoyang camp in the barracks a few days ago. Although it was from a distance, I could tell from their attire. We have to find a way to get this message to the Director.”

Hearing Yang Zhong’s whisper, Li Hu first nodded, but then a look of helplessness crossed his eyes. He lowered his head and whispered, “We still don’t know if Xue Ping even delivered the first two messages to Great Xia. Getting this new piece of information to them will be even harder.”

“We can’t leave the barracks when we’re at the encampment, but it’s different once we’re on the move. We can definitely find an opportunity on the road. We just need one of us to break away from the column.”

Li Hu nodded and whispered, “Zhou Yuan just said the destination is at the border of Changning and Baiyuan, a total distance of over thirty kilometers. It’s expected to take more than five double-hours. We’ll definitely have a chance along the way.”

Strictly speaking, Baiyuan was located in the central part of Longyou. To the east of Longshan was Changning, and further east of Changning was Baiyuan.

For such an important shipment, Zhaoyang would not wait for them to deliver it all the way to the Baiyuan encampment. Changning’s territory was long and narrow from north to south, but only about a dozen kilometers wide from east to west. Hou Hu would definitely send a large force from Baiyuan to meet them within Changning’s borders.

“Hopefully, Xue Ping has already delivered the message to the Lord. I just realized that this shipment basically reveals what Zhaoyang and Longshan are planning to do. The Lord will surely take action once he knows!”

Li Hu mulled it over, a hint of urgency flashing in his eyes.

Chapter 289: Zhou Yuan’s Dilemma, Long White Gully

East of Longshan, on the western border of Changning.

A convoy transporting supplies pushed forward through the snowy landscape, braving the frigid wind.

“Faster! Pick up the pace! Are you out of energy after just two hours?”

“Stop dragging your feet! It’s the last twenty kilometers. We’re almost there.”

“Faster, all of you, faster!”

…………

Ever since they had entered Changning territory, Commandant Zhou Yuan’s urging had not ceased for a moment. His nerves seemed stretched far too tight. He relentlessly pushed the army onward, completely ignoring the morale of his men.

“Commandant, we’ve traveled twelve kilometers in two hours. The men are already moving as fast as they can. We can’t go any faster,” said Cheng He, Command Captain of the Second Regiment, who was following behind Zhou Yuan. Seeing many of the soldiers beginning to pant heavily, he couldn’t help but speak up for them.

Song Ning, Command Captain of the First Regiment, added, “Commandant, Changning is under Longshan’s rule now. We know the general situation here, and the roads have all been cleared in advance. There’s no need to move this quickly.”

Although the Provost Captains of the two regiments, Li Yuankai and Li Yuanqing, said nothing, they both nodded in agreement with the other two.

The conditions of the snowy plains were complex. Without any assistance, the Longyou Army’s marching speed was about five to six kilometers per hour. This New Army hadn’t been established for long, so their pace was likely twenty to thirty percent slower.

Their marching speed was already limited, and escorting ten giant four-wheeled carts slowed them down even further.

It was only thanks to the people from the Changning garrison clearing a route for them a few days prior that they were able to cover twelve kilometers in two hours.

Their current pace was already absurdly fast.

After the Longyou incident in April, Yucheng, Changning, and Songyuan were all annexed by Longshan, their territories naturally falling under its control.

Garrisons from Longshan were now stationed in all three territories. Entering Changning was like being in their own backyard. In the four captains’ eyes, Zhou Yuan’s behavior was clearly a case of excessive nervousness.

However, upon hearing Cheng He and Song Ning’s words, Zhou Yuan showed no sign of easing up. Instead, he urged them on a few more times before turning to face the two captains, his voice grave.

“The New Army has just been formed, and this is its first deployment. I don’t seek accolades, only to avoid mistakes. We must be cautious in all things, and so should you.”

Hearing this, the four captains—Cheng He, Song Ning, Li Yuankai, and Li Yuanqing—exchanged glances. Their expressions were a bit odd, but they said nothing, merely nodding lightly.

Zhou Yuan was an old hand and could naturally see that the four hadn’t taken his words to heart at all. Anger flickered across his face, but looking at their youthful faces, he held his tongue. Instead, he gave an order: “We are still about twenty kilometers from our destination, roughly a three-hour journey. You four will scout ahead to prevent any unexpected situations!”

The four exchanged another look, their faces showing reluctance. But seeing the anger on Zhou Yuan’s face, they didn’t dare refuse. Cupping their hands in accession, they split into two pairs and ran off into the distance to the east.

Zhou Yuan hung back on the army’s flank, watching the four disappearing figures. The anger on his face subsided, replaced by a soft sigh.

“They said they were giving me complete control of the new Fourth Army, but then they planted these four nails in it. They even made their own family members the two Provost Captains. In the end, they still don’t trust an outsider like me. Leader, ah…”

Longshan was a massive establishment with strict rules to match. Military power had always been held firmly in the hands of the Li clan. After Li Xuanling became the Leader, she held two military tallies, making her the only person in the entire encampment who could truly mobilize the three Longyou armies.

The Li clan was the master of Longshan; it was understandable that they would control the military.

The problem was, they took it to an extreme!

Longshan previously had three armies of a thousand men each, commanded by the three brothers Li Xuanyan, Li Xuantian, and Li Xuandu as Commandants.

Across these three armies were a total of twelve Captains. Eleven of them were surnamed Li. The only one who wasn’t, Yang Zhi, was Li Tiancheng’s maternal grandson.

For outsiders like them, this was going a bit too far.

It wasn’t that the outsiders wanted to meddle with the camp’s military authority. The issue was that everyone needed room for advancement, especially those at the Frostwarden realm. Positions like Captain and Commandant weren’t just symbols of status; they also came with extremely generous quotas of cultivation resources.

More importantly, it was a matter of whether the Li clan truly trusted outsiders like them.

As a direct subordinate of the former leader, Li Tianhua, one of Longshan’s Eight Great Guardians, and a Council Elder, Zhou Yuan’s loyalty to the Li clan was beyond question. But that didn’t mean he lacked the desire to cultivate, grow stronger, and improve his own strength and standing.

The issue of outsiders holding military positions had actually been raised for reform by Li Tianhua years ago when he was still around. But since his passing, no one had brought it up again, and it had remained a sensitive topic in Longshan ever since.

It wasn’t until last month, at the end of May, after meeting with Hou Hu, that Li Xuanling proposed the formation of a new army during the month-end council meeting. She also declared her intention to appoint an outsider as its Commandant, which immediately caused a massive uproar.

Without exception, nearly every member of the Li clan voiced their opposition.

Meanwhile, all the Frostwarden realm experts who weren’t from the Li clan, including Zhou Yuan, unanimously agreed.

In the end, Li Xuanling overruled all objections. The moment she chose him to be the Commandant of the New Army, Zhou Yuan was so moved he nearly wept.

He recalled his long years of diligent service under Li Tianhua. His loyalty to the Li clan had finally been rewarded. He swore to himself that for the rest of his life, he would lead the New Army well, achieve great things for Longshan, and repay the trust of two successive leaders.

Unfortunately, intentions were one thing.

Execution was another matter entirely.

According to Li Xuanling’s original plan, he would be the Commandant, and the four Captains under him would also be outsiders. But the Li clan members in the Council of Elders would not have it.

In the month it took to establish the New Army, the Li clansmen on the council used every trick in the book, managing to seize all four Captain positions.

Of the current four Captains, Li Yuankai and Li Yuanqing were direct members of the Li clan. As for Cheng He and Song Ning, while they were the sons of Cheng Guang and Song Kang, they were also Li Tiancheng’s maternal grandsons, making them relatives of the Li clan on the maternal side.

Of course, Zhou Yuan, as Commandant, was still the highest-ranking commander of the New Army.

The problem was, with all four of his direct subordinates being Li clansmen, how much authority did he, the Commandant, truly have left?

The way the four of them had just questioned him offered a glimpse of the answer.

Worse still, of the four, only Cheng He truly met his standards.

Li Yuankai, Li Yuanqing, and Song Ning had only broken through to the Frostwarden realm a few months ago at most. Their strength was average, they lacked experience in the field, and, most damningly, all three had arrogant and spoiled personalities and poor reputations within the camp.

“I have to take it one step at a time,” Zhou Yuan sighed softly. “The Leader appointed me as Commandant despite the pressure from the Li clansmen. I cannot betray her trust, no matter what!”

He moved to the army’s flank and began urging the men forward again.

………………

Three kilometers east of the convoy.

Seeing Cheng He gazing into the distance, genuinely scouting the surroundings, Li Yuanqing shook his head and said, “Cheng He, are you really going to scout?”

Cheng He stiffened slightly and turned around, a look of confusion on his face.

Seeing his expression, Li Yuanqing sneered, “Hou Hu has already surrendered to our Longshan. Who in all of Longyou would dare to move against us now? Surely not that camp called Great Xia, right?”

Without waiting for a reply, he continued, “The Leader appointed Zhou Yuan as the Commandant of the New Army over everyone’s objections. He’s terrified of making a mistake and getting stripped of his position by the Council, so it’s understandable that he’s overly nervous.”

Hearing this, Cheng He lowered his head and fell silent for a moment before looking at Li Yuanqing. “The New Army is newly established. It’s not wrong to be cautious.”

“Tch…”

Li Yuanqing scoffed, his expression disdainful. “No matter how cautious he is, Zhou Yuan won’t be Commandant for long. An outsider, trying to get his hands on the camp’s military authority? In his dreams!”

At these last words, Cheng He’s pupils constricted slightly, but his expression remained calm. He said nothing, merely asking in return, “But he was personally appointed by the Leader. I know Uncle Zhou’s capabilities—he has the strength, the competence, and the skill to lead troops. As long as the Leader supports him, it won’t be easy for the Council to remove him from his position as Commandant.”

His father, Cheng Guang, was one of Longshan’s Eight Great Guardians alongside Zhou Yuan, so according to seniority, he should indeed address Zhou Yuan as ‘Uncle’.

Cheng He knew his uncle to some extent.

Longshan’s Eight Great Guardians were the core subordinates cultivated by Li Tianhua in the early years. With his strength at eleven Manes in the late-Frostwarden realm, Zhou Yuan ranked first among the eight. Furthermore, when Li Tianhua first established the Longyou Army, Zhou Yuan was its first Command Captain.

Few in the camp doubted Zhou Yuan’s ability or strength. In fact, if not for his status as an outsider, he was clearly more qualified to lead the Longyou Army than any of the three Li brothers.

Li Yuanqing was obviously aware of this. Hearing Cheng He’s words, he was momentarily at a loss for words but quickly resumed his sneer. “This has nothing to do with strength or ability. Zhou Yuan has failed to understand his place. If he’s allowed to secure his position as Commandant, he’ll become a model for all the outsiders in the camp. If they all start wanting a hand in military power, what then…?”

He paused, then smiled at Cheng He. “Cheng He, you don’t consider yourself an outsider too, do you?”

Cheng He’s expression froze for a second before he shook his head. “Of course not.”

Cheng He’s mother was Li Tiancheng’s second daughter, Li Xuanyue, making him a maternal relative of the Li clan. Technically, he was not considered an outsider.

“Good!”

Li Yuanqing nodded and continued walking forward.

Cheng He stared at Li Yuanqing’s back for a moment, a flash of disgust flickering deep in his eyes. He concealed it quickly and asked, “Shouldn’t we head back? We’re almost four kilometers from the main force. It’s time to report back.”

Li Yuanqing clearly had no intention of returning. He waved a dismissive hand. “It’s not often I get a chance to get away from the army and catch my breath. I’m not going back so soon. Long White Gully is just ahead. Didn’t Zhou Yuan want us to scout? Let’s take a look.”

Cheng He stood in place for a moment. Looking back, he could no longer see the main army. A trace of hesitation appeared on his face, but seeing that Li Yuanqing had already started walking east, he followed along.

Most of Longyou was flat plains, but not every path was an easy one.

Long White Gully was a prime example.

It was a deep gully on the eastern side of Changning, running from north to south. It was over a dozen kilometers long, more than twenty meters wide, and over a hundred meters deep.

The territory of the Changning encampment was characteristically long and narrow from north to south. Long White Gully cut through nearly half of its entire domain. To get from Changning east to Baiyuan territory, one either had to cross the wooden bridge over the gully or take a detour to the north or south.

“Changning must have been really poor. A gully over twenty meters wide, and they only built such a narrow wooden bridge. No wonder they said it would take five hours. A southern detour for the army adds an extra five or six kilometers to the journey for no reason.”

Li Yuanqing had reached the western edge of Long White Gully and was peering down into its depths.

Now that Changning belonged to Longshan, they were aware of the general situation at Long White Gully and knew the itinerary before they set out.

“Changning really wasn’t wealthy, but that’s probably not why they didn’t build an iron bridge. Their relationship with the Baiyuan encampment was poor, so this gully served as a natural trench between them…”

“Hey, look down there. Why is there a light?”

Suddenly interrupted by Li Yuanqing, Cheng He looked confused. He then walked over and followed his pointing finger, looking down into the deep gully.

The sight made him freeze.

A place like Long White Gully would normally be deserted. Other than the accumulated snow, there should be nothing at the bottom.

But right now, where his gaze was fixed, there was a distinct, large patch of light.

It looked like moonlight reflecting off something.

Li Yuanqing, perhaps thinking it was some kind of treasure, looked excited.

Cheng He, however, frowned deeply. He looked up at the moon in the sky, then back down into the gully, trying to get a better look.

But as he lowered his head, his peripheral vision caught his own shoulder.

As the Command Captain of the New Army’s Second Regiment, he was naturally wearing armor.

The iron plate on his shoulder was also reflecting the moonlight. The light it gave off was identical to the large patch of light deep in the gully.

“Run!”

Cheng He’s face changed drastically. His brows twitched violently as he turned and roared at Li Yuanqing.

Li Yuanqing turned, his face filled with confusion.

But soon, he understood.

Whoosh…

The fierce sound of a slicing blade suddenly shot up from the gully wall.

Swish… swish… swish…

Immediately after, from the opposite side of the gully, five or six speeding iron arrows shot towards the two of them. The piercing sound of the arrows cutting through the air was enough to make one’s eardrums ache, a testament to the power they carried.

A large black saber slashed diagonally towards him. Cheng He hastily raised his own saber to block.

Clang!

The blow bent the blade of his Thousand-forged greatsword, and his body flew backward like a kite with a snapped string, landing more than twenty meters away.

“It’s an ambush! I have to get back and warn them!”

The thought flashed through Cheng He’s mind, but it was already too late.

Pfft!

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, unable to push himself up from the snow. He looked up to see Li Yuanqing pinned to the ground by three iron arrows. Before he could even let out a scream, he was subdued by several figures clad in pale gold iron armor.

It’s over!

A hand-blade chopped towards his face. Heavily injured, Cheng He was unable to put up any resistance. His vision went black, and an intense wave of dizziness washed over his mind.

“These two don’t even have the power of two Manes?”

“Looks like they just broke through to the Frostwarden realm.”

“The two who went south earlier were about as strong as them.”

“The one leading the Longshan troops isn’t a fool. These must all be scouts.”

“We saw them earlier. It’s impossible for those ten large carts to cross the wooden bridge. They’ll have to detour south when they reach Long White Gully. Liu Yuan, take the army south along the bottom of the gully and find a suitable place to lie in wait. I’ll go keep an eye on them.”

“Yes, Marshal. What about these two? Should we kill them?”

“No need to kill them. Tie them up and bring them along for now.”

………………

The dazed Cheng He finally lost consciousness before he could hear the rest.

………………

“Commandant, the south side of Long White Gully is all clear. We can take the detour!”

At the head of the Longyou army, Song Ning and Li Yuankai returned and immediately found Zhou Yuan to report on the situation ahead.

Hearing their report, Zhou Yuan nodded.

They were now less than a kilometer from Long White Gully. Once the army arrived, they only needed to make a five-kilometer detour to cross it. Then, only the final ten kilometers would remain to the eastern border of Changning.

After signaling for the army to continue, Zhou Yuan turned and asked Song Ning and the other, “Where are Li Yuanqing and Cheng He?”

Li Yuankai and Song Ning looked at each other, stunned, and both shook their heads.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan’s brow furrowed, and a look of anger crossed his face.

“I sent them to scout, and they still haven’t returned after all this time? Are they completely disregarding this Commandant’s orders? Go find them and tell them to get themselves back here.”

“This… Yes, sir!”

Song Ning and Li Yuankai clearly didn’t understand why Zhou Yuan was so angry. After a moment’s hesitation, they saw the anger on his face deepen. They immediately bowed in compliance and quickly sped off to the east to find Li Yuanqing and Cheng He.

Chapter 290: The Cloud Serpent Army’s First Battle, Zhou Yuan’s Bloody Fight, a Great Victory and a Windfall

“Once we start circling around, find a chance to break away from the column!”

The Longshan army had already halted. After a short rest, they were preparing to detour south. At the rear of the ninth large cart, Li Hu quickly whispered to Yang Zhong beside him.

Yang Zhong glanced at the deep gully less than half a li away. He knew this was their only chance and immediately nodded in agreement.

The two of them had been looking for an opportunity to leave the convoy the entire way, but Zhou Yuan had been rushing them relentlessly and watching them too closely. They hadn’t found a single opening.

Now, the column was finally resting, and right next to them was a deep gully.

It was indeed a good opportunity.

“Alright, move out!”

At Zhou Yuan’s command, the army, which had rested for about ten minutes, began to turn, escorting the ten large carts south along Long White Gully.

The column traveled south for half an hour, covering less than a kilometer, and could already see the end of Long White Gully in the distance.

“Those two, why aren’t they back yet?”

On the army’s flank, Zhou Yuan turned to look behind him, his expression indignant.

It had been over forty minutes since Song Ning and Li Yuankai had left.

Did it really take that long to find someone?

Zhou Yuan’s brow furrowed tightly. He suppressed the anger in his heart and turned to look at the endless snowy plains before the army. His expression immediately relaxed.

Most of Longyou was flat terrain with a wide-open field of view. This was especially true within Changning’s borders; apart from this deep gully, one couldn’t even find a snow dune large enough to hide a person.

Besides, Hou Hu had already surrendered to Longshan. At this point, there were virtually no forces left in all of Longyou that could threaten the Longyou Army.

Longshan had sent men to scout Great Xia’s situation long ago. Although Great Xia’s strength was considerable, they had only left two thousand ordinary Earthforger realm soldiers in Longyou.

If a force that small dared to ambush him, Zhou Yuan would actually be pleased.

“They couldn’t possibly be hiding an army in the deep gully, could they?”

Zhou Yuan turned to look at Long White Gully, not far to the east. His brow furrowed slightly, and after a moment’s hesitation, he walked over anyway.

One could never be too careful!

The army was currently heading south along the gully, only two or three hundred meters from its western edge. Zhou Yuan quickly closed the distance to just over a hundred meters.

Those at the Frostwarden realm possessed perceptive abilities. With only a hundred meters left to the gully, Zhou Yuan slowed his pace, held his breath, and focused his senses on the situation over there.

But at that very moment, a furious shout came from the rear of the army.

“Commandant, there’s a problem! We’ve searched all along Long White Gully and couldn’t find Cheng He or Li Yuanqing. We just discovered signs of a struggle by the gully’s edge.”

It was Song Ning’s voice!

Zhou Yuan’s brow sank upon hearing this. He turned his head and saw that the army was advancing to the point where they would be closest to Long White Gully, only about a hundred meters away. He instantly realized something, his expression changing drastically as he yelled, “Everyone, halt! Halt! Quickly, stop—”

“Fire!”

Swish…

An iron arrow suddenly shot out from Long White Gully, speeding toward the convoy.

Swish… swish… swish…

It was followed by dozens, then hundreds of iron arrows, all flying towards the Longshan army’s convoy.

The sound of arrows whistling through the air and Zhou Yuan’s urgent cry erupted at almost the same time.

Therefore, the men in the Longshan army convoy had no time to react.

Thud… thud…

The accuracy and power of these iron arrows were clearly far beyond the Longshan army’s expectations. The first volley wasn’t actually that large—two or three hundred arrows at most.

Yet, almost without exception, every single one of those two or three hundred arrows hit its mark.

Most of them even precisely pierced the soldiers’ faces, arms, waists, or other vital areas unprotected by iron armor.

The Longshan army column, formed by ten large carts, was at least two hundred meters long. The thousand soldiers were already extremely spread out, and this volley of arrows scattered them even further, throwing their formation into disarray.

“Ambush! Ambush! Get behind the carts! Quickly, quickly!”

“They’re in Long White Gully! Draw your bows and return fire! Hurry!”

Of course, the Longshan soldiers were not complete fools. The captains of the various companies quickly reacted, organizing their troops to use the four-wheeled carts as barriers against the arrows. They then pointed out the enemy’s location and ordered their men to draw their own bows to retaliate.

Although they were the New Army, they were equipped according to the standards of the Longyou Army. They all had thirty-stone longbows, as well as hundred-forged weapons and armor.

Swish, swish, swish…

Unfortunately, it seemed they would have little chance to return fire.

The arrows flying from Long White Gully came almost without pause. As time passed, their numbers grew, and a few arrows with terrifying power even appeared among them, capable of piercing through their iron armor.

“I said stop this at once!”

Zhou Yuan reacted with extreme speed. The moment he heard the command “Fire,” he was already charging toward Long White Gully under the hail of arrows, roaring in fury.

He had seen it clearly. As soon as the command was given, over a hundred soldiers in pale gold armor had appeared on the western edge of Long White Gully, frantically shooting at the Longshan convoy.

They really had hidden an army at the bottom of the gully!

Zhou Yuan’s heart was now filled with regret—regret that he hadn’t scouted the situation at the bottom of Long White Gully beforehand. But there was no time for regret now. He could only continue charging through the arrow storm, trying to reach the archers and break their formation.

A small-scale arrow storm from thirty-stone longbows wouldn’t be enough to rout his thousand-man army. The convoy could quickly form a defensive position. The most crucial thing now was to scatter the hundred-plus enemy soldiers and stop more of them from continuously climbing out of the gully.

When Zhou Yuan was only fifty meters from the gully, he could already see large numbers of fully armed soldiers climbing up from the bottom with ropes, one after another, joining the ranks of the archers.

The arrow storm grew fiercer. The Longshan soldiers hiding behind the ten large carts were so suppressed they didn’t even dare to peek out.

“Song Ning, Li Yuankai, go organize the army’s counterattack! Don’t worry about me!”

This scene undoubtedly enraged Zhou Yuan even more. After giving his order to Song Ning and the others behind him, he gripped his great saber and charged forward another thirty meters in an instant.

For the final twenty meters, Zhou Yuan did not continue his mad dash. He leaped into the air, raised his great saber high, and brought it down in a horizontal slash toward the enemy’s archery formation.

However, strangely, not a single one of the archers looked up at him. They all remained fixated on the convoy, mechanically repeating the motion of shooting, continuing to suppress the Longshan army.

“Someone’s there!”

Zhou Yuan was no novice; he was experienced in both hunting and leading troops. Seeing the soldiers’ reaction, he immediately deduced that someone was guarding the archery formation.

The problem was, even when his great saber was just seven or eight meters away from the front-rank soldiers, still no one emerged to stop him.

“Playing mysterious games!”

Zhou Yuan gritted his teeth, unleashing the strength of eleven manes. His great saber continued to slash down toward the soldiers in the front row.

Whoosh…

There it was!

Zhou Yuan’s brow twitched violently. The snow in front of the soldiers suddenly exploded, erupting into a massive cloud of snow over ten meters high.

Then, a golden giant over three meters tall rose from within.

Clang!

The saber puppet’s four-bladed arms clashed with Zhou Yuan’s great saber, creating a deafening sound. It was forced back three to five meters.

“Commandant Zhou, it’s been a while.”

From behind the saber puppet, Xia Chuan, clad in pale gold armor, slowly walked out. After pulling the saber puppet’s arm back into place, he looked up at Zhou Yuan with a faint smile.

Zhou Yuan tore his shocked gaze away from the saber puppet and looked at Xia Chuan, his voice low. “Director Xia, you attack my Longshan forces without cause. Has your Great Xia thought through the consequences?”

“Scout Battalion and Glaive Battalion, continue suppressing fire! Saber Battalion, split into two columns, circle around to the north and south, and surround the Longshan army!”

Xia Chuan answered Zhou Yuan’s question with a crisp, clean command.

Nearly all the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers had climbed up from Long White Gully.

The Longshan convoy was currently west of the gully, so the army emerging from below started from their direct east.

After Xia Chuan’s order, Liu Yuan led the Scout Battalion and three Glaive Battalions, a total of four hundred men, to continue suppressing the Longshan army with longbows from the front.

The six Saber Battalions split into two columns, firing arrows as they moved to circle around from the north and south, attempting to complete an encirclement of the Longshan convoy.

The Longshan army wasn’t foolish. As the Saber Battalions circled around, they quickly raised their bows to return fire, trying to stop them from reaching their flanks.

However, their return fire was not only slow but also wildly inaccurate due to the constant suppression from Liu Yuan’s four hundred men at the front. It was chaotic and disorganized.

Clang… Clank…

Xia Chuan was not idle. After giving his orders to Liu Yuan, he had the saber puppet continue to tie down Zhou Yuan.

The fierce clashes between the puppet’s four limbs and Zhou Yuan’s great saber sent shockwaves that collapsed all the snow on the western bank of Long White Gully, sending it tumbling into the chasm.

It was clear from their initial exchange that his base strength was inferior to Zhou Yuan’s, so the most he could do was entangle him—and even that was difficult.

Bang!

With a diagonal slash, Zhou Yuan forced the saber puppet back another three meters. Pressing his advantage, he caught sight of Xia Chuan behind the puppet out of the corner of his eye. His body shot forward, his great saber pointed horizontally as he lunged straight for Xia Chuan.

He clearly understood the principle of targeting the leader. Rather than dealing with this troublesome puppet, it was better to go directly for Xia Chuan, who controlled it.

Unfortunately, his plan fell through almost immediately.

A ghost-head great saber and a long spear flew out from Xia Chuan’s left and right sides. They not only parried Zhou Yuan’s great saber but also coordinated with the saber puppet to send him flying back more than twenty meters.

“Peng Bo, Chen Yingyuan!”

Zhou Yuan instantly recognized the owners of the two weapons. Using the momentum from being knocked back, he turned and fled toward the convoy without a second glance.

Evidently, the moment Chen and Peng appeared, Zhou Yuan realized that not only could he not defeat Xia Chuan, but he would also be in grave danger if the three of them managed to pin him down.

So he chose to retreat and face the enemy alongside the Longshan army.

“Smart, but a little too late!”

Xia Chuan saw through Zhou Yuan’s intention at a glance. With a cold laugh, he immediately manipulated the saber puppet to pursue him, with Chen and Peng following closely.

At the same time, he loudly commanded all the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers:

“Tighten the encirclement! Once your arrows are gone, unstring your bows! Glaive Battalion, advance first!”

The Longshan soldiers had all shrunk back behind the four-wheeled carts.

As more and more arrows rained down from the six Saber Battalions on the north and south flanks, the soldiers at both ends of the convoy began to concentrate toward the middle.

Soon, all the soldiers were huddled on the west side of the three central carts.

All the wooden crates on the carts had long been shot through by the iron arrows, scattering weapons and armor everywhere. It was a good thing the carts themselves were made of iron and could withstand the arrow fire.

Song Ning and Li Yuankai weren’t fools either. They had long since directed the remaining soldiers to topple the three iron carts and use their cargo beds as shields, creating a three-sided iron wall to block the incoming arrows.

The method was effective; at least the casualties stopped mounting.

The problem was, they still couldn’t mount any kind of counterattack.

Moreover, because their numbers were so concentrated, in the short time Zhou Yuan had been fighting Xia Chuan, the six Saber Battalions, with the coordination of the four hundred men at the front, had already completed the encirclement of their position.

“Damn it, we can’t even fight back!”

“They’re tightening the encirclement.”

“We can only wait until they run out of arrows. We can’t even lift our heads.”

“Stay hidden! We’ll have a chance in close-quarters combat.”

“We’ve lost a fifth of our men before we’ve even engaged. What chance do we have?”

…

The Longshan soldiers were incredibly frustrated. The vast majority of them hadn’t even seen what the enemy looked like, yet they were pinned down behind the carts, too afraid to even show their heads.

Many had nocked arrows, ready to retaliate, but the moment they stood up, several iron arrows would fly toward them, giving them no chance to even aim.

At best, some with excellent archery skills could manage a few quick blind shots.

And since they were blind shots, there was naturally no accuracy to speak of.

Wounding the enemy was out of the question.

Seven or eight hundred men were just huddled in the circle formed by the three carts.

They all knew their only chance to counterattack would come when the enemy exhausted their quivers and decided to engage in close-quarters combat.

The question was, how many of them would be left by then?

“Song Ning, lead some men to break out from the west! Break through!”

In the end, Xia Chuan and his two men failed to catch Zhou Yuan. He retreated back into the midst of the Longshan army and immediately issued the command.

Song Ning knew the situation was critical. Without a word, he and Li Yuankai led a small team to open a gap on the western side.

The moment the gap was opened, the sound of arrows whistling through the air from outside happened to stop.

Song Ning, Li Yuankai, and some of the Longshan soldiers immediately understood why Zhou Yuan had told them to open a gap on the west and break out.

The arrow storm had vanished.

The Great Xia soldiers had run out of iron arrows.

This was their chance!

“Scout Battalion, Glaive Battalion, charge with me!”

Just as hope began to bloom on the faces of Song Ning and the other Longshan soldiers, a chilling voice rang out from directly in front of them, to the west.

Whoosh…

A seven or eight-meter-long iron pole suddenly descended from the sky, aimed precisely at Song Ning, who had just charged out of the western gap.

The fierce whistling sound in his ears immediately told Song Ning that the force behind this iron pole was far beyond his imagination, and he quickly retreated to evade it.

Thud…

When the iron pole landed, it blasted away the snow in a three-to-four-meter radius and plunged more than two meters deep into the earth, standing erect on the ground.

At the top of the pole unfurled a black banner, two meters wide and four meters long. On its front was a large, golden character for “Xia,” while its back was embroidered with a golden Soaring Serpent. The banner snapped and fluttered in the battlefield wind, and the Soaring Serpent looked as if it were soaring through clouds and mist, its presence majestic.

Beside the flag stood a young man in black robes under pale gold armor, holding a broadsword. His left hand gripped the flagpole, his gaze placid.

What was the meaning of planting a flag here?

The Longshan soldiers were a bit stunned, but they soon understood.

“Kill!”

Liu Yuan led the four hundred men of the Scout Battalion and the Glaive Battalion in a charge.

They charged through the western gap. Originally, their men were somewhat scattered, but now they were all converging on the gap with incredible precision.

“That flag is to mark the attack position for the army!”

Zhou Yuan saw the flag’s purpose at a glance, but he was in no mood to marvel at it. He roared at the men behind him, “What are you all staring at? Waiting to die? Pick up your weapons and break out to the west!”

The distance was too short; there wasn’t even time to fire arrows.

As Zhou Yuan gave the order, Liu Yuan’s one hundred elite scouts had already passed the banner and clashed with the foremost ranks of the Longshan soldiers.

Liu Yuan, a Frostwarden realm expert, plunged into a crowd of soldiers at the Earthforger limit like a god of slaughter. In less than a dozen breaths, he had cut down five or six men, leading his hundred elites more than ten meters into their ranks.

At the same time, the three hundred men of the Glaive Battalion began to make contact with the Longshan army.

They wielded massive glaives, nearly three meters long. There were no flashy maneuvers or parries—just a relentless forward charge.

The Longshan army’s sabers, little more than a meter long, were completely useless. They couldn’t even get close to the Glaive Battalion soldiers before they were run through, screaming in agony.

The rout happened in an instant!

When the front-rank Longshan soldiers fell back, the soldiers in the middle and rear ranks were already struck with fear. Though they still held their weapons, they had no idea what to do.

The space enclosed by the three carts was only so large. With the three hundred men of the Glaive Battalion blocking the opening, the men inside had no room to maneuver.

Zhou Yuan knew it was over if he didn’t risk his life now. He charged directly toward the front line of the Glaive Battalion, attempting to disrupt their offensive rhythm.

It had to be said, it had some effect.

The Glaive Battalion’s advance was indeed delayed for a moment by his arrival.

But only for a moment.

Xia Chuan maneuvered the saber puppet to block Zhou Yuan’s path at the front of the Glaive Battalion. The subsequent arrival of Chen and Peng made his situation even more precarious.

“Push the carts away! Break out in other directions!”

It was only when he heard Song Ning’s words that Zhou Yuan’s expression changed in alarm. He raised his saber to block Chen Yingyuan’s spear, and in the fleeting gap, he turned his head and roared, “Don’t push the carts away! Fight from inside!”

His warning came too late!

Song Ning likely thought that since Great Xia’s iron arrows were gone, there was no need to continue breaking out to the west. Pushing the other two carts aside and scattering to break out offered a better chance.

The soldiers in the rear ranks worked together and pushed the two large carts aside.

But the moment they were moved, countless slender blades descended upon them.

“Brothers of the Saber Battalion, charge with me!”

“Brothers, kill!”

“Follow me and kill!”

…

Six Saber Battalions, a total of six hundred men.

They had long been waiting in silence behind the two carts.

The moment the Longshan soldiers pushed the carts aside, six hundred Saber Battalion soldiers surged in from all directions, cutting through the Longshan army’s formation in an instant.

The most aggressive of the Saber Battalion soldiers even met and merged with the Glaive Battalion soldiers from the west.

Squelch…

Clang!

…

“Kill!”

If the charge of the Glaive Battalion had only caused a rout in the Longshan army…

Then now, this Longshan army had been completely stunned and broken.

Their morale completely collapsed, especially when they discovered their weapons couldn’t break through the Great Xia soldiers’ pale gold armor, while their opponents’ weapons could cleave through their own.

They were at a disadvantage in base strength, their armor was inferior, and their weapons were outmatched.

How could they continue this fight?

“Flee!”

This thought flashed through the minds of most of the remaining several hundred Longyou soldiers. And once this thought took root, the scales of battle tipped even more decisively in favor of the already dominant Great Xia.

Squelch…

Liu Yuan had already cut through the Longyou formation and met up with the Saber Battalion. Seeing the Longyou soldiers beginning to scatter and flee, he immediately started shouting to break their morale:

“Lay down your weapons, and you will not be killed!”

As he shouted, the commanders of Battalions One through Nine all began to yell as well.

“Lay down your weapons, and you will not be killed!”

“Lay down your weapons, and you will not be killed!”

…

The Longyou soldiers were already terrified by the slaughter. Hearing Great Xia’s offer, looks of struggle appeared on their faces.

“For over forty years, we have dominated Longyou! It has always been other camps surrendering to Longshan! You want us to surrender? In your dreams!”

Zhou Yuan’s furious roar instantly snapped the Longshan soldiers who were considering surrender back to their senses.

Gritting their teeth, they gripped their weapons once more and began a desperate struggle.

If others were like this, Zhou Yuan was even more so.

He changed his thinking, constantly trying to shake off Xia Chuan and the other two, pushing his way towards the ordinary Great Xia soldiers.

“Some backbone, but you chose the wrong opponent!”

Xia Chuan saw through Zhou Yuan’s intention at a glance, knowing he wanted to disrupt the Cloud Serpent Army’s formation to create an escape opportunity for the remaining Longshan soldiers.

“Yuwen Tao, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, Lin Kai, no need to hold back!”

Three more figures shot out from behind the Glaive Battalion. Along with Yuwen Tao, who had just planted the banner, a total of four Frostwarden realm experts charged directly into the Longshan army. Coordinating with the Great Xia soldiers, they began a merciless slaughter.

“It’s over. The New Army is finished. It’s over!”

Seeing another four formidable Frostwarden realm experts from Great Xia join the battle, Zhou Yuan’s face was instantly filled with despair.

This New Army was one that Li Xuanling had entrusted to him against all advice.

In just a month, it was completely destroyed here.

“Zhou Yuan has failed the Leader! I have failed the Leader! Aaargh…”

Zhou Yuan looked at the corpses of the Longyou soldiers on the ground, roaring in fury as he fought off the saber puppet. Remorse and anger simultaneously surged to their peak.

After several roars, he seemed to have made a decision. When the saber puppet slashed at him, he did not dodge this time. Instead, he angled his saber behind him to block, ignored the attacks from Chen and Peng on his flanks, and charged directly towards the last small cluster of Longshan soldiers.

That cluster numbered about two hundred men. They had likely managed to stay together because they were led by Song Ning and Li Yuankai, and had not been picked off one by one like the others.

Bang!

The back that Zhou Yuan had shielded with his saber was struck directly by the saber puppet. The terrifying force sent him flying forward. At the same time, the great saber and long spear of Chen and Peng arrived from either side as expected.

His strength was indeed impressive, but the base strengths of Xia Chuan, Chen Yingyuan, and Peng Bo were also between eight and nine manes, not much different from his.

Crack…

Squish…

He only managed to block the attack from Xia Chuan’s saber puppet. Peng Bo’s great saber and Chen Yingyuan’s long spear broke through the skin on his waist from the left and right, plunging deep into his flesh.

“Puh…”

Zhou Yuan’s face turned deathly pale. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, but his body still did not stop. He actually used the impact from the three attacks to continue rushing toward that small group of Longshan soldiers.

Whoosh…

Not only that, but he also raised his great saber and slashed directly at Chen Yingba and Yuwen Tao on the western periphery, even kicking away a dozen Glaive Battalion soldiers in the process.

Zhou Yuan was fighting with complete disregard for his own life, using his body to block the glaives while wildly hacking with his great saber, carving a small path for Li Yuankai, Song Ning, and the others.

“Scatter and flee! Great Xia can’t catch you! Go back and deliver the message!”

Li Yuankai charged down the small path almost without hesitation.

Song Ning gritted his teeth, cut down a few Great Xia soldiers to his left and right, and also fled.

Dozens of other fortunate Longyou soldiers also managed to escape under Zhou Yuan’s cover.

The rest were not so lucky!

Yuwen Tao and Chen Yingba closed in again, and Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo also arrived in time. Besieged by the four of them, even fighting with all his might, Zhou Yuan could not escape defeat. He no longer even had a chance to flee.

Crack…

By the time Xia Chuan arrived, Zhou Yuan had just been sent flying by Chen Yingyuan’s spear. He commanded the saber puppet’s right leg to chop downwards, striking Zhou Yuan squarely in the back. Not only did blood splash everywhere, but Zhou Yuan’s body also slammed into the ground with terrifying force.

With that, the curtain finally fell on this ambush.

After the resounding victory, Xia Chuan showed no signs of complacency. He merely cast a meaningful glance in the direction the Longshan soldiers had fled before turning to his own troops and quickly giving an order:

“Don’t tally the casualties yet! Secure the battlefield! Everyone, take a set of these weapons and armor and hand them over to the transport team immediately. This must be done at top speed!”

The Cloud Serpent Army soldiers, still basking in the joy of victory, were clearly caught off guard.

“Are you all deaf? The Marshal has given an order! Move it!” Liu Yuan urged. Only then did the men snap back to reality and immediately begin to act on Xia Chuan’s orders.

The armor and weapons worn by the Longshan soldiers were all hundred-forged, just like the eight hundred sets on the ten large carts. Naturally, they wouldn’t let any of it go to waste.

Even the ten iron four-wheeled carts were extremely valuable assets.

And of course, there were the prisoners of war…

“We didn’t capture many prisoners, only just over two hundred. Also…”

Liu Yuan quickly came to report to Xia Chuan. The Cloud Serpent Army’s casualties had not been tallied, but the number of Longshan prisoners had to be counted.

Wu Tianxing and Lin Kai each came over, dragging Cheng He and Li Yuanqing. Both had serious injuries and looked terrified.

Yuwen Tao held Zhou Yuan. Though gravely wounded and weakened, Zhou Yuan glared defiantly at Xia Chuan, his eyes filled with rage, clearly harboring deep resentment towards him.

Xia Chuan glanced at the three men and smiled. “Pierce their clavicles and take them into custody. Hand them over to the transport team to be taken back. Losing a new army, established just one month ago, and having three Frostwarden realm experts captured alive should be enough to make Longshan ache for a good long while.”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s final jest, Yuwen Tao and the others chuckled lightly.

“Alright, don’t just stand around. We’ve hit a nice windfall. Don’t we still have three battalions of brothers without hundred-forged armor? Let them use Longshan’s for now. Everyone, go help secure the battlefield. Don’t delay other matters.”

“Yes, Marshal!”

At Xia Chuan’s command, all the Frostwarden realm experts went to help.

The battlefield was quickly cleared. The Cloud Serpent Army, laden with supplies and escorting ten empty carts, began to head south.

Xia Chuan stood in place with a few Frostwarden realm experts. He waited until the last large cart began to move before turning to look east, toward Baiyuan.

“Longshan definitely won’t be able to react in such a short time. Even if they gave chase, they wouldn’t have a chance. These eight hundred sets of armor and weapons were originally meant for Baiyuan. Next, we’ll see how Hou Hu reacts!”

A cold glint flashed in Xia Chuan’s eyes. He and Yuwen Tao’s group followed behind the army, moving quickly to the south.

Chapter 291: On the March, a Furious Hou Hu

“Faster! We haven’t even gone a kilometer in half an hour. It’s too slow.”

“Those pushing and pulling the carts, get the supplies onto the carts and pick up the pace.”

…………

On the southern border of Changning, the Cloud Serpent Army escorted ten empty carts and over two hundred prisoners, forming a long column heading south.

Although Liu Yuan and the Ninth Battalion’s Captains were constantly urging them on from the side, the army’s overall marching speed was still astonishingly slow.

Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and the other four Frostwarden realm experts escorted the three captured Frostwardens—Zhou Yuan, Li Yuanqing, and Cheng He—at the rear of the column.

Watching the army crawl forward like a snail, it wasn’t just Xia Chuan; Yuwen Tao and the others beside him were also frowning deeply.

This marching speed was simply too slow.

Roughly one kilometer in half an hour. Forget comparing it to the Xia Direct Road; even compared to a normal march within Wushuang territory, this was exceptionally slow.

“The carts may be empty, but we’re carrying too many supplies. Each man has two sets of armor and weapons, weighing at least ten thousand catties. It’s impossible to go any faster.”

“During the battle just now, all the wooden crates on the carts were destroyed. We can only load some of the weapons and armor, which doesn’t help much with speed and just wastes time. We have to keep toughing it out.”

“There’s nothing for it. We’re unfamiliar with the road conditions in Changning and Songyuan. This route was planned on the fly; we can’t expect to be fast.”

“This won’t do. We’re still six kilometers from Songyuan. At this rate, it’ll take at least another two hours. That’s too slow.”

………………

“Cough, cough… ptui… haha…”

Hearing the worried words of Yuwen Tao and the others, the captured Zhou Yuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The laughter was so forceful it agitated his wounds, and he spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva before speaking slowly.

“It seems you plan to head south through Songyuan territory to return to Wushuang. Dragging all these supplies, you won’t escape. Longshan must have received news by now. Their main army has surely set out from Longshan and is coming through Songyuan to block you. When Hou Hu didn’t see the transport convoy, he must have sent men to investigate Long White Gully. You didn’t even bother to hide the bodies on the ground. The Blood Guard Army will definitely follow your trail and pursue you south from Baiyuan…”

Weakened by his serious injuries, Zhou Yuan’s breath was shallow, but seeing Xia Chuan and the others in a predicament was clearly satisfying. He continued with resentment in his voice, “With Zhaoyang siding with Longshan, there was already no place for Great Xia in Longyou. Originally, Great Xia just had to accept its fate and withdraw from Longyou. But today, you took the initiative to strike at Longshan. From now on…”

“Do you think I was in such a hurry to escape, so afraid of Hou Hu’s pursuit, that I didn’t send men to dispose of the bodies?”

Before Zhou Yuan could finish, he was cut off by Xia Chuan’s question.

He froze, looking up at Xia Chuan with a flicker of confusion on his face.

What else could it be?

“Heh…”

Xia Chuan let out a sudden, soft laugh. Then his gaze fell calmly on Zhou Yuan, and he shook his head slightly. “You are a loyal man, I’ll give you that. But a pity you’re too naive…”

Zhou Yuan never heard the rest, because the Frostwarden realm experts of Great Xia had clearly sensed something. They all raised their heads and looked to the east.

He followed their gazes and saw a black figure in the east, speeding across the snowy plains toward them.

The black-clad person moved incredibly fast across the snow, covering several hundred meters in less than a dozen breaths.

“Such speed!”

The speed alone displayed by the black-clad man made Zhou Yuan’s pupils constrict, his face filled with shock, to say nothing of Li Yuanqing and Cheng He, who were weaker than him.

“Greetings, Leader!”

Before Xia Chuan led Yuwen Tao and the others in bowing to the man, Zhou Yuan had already recognized the newcomer. It was the Leader of Great Xia, Xia Hong, whom he had met once before in Gourd Valley.

“Longshan just sent men to Baiyuan. Hou Hu should know what happened at Long White Gully by now. The Blood Guard Army is pursuing you southward…”

Xia Hong had clearly rushed over from Baiyuan, and he was slightly out of breath as he spoke.

“So fast?”

“It’s only been a little over half an hour!”

“He sent the Blood Guard Army directly? How could Hou Hu be so arrogant?”

…………

Hearing their comments, Xia Hong smiled and shook his head. “Eight hundred sets of Hundred-forged armor and weapons—who wouldn’t be heartbroken over that loss? Those two Frostwarden experts from Longshan should be home by now. Li Xuanling probably knows too.”

Xia Chuan immediately replied, “It’s useless even if Li Xuanling knows. The entire three-thousand-strong Longyou Army is at the Longshan garrison. It’s too late for them to set out now. The most she can do is send people from the Songyuan outpost to harass us, which is better than nothing, I suppose!”

Hearing this, everyone’s expressions immediately relaxed.

The Cloud Serpent Army’s return route had to pass through Songyuan. For Longshan to catch up, they could only dispatch troops from their Songyuan outpost. The problem was, there was no Longyou Army stationed at the Songyuan outpost. Sending a group of ordinary Earthforger realm warriors to intercept the Cloud Serpent Army was impossible; at most, they could serve as a nuisance. It was indeed better than nothing.

“Lin Kai, go south and see where the Transport Team is. Tell them to speed up so our two forces can meet as soon as possible. I expect Li Xuanling and Hou Hu will try to locate our main army ahead of time. We must get rid of these supplies quickly.”

“As you command!”

Lin Kai quickly skirted the army’s flank and sped southward.

Xia Hong watched Lin Kai depart before turning to Xia Chuan. “Is the place chosen?”

Xia Chuan’s expression sharpened, and he nodded. “It was chosen long ago. It’s a place called Ningyuan Hill, right on the border of Songyuan and Changning, about six kilometers from here.”

“Good. Urge the army to speed up. I’ll watch our rear!”

After saying this, Xia Hong suddenly looked down at Zhou Yuan, who was not far away.

Zhou Yuan had seemingly figured something out. His face was a mixture of uncertainty and dread, his eyes fixed on Xia Hong.

“You didn’t clear the bodies at Long White Gully on purpose. Your goal is to lure Hou Hu’s army into pursuit and then set up an ambush along the way?”

Hearing Zhou Yuan’s words, a faint smile appeared on Xia Hong’s face. Without explaining, he simply nodded.

Zhou Yuan was stunned for a moment, but then he sneered. “Hou Hu is not that stupid. Do you think he’d just blindly give chase without confirming the location of your main army? Zhaoyang has plenty of Frostwarden realm experts. Don’t think Great Xia is the only one that scouts the enemy in advance.”

“You’ll find out soon enough!”

Xia Hong had no intention of explaining to him. He just waved his hand, signaling Yuwen Tao and the others to hustle them forward, while he himself darted north.

“Alright, let’s get a move on!”

Urged on by Yuwen Tao and the others, Zhou Yuan had no choice but to continue walking. But as he looked back at Xia Hong’s disappearing figure on the snowy plains, his brow furrowed deeper.

From the moment Xia Hong appeared, he understood. Xia Chuan was, at best, a field commander. The mastermind behind this battle was not him.

The Battle of Long White Gully was indeed a beautiful victory for Great Xia. They had killed over sixty percent of the Longshan soldiers and captured nearly thirty percent, with their own casualties estimated at around ten percent. If he hadn’t fought with his life on the line at the end, Song Ning, Li Yuankai, and those dozens of Longyou soldiers probably wouldn’t have escaped either.

The problem was, ten percent casualties were still casualties.

When he was captured, he had observed carefully. Great Xia now had fewer than nine hundred battle-ready soldiers, and they were dragging so many supplies. On what grounds could they ambush Hou Hu’s one thousand Blood Guards?

The key was…

“The combat strength of the Zhaoyang Blood Guard Army is comparable to an equal number of Longyou Army soldiers. They’re on a completely different level from my one thousand men of the New Army. Besides, Hou Hu is an extremely cautious man. He would never fall for an ambush so easily. Great Xia is definitely heading for a major defeat!”

Zhou Yuan was filled with resentment and naturally delighted at the thought of Great Xia’s crushing defeat.

He had personally sent the month-old Fourth Army of Longyou to its grave. He no longer had the face to return to Longshan and had already resolved to die.

His only remaining wish was to see Great Xia suffer.

“The Transport Team! I see the Transport Team!”

“We’re here! We’re finally here!”

…………

An hour passed quickly. The Cloud Serpent Army had traveled four or five kilometers south under the snowy night. Following a few shouts of surprise from the front, the soldiers looked up to see another long column of troops ahead, heading toward them.

That column also numbered around a thousand men, but unlike the Cloud Serpent Army, where only seventy percent of the soldiers wore pale gold armor, every single one of the thousand men in that column was clad in it.

From a visual standpoint, the so-called Transport Team looked far more magnificent than the Cloud Serpent Army, as if they were the real regular army.

“Great Xia has another army! How is this possible…”

The first sight of the Transport Team stunned Zhou Yuan completely, his face filled with horror. But as the two forces drew closer, until they were only two to three hundred meters apart, he got a better look at the men of the Transport Team, and the expression on his face gradually relaxed.

“It’s just the armor and weapons that are the same. Their base strength is only around fifteen thousand, twenty thousand at most. They aren’t an army, just a transport team made up of Great Xia’s ordinary Earthforger realm warriors.”

One thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers already exceeded what Longshan knew of Great Xia’s strength. If they could field another army even stronger than the Cloud Serpent Army, he would truly have a breakdown.

Zhou Yuan focused his attention, picked out a dozen or so men from the Transport Team, and after a short observation, made a new discovery.

“No, that’s not right. The weapons and armor are different too, just the same color. The armor and weapons these men are using are all just Ten-forged grade. No wonder they’re called the Transport Team. They’re just here to haul supplies.”

Seeing the true quality of the Transport Team, Zhou Yuan sneered.

So what if they had a dedicated team to transport supplies? The strength of the Blood Guard Army was undeniable. Even without the burden of supplies, Great Xia’s chances of victory were slim to none.

“Alright, we’re only a few hundred meters away. Cloud Serpent Army, drop your supplies and immediately follow Liu Yuan behind that snow hill to the east. Move, move, move!”

At Xia Chuan’s command, all ten battalions of the Cloud Serpent Army dropped their supplies and followed Liu Yuan, climbing a snow-covered hill forty to fifty meters high to the east.

Once the Cloud Serpent Army was gone, the snowy ground was immediately left empty, with only ten empty carts, a field of weapons and armor, and the two hundred-plus prisoners from Longshan.

Zhou Yuan was one of those prisoners.

He turned his head to the right and saw a portion of the Transport Team begin to erase the tracks the Cloud Serpent Army had made climbing the hill. He instantly realized that this hill, no more than forty-something meters high, was where the Cloud Serpent Army would hide to ambush Hou Hu’s Blood Guard Army.

“So they calculated that the Blood Guard Army would follow the path they’d trodden through the snow right to this spot, and then they’d suddenly appear from behind the hill and charge down from a superior position?”

After figuring out Great Xia’s intention, Zhou Yuan’s expression turned strange.

To save time, the Blood Guard Army wouldn’t forge a new path; they would follow the trail left by Great Xia. That much was almost certain.

The question was, wouldn’t Hou Hu send men to scout the hill first?

Most of Longyou was flat plains. There were very few places suitable for hiding troops and setting up an ambush. This hill was so obvious. How could Hou Hu overlook it?

“A bit too naive, isn’t it? Hmph…”

Just now, Xia Chuan had only ordered Liu Yuan to take the Cloud Serpent Army up the hill. He himself, along with Yuwen Tao and the other Frostwarden experts, had not moved.

So, he heard Zhou Yuan’s sarcastic comment very clearly.

A slight smile touched the corner of Xia Chuan’s mouth, but he paid Zhou Yuan no mind.

He waited until the transport personnel had loaded all the armor and weapons onto the carts, divided into ten squads, and secured all the prisoners. Only when everything was ready did he wave his hand.

“Continue south. You can move slowly now!”

Hearing the last part of Xia Chuan’s command, Zhou Yuan’s expression first went blank, then he snapped his head up, looking at the army column heading south and the group of prisoners behind him. As if realizing something, his expression changed drastically.

He understood what Great Xia was planning to do!

“Looks like you’re not so stupid after all.”

Xia Chuan teased lightly. Just then, the members of the Great Xia Transport Team took out strips of cloth and gagged all the prisoners.

Before the horror in Zhou Yuan’s heart could fade, Yuwen Tao had already walked up to him, taken out a cloth strip, and gagged him, Li Yuanqing, and Cheng He.

“Yuwen Tao, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, you three stay here.”

“As you command!”

The three men clasped their fists and immediately ascended the snow hill as well.

The newly departed column moved at less than half the speed of the Cloud Serpent Army.

Yet Xia Chuan, Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, and Lin Kai showed no signs of impatience. Instead, they would occasionally turn to look behind them, their faces full of anticipation.

Unlike the four of them, Zhou Yuan, with his mouth stuffed with cloth, had pupils filled with worry. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he looked extremely anxious.

The new column moved slower than the Cloud Serpent Army, partly due to Xia Chuan’s specific instructions, but mostly due to the limits of their strength.

The thousand men of the Transport Team had a base strength between ten and twenty thousand, far lower than the Cloud Serpent Army. Dragging so many supplies, they couldn’t move fast even if they wanted to.

After an hour of walking south, they had barely covered four kilometers.

Just then, Xia Hong returned from the north.

“Hou Hu is coming with his men ahead of the main force. Get ready!”

After rejoining the column, he didn’t walk with them. He first alerted Xia Chuan and the others, then turned to face north, assuming a waiting posture.

“Lin Kai, you take the men and continue at this pace.”

Xia Chuan’s expression hardened. After giving the order to Lin Kai, he, along with Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo, stopped and stood behind Xia Hong, waiting with him.

The four of them waited for a little over a hundred breaths.

On the northern snowy plains, nine figures appeared in succession.

All nine were clad in gleaming blood-red armor, their pace hasty as they quickly followed the army’s trail toward them.

There was no cover on the snowy plains. If Xia Hong could see the nine figures, it naturally meant the four of them had also been seen.

The approaching party only slowed when they were two to three hundred meters away from Xia Hong’s group, then they slowly walked toward them.

“Leader Xia Hong, isn’t it going a bit too far to plunder my Zhaoyang’s supplies without reason?”

As expected, the newcomers were from the Zhaoyang camp.

Although Hou Hu had lowered his voice, the fury contained in his final question was still obvious. His face was contorted with rage as he stared at Xia Hong’s familiar yet unfamiliar face, making no effort to hide the killing intent in his eyes.

Xia Hong didn’t answer right away. He scanned the eight men to Hou Hu’s left and right before finally looking at Hou Hu and speaking with a light laugh, “Without reason? Brother Hou, I’m afraid your memory is failing you. It’s been less than three months since the incident at Gourd Valley. If you’ve truly forgotten, you might want to have Hou Tong, who’s standing behind you, jog your memory.”

Hou Tong, standing behind Hou Hu, froze.

He had been one of the participants in the plot to kill Xia Hong in Gourd Valley in Hanqiong, when Li Xuanling had led the Longyou Army to annihilate him. Though he hadn’t made a move himself, he was still involved.

Hou Hu’s expression darkened. The plot to kill Xia Hong in Gourd Valley was his idea, carried out on his orders to Hou Tong after Li Xuanling’s people informed him of Xia Hong’s true identity. Of course he knew all about it.

“Xia Hong, think this through. My Zhaoyang has already allied with Longshan. Leader Li’s original intention was just for Great Xia to withdraw from Longyou. If you really take these supplies today, you’ll be actively declaring war on both of us!”

Zhaoyang had allied with Longshan…

Xia Hong ignored the rest of the threat, focusing only on this one sentence from Hou Hu, his eyes filled with curiosity and confusion.

At the alliance meeting in April, Hou Hu had nearly died at Li Tiancheng’s hands. Afterward, Zhaoyang and Longshan had been sharpening their blades, on the verge of all-out war. If Great Xia hadn’t intervened, the two factions would have long been at each other’s throats.

These two houses, as incompatible as fire and water, had actually formed an alliance.

Just to deal with Great Xia?

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed tightly. It wasn’t that he feared their alliance; the key was that the shift from bitter enemies to allies had been too fast—so fast it was almost bizarre.

A faint light flickered in his left eye as he looked once more at Hou Hu and his eight men.

There was nothing unusual around their bodies, not a single speck of fiery red substance.

But Xia Hong did not let down his guard. He remembered clearly that the Dewdrop Plague could be hidden inside the human body.

“Looks like I’ll have to test them myself!”

…………

Hou Hu’s party, having received no reply from Xia Hong for a long while, hadn’t been idle.

“Leader, it’s just as Longshan described. Pale gold armor, ten large carts, and eight hundred sets of Hundred-forged armor and weapons are all on them. This must be Great Xia’s army.”

“Zhou Yuan, Li Yuanqing, and Cheng He have had their clavicles pierced. And those chained up behind them should be the Longshan prisoners. It’s definitely them.”

…………

“Hou Quan, go back and tell the main army to speed up and head this way. They’re moving slowly with the supplies. Judging by their speed, we should be able to catch them in two hours.”

“Yes, I’ll go at once!”

Hou Hu hadn’t expected to get the supplies back with threats alone. After giving his orders to Hou Quan, he turned back to Xia Hong and said sternly:

“Xia Hong, your Great Xia has now lost even the right to retreat from Longyou with your forces intact. Your army will not leave Songyuan territory, let alone return to Wushuang!”

“Heh…”

After waiting for so long, all he got was another threat from Hou Hu. Seeing that the other party still dared not approach, Xia Hong suddenly couldn’t help but chuckle.

He drew the Dragon Sparrow Saber from his back and slowly walked toward Hou Hu and his eight men.

“Don’t worry. The army is in a hurry to get back. I won’t let them interfere.”

Xia Hong reassured Hou Hu as he walked. If that sentence was merely tinged with mockery, then his next words were pure contempt, causing the faces of Hou Hu’s eight men to flush red with anger as they all drew their weapons.

“Xia Chuan, you all stay out of this. I alone am enough!”

Never mind Hou Hu’s eight men, who were enraged upon hearing this.

Even Xia Chuan and his two companions were stunned for a moment.

One against eight? Wasn’t that a bit too much?

And one of them was Hou Hu!

Out of an innate trust in Xia Hong, Xia Chuan was the first to step aside.

Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo hesitated briefly, but seeing Xia Chuan move first, they quickly followed suit.

The three of them stared at Xia Hong’s back, their expressions filled with anticipation.

Finally, they would get to witness their Leader’s true strength!

Chapter 292: A Crushing Defeat, a Delaying Tactic, and a Great Victory at Ningyuan Hill

“Arrogant fool!”

Seeing that the army was already 500 meters away, too far to turn back and pose any threat to him, Hou Hu could finally no longer hold back.

Before his furious roar had even faded, his silver, coiled-dragon staff had already pierced through dozens of meters of air, aiming straight for Xia Hong’s face.

Unlike a saber, spear, or sword, a staff had no blade. A straightforward thrust like this should have been extremely limited in its lethality, but the reality was the complete opposite.

Empowered by the immense strength of Hou Hu’s arms, the staff stirred the air in its path, first forming a pillar of silver energy. The intense pressure caused the surrounding cold air to rush wildly toward the pillar in a short amount of time.

The frigid air gathered so quickly that it formed a fan-shaped shockwave, with the tip of the staff as its core and a radius of more than ten meters.

Shhhiiiing…

Who said a staff had no edge?

Under the empowerment of Hou Hu’s terrifying strength, the sharpness displayed by the staff’s tip instantly stunned every onlooker.

Hou Hu gripped the staff with both hands, his eyes filled with a cold light. The unstoppable tip of the staff reached Xia Hong in an instant, a mere inch from his chest.

“Not even Li Tiancheng would be so conceited. And you think you can? You’re courting death!”

Hou Hu’s personality was domineering and unruly; in his entire life, he had only ever respected Li Tianhua. Even when Li Tiancheng was stronger than him, he had never shown the slightest fear. To be held in such contempt by the little-known Xia Hong, the rage in his heart was unimaginable.

But even so, he had not been blinded by his anger.

Xia Hong had saved him from Li Tianhua’s grasp once before. At Gourd Valley, Li Xuanling and the Longyou Army, along with so many other Frostwarden realm experts, had failed to kill him. Both of these incidents indicated that Xia Hong’s strength, in all likelihood, surpassed his own.

Therefore, he had used his full power from the very first strike.

From the way he gripped the staff, it was clear that this attack contained nearly the entirety of his strength. It was due to the extreme burst of speed and power that it created such a magnificent and potent display.

From the moment Xia Hong chose not to react, Hou Hu knew that his opponent could not possibly evade this blow.

Bang!

Everything happened just as he had predicted. The tip of the staff struck Xia Hong’s chest.

But that was as far as it went.

What happened next was completely different from what he had envisioned.

He could clearly feel that the tip of his staff had, at most, pierced through a part of Xia Hong’s hide. It hadn’t even touched flesh and blood before it came to a dead stop.

It was like striking an indestructible wall. His staff couldn’t advance a single inch, and his entire body was even left suspended in mid-air.

Crack…

The moment the webbing of his hands split open, Hou Hu’s expression changed drastically. A flash of terror welled up in his eyes, and he immediately tried to retract his staff and retreat.

Unfortunately, he could no longer pull his weapon away.

“Twenty-three Mane. An increase of Seven Mane in less than three months…”

Xia Hong grabbed the staff with his left hand, a hint of surprise on his face. Then, his left hand exerted a sudden burst of force, pulling Hou Hu, along with the staff, right in front of him.

Then, his right hand, holding the Dragon Sparrow Saber, flashed.

Swoosh…

An arc of cold light cut through the night sky, heading straight for Hou Hu’s neck.

It was too fast!

Xia Hong’s swing was simply too fast.

Forget Hou Hu; even the surrounding onlookers couldn’t see it clearly.

It seemed as if he had merely lifted his hand, and in that split second, the slender Dragon Sparrow Saber had already grazed across Hou Hu’s neck.

“Leader!”

At that critical moment, Hou Hu let go of his staff and fiercely kicked off the ground, retreating frantically.

His strength was on a completely different level from Xia Hong’s.

It wasn’t just Hou Hu; Hou Tong and the other seven had also reacted. They showed no cowardice, drawing their weapons and charging forward to stand between Xia Hong and Hou Hu.

Having retreated to a safe distance, Hou Hu was still shaken. He raised a hand to touch the thin cut on his neck, his heart filled with lingering fear.

If he hadn’t let go just now, his head would probably be on the ground.

“How is this possible? My full-powered strike couldn’t even completely break through his hide. This Xia Hong, what is his real strength—”

Before Hou Hu’s cry of alarm could finish, danger struck again.

Xia Hong, who had been surrounded by Hou Tong and the other seven, suddenly lunged forward, gripping his Dragon Sparrow Saber horizontally. He broke through their encirclement and shot toward Hou Hu.

Clang… Clang…

Xia Hong didn’t even deliberately attack Hou Tong and the others with his saber. The mere blade glint from the Dragon Sparrow Saber as he charged forward was enough to sever the weapons of three of them. The other four dodged in time, and while their weapons weren’t broken, they were still hit by the force of his charge. They were thrown to the sides, their hands trembling uncontrollably.

“I told you all eight of you should have attacked together. You didn’t believe me. Now, you’ve lost your chance!”

Xia Hong now stood before Hou Hu. After a faint smile, he raised the Dragon Sparrow Saber with his right hand and brought it down in a vicious diagonal slash at Hou Hu’s right shoulder.

When Hou Hu had let go of his silver coiled-dragon staff, Xia Hong had flicked it back toward Xia Chuan and his companions. Thus, the Hou Hu before him was completely unarmed.

“Leader Xia, a misund—”

Sensing the stench of death, Hou Hu’s eyes filled with terror. He first retreated in a panic, but as Xia Hong’s blade continued its descent, he realized he couldn’t possibly dodge it and immediately tried to surrender.

Xia Hong wasn’t surprised to hear Hou Hu’s plea.

During the alliance meeting at Longshan back in April, Hou Hu had snuck into Longshan to gather intelligence. Later, when he was cornered by Li Tiancheng and on the brink of death, he had also cried out “Martial Uncle Tiancheng,” surrendering to Longshan and begging for mercy.

This showed that while Hou Hu had a domineering and unruly personality, he could also humble himself when necessary. Such adaptability was likely why he had managed to develop Zhaoyang into such a powerful force right under Longshan’s nose.

In a way, Xia Hong had a certain appreciation for Hou Hu.

Of course, appreciation was one thing.

At this moment, Xia Hong had no intention of showing mercy.

So he didn’t give Hou Hu the chance to finish his sentence. He pressed forward, reversing his grip on the Dragon Sparrow Saber, and slashed a massive wound an inch deep and nearly seventy centimeters long from Hou Hu’s right shoulder down to his lower left abdomen.

Squelch…

Blood gushed from the wound, but worse was the immense force of the diagonal slash, which Hou Hu absorbed completely. His body was sent flying back dozens of meters, finally crashing into a snowdrift with a loud thud as he hit the ground.

Thump!

“Leader!”

“Leader…”

Hou Tong and the other seven had probably never seen Hou Hu in such a state. They stood frozen for three or four breaths. When they finally came to their senses, worried that Xia Hong would press his advantage and kill Hou Hu, the seven of them gritted their teeth and charged in again, launching a second, desperate assault.

“Quite loyal. A pity!”

Xia Hong naturally understood their intentions.

He sneered, a murderous intent surging in his eyes. His gaze first fell upon Hou Tong, the strongest of the seven.

That last slash, even if it hadn’t killed Hou Hu, had taken half his life. He certainly wouldn’t be a threat for a while.

In that case, he would deal with the others first.

“Eleven Mane. The others have also improved by two to three Mane!”

Previously, Xia Hong’s attention had been focused on Hou Hu. Now, after observing Hou Tong and the others carefully, he realized that their strength had also increased dramatically.

It was almost absurdly large.

Hou Tong had previously been at Eight Mane. In just over two months, he had improved by Three Mane. Xia Hong knew full well that even with an unlimited supply of Yang Core Pills, this was nearly impossible, let alone for the Zhaoyang camp, which couldn’t refine Yang Core Pills at all and had to rely on the Jade Bone Elixir for their Frostwarden realm cultivation.

Besides, it was impossible for Zhaoyang to have enough Hanping Jade Dew to refine enough Jade Bone Elixir for an unlimited supply.

So, how did these people improve so quickly?

This question flashed through Xia Hong’s mind. With a flicker of thought, he first used the Dragon Sparrow Saber to parry the attacks of the other six, then suddenly charged forward, closing in on Hou Tong. With a burst of power, he plunged his saber straight into his chest.

Squelch…

The Dragon Sparrow Saber was a Thousand-forged weapon. Empowered by Xia Hong’s strength, it could easily pierce the hide and flesh of a Frostwarden realm expert. So, there was no doubt about the outcome of this strike; it stabbed straight through Hou Tong’s chest.

The moment the blade tore through flesh, a faint light flickered in Xia Hong’s left eye as he focused on Hou Tong’s wound.

Though it was only for an instant, Xia Hong’s expression changed.

“As I thought!”

In the area of the wound, there was an extremely dense, fiery red substance.

The reason Hou Hu and his group had improved so quickly was entirely the work of that White Dew Aberration.

It helped people increase their strength significantly, yet it didn’t control them.

What was this White Dew Aberration trying to do?

And was it only Hou Hu and these Frostwarden realm experts, or had everyone in the entire Zhaoyang camp been affected?

No, no, was this strength enhancement small-scale, or could it be applied indiscriminately? If it could enhance everyone’s strength, and it remained hidden behind the scenes without revealing itself, then Zhaoyang’s future strength…

If Zhaoyang was like this, then what about Longshan?

Why had the two factions, once irreconcilable as fire and water, suddenly formed an alliance?

The confusion that had been in Xia Hong’s mind now suddenly had an answer.

Following that, a terrifying guess instantly surfaced in his mind…

Using the wolf to devour the tiger!

These four words popped into Xia Hong’s mind, and his pupils contracted abruptly.

Shhick…

He pulled out the Dragon Sparrow Saber, kicked Hou Tong’s body away, and immediately turned. He found an opportunity to stab through Hou Quan’s chest, then repeated the process, piercing the bodies of two more Frostwarden realm experts with his saber.

Just as he thought. All of them had it. Hou Quan and the next two—all three had an extremely dense, fiery red substance inside them. It was the sign of the Dewdrop Plague.

Just as Xia Hong figured it out, he noticed that Hou Tong and the other seven were already trying to move closer to Hou Hu, clearly planning to escape.

He naturally wouldn’t give them the chance. He charged forward, catching up to Hou Tong first. He stabbed his saber through the man’s clavicle, then kicked him over to Xia Chuan and the others.

Hou Tong, Hou Quan, and the two unnamed Frostwarden realm experts behind them were already severely injured. With Xia Hong’s targeted attacks, they had no chance of escape and were sent one by one to Xia Chuan’s side.

Xia Chuan and the other two understood Xia Hong’s intention and quickly subdued the four heavily wounded men.

The remaining three, who were relatively unscathed, had already reached Hou Hu. Xia Hong turned to pursue them, but as he did, his expression froze.

Hou Hu had actually gotten up from the snow…

The seventy-to-eighty-centimeter-long gash on his chest was still gushing blood. In some of the deeper parts of his abdomen, one could even see his internal organs and a portion of his intestines spilling out.

The vitality of a Frostwarden realm expert was indeed tenacious, but not to the point of being able to stand up on their own after being so grievously wounded.

And not only had Hou Hu stood up, he was even sprinting north, supported by the other three Frostwarden realm experts.

“The methods of this White Dew Aberration are truly formidable. If this is allowed to continue, it will surely lead to a catastrophe!”

This thought flashed through Xia Hong’s mind as he quickly gave chase.

It was impossible for three Frostwarden realm experts of only Five or Six Mane to escape him while carrying a heavily injured Hou Hu.

It wasn’t yet clear to what extent the White Dew Aberration could enhance the strength of a Frostwarden realm expert, but judging from the improvements of Zhaoyang’s experts over the past two months, the efficiency was astonishing.

Once this kind of enhancement became widespread, Great Xia would be in big trouble.

So, he would kill them one by one!

In less than ten breaths, Xia Hong had caught up to the four of them.

His eyes glinted with killing intent. Without any hesitation, he swung the Dragon Sparrow Saber, sending a cold blade glint straight for the heavily injured Hou Hu.

Swoosh…

However, just as the blade was about to hit the nape of Hou Hu’s neck, Xia Hong’s ears suddenly caught the sound of a swift iron arrow piercing through the air.

Clang…

Xia Hong paid the arrow no mind. Just from the intensity of the wind it created, he could tell who had shot it.

It was that expert archer from Gourd Valley named Yang Fengping.

This also meant that the people from Longshan had arrived.

If it were two months ago, he might not have dared to face this arrow head-on.

But now…

Xia Hong ignored the arrow and continued to raise his saber, striking towards Hou Hu.

Clang…

However, to Xia Hong’s surprise, the arrow’s target was not him, but the Dragon Sparrow Saber in his hand.

The force of the arrow wasn’t particularly strong, only about Sixteen Mane.

But that was enough to alter the Dragon Sparrow Saber’s trajectory, causing his swing to go wide.

Hou Hu stumbled and lunged forward. Having escaped death, he no longer cared about his image. Supported by the three Frostwarden realm experts, he fled behind the approaching crowd from the north.

“Leader Xia, your Great Xia invaded Longyou first, occupying Hive, Hanqiong, and Wushuang—nearly a third of Longyou’s territory. Now you plunder our supplies and slaughter our allies. It seems you are determined to ignite the flames of war in Longyou!”

A large group had come from Longshan, thirteen people in total.

The leader was Li Xuanling. Behind her were Li Xuantian and Li Xuandu. Xia Hong recognized the remaining nine; they were some of Longshan’s stronger Frostwarden realm experts.

All thirteen of them came from the southwest. They had likely set out from Longshan, passed through Songyuan, and then come here. They were all slightly out of breath, clearly having rushed over.

Blindsided by Li Xuanling’s accusation, Xia Hong didn’t react. He just surveyed the Longshan group with interest, his gaze lingering on Li Xuantian before finally meeting Li Xuanling’s eyes. He chuckled and retorted, “Longshan sent Zhaoyang 800 sets of Hundred-forged armor. Surely it wasn’t just to help them improve their hunting skills, was it?”

Li Xuanling’s face froze.

Xia Hong’s meaning was obvious. Longshan and Zhaoyang had already sided together. Wasn’t it to deal with Great Xia?

So what difference did it make whether Great Xia declared war or not?

Right, since Great Xia dared to intercept this batch of armor, it meant they must have already known about the alliance between Longshan and Zhaoyang. Her preemptive accusation just now was indeed redundant.

Longshan definitely had a traitor, somewhere among the nine hundred-plus Earthforger realm warriors Great Xia had released after the Gourd Valley incident.

So many Earthforger realm warriors, released just like that by Great Xia. Sure enough, something was amiss!

By the same token, Zhaoyang also had over seven hundred Earthforger realm warriors released at that time. There must be spies from Great Xia among them as well.

Li Xuanling’s expression was grim. When Great Xia released those nine hundred-plus Earthforger realm warriors at the end of April, she had already sensed that something was wrong with them.

The crucial point was that on the night at Gourd Valley, it was she who had abandoned them.

At the time, after realizing they couldn’t deal with the White Dew Aberration-controlled Wu Xiong, she had led the Frostwarden realm experts to cover the retreat of the Longyou Army soldiers and then fled, leaving the remaining Earthforger realm warriors behind.

Who would have thought that they would all be rescued by Great Xia and eventually return to Longshan?

Li Xuanling and the other Frostwarden realm experts already felt guilty toward this group, so even though they knew some might have defected, they only dared to investigate secretly.

But after more than two months, nothing had been found, so Longshan had temporarily set the matter aside. To think the traitor had been hiding so deep!

To be able to set up an ambush at Long White Gully and intercept these 800 sets of armor midway meant that Great Xia not only knew about the supplies long ago, but they also knew that they were being sent to the Baiyuan camp.

“The storage and transportation of this batch of armor were kept extremely secret. Only people in the military camps knew about it, so the traitor is most likely in the New Army. But in the battle of Long White Gully, the New Army was completely wiped out, with only about sixty people escaping back. Would this Xia Hong still hide the traitor among these people and let them return to Longshan?”

Li Xuanling stared at Xia Hong. Although her face was like frost, showing no emotional fluctuation, her right hand resting on the hilt of her sword trembled slightly.

“Xia Hong, since you already know about the alliance between Zhaoyang and Longshan, you should also be well aware that Great Xia no longer has a place in Longyou. As long as you obediently return these 800 sets of armor to us, release Zhou Yuan, Li Yuanqing, and Cheng He, as well as all of Longshan’s captives, and then lead Great Xia out of Longyou, from now on, Longyou and Redwood Ridge will be separated by the Arrow Bamboo Forest. We’ll stay out of each other’s way. How about it?”

Xia Hong looked up at Li Xuanling, a faint look of surprise on his face.

Though the trembling of Li Xuanling’s right hand was subtle, it didn’t escape his eyes. He knew that she must be furious right now.

The traitor, the 800 sets of armor, the severely injured Hou Hu, and of course, Longshan’s New Army, which had been established for less than a month and was now completely annihilated.

The damage Great Xia had inflicted on Longshan this time had surely struck at its very foundation.

And yet, Li Xuanling was still able to suppress her emotions.

This woman was indeed formidable.

Unfortunately, she had chosen the wrong opponent.

Xia Hong smiled, a look of contempt in his eyes. “Whether Great Xia can ultimately gain a foothold in Longyou depends on strength, not on the whims of your Longshan. Just now, Hou Hu also tried to use words to make me hand over this armor. He failed. Does Leader Li want to try as well?”

“Insolent!”

Li Xuanling finally couldn’t hold back and snapped at Xia Hong.

When she arrived, she had already seen Hou Hu’s miserable state. Xia Hong’s words were clearly a warning to her not to follow in Hou Hu’s footsteps. How could she not understand?

Li Xuandu noticed that the Great Xia army had moved far away, their outlines barely visible. He immediately stepped forward and whispered to Li Xuanling, “Leader, their army is almost two kilometers away from their four people. It’s too late for them to turn back and help. We have more people, should we just attack?”

“We could also capture this arrogant fool and force the Xia army to come back and rescue him!”

Xia Hong’s side only had four people. Not counting the heavily injured Hou Hu, their side had a full sixteen. If not now, when was the time to strike?

Li Xuanling didn’t expect to be able to capture Xia Hong outright, but if she could force the Great Xia army to turn back and rescue him, that would also count as a success.

“The Longyou Army has already set out. It will take them about eight hours to get here. We must hold back the Xia army no matter what. Otherwise, once they return to Wushuang, it will be much more troublesome to deal with them later.”

The heavily injured Hou Hu, from the rear, also spoke up to remind the Longshan group.

“Alliance Leader, my Zhaoyang Blood Guard Army set out long ago. They are at most a little over two hours away from here. We only need to delay the Xia army for a short while!”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling’s eyes flickered. With no more worries, she led the fifteen Frostwarden realm experts straight toward Xia Hong.

Her silver longsword drew a straight line through the air. As expected of the strongest person from Longshan, Li Xuanling was the first to reach Xia Hong, her sword striking cleanly at his neck.

Swoosh…

The sound of the blade cutting through the air caused a slight change in Xia Hong’s expression. He quickly raised his saber and retreated to dodge.

He remembered that when he first saw Li Xuanling in April, her base strength was only Twelve Mane. But the sound this strike was making was clearly not something a Twelve Mane expert could produce.

Clang…

Xia Hong’s retreat lasted less than two breaths before he was stopped by Li Xuantian, Li Xuandu, and the other Frostwarden realm experts.

Li Xuanling hadn’t charged in alone. Realizing he couldn’t evade this sword strike, Xia Hong raised his Dragon Sparrow Saber. The moment it made contact with Li Xuanling’s longsword, he retreated another three or four meters.

“You know your weapon is inferior to mine, so you’re trying to dissipate the force? In your dreams!”

Li Xuanling saw through Xia Hong’s intention to retreat at a glance. After a cold laugh, she fiercely pressed forward. The strength in her right hand did not diminish in the slightest as she continued to slash down on the front end of the Dragon Sparrow Saber.

At the same time, Li Xuantian and the others, understanding her intentions, pressed in on Xia Hong from the sides and the rear, leaving him no room to retreat. Their coordination was perfect.

Restricted by so many people, Xia Hong had no room to fall back. He could only raise the Dragon Sparrow Saber in his right hand to block Li Xuanling’s longsword.

Of course, his left hand was not idle.

Xia Hong’s eyes flashed. In a split second, he shot out his left hand and grabbed a serpent spear that was thrusting at him from the side. He pulled it towards him, then threw a straight punch directly into the abdomen of the spear’s owner.

The owner of the serpent spear happened to be Li Xuantian.

Bang!

Li Xuantian’s abdomen caved in by twenty or thirty centimeters. A spray of blood erupted from his back as he was sent flying twenty to thirty meters backward, his pupils even dilating slightly.

“Second Brother!”

Fortunately, Li Xuandu reacted in time, running back to catch him. Together, they retreated another twenty to thirty meters, dissipating some of the force. Otherwise, if Li Xuantian had taken that punch head-on, he would have undoubtedly died.

While his left hand had successfully struck Li Xuantian, his right hand was not faring so well.

Clang…

Just as Li Xuanling had said, Xia Hong’s initial choice to dodge was to bleed off the force of her attack. He knew that his Thousand-forged Dragon Sparrow Saber was no match for the silver longsword in her hand. In a direct clash, even if he had the advantage in strength, he would not come out on top.

The Dragon Sparrow Saber was struck by Li Xuanling’s longsword. As expected, a third of the blade was instantly shattered.

But after shattering the Dragon Sparrow Saber, Li Xuanling’s face became incredibly grave. She immediately withdrew her sword and retreated backward forcefully.

The reason was simple. The moment the Dragon Sparrow Saber broke, Xia Hong, gripping the remaining two-thirds of the blade, swung it back at her, unleashing a terrifyingly sharp attack.

Swoosh…

Li Xuanling retreated a full five or six meters, but even so, the airflow from the blade still managed to slice off several strands of hair at her temple from a distance.

“No wonder he could injure Hou Hu so badly. This Xia Hong’s base strength is probably even higher than Second Uncle’s now. At least Thirty Mane. How could he have improved so much in such a short time!”

Li Xuanling stared at the fallen strands of black hair, her eyes filled with horror.

She remembered Xia Hong’s strength.

During the Longshan alliance meeting in mid-April, when Xia Hong intervened to save Hou Hu, her Second Uncle Li Tiancheng had said his base strength was around Eighteen Mane.

Later, at Gourd Valley in Hanqiong, when Li Xuanling led the Longyou Army to annihilate Xia Hong, although she couldn’t accurately judge his base strength, she could roughly deduce it was in the low twenties.

Now, just over two months later, it was over Thirty Mane…

“No matter what, I can only continue to trust Second Brother. If Great Xia is allowed to continue developing like this, Longyou will truly change hands. That absolutely cannot happen!”

Li Xuanling suppressed the horror in her heart. She glanced at Li Xuantian, and after a moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth and charged toward Xia Hong again.

Clang…

Xia Hong’s strength was truly too formidable.

The Dragon Sparrow Saber, now only two-thirds of its original length, became even more agile in his hands. The other fifteen people seemed to have him surrounded, but with their weapons at a disadvantage, they posed no threat to him at all.

Whether it was Li Xuantian’s long spear, Li Xuandu’s great saber, or anyone else’s weapon, even if they managed to get past Xia Hong’s Dragon Sparrow Saber and hit his body, they could at most break parts of his hide, unable to injure his flesh. Such attacks were meaningless to a Frostwarden realm expert.

On the contrary, the blade glints from Xia Hong’s attacks were terrifying. Not only were they powerful enough to stir the surrounding air and widen the attack area, but they were also incredibly fast. He could unleash three or four cold glints every breath, covering almost all directions around him.

In a one-on-one confrontation, not a single person dared to take Xia Hong’s attack head-on. It was only thanks to the excellent teamwork of the Longshan group, who cooperated to keep him entangled and prevent him from finding an opening, that the fight had lasted this long. If it had been another group of Frostwarden realm experts, it was unlikely they could have held out for so long.

Swoosh…

That was why Li Xuanling was in such a hurry to charge in. In the entire battlefield, only her silver longsword could pose a threat to Xia Hong. If she didn’t join in, then based on the current situation, let alone escaping, if Xia Chuan and his companions also joined the fray, it wouldn’t be impossible for Xia Hong to ultimately win.

…

That was right. Up until now, the battle had been going on for almost four hours.

Xia Chuan and his companions had not even made a move.

Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo were staring at Xia Hong, their faces filled with shock and awe.

“Gulp…”

“The leader’s strength is actually this incredible!”

“One against sixteen, and he’s not even at a disadvantage, is he? Li Xuanling has a slight edge with her weapon. If the leader had a suitable weapon, could he have kept all sixteen of them here?”

“Definitely. With Big Brother’s current strength, no one in Longyou can match him!”

Hearing Peng Bo’s speculation, Xia Chuan replied with conviction.

Unlike Chen and Peng, his eyes held only worship and fanaticism for Xia Hong, without any surprise or shock. It was as if the scene before him was exactly as it should be.

“Then why don’t the three of us stop minding these four and just go help the leader take down those sixteen? Wouldn’t that be better?”

Hearing Peng Bo’s words, Xia Chuan immediately shook his head.

Chen Yingyuan pondered for a moment and also gently shook his head.

The base strength of the three of them was around Eight to Nine Mane.

But among the sixteen people currently besieging Xia Hong, the weakest was at least Nine Mane.

Therefore, even if the three of them joined the fight, they would be of very limited help to Xia Hong.

It was even possible that their intervention would draw the attention of the Longshan group, forcing Xia Hong to divide his attention to protect them.

So, it was best for the three of them to stay put and just watch over Hou Tong and the other three.

If Xia Hong truly needed help, he would naturally call for them.

“Besides, our target isn’t these Frostwarden realm experts…”

Xia Chuan’s eyes flickered, and he instinctively glanced to the north.

…

“Something’s not right. Something is not right. Why isn’t he letting those three attack?”

Although her longsword managed to leave another gash on Xia Hong’s neck, Li Xuanling’s face showed no joy. Instead, her brow furrowed even deeper.

From the moment she realized that Xia Chuan and the others had not made a move, she had felt that something was amiss. While their strength was indeed not remarkable, Xia Hong was currently facing sixteen opponents. Whether he wanted to break through and escape, or fight to the death here, he shouldn’t have let his three companions just stand by and watch.

“Leader, something’s wrong. He’s had several chances to break through, but he hasn’t. This Xia Hong… is he intentionally letting us surround him?”

“It is a bit strange. If he wanted to run, we probably couldn’t stop him.”

“It’s deliberate. He’s intentionally dragging us down here.”

…

She wasn’t the only one; the other Frostwarden realm experts had also noticed the problem.

“Fourth Brother, there is indeed a problem!”

After speaking, Li Xuandu took a few steps back, his brow tightly knitted. He suddenly looked up at the sky, and as if realizing something, his expression changed dramatically. He turned to ask Hou Hu, who was in the rear, “Hou Hu, didn’t you say the Blood Guard Army would be here in just over two hours? How long has it been? Where are they?”

Hearing this question, everyone subconsciously looked up at the sky. Realizing that four hours had passed, they all froze.

Hou Hu, who was meditating and recovering in the rear, was stunned. As if he had suddenly understood something, he looked at Xia Hong and cried out in horror, “The army that passed you earlier… it wasn’t the one from Long White Gully?”

The sixteen attackers had all dispersed. Xia Hong was no longer constrained. After retreating more than ten meters, he first straightened his disheveled clothes, looked down at the dozen or so wounds on his body, and took a Blood Sore Pill. Only then did he slowly raise his head to look at Hou Hu, a chilling smile on his face.

“Smart, but a little too late.”

It was over.

Hou Hu felt his vision go dark. He was so agitated that the injuries he had just managed to suppress showed signs of flaring up again.

“Hou Ning, Wang Peng, Lu Yan, come with me, quick! Something’s happened to the Blood Guard Army!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he stood up and sprinted north, remembering to call out to the three Zhaoyang Frostwarden realm experts present.

Hou Ning and the other two, who had been besieging Xia Hong with the Longshan group, immediately followed him, rushing north.

“The army we saw just now was a fake, a decoy used by Great Xia to confuse us. The army that ambushed us at Long White Gully never came here. They ambushed the Blood Guard Army on their way.”

“This Xia Hong deliberately stayed here to delay us, making us think he was covering for the main army’s retreat. Something must have happened to the Blood Guard Army.”

“The Blood Guard Army thought the Xia army was fleeing south and must have been in hot pursuit. If they were ambushed along the way, then…”

The Longshan group now also understood what had happened.

They all turned to stare at Xia Hong, their eyes blazing with fury.

The army fleeing south just now hadn’t turned back to fight them, not because they didn’t want to, but because they simply didn’t have the strength. And to think they had deliberately waited until that army was far away before attacking Xia Hong.

It wasn’t just Hou Hu; their Longshan group had also been played by Great Xia.

“What a Xia Hong, what a Great Xia! Great Xia…”

Li Xuanling’s beautiful eyebrows arched, a clear sign of extreme anger.

She had always prided herself as the number one genius in Longyou, looking down on others in terms of both strength and strategic wit. Even though Xia Hong’s strength far surpassed her own at this stage, she believed that with time, she could catch up to him.

However, at this moment, reality had slapped her hard across the face.

Based on the series of events tonight, in terms of both strength and intellect, the Xia Hong before her seemed to have completely crushed her.

“The New Army is gone, and the Blood Guard Army must also be severely crippled now. In one night, Great Xia has broken two of Longyou’s armies. This can’t go on. The ruler of Longyou can only be Longshan. This great threat must be eliminated!”

Li Xuanling’s gaze shifted again to her second brother, Li Xuantian. As if having made a decision, a glint of resolve flashed in her eyes.

Soon, a desperate voice came from the north, making her expression even more resolute.

“Alliance Leader, the Xia army is coming! Run!”

The desperate voice belonged to Hou Hu.

From the north, the four who had just fled—Hou Hu and Hou Ning’s group—were now frantically running back in this direction. Hou Hu’s body was in a strange state; he was practically being carried by the other three.

The four of them looked panicked, their faces filled with horror. They weren’t running directly south toward the Longshan group, but southwest, shouting along the way, signaling for the Longshan group to flee immediately.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh…

Even from two or three kilometers away, the sound of iron arrows piercing the air from the north was exceptionally clear. The expressions of the Longshan group changed instantly.

No wonder Hou Hu and his men were running so desperately. At the edge of their vision to the north, a rain of arrows was pouring down on them like crazy.

Even from such a distance, the sound of the arrows was so clear that any experienced Frostwarden realm expert could immediately tell that the impact force of these arrows was at least thirty thousand catties, enough to threaten their physical bodies.

“Run!”

Li Xuanling dared not delay any longer. She gave Xia Hong one last look, then called out to the Longshan Frostwarden realm experts and fled southwest.

Judging from the scale of the arrow rain alone, the Xia army had at least seven or eight hundred men. This proved that their casualties from ambushing the Blood Guard Army were not heavy. If their thirteen Frostwarden realm experts remained here, once they were surrounded by the main army, with a terrifyingly strong Xia Hong on the side, escaping would be nearly impossible.

“Leader, a great victory at Ningyuan Hill! The Cloud Serpent Army has killed 642 enemies and captured 142, including two Frostwarden realm experts! The Zhaoyang Blood Guard Army is no more in all but name, haha!”

Li Xuanling and the others hadn’t gotten far when Liu Yuan’s triumphant laughter reached their ears, clear as day.

The Blood Guard Army was gone.

In front of them, the faces of Hou Hu’s group instantly turned deathly pale.

The pupils of the Longshan group contracted, and their expressions instantly turned as dark as blood.

Chapter 293: A Bountiful Harvest: To Save the Land or the Men?

The price of the great victory at Ningyuan Hill was clearly much higher than that of the ambush at Long White Gully.

The Cloud Serpent Army soldiers who came galloping from the north numbered just over seven hundred. Almost every man’s face was caked in blood. The vast majority were wounded, and for a few of the more severely injured, blood had already soaked through their armor.

Xia Hong could even see that the arms most of the soldiers used to draw their bows were trembling violently. The strain of the ambush at Ningyuan Hill had clearly been immense, and they still hadn’t recovered.

But even so, not a single soldier showed any sign of fatigue. Or rather, their exhilarated expressions completely masked any trace of it.

Defeating two of Longyou’s armies in a single night—the Cloud Serpent Army’s first campaign could be called perfect.

One had to remember, the Cloud Serpent Army had only been established for twenty days. In terms of cultivation, equipment, or even training time, they couldn’t compare to Zhaoyang’s Blood Guard Army, let alone the New Army from Longshan.

Furthermore, judging by the enemy casualties and captured supplies, the Cloud Serpent Army had completely shattered the formations of both armies. These were two indisputably great victories.

The overall plan for tonight’s two battles and the specific tactics of the Cloud Serpent Army had indeed been orchestrated by him personally, but the real execution fell to the Frostwarden realm experts like Xia Chuan, Liu Yuan, and Yuwen Tao, as well as the one thousand soldiers who actually fought.

He had to admit, their performance had far exceeded his expectations. He was especially impressed by how Xia Chuan, Liu Yuan, Yuwen Tao, and the others had commanded the ten battalions during the ambush and their precise timing.

“What are the specific casualties?”

Xia Hong suppressed his excitement, forced himself to calm down, and inquired about the Cloud Serpent Army’s losses.

Hearing this, Liu Yuan’s expression sobered. In a heavy tone, he said, “Reporting to the Leader, in the battle of Long White Gully, our army had thirty-two killed and fifty-two severely wounded. In the battle at Ningyuan Hill just now, we had sixty-nine killed and seventy-two severely wounded…”

One hundred and one killed, one hundred and twenty-four severely wounded. A twenty percent total casualty rate. Compared to the tremendous gains of the night, this was an absurdly low figure. Yet, when Xia Hong heard the numbers, his eye still twitched violently.

Of course, Xia Hong wasn’t blaming the Cloud Serpent Army for fighting poorly. In the two battles tonight, Great Xia’s kill-to-loss ratio was roughly seventeen to one. Such a record couldn’t be described as merely perfect; calling it a miracle would not be an overstatement. The Cloud Serpent Army’s performance was flawless.

He was just heartbroken over the twenty percent reduction in his forces.

Longshan had a vast foundation. Even without this New Army, they still had three thousand elite Longyou Army soldiers under their command, leaving them in a secure position.

Great Xia was different. The Cloud Serpent Army was their only treasure. Losing even one man was enough to pain Xia Hong for a long time, let alone twenty percent of them.

This had nothing to do with the scale of their victory. The fundamental issue was that Great Xia’s current capital was too small. A twenty percent loss was already enough to give Xia Hong the sharp pain of cutting his own flesh.

“We have to find a way to replenish our ranks. Relying on so few men to continue fighting Longshan is definitely not going to work.”

A sense of urgency welled up in Xia Hong. After surveying the Cloud Serpent Army troops, he glanced to the north and continued to ask Liu Yuan, “There are still more people behind you, right?”

The total casualties for the Cloud Serpent Army were two hundred and twenty-five, but there were only seven hundred and twenty-five men here. The numbers clearly didn’t add up.

Liu Yuan nodded. “I brought the main force ahead first. The one hundred and forty-two Blood Guard Army prisoners, one hundred and twenty-four severely wounded soldiers, the bodies of the fallen, and all the captured armor and weapons are behind us. Yuwen Tao is leading fifty soldiers and bringing them this way. They’re about five or six kilometers behind us.”

“There are less than four hours until dawn. We need to hurry. Xia Chuan, take three battalions and go reinforce Yuwen Tao’s group. The rest of you, set out immediately. Let’s return to Wushuang first.”

Xia Chuan’s expression turned solemn. He clasped his fist in acknowledgment, immediately selected three battalions of soldiers, and hurried north.

If they didn’t make it back to Wushuang before dawn, they would have to risk camping in the snow plains.

Moreover, Longshan had most likely moved its army to its garrison in Songyuan and might even be trying to intercept them right now. They had to leave Songyuan and get back into Wushuang territory as quickly as possible.

Once Xia Chuan left, the remaining four hundred-plus Cloud Serpent Army soldiers, under Xia Hong’s command, continued southward on their return journey.

“Go south for seven kilometers, then turn east for four kilometers, and we’ll be out of Songyuan and into Wushuang territory. We should have enough time.”

Xia Hong calculated the time and realized they had more than enough. He immediately relaxed and traveled with the army toward Wushuang.

The eleven-kilometer journey would normally take the Cloud Serpent Army over two hours at their regular marching speed. But since they had traveled this road once on their way here, their return trip was much faster.

In less than an hour, the four hundred men caught up with the Transport Team ahead.

Lin Kai was clever. He hadn’t stayed with the Transport Team but had trailed two kilometers behind them, evidently to keep an eye on their surroundings and be ready to react.

The soldiers of the Transport Team were just ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators transferred from Xiacheng; very few had a base strength exceeding twenty thousand. Their combat ability was lacking to begin with, and they were burdened with ten large carts, eight hundred sets of Hundred-forged armor and weapons, and over two hundred seriously wounded prisoners. Their marching speed was naturally astonishingly slow.

The addition of the four hundred-plus Cloud Serpent Army soldiers immediately lightened their load, and their pace quickened significantly.

In the end, it took only about an hour and a half for the army to leave Songyuan and enter Wushuang territory.

Once inside Wushuang, realizing that Longshan could no longer pursue them, Xia Hong ordered Peng Bo to take two battalions to reinforce Xia Chuan’s group behind them and increase their marching speed.

Finally, with an hour to spare before dawn and when the main force was just three kilometers from the Wushuang garrison, Xia Chuan and the others finally caught up.

When Xia Chuan’s large contingent arrived, besides their own equipment, almost every one of the five battalions of soldiers was carrying one or two sets of blood-red armor, a strongbow, and a matching quiver of blood-red arrows.

Even the captured Blood Guard Army prisoners were laden with armor and weapons, clearly all spoils of war seized by the Cloud Serpent Army.

Xia Chuan, looking extremely excited, rushed over as soon as he saw Xia Hong.

“Leader…”

“We’ll talk once we’re back!”

Xia Hong waved his hand, signaling that they would discuss matters once they were inside the garrison.

The immense army of over a thousand men, escorting more than three hundred prisoners, filed through the entrance into the megalithic garrison.

By the time Xia Chuan and the other Frostwarden realm experts had settled all the prisoners and tallied the spoils of war, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Year Two of Great Xia, First Day of the Seventh Month.

In the grand hall on the top floor of the Wushuang Main Building.

The Frostwarden realm experts stood in two rows. Xia Chuan stood below, reporting the previous night’s gains to Xia Hong with an invigorated expression.

“In the battle of Long White Gully, we killed seven hundred and forty-two Longyou Army soldiers and captured two hundred and twenty-one, including the three Frostwarden realm experts Zhou Yuan, Li Yuanqing, and Cheng He.

“We seized nine hundred and sixty-three sets of armor, eight hundred and ninety long spears, and seventy-three other assorted swords and weapons, all Hundred-forged. Additionally, there are two Thousand-forged greatswords, one Thousand-forged longsword, ten iron carts each with a carrying capacity of two million catty, and one thousand two hundred ninety healing pills.

“Of course, the most important prize was the eight hundred sets of newly forged Hundred-forged armor and weapons.

“In the battle of Ningyuan Hill, we killed six hundred and forty-two Blood Guard Army soldiers and captured one hundred and forty-two, including the two Frostwarden realm experts Hou Ming and Wang Lie.

“We seized seven hundred and eighty-four sets of armor, seven hundred and fifty-four greatswords, nine hundred and forty warbows, fifty-two thousand, five hundred and two blood arrows, and thirty other assorted swords and weapons, all Hundred-forged. Additionally, there is one Thousand-forged long spear, one Thousand-forged greatsword, and one thousand seven hundred and forty-two healing pills.

“And then there are the four Frostwarden realm prisoners Big Brother captured alive: Hou Tong, Hou Quan, Zhang Qingyuan, and Lu Yin. Their weapons are also Thousand-forged—a long staff, two greatswords, and a longsword, respectively.”

As Xia Chuan finished, the entire hall fell dead silent. Everyone’s breathing grew a little heavier.

Even Xia Hong’s gaze flickered for a moment.

“This just goes to show, war is the fastest way to plunder resources!”

Putting other things aside for a moment, just the number of Hundred-forged sets of armor and weapons they had seized tonight was over two thousand five hundred.

Even if Mu Dong led all the artisans in the camp to forge day and night, it would probably take them several years to produce so many. But now, they had acquired them in a single night…

The Cloud Serpent Army’s previous lack of armor was not only solved effortlessly, but the surplus was enough to equip two more thousand-man armies.

“It’s a pity the camp doesn’t have enough men at the Earthforger limit. Otherwise, with these spoils, we could immediately equip two more armies. Right now, our only threat is those three thousand Longyou Army soldiers. If we could add two more armies and fight another brilliant battle like tonight’s, swallowing Longshan whole wouldn’t be…”

Xia Chuan was clearly thinking along the same lines as him, but before he could finish, Xia Hong cut him off.

“Don’t be too optimistic. It’ll be good enough if we can take care of Zhaoyang. Li Xuanling is no fool, and Longshan has plenty of talented people. It will be basically impossible to replicate tonight’s two great victories.”

Hearing this, Xia Chuan and the other Frostwarden realm experts sobered up considerably. After a moment of careful thought, they all nodded lightly.

Tonight’s two victories seemed simple on the surface.

But in reality, there was the timely intelligence from their inside agent; Longshan’s carelessness; the two uniquely advantageous ambush locations at Long White Gully and Ningyuan Hill; Xia Hong personally suppressing Hou Hu and tying up a large number of Longshan’s Frostwarden realm experts…

There were far too many factors that decided the outcome. If any single link in that chain had failed, the result would have been drastically different.

Moreover, from start to finish, neither Longshan nor Zhaoyang knew of the Cloud Serpent Army’s existence. Catching them completely unprepared gave Great Xia a tremendous advantage.

Now that Longshan knew about the Cloud Serpent Army, they certainly wouldn’t be foolish enough to fall for the same trick again. Replicating tonight’s victories was surely impossible.

“The Cloud Serpent Army’s armor situation is now resolved. Let’s set aside the spoils of war for now. The most urgent task is to figure out how to deal with Longshan’s offensive. If you have any ideas, speak up!”

At Xia Hong’s words, everyone bowed their heads in thought.

After suffering such a huge loss, it wasn’t hard to guess what Longshan would do next.

“Leader, reinforcing our troops is imperative. We can continue to transfer men from Xiacheng. Although the three thousand Longyou Army soldiers are strong, if we use the favorable terrain of Wushuang and have enough manpower, a static defense won’t be difficult. If Longshan can’t break through, they’ll naturally retreat.”

Yuwen Tao’s proposal immediately won everyone’s approval.

Xia Chuan also nodded and continued, “Excluding Wushuang and Xiacheng, and adding the four garrisons of Jinggu Valley, Wuyuan, Hive, and Hanqiong, our total number of Earthforger realm cultivators is at least ten thousand. If we can move all of them here, holding back Longshan won’t be an issue. If Longshan unwisely chooses a bloody siege, we might even have a chance to counterattack.”

Right now in Wushuang, besides the Cloud Serpent Army, there was also the recently transferred Transport Team and some Hunting Teams. The total number of Earthforger realm cultivators was around two thousand five hundred.

After the Martial Arts Tournament in the sixth month, the number of Earthforger realm cultivators in Great Xia had officially surpassed ten thousand. Another month had passed since then, so the number had naturally grown. Xia Hong estimated it was around thirteen thousand, so Xia Chuan’s statement was more or less correct.

If they could gather all of Great Xia’s Earthforger realm cultivators in Wushuang, then even if Longshan mobilized its entire force, breaking through would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens, let alone trying with just those three thousand Longyou Army soldiers.

Everyone clearly agreed with Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao’s proposal. Not a single person objected.

Xia Hong glanced around at them, shook his head slightly, and finally fixed his gaze on Xia Chuan. He asked in return, “You just said that a bloody siege of Wushuang would be an unwise choice. If that’s the case, if we move all our Earthforger realm forces to Wushuang, wouldn’t that also count as what you called a bloody siege of Wushuang?”

Hearing this, Xia Chuan’s expression froze.

It wasn’t just him. Yuwen Tao and the others also paused, then looked at Xia Hong, their faces full of confusion.

Wushuang was Great Xia’s territory, and they were here now. Longshan would inevitably gather its army to attack. Wasn’t it perfectly logical for them to concentrate their Earthforger realm forces here to resist Longshan’s assault?

Seeing their expressions, Xia Hong immediately knew what they were thinking. His expression was a bit strange at first, but then he rephrased the question to Xia Chuan, “What is our ultimate goal here in Longyou?”

“To annex Longshan, of course!”

“Then how do we annex Longshan?”

“By defeating the three thousand Longyou Army soldiers, exterminating the Li clan of Longshan, and all the forces loyal to them.”

Xia Chuan’s understanding was not shallow. Especially after taking the helm of Great Xia, as he managed more and more practical affairs and interacted more frequently with Xia Hong, he learned many new concepts from him.

Xia Hong had once told him personally that to dismantle and annex a camp, the most important step was to eliminate the largest vested interest group within that camp. This principle applied to all camps in the Ice Abyss, including Great Xia itself.

Xia Chuan had long since learned about the overall structure of the Longshan camp from Li Hu and Yang Zhong. So he knew very well that the Li clan, with the three thousand Longyou Army soldiers in their hands, was the uncrowned king of Longshan. They, along with the people loyal to them, were Longshan’s largest vested interest group.

That was why he gave such an answer.

As he said it, Xia Chuan clearly realized something. His expression froze, and he instantly understood.

That’s right!

Great Xia’s ultimate goal was to destroy the three thousand Longyou Army soldiers, exterminate the Li clan, and wipe out all forces in Longshan loyal to them—not to defend Wushuang to the death!

“You must see where your advantages lie. Longshan’s military strength is far greater than ours. They aren’t afraid of a direct confrontation and will most likely march on Wushuang.

“If we dig in for a bloody fight here, we would be playing right into their hands.

“Great Xia can transfer Earthforger realm cultivators here, but can’t Longshan do the same?

“Zhaoyang was originally just an ally of Longshan. Now that the Blood Guard Army is gone and Hou Hu almost died at my hands, he will most likely merge his entire camp into Longshan. Once those two join forces, their number of Earthforger realm cultivators will surely surpass ours. When that happens, it’s not certain we could even hold Wushuang!”

Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and Chen Yingyuan seemed to have understood. The others, however, still seemed a bit confused, all looking down in contemplation.

“Compared to Longshan, where does our advantage lie?”

“Xiacheng isn’t in Longyou. Wushuang, Hive, and Hanqiong are, frankly, just three outposts for Great Xia. We can come and go as we please, but Longshan can’t. Their main base is on Longshan itself, and they can’t move it.”

This time, it was Yuwen Tao who answered.

His words clearly enlightened everyone.

Xia Chuan, Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, and the others all had a sudden moment of realization.

To lose the men to save the land, or to lose the land to save the men.

Simply put, those were the two choices.

This was a world where civilization had fallen, after all, and he had to spend so much time explaining such a simple principle. Xia Hong shook his head.

“Avoid the main force of those three thousand Longyou Army soldiers. First, find a way to weaken Longshan’s overall strength. As long as the battlefield remains in Longyou, then no matter how we fight, as long as Great Xia’s casualties are low, we will always come out ahead. Understand?”

This time, Xia Hong put it even more bluntly.

“Understood. I will go now and inform Meng Yi and Lu Yang to withdraw all the Lumberjack realm cultivators from Hanqiong and Hive. We’ll leave only Earthforger realm cultivators in Longyou. Also, I’ll have Zhao Long bring all one thousand of Hanqiong’s defenders to Wushuang to await orders!”

Clearly, Xia Chuan had completely grasped his meaning.

Xia Hong smiled lightly, nodded, and waved his hand for Xia Chuan to carry out the orders.

Chapter 294: Internal Strife in Longshan, Li Tiancheng’s Caution

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, June 21st

At the Songyuan Garrison, the Longshan camp was in an uproar.

“In the battle of Long White Gully, only thirty-nine men from the Fourth Army of Longyou returned alive. Forty-eight years of Longshan’s prestige, lost in a single day. Zhou Yuan deserves to die ten thousand deaths for his failure.”

“It’s only been a month, just one month! And the New Army is gone just like that. Nine hundred sixty-one warriors at the Earthforger limit, a quarter of the camp’s entire strength, gone.”

“A quarter of our strength? You have the audacity to say that? Did you account for the thousands of sets of armor invested in the New Army, and the eight hundred sets we were preparing to send to Zhaoyang? That was all the Hundred-forged grade armor the camp had left! Not to mention the healing elixirs distributed before they set out. Now, it’s all in the hands of Great Xia.”

“Great Xia… Damn that Great Xia! We must grind their bones to dust!”

“The families of the fallen soldiers are all wailing in the camp, and the families of the two hundred-plus captured soldiers are clamoring for us to rescue them. What are we supposed to do now?”

“Rescue over two hundred captured soldiers? How? Even Commandant Zhou Yuan was captured, along with two Captains, Li Yuanqing and Cheng He. We don’t even know if Great Xia has killed them or not.”

“I said it from the beginning, Zhou Yuan was not fit to be the Commandant of the New Army. You all insisted on appointing him, and now look at this catastrophic loss. How do we clean up this mess?”

“Clean it up? The New Army is gone! Zhou Yuan is a clever one, though. With his strength, how could he be captured so easily? I bet after losing the battle, he knew he couldn’t escape the blame, so he deliberately got himself captured. He probably wants to defect to Great Xia.”

“This…”

“I’ve been saying it all along, you can’t trust outsiders. The Fourth Army was fine, but we handed it to Zhou Yuan, and now it’s completely wiped out. Hmph!”

In the great hall on the top floor of the Songyuan Garrison’s Main Building, a throng of over fifty people had gathered—nearly all of Longshan’s Frostwarden realm experts.

A closer look would reveal that the fifty-odd people were clearly divided into two groups. One faction of about thirty stood on the left, while fewer than twenty stood on the right.

The ones speaking out in anger, one after another, were all from the group on the left.

Although they appeared to be angrily discussing last night’s great defeat, it was clear they were all blaming Zhou Yuan. A few disciples from the Li clan even began to slander him, accusing him of getting captured on purpose. By the end, they were even directing their attacks at the outsiders.

Hearing this, someone from the group on the right could finally stand it no longer.

“Both Song Ning and your son, as well as the thirty-nine soldiers who returned, said that Zhou Yuan was captured only because he fought to the death to hold back the Xia army and cover their escape. Li Xuanping, how can you lie so brazenly?”

The one who stepped forward was Meng Ying, one of Longshan’s Eight Great Guardians. He had always been on good terms with Zhou Yuan and naturally couldn’t bear to hear his old friend slandered like this. So when he spoke, his tone was sharp, aimed directly at Li Xuanping, who had just made the accusation.

Li Yuankai, one of the two Frostwarden realm experts who escaped the battle of Long White Gully, was Li Xuanping’s son. So, by all accounts, Zhou Yuan had saved his son’s life. Yet here was Li Xuanping, twisting black into white, accusing Zhou Yuan of deliberate capture and defection to Great Xia. It was a clear case of repaying kindness with enmity.

This was precisely why Meng Ying was so furious.

But what happened next only enraged him further.

Li Xuanping, the man he had called out, showed not a trace of shame. Instead, he stepped forward and sneered, “Song Ning and Yuankai only just broke through to the Frostwarden realm, to say nothing of a group of defeated Earthforger remnants. With Zhou Yuan’s strength, do you think they could tell if he was only feigning resistance?”

Upon hearing this, Meng Ying’s expression froze.

It wasn’t just him; the dozen or so Frostwarden realm experts behind him all looked up and glared daggers at Li Xuanping, clearly incensed by his shamelessness.

Worse still, Li Xuanping continued.

“Ning, Yuankai, tell us, are you sure about what you saw last night?”

Song Ning and Li Yuankai were standing right behind Li Xuanping. Faced with the stares of Meng Ying and the dozen others, both of them conspicuously averted their gazes. In the end, they lowered their heads and chose to remain silent.

“Shameless, shameless, shameless…”

Meng Ying was now furious beyond words. He pointed a trembling finger at Li Xuanping and the other two, his body shaking with rage, and repeated the word “shameless” three times.

“Meng Ying, there’s no need to say more,” Li Xuanping declared. “I have no interest in investigating whether Zhou Yuan’s capture was real or fake. But Longshan’s prestige has been utterly destroyed, and the colossal losses from this battle must be laid at his feet. From now on, you outsiders can forget about ever holding any military posts again.”

As soon as Li Xuanping finished, the crowd of Li clan disciples behind him immediately voiced their agreement.

“That’s right! After this battle, who would dare entrust the New Army to you again?”

“He’s right. Military positions cannot be given to these outsiders.”

“We must also judge Zhou Yuan for his crimes and find out if he was truly captured!”

“Exactly! If it’s discovered that he really has defected to Great Xia, not a single one of his relatives should be spared. Arrest them all!”

Smack!

“Li Xuanping, all of you, shut your mouths!”

Li Xuanling, who had been sitting alone above them with her eyes closed in thought, could finally take no more. She slammed her hand down, shattering the table before her, and furiously rebuked Li Xuanping and his followers.

Unfortunately, her authority seemed to be lacking.

“Youngest, you were the one who proposed the alliance with Zhaoyang. You were the one who proposed forming the New Army. And you were the one who proposed making Zhou Yuan the Commandant. You also arranged for the eight hundred sets of armor to be sent to Zhaoyang… In the two months you’ve been Leader, we’ve listened to you on everything. Now that such a disaster has occurred, surely you don’t think the Council will only hold Zhou Yuan responsible, do you?”

Li Xuanping was not only Li Tiancheng’s eldest son but also the eldest of the Li clan’s ‘Xuan’ generation. Being scolded like this by Li Xuanling was a great loss of face for him. He immediately retorted with sarcasm, not even bothering to address her as Leader anymore.

Li Xuanling was indeed the youngest of the ‘Xuan’ generation, so the address “Youngest” wasn’t technically wrong. The problem was that by calling her that in front of so many Frostwarden realm experts, Li Xuanping was clearly and intentionally trying to humiliate her.

The expressions of every Frostwarden expert in the hall faltered slightly. The hall fell instantly silent, and the atmosphere became tense.

Li Xuanling remained silent for a long time, but everyone could see the fury brewing in her eyes as she stared at Li Xuanping.

“Youngest, don’t look at me like that. In the end, you’re just a woman. I admit you have some talent for cultivation. Your strength is unmatched in Longshan, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if you one day surpass my father or even First Uncle. But being the Leader of Longshan requires more than just cultivation talent. You’re too emotional. These outsiders cry to you a little, and you just hand military authority over to them. Now that there’s a problem, you naturally have to take responsibility.”

“Then in your opinion, who should be the Leader?”

After speaking, Li Xuanling sat back down in her chair, her gaze casually sweeping over Li Xuantian, who was standing below on the left.

As expected, Li Xuanping stepped forward directly, faced the crowd, and announced:

“Second Young Master Xuantian, of course! He escaped death at Yangyuan Peak and brought back something as important as the Saint Sun Pills. He has already performed a great service for Longshan. And since the First Young Master did not inherit the position of Leader, it’s only right that the Second Young Master should be next in line. Everyone, am I right?”

Li Xuanping’s final question was directed at the Li clan members on the left, clearly an attempt to build momentum.

The Li clansmen on the left immediately understood and spoke up one after another:

“That’s right. The Youngest Lord is a woman, after all. It’s not appropriate for her to be the Leader.”

“The Second Young Master should inherit the position of Leader. I agree.”

“Since the First Young Master has abdicated his claim, it should be the Second Young Master’s turn.”

“The First Young Master was designated as the successor by the previous Leader. Since he is not taking the position, it should fall to the Second Young Master according to seniority.”

“Though the Youngest Lord is powerful, she is still a woman and will eventually marry out of the family. The Second Young Master should be the Leader.”

A flash of weariness crossed Li Xuanling’s eyes. Looking at the group of Li clansmen below, she felt both pity for their shortsightedness and immense worry for Longshan’s future.

Longshan was not run by the Leader alone. It operated under the Council system left behind by her father, Li Tianhua. To put it simply, anyone who broke through to the Frostwarden realm was automatically promoted to Council Elder and joined the Council, participating in the deliberation and judgment of all major camp affairs.

As Longshan grew stronger, the Council had also grown larger, and internal divisions had begun to appear, splitting it into two factions: the Li clan proper and the outsiders.

The clan faction was represented by her Second Uncle’s eldest son, Li Xuanping, and included the Li family as well as the Cheng, Song, and Yang families, who were relatives by marriage. They currently held thirty-four seats.

The outsider faction was represented by Zhou Yuan, Meng Ying, Yue Qian, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, and He Tu—the six members of Longshan’s Eight Great Guardians who were not related to the Li clan by marriage. They currently held eighteen seats.

The conflict between these two factions was not a new development. When her father, Li Tianhua, was around, he kept things in check, and the two sides rarely dared to argue openly.

But ever since her father left, her Second Uncle, Li Tiancheng, lacked the same authority. Compounded by his own bias towards the Li clan, the conflict between the two factions on the Council had grown increasingly sharp, and the situation had gradually started to spin out of control.

She knew very well that ever since she became the Leader, Li Xuanping and the other Li clansmen had been resentful. They had even approached her Second Uncle, Li Tiancheng, on several occasions, asking him to replace her.

But she had never imagined they would be foolish enough to make a move against her at this critical juncture.

Longshan had suffered a devastating blow, Zhaoyang’s Blood Guard Army had been annihilated, and Great Xia was still watching them like a hungry tiger. With a great enemy at their doorstep, these Li clan disciples weren’t thinking about how to deal with their foes, but were instead using this opportunity to oust their rivals and even trying to pull her, the Leader, from her position.

The crucial part was, the person they were endorsing was none other than Li Xuantian.

Li Xuanling glanced sideways at Li Xuantian. Seeing his detached, “none of my business” posture, she felt a sudden, inexplicable chill.

In early May, Li Xuantian and the four hundred-plus soldiers of the Longyou Army had escaped death at Yangyuan Peak and returned to Longshan. Although he had passed both the silver and Congealing Fire Salve tests, Li Xuanling and her Second Uncle, Li Tiancheng, had never let down their guard around him.

The thought of the Saint Sun Pills particularly troubled her. Even though she had taken one and personally experienced the rapid boost in strength, a seed of doubt remained in Li Xuanling’s heart.

Just because the pills were fine didn’t mean the person was.

The main reason was the deep psychological trauma caused by Wu Xiong, who had been controlled by the White Dew Aberration that night in Gourd Valley. That, combined with humanity’s natural fear of anomalies, made her unable to ever fully trust Li Xuantian.

Who knew if this Li Xuantian was still the same Second Brother she once knew?

She had secretly discussed this with her Second Uncle, Li Tiancheng. They had agreed that since the Dewdrop Plague was gone from the camp, as long as Li Xuantian showed no abnormal behavior and was willing to provide the Saint Sun Pills to strengthen Longshan, they would temporarily set aside their suspicions.

Who would have thought that Li Xuanping and his gang of fools would now be helping Li Xuantian make a move against her.

It was understandable, she supposed. Li Xuantian could produce so many Saint Sun Pills; buying off these Frostwarden realm experts in the camp would be effortless. Even if he hadn’t expressed any intention of becoming the Leader, these fools would probably be eager to push him into the position anyway.

“Li Xuanping, don’t you dare try to pin this on her! Even if someone must take the blame for the New Army’s failure, it should only be Zhou Yuan, Li Yuanqing, and Cheng He. What does it have to do with the Leader?”

Seeing Li Xuanling’s prolonged silence and assuming she was intimidated by Li Xuanping’s group, Jiang Ping stepped forward. He must have heard something from the soldiers who had escaped, as he continued his angry accusation:

“The returning soldiers said that the real reason for the army’s failure last night was that the four Captains repeatedly disobeyed Zhou Yuan’s orders. Li Yuanqing and Cheng He didn’t follow protocol while scouting the route, went too far, and were captured by Great Xia. They failed to report back in time, which ultimately led to the army falling into an ambush. You conveniently fail to mention any of this and pin all the blame on Zhou Yuan alone. What are your intentions?”

Hearing this accusation, the expressions of Li Yuankai and Song Ning changed slightly. They both stepped forward at once to refute it:

“Uncle Jiang, who told you this? Have him come here and confront us face-to-face. I, Yuankai, swear on my life that no such thing happened.”

“Uncle Jiang, if you’re pinning the blame for the ambush on me based on hearsay, that’s hardly fair. I agree, we should bring that soldier here to confront us and see if his story holds up.”

Hearing them demand a face-to-face confrontation with the soldier, Jiang Ping and the others were momentarily stunned into silence, their faces flushing with anger.

Bringing an Earthforger realm soldier here to confront the two of them? Leaving aside whether the man would even dare, Jiang Ping himself would never be the villain who put him in that position.

“What’s wrong? Can’t bring the person here? Or were those words just something you made up, Uncle Jiang, to slander Song Ning and me?”

“Jiang Ping, spouting baseless nonsense… That’s no way to help Zhou Yuan, even if you want to. Hmph!”

“That’s right, Zhou Yuan has already been captured, what else is there to…”

Li Xuanping couldn’t resist jeering again, but before he could finish, a hoarse voice from the doorway cut him off.

“The enemy is at our gates, and you’re still here arguing?”

Li Tiancheng had arrived!

Everyone in the hall immediately fell silent. Li Xuanling, who had been sitting at the head of the hall feeling utterly exhausted, finally let some of the tension leave her features.

“Father, Xuanling can’t be the…”

Li Xuanping started to speak again, but just like before, Li Tiancheng cut him off.

Slap!

This time, with the palm of his hand.

Li Tiancheng stared at his eldest son, his face a mask of disappointment, before finally letting out a sigh. He turned to the crowd and said, “The enemy is right outside, and you are consumed by internal strife. Do you truly want to hand over the foundation Longshan has built for over fifty years?

“I don’t care what you’re thinking right now. All of you, quiet down. Right now, the most important thing is to drive Great Xia out of Longyou and restore Longshan’s prestige.

“I have seen that Xiacheng at Redwood Ridge with my own eyes. That Xia Hong is no simple character, and the overall strength of Great Xia is far beyond what you can imagine.

“All of you, listen to me well. Whether you are from the Li clan or an outsider, if Longshan loses this time, all of your current power struggles will be nothing but a joke. Do you all understand?”

Li Tiancheng’s final question was sharp and forceful, ringing in everyone’s ears.

Everyone’s expression changed. They looked up at Li Tiancheng’s grave and earnest face, and a sense of dread took root in their hearts.

To be honest, even though they had just been arguing until they were red in the face, none of them had truly taken Great Xia seriously. They knew their own strength. Although Great Xia had defeated the New Army and the Blood Guard Army, at the end of the day, it was only a force of a thousand men, and they must have suffered significant losses in the two battles last night.

But Longshan still had the three-thousand-strong Longyou Army!

The very reason they were fighting amongst themselves, even daring to challenge Li Xuanling, was based on the premise that they never considered Great Xia a real threat.

It was the consensus of everyone present that the army would set out for Wushuang at nightfall to annihilate Great Xia, a belief that should have included Li Tiancheng, who had rushed to Songyuan last night.

But what had Li Tiancheng just said?

“Right now, the most important thing is to drive Great Xia out of Longyou.”

Driving them out and annihilating them were two completely different things.

Xiacheng?

What had Li Tiancheng seen at Redwood Ridge to make him so cautious?

Chapter 295: The White Dew Aberration’s Open Scheme, Longshan Marches

“Saint Sun Pills?”

On the top floor of the Main Building in Wushuang, Xia Hong, seated in the main position, narrowed his eyes slightly.

Below, Yuwen Tao continued, “They’re called Saint Sun Pills. I interrogated all nine of them separately. Li Yuanqing was the first to confess. He said his father, Li Xuantian, brought the Saint Sun Pills back from Yangyuan Peak. They’re a sacred cultivation item for the Frostwarden realm, with effects dozens of times greater than the Jade Bone Elixir. Many people in Longshan have taken them.

“It was a similar story for Zhaoyang. According to Hou Ming and Wang Lie, Hou Hu decided to defect to Longshan only after taking the Saint Sun Pills given to him by Li Xuantian.”

“So, the reason for the recent surge in strength among the Frostwarden realm experts from these two camps is all because of these Saint Sun Pills. Do they have any more on them?”

Yuwen Tao shook his head. “We’ve searched them all. There are none.”

That made sense. Such precious pills were surely few in number. They were probably used for cultivation immediately upon being received. Who would carry them around?

Yuwen Tao thought of something and continued his report, “I just tested them with the Congealing Fire Salve. None of the nine had any reaction.”

Hearing this, Xia Hong nodded slightly, his expression gradually growing solemn.

The reason for the great increase in strength of the Frostwarden realm members from Longshan and Zhaoyang was the Saint Sun Pills.

And these Saint Sun Pills were brought back from Yangyuan Peak by the miraculously surviving Li Xuantian. It was almost certain, then, that Li Xuantian had some connection to the White Dew Aberration.

As for the Congealing Fire Salve test showing nothing, that was normal.

It wasn’t as if Longshan didn’t have Congealing Fire Salve. Li Xuanling wasn’t a fool.

According to the message Li Hu and Yang Zhong sent in May, after Li Xuantian’s group escaped from Yangyuan Peak, Li Xuanling made them wait outside the camp for a full seven days, during which she used various methods to test them. Only after confirming they were clean did she let them into the settlement.

This piece of information was enough to show that Li Xuanling was extremely wary of Li Xuantian. It was just that the White Dew Aberration’s methods were becoming more and more sophisticated, to the point where even Congealing Fire Salve and silver could no longer expose it.

“There’s definitely something wrong with these Saint Sun Pills, not to mention Li Xuantian. It seems Li Xuanling, and all those people from Longshan, have been completely duped by that White Dew Aberration.”

Yuwen Tao had been the first to question whether the White Dew Aberration was truly dead. As one of the witnesses to the events on Yangyuan Peak, he was also the most vigilant against it, and he immediately came to this conclusion.

Unexpectedly, Xia Hong immediately refuted him.

“I can confirm that the nine who took the Saint Sun Pills are fine. They do have the Dewdrop Plague in their bodies, but it cannot be transmitted to others. And after the Dewdrops are cleared, their strength will not decrease.”

At these words, Yuwen Tao’s expression froze.

Of course, he wouldn’t doubt Xia Hong. The little torches and the Congealing Fire Salve, two items with powerful restraining effects on anomalies, were both products of the Frigid Ruins Cauldron. And the master of the Frigid Ruins Cauldron was Xia Hong. For Xia Hong to make such a judgment, he must have a solid basis.

But if there was nothing wrong with the Saint Sun Pills, then why would Li Xuantian, or rather the White Dew Aberration controlling him from behind the scenes, give them to the Frostwarden realm members of Longshan and Zhaoyang? An anomaly helping humans increase their strength was in itself very…

Yuwen Tao’s expression suddenly turned grim as he came to a realization. He looked up and said in alarm, “Leader, are you saying that the White Dew Aberration is using the Saint Sun Pills to increase the strength of the two camps’ Frostwarden realm experts specifically to deal with us, Great Xia?”

Xia Hong nodded directly and sneered, “Otherwise, how did those two factions, who were fighting tooth and nail before, reach an agreement and form an alliance so quickly? If you were a normal person and had a Spirit Pill like the Saint Sun Pill, would you just give it out to people in your camp? And those eight hundred sets of Hundred-forged armor and weapons were clearly in preparation for war.”

Yuwen Tao lowered his head in thought for a moment. Combining this with the news Xia Hong had brought back from the Yanglu isolation zone three days ago, he instantly understood.

“As you said, Leader, the White Dew Aberration has gathered a massive number of Frost Beasts and turned all of Yanglu into an isolation zone to protect its true form. This shows at least two things: first, it can’t leave Yangyuan Peak to move about freely for the time being; second, it’s not in an invincible state right now, and it’s very afraid of anyone approaching Yangyuan Peak…”

Yuwen Tao pondered for a moment, then continued to unravel the threads, “That White Dew Aberration has already seen the Congealing Fire Salve, and it might even know about the Frigid Ruins Cauldron. Furthermore, Wu Xiong, whom it previously controlled, was killed once by you, Leader, in Hanqiong’s Gourd Valley.

“It knows very well that the only threat to it in all of Longyou is Great Xia. But it can’t come out itself, so it can only manipulate Longshan and Zhaoyang from behind the scenes to deal with us. Using the Yang Core Pills not only helps the Frostwarden realm experts of the two camps increase their strength to fight us, but it can also be used to win over people and control both factions.”

Hearing Yuwen Tao’s incisive analysis, Xia Hong made no effort to hide his approval. He turned his head and added, “That White Dew Aberration is definitely still afraid of the Congealing Fire Salve, which is why it doesn’t dare to continue spreading the Dewdrop Plague and killing people wantonly. It can only use fellow humans from Longshan and Zhaoyang to deal with us first.”

Yuwen Tao couldn’t help but speak up immediately. “Leader, then we must go and tell Li Xuanling right away! We can’t fall for the White Dew Aberration’s plot!”

“Do you think Li Xuanling is that stupid? And all those people in Longshan, do you think they’re all fools, without a single shrewd one among them?”

Yuwen Tao’s expression faltered. After grasping the key points, his expression became much gloomier, and he said softly, “This White Dew Aberration… its scheming runs so deep…”

This wasn’t a secret plot; it was a pure, undisguised scheme!

The White Dew Aberration was banking on the fact that Longshan had to deal with Great Xia. The Saint Sun Pills were the bait it offered. Even if Li Xuanling had her suspicions, she could only go along with its plan for now, uniting with Zhaoyang to attack Great Xia.

“With the Saint Sun Pills, that White Dew Aberration will surely use Li Xuantian to secretly win over the vast majority of the Frostwarden realm members from both factions. Li Xuanling must have anticipated this long ago. To deal with Great Xia, she’s willing to pay any price. Hmph!”

A gloomy look flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes. The feeling of being schemed against by the White Dew Aberration was certainly unpleasant, but that wasn’t the worst of it. The key was that Li Xuanling and the people of Longshan were willing to be driven by an anomaly just to maintain their dominant position in Longyou. This filled him with rage.

Once an anomaly grew powerful, the harm it could do to humanity was practically limitless.

When the White Dew Aberration first reawakened, it was able to massacre the entire Yanglu camp, with its population of nearly thirty thousand, just by spreading a plague. Then there was the subsequent tragedy in Hanqiong’s Gourd Valley. If Great Xia hadn’t provided the Congealing Fire Salve to save them, it was likely that not a single person would have survived.

And in such a situation, Li Xuanling still dared to let the White Dew Aberration run rampant. Clearly, in this woman’s heart, maintaining Longshan’s hegemony outweighed everything else.

“Trying to rely on an anomaly to maintain Longshan’s hegemony… that woman has been blinded by greed. What a pity that both Longshan and you are destined to be crushed beneath my feet!”

A look of disdain flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes. He stopped dwelling on the matter of Li Xuantian and the White Dew Aberration. He first glanced at the sky outside, then turned to look at the huge map of Longyou hanging behind the main seat, asking in a deep voice:

“Have Xia Chuan and Peng Bo returned?”

Knowing that Xia Hong was about to begin his deployment, Yuwen Tao’s expression became alert as he replied, “The Director returned half an hour ago. He’s currently leading Chen Yingyuan and others on patrol within a three-kilometer radius of the camp, strictly guarding against any reconnaissance from Longshan.

“Peng Bo just got back. He brought a total of fifteen Frostwarden realm members with him. He also said that Xiacheng has been notified, and a large number of Earthforger realm individuals have already begun to pack their belongings. They will travel through Jinggu Valley to Longyou at top speed after nightfall.”

Daylight in the Ice Abyss lasted only four hours.

Xia Chuan had run to both Hanqiong and the Hive, and Peng Bo had made a round trip to Xiacheng. By then, the time was basically up. There was now less than an hour until dawn.

Xia Hong pondered for a moment before saying, “Go and inform Zhao Long now. Isn’t he supposed to lead the main army here via the Xia Direct Road after nightfall? Tell him to make some noise as he approaches Wushuang. We must let Longshan know.”

Yuwen Tao only had to think for a moment before a knowing smile appeared on his face.

Just yesterday, Xia Hong had said that there was no need to hold Wushuang at all costs. The reason for having Zhao Long deliberately make a commotion wasn’t hard to figure out.

“Everyone here in Wushuang must be notified. After nightfall, we will begin secretly evacuating in batches to the Hive via the Xia Direct Road. We must try to move everyone out before Zhao Long’s main army arrives, leaving only one thousand Cloud Serpent Army soldiers and all of the Frostwarden realm members.

“The direct roads connecting Hanqiong, the Hive, and Wushuang are all complete. Zhao Long’s one thousand men will arrive quickly after nightfall. Tell Xia Chuan to relax the security at that time. It would be best to let Longshan’s spies see that we have reinforcements heading towards Wushuang.

“That’s all. Go and see to it.”

“As you command!”

Yuwen Tao clasped his hands in assent and quickly turned to leave the hall.

“The three thousand men of the Longyou Army must have already assembled at the Songyuan settlement. They’ll press towards Wushuang after nightfall. It’s a pity they don’t have a direct road. Even if they send men ahead to clear a path, their marching speed will be extremely slow. As long as I feed them some false information, I’ll have plenty of room to maneuver. There’s no way I can lose this battle!”

Xia Hong continued to look at the map, and after a moment of contemplation, a confident gleam appeared in his eyes.

…

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, June 21st, on the eve of nightfall.

Songyuan settlement, main hall of the Main Building.

Li Xuanling was still seated in the main position, with Li Tiancheng in the first seat to her lower left.

After Li Tiancheng’s earlier mediation and admonishment, the atmosphere among Longshan’s Frostwarden realm experts had clearly improved. Everyone sat upright and attentive, their gazes focused on Li Xuanping, Li Xuanqiu, Meng Ying, and Cheng Guang in the center of the hall.

The four of them were covered in snowflakes, clearly having just returned from outside.

Li Xuanping was the first to step forward. He cupped his hands and said, “I went north of Wushuang and sensed at least five Frostwarden realm presences. They must have sensed me as well, as they immediately closed in to surround me. Although their strength wasn’t formidable, I was worried Great Xia would send more reinforcements, so I returned first.”

Meng Ying spoke second. “I went south. There were six Frostwarden realm members. The situation was similar to his; I was discovered before I could get close and had to retreat.”

Li Xuanqiu, a rare female among the Frostwarden realm experts, was the third to step forward. She cupped her hands and said, “I went east. There were also six Frostwarden realm members there.”

The last one, Cheng Guang, had the gravest expression. He clasped his hands and said, “I went west. Great Xia has deployed at least ten Frostwarden realm members in that direction. And they’re positioned very far forward, clearly to prevent us from scouting their settlement.”

Whoosh…

As the four finished speaking, the hall instantly erupted in an uproar.

“Great Xia has that many Frostwarden realm experts?”

“That’s already twenty-seven, and that’s not even counting their Leader, Xia Hong.”

“That’s even more than Zhaoyang has.”

“And this is only the force Great Xia has dispatched to Longyou. Could it be that Great Xia has more Frostwarden realm members than our Longshan?”

“Not necessarily. Didn’t Second Uncle say that Xiacheng is far to the east of Redwood Ridge, in a valley west of Double Dragon Mountain? Judging by the size of the city, its population must exceed one hundred thousand. Twenty-seven Frostwarden realm members might really not be their full strength.”

“I remember there being hardly anyone over at Redwood Ridge. When did such a powerful camp pop up? This…”

…

Over two hours ago, Li Tiancheng had told them everything he had seen of Xiacheng.

Black stone city walls totaling ten kilometers in length on three sides;

People of Xia in various clothes, freely entering and leaving the outskirts of Redwood Ridge;

A massive, fully armed and armored Hunting team, pouring out of the city after nightfall;

Countless amounts of iron ore and coal being transported into Xiacheng from all directions;

…

In reality, Li Tiancheng had not managed to infiltrate Xiacheng. He had only managed to glimpse a partial view from the outskirts. But even the partial picture he painted was enough to stun the assembled Frostwarden realm experts of Longshan.

In the eyes of the people of Longshan, Great Xia had always been an entity similar to the other large camps in Longyou. Even though they had now revealed the Cloud Serpent Army, they still believed Great Xia’s strength was at most comparable to Zhaoyang’s, and there was still a significant gap between them and Longshan.

But after hearing Li Tiancheng’s account, they finally understood that this was not the case.

The scene at Great Xia’s settlement was clearly far better than Longshan’s, and its population was much larger. Even the number of hunting teams and Earthforger realm individuals might be greater than Longshan’s…

They were already feeling a little apprehensive, and now, after hearing what Li Xuanping’s group had discovered about Wushuang, their expressions couldn’t help but show a trace of fear.

Great Xia’s strength clearly far exceeded their imagination.

“It’s confirmed. Within a three-kilometer radius of Wushuang, Great Xia has stationed at least twenty-seven Frostwarden realm members on guard. Our people can’t even get close, let alone spy on the situation inside the Wushuang settlement.”

Li Xuanling’s gaze was also very grave. The number of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm members had clearly exceeded her expectations. Seeing that some of the people below were beginning to look uneasy, her brow furrowed, and she said in a deep voice, “No matter how large Great Xia’s city is, or how strong they are, they are over at Redwood Ridge. This is Longyou, our Longshan’s home turf. Even if it’s a dragon, it has to coil up obediently here…”

She paused here, then changed her tone and continued, “Furthermore, Great Xia only has one Cloud Serpent Army in Longyou. For this reason alone, it is absolutely impossible for Great Xia to defeat our Longshan!”

The crowd below heard her words, and after a moment of thought, their expressions jolted, and their eyes lit up.

That’s right!

The two battles the Cloud Serpent Army fought last night at Long White Gully and Ningyuan Hill were indeed impressive, but they had used ambushes in both cases. They even used other ordinary Earthforger realm members as bait to mislead their opponents, and their leader, Xia Hong, had to personally act as a diversion.

This basically confirmed it: besides the Cloud Serpent Army, Great Xia did not have a second formal army. Or even if they did, they were unable to move it to Longyou.

In that case, Longshan’s chances of victory were much greater.

“Our inability to scout the situation inside Wushuang won’t affect our advance. After we received the news last night, we immediately sent people to investigate. There are fewer than two thousand Earthforger realm individuals inside. Including the one thousand from the Cloud Serpent Army, the total number won’t exceed three thousand. With so few people, it is absolutely impossible for them to stop the three thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army!”

Li Xuandu was the first to speak, and everyone nodded slightly.

Li Xuanling also nodded. After the news from Long White Gully arrived last night, she was the one who immediately ordered people to investigate the Wushuang settlement, so she was also very clear about the number of people inside.

“No matter what Xia Hong’s plan is, we will press forward with our entire army. Brute force overcomes all artifice. He can either evade or fight; those are his only two choices. Stationing so many Frostwarden realm members on guard on the perimeter might just be a bluff, to make us think he has some kind of ambush prepared and dare not advance rashly.”

After she finished speaking, Li Xuanling glanced up at the sky, which had completely darkened, and directly gave the order: “Night has fallen. Muster the army and set out. Order men to clear the snowy path ahead. All Frostwarden realm members will be divided into groups to scout the route. We must arrive within eight hours to leave enough time for battle. Tonight, we will completely drive Great Xia out of the Wushuang territory…”

Songyuan was to the west of Wushuang. The straight-line distance between the two settlements was eighteen kilometers, but the route had to bypass some areas, making the total journey about twenty-five kilometers. At the marching speed of the Longyou Army, eight hours should be about right.

Li Xuanling thought of something else and said to Li Xuanping’s group in the center:

“The four of you, each take one more Frostwarden realm member and continue to keep an eye on the four directions around Wushuang. Be mindful of your own safety. If there is any unusual movement, immediately take turns coming back to report.”

“As you command!”

Li Xuanping, who had tried to usurp Li Xuanling’s position as leader just yesterday, now had a much calmer expression. Along with the other three, he nodded in agreement and then turned to leave the hall.

Under the snowy night, a large group of people first emerged from the Songyuan settlement and began to clear the snowy path ahead. They were followed by the grand, imposing force of three thousand fully armed and armored soldiers of the Longyou Army, who marched rapidly eastward towards the Wushuang territory.

The various Frostwarden realm members also dispersed to carry out the tasks assigned by Li Xuanling, heading to their designated locations in advance.

With Longshan’s proactive advance, the curtain was thus raised on this great battle that would decide the fate of Longyou.

Chapter 296: A Lion Hunting a Rabbit: Luring the Enemy into a Trap

The first day of the seventh month, year two of the Great Xia.

West of Wushuang, a travel-worn Peng Bo raced in from the western snow plains. After a moment’s glance around, he quickly ran to the top of a small snow hill.

“Reporting to the Director, the three thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army have traveled nearly seven kilometers in an hour.”

On the snow hill, Xia Chuan, dressed in white, immediately turned his head, his face filled with shock. “Seven kilometers in an hour? That fast?”

The Cloud Serpent Army, with only a thousand men, could normally only cover five kilometers an hour on the snow plains. The Longyou Army had three thousand men; their marching speed should have been much slower. He never expected them to be forty percent faster than the Cloud Serpent Army.

“They have been established for longer than we have, after all. Big Brother was right. The overall quality of these three thousand Longyou Army soldiers is likely much higher than the Cloud Serpent Army’s…”

Xia Chuan pondered for a moment, his expression growing much graver.

But Peng Bo spoke again. He picked up a branch from the ground and drew a rough map in the snow for Xia Chuan.

“Director, based on the Frostwarden realm outposts I set up along the way from Longshan, I’ve roughly deduced their marching route. The total distance should be twenty-five kilometers. Factoring in the time it took for me to return, I estimate they will arrive here in a little over two hours.”

Looking at the map on the ground, Xia Chuan’s eyes instantly lit up.

The old Leader of Yanglu indeed. Compared to Lin Kai, who was in the first wave sent out to scout the Longshan army’s movements, the intelligence Peng Bo brought back was clearly more valuable.

“The enemy has deployed many scouts along the route—I roughly estimate at least thirty to forty men. Including those with the main army, Longshan has probably brought ninety percent of its Frostwarden realm cultivators this time. It seems they want to settle everything in one decisive battle at Wushuang!”

Hearing this, Xia Chuan said in a low voice, “Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit. Besides, Longyou just lost two armies at our hands. Longshan is the attacker; if they don’t pull out all the stops, how could they hope to break through Wushuang so easily?

Li Xuanling isn’t a fool. Compared to Great Xia, Longshan’s greatest advantages are these three thousand Longyou Army soldiers and their large number of Frostwarden realm cultivators. She will definitely make good use of that.”

Peng Bo nodded, then laughed softly. “A pity for Longshan. They’re destined to find nothing tonight. Li Xuanling would never imagine that Wushuang, surrounded by so many Frostwarden realm cultivators on watch, is completely empty!”

A smile also appeared on Xia Chuan’s face. He turned to look at the massive stone garrison of Wushuang to the east, a sharp glint in his eyes.

“Longshan has gotten smarter, sending people to scout the garrison in advance. Unfortunately for them, Li Xuanling wasn’t willing to pay a high enough price. With just a few people, they can’t even breach the perimeter. From so far away, the most they can do is determine that no one has left the garrison. They can’t see anything inside.”

Peng Bo added with a laugh, “Wushuang has two Xia Direct Roads: one northeast to Hanqiong and one southeast to the Hive. Both are buried under the snow, with their entrances about two kilometers from the garrison. We chose to set up our watch three kilometers out. Longshan probably can’t figure out why.”

Since daylight, Xia Chuan had been guarding the west with Peng Bo and eight others. Although he had only sensed one Frostwarden realm cultivator approach, he was certain that after the major losses at Long White Gully and Ningyuan Hill, Longshan would have sent more than just one.

Visibility on the snow plains was good, but at night, it was at most 500 meters. Even if Longshan sent scouts to all four directions, their observation range would be limited to a two-to-three-kilometer radius around Wushuang’s perimeter, not even clear enough to see the entrances to the Direct Roads.

With this information gap, there was so much they could do.

“A little over ten minutes ago, when Zhao Long arrived with a thousand men from Hanqiong, Chen Yingyuan and his men pulled back the picket line to the north. If Longshan has a spy in that direction, they must have noticed. I just don’t know…”

As Xia Chuan was pondering, a figure suddenly dashed over from the north.

The newcomer was Xu Ning. Carrying a longbow and holding a glaive, he walked to Xia Chuan’s side with an excited expression, cupped his hands, and said, “Reporting to the Director! Just as the Leader predicted, when Zhao Long’s army arrived, we deliberately pulled back our picket line. A Longshan scout couldn’t resist approaching. After spotting Zhao Long’s army, he even crept closer to observe the soldiers’ cultivation levels. When we spotted him, he fled immediately without engaging. Chen Yingyuan recognized him as Li Tiancheng’s eldest son, Li Xuanping.”

“Excellent!”

Xia Chuan’s expression became thrilled upon hearing Xu Ning’s report.

“Hahaha…” Xu Ning couldn’t help but laugh loudly. “The Leader’s original plan was to have Zhao Long make some noise to attract the Longshan scouts’ attention. Who would’ve thought that Li Xuanping would pop out on his own? And he even knew to check the cultivation level of those troops. He must have already returned to the Longshan army to report to Li Xuanling.”

“It’s not just the north! We’ve had some action in the east too!”

As Xu Ning finished speaking, Yuwen Tao’s voice came from the south side of the hill.

Yuwen Tao, carrying a broadsword on his back, walked up with a broad smile. He bowed to Xia Chuan and said, “Director, good news. We’ve drawn out the scout in the east as well.”

“Oh?” Xia Chuan’s eyes lit up again, and he turned to Yuwen Tao.

“It was a woman. I was just organizing the last group from the outpost to withdraw from Wushuang to the Hive via the southeast Xia Direct Road. I remembered the Leader saying that there would be many Longshan scouts around Wushuang, so on a whim, I had that group feign a march toward the Wushuang garrison. Then we deliberately pulled back our picket line. The female Longshan scout fell for it, just as expected, and immediately approached to observe the situation.”

“What happened then?”

“I led Hong Guang, Hong Tian, and four others to engage, pretending to fight to the death to capture her. The woman didn’t get entangled and fled immediately. She even seemed quite pleased with herself as she escaped.”

“Hahahaha…” Hearing that the female scout had escaped so smugly, Xia Chuan burst into laughter.

“In other words, the scouts from both the north and the east think we’ve transferred a large number of troops to Wushuang from elsewhere. When Li Xuanling learns of this, she’ll surely believe we intend to fight a decisive battle with her at Wushuang. The morale of those three thousand Longyou Army soldiers must be sky-high right now.”

Yuwen Tao, Peng Bo, and Xu Ning all laughed at his words.

…

East of Songyuan, about a dozen kilometers away.

The mighty army of three thousand Longyou soldiers continued its march eastward.

Li Xuanling led a dozen or so Frostwarden realm cultivators, flanking the main army.

People were constantly running back and forth from the front of the army, reporting things to Li Xuanling before immediately sprinting forward again. They were clearly Frostwarden realm cultivators acting as temporary scouts for the army.

“Leader, is all this caution necessary? Great Xia only has that Cloud Serpent Army. After last night’s battle, they must have lost at least twenty percent of their men, leaving eight hundred at most. Even if they replenished their numbers, ambushing us on the road would be a suicide mission, wouldn’t it?”

The Longshan expert archer, Yang Fengping, couldn’t help but speak up to Li Xuanling. His expression was odd as he watched the high and mighty Frostwarden realm cultivators of Longshan, who were now running back and forth like common scouts.

Though the others remained silent, their expressions clearly showed their agreement.

The force dispatched by Longshan tonight was not the New Army, nor the Blood Guard Army, but three thousand elite soldiers of the Longyou Army.

They truly didn’t believe Xia Hong had the guts to ambush them on the road. Or rather, they secretly hoped Great Xia would be so bold.

To them, Li Xuanling’s actions were indeed an overreaction.

However, Li Xuanling clearly disagreed with their assessment.

“Caution is the parent of safety. Great Xia is not weak, and that Xia Hong is no simpleton. Before the Cloud Serpent Army appeared, did any of you know Great Xia even had an army? You have to learn from your mistakes. Otherwise, wouldn’t our defeats at Long White Gully and Ningyuan Hill have been for nothing?”

Hearing this, the faces of the group stiffened slightly, and they all fell silent.

Li Xuanling’s brows furrowed slightly. She glanced at them but said no more.

She had said this to make them more vigilant, or rather, to cultivate their cautiousness. But in truth, her own feelings were quite similar to theirs.

If Xia Hong really dared to set up an ambush on the road, that would be perfect!

The Cloud Serpent Army had fought beautifully in the two battles last night. But according to the accounts of the surviving soldiers from the New Army and the Blood Guard Army, the overall strength of the Cloud Serpent Army wasn’t actually that formidable. Some of their soldiers hadn’t even reached the Earthforger limit in their cultivation.

Their great victories at Long White Gully and Ningyuan Hill were fundamentally born of surprise.

Of course, the choice of ambush locations and the effective battlefield use of the Cloud Serpent Army’s three unit types—glaives, sabers, and scouts—were also contributing factors, but they weren’t the key to victory.

The three thousand Longyou Army soldiers she led now were not only all genuinely above the Earthforger limit, but the vast majority had been personally trained by her father, Li Tianhua. They were battle-hardened veterans who followed orders to the letter and were well-versed in battle formations and tactics—nothing the Cloud Serpent Army could compare to.

If Great Xia truly dared to ambush them on the road, they were courting absolute death!

Unfortunately, Li Xuanling knew that Xia Hong wasn’t that foolish.

“Wushuang, Hanqiong, and the Hive—all three are in Great Xia’s hands. Wushuang bears the brunt of any attack, and its position is the most critical. The first step to driving Great Xia out of Longyou is to take Wushuang. I just wonder if Xia Hong will accept this battle at Wushuang!”

Wushuang was located in the center of all Longyou. From here, the distance to any other camp in Longyou was the shortest, making its strategic importance immense.

Li Xuanling remembered clearly that when she had led her army to station between Baiyuan and Wushuang, Great Xia had sent a special envoy named Qiu Peng to propose joint governance of Wushuang with Longshan.

This incident alone showed that Great Xia understood Wushuang’s importance.

“Logically, Great Xia wouldn’t be willing to give up Wushuang. But if they only rely on those eight hundred Cloud Serpent soldiers, they definitely can’t hold it. So they either have to retreat or bring more people over from Xiacheng. The only thing we need to guard against right now is the possibility that Great Xia has other armies to mobilize. If they do, this battle won’t be so easy…”

Li Xuanling’s brows knitted. As she was deep in thought, she suddenly sensed something and looked up ahead.

A white figure was speeding toward the army from the eastern snow plain. Those at the front with sharp eyesight immediately recognized the person.

“It’s Xuan Ping!”

“He must have news from Wushuang.”

Seeing Li Xuanping’s hurried approach, everyone immediately began to speculate, and Li Xuanling herself instantly perked up, waiting for him.

Although Li Xuanping was in a hurry, there was a clear smile on his face. He walked up to Li Xuanling and, without delay, cupped his hands and reported, “Leader, Great Xia has transferred all one thousand soldiers of the Hanqiong garrison to Wushuang.”

“The one thousand soldiers from Hanqiong’s garrison?” Li Xuanling’s expression tightened. She asked in a deep voice, “Are you sure it’s the Hanqiong garrison force? Did you get a clear look? Are they all just ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators?”

Over the past two months, Li Xuanling had sent scouts to thoroughly investigate the situations at Wushuang, Hanqiong, and the Hive. It was no secret that Great Xia had left a thousand soldiers garrisoned at Hanqiong.

Li Xuanling remembered clearly that the scouts’ reports had stated that the thousand soldiers in the Hanqiong garrison were all of ordinary Earthforger realm cultivation.

Logically, transferring a thousand Earthforger realm cultivators to Wushuang wouldn’t make much of a difference, and Xia Hong surely knew this. That was why she was suspicious of the news, suspecting that Li Xuanping had either seen wrong or been deceived.

“Absolutely certain. I even risked getting closer to observe. They are all ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators. Their armor and weapons are only Ten-forged grade…” Li Xuanping paused, then sneered, “That Xia Hong must have run out of men. He had no choice but to transfer these thousand from Hanqiong in a vain attempt to defend Wushuang to the death and resist the might of our Longshan army.”

What use could a thousand ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators be?

Li Xuanling’s brows were tightly furrowed, her face still showing a trace of confusion.

“The garrison has two thousand Earthforger realm cultivators. Add the thousand from Hanqiong, and Wushuang has at most three thousand Earthforgers. With the thousand from the Cloud Serpent Army, does Xia Hong really think he can stop three thousand Longyou Army soldiers with just these four thousand men?” Li Xuandu spoke up, and the others immediately began to mock the idea with cold smiles.

“Four thousand against three thousand? Does he think the Longyou Army soldiers are also ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators?”

“What a pipe dream.”

“Unless that entire Cloud Serpent Army is at the Frostwarden realm.”

…

An Earthforger limit soldier who had begun to reforge their Hide with Beast Blood was an entirely different concept from an ordinary Earthforger realm cultivator who was only qualified to hunt.

To put it bluntly, it was the difference between a base strength of over thirty thousand catty and one of over ten thousand catty. If one factored in the toughness of their Hide, as well as their weapons, armor, and other equipment, the gap would only be greater.

There was a common understanding in Longyou: for an army composed of ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators to face a regular army on the battlefield, they would need a tenfold numerical advantage. Anything less was unthinkable.

Three thousand Earthforger realm cultivators plus one thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers, four thousand defending against three thousand from the Longyou Army. If Xia Hong truly intended this, Great Xia was doomed to defeat tonight.

The other Frostwarden realm cultivators understood this, and Li Xuanling understood it even better. She just thought a little deeper than the others. She felt that Xia Hong couldn’t be so foolish.

As she was lost in thought, someone suddenly pointed to the east and exclaimed:

“Xuanqiu is back, too.”

Another scout had returned.

Li Xuanling gathered her spirits again, watching her cousin, Li Xuanqiu, speed toward them from a distance.

Li Xuanqiu was just as direct. She cut straight to the point upon her arrival:

“Leader, nearly a thousand Earthforger realm cultivators have arrived at Wushuang. Judging by their direction, they came from the Hive. Xuandong and I discovered a hidden tunnel under the snow southeast of Wushuang; it should connect to the Hive. I expect this won’t be the only group. More people will likely follow through that tunnel.”

A large number of Earthforger realm cultivators from the Hive were also coming to Wushuang!

Upon hearing this news, smiles bloomed on everyone’s faces.

Even Li Xuanling completely cast aside her earlier suspicions.

“Xia Hong… so he really plans to gather all of Great Xia’s Earthforger realm cultivators in Longyou and make a final stand at Wushuang. Good, good. This is for the best.”

“Leader, Great Xia’s hidden tunnel is very long. It would be difficult to destroy it completely, but with a few more people, we could damage it given some time. How about I take some men to destroy that tunnel and stop Great Xia’s reinforcements from continuing to mass at Wushuang?” Li Xuanqiu proposed.

The others looked tempted by Li Xuanqiu’s suggestion.

Li Xuanling, however, thought for a moment and shook her head.

“No need. The tunnel can be destroyed anytime, just not now.”

Hearing this, they all looked confused.

“That’s right!” Li Xuandu was the first to understand. His eyes lit up slightly. Seeing the others’ continued confusion, he quickly explained, “Great Xia only dares to stay in Wushuang because reinforcements are coming. If we destroy the tunnel and the reinforcements can’t arrive in time, Great Xia might abandon Wushuang. That would be more troublesome for us. Understand?”

After his explanation, everyone finally understood and nodded one after another.

“Li Xuanping, Li Xuanqiu, go back to the outskirts of Wushuang and keep watch. Report back if anything happens. No matter how many men Great Xia sends, ignore them. Just watch them enter.”

“Understood, Leader!”

Li Xuanping and Li Xuanqiu bowed deeply, then immediately turned and sped off to the east.

Li Xuanling turned her head to the east, her voice filled with killing intent.

“Inform the army to accelerate their march. We only have nine kilometers left. We’ll strive to arrive in just over an hour. Tonight, we will show Great Xia who truly rules the lands of Longyou.”

“Yes!”

The group of Frostwarden realm cultivators responded in unison, their faces brimming with murderous intent. They then dispersed throughout the army and began to bark out orders, urging the troops forward.

Chapter 297: An Empty Fortress, A Late Realization

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, the twenty-first day of the sixth month.

About four hours after nightfall, on the snowy plains two kilometers west of Wushuang.

The mighty three-thousand-strong Longyou Army had finally arrived.

“The army will rest here! Prepare your bows and ready your arms!”

Though they could faintly see the massive stone garrison of Wushuang under the snowy night, Li Xuanling did not rush to attack. The three-thousand-man army had, after all, come from a long trek. She first ordered everyone to rest where they stood.

“The army will rest here! Prepare your bows and ready your arms!”

“The army will rest here! Prepare your bows and ready your arms!”

…

As the military order spread, all three thousand soldiers halted, planted their long spears in the snow beside them, and sat down cross-legged. They took the longbows from their backs and quickly began to check their weapons and armor.

Clang, clang, clang…

The three-thousand-man army was silent, save for the sound of armor and weapons rubbing together. Many soldiers raised their heads to gaze east at the hazy stone garrison under the snowy night, their eyes burning with killing intent. The atmosphere instantly turned grim to the extreme.

Li Xuanling stood at the fore with her Frostwarden realm experts, looking at the stone garrison from a distance.

“Let’s hear it. How should we attack?”

Li Xuandu was the first to speak. “Wushuang has only one main gate on the east side, three meters wide and six meters high. It’s too troublesome for three thousand men to charge through there. Let’s have Second Uncle join us, and we’ll break through the rock walls on the west side and charge straight in!”

Having been the hegemon of Longyou for decades, Longshan knew the situation of the eleven giant camps under its command like the back of its hand, and Wushuang was no exception.

Attacking the main gate would require the army to circle around to the east. Furthermore, a cast-iron gate three meters wide and six meters high would be difficult to breach. Even if they succeeded, the three-thousand-strong Longyou Army wouldn’t be able to leverage its numerical advantage.

Compared to assaulting the main gate, directly breaking through the massive stones on the western perimeter to let the army pour into the Wushuang garrison was clearly a more reasonable and convenient plan.

As for their chances of victory, that was not even a consideration.

Longshan’s victory in tonight’s battle was certain!

Thus, Li Xuandu’s words immediately received unanimous agreement from the others.

That included Li Xuanling.

Her expression hardened slightly as she stared at the massive stones of Wushuang from a distance. She turned to Li Xuanping and said, “You just said there’s also a hidden tunnel under the snow on the northeast side, connecting to the Hanqiong garrison. Over the past hour, you’ve confirmed no reinforcements have come through, correct?”

When the army had approached within three kilometers of Wushuang, Li Xuanping and the other seven Frostwarden realm experts temporarily acting as scouts had all returned to the main force, knowing the battle was about to begin.

Li Xuanping nodded and replied, “I can confirm it. Yuan Kai and I were watching from the north. From start to finish, only Hanqiong’s one-thousand-man garrison force came over.”

When Hanqiong’s one-thousand-man army had appeared northeast of Wushuang, Li Xuanping had been puzzled. He had been monitoring the area three kilometers north of Wushuang the entire time. Logically, he should have spotted an army of a thousand men approaching.

But those one thousand men from Hanqiong seemed to have appeared out of thin air. If Great Xia hadn’t suddenly contracted their security perimeter, he might not have seen them at all.

It wasn’t until he returned to report to Li Xuanling and heard his younger sister, Li Xuanqiu, mention discovering a hidden tunnel in the southeast that it dawned on him. He realized there was most likely a hidden tunnel to the northeast of Wushuang as well.

So, the second time he returned to the north of Wushuang, he immediately began searching the snowy plains, and sure enough, he found it.

After discovering the tunnel, he hadn’t destroyed it. He simply kept an eye on it, wary of more reinforcements arriving from Hanqiong for Great Xia.

For the past hour, no reinforcements had come. He had reported this to Li Xuanling as soon as he returned to the army.

Li Xuanling nodded and turned her gaze to Li Xuanqiu.

“No subsequent reinforcements came from Hive either. That is confirmed!”

Then it was basically certain. Wushuang currently had only one thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers, plus at most three thousand ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators. At most, they had four thousand men.

As for those in the Lumberjack realm, they were completely negligible!

“It’s about time. Notify the army…”

“Leader Li, I trust you’ve been well!”

Just as Li Xuanling was about to give the order, a voice suddenly called out from the east, interrupting her.

Li Xuanyan, Li Xuantian, Li Xuandu—all the Frostwarden realm experts of Longshan—froze when they heard the voice and turned to look east.

On the perimeter of Wushuang’s massive stone garrison, more than thirty figures had appeared at some unknown time. And those thirty-odd people were slowly walking toward them.

Under the snowy night, the distance was too great to make out their faces. They could only see that apart from the man at the front who was dressed in black, the rest were all clad in Great Xia’s signature pale gold armor.

“That’s Xia Hong’s voice.”

“Thirty-three in total. They should all be Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts!”

“So many? Great Xia’s strength is indeed far greater than Zhaoyang’s.”

“Not only that. Great Xia’s main base is at Redwood Ridge. These thirty-three might not even be all of their Frostwarden realm experts.”

…

Swish!

The moment the voice rang out, the three thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army, who had already readied themselves, leaped to their feet, nocking arrows to their bows and aiming at the enemy.

As Longshan’s Frostwarden realm experts murmured among themselves, the opposing group slowly walked from the garrison’s perimeter, stopping about four to five hundred meters away from them.

Four hundred-odd meters was within the visual range of a Frostwarden realm expert.

After getting a clear look at the thirty-three individuals’ faces, everyone from Longshan, including Li Xuanling, showed a trace of horror in their eyes, their expressions shaken.

It wasn’t that they saw something terrifying. The arrivals were indeed Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts, led by the man they hated to the bone, Xia Hong. They also recognized the other four familiar faces from Longyou: Chen Yingyuan, Chen Yingba, Peng Bo, and Wu Tianxing. They even had an impression of Yuwen Tao, Qiu Peng, and others who had appeared during the rescue of Xia Hong at Gourd Valley in Hanqiong.

The shock on their faces was due to the others—the ones with unfamiliar faces.

“Why are all of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts so young?”

“Looking at them, most seem to be in their early twenties, right?”

“Aside from Chen Yingyuan’s group of four, there seem to be few who are even over thirty!”

“Even a gathering of geniuses wouldn’t be this impressive, would it?”

…

From their numbers to their names, to the individuals themselves.

Longshan actually knew very little about Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts.

Besides Qiu Peng, who had previously served as an envoy to the Longyou military camp, and Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng, whom they had encountered at the Yanglu garrison, plus the few they had fought at Gourd Valley, the rest were all strangers to them.

During Qiu Peng’s visit to the Longyou camp, Longshan had been mistaken about him. Because Qiu Peng’s early-twenties age was so conspicuous, Li Xuanling and the others had assumed he was the scion of some important figure in Great Xia.

Now, looking at the group before them, they realized that Great Xia had so many Frostwarden realm experts around Qiu Peng’s age. Even those who were older didn’t look to be over forty.

Longshan had mobilized over fifty Frostwarden realm experts tonight, with an average age of at least forty.

But among Great Xia’s thirty-three, the oldest seemed to be the two old acquaintances from Longyou, Peng Bo and Chen Yingyuan.

Age represented potential and talent—a truth everyone understood.

At this realization, the expressions of all of Longshan’s Frostwarden realm experts, including Li Xuanling, became incredibly grim.

…

“They’re intimidated by their age!”

Seeing the grave expressions on the faces of the Longshan group, Xia Hong immediately understood.

It was to be expected. Almost all of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts were present tonight.

Never mind the young ones like Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Yue Feng, Xu Ning, and Liu Yuan. Even Luo Yuan, the three Zhao Long brothers, and the two Ying Xuan brothers, though approaching thirty, were ridiculously young compared to Longshan’s group of forty-somethings.

Xia Hong shook his head slightly, not taking it to heart. He continued leading his group forward, stopping nearly three hundred meters from the Longyou Army.

Three hundred meters was about the maximum range of a thirty-Stone longbow.

“Leader Xia, why don’t you dare come any closer?”

The previously silent Li Xuanling spoke up with a cold smile, taunting Xia Hong when she saw his group halt.

Xia Hong looked up at her, raised an eyebrow slightly, and smiled. “The edge of Longshan’s army is too sharp. I must naturally act with caution. I hope Leader Li won’t take offense!”

She had meant to provoke Xia Hong, but who would have thought he would give such a response? Li Xuanling felt as if her punch had landed on cotton wool, and her expression froze.

“Leader Li, Great Xia is not Longshan’s number one enemy. At least, not at this stage. You should be well aware of that, shouldn’t you?”

Xia Hong was in no mood for a war of words with Li Xuanling. After asking this question, his gaze slowly shifted to Li Xuantian behind her.

Like Zhou Yuan’s trio, Li Xuantian showed no signs of anything unusual. When Xia Hong met his gaze, the man’s eyes showed no flicker of emotion, only the same hatred and fury as the other Longshan experts.

“You seize our supplies without cause, slaughter our New Army, ambush the Blood Guard Army, grievously injure Leader Hou, and imprison hundreds of my Longyou soldiers and over ten Frostwarden realm experts. And you say Great Xia is not Longshan’s number one enemy? Leader Xia, you truly have a way with words…”

As Li Xuanling spoke, her voice rose, clearly intending for the three thousand Longyou soldiers behind her to hear. She paused, then rebuked sharply:

“Xia Hong, the flames of war in Longyou were all ignited by your Great Xia! Longshan had no desire to start a war. If you obediently hand over all the captives from Longshan and Zhaoyang, then lead Great Xia out of Longyou and swear never to invade again, we can avoid the bloodshed tonight. How about it?”

Although Li Xuanling hid it well, Xia Hong saw it clearly. Just as his gaze fell on Li Xuantian, her eyes had obviously flickered.

So, just as he had suspected, Li Xuanling had been aware from the very beginning that Li Xuantian was connected to the White Dew Aberration.

But to deal with Great Xia and maintain Longshan’s hegemonic status, she had chosen to turn a blind eye, allowing the White Dew Aberration to do as it pleased.

Looking at Li Xuanling, anger began to rise in Xia Hong’s heart. He sneered, “Great Xia has no precedent of handing over captives. As for avoiding the bloodshed tonight, you’re that certain your three thousand Longyou soldiers can defeat me?”

Li Xuanling didn’t speak, merely gesturing to her three brothers with her eyes.

The three understood. Li Xuanyan brandished his great-saber, Li Xuantian slashed with his long spear, and Li Xuandu drew his longsword. The three pointed their weapons at Xia Hong and roared fiercely, “Kill!”

The three thousand Longyou soldiers, longbows drawn, roared in unison:

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

With the physical constitution of the humans of the Ice Abyss, even the synchronized shout of three thousand Lumberjack realm cultivators would be astonishingly loud, let alone three thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army.

Three thousand men, all with a base strength of over thirty thousand catties, some even at the Earthforger limit and beginning to reforge their Hide, roaring in unison. The resulting momentum was far beyond what an ordinary person could imagine.

Boom…

The sheer force of their roar created a current of air that altered the course of the snowflakes within a one-kilometer radius. The dense killing intent nearly solidified, pressing down toward the Wushuang stone garrison to the east with terrifying power.

Whoosh!

A fierce gust of wind blew in their faces. It had to be said, not just Xia Chuan and the other Frostwarden realm experts of Great Xia, but even Xia Hong’s expression grew much graver in an instant.

This was the aura of an elite army. The greater the numbers, the more terrifying it became.

The Cloud Serpent Army’s aura was impressive, but compared to the three thousand Longyou soldiers before them, it was still leagues behind.

“They cannot be fought head-on. Even I, if surrounded by these three thousand, would likely be skinned alive, even if I survived. To have been the hegemon for over forty years… Longshan’s foundation is truly enviable…”

As Xia Hong’s expression turned grave, Li Xuanling spoke again.

This time, her voice carried a clear threat.

“Xia Hong, Wushuang has no defensive barrier. Breaking through the outer stone walls is child’s play for us. You have a total of only four thousand people in your garrison. It is absolutely impossible to defend against my three thousand Longyou soldiers. I will give you one last chance. If you agree to the terms I proposed earlier, they are still valid.”

Was Li Xuanling planning to make Great Xia withdraw from Longyou with just her words?

Her repeated attempts at persuasion made a strange look appear in Xia Hong’s eyes.

But soon, he understood Li Xuanling’s thinking, and his expression hardened slightly.

“This woman isn’t stupid!”

Li Xuanling must be aware of the hidden danger of the White Dew Aberration. She didn’t want to expend too much of her effective strength on Great Xia, which was why she repeatedly tried to persuade him, hoping to make Great Xia withdraw from Longyou without shedding a drop of blood.

What a pity!

There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

“Li Xuanling, I’d like to see just how your three thousand Longyou soldiers are going to break through the Wushuang garrison. I…”

Whoosh…

Before Xia Hong could finish, his brows twitched, and he abruptly retreated.

A terrifying silver blade cleaved through the air from the north, kicking up a snow wave tens of meters long as it slashed down at him.

Bang!

The blade struck where Xia Hong had been standing, carving a half-meter-wide and three-to-four-meter-long trench in the ground. A cloud of snow mist rose over ten meters high.

Xia Hong had long since retreated more than ten meters away, and the group of Frostwarden realm experts around him, including Xia Chuan, had all retreated with him.

“Enough nonsense! The Wushuang garrison has long been empty! Great Xia’s people are retreating to Hive through the hidden tunnels! He’s just stalling for time!”

From within the snow mist came a hurried, aged voice.

Dressed in white with a full head of silver hair, Li Tiancheng burst through the mist and once again gave chase toward Xia Hong.

The expressions of Longshan’s Frostwarden realm experts all froze, not having yet processed the news Li Tiancheng had just delivered.

“Army, advance! Kill!” Li Xuanling roared, her tone clearly tinged with shame and anger.

They had all been played!

Xia Hong never had any intention of fighting Longshan at Wushuang. He had already withdrawn everyone.

“Since the three thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army have come all this way, you can’t go back empty-handed. Consider this Wushuang garrison a gift from my Great Xia, for you to manage for a few days. I shall take my leave!”

Like Li Xuanling, Hou Hu, and the others, Li Tiancheng’s strength had grown considerably stronger than before, but it was still impossible for him to hold Xia Hong back.

Xia Hong entangled him, creating an opportunity for Xia Chuan and the other thirty-two to escape. He turned his head and laughed loudly at Li Xuanling and the others who had yet to catch up. After speaking, he sped off to the east and fled.

“Making a deal with a tiger will never end well. Li Xuanling, I’ll give you six words: those who play with fire will get burned.”

Li Xuanling had already caught up to the western stone wall of Wushuang. Looking at Xia Hong’s retreating figure, her willow-leaf brows trembled with anger, her face a mask of fury.

Bang!

Li Xuanyan led his men to break through the western stone wall. The vast tide of Longyou soldiers poured through the breach. Seeing the empty Wushuang garrison, their hearts were filled with a rage they had nowhere to vent.

“Scoundrel! Xia Hong, that scoundrel! We’ve all been deceived! All of us!”

Li Xuanling was seething. Her first instinct was to glare at Li Xuanping, Li Xuanqiu, Cheng Guang, and Meng Ying—the four responsible for reconnaissance.

When these four had returned to the main force, they had all confidently guaranteed that no one was entering or leaving Wushuang. This was especially true for Li Xuanping and Li Xuanqiu—they were the ones who had previously reported that reinforcements from Hive and Hanqiong had arrived at Wushuang.

If not for that piece of information, she would not have been so certain that Great Xia would defend Wushuang to the death.

The four of them also realized their mistake. Their expressions were panicked, and they didn’t dare to meet Li Xuanling’s eyes.

“Leader, should we give chase immediately? They have four thousand people retreating to Hive. Their marching speed must be slower than ours. We should be able to catch up.”

Hearing Song Kang’s words, the anger on Li Xuanling’s face intensified. She scolded, “Do you know exactly how many men they have? How far they’ve gone? And are you sure they’re retreating to Hive? We’ve already been marching for four hours. If we continue to pursue, what if they set up an ambush along the way? You can’t even do a scout’s job properly, letting us be toyed with like this, and you still want to pursue? Everyone, stay put and rest!”

Li Xuanling looked down at the three thousand Longyou soldiers below. More than half of them were standing frozen in place, completely devoid of the imposing aura they had when they first arrived at Wushuang. Her expression darkened even further.

“Deliberately putting on an act of defending Wushuang to the death just to crush our morale… Xia Hong, what a cunning villain. Great Xia only has three strongholds in all of Longyou. I’d like to see where you can retreat to next time!”

Chapter 298: Deploying to the Hive, Splitting the Army

“They came with such fury, only to find nothing. Li Xuanling must be losing her mind right now. Who would have thought there wouldn’t be a single person left in Wushuang?”

“Not just no people—the beast meat, iron ore, coal, almost all the movable supplies were taken away. All they got was an empty piece of land.”

“After a four-hour forced march, those Longshan soldiers were full of pent-up anger with nowhere to unleash it. They must be furious inside, hahaha…”

…

Three kilometers southeast of Wushuang, on a snowy plain, Xia Hong gazed at the Wushuang encampment from a distance. Behind him, Xia Chuan and the others were engaged in a lively discussion.

“But you have to admit, the presence of those three thousand Longyou Army soldiers was terrifying. Those three shouts of ‘Kill!’ scared me badly. If our four thousand men had tried to hold our ground, we likely wouldn’t have been able to stop them.”

“Not likely. It’s a certainty. We absolutely couldn’t have stopped them!”

Hearing Yuan Cheng’s words, Xia Hong immediately shook his head, offering a different conclusion.

The group reacted variously, but a careful observer would notice that Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Chen Yingyuan, and Peng Bo all nodded with conviction, clearly agreeing with Xia Hong.

In contrast, those who were slightly weaker, like Yuan Cheng, Lin Kai, and Qiu Peng, wore expressions of doubt.

This was the difference in perspective born from varying levels of strength.

The stronger one was, the more clearly they could feel the power of the three thousand Longyou Army soldiers.

Conversely, those with less strength had a less distinct perception and felt that if they fought with their lives on the line, there might still be a chance to hold them off.

“You’ll soon find out just how strong the three thousand Longyou Army soldiers are!”

Xia Hong turned to face Xia Chuan and the others, his expression suddenly growing serious.

Realizing that Xia Hong was about to give orders, everyone’s demeanor became much more solemn.

“Longshan came up empty, so their morale is bound to plummet. Li Xuanling probably won’t continue the pursuit. However, you can’t let your guard down. Li Tiancheng has already seen our people retreat to the Hive. Longshan must now know about the Xia Direct Road to the southeast. If I’m not mistaken, they will soon discover the one to the northeast connecting to Hanqiong as well. Make all necessary preparations to prevent them from using the roads for their own advance.”

Although Wushuang’s two direct roads were buried under snow, they were each over twenty kilometers long. It was unrealistic to think such massive constructions could be hidden from Longshan. In fact, Xia Hong suspected that Longshan already knew about them.

Both roads were built by Great Xia for its own use. Now that everyone had withdrawn from Wushuang, destroying them was both unnecessary and a waste. Therefore, they could only leave measures in place to prevent Longshan from exploiting them.

“Rest assured, Leader, I’ve already made all the arrangements.”

Xia Chuan immediately cupped his fist in his hand and replied, a trace of confidence on his face.

“Over the next few days, I will have men of the Frostwarden realm keep a constant watch on the Xia Direct Road. If Li Xuanling dares to send the Longyou Army down it, I can guarantee they won’t even make it to the Hive…”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “And it’s not just the road from Wushuang to the Hive. I’ve already ordered Yue Feng to tamper with the roads from the Hive to Jinggu Valley and from Jinggu Valley to Xiacheng.”

Xia Hong raised an eyebrow at his words and smiled. “You’re thinking quite far ahead. You think Longshan will bypass the Hive and attack Jinggu Valley or even Xiacheng directly?”

Xia Chuan’s brow furrowed as he answered, “Xiacheng is unlikely, but Jinggu Valley is another matter. If a prolonged siege of the Hive fails, it’s not impossible for a desperate Longshan to push south, is it?”

Xia Hong shook his head and chuckled lightly. “Li Xuanling isn’t that foolish. If she knew to send scouts ahead to probe Wushuang, she must have also sent people to investigate Xiacheng. If I’m not mistaken, someone from Longshan has probably already been to Double Dragon Valley and seen Xiacheng.”

Xia Chuan looked puzzled at first, but after a moment of thought, he immediately understood, his eyes lighting up. “That’s right! The condition Li Xuanling just proposed was only for Great Xia to pull out of Longyou. She must know about Xiacheng’s situation. Knowing that Longshan could never breach it, she was forced to offer us such terms.”

Xia Hong smiled and nodded, a hint of pride in his eyes.

The fortified city of Xiacheng was arguably Great Xia’s greatest strength at present.

With black stone walls five meters thick and fifteen meters high on three sides, spanning a total of ten kilometers, plus a population of over one hundred thousand people, Xia Hong was fully confident he could defend it not just against three thousand Longyou Army soldiers, but even against ten thousand.

Just as Xia Chuan had said, Longshan’s posture had shifted dramatically—from their aggressive march on Wushuang, seemingly sworn to destroy Great Xia, to their recent gentle handling of the situation, proposing that hostilities would cease if Great Xia simply withdrew from Longyou.

This change was enough to prove that Longshan must have received some new information.

Xia Hong could think of no other reason than Li Xuanling having sent someone to scout Xiacheng.

“Li Xuanling isn’t stupid. She won’t give up her home-field advantage. She should know that as long as the battlefield is in Longyou, Longshan still has room to maneuver. But once they leave Longyou, the situation will be completely different…”

After offering his conjecture about Li Xuanling, a vicious glint flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes as he continued, “Forget attacking Xiacheng. If she dares lead the Longyou Army south to attack Jing Valley, I am certain I can settle the score in one battle and wipe Longshan from the face of the Ice Abyss for good!”

Upon hearing this, Xia Chuan and the men standing behind him, including Chen Yingyuan, became visibly excited, their faces flushed with exhilaration.

Xia Hong raised his head and surveyed the group, his eyes quickly finding Yue Feng in the crowd.

“Yue Feng.”

Yue Feng immediately stepped forward, clasping his fist and bowing. “Your subordinate is here.”

“What is the situation in Jing Valley now?”

“After nightfall, Xiacheng’s seven thousand Earthforger realm soldiers, led by Zhu Yuan, took the direct road through Jing Valley to assemble at the Hive. The Lumberjack realm soldiers from the Wushuang, Hanqiong, and Hive encampments have all returned to Xiacheng via Jing Valley. By the time I left for Wushuang, Jing Valley was completely empty.”

Xia Hong nodded, then turned his sharp gaze to Zhu Yuan.

“What’s the situation at the Hive?”

Zhu Yuan also stepped forward immediately, clasping his fist and bowing. “Reporting to the Leader, the large stones marking the ground-level entrances to the Hive have all been cleared away. The seven thousand Earthforger realm soldiers I brought have all entered the main underground area. Including the 2,500 who came from Wushuang, the Hive currently has a total of 9,500 men, all of them from the Earthforger realm.

“This force has already begun setting traps and building fortifications in the various underground tunnels. As you previously instructed, Leader, the tunnels are being completely transformed to be unrecognizable. The work is estimated to be complete by nightfall tomorrow.”

Xia Hong continued to ask, “Have you brought sufficient supplies, such as beast meat, crystal fruits, and essential water sources?”

“The seven thousand who set out from Xiacheng in the first half of the night had their hands full. In total, the supplies we brought are enough to last for thirty days without affecting everyone’s cultivation. If we’re only maintaining basic sustenance, it will last for more than three months.”

With so much said, although Xia Hong hadn’t fully revealed his plan, all the Frostwarden realm experts present, connecting the dots from the movements of the four thousand men at Wushuang tonight and Xia Hong’s earlier comment about them soon learning the strength of the Longyou Army, had basically figured it out.

Clearly, Great Xia was preparing to defend the Hive to the death!

Just as the dozen or so men were having their moment of realization, Chen Yingyuan, standing behind Xia Chuan, showed no surprise on his face.

At that exact moment, Xia Hong’s gaze fell upon him.

“Chen Yingyuan, you are the former leader of the Hive. You know the underground encampment better than anyone. I’ll ask you one last time: with 9,500 Earthforger realm soldiers and twenty-five Frostwarden realm experts under the full command of you and Xia Chuan, are you confident you can hold off the Longshan army?”

Chen Yingyuan’s expression was grave. He clasped his fist and bowed deeply, his voice resonant. “Rest assured, Leader. The Hive Main Area is buried over a hundred meters underground. It will take Longshan considerable effort just to find it, and even if they do, they won’t be able to break in.

“All the walls of the main underground area were reinforced with molten iron by three generations of my people. The thinnest sections are still ten meters thick. Even if Li Tiancheng were to attack personally, breaking through would be a fool’s dream. Other than attacking through the iron gate, Longshan has no other way in. With 9,500 Earthforger realm soldiers lying in wait, as long as we respond properly, holding off the Longshan army for several months will be absolutely no problem.”

Hearing Chen Yingyuan’s words, Xia Hong nodded. A touch of pride flickered in his eyes as he stated directly, “I don’t need you to hold out for several months. Just fifteen—no, ten days at most—and I can make Li Xuanling obediently withdraw her army from the Hive.”

Everyone’s expression brightened, and they all subconsciously glanced to the north.

“From this day forward, all matters concerning the Hive will be the responsibility of Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan. I will not interfere. Only if you encounter a problem you truly cannot handle may you send a messenger north to find me. However, I hope you will not need to. Do you understand?”

Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan’s faces hardened, and they both nodded firmly.

Xia Hong then scanned the dozen or so men and declared in a deep voice, “Ordinarily, it is not wise for Great Xia to go to war with Longshan now, as we would be a smaller force fighting a greater one. But Li Xuanling has come to our doorstep, and Great Xia has no reason to back down. A territory as vast as Longshan cannot be monopolized by the Li clan.

“There are ways for a smaller force to fight a larger one. I do not need you to risk your lives. Your mission is to hold the Hive at all costs, avoid excessive casualties, and tie down Li Xuanling’s army there for a few days.

“If we succeed in this battle, Great Xia will have firmly established its roots in Longyou. We might even be able to overthrow the Li clan of Longshan in one fell swoop, swallowing the entire thirteen thousand square kilometers of Longyou and turning that towering Longshan to the east into Great Xia’s personal hunting ground.”

…swallowing the entire thirteen thousand square kilometers of Longyou and turning that towering Longshan to the east into Great Xia’s personal hunting ground.

When Xia Chuan heard this last part, he was filled with excitement. He immediately cupped his fist and bowed to Xia Hong, his voice solemn.

“Rest assured, Leader! We will defend the Hive to the death and await your good news!”

Chen Yingyuan and the dozen other men immediately followed suit, bowing in unison and chanting, “We will defend the Hive to the death and await your good news!”

“Good. Return to the Hive and prepare. Once Li Xuanling rallies her troops, she will undoubtedly advance on the Hive at full speed. Your performance will be what matters then.”

Xia Chuan nodded heavily and was the first to turn and leave. The other dozen men quickly turned as well, following him as they sped towards the Hive to the southeast.

Xia Hong stood in place, staring at Wushuang for a few minutes. After a couple of cold laughs, he turned and headed north across the snowy plain.

“For someone of his seniority, Li Tiancheng still personally scouts the movements of the Wushuang army. What a pity his luck is poor. He only saw the large force moving towards the Hive and missed my other contingent heading for Hanqiong.”

Of course, saying Li Tiancheng was unlucky was just a joke.

He had long anticipated that Longshan would have scouts watching from the sidelines. That was why, when the one thousand Cloud Serpent Army soldiers set out, he had deliberately made the last group retreating south to the Hive cause a huge commotion. That was how Li Tiancheng had spotted them.

A glint shone in Xia Hong’s eyes. Longshan probably couldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams that Great Xia, with only one thousand Cloud Serpent Army soldiers, would dare to split its forces at such a critical juncture.

“If it weren’t for the unique and formidable defenses of the Hive, I wouldn’t have been so bold. Since I have them, I must naturally make good use of them.”

The sturdy iron walls, poured by three generations of people, were comparable to Xiacheng’s current black stone walls, which were merely larger in scale. In terms of defensive capability, they probably couldn’t even match the Hive’s underground space.

When Xia Hong had first learned of the unique construction of the Hive’s main underground area, his initial reaction was one of relief. He was fortunate that Zhaoyang had struck first, catching the Hive off guard while Chen Yingyuan was away, which ultimately allowed Great Xia to benefit.

Otherwise, given the state of the Hive’s underground space, even if he had personally led an attack, he would have had absolutely no chance of taking it.

With such strong defenses, supplemented by Chen Yingyuan, the former leader who knew the underground space like the back of his hand, 9,500 Earthforger realm soldiers and 20 Frostwarden realm experts were more than enough to hold off three thousand Longyou Army soldiers.

“Ten-meter-thick iron walls, buried underground… it’s almost impossible to breach them with manpower alone. Unless they can clear out a large area to apply force, and then have Li Tiancheng lead a dozen Frostwarden realm experts to strike together, only then might they have a chance. But that would take a great deal of time. It would actually be better for me if Longshan was willing to try that.

“A water attack is impossible. Even if there was water near the Hive, Li Xuanling wouldn’t dare send her people near it. A fire attack has some potential, but Chen Yingyuan is intimately familiar with the Hive’s structure and has countermeasures, so that’s useless too.”

The Hive, an underground space forged from pure iron, was simply too difficult to assault.

If it were exposed on the surface, they could simply burn it with a massive fire. But it was buried deep underground. Not only was it incredibly thick, but because it had been created by pouring molten iron, the entire structure was seamless. Apart from the main gate, there were virtually no other openings large enough for a person to pass through.

It was essentially a flattened spheroid, buried over a hundred meters deep, with a diameter of three kilometers and walls over ten meters thick, all formed from molten iron.

“Three generations… Chen Yingyuan’s ancestors were certainly single-minded. Were they that afraid of death? The amount of molten iron used for the pouring must have been astronomical. The reason the Hive developed so slowly was probably because all their iron resources were spent on this.”

Xia Hong chuckled softly and shook his head. It was thanks to the earnestness of Chen Yingyuan’s ancestors; otherwise, he truly would have had no choice but to withdraw from Longyou this time.

“Greetings, Leader!”

Though his mind was occupied, Xia Hong hadn’t stopped walking. After traveling more than ten kilometers to the north, a familiar voice suddenly called out from ahead.

Seeing it was Chen Yingba, a smile appeared on Xia Hong’s face. He looked past him and saw a section of the direct road that had been cut off. His eyes lit up as he asked:

“Has the army already come out?”

Chen Yingba cupped his fist and replied, “They left the direct road a while ago. Prefect Yuwen ordered me to stay here with a battalion of soldiers to set up a third trap. He has taken the main force and continued north.”

As he spoke, Xia Hong walked toward the direct road. He saw over a hundred Cloud Serpent Army soldiers below the opening, holding bundles of little torches and hiding them in the snow on both sides of the road before starting to repair the road again. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

“Pick up the pace. Once you’re done, hurry north and catch up with the main army.”

“As you command!”

After respectfully agreeing, Chen Yingba immediately rushed down to the opening in the road, urging his soldiers to work faster while personally lending a hand.

Chapter 299: Acuity, Rallying the Troops, Bai Qiucheng’s Wishful Thinking

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, Sixth Month, Twenty-second Day.

The sky was just beginning to brighten at the entrance to the Xia Direct Road, southeast of Wushuang.

Li Xuanling stared into the depths of the passage, her brow perpetually furrowed, not saying a word.

Behind her, the dozen or so people from Longshan were just like her, all silently staring into the pitch-black depths of the tunnel, clearly waiting for something.

Thump, thump, thump…

Soon, the sound of urgent footsteps echoed from within the tunnel.

Everyone’s spirits lifted, and they immediately looked up.

The person who arrived was Meng Ying. He was clearly in a hurry. Seeing Li Xuanling, he rushed over at once, cupped his fist, and said, “Leader, the tunnel is a total of twenty-three kilometers long. The exit on the other side is less than two kilometers west of the Hive garrison. The entire passage is almost completely buried under snow; you’d never find it without looking carefully.

No wonder Xia Hong was able to withdraw everyone from Wushuang right under our noses without a sound.”

“You should be thankful he only withdrew them without a sound.”

Li Xuanling’s expression darkened slightly as she continued, “With this tunnel, Great Xia’s marching speed is more than ten times that of our Longshan. The several hours we spent marching from Songyuan last night would probably have been enough time for Great Xia to secretly move all their Earthforger realm experts over to Wushuang.

It’s a good thing Xia Hong had no intention of defending Wushuang to the death. Otherwise, we would have thought we were only facing four thousand men and charged in foolishly, only to pay a price several times greater to take Wushuang.”

At these words, the scouts behind her, including Li Xuanping and Li Xuanqiu, lowered their heads slightly, their expressions extremely awkward.

By now, they had of course realized that they had been deceived last night by false information deliberately released by Great Xia.

The one thousand men who came from Hanqiong, as well as the group that later pretended to be heading toward Wushuang when they were actually retreating, were all meant to deliberately mislead Longshan into mistakenly believing that Great Xia intended to defend Wushuang to the death.

And the two groups led by Li Xuanping and Li Xuanqiu, who brought back the two pieces of false intelligence, naturally bore the greatest responsibility.

Before dawn, Li Xuanling had already given both of them a harsh scolding in front of everyone, so she naturally wouldn’t say any more at this moment.

“Building a tunnel under the snow, how come we never thought of that?”

Just as Li Xuanling was about to speak, Li Xuandu, who had been observing from the side, couldn’t help but slap his forehead and let out a sigh.

Seeing everyone immediately turn to look at him, Li Xuandu pointed at the tunnel, making no effort to hide the admiration on his face, and spoke slowly:

“I’ve also seen that tunnel to the northeast. These two tunnels of Great Xia were basically built with locally sourced wood, with a small amount of iron mixed in to enhance their sturdiness.

Although this tunnel is over twenty kilometers long, it was built with wood, so the cost isn’t high at all. Not only is the cost low, but it doesn’t even require much manpower. Apart from needing Earthforger realm experts to drive the foundation piles, the rest can basically be handled by those in the Lumberjack realm.

It wasn’t troublesome to build, but its significance is extremely important. With these two tunnels, the travel time between Hanqiong, Hive, and Wushuang is shortened severalfold, the efficiency of transporting supplies is multiplied, and the armies can support each other in a very short time. The connection between the three locations has instantly become much tighter.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Li Xuandu paused for a moment before continuing:

“Not only is it not troublesome to build, but even the maintenance costs are extremely low. Because this tunnel is so long, unless it’s deliberately sabotaged by an organized group or encounters a Beast Tide of an excessive scale, any damage would at most be a small section that can be promptly repaired.

Moreover, snow falls year-round in the Ice Abyss, so no matter how this tunnel is built, it will eventually be covered by heavy snow, making it difficult for people to discover.

Concealment, connectivity, convenience, extremely low construction and maintenance costs, and even decent defensibility—this tunnel has covered almost every aspect. It’s incredible, truly incredible!”

…

The Frostwarden realm experts of Longshan were not fools. After hearing Li Xuandu’s words, they immediately realized how formidable the tunnel before them was.

Even so, the group didn’t show much of a reaction.

Li Xuandu also realized that after the army had come up empty at Wushuang last night, Longshan’s morale had already suffered a blow. For him to say these things now would inevitably boost Great Xia’s prestige. After a moment of thought, he continued:

“Unfortunately, I don’t know if Great Xia was too stupid or too confident, but they didn’t even destroy this tunnel when they withdrew from Wushuang last night. If they can use it, so can we. The two tunnels that Great Xia put so much effort into building have basically done all the work for us in Longshan.”

Hearing this, the eyes of the Longshan group immediately lit up.

That’s right!

Xia Hong had already abandoned Wushuang and retreated to Hive with four thousand men.

Didn’t that mean these two tunnels now belonged to Longshan?

It would be much more convenient for the three thousand Longyou Army troops to travel from Wushuang to Hive through the tunnels.

“Heh, naive…”

The thought of reaping the benefits without sowing had just crossed their minds when it was immediately interrupted by a cold laugh from Li Xuanling.

Li Xuanling turned to look at the tunnel and said in a low voice, “Too stupid, too confident? You’re quite imaginative. How many times have we suffered at Xia Hong’s hands? You can think of destroying the tunnel so we can’t use it, but you think he can’t?”

Li Xuandu was stunned for a moment. When he came to his senses a second later, a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead, and he nodded.

“You’re right, Leader. I was too naive!”

Judging from his few brief encounters with Xia Hong, the man’s mind was exceptionally deep. Not destroying the tunnel was very likely a deliberate act. Xia Hong had probably already set something up, just waiting for them to travel the direct road.

The rest of the Longshan group also came to their senses. Their expressions darkened slightly, and as they looked into the pitch-black depths of the tunnel, a great deal of vigilance appeared in their eyes.

Seeing the solemnity and wariness on their faces after she had snapped them out of it, Li Xuanling’s beautiful brow furrowed slightly, and a trace of confidence appeared on her face. “There’s no need for that. As I said before dawn, the more tricks Great Xia uses, the happier I am, because it proves that Xia Hong lacks the strength to face us head-on and can only resort to these underhanded tactics in an attempt to resist the might of my Longshan army!”

Hearing this, everyone’s spirits lifted, and the dejection on their faces immediately faded a great deal.

Indeed, after they came up empty at Wushuang last night, Li Xuanling had immediately gathered them and the Longyou Army to clarify the matter of Great Xia’s withdrawal. She had said the same thing back then, and it had received almost unanimous agreement from everyone.

It was true. If Great Xia truly had the strength to contend with the Longyou Army, they wouldn’t be deliberately being mysterious, pretending to send reinforcements to Wushuang, and deliberately feeding false intelligence to the scouts to affect Longshan’s morale.

To put it bluntly, weren’t they just afraid?

And since they were afraid, it proved that Great Xia’s military strength in Longyou was inferior to Longshan’s.

With that premise, what did they have to worry about?

“Leader, since that’s the case, let’s march on Hive tonight! Great Xia only sent four thousand men over. Even counting the people Hive originally had, it’s five thousand at most. There’s still no way they can stop the Longyou Army.”

“That’s right. The brothers were frustrated they came up empty last night. They’ve long been ready to have a good fight at Hive and completely drive Great Xia out of Longyou.”

“Great Xia has miscalculated this time. Xia Hong probably thought that Hive was well-hidden underground and that our Longshan couldn’t find it, so he led his men to retreat there.”

“What a joke. Longshan knows the situation of every one of the eleven camps in Longyou. To think they could hide by drilling into a hole—wishful thinking!”

“The Hive garrison is underground. Longshan knows every one of the twenty-nine tunnels that lead to the main area. Once we attack, it’ll be like trapping a dog in a dead end. Those people from Great Xia won’t be able to escape even if they want to.”

…

One after another, the group members spoke, and when discussing Great Xia’s retreat to Hive, they all let out a few cold laughs, more or less.

Great Xia probably didn’t understand what the title of ‘Lord of Longyou’ meant.

Longshan hadn’t been the hegemon for nothing. For over forty years, Longshan had thoroughly familiarized itself with the garrisons of the eleven giant camps under their rule. As long as Great Xia remained in Longyou, they could forget about finding a safe place.

However, Li Xuanling still rejected everyone’s request to march on Hive that night.

She shook her head slightly and said, “Don’t be anxious. We occupy Wushuang, while Great Xia only has two garrisons left, Hive and Hanqiong. As long as they don’t withdraw from Longyou, they will eventually have to face the Longyou Army. The most urgent task at hand is to first let the three thousand Longyou Army soldiers rally their troops and minimize the impact of last night’s blow to their morale. Only then can the subsequent great battle be fought more cleanly and decisively, with fewer casualties.

Also, there’s the matter of the scouts!”

At this point, Li Xuanling glanced at Li Xuanping and Li Xuanqiu before continuing:

“The Hive garrison is about a hundred meters underground, with twenty-nine tunnels connecting to the main area. Before we prepare to march this time, we must investigate the situation thoroughly and confirm whether Great Xia intends to defend Hive and exactly how many people are defending it. Otherwise, we cannot march rashly. If we are led by the nose again and come up empty one more time, it will truly become a huge joke.”

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately nodded in unison.

“Tonight, I, Third Brother, Meng Ying, and Cheng Guang will go and scout out the situation at Hive together. The rest of you stay in Wushuang. I will send someone to inform you when the main army is to set out.”

“As you command!”

Li Xuanling waved her hand and took one last look at the tunnel, a solemn expression on her face.

She could sense that Great Xia was different from any enemy Longshan had dealt with in the past. The two tunnels at Wushuang were a small glimpse of that.

Xia Hong was no simple character either. His strength, methods, cunning, and strategy were in no way inferior to hers, nor to anyone in Longshan.

In fact, Li Xuanling had always felt that Xia Hong was very much like someone else.

A person she had worshipped since childhood and regarded as a god.

Facing such a person, she had to be on high alert and approach the situation with the utmost caution.

The foundation of Longshan left by her father, the vast territory of Longyou, and the lives and futures of the several hundred Li clan disciples were all very likely at stake in this one battle.

Once defeated, it would be a total loss.

“Compared to Great Xia, Longshan’s greatest advantages are fighting on home turf and the three thousand Longyou Army troops under my command. The goal is to drive Great Xia out of Longyou with the smallest possible price. Without knowing Xia Hong’s next move, the three thousand Longyou Army soldiers must not act rashly.”

If anything were to happen to the three thousand Longyou Army troops, then Longshan would have no advantage against Great Xia, even on home turf. The final outcome would not be hard to imagine.

Li Xuanling’s delicate brow furrowed. She led the group and quickly returned to the Wushuang garrison.

She still had to figure out a way to resolve the morale issue of the Longyou Army.

She had to ensure that the army went into battle against Great Xia with the highest possible morale. Otherwise, if the losses were too great, Longshan couldn’t afford it either.

Who knew if, behind those three ten-kilometer-long blackstone walls that Second Uncle had mentioned, Great Xia had any other armies.

…

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, Sixth Month, Twenty-second Day, first half of the night.

At the Baiyuan camp, Bai Qiucheng was standing on the top floor of the Main Building with his two Frostwarden realm experts, looking toward the camp’s main gate on the north side.

At the main gate, a large group of people was queuing up to enter.

It was clear that this group’s clothing was somewhat different from that of the Baiyuan natives. Theirs was almost predominantly red, and a small number were even clad in blood-colored battle armor, clearly the attire of the former Zhaoyang Blood Guard Army.

“Big Brother, have you really decided to merge into Longshan along with Zhaoyang?”

Watching the people of Zhaoyang enter the camp, Bai Qiuping’s eyes were downcast as he couldn’t help but ask his elder brother, Bai Qiucheng, who stood before him.

In truth, Baiyuan had merged with Zhaoyang long ago.

When Longshan and Zhaoyang vied for supremacy in the fourth month, Bai Qiucheng had nearly died at Li Xuantian’s hands. He was ultimately saved by the Blood Guard Army, so it was only natural for him to choose to lead his camp to merge with Zhaoyang and side with Hou Hu.

But subsequent events took a sharp, unexpected turn.

Due to Great Xia’s intervention in Longyou, Zhaoyang and Longshan failed to go to war, and in the end, Longyou was split three ways.

Upon careful examination of the whole affair, the ones who had suffered the most were ironically the ten factions that had not directly participated in the contest for supremacy.

Yanglu was wiped out due to the resurgence of an anomaly.

The leaders of Yucheng, Songyuan, and Changning were killed, and all three were annexed by Longshan.

Hanqiong, Hive, and Wushuang were annexed by Great Xia.

Xiling, Dongyuan, and their own Baiyuan had all merged with Zhaoyang, which, in effect, meant they had been annexed by Zhaoyang as well.

So, to put it plainly, it was a contest among three great powers, but it was the ten factions below them that suffered misfortune.

What happened next was even more bizarre.

Zhaoyang was going to ally with Longshan to deal with Great Xia together.

Baiyuan was actually aware of the matter concerning the 800 sets of armor.

Who would have thought that Great Xia would make the first move? Not only did they annihilate the Longyou New Army and seize the armor, but they also crushed the Blood Guard Army in one fell swoop, captured several of Zhaoyang’s Frostwarden realm experts, and even nearly killed Hou Hu.

Now, it had reached a point where Hou Hu was going to lead Zhaoyang to merge into Longshan.

If Zhaoyang was going to merge, there was even less to be said for Baiyuan, which had previously merged into Zhaoyang.

This was Bai Qiuping’s point of contention. They had first merged with Zhaoyang, and now they had to follow Zhaoyang in merging with Longshan. This feeling of just drifting with the current was truly unpleasant.

Of course, the most crucial point was Zhaoyang’s current strength.

Hou Hu was severely injured, the Blood Guard Army was gone, and Zhaoyang only had slightly more Frostwarden realm experts than Baiyuan. There was simply no need for them to merge along with Zhaoyang.

Rather than becoming Hou Hu’s bargaining chip for defecting to Longshan, it would be better to merge into Longshan under Baiyuan’s own name. That way, their treatment and future status in Longshan would clearly be much better.

Bai Qiucheng saw through his younger brother’s thoughts with a single glance and said with a smile, “Who said we were going to merge along with Zhaoyang?”

Hearing this, Bai Qiuping’s expression immediately brightened.

“Let the people from Zhaoyang go to Longshan first! Our Baiyuan is not part of their family. I will soon go find Leader Li to discuss the matter of Baiyuan joining up.”

Chapter 300: Hou Jing’s Strange Behavior, Hou Kong’s Choice

In the dead of night on the twenty-second of June, Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar.

On the snowy plains west of the Baiyuan encampment, a long procession of about five or six thousand people was slowly making its way westward.

The vanguard was composed of strong young men, the middle section held the elderly, the weak, women, and children, while a thousand-strong contingent of the Hunting team, clad in iron armor and carrying longbows, brought up the rear. The formation was well-organized, instantly recognizable as a typical migrating camp.

Should one look more closely, they would notice a very small number of individuals among the iron-clad hunting team members at the rear wearing blood-red battle armor.

Anyone familiar enough with the twelve families of Longyou could recognize from the blood-red battle armor that this migrating group belonged to the Zhaoyang camp.

“Second Uncle, aren’t the people from Baiyuan migrating to Longshan with us?”

At the very rear of the procession, Hou Kong looked back at the Baiyuan camp, his brow slightly furrowed. He quietly asked his Second Uncle, Hou Jing, who was beside him, his posture deferential.

Just as Longshan was dominated by the Li family, Zhaoyang was dominated by the Hou family. But compared to the Li family, the descendants of the Hou family were clearly far more accomplished. Of the twenty-four Frostwarden realm experts in Zhaoyang, sixteen bore the Hou surname, accounting for nearly seventy percent.

Hou Jing was over eighty years old this year. With graying hair and a withered face, he looked for all the world like a man who wouldn’t live to see the next year. He was the biological younger brother of Hou Luan, Hou Hu’s father, and the most senior surviving member of the Hou clan in Zhaoyang.

In the Ice Abyss World, seniority naturally didn’t count for much.

What truly mattered was strength!

Hou Kong knew very well that his Second Uncle, Hou Jing, only looked old; his strength was definitely not lacking. Even Big Brother Hou Hu treated him with great respect on a daily basis and would always consult him before making any important decisions for the camp.

Hou Jing was wrapped in a maroon cloak. His graying beard trembled slightly, and his movements seemed a bit stiff. Hearing Hou Kong’s question, he turned to stare at the Baiyuan encampment, a cold glint flashing through his murky pupils. He said in a low voice, “Why should they migrate with us? Baiyuan isn’t one of us.”

Hou Kong’s expression froze at these words.

Baiyuan had already been absorbed into Zhaoyang back in April. Bai Qiucheng had even personally led his men to Pinggu to have an audience with Hou Hu. Later, when tensions with Longshan were high, the Blood Guard Army had been directly stationed in Baiyuan.

But soon, Hou Kong understood his uncle’s meaning. His expression turned frosty as he said coldly, “Is Bai Qiucheng planning to turn on us?”

“Zhaoyang is gone. Who is there to turn on? From now on, we’re all going to be dogs for the Li family. For Bai Qiucheng to merge into Longshan under his own camp’s name to get a better deal, it’s not unreasonable.”

Hou Jing was old and had likely seen his fair share of such opportunistic behavior. After speaking in a low voice, he saw Hou Kong’s indignant expression and shook his head with a smile. “No need to be so angry. Times have changed. Zhaoyang itself has fallen, so you can’t blame others for being pragmatic…”

He paused, sighed, and continued, “The 800 sets of Hundred-forged grade arms and armor were stolen, the Blood Guard Army was almost completely wiped out, and Hou Ming, Hou Bing, Hou Ying, Lin Ye, Hou Tong, Hou Quan, Zhang Qingyuan, Lu Yin, Hou Ming, and Wang Lie—nearly half of Zhaoyang’s Frostwarden realm experts—were all captured by Great Xia, their fates unknown. Even the Leader himself was seriously injured and nearly died.”

“With Zhaoyang’s current meager resources, forget Bai Qiucheng. I reckon Yu Bin of Xiling is getting ideas too. It’s only because Dong Zhong was in the east and merged into Zhaoyang early on; otherwise, Dongkang would definitely have backed out as well.”

Hearing Hou Jing mention Zhaoyang’s recent tremendous losses and those captured by Great Xia whose fates were unknown, Hou Kong clenched his fists, his face filled with hatred and rage for Great Xia.

“What, still hate Great Xia?”

“Of course! The foundation of Zhaoyang’s Hou family was destroyed in an instant, all because of Great Xia. That Xia Hong is despicable and shameless. I wish I could eat his flesh and gnaw on his bones! Isn’t the leader bringing us to merge with Longshan so we can borrow their strength to destroy Great Xia and get revenge?”

Great Xia was single-handedly responsible for bringing Zhaoyang to its current state. How could he not feel hatred? It wasn’t just him; everyone in Zhaoyang hated Great Xia to the bone.

“Borrowing Longshan’s strength to destroy Great Xia and get revenge… you’re not wrong, but…”

Hou Jing paused, then continued, “The most important reason is that this is the only path left for Zhaoyang. If we don’t merge with Longshan, the final result will be annihilation by either Longshan or Great Xia. Do you understand?”

Hou Kong immediately fell silent and didn’t speak for a long time.

He wasn’t stupid. The moment the Blood Guard Army was annihilated last night, he and the other Frostwarden realm experts in Zhaoyang had already seen this truth. This was precisely why they were in such a hurry to merge with Longshan.

What he didn’t understand was why Hou Jing was saying these things at this particular moment.

Especially just now, when Hou Jing had asked if he still hated Great Xia, his tone had clearly been rhetorical.

“Second Uncle, do you disapprove of the Leader’s decision to merge with Longshan?”

Hearing Hou Kong’s question, Hou Jing’s eyes narrowed slightly, but then he nodded frankly and gave an affirmative answer.

“That’s right. When I went to Longshan last night, I did not agree with Hou Hu’s decision. In my opinion, merging with Longshan is worse than surrendering to Great Xia…”

“How is that possible? Second Uncle, you must be confused! Longshan has over fifty Frostwarden realm masters, the three-thousand-strong Longyou Army, and tens of thousands in the Earthforger realm. How can an outside power like Great Xia possibly stand against them? Besides, Great Xia wiped out the Blood Guard Army, killed so many of our people, captured so many Frostwarden realm experts, and Xia Hong even seriously injured the Leader. Surrendering to them? Absolutely impossible!”

Hou Kong, his face livid with rage, directly interrupted Hou Jing. For a moment, he even forgot he was speaking to an elder, his tone carrying a hint of reprimand.

Hou Jing’s expression darkened slightly, but he wasn’t angry. After shaking his head, he said lightly, “Adding flowers to a brocade can never compare to sending charcoal in a snowstorm. Once you understand this principle, you’ll know.”

Hou Kong’s expression faltered. It seemed he couldn’t think of a rebuttal to Hou Jing’s words.

But he quickly recovered, his expression hardening. “Second Uncle, you want to surrender to Great Xia because of Hou Bing and Hou Quan, don’t you?”

Other than that, Hou Kong really couldn’t think of any other reason that would make Hou Jing entertain the idea of surrendering to Great Xia.

Hou Jing only had two sons, Hou Bing and Hou Quan, and both were now captives of Great Xia. It was perfectly understandable that he, worried for their safety, would want to trade their lives by surrendering to Great Xia.

“Of course. But I’m not just doing this for my sons; I’m doing it for all of you as well.”

Hou Jing didn’t deny it. He continued in a solemn voice, “You’re so certain Longshan can destroy Great Xia, but have you ever considered why Longshan was willing to offer Saint Sun Pills and 800 sets of arms and armor to ally with us against Great Xia?”

Hou Kong’s expression tightened. The biggest reason Hou Hu had decided to ally with Longshan was indeed the Saint Sun Pills and the 800 sets of Hundred-forged grade arms and armor they had offered.

Faced with Longshan’s high price, and given that Zhaoyang already had a feud with Great Xia over the Hive, all of Zhaoyang’s Frostwarden realm experts, including Hou Hu, had nodded in agreement to the alliance with Longshan at the time.

Now, with Hou Jing’s sudden reminder, Hou Kong abruptly came to a realization.

The reason Longshan would offer such a high price was indeed intriguing.

On the surface, Longshan’s strength far surpassed Great Xia’s. Even if Zhaoyang and Great Xia joined forces, they might not be a match for them. Did they really need to offer such a high price to win them over to deal with Great Xia?

“Longshan definitely knows more about Great Xia than we do. They know it would be difficult to deal with Great Xia on their own, which is why they offered such a high price to win us over. In other words, Great Xia’s true strength has already begun to frighten Longshan. Such a simple fact was right in front of you, yet Hou Hu and the rest of you, blinded by rage, couldn’t see it at all.”

Hou Kong’s face grew darker, and his gaze began to wander. He was clearly starting to believe Hou Jing’s words.

Was the Leader… really wrong?

He was even beginning to doubt Hou Hu’s decision to merge with Longshan.

“Hou Kong, your brother Hou Ming is also in Great Xia’s hands, not to mention your other cousins. Joining Longshan means becoming Great Xia’s absolute enemy. Have you ever thought about what you would do if Great Xia were to threaten you with your brother’s life?”

Hou Kong’s father died young, and he was practically raised by his older brother. Needless to say, his bond with Hou Ming was deep. After Hou Ming went missing in the Hive, he worried every day. When he later found out Hou Ming had been captured by Great Xia, he immediately asked Hou Hu to send someone to negotiate, hoping to exchange supplies for the hostage. Unfortunately, Great Xia had refused outright, without even listening to Zhaoyang’s terms.

Now, Hou Jing’s meaning was clearer than ever.

If Zhaoyang were to switch allegiance to Great Xia, then his brother, along with the other nine Frostwarden realm experts captured earlier, could all return alive.

No, no!

Hou Kong’s expression suddenly hardened. He glanced back at the migrating procession, which had already moved some distance away, then turned back to stare at Hou Jing and said sternly, “Second Uncle, you’re acting a bit strange today, aren’t you? Merging with Longshan was the Leader’s decision, and it received everyone’s unanimous agreement. For you to say these things now…”

Thump, thump, thump…

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps rang out from the side, interrupting Hou Kong.

“Who’s there!”

Startled, Hou Kong roared and drew the large saber from his waist. Turning his head, he saw a young man in black who, at some unknown point, had silently approached to within twenty or thirty meters of him.

The man was young, carrying a slender longsword on his back. His black clothes were clearly of high quality. Most importantly, as he walked across the snow, he hadn’t left a single footprint, not even the faintest one.

“A slender blade… black clothes… Are you the leader of Great Xia, Xia Hong?”

Although Hou Kong had never met Xia Hong, he deduced his identity from his attire, weapon, and unfathomable strength.

Clap, clap, clap…

Even with Hou Kong’s weapon drawn, Xia Hong showed no hesitation, walking until he was only three or four meters away. Only then did he turn to Hou Jing and smile. “It seems Senior Hou was unable to persuade Hou Hu.”

Hou Jing bowed respectfully to Xia Hong with his hands clasped and said in a low, solemn voice, “This subordinate greets the Leader. Hou Hu is obstinately set on his course and is determined to merge with Longshan. I was indeed unsuccessful in persuading him. As per Lord Zhao Long’s instructions, I have already separated everyone in Zhaoyang. The Frostwarden realm experts loyal to Hou Hu, along with some die-hard Earthforger realm members and their families, are all in the migrating procession tonight. That’s these five or six thousand people in total.”

After speaking, he pointed at the migrating procession behind them, gesturing for Xia Hong to see.

Xia Hong nodded slightly and then turned his gaze to Hou Kong.

How could Hou Kong not understand now? His respected Second Uncle, Hou Jing, had betrayed them and secretly pledged allegiance to Great Xia. Even the group migrating tonight had been deliberately separated and dispatched by him.

His face flushed red, then turned pale. His expression shifted several times. Realizing Xia Hong was looking at him, he quickly retreated several dozen meters before turning to Hou Jing and demanding angrily, “Zhao Long… that’s the one Great Xia sent as an envoy to Longshan. Back in April! Second Uncle, you’ve been involved with Great Xia since April?”

He now remembered. After Great Xia conquered Wushuang in April, they had sent a special envoy to Longshan. That special envoy’s name was Zhao Long.

Hou Jing shook his head, denying it. “Not quite. In April, I only went after him to ask Lord Zhao Long about Hou Bing’s situation. As I said, what truly made me decide to pledge allegiance to Great Xia was the current situation in Longyou. Aligning with Great Xia is the best way forward.”

With things laid so bare, even a fool like Hou Kong would have understood.

Ten of Zhaoyang’s Frostwarden realm experts had been captured by Great Xia. Hou Hu was in Longshan with Hou Ning, Wang Peng, and Lu Yan. In the camp, there were only ten Frostwarden realm experts to begin with. Besides himself and Hou Jing, of the remaining eight, five had already gone to Longshan.

Thinking back carefully now, those five were indeed die-hard loyalists of Hou Hu. The remaining three who didn’t go had most likely been turned.

In other words, Hou Jing had deliberately accompanied him to escort the migrating procession tonight, with the actual intention of winning him over to defect to Great Xia along with him.

“Hou Kong, take my advice. Your big brother is doing very well in Great Xia. As long as you pledge allegiance to Great Xia with me, you can be reunited with him immediately…”

Hou Jing likely felt there was a high chance of winning over his junior, Hou Kong, so he kept trying to persuade him. Even though Hou Kong gave no reaction, he didn’t stop.

Xia Hong, on the other hand, stood silently to the side, saying nothing. As Hou Kong remained unresponsive, his expression even grew a little impatient.

In Xia Hong’s eyes, a Frostwarden realm expert of only the third Mane was naturally not worth much effort to recruit. The biggest reason he was willing to stand here and wait was to give face to Hou Jing.

“Hou Kong, how do you think these five or six thousand people have been able to leave tonight? If the Leader wanted to, he could have easily captured these common people to hold all of us hostage. But not only did he not do that, he even ordered me to separate those who wished to merge into Longshan, including their families, and let them go to Longshan smoothly.”

“With a leader of such magnanimity, what do you have to worry about by following him?”

These words made Hou Kong pause. He looked up at Xia Hong, a complex emotion rising in his eyes.

Indeed, Hou Jing wasn’t wrong.

Great Xia only needed to send a few Frostwarden realm experts, and with Hou Jing’s cooperation, capturing the families of all their Frostwarden realm experts would be a simple matter. Using the families to threaten them afterward would be almost a guaranteed success.

But Great Xia hadn’t done that!

After a long moment of thought, Hou Kong evidently reached a decision. He clenched his fist and asked Xia Hong in a clear voice, “May I ask Leader Xia, if I do not pledge allegiance to you tonight, will my big brother Hou Ming’s life be forfeit?”

Xia Hong was looking to the east. Hearing Hou Kong’s question, he answered without any hesitation, waving his hand dismissively. “Go to Longshan. Don’t worry, I won’t kill Hou Ming.”

…

Upon hearing this, Hou Kong was stunned. Seeing that Xia Hong hadn’t even turned his head when he spoke, his expression became a little awkward, but it was mostly filled with complex emotions.

After a long moment of contemplation, he still clasped his fist in his hand and bowed to Xia Hong.

“Thank you, Leader Xia. If there is an opportunity in the future, Hou Kong will surely repay you.”

After speaking, he bowed once more to Xia Hong, then immediately turned and chased after the migrating procession to the west.

Chapter 301: Hou Jing’s Surrender, Baiyuan’s Fall, and Zhaoyang’s Change of Allegiance

“Hou Kong is twenty-six this year. He has a superior combat physique and the strength of a Four Mane at the mid-Frostwarden realm. He’s arguably the most talented of the Hou family’s younger generation, even comparable to Hou Hu back in his day. What a shame!”

On the snowy plains, Hou Jing sighed lightly as he spoke to Xia Hong, lamenting his failure to persuade Hou Kong to surrender to Great Xia.

“It’s of no consequence. His heart belongs to Hou Hu; no amount of persuasion would have worked. But what about the other three Frostwarden realm experts and the rest of your people in Zhaoyang?”

To Xia Hong, a twenty-six-year-old with a superior combat physique was worthy of a decent evaluation at best. He waved a hand dismissively, looking at Hou Jing with a smile as he inquired about the others in Zhaoyang.

Successfully winning over Hou Jing had been an unexpected and pleasant surprise brought about by Xia Chuan.

On the seventeenth of April, after Xia Chuan’s forces had taken Wushuang, he had dispatched Qiu Peng and Zhao Long as envoys to the Longyou Army camp and Pinggu Zhaoyang, respectively, to test the attitudes of Longshan and Zhaoyang toward Great Xia.

Zhao Long’s mission to Pinggu went smoothly. However, on his return journey, he was targeted by Hou Jing. Hou Jing’s original intention was likely to capture Zhao Long and use him as a threat to force Great Xia to hand over Hou Bing.

At that time, Zhao Long had just broken through to the Frostwarden realm and had a base strength of less than Three Mane. How could he possibly contend with Hou Jing, a peak-Frostwarden realm expert with the might of a Fifteen Mane? There was no contest; he was captured instantly.

What happened next was quite interesting. Instead of going through Hou Hu, Hou Jing brought Zhao Long to Wushuang himself to meet with Great Xia, stating his intention for a prisoner exchange.

Xia Chuan, who received him at the time, keenly sensed that Hou Jing was most likely not on the same side as Hou Hu. He gladly took him on a trip back to Xiacheng to experience the splendors of Great Xia. After showing him that Hou Bing was unharmed and merely confined, he immediately tried to win him over.

At that point, although Great Xia had successfully captured the Hive and Wushuang, it had yet to absorb the entire population of Longyou. Xiacheng had just over forty thousand people, and Xia Chuan himself only possessed the strength of a Six Mane. Many aspects of Xiacheng left Hou Jing marveling and did indeed pique his interest in Great Xia. But this alone was not nearly enough to successfully turn him.

What truly made Hou Jing waver was a wager Xia Chuan proposed.

“Senior Hou probably thinks that my Great Xia, with its meager strength, is courting death by recklessly inserting itself into Longyou. Xia Chuan dares to make a wager with Senior Hou. Let’s bet on whether my Great Xia can firmly establish itself in Longyou during this conflict between your camp and Longshan. If I lose, I will release not only Hou Bing, but also Hou Ying, Hou Ming, and Lin Ye, along with every Zhaoyang Earthforger realm warrior we’ve captured in the Hive. How about it?”

“And if you win?”

“If I win, you need not do anything, Senior. For this wager, you only need to do one thing: let Hou Bing remain in Great Xia as a witness. If I win, I will still release Hou Bing. What do you say?”

If Hou Jing lost the bet, his son would still be returned to him.

If he won, Xia Chuan would send back not only his son, but also Hou Ming, Hou Ying, Lin Ye, and all the Earthforger realm warriors to Zhaoyang.

It was a bet he couldn’t possibly lose.

Hou Jing was over eighty years old; he had seen it all. He immediately realized that Xia Chuan had seen through him—that he wasn’t entirely loyal to Zhaoyang. This wager was a deliberate attempt to let him observe Great Xia further, an attempt to recruit him.

Crucially, Great Xia was willing to pay a hefty price to buy time.

Three Frostwarden realm experts and hundreds of Earthforger realm warriors were put on the line just like that.

Even then, Hou Jing did not agree. Instead, he asked Xia Chuan a question.

“I captured Zhao Long to exchange for one of your prisoners. From the sound of it, you’re unwilling to trade Hou Bing for him?”

Xia Chuan’s wager mentioned Hou Bing, clearly indicating he had no intention of using him to trade for Zhao Long, which prompted Hou Jing’s question.

“Great Xia has no precedent for prisoner exchanges, nor will we ever. Zhao Long was just unlucky to be captured. If Senior Hou were to request other resources, I might consider it. But don’t even think about a prisoner exchange. However, let me be clear: the lives of Great Xia’s people are precious, especially those of the Frostwarden realm. If anything happens to Zhao Long while he is in your hands, Senior, then forget Hou Bing. Hou Ming, Hou Ying, Lin Ye, and the other several hundred Earthforger realm warriors will all accompany him in death. I, Xia Chuan, will keep my word!”

According to Xia Chuan’s later account, Hou Jing was awed by those words. He not only released Zhao Long but also agreed to leave Hou Bing behind to see the wager through.

Xia Hong shook his head slightly. He wasn’t as naive as Xia Chuan.

How could an eighty-year-old man, who had weathered every storm imaginable, be intimidated by a few harsh words? This Hou Jing was clearly at odds with Hou Hu and had long harbored thoughts of leaving Zhaoyang.

Xia Chuan had used an advantageous wager, betting that Great Xia’s future performance would sway him. It was only natural that Hou Jing would readily agree.

To put it bluntly, if Great Xia performed well in Longyou, he would seize the opportunity to betray Zhaoyang and join Great Xia, saving his son Hou Bing and the others. If Great Xia performed poorly, Xia Chuan would have to honor the wager and release everyone anyway.

How could he possibly refuse a no-lose proposition?

Later, in May, Xia Hong learned the reason for the discord between Hou Jing and Hou Hu from the captured Earthforger realm warriors of Zhaoyang.

Thirteen years ago, when the previous Leader of Zhaoyang, Hou Hu’s father Hou Luan, passed away, he had bequeathed the position of Leader to his younger brother, Hou Jing.

At that time, Hou Hu was still a hostage in Longshan.

He was called a hostage, but in reality, he was Li Tianhua’s disciple.

Hou Hu naturally felt that he was the rightful heir to the Leader’s position. Coincidentally, Li Tianhua was willing to back him, lending him men and grain. He forcibly sent Hou Hu back to Zhaoyang to seize the position of Leader from Hou Jing.

In those days, Hou Hu was actually weaker than Hou Jing. Hou Jing ultimately conceded, largely due to the pressure from Longshan and Li Tianhua.

In any case, their feud was born then and there.

Hou Hu became extremely wary of his Second Uncle. He showed him respect only on the surface, but when it came to cultivation resources, especially the allocation of the Jade Bone Elixir, the share for Hou Jing’s branch of the family was pitifully small.

This was how Hou Hu managed to surpass Hou Jing in strength and rally most of the camp’s Frostwarden realm experts to his side.

Ultimately, Xia Chuan had simply cast a straight hook, and Hou Jing, who was already intent on rebelling, had deliberately taken the bait.

Great Xia’s development after May caused the scales in Hou Jing’s heart to tip further and further. This was especially true after Xia Hong’s identity as Hong Xia was revealed and Great Xia captured Hanqiong, securing a third of Longyou’s territory in one fell swoop. Lured by the additional incentive of Yang Core Pills, Hou Jing, who had long harbored dissent, finally betrayed Zhaoyang and defected to Great Xia as a matter of course.

While Hou Jing’s defection delighted Xia Hong, it also served as a warning to him about the importance of ensuring the loyalty of the camp’s upper echelons. A problem with these individuals was far more terrifying than with the Earthforger realm warriors, and the consequences would be catastrophic.

Take Hou Jing, for example. He was a bona fide member of the Hou family, Hou Hu’s own second uncle. His rebellion not only caused over half of Zhaoyang’s Frostwarden realm experts to switch their allegiance to Great Xia but also left nearly sixty thousand people behind in Zhaoyang—almost ninety percent of the camp’s population.

The only reason some people left was because he was unwilling to make things difficult for the families of the Frostwarden realm experts who refused to turn. Otherwise, he could have easily detained the more than five thousand people tonight and left Hou Hu in Longshan a leader with no followers.

Great Xia now had nearly forty Frostwarden realm experts, and the number was still rising. Including those brought over by Hou Jing’s defection, the total would exceed fifty, and it would only grow from there.

When numbers grow, so does the mix of good and bad. He would have to find a way to dilute their influence over the camp, or he would surely suffer a great loss one day!

Though these thoughts passed through his mind, it all happened in an instant. Hou Jing had likely made up his mind to join Great Xia, as his posture had become much more respectful when he answered Xia Hong’s question.

He bowed slightly and said, “Rest assured, Leader. Hou Xing, Zhang Ying, and Kong Fan have all been persuaded. The three of them are willing to lead their families and pledge allegiance to Great Xia. As for the remaining fifty thousand-plus people in Zhaoyang, I haven’t explained it to them one by one, but once the army enters tonight, they will naturally understand.”

It was impossible to change the minds of over fifty thousand people in such a short time, and there would certainly be many who remained loyal to Hou Hu. Xia Hong naturally wouldn’t blame Hou Jing for this.

The hearts of men were like water. As long as Great Xia’s future campaigns in Longyou were successful, and the lives of these people continued to improve, their attitudes would gradually change.

But that was a matter for later.

For now, the most important thing was to fight this battle with Longshan well!

Hearing Hou Jing mention the army entering Zhaoyang, Xia Hong’s brows twitched. Without a word, he turned and led him eastward.

They were currently just west of Baiyuan. To the east lay the Baiyuan encampment. Hou Jing was initially confused, but after walking east for a short while, he saw the scene at the Baiyuan encampment from three to four hundred meters away, and his pupils instantly constricted.

“Loose!”

“Brothers, charge with me!”

“Break through Baiyuan, kill!”

“Where did this army come from? Why is there an army here?”

“This isn’t the Longyou Army, nor is it the Blood Guard Army. Other than those two…”

“It’s that army from Great Xia! Weren’t they being held at bay in Wushuang by Longshan? How did their army get here?”

“We can’t fight them! It’s impossible! Their iron arrows are too powerful! We can’t block them at all!”

“They’re all at the Earthforger limit! Run! Run…”

“We can’t run! If we close the iron gate, we still have a chance! If we let them in, the encampment is finished! Get all the Earthforger realm warriors over here! Close the iron gate!”

“Quick! Everyone, push! Close the gate! Hurry, hurry, hurry!”

At the northern main gate of the Baiyuan encampment, golden light flashed as the sounds of battle thundered.

A closer look revealed that the flashing golden light came from soldiers clad in pale gold armor.

This army numbered about a thousand.

The front rank of about three hundred men wielding massive, ten-foot-long blades had already reached the iron gate and were frantically attacking the defenders around it. The rear rank of about six hundred men held strongbows, loosing a furious volley of arrows at the area above and to the sides of the gate.

Nearly a hundred more, armed with various weapons, were scrambling up the terrain around the gate. Under the cover of the archers behind them, a small number had already reached the stone platform above the gate, charging the Baiyuan Earthforger realm warriors who were trying to close it.

The strongest among them was a figure who had charged to the very back of the stone platform.

He was a young man in black, wielding a broadsword in his right hand and a four-meter-tall banner in his left. He was swinging his broadsword in wide, sweeping arcs, each strike sending a dozen Earthforger realm warriors on either side flying.

He crashed his way to the back of the platform and, looking down at the iron gate that had yet to fully close, fiercely plunged the banner in his left hand downward.

The seven-or-eight-meter-tall flagpole embedded itself right in the middle of the gate. The black banner unfurled in the wind, and the character “Xia” on the front and the golden Soaring Serpent pattern on the back were suddenly visible to all.

“Scout Battalion, charge onto the platform! Glaive Battalion, continue advancing! Saber Battalion, fire for ten more breaths! After ten breaths, drop your bows and charge through the gate to protect the banner!”

The moment Yuwen Tao planted the banner behind the gate, Liu Yuan’s roar echoed from the stone platform.

“Kill!”

“Charge…”

“The gate has fallen! Brothers, charge in!”

…

As the roar faded, the three hundred soldiers in the front rank, armed with glaives, seemed to have been injected with a stimulant. They let out ecstatic roars, raised their glaives, and charged madly through the iron gate.

The six Saber Battalions in the rear were no less ferocious. In ten breaths, they had shot all the arrows from their quivers. Then, they dropped their bows, drew their sabers, and surged toward the gate like a tide.

The first soldier from the Glaive Battalion finally burst through the gate, only to be met by a dozen sharp broadswords.

The people of Baiyuan were not fools. The iron gate was a crucial position, and the hundred or so guards stationed behind it were also at the Earthforger limit. The weapons and iron armor they wielded were also of Hundred-forged grade.

Clang…

As more than a dozen sharp, Hundred-forged swords struck his body, the Glaive Battalion soldier’s iron armor instantly split open in several places. Not only was his armor breached, but the terrifying force also sent him stumbling to the ground. If not for the support of those behind him, he would have collapsed to his knees, unable to rise again.

“It only made a few cracks? How is that possible?”

“His weapon didn’t break either, this…”

“His blade is so large, how can it be so sturdy?”

“Aren’t they both Hundred-forged grade?”

Despite having nearly brought down the soldier, not a single person on Baiyuan’s side was smiling. Instead, their pupils quaked, their faces filled with horror.

Their cultivation was the same, and they were equipped with the same Hundred-forged grade weapons, yet the Great Xia soldier’s iron armor was only slightly cracked after being attacked by a dozen of them simultaneously.

How could this be…

“Though we are both Hundred-forged grade, the Thunder Kui Iron Armor I wear is different from yours!”

After a cold laugh, the Glaive Battalion soldier suddenly looked up, gripped his glaive, and swept it before him. With a roar, he charged through the gate.

“Kill!”

“Kill…”

Where one went, a second soon followed. The three hundred soldiers in the front rank were all armed with large glaives. A single one charging through could sweep aside a large area of people. As long as they held their ground for three or four breaths, more glaives would immediately pour in from behind.

And so, the collapse of the iron gate began!

After the swarming Glaive Battalion soldiers broke through, they carved out a space of over a hundred meters in diameter behind the gate in less than fifteen minutes.

The six Saber Battalions behind them faced no further resistance and poured in like a flood.

Squelch…

Liu Yuan had long since led the hundred-plus elites of the Scout Battalion to clear the stone platform above, scattering the Earthforger realm warriors who had been trying to close the gate. Seeing that all nine battalions had now charged through, he cast aside all restraint and led the Scout Battalion down into the fray.

“The main gate has been breached! People of Baiyuan, listen well: surrender and you will not be killed!”

Liu Yuan, after all, was at the Frostwarden realm. A single charge from him sent a large swathe of people flying. In less than five breaths, he reached the retreating group of Earthforger limit warriors. As he reaped their lives with his broadsword, he began to shout offers of clemency.

“Surrender and you will not be killed!”

“Surrender and you will not be killed!”

A group of Scout Battalion elites followed him in the slaughter, joining his chant and relentlessly breaking down the psychological defenses of the Baiyuan people.

“Where’s the Leader?”

“Where’s the Second Leader?”

“They’re at the back! Didn’t you see? The Main Building has collapsed.”

…

As despair filled the hearts of the remaining Baiyuan defenders, they pinned their hopes on their leader, Bai Qiucheng. But when someone pointed it out, they realized that the top floor of the Main Building in the center of the encampment had already collapsed.

Atop the ruined structure, six figures were locked in combat. Two of them were being beaten back relentlessly—they were Second Leader Bai Qiuping and Third Leader Wu Ningyuan. Only First Leader Bai Qiucheng seemed to have a slight advantage.

The problem was, the man in black who had just planted the banner on the stone platform was now charging toward the Main Building, heading straight for Bai Qiucheng.

This meant that Great Xia would soon have a four-versus-three advantage.

The encampment had been breached. Their Frostwarden realm experts were utterly defeated.

Baiyuan was finished!

Clang…

Someone, it was unclear who, was the first to drop their weapon. A second followed, and then a third. Except for a few loyalists who still clung to the hope of a reversal at the Main Building, more and more people began to lay down their arms and kneel in surrender before the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers.

“Bai Qiucheng, surrender! The Leader hasn’t acted personally because he’s giving you a chance. Any more stubborn resistance will only lead to death.”

“Baiyuan holds no grudge against Great Xia! Why do you attack our camp?”

“Enough nonsense, Bai Qiucheng. Since you entertained the thought of joining Longshan, then you must accept your fate. I’ll ask you one last time: will you surrender or not?”

“Peng Bo, you’re dreaming! Longshan will destroy Great Xia sooner or later! Qiuping, Ningyuan, come with me…”

As Bai Qiucheng’s voice fell, before Yuwen Tao could even get close, two figures on the Main Building took the opportunity to flee swiftly westward in the direction of Longshan.

Only the man fighting Chen Yingba hesitated, then finally gritted his teeth and lowered his weapon.

“I am Wu Ningyuan. I am willing to surrender. I ask that you show mercy.”

Chen Yingba stopped abruptly. He glanced at the fleeing Bai Qiucheng and his companion, shook his head, and a trace of helplessness flickered in his eyes.

It wasn’t just Chen Yingba. Peng Bo, Wu Tianxing, and even Yuwen Tao who had just arrived, all looked at the escaping Bai brothers with the same look of resignation.

Seeing this, Wu Ningyuan assumed they were frustrated at having failed to capture the Bai brothers.

But he soon realized how utterly wrong he was.

“The Bai brothers sent their families to Longshan in advance. That Wu Ningyuan probably hasn’t sent his family away yet, so he had no choice but to surrender.”

Not far west of the Baiyuan encampment, watching the two brothers flee, Hou Jing immediately cupped his fist and explained the situation to Xia Hong.

“Kill them.”

“This subordinate obeys.”

Hou Jing clasped his fist in agreement, his eyes gleaming. He immediately gave chase in the direction the two had fled.

Bai Qiucheng had the strength of a Nine Mane, while Bai Qiuping only had Six Mane. It wouldn’t be difficult for the Fifteen Mane Hou Jing to kill them, but capturing them alive would be another matter.

Of course, more importantly, Xia Hong had no intention of capturing them alive.

At the start of the attack on Baiyuan, Peng Bo, along with Wu Tianxing and Chen Yingba, had infiltrated the encampment to negotiate with Bai Qiucheng. He had refused to surrender, which was why the great battle had erupted.

The battle at the Main Building was clearly decided, yet Bai Qiucheng remained obstinate, intent on siding with Longshan. This had begun to annoy Xia Hong.

Moreover, news of tonight’s events in Baiyuan needed to be contained for now. If Li Xuanling found out too early, it would affect their next move.

“Just as well. Before, we had to win people over, so we avoided killing as much as possible. Now that all pretenses with Longshan are dropped, it’s time to kill a few to establish our might. Otherwise, these Frostwarden realm experts in Longyou might really think Great Xia is more mild-tempered than Longshan!”

After a moment’s thought, Xia Hong leaped toward Baiyuan, quickly arriving at the site of the Main Building.

“Greetings, Leader!”

“Greetings, Leader…”

Yuwen Tao, Peng Bo, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, and Liu Yuan were the first to bow in salute. The surrounding Cloud Serpent Army soldiers, who were processing prisoners, also bowed respectfully.

“No need for formalities. Rise! Clean up quickly. Get a head count of the captured Earthforger realm warriors from Baiyuan and secure their families.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Liu Yuan immediately clasped his fist in acknowledgment and swiftly went to carry out the orders with his soldiers.

The Marshal of the Cloud Serpent Army was Xia Chuan, but he wasn’t present this time. As the Commander of the Scout Battalion, Liu Yuan had to act as the temporary marshal, responsible for all affairs.

“Wu Ningyuan, is it? You know when to surrender. Not bad!”

Wu Ningyuan was taken aback, unsure if Xia Hong’s words were praise or sarcasm. He had no choice but to clasp his fist and bow his head in salute.

“Greetings…”

Thump… Thump…

Suddenly, two objects were thrown next to Xia Hong, hitting the ground with two consecutive thuds and interrupting Wu Ningyuan’s salute.

Wu Ningyuan, the other Frostwarden realm experts, and many others around the Main Building all turned to look at the objects beside Xia Hong.

After seeing what they were, everyone from Great Xia, including Yuwen Tao and Peng Bo, showed no surprise. But the pupils of Wu Ningyuan and the surrendered people of Baiyuan contracted in an instant, their faces filled with horror.

The two objects were none other than the Bai brothers who had just fled.

Bai Qiucheng’s chest had completely collapsed, his eyes wide with terror, clearly killed in a state of extreme shock.

Bai Qiuping’s death wasn’t gruesome, but it was eerie. The back of his head was completely smashed in, obviously from a club-like weapon, but his expression was calm. He clearly had no inkling of his own death.

Their two leaders were dead, just like that…

Wu Ningyuan didn’t know what the others were thinking, but as he stared at the bodies of the two leaders, both far stronger than himself, a violent shiver ran through him. He immediately dropped to his knees before Xia Hong and said with the utmost reverence, “This subordinate pays his respects to the Leader!”

Only now did he understand the helplessness in the eyes of Peng Bo and the others, and the true meaning of Xia Hong’s last words.

If he hadn’t surrendered, he would have undoubtedly become the third corpse on the ground.

“Alright, all of you, rise. Peng Bo, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, the three of you will guard the perimeter of Baiyuan. Let no one leave this place. Hou Jing, Yuwen tao, you two will come with me to Zhaoyang. Let’s go!”

Hou Jing!

At the mention of this name, Wu Ningyuan’s pupils constricted. He glanced up and saw the old man jump down from above the Main Building, and his heart began to pound violently.

Zhaoyang had a traitor. Hou Jing had defected to Great Xia. Then what was the deal with the five or six thousand people who had passed through Baiyuan tonight on their way to Longshan?

And Xia Hong was taking Hou Jing to Zhaoyang, while Hou Hu was currently in Longshan!

Was Zhaoyang about to change its allegiance?

Weren’t Li Xuanling’s forces supposed to have trapped Great Xia in the Hive?

What was going on? The Great Xia army had appeared in the north, not only taking Baiyuan but now moving to occupy Zhaoyang as well. What were they planning?

Putting Wu Ningyuan’s thoughts aside for the moment, after Xia Hong left with Hou Jing and Yuwen Tao, Liu Yuan took complete control of Baiyuan.

Peng Bo and the other two took Wu Ningyuan and stood guard at the encampment’s perimeter, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving at will. Meanwhile, Liu Yuan continued to register the Earthforger realm population and their families with the Cloud Serpent Army, clearly making preparations for something.

After walking for a dozen kilometers along the snowy plains northeast of Baiyuan, the majestic silhouette of the Beilang Mountains soon came into view.

“Hiss… these Beilang Mountains must be three or four times the height of Double Dragon Mountain, right?”

Unlike Xia Hong, who was seeing it for the second time, this was Yuwen Tao’s first time beholding the magnificent Beilang Mountains, and he couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.

“Although Zhaoyang has lived in Pinggu for decades, no one has ever climbed to the summit of the Beilang Mountains. So we don’t know its exact height. It should be over four thousand meters. We are also curious about what lies up there.”

Even Hou Jing didn’t know, which spoke volumes about the mystery of the Beilang Mountains.

After a moment of thought, Yuwen Tao turned to Xia Hong and said, “With Mount Mang in the north, Double Dragon Mountain in the east, Longshan in the west, and the Xing River in the south, we can basically deduce that the overall terrain of Longyou is surrounded by mountains on three sides—east, west, and north—and cut off by the Xing River in the south. If we can control Longshan, we would essentially have this entire treasure land in our grasp. In the future, it would be nigh impossible for any other camp to harbor ill intentions toward Great Xia!”

Hearing this, Xia Hong pulled his gaze back from the Beilang Mountains and gave Yuwen Tao an appreciative look. The first time he had seen the Beilang Mountains, the same thought had crossed his mind.

Geographically speaking, Redwood Ridge should also be part of Longyou. It was only because of the isolating Arrow Bamboo Forest that travel between the two areas was inconvenient, leading to them being considered separate territories.

As Great Xia’s control over the Arrow Bamboo Forest deepened, the connection between the two lands was growing stronger. It was foreseeable that they would eventually merge completely.

The waterways were currently inaccessible. Seizing Longshan was equivalent to taking the last resource-rich land in Longyou, placing almost the entire region within Great Xia’s territory.

At that time, with Mount Mang to the north, the Xing River to the south, Longshan to the west, and Double Dragon Mountain to the east, protected by natural barriers on all four sides, Great Xia would be the uncrowned king of Longyou. If any other camp wanted to attack Great Xia, their only path would be from the northern bank of the Xing River, from the slope he had previously named “Xinggu Pass.”

It was a perfect treasure land to serve as a great rear base!

Clearly, Yuwen Tao saw this as well.

A sharp glint flashed in Hou Jing’s eyes; he had likely figured it out too.

Xia Hong didn’t dwell on the subject. Seeing that they were only a few kilometers from Pinggu, he changed the topic and asked Hou Jing, “How many Earthforger realm warriors does Zhaoyang have now?”

Hou Jing immediately replied, “Zhaoyang had a total of five thousand seven hundred Earthforger realm warriors. After the Blood Guard Army was wiped out, we were left with four thousand seven hundred. However, among the five thousand-odd people sent away last night, there were over one thousand seven hundred Earthforger realm warriors. So now, there are only a little over three thousand left.”

When he mentioned the one thousand seven hundred Earthforger realm warriors among the people sent away last night, Hou Jing’s pupils flickered slightly.

Xia Hong also raised an eyebrow and gave him an inquisitive look.

Hou Jing nodded directly. “Rest assured, Leader. I’ve already made arrangements.”

“Good. Then I won’t say any more. There are only about two hours until dawn, which isn’t enough time. Go back now and gather these three thousand Earthforger realm warriors. Have them put on all of Zhaoyang’s existing armor and weapons. Have Hou Xing, Zhang Ying, and Kong Fan lead them to Baiyuan immediately after nightfall tomorrow.”

“This subordinate obeys.”

Hou Jing didn’t ask any questions. He nodded in compliance and rushed toward the camp.

“Leader, you don’t mean to…”

Yuwen Tao had clearly guessed Xia Hong’s next move. A look of shock appeared on his face as he spoke in a stunned voice.

They were going to attack Longshan directly?

Chapter 302: The Army Arrives, The Search, Helplessness

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, twenty-third of the sixth month, the first half of the night.

“Halt the advance!”

Two kilometers northwest of the Hive’s garrison, the three-thousand-strong Longyou Army, having marched through the blizzard for three hours, finally came to a stop at Li Xuanyan’s command.

“Twenty-seven kilometers in just over three hours. Following the tunnel route is so much faster than crossing the snowplains normally.”

At the head of the column, among the Frostwarden realm troops, Li Yuankai couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

Beside him, Song Ning immediately added, “This tunnel of Great Xia’s was laid along flat ground. When they built it, they must have taken great pains to clear the debris and ravines on both sides. That’s why we met no obstacles on our march. It’s only natural that our speed doubled.”

“If walking alongside the tunnel doubled our speed, wouldn’t walking directly inside it be even faster?”

“More than just a bit. I heard from my father that Great Xia used to have countless coal stoves and torches lining the tunnel. The temperature inside was much higher than outside. Marching in there, you wouldn’t have to worry about terrain, nor would you have to brave the wind and bitter cold. Your speed would increase by seven or eight times at least.”

“Then why didn’t we just take the tunnel instead of wasting all this effort marching three hours from Wushuang?”

“I heard the Leader was worried that Great Xia might have set some kind of trap inside.”

“Oh, I see. I was wondering…”

“Quiet! A great battle is upon us. Stop your chatter. We’re about to head underground.”

After being scolded by Song Kang, the two looked up and noticed that several hundred Longyou Army soldiers, led by a group of Frostwarden realm masters, had quickly fanned out across the snowplain in a three-to-five-kilometer radius to the east. They took out their long spears and began probing and sweeping the ground, clearly searching for something.

“Found it!”

Less than half an hour later, a soldier’s shout from the northern part of the plain drew everyone’s attention.

Li Xuanling immediately led the group of Frostwarden realm masters over.

Seeing their Leader and the others approaching, the soldiers quickly cleared a path.

“This entrance has been filled in.”

Before Li Xuanling’s group even got close, they heard the soldiers’ voices, and their expressions instantly soured.

When they drew near and saw the hole in the ground, Li Xuanling and the other Frostwarden masters all looked grim.

The snow covering the opening had been cleared away by the soldiers, revealing a circular pit two meters in diameter. Unlike the surrounding dark, frozen ground, the soil in this pit was of a much fresher color, clearly indicating it had been recently filled.

Meng Ying walked to the edge of the pit, drew his longsword, and plunged it into the ground.

In the Ice Abyss, the ground was perennially frozen and extremely hard. Even the sharpest weapon required effort to pierce it.

But this place was different. Meng Ying’s longsword sank into the earth as if it were tofu; the entire blade disappeared, leaving only the hilt exposed.

Evidently, this pit had been an entrance to the Hive’s underground garrison. It had just been filled in. Judging by the moisture and density of the soil, it had been done within the last day or two.

“The Hive has nine surface entrances in total. We confirmed last night that the other six were all filled. That only leaves the three in this area. Don’t tell me Great Xia blocked every single passage to the surface?”

Hearing Meng Ying’s words, the others shook their heads.

The Hive garrison was located one hundred meters underground. Forget the main area; the sheer scale of the twenty-nine passages combined was an immense and complex undertaking. Even with ten thousand Earthforger realm cultivators working simultaneously, it would take several years to complete. How could Great Xia have managed it in the mere two-plus months they’ve occupied the Hive?

“Impossible. At most, they could only have sealed the entrances. Notify the others to confirm the locations of all nine entrances. Then, you will form groups of five and use brute force to break through the ground nearby. You will definitely find a way down.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

At Li Xuanling’s command, the Frostwarden realm masters bowed and accepted their orders, each leading a contingent of soldiers to begin locating the surrounding entrances.

Li Xuandu, who had remained by her side, did not move. He frowned deeply and said in a low voice, “Last night, we went to Jing Valley and confirmed it was empty. In the tunnel from Jing Valley to the Hive, there were clear traces of Earthforger realm cultivators transporting large quantities of supplies. A rough estimate puts their number at over five thousand. Adding the four thousand who came from Wushuang, Great Xia has at least nine thousand people—perhaps even ten thousand—gathered underground right now.”

Li Xuanling nodded softly. She herself had led the mission to scout the Hive last night, along with her Third Brother, Li Xuandu, Meng Ying, and Cheng Guang.

Although the four of them had failed to enter the Hive’s underground, they were able to deduce a great deal from the many hastily cleared traces around the garrison and the deserted state of Jing Valley.

Most telling was their accidental discovery of another sub-snow tunnel leading from Jing Valley to the Hive on their return trip. The residual warmth within and the deep wheel ruts in the ground all indicated that Great Xia had just moved a large number of Earthforger realm cultivators and supplies here.

They had circled the Hive and found no traces of any large-scale troop movements on the surface. They could be almost certain that all those people had entered the underground garrison, which was why Li Xuandu had just made his statement.

After a moment’s thought, Li Xuandu continued, “Filling the entrances, holing up underground… Xia Hong plans to continue avoiding battle. Even if they’ve prepared a massive amount of supplies, they can last a few months at most. When those few months are up, won’t they lose anyway?”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling’s brow furrowed.

The harsh environment of the Ice Abyss meant that it was impossible for most garrisons to store too many supplies. This had nothing to do with strength; powerful garrisons had larger populations and more high-level cultivators, meaning their consumption was naturally greater. Weaker garrisons had smaller populations and a poorer ability to acquire resources, making large stockpiles even more unlikely.

Even a power like Longshan could only last for about half a year if they stopped all hunting and gathering. Li Xuandu’s estimate that Great Xia could hold out for a few months was already a worst-case scenario.

From Great Xia’s action of retreating into the Hive and the discovery of the empty Jing Valley last night, they could basically conclude that no more reinforcements would be coming from Redwood Ridge. In other words, the nine thousand Earthforger realm cultivators currently underground were the strongest force Great Xia could bring to Longyou.

One thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers plus eight thousand ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators were no match for three thousand Longyou Army soldiers. Clearly, Great Xia was well aware of this, which was why they had retreated into the underground space of the Hive, choosing to avoid battle.

The question was, could they hide forever?

Longshan only needed to blockade the surface of the Hive and wait a few months. Great Xia would naturally be forced to surrender when their supplies ran out. Wouldn’t that also be a dead end?

Li Xuanling had ordered her men to find an entrance because she was confident she could lead the three thousand Longyou Army soldiers in and annihilate this Great Xia force.

In other words, if the Longyou Army’s attack met with the slightest setback, she would immediately switch tactics and simply guard the surface, preventing anyone from coming out. In a few months, Great Xia would still face a dead end.

A man as smart as Xia Hong could not have failed to realize this.

This meant his retreat underground was still a delaying tactic.

His true intention was to tie down their three thousand Longyou Army soldiers.

Li Xuandu’s brow suddenly tightened. He looked up and met Li Xuanling’s gaze, realizing they were thinking the same thing. Shock flickered in both their eyes.

“That’s not right. What reason does he have to delay us? Nearly all of Great Xia’s effective forces are here. If Xiacheng still had reinforcements, Jing Valley wouldn’t be completely empty. Surely he’s not holing up for a few months hoping these nine thousand people will have a cultivation breakthrough?”

Li Xuandu couldn’t help but shake his head after saying it.

Waiting for nine thousand people to have a breakthrough was even more unrealistic.

But he truly couldn’t think of any other reason why Xia Hong would need to delay them.

“Could it be… he wants to lure us into attacking Xiacheng?”

Meng Ying suddenly spoke up. As one of the four who had scouted the previous night, he saw Li Xuanling and Li Xuandu staring at him and quickly continued:

“They’ve moved a large number of their Earthforger realm troops to the Hive. Logically speaking, Xiacheng must be vulnerable right now. Could Xia Hong be thinking that if we can’t break into the Hive after a prolonged siege, we’ll go south through Jing Valley to attack Xiacheng directly? Then he could lead this force out of the Hive and launch a surprise attack from our rear while we’re bogged down in the assault.”

…………

Hearing Meng Ying’s words, Li Xuanling and Li Xuandu were both stunned for a moment. After some careful thought, their expressions gradually became strange.

It had to be said, Meng Ying’s theory was a real possibility.

“It’s not impossible. From the news Second Uncle brought back, Xiacheng’s defenses are exceptionally strong and extremely difficult to breach. Xia Hong deliberately leaving no one in Jing Valley could very well be a ploy to lure us into attacking Xiacheng. He would only need to leave a portion of his Earthforger realm cultivators in Xiacheng, and they could hold us off for a time relying on the strong city walls. Even if we eventually broke in, we would likely suffer heavy casualties. If he then led the force from the Hive to attack us from behind, then I’m afraid…”

At this point, Li Xuandu paused before continuing to Li Xuanling, “This seems to be Great Xia’s only chance of victory against us.”

Three thousand Longyou soldiers wouldn’t flinch even if faced with ten times their number of ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators. Great Xia couldn’t possibly have thirty thousand Earthforger realm cultivators; there was no way they could defeat Longshan in a straightforward battle.

But if it was as Meng Ying and Li Xuandu had deduced, the result would be uncertain. Even if Longshan didn’t lose, they would likely be severely weakened.

Li Xuanling frowned and asked, “If it’s as you speculate, it means Xia Hong is absolutely certain that we cannot possibly break into the Hive in a short amount of time, correct?”

Li Xuandu and Meng Ying were silent for a moment before nodding in unison.

“Then Xia Hong is far too naive. We know the layout of every tunnel beneath the Hive like the back of our hand. As soon as we locate one, we can map them all out and find the entrance to the main area. To think that nine thousand people can hold us back… Dream on!”

“Leader, we found it! An entrance to the southeast wasn’t completely filled in. I used brute force to collapse a shallow tunnel nearby, and we can see a passage leading down.”

Just as Li Xuanling finished speaking, Li Xuanping’s voice rang out.

A look of joy crossed her face. She immediately led Li Xuandu and Meng Ying over, not forgetting to have Li Xuanping notify all the other Frostwarden realm masters and the rest of the Longyou Army to gather.

“The Leader is here.”

“Make way, the Leader is here.”

…………

About two kilometers to the southeast, several hundred people were gathered around a spot on the ground. Seeing Li Xuanling arrive, the crowd immediately cleared a path.

Li Xuanling led her men into the center and saw that at the far end of the collapsed section of earth, there was indeed the entrance to a narrow passage. Her spirits lifted at once.

“Third Brother, take twenty men and scout this passage. Chart its layout, identify its number, determine the direction of Passage No. 1, and confirm the location of the Hive garrison’s main entrance.”

They had only confirmed the location of an entrance. They knew nothing about the specific situation underground or what traps Great Xia had laid. Under such circumstances, Li Xuanling would naturally not rush her army down. Instead, she first sent her Third Brother, Li Xuandu, to scout.

Longshan was intimately familiar with the situation of all eleven garrisons in Longyou, and Li Xuandu was the one who had spent years organizing this intelligence. He knew the twenty-nine passages of the Hive, including their locations, better than anyone. He was the natural choice for the reconnaissance mission.

“It shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll go down now!”

The twenty men Li Xuandu took with him were not ordinary Longyou soldiers, but true Frostwarden realm masters of Longshan. With so many of them descending together, they had no fear of traps, even if all of Great Xia’s forces were hiding in the passages.

Soon, Li Xuandu led his twenty men down through the entrance.

Time passed slowly. A full half-hour went by, and Li Xuandu and his men had yet to return. A trace of impatience grew on Li Xuanling’s face. She glanced at the sky, her expression turning slightly grim.

A night in the Ice Abyss was only ten hours long. Tonight, the army had already spent over three hours marching from Wushuang. Then they had spent over an hour searching for the entrance. In total, more than six hours had already passed.

There were only a little more than three hours left until dawn!

Any further delay and there would definitely be no battle tonight.

Another half-hour passed. Just as Li Xuanling was about to send more men down, Li Xuandu led his group out of the passage.

“What took you so long? What’s the situation underground?”

Li Xuandu and his men seemed fine, so they likely hadn’t been ambushed. However, their expressions were extremely grim, clearly indicating they had brought back bad news.

“Great Xia has completely altered the underground passages; they’re changed beyond recognition. We spent a long time using brute force to break through more than a dozen filled-in tunnels just to map out the situation and draw a rough sketch.”

Li Xuandu took out two beast-skin scrolls from his person and handed them to Li Xuanling.

The scroll on the left was a clearly organized diagram of the original underground passages, with all twenty-nine passages from 1 to 29 marked out perfectly.

The scroll on the right, however, was a rough sketch of a winding, convoluted maze of tunnels. Many passages were blocked off. The ink on it was not yet dry, obviously drawn by Li Xuandu within the last hour.

“Can you make sense of it and find the location of Passage No. 1?” Li Xuanling asked with a frown after a quick glance at the sketch.

Passage No. 1 was the only tunnel connecting to the Hive’s main underground area. To find the main area, they had to find Passage No. 1.

Judging from the sketch on the right, Great Xia had completely scrambled the underground passages. They certainly wouldn’t have left the numbers for them to find. So, to locate Passage No. 1, they would have to rely on on-site investigation and comparison with the original map.

“I stayed down there for so long precisely because I was trying to find the location of Passage No. 1. But Great Xia’s demolition was too thorough. I can’t do it in a short amount of time. I need more men—another twenty would be best. Give me two hours, and I should be able to find it.”

Li Xuanling showed no surprise at his words.

The complexity and length of the Hive’s underground passages were famous in Longyou. The fact that Li Xuandu was confident he could find it in just two hours was already impressive.

“Go pick your men. Be careful, and find it as quickly as possible.”

“Understood!”

But even as she nodded her approval for Li Xuandu to take his men down, her expression couldn’t help but darken.

It was certain now that there would be no battle tonight. That was another day wasted.

According to Meng Ying and Li Xuandu’s earlier speculation, Great Xia had holed up in the Hive to make them retreat out of frustration, luring them to attack Xiacheng.

This theory was indeed logical and made sense, which was why Li Xuanling hadn’t refuted them.

But not refuting it didn’t mean she aGREEd.

“Going south through Jing Valley to attack Xiacheng is clearly a terrible move. I would never do something so foolish. If Xia Hong truly thinks that, he’s severely underestimated me. But if that’s not his plan, then it means he simply wants to use the Hive to tie down my three thousand Longyou Army soldiers…”

Li Xuanling’s brow furrowed deeply. In the end, only one question remained in her mind: what was Great Xia’s ultimate goal in holing up in the Hive and tying down her three thousand soldiers?

Xiacheng had no reinforcements. No other garrison in Longyou would help Great Xia. And the idea of nine thousand people hiding underground to cultivate was a fantasy.

So what was it for?

There was no reason!

“Leader, it will be dawn soon. Should we have the army make camp here?”

As Li Xuanling was lost in thought, Meng Ying approached and asked.

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at the newly discovered underground entrance before saying, “No need. First, we’ll wait for Third Brother to find the location of Passage No. 1. I will lead you to make camp underground.”

Make camp underground?

Meng Ying was taken aback, not quite understanding. But seeing Li Xuanling had already closed her eyes to rest and was clearly unwilling to elaborate, he didn’t press the matter.

Time slipped by. Li Xuanling, a few of her Frostwarden realm masters, and the three thousand Longyou soldiers all waited quietly. With only half an hour left until dawn, Li Xuandu’s excited voice finally came from the tunnel entrance.

“Found it! We found it! The location of Passage No. 1 has been confirmed.”

As Li Xuandu emerged, the forty Frostwarden realm masters followed him out. They were all visibly excited, clearly having made a major discovery.

“Take me down. Big Brother, Second Brother, you come as well.”

Li Xuanling ordered Li Xuandu to lead the way and called for Li Xuanyan and Li Xuantian. The three of them followed Li Xuandu into the hole.

“There’s less than an hour until dawn. Is the army not making camp yet?”

“The Leader just said we’re making camp underground.”

“Making camp underground? What does that mean?”

“I don’t know either!”

The Frostwarden realm masters who had just come up saw that the Longyou soldiers on the surface hadn’t begun to set up camp and started to ask why. When they heard Meng Ying’s explanation, they too were stunned and confused.

But soon, they would understand why.

Bang!

A deafening roar erupted from two kilometers to the west.

The expressions of all the Frostwarden realm masters changed drastically, and they rushed towards the sound of the explosion.

At the center of the blast was a massive crater seven or eight meters in diameter. The area around it was covered in dust and snow, clearly the result of an explosion from underground upwards.

“Notify the army to move this way. We’ll blast out a few more deep holes and have the soldiers slide down them. Tonight, we make camp underground.”

Everyone had thought some Frost Beast had burrowed out from underground, but to their surprise, Li Xuandu’s voice echoed up from below.

Bang… bang… bang…

Another six or seven explosions just like the first one rang out. As the men saw more craters blasted into the ground and felt the violent tremors under their feet, they suddenly realized that these holes had been punched out from underground by the four Li siblings with their bare fists.

“I thought the Hive garrison was over a hundred meters underground?”

“Is the Leader’s power really that great?”

“A crater this big… punched out by a fist? This is…”

“The ground here probably isn’t as solid as normal. The Hive has built so many underground tunnels over the years that they’ve practically hollowed out the entire area. These tunnels also need to vent smoke and air, so the ground above them was likely not that sturdy to begin with.”

“Alright, enough chatter. Quickly notify the soldiers to prepare to descend.”

……………………

“This is the middle section of Passage No. 1, only about seventy meters from the surface. The part leading to the main area has been filled by Great Xia. It’s right at this spot, look.”

Deep underground, within a long passage, Li Xuandu led Li Xuanling and her two brothers to the end of the tunnel, stopping near an area filled with fresh earth.

“The end of Passage No. 1 is the entrance to the Hive’s main area. This means that if we just blast away this dirt, we’ll see the main gate?”

After asking his question, Li Xuanyan immediately turned to look at Li Xuandu. Receiving a nod of confirmation, he held his breath, focused his energy, and charged straight at that section of earth.

Bang!

He was like a human cannonball, slamming directly into the fresh soil. He forcefully pushed forward for more than ten meters, causing the ground to tremble ceaselessly as he compressed the filled-in section, ramming a tunnel over ten meters long through it.

Dong!

But then, it seemed he had run into an obstacle.

The dull, resonant dong was clearly the sound of flesh colliding with iron, low and lingering in the underground space.

“This section has been poured with molten iron. The temperature is still quite high; it must have been poured recently. We must be close to the main entrance.”

Li Xuanyan’s voice held a note of delight.

When Li Xuanling and the other two entered the newly formed tunnel, they saw the dent Li Xuanyan had made in the iron wall. She immediately stepped forward and touched it, discovering that it was indeed still warm. A mixed expression of joy and worry appeared on her face.

She was joyful because the fact that it was newly poured basically confirmed they had found the entrance passage to the Hive’s main area.

The problem was, how were they going to breach this barrier?

“Let me try!”

Li Xuanling’s brow tightened. She motioned for the other three to step back, then drew back her right fist and smashed it into the iron wall.

Though she was a woman, and her fist lacked the tyrannical force of a man’s, empowered by the strength of over twenty Manes, it caused the very air in the tunnel to roil. In terms of sheer momentum, it was even more terrifying than her Big Brother Li Xuanyan’s body slam just now.

Dong!

Her fist landed, and the iron wall produced the exact same sound as before. The difference was that Li Xuanyan’s blow had only left a dent, while Li Xuanling’s fist, and even her forearm, had driven straight into it.

But even so, the iron wall only trembled; it remained completely unmoved.

“It’s at least fifteen meters thick. Brute force won’t break it.”

“A cylindrical iron column two meters in diameter and fifteen meters high… pouring this must have taken tens of millions of catties of iron ore. Great Xia really spared no expense!”

Hearing it was fifteen meters thick, Li Xuandu shook his head and sighed. He then pointed at the soil above the iron wall and said, “A pity they were still a bit foolish. If we can’t break the main gate, we can just go around. We can just break through the earth layer above it. This Xia Hong isn’t so clever after all!”

Li Xuanling remained silent, her brow furrowed, as she watched Li Xuandu and Li Xuantian begin to use brute force to destroy the layer of earth above the iron wall.

The earth was much easier to deal with. It took the two of them less than ten breaths to smash through the soil above, creating
a new passage over ten meters long.

“It’s still an iron wall! How is that possible?”

Unfortunately, Li Xuandu’s next words made Li Xuanling’s expression sink even further.

She quickly joined him with Li Xuanyan up in the new passage. Seeing the dark iron wall at the end of it, her face immediately turned grim.

“The temperature here is very low. This wasn’t poured with fresh molten iron.”

“Step aside, let me try.”

Li Xuanling told the three to move aside and tested this new iron wall with her fist again.

Bang…

“It’s a bit thinner than the last one, but it’s still over ten meters thick. It will be difficult to break with brute force.”

Li Xuanling withdrew her fist. After observing the surroundings along the iron wall, her expression grew even uglier.

“It can’t be… the Hive’s underground space…”

Li Xuandu guessed what she was thinking and quickly began to claw away the earth around the iron wall. He moved swiftly, clearing an area of five or six meters in no time.

Behind all of this soil was a continuous iron wall.

“The entire barrier of the Hive’s main underground area… is poured from molten iron?”

Not only was it all poured from molten iron, but its thickness was consistently over ten meters.

This…

Li Xuandu was instantly dumbfounded.

Looking back, Li Xuanling and Li Xuanyan’s expressions were as uncomfortable as if they had just eaten a fly.

Only Li Xuantian remained calm and composed as he looked at the iron wall, his thoughts unreadable.

“A ten-meter-thick iron wall… even if the four of us worked together, smashing it with brute force without rest, it would probably take the better part of a day!”

“The better part of a day? Do you think the people from Great Xia are just going to stand there and wait for you to break the wall? Besides, it’s useless to just barely open a breach. Sending three thousand Longyou soldiers in one by one would be suicide.”

“Where did the Hive get so much iron ore? It’s impossible! The barrier of the entire underground space is a ten-meter-thick iron wall? I don’t believe it!”

“Search. Notify all the Frostwarden realm masters to explore along the iron wall in all directions. Maybe we can find an area not blocked by an iron wall. Even if we can’t, if we find a few weak spots, it will be easier for us to break through.”

“But that will take a considerable amount of time.”

“What other choice do we have? If we don’t spend the time, are we really going to just surround this place and wait for Great Xia to run out of supplies and come out to surrender?”

“Enough. Stop wasting time. Notify all the Frostwarden realm masters to come down and search. Now!”

Li Xuanling’s eyes blazed with fury, but in the end, she had no choice but to give the order.

Because they had been ambushed twice at Long White Gully and Ningyuan Hill, she had become extremely wary of Great Xia. That was why she hadn’t rushed to advance from Wushuang last night, choosing instead to investigate the situation at the Hive first.

There was certainly nothing wrong with being cautious.

But thinking back now, it was that very caution that had caused her to miss her window of opportunity.

Who could have possibly imagined that Great Xia planned to hole up in a fortress like this?

If only she had attacked directly last night, before Xia Hong could lead his people inside.

Now, knowing the enemy was right in front of her inside this turtle shell, she was completely helpless. This feeling of powerlessness was torturing her to the extreme!

Chapter 303: Unyielding Persistence, Gnawing Rats Breach the Walls

Second year of the Great Xia, the fourth day of the seventh month.

Bang… bang… bang…

In the Hive’s main underground area, a section of the wall to the west of the main gate had begun to deform violently. The stone facade had long since flaked away, and the exposed iron wall bulged inward in a large mound, at least three or four meters thick. The fierce impacts from outside continued, sending tremors throughout the entire main area.

Beneath the battered section of the bulwark, a thousand of Great Xia’s Earthforger realm experts were working in unison, pulling on iron chains to erect a massive, pillar-shaped iron stake.

The iron pillar was over three meters in diameter and about twenty meters tall. Judging by the sheer number of people required just to haul it upright with chains, its weight was clearly astounding.

Leading the group were Yuan Cheng, Zhao Long, Qiu Peng, and a dozen other Frostwarden realm experts. They stood at the forefront, and once the iron stake was vertical, they directed the men to move it forward. Only when the top of the stake was aligned with the center of the bulging wall did they slowly give the command.

“Everyone, put your backs into it! Push it up! One, two, three… heave!”

The dozen Frostwarden realm experts and the thousand Earthforger realm experts strained together, leaning the massive iron stake diagonally until it rested firmly against the bulging section of the bulwark.

BANG…

Another colossal impact struck from the outside. The men holding the stake stumbled back a few steps, but since the base of the pillar was already braced against the ground, most of the force was neutralized. Other than being forced backward, they suffered no harm.

Bang… bang… bang…

With the bulge now supported, the sound of the impacts immediately changed. It was obvious that the great iron stake was absorbing the force, significantly lessening the strain on the iron wall. The sound was not as violent as before, and even the tremors within the main area subsided.

Bang… bang…

The people outside clearly noticed something was amiss. After a few more strikes, they stopped completely.

“Hahahahaha! They’ve stopped again! This Li Xuanling is truly relentless. It’s the middle of the night, and she’s already tried seven times. Still refuses to give up.”

Yuan Cheng let out a hearty laugh. Beside him, Qiu Peng, Zhao Long, and the thousand Earthforger realm experts who had just moved the iron stake all joined in the laughter.

As they laughed, they couldn’t help but look up at the bulwark above.

The entire ceiling of the main area was already marred by six enormous bulges, each three to four meters thick—all clearly the handiwork of Li Xuanling and her forces outside.

“Every time, we wait until she’s been banging away for four hours before we prop it up with the iron stake. She can’t see what’s happening on the inside, so she probably just thinks the iron wall is too thick for her to ever break through, hahaha.”

Luo Yuan was also among the crowd. After speaking, he glanced behind him and asked, “Where’s the Lord Prefect?”

Everyone turned to look, only then realizing that Xia Chuan was no longer behind them.

“He probably went to inspect the other areas. The main area’s walls cover a large perimeter, so he’s likely worried that Longshan might try something funny elsewhere.”

Hearing this, a strange expression appeared on everyone’s faces. Finally, Yuan Cheng spoke up. “The only opening in the entire main area is a small one on the ceiling of the Main Building, and we’ve already filled that in. What other tricks could Longshan possibly pull? Other than brute force, they have no other way to break through.”

The others nodded in agreement.

All the bulwarks of the Hive’s main area had been cast from molten iron. Aside from a few air vents, there was only the main gate and a small opening, no more than half a meter in diameter, above the Main Building.

On the night they retreated from Wushuang, they had sealed the main gate with molten iron. Although the small hole above the Main Building wasn’t sealed, the tunnel connecting it to the surface had been collapsed with brute force.

Setting aside the question of whether Longshan could even find that hole from underground, even if they did, what use was a tiny opening barely half a meter wide, large enough for only one person to pass through at a time?

If the Longyou Army dared to enter one by one through that hole, they would simply be asking for death.

Therefore, aside from smashing through the iron wall with brute force, Longshan had no other option.

“Don’t get careless. Just keep a close watch on this area.”

Just then, Xia Chuan’s voice suddenly came from behind them.

Everyone turned to see Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan walking toward them from the direction of the building complex.

“Lord, there’s no need to worry. The strength of Li Xuanling and her three siblings is indeed formidable, but this iron stake that Prefect Mu made weighs over thirty million catties. We are well-rested and waiting. As long as we keep an eye on where they’re striking and prop it up, there’s absolutely no chance of them breaking through.”

Xia Chuan didn’t refute Yuan Cheng’s words. Looking at the seven bulges on the iron wall above, a faint smile touched his lips.

“If one could forge a sufficiently long and heavy pointed iron weapon, and have a large number of people ram it from the outside, it wouldn’t be impossible to break through. But Longshan has come from afar, and Li Xuanling couldn’t have guessed that the Hive garrison would have such a sturdy iron fortress. She certainly wouldn’t have prepared for it. So this time, they are destined to fail.”

Mu Dong, the man Yuan Cheng had just mentioned, was standing beside him. At the end of the fourth month, he, Cheng Feng, and Bai Dongying had been reprimanded by Xia Hong, after which they all intensified their training. They finally broke through to the Frostwarden realm at the beginning of this month. When the army was deployed to defend the Hive to the death, the three of them were transferred from Xiacheng by Xia Chuan.

The massive iron stake was something he had designed and temporarily forged with a group of artisans using the iron ore stored in the Hive after surveying the underground space.

From the moment he began forging it, he had been contemplating how to breach such a formidable, ten-meter-thick iron wall from the outside. So when he heard Yuan Cheng say it was impossible to break through, he subconsciously retorted.

Hearing this, everyone, including Yuan Cheng, immediately nodded.

Indeed, though the bulwark was ten meters thick, it was still just iron. With a sharp iron weapon that was long and heavy enough, and with the combined effort of the Longyou Army ramming it from the outside, breaking through shouldn’t be too difficult.

Unfortunately, the Longyou Army had journeyed from afar; it was impossible for them to have made such thorough preparations.

Smelting on-site was also impossible without iron ore and coal. The straight-line distance from the Hive to Longshan was at least a hundred kilometers; returning to Longshan to fetch materials was even more unrealistic.

Bang… bang…

Another section of the ceiling began to reverberate with loud thuds.

Evidently, the Frostwarden experts from Longshan outside had begun their assault once more.

“The eighth time. They’re still at it?”

“They’ve changed locations. This time it’s to the east of the main gate.”

“Are they that persistent? They absolutely must take the Hive?”

“They arrived last night. It’s been a whole day, and they haven’t even seen our faces, yet they still refuse to give up.”

“Let them be. Let their men tire themselves out for a bit. Once the wall bulges more than three meters, we’ll prop it up with the iron stake. I’d like to see just how much resilience this Longshan army has.”

………………

Xia Chuan looked up at the spot being struck, his brow furrowing slightly.

“They’re refusing to detour and attack Xiacheng. It seems Longshan must have scouted Xiacheng’s situation and knows it’s a tougher nut to crack. They’re planning to go all-in on the Hive.”

Beside him, Chen Yingyuan nodded slightly. “Li Xuanling is very astute. She must have realized that we deliberately withdrew the people from Jing Valley to lure her into attacking Xiacheng. But attacking Xiacheng is not only more difficult, but it also risks being caught between two fronts. She would never take that risk.”

Xia Chuan just smiled at this and said nothing.

His withdrawal of the forces from Jing Valley was a no-lose ploy. It was both a measure to prevent the Longshan army from bypassing the Hive to the south and a lure to tempt them south through Jing Valley to attack Xiacheng directly.

If the plan succeeded, he could lead the nine thousand troops from the Hive to attack, coordinating with the garrison in Xiacheng for a pincer movement to deal a fatal blow to Longshan. If it failed, the people from Jing Valley were safe, and they would simply continue to defend the Hive. There was no loss.

“However…”

Chen Yingyuan’s brows knitted. “Li Xuanling doesn’t seem like such a stubborn person. To try seven different spots and then immediately start on an eighth… Even a fool would have realized by now that we’re inside, waiting and well-rested. No matter how many times she tries, she won’t be able to break the bulwark. Why does she persist so tenaciously?”

Hearing this, Xia Chuan frowned and immediately fell into deep thought.

Indeed, this kind of single-minded stubbornness didn’t seem like Li Xuanling’s style.

But what other methods could she possibly have to breach the iron walls?

“The only opening in the entire underground main area is that small hole on the top floor of the Main Building. I’ve already dispatched Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, and ten other Frostwarden realm experts with over three thousand men to surround that position and lock it down tight. The remaining five thousand men are patrolling the entire periphery of the main area around the clock. No matter what move Longshan makes, I’ll know immediately. I refuse to believe they have any new tricks up their sleeves.”

Since he couldn’t figure it out, he stopped thinking about it. In any case, his plan was to defend the Hive to the death. Every day they held Longshan out was another day gained.

Even if they did break in, with over nine thousand five hundred Earthforger realm experts and twenty-seven Frostwarden realm experts defending from a well-rested position, they still had a fighting chance against three thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army.

“It seems Li Xuanling has no intention of stopping. With such a commotion, the next few days probably won’t be peaceful. Let’s go inspect the other areas.”

Chen Yingyuan nodded and followed Xia Chuan toward another part of the main area.

…………

The Hive’s main area was an underground, circular space with a diameter of three kilometers. Its ceiling height ranged from twenty to thirty meters at its highest point to just over ten meters at its lowest.

The entire space was underground. Great Xia had to defend not just the single point Li Xuanling was currently attacking, but every possible direction—up, down, left, and right.

The small opening on top of the Main Building was guarded by Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, and ten other Frostwarden realm experts leading three thousand men. The position being battered by Li Xuanling was manned by Yuan Cheng, twelve Frostwarden experts, and a thousand men with the iron stake. The remaining five thousand-plus men, led by Meng Yi, Zhu Yuan, and Hong Tian, patrolled the rest of the garrison.

Thump…

In the southwestern corner of the garrison, a piece of rock suddenly broke loose and fell.

Hong Yu, who was patrolling below, quickly sidestepped to dodge it. After the rock landed, he looked up toward the main iron gate to the east and shook his head repeatedly.

“With that iron stake in place, Longshan’s dream of breaking through this iron wall with brute force is over. I really don’t know why they’re so obsessed.”

Not far from him, Meng Ao heard this and laughed. “Eight hundred sets of Hundred-forged grade armor and two defeated armies. Those people from Longshan must hate us to the bone. This isn’t obsession; it’s being blinded by hatred.”

“Hehe, true enough.”

Hong Yu let out a few soft chuckles and couldn’t help but flash the Hundred-forged greatsword in his hand. “It’s a shame our strength is lacking, or we might have been issued a set of Hundred-forged grade battle armor to wear.”

“There are only just over three thousand sets of Hundred-forged grade armor in total, and you need a base strength of at least twenty thousand catties to wear one. We’re only short by a thousand or so. It is a bit of a pity.”

Meng Ao sighed regretfully. He took out a powerful bow from his back and showed off the blood-colored arrowheads in his quiver, smiling. “The three of us getting two greatswords and a thirty-Stone strongbow is already pretty good.”

Beside them, Zhu Kang swung the Hundred-forged greatsword in his hand and also smiled.

Even though all three of their fathers were Frostwarden realm experts, important resources like Hundred-forged greatswords weren’t easy to come by, not to mention strategic assets like Hundred-forged battle armor.

The three of them had only broken through to the Earthforger realm about half a year ago. Although they had joined a Hunting team and were considered quite well-off, and could have afforded to trade for a Hundred-forged greatsword long ago, it wasn’t that simple.

The problem was, Hundred-forged grade weapons weren’t commodities you could just pick up anywhere. It took time for the Artisan Department to forge them, and every batch sent to the Logistics Department would be snatched up immediately. It was still a situation where demand far outstripped supply.

To deal with this, the Logistics Department could only implement a rule giving priority to those with higher base strength. As a result, none of the three had managed to get their hands on a Hundred-forged greatsword until now.

As for battle armor, that was even more out of the question. If not for the spoils captured in Longyou, not even the entire Cloud Serpent Army would be fully equipped, let alone them.

This time, their seven thousand men had been transferred to defend the Hive and fight a bitter battle against the Longyou Army.

The two thousand five hundred sets of armor and numerous weapons captured previously in Longyou naturally had to be put to use. But with so many people, distribution could only be based on cultivation level.

The three of them each had a base strength of just over eighteen thousand, so battle armor was out of the question. In the end, Zhu Kang and Hong Yu each received a Hundred-forged greatsword, while Meng Ao, being a skilled archer, was given a thirty-Stone strongbow.

“This thirty-Stone strongbow, I alone still…”

“Squeak squeak squeak…”

Meng Ao was about to speak when he was suddenly interrupted by a faint rustling sound from outside the iron wall. At first, he thought he had misheard, but when he looked up, he saw that Hong Yu and Zhu Kang had also stopped to stare at the iron wall.

“Did you hear that too?”

“I did. It sounds like something gnawing.”

“Gnawing? That can’t be. This is all solid iron wall!”

Meng Ao’s brow furrowed. The three exchanged glances for a moment before walking directly to the iron wall. They pressed their ears against it, closed their eyes, and began to listen carefully.

“Squeak squeak squeak…”

They hadn’t misheard. There was definitely a sound!

After stepping back, their expressions turned grim.

“That sound… it seems a bit familiar.”

“It’s just over three meters away.”

“This is bad! It’s the sound of Long-tailed Gnawing Rats! The Frost Beast Compendium records that their teeth are sharper than iron, and they can chew through materials at an extremely fast rate.”

Zhu Kang suddenly realized what it was and cried out in alarm.

“Hong Yu, quickly notify everyone nearby to assemble! Meng Ao, go inform Uncle Meng and the others! Tell them to report to the Prefect immediately! Frost Beasts are here!”

The five thousand-plus men responsible for patrolling the main area’s perimeter were divided into three sections. The seventeen hundred men in the southwest were commanded by Meng Ao’s father, Meng Yi, which was why Zhu Kang told Meng Ao to go notify him.

“Everyone assemble! Over here, quickly!”

Hong Yu began to call over the people in the vicinity, while Meng Ao turned and ran to find his father, Meng Yi, to report the situation.

Squeak squeak squeak squeak…

Zhu Kang, meanwhile, continued to press his ear against the iron wall, listening to the commotion outside. Noticing that the sound was approaching faster and faster, his expression grew increasingly grave.

At a critical time like this, how could Long-tailed Gnawing Rats appear?

Could Longshan actually control Frost Beasts to help them breach the iron wall? How was that possible?

Hong Yu was incredibly fast. In just over a dozen breaths, the several hundred surrounding Earthforger realm experts on patrol had all gathered. They stared nervously at the iron wall for several dozen more breaths before Meng Ao returned, bringing a grim-faced Meng Yi with him.

“Uncle Meng!”

“No need for formalities. You heard it here too?”

Upon seeing Meng Yi, Zhu Kang immediately bowed to salute, but before he could even bend down, Meng Yi cut him off.

Heard it here too?

Noticing the word “too” in his sentence, Zhu Kang’s expression tightened.

This wasn’t the only spot.

Meng Yi didn’t wait for his answer. He walked straight to the iron wall, pressed his ear against it, and listened for a moment. His already grim face darkened with several more shades of gravity.

“It’s Long-tailed Gnawing Rats. Judging by the speed of the gnawing, it should be a low-level one. Longshan can control Frost Beasts? How is this possible…”

“Uncle Meng, is this not the only place being gnawed by rats?”

Zhu Kang finally couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked directly.

Meng Yi nodded, his voice heavy. “We’ve heard this sound at six locations along the main area’s perimeter walls. Yours is the seventh.”

Longshan could truly control Frost Beasts!

It was completely against common sense. How could this be?

THUD…

While Zhu Kang and the surrounding crowd were filled with shock and suspicion, a massive silver object suddenly fell from the ceiling above the main area’s building complex, crashing to the ground with a loud bang.

“You all hold this position! The moment that rat shows its head, kill it immediately!”

Meng Yi’s expression changed drastically. After giving the order, he took a dozen men and charged toward the building complex.

“That was a Long-tailed Gnawing Rat, right?”

“Definitely. Silver fur, fleshy tail. A rat has already broken through the bulwark.”

“Does that mean the Longyou Army can get in now?”

Zhu Kang, Meng Ao, Hong Yu, and the several hundred Earthforger realm experts standing guard all had their faces turn grim in an instant.

………………

Splurt!

Below the main area’s building complex, the scurrying Gnawing Rat was decapitated by a single slash from Xia Chuan’s sword. Dark green blood splattered across the ground.

However, after killing the rat, there was not a trace of joy on Xia Chuan’s face. Instead, he looked up at the large hole in the ceiling, his expression无比 grave.

“Mu Dong, can this hole in the ceiling be patched up quickly?”

“No. A hole this big would require at least several hundred thousand catties of molten iron. We can’t possibly melt that much in a short amount of time.”

“Then there’s no other way. Hong Guang, take five hundred men and watch this hole. The moment any Longyou soldiers come through, attack immediately. If you need reinforcements, blow the whistle to signal.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xia Chuan’s gaze swept over the crowd as he called out again, “Meng Yi.”

“This subordinate is present!”

Meng Yi had just rushed over from the perimeter. Hearing his name, he answered immediately.

“How many places on your side have you heard the sound of Long-tailed Gnawing Rats?”

“Two. I’ve already sent men to lie in wait nearby.”

Hearing Meng Yi’s report, Xia Chuan’s expression turned incredibly dark.

Two in the southwest, three in the north, and three in the southeast. That made eight in total. And these were just the ones they had heard. Li Xuanling’s assault hadn’t stopped, and the entire main area was filled with thunderous noise. There were certainly many more places where Long-tailed Gnawing Rats were chewing away, undetected.

Four hours ago, when Zhu Yuan reported from the north that he heard the sound of Gnawing Rats, Xia Chuan had thought it was an accident. This was underground, after all; the occasional appearance of one or two Long-tailed Gnawing Rats was nothing unusual.

But then, Hong Tian from the southeast and Meng Yi from the southwest reported the same thing, in increasing numbers. Only then did Xia Chuan connect the appearance of the Long-tailed Gnawing Rats with the Longyou Army outside.

Longshan was using Long-tailed Gnawing Rats to help them breach the wall.

He finally understood now why Li Xuanling had been relentlessly battering the bulwark.

She was doing it to cover up the sound of the Long-tailed Gnawing Rats gnawing through the walls.

The question was, how was Longshan controlling the rats?

Frost Beasts could at best be driven or hunted. Even if Longshan managed to drive a rat toward the bulwark, there was no guarantee it would obey orders and chew through the Hive’s outer iron wall.

Besides, this wasn’t just one rat. It was clearly a swarm, and they were gnawing their way in from multiple directions.

How did Longshan manage it?

“Prefect, look! Mist is coming in from the hole!”

Just then, Meng Yi noticed something and pointed up at the large hole, shouting urgently.

Xia Chuan looked up, his brow tightening.

From the large hole recently chewed open by the Long-tailed Gnawing Rat, a thick, frosty white mist was indeed pouring in frantically.

“This… this is…”

Everyone, including Xia Chuan, looked at the white mist with confusion, except for Chen Yingyuan. His expression froze, then twisted in alarm. He quickly leaned in and whispered into Xia Chuan’s ear.

Xia Chuan’s expression shifted repeatedly. After a moment of thought, he issued a direct order to Chen Yingyuan. “Tell Yuan Cheng to abandon the main gate. All Frostwarden realm experts are to take their men and begin patrolling the entire main area. As soon as you hear the sound of rats, station men to lie in wait. Kill the rats the moment they break through the wall, then continue to guard the opening. Do not let any of Longshan’s people in.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

After bowing, Chen Yingyuan quickly ran toward the main gate.

Xia Chuan remained where he was, staring at the hole in the ceiling, his eyes filled with gravity.

Great Xia was no stranger to Long-tailed Gnawing Rats.

Before the first year, a swarm had appeared on the Northern Slope of the Cliffs.

Gnawing Rats generally lived in colonies; it was rare for them to appear in ones or twos.

This meant there were likely a great many rats currently gnawing on the outer iron wall. With Great Xia’s current strength, a mere swarm of rats was nothing. Even if there was a mid-level or even high-level rat king among them, he wouldn’t be afraid.

The problem was, behind the swarm of rats was the Longyou Army!

“Using the methods of anomalies to breach the iron wall… Big Brother was right. That madwoman Li Xuanling is truly capable of anything!”

Xia Chuan stood his ground, his expression fluctuating for a long time. Finally, he looked up at the hole in the ceiling, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Bang… bang… bang…

Sure enough, over the next several hours, the entire main area became riddled with holes. One Long-tailed Gnawing Rat after another broke through the iron wall, burrowing into the main area from the ceiling, the sides, or even from below ground.

Fortunately, all the rats that had made it through so far were low-level.

If they were unlucky enough to encounter a Frostwarden realm expert nearby, they were typically killed the moment they appeared. Even if no Frostwarden expert was present, they were quickly dispatched by the Earthforger realm experts lying in wait.

More than six hours passed like this.

Another large hole was breached in the northern ceiling. After the rat that fell through was slain, Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan rushed to the scene.

“Prefect, this is the thirty-seventh hole. We now have less than two hundred men guarding each one, and we’re stretched thin on Frostwarden realm experts. If we continue to split our forces, we’ll fall right into Li Xuanling’s trap.”

Hearing Chen Yingyuan’s words, Xia Chuan’s face was a mask of frustration.

“Li Xuanling is probably watching us from outside one of these holes right now. The moment our forces become too dispersed, she’ll immediately lead the Longyou Army to charge down one of them. By then, our response will be too slow, and we’ll be defeated piecemeal.”

It wasn’t just Chen Yingyuan; Yue Feng now also understood Li Xuanling’s plan.

Within six hours, the number of holes chewed open by the Long-tailed Gnawing Rats had increased to thirty-seven, yet not a single Longshan soldier had entered.

This was because the holes were too small, each only half a meter in diameter, allowing only one person to descend at a time.

Li Xuanling knew they were waiting in ambush at every hole. Whether it was her soldiers or the Frostwarden experts, if they came down one by one, the casualties would be severe.

So she wasn’t rushing to descend. Instead, she continued to use the Long-tailed Gnawing Rats to chew more holes, forcing the Great Xia soldiers to continuously divide their forces. Once they were spread thin enough, with the defenders’ units increasingly far apart, the pressure on any Longshan troops coming down would be greatly reduced, making it easier for them to establish a foothold.

Alternatively, waiting for enough holes to appear and then having a large number of soldiers jump down from all of them simultaneously was also a valid strategy.

“I know. But if we gather all our forces now, it’s tantamount to letting them in completely unopposed. We wait. Just a little longer. I refuse to believe Li Xuanling can hold back. She should be sending her men down any moment now.”

How could Xia Chuan not see what Chen Yingyuan and Yue Feng could?

He had already figured out Li Xuanling’s intention back when the twentieth hole was breached and Longshan still hadn’t made a move.

The problem was, seeing through it was useless.

The holes opened by the rats were far too scattered. If they gathered the army, it would mean abandoning their watch over a large number of holes. Li Xuanling could then simply choose a hole farthest from their main force for the Longyou Army to enter, and it would be impossible for them to rush over and block it in time.

So he was gambling. He was betting that Li Xuanling would lose her patience. With fewer than two hundred men guarding each hole now, she might lead her Frostwarden experts down first, taking a risk to hold them off and create an opening for the Longyou Army.

If that happened, he could still quickly muster his forces to intercept them.

Bang… bang… bang…

However, the sounds of three more holes being breached echoed through the cavern, yet there was still no sign of any Longshan soldiers entering the main area.

“They can probably only use the white mist to lure the Long-tailed Gnawing Rats to the iron wall; they can’t control which specific spot they chew. Unless the bulwark is completely breached or our forces are too scattered, Li Xuanling won’t be in a hurry to enter. She will come in sooner or later, but if our forces are too dispersed when she does…”

Although Yue Feng didn’t finish his sentence, Xia Chuan understood his meaning.

Li Xuanling would enter eventually. But if they were too spread out when she did, their advantage as defenders would be gone.

It was even possible that Longshan could decide the outcome in one decisive battle.

“Have the entire army retreat to the building area and assemble! Nock your arrows and prepare your bows! All Frostwarden realm experts, with me! We will continue to patrol all the holes. We’ll kill as many as we can!”

Xia Chuan hesitated no longer. He roared the order, signaling all Frostwarden realm experts to lead their troops back to the building area to regroup.

“It should be the middle of the night on the fifth day of the seventh month by now. I originally thought these walls could hold Longshan off for at least five days, but they were breached in two. So be it. Let them come! Three thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army… I’ll see just how strong they really are!”

Xia Chuan watched as everyone quickly retreated to the building complex, his expression hardening.

With the army gathered together, many of the holes along the perimeter were now unguarded. It was only a matter of time before the Longyou Army entered.

But he didn’t remain idle. He led the other Frostwarden realm experts, in groups of five, to continue patrolling all the holes, wary that Longshan might try to sneak people in through an opening while their army was regrouping.

“Stalling for time is the right move. This is only the second day. We keep stalling!”

Chapter 304: The Two Armies Clash, a Desperate Fight to the Death

Xia Chuan’s delaying tactic didn’t last long.

Just as he’d said, the moment he ordered the garrison to assemble in the building district, he had essentially invited Longshan’s people down.

Less than half an hour after the garrison had assembled.

Bang…

“Xia dog, die!”

In the southwest corner, Meng Yi was inspecting a tunnel entrance when he was startled by a sound from a tunnel to his right rear. Before he could even turn to look, a terrifying blade suddenly slashed from behind.

Whoosh…

“Someone’s down here!”

Meng Yi shouted a warning to the others first before drawing his saber to block.

Clang…

The greatsaber struck his back, the two blades clashing violently. The tremendous force split the skin between Meng Yi’s thumbs and forefingers, sending him stumbling forward more than ten meters.

“His strength is more than double mine. I can’t beat him!”

Meng Yi was one of the first from Great Xia to break through to the Frostwarden realm. Even with the Yang Core Pills provided by Xia Hong during this time, and having reached the mid-Frostwarden realm, his base strength was only just over the Third Mane.

After taking that blow, he instantly realized the person behind him was far stronger. Without backup, he stood no chance. So, as he was sent flying by the blow, he quickly turned and ran toward the main building complex.

“Xia dog, die.”

“Time to die!”

…

As it turned out, his judgment was correct.

It wasn’t just the southwest corner. From all directions across the Hive Main Area, the furious cries of Longshan’s Frostwarden realm warriors rang out. It was clear that they had split up and descended through the various unguarded tunnels.

The entire Main Area was only about three kilometers in diameter. The sound of Frostwarden realm combat was already astounding, and after the initial cries, the whole area began to tremble as battles erupted everywhere.

“Did you think you’d be safe cowering underground? I’d like to see where you can hide now!”

Li Xuanling’s deep, wrathful voice echoed throughout the Main Area.

Thump… Thump… Thump…

Immediately after, a series of thuds sounded, signaling that the soldiers of the Longyou Army were now entering the Main Area through the tunnels broken open by the gnawing rodents.

“Fire!”

Meng Yi had just rushed back to the building district from the southwest corner when he heard Xia Chuan’s roar from the north, immediately followed by the continuous sound of arrows being loosed.

Swish, swish, swish, swish…

Meng Yi hurried toward the northern area, only to find that several hundred Longyou soldiers had already descended at a spot just two or three hundred meters from the buildings. Leading them were Li Xuanling and seven or eight other Frostwarden realm experts. Xia Chuan, along with Yuan Cheng, Yue Feng, and Zhu Yuan, was rapidly falling back toward the building complex.

The Great Xia garrison force on the northern periphery was frantically firing arrows at the Longyou soldiers.

But unlike the Cloud Serpent Army or the main Longyou Army, these garrison soldiers were firing their bows in teams of two or three.

Meng Yi glanced toward the hundreds of Longyou soldiers, then quickly turned with an anxious look to issue orders to his own troops.

“Front ranks, halt! Rear ranks, keep firing! Fall back in alternating lines, quickly!”

The Earthforger realm soldiers of Great Xia in the Hive all had a base strength below thirty thousand catties, which was why they needed two or three men to draw a bow. As a result, both their accuracy and rate of fire were far inferior to the Longyou Army opposite them.

That’s right. Under Li Xuanling’s command, the Longyou soldiers had also begun to return fire.

Thwack… Thwack… Thwack…

Standing on high ground, Meng Yi had a clear view. Although there were only a few hundred Longyou soldiers in that sector, the casualties they were inflicting were far greater than Great Xia’s.

“Director, there are fewer than two thousand garrison soldiers on the northern perimeter! It’s impossible to hold them off. Our only chance is to concentrate our forces! We must retreat for now!”

“Zhu Yuan, lead the army in retreat! Meng Yi, return to the Main Building and prepare!”

Xia Chuan had already fallen back to the front of his army. He, Yuan Cheng, and the others were using their weapons to constantly bat away the arrows shot by the Longyou soldiers. Hearing Meng Yi’s words, he answered without hesitation.

The five-thousand-strong garrison on the perimeter had been split into three groups, commanded by Meng Yi, Zhu Yuan, and Hong Tian respectively. Zhu Yuan was in charge of the northern sector, which was why Xia Chuan ordered him to take command of the retreat.

Since Meng Yi had been able to rush over from the southwest, it meant the pressure on his side was not as great. Xia Chuan naturally entrusted him with the task of preparing the Main Building.

Zhu Yuan acted fast, quickly moving to the rear to direct the army’s orderly retreat. With his command, the withdrawal immediately became much faster.

Meng Yi wasted no time either, turning and running toward the Main Building.

The Hive’s underground Main Area was a circular region three kilometers in diameter. The building complex radiated outward from the Main Building at its core, occupying ninety percent of that area, leaving a gap of less than three hundred meters around the perimeter.

The Great Xia garrison in the north had just retreated from that outer perimeter. They had been firing with their backs to the buildings, so a quick turn was all it took to re-enter the complex.

Seeing the Great Xia forces on the north side retreat, not even daring to collect the dozens of bodies on the ground, Li Xuanling simply raised a hand, signaling her troops to halt.

“They’re all ordinary Earthforger realm soldiers. What is Great Xia playing at?” Meng Ying commented as he approached, clutching a handful of iron arrows fired by the Great Xia army.

Hearing this, Li Xuanling’s brow furrowed. She had been close enough to the enemy to see how they were firing their bows; Meng Ying wasn’t the only one who had noticed.

“What’s so strange about that? The Great Xia garrison has over ten thousand soldiers. They’ll use these ordinary Earthforgers to wear us down first. When the time is right, the Cloud Serpent Army will come out to finish us off. Isn’t that Xia Hong’s plan?”

As soon as Li Xuanping spoke, several people around him nodded in agreement.

However, Meng Ying immediately shook his head and said, “The north is our main direction of attack. The tunnel entrances are too small; we’ve only managed to get six hundred men in so far. The Cloud Serpent Army has over a thousand troops. If Xia Hong led them in a direct assault to pin us down, it shouldn’t be difficult.”

The others weren’t fools; they quickly understood Meng Ying’s meaning.

If all three thousand Longyou troops had attacked at once, Li Xuanping’s guess would be plausible. After all, Great Xia’s advantage was their numbers. Sending ordinary Earthforgers to chip away at their strength before committing the Cloud Serpent Army would certainly increase their chances of victory.

The problem was, the Longyou Army wasn’t attacking simultaneously. They were entering sequentially through various tunnels. The northern tunnel, being the farthest from the building complex and slightly larger than the others—able to accommodate two men at once—was designated by Li Xuanling as the main point of attack, where she would lead the bulk of her forces.

Even so, in the past ten-odd minutes, they had only managed to get just over six hundred soldiers inside. With such a small force, if Xia Hong were to press the attack with the Cloud serpent Army now, he would very likely be able to block them.

Not to mention, at the start of the engagement, they had even fewer men inside.

If Xia Hong had led his army over then, it would have been even easier to block the tunnel entrance.

Therefore, Li Xuanping’s theory that Xia Hong was using ordinary soldiers to attrite them was clearly untenable.

“Enough. No matter what tricks Xia Hong is playing, Great Xia is doomed to defeat today. Have the soldiers speed up their entry. The rest of you, split up and inform the others. Have all soldiers assemble on the north side immediately. Prepare to attack the city!”

Li Xuanling cut off their speculation and issued the order to assemble.

Several Frostwarden realm experts immediately dispersed toward the perimeter of the building complex to notify the soldiers coming down from other tunnels to gather here.

Li Xuanling turned her gaze toward the buildings, her brow furrowed.

She couldn’t figure out why the Cloud Serpent Army hadn’t moved to block them either. But having the army descend through multiple tunnels simultaneously was an Open Scheme. Even if Xia Hong did lead his men to block one entrance, a large number of soldiers would still pour in from the others.

“Has he seen through it? Does he know he can’t stop us from coming down no matter what, so he’s gathering all his forces for a final, desperate stand?”

Li Xuanling pondered for a moment, then scanned the surrounding battlefield. Seeing only three bodies of Longyou soldiers on the ground and no more than a dozen wounded, a cold sneer touched her lips.

In the recent archery exchange, they had killed sixty to seventy of Great Xia’s soldiers and wounded hundreds. In contrast, they had only lost three men, with a dozen or so wounded. This was the absolute dominance the Longyou Army demonstrated in a direct confrontation with ordinary Earthforger realm soldiers.

“Even with ten thousand men, you only have less than a thousand from the Cloud Serpent Army. The other nine thousand would crumble like houses of cards before my Longyou Army. No matter how many tricks and schemes you have, you can’t bridge this massive gap in strength. If you won’t withdraw from Longyou, then you can all leave your lives here!”

Her repeated clashes with Xia Hong had mostly ended in disastrous defeat. For someone as proud as Li Xuanling, this was naturally unacceptable. Now, finally seeing hope for a great victory, her spirits were considerably lifted.

The Main Area was only three kilometers across. The Longyou soldiers descending from the surrounding tunnels, led by their Frostwarden realm officers, quickly assembled on the north side.

Li Xuanling scanned the Frostwarden experts at the forefront, counting fifty-one. Confirming that no one was missing, her expression relaxed considerably.

Xia Hong’s strength was too formidable, and Great Xia had numerous Frostwarden realm experts. By splitting her army into multiple groups to descend simultaneously, her biggest fear was one of them running into Xia Hong or Great Xia’s main force, resulting in casualties among her Frostwarden experts.

Fortunately, that hadn’t happened. The army seemed to have descended smoothly.

“What are the soldier casualties?”

“Already tallied on the way. Twelve dead, twenty-one wounded. It seems Great Xia didn’t put up any real resistance. Of the thirteen groups, none encountered Xia Hong. The four groups that did engage Great Xia’s garrison only faced ordinary Earthforger realm soldiers, who retreated into the building complex after a brief fight. The main force of the Cloud Serpent Army never appeared.”

The speaker was Cheng Guang. He had not only carefully counted the soldiers but also compiled a summary of what each of the thirteen groups had encountered after descending.

“And enemy casualties?”

Cheng Guang’s expression brightened. He quickly replied, “We haven’t done a detailed count, but based on rough estimates, we’ve killed at least three hundred, with many more wounded.”

Hearing this, the faces of Longshan’s experts lit up with excitement.

To break into the Main Area with such minimal losses—this was the strength of the Longyou Army!

“Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, ready the army to advance. Xuan Ping, Xuanqiu, Meng Ying, Cheng Guang, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, Song Kang, you seven will follow me into the building complex to scout and see what Great Xia is really up to.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

With Li Xuanling’s command, she singled out seven of her stronger Frostwarden realm experts and headed directly into the building complex. The remaining experts, under the command of Li Xuanyan and his brothers, quickly organized the army to prepare for the assault.

The outer perimeter of the main area wasn’t that large. Li Xuanling and her group of eight only had to walk a hundred meters before entering the building district. They spread out their senses along the way, and detecting no presence of Great Xia soldiers, they advanced straight toward the Main Building.

“So many buildings have been dismantled?”

“They’ve taken the iron components. They must have set up a barrier on the inner perimeter. Great Xia is planning to hole up and fight to the death.”

Upon entering the building district, they immediately noticed that ninety percent of the buildings on both sides had been dismantled. The scavenged parts were mainly structural components like beams and pillars, including the reinforced sections of the eaves.

“Look ahead. By the Main Building. They’ve already erected an iron wall.”

Just as Meng Ying voiced his guess about Great Xia’s intentions, Li Xuanling, who was at the front, pointed toward the Main Building for everyone to see.

They looked up, their expressions slightly stunned.

Three or four hundred meters ahead stood a makeshift barricade built from countless pieces of scrap iron, reaching a height of seven or eight meters.

Li Xuanling led the others to the top of a nearby building. Looking out from there, they realized that the junk barricade completely encircled the Main Building, creating a circular space five hundred meters in diameter.

“They think this can stop us? Are they mad?” Cheng Guang said, his eyes filled with disbelief. The others all began to sneer.

The Hive Main Area’s outer wall had been able to stop them primarily because the iron walls were buried in earth, making them difficult to punch through. The second reason was their thickness; without heavy siege equipment, not even the strongest among them, Li Xuanling, could break through a wall over ten meters thick in a short time.

But this barricade before them? What was this?

Beams, plates, pillars, pipes… it was just a pile of iron construction materials cobbled together. Calling it a barricade was giving it too much credit.

Their Frostwarden realm experts wouldn’t even need to act. This heap of scrap metal couldn’t even stop a small contingent of Longyou soldiers.

“I can see the Xia army. Meng Ying, tell the main force to advance quickly!”

At Li Xuanling’s order, Meng Ying quickly turned to notify the army behind them.

Every Earthforger realm cultivator from the Ice Abyss, unless under special circumstances, would have served in a Hunting team and fought Frost Beasts in the wilderness. Therefore, their combat prowess, whether individually or in small units, was exceptionally formidable.

If this was true for ordinary Earthforgers, it was even more so for the soldiers of the Longyou Army, whose cultivation was at the Earthforger limit at a minimum.

Although Great Xia had more soldiers, their average cultivation level and equipment were far inferior. Abandoning small-scale urban warfare within the building complex in favor of a fortified defense was undoubtedly a wise move.

But precisely because of this wise move, the Longyou Army had no need to worry about ambushes within the buildings.

Li Xuanling and the six beside her could already see the thousands of Great Xia soldiers clustered below the Main Building behind the barricade.

After Meng Ying left, she continued to lead the other six forward, moving closer to gather more information on the Great Xia garrison.

“Five thousand. No, more. The total should be around six thousand.”

“There should be more inside the Main Building. We’re too far to sense their strength.”

“The two thousand or so in the front ranks are wearing Hundred-forged grade armor and weapons. But the colors are a mix. The pale gold belongs to Great Xia, the black is ours from Longshan, the crimson is what they captured from the Blood Guard Army, and there’s also that batch we were sending to Baiyuan. This group must be the Cloud Serpent Army and Great Xia’s main force, right?”

“No, no, that’s wrong. Great Xia wiped out two of Longyou’s armies. Counting the 800 new sets, they should have captured around 2500 sets of Hundred-forged armor and weapons. Add the 1000 from the Cloud Serpent Army, and they should have at least 3500 men who can wear Hundred-forged armor. There are only about two thousand here. Is the Cloud Serpent Army not out yet?”

“Not out? Are they inside the Main Building?”

“There are figures visible in the Main Building. There’s a large force in there.”

“Keep moving forward. We just need to get close enough to sense their strength.”

Li Xuanling cut off their speculation and took the lead, moving forward until she was only a dozen meters from the barricade. The distance to the Great Xia garrison inside was just about two hundred meters.

“No, these are all ordinary Earthforgers. The Cloud Serpent Army still hasn’t come out.”

Sensing the general cultivation level of the front-rank soldiers, Li Xuanling’s brow wrinkled. There was no need to even check those behind them wearing Ten-forged grade equipment. This meant the Cloud Serpent Army was still hiding inside the Main Building.

“This Xia Hong, he certainly has a lot of patience!”

“Not just Xia Hong. Great Xia’s Frostwarden experts are patient, too. They’re just letting the soldiers hold the front line. It seems none of them are here.”

Thump, thump, thump…

Li Xuanling and her group had been scouting for less than a hundred breaths of time when the three thousand fully assembled Longyou soldiers marched over from the rear like a dark tide.

“All men, draw bows!”

“Draw bows!”

The moment the Longyou Army came into the Great Xia garrison’s line of sight, Meng Yi’s voice from within the barricade and Li Xuanyan’s command from outside rang out almost simultaneously.

Creaaak… Creaaak…

The more than six thousand Great Xia soldiers inside and the three thousand Longyou soldiers outside all drew their heavy bows to full draw at the same time. The creaking sound of several thousand taut bowstrings reverberated through the entire Main Area.

The atmosphere instantly became thick with killing intent. The front-rank soldiers on both sides felt as if they could see each other through the barricade, could see the murderous glare in their opponents’ eyes.

“Why isn’t Xia Hong out yet…”

The two armies were less than three hundred meters apart, almost within effective firing range of each other.

Yet on Great Xia’s side, not only was their Leader, Xia Hong, nowhere to be seen, but there were also only a few Frostwarden experts on the perimeter.

Li Xuanling’s heart skipped a beat. She finally felt a faint sense of unease.

But the arrow was nocked and must be fired. No matter how wrong it felt, she had to lead the Longyou Army forward now.

“Fire!”

With Li Xuanling’s command, the taut bowstrings of three thousand Longyou soldiers were released in an instant.

Swish, swish, swish…

Swish, swish, swish…

“Fire!”

Meng Yi, positioned below the Main Building, had shouted his command in sync with Li Xuanling.

Thus, the six thousand Great Xia soldiers, drawing their bows in teams, released their bowstrings at nearly the same time as the Longyou Army.

Two volleys of arrows flew toward each other through the air. The fierce power of the thirty-Stone heavy bows stirred up a great wind throughout the Main Area. But anyone paying attention would have noticed that the number of iron arrows fired by Great Xia was clearly fewer than that of the Longyou Army.

Thwack… Thwack…

The effective range of an iron bow was generally within two hundred meters, but that was for accurate shots, not its maximum range.

A thirty-Stone heavy bow could shoot nearly four hundred meters, but beyond two hundred meters, not only would its accuracy decrease, but its force would also be greatly reduced.

That was why in hunts or small-scale battles, archers would keep the distance under two hundred meters, sometimes even closer to ensure a hit.

But this situation was clearly different.

In a battle between armies, whichever side closed the distance first would be at a disadvantage.

That was why Li Xuanling had her soldiers fire from three hundred meters away.

Moreover, she could see that the Great Xia soldiers needed to work together to draw their bows, which meant their rate of fire and accuracy were even worse than the Longyou Army’s.

Although the force of the iron arrows would diminish over three hundred meters, the soldiers in the front ranks would definitely be unable to dodge. To avoid obstructing the soldiers behind them, anyone wounded in the front would immediately retreat to the rear, and others would step up to continue firing.

The situation unfolded just as Li Xuanling had predicted. The Great Xia army’s rate of fire and accuracy were far inferior to the Longyou soldiers’. In the continuous exchange of arrow volleys, Great Xia’s casualties were far greater than their own, and their lines were showing signs of slowly falling back.

“Great Xia was prepared. They have more iron arrows than we do. Have the army keep pressing forward. We must reach the barricade before we run out of arrows.”

“Understood!”

After giving the order to Li Xuanyan, Li Xuanling drew her longsword. She turned to the seven Frostwarden experts beside her and said sharply, “Prepare to charge the formation with me!”

“This subordinate takes his command!”

Li Xuanping, Li Xuanqiu, Meng Ying, Cheng Guang, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, and Song Kang all replied in low voices, quickly drawing their weapons and turning their eyes to the Great Xia army.

Li Xuanyan, Li Xuantian, and Li Xuandu were still commanding the army. These seven were the strongest among Longshan’s Frostwarden experts, with the weakest having a strength of at least the Ninth Mane. They would have no problem withstanding the arrow volleys for ten or so breaths. As long as they could break Great Xia’s arrow formation and allow the Longyou Army to close in, the outcome of this great battle would be decided.

Li Xuanling led the seven forward, her eyes fixed on the quivers of the Longyou soldiers on the flanks. When she saw that there were less than three or four iron arrows left in each quiver, she let out a fierce cry, “Charge the formation!”

Swoosh…

The eight Frostwarden realm experts charged forward, practically braving the storm of Great Xia’s arrows. Their weapons became blurs in front of them, deflecting countless iron arrows. They shattered the flimsy scrap metal barricade and, in an instant, were less than a hundred meters from the Great Xia army.

“Longyou Army, abandon bows! Charge with your Leader!”

Li Xuanyan’s voice suddenly thundered from the rear ranks.

At the command, regardless of whether they had fired all their arrows, all three thousand Longyou soldiers immediately dropped their iron bows and quivers, took the long spears from their backs, held them level, and charged fiercely toward the Main Building.

“The Longyou Army is invincible!”

“The Longyou Army is invincible!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

…

An army of three thousand at the Earthforger limit, roaring as they charged forward in unison. One didn’t even need to imagine the sense of pressure; one could get a sense of the whole picture just from the trembling of the entire Hive Main Area.

The soldiers’ roars caused the very ground to shake. The buildings in the area, already in shambles from being dismantled, began to collapse one after another, perhaps from the tremors or from the air currents stirred up by the charging army.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM…

The Great Xia soldiers seemed to be stunned by the sheer momentum of the Longyou Army.

They had indeed prepared far more iron arrows than the Longyou Army, so when the enemy charged after running out of arrows, they were still firing.

But the Longyou Army’s charge was too terrifying. For a moment, some of them were intimidated, and the rhythm of their archery was broken.

“Do not be afraid! Hold the line! Keep firing!”

Meng Yi noticed the change in his side’s situation from the decreased volume of arrows and immediately roared, telling everyone not to panic and to continue firing.

He didn’t just shout encouragement; he himself wasn’t idle. The Third Mane heavy bow in his hands was being drawn so fast it nearly sparked, sending a frenzy of iron arrows streaking toward Li Xuanling and the other seven who were charging at the front.

Of course, it wasn’t just him, but also Zhu Yuan and Hong Tian.

The three commanders were all equipped with a Third Mane heavy bow. All three were now continuously drawing their bowstrings, trying to stop Li Xuanling’s group from getting close to their formation.

Clang…

Unfortunately, the strength of the eight was simply too overwhelming.

Especially Li Xuanling. She didn’t even flinch at the arrow volleys from the Great Xia garrison, let alone the arrows fired by Meng Yi’s trio. Wielding her silver longsword, she swung it continuously, deflecting countless arrows as she closed the final ten-odd meters to the Great Xia army.

“Xia Hong, still not coming out!”

She had charged all the way to this point and still hadn’t seen Xia Hong. Li Xuanling’s mind went blank for a moment. She had realized something, and her expression gradually twisted with fury. Looking at the Great Xia army before her, the killing intent in her eyes surged to its peak.

Swoosh…

Empowered by the ferocious strength of the Twenty-first Mane, the edge of her silver longsword became almost tangible as she slashed viciously at the front rank of the Great Xia army.

Swish, swish, swish…

From the moment Li Xuanling charged with her seven companions, the front rank of the Great Xia army had shifted their aim from the Longyou Army to them. The problem was, the eight were too strong. The arrows fired by this small group of soldiers in the front wouldn’t cause much damage even if they hit. As for the strongest, Li Xuanling, they couldn’t hit her at all, because no matter how many arrows they shot, they would be deflected by her longsword.

By the time Li Xuanling charged over, the front-rank Xia soldiers had already dropped their longbows and drawn their weapons. Faced with such a terrifying sword strike, not a single one retreated. Instead, all of them chose to attempt the impossible, trying to block it.

Seeing the actions of these Great Xia soldiers, Li Xuanling was not only surprised but even felt a trace of admiration in her eyes.

Of course, none of that affected her strike.

“You’re courting death!”

Clang!

At the critical moment, a three-meter-tall behemoth flew out from behind the Great Xia army. A giant sword swung forward and met Li Xuanling’s.

Crack…

It blocked the blow, but only for an instant.

The greatsaber on the three-meter-tall saber puppet’s right arm was severed clean off.

“A saber puppet. Xia Chuan!”

Li Xuanling looked at the golden puppet that had suddenly appeared before her, showing no surprise on her face. The New Army soldiers who had escaped the battle at Long White Gully had already told her about Xia Chuan’s saber puppet.

Xia Chuan stood behind the saber puppet, his expression incredibly grim. To sever the puppet’s saber arm in a single strike—Li Xuanling’s strength far exceeded his imagination.

But he still did not hesitate. His hands danced, silk threads flying, controlling the saber puppet to continue charging at Li Xuanling while he quickly gave orders:

“Yuan Cheng, lead your men and hold them back! Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, keep an eye on them! Do not let the rear ranks of the Longyou Army press forward!”

Li Xuanling’s expression hardened. As she raised her sword to block the saber puppet, she sensed a long spear thrusting at her from behind and immediately turned to parry.

Chen Yingyuan had arrived!

It wasn’t just Chen Yingyuan. Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Yue Feng, Lin Kai… all of Great Xia’s twenty-odd Frostwarden realm experts had charged out of the Main Building.

Not to be outdone, Longshan’s fifty-plus Frostwarden realm experts quickly broke off from the rear ranks, bypassed the Longyou soldiers, and charged straight into Great Xia’s front line.

Boom…

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of Frostwarden realm experts, Great Xia’s forces immediately began to fall back.

It was not a simple retreat. The lives of the front-line soldiers were being constantly reaped by Longshan’s experts. The arrow volleys had taken a few hundred lives at most, but with the charge of these fifty-plus experts, the casualties instantly began to multiply.

Watching his soldiers fall continuously, Xia Chuan, who was barely holding on against Li Xuanling, could finally bear it no longer. He threw his head back and roared at the Main Building:

“Zhao Long, what are you waiting for?! Now!”

Kaka-kaka…

On the upper floors of the Main Building, wooden panels were pushed aside, revealing countless heavy bows. Cold, dark arrows were aimed at the Longyou soldiers in the rear below.

“Fire!”

With Zhao Long’s order, a massive volley of arrows rained down from the Main Building, descending upon the rear ranks of the Longyou Army.

Li Xuanling and the other fifty-two Frostwarden realm experts were indeed powerful, and they had managed to engage the Great Xia army with the vanguard of the Longyou forces.

But precisely because they were too strong and had charged too fast, they had become disconnected from the main body of the Longyou Army behind them.

Zhao Long and his three thousand men had been lying in wait on the upper floors of the Main Building for a long time. Firing from such a high vantage point, the destructive power of the arrow volley was immediately apparent.

The front ranks of the Longyou Army were already engaged with the garrison, so using bows against them was impossible. But the rear ranks were a different story.

Thwack… Thwack… Thwack…

The Longyou soldiers in the rear finally began to fall in droves.

Although the numbers weren’t staggering, it was the best result Great Xia had achieved since the battle began.

“Hold the line! We must hold them, even if it costs us our lives! If the rear ranks of the Longyou Army can’t get through, and we wear down this vanguard, we’ll have a chance!”

Xia Chuan’s roar was another shot of adrenaline for the retreating Great Xia soldiers. Incredibly, they all threw caution to the wind and counter-charged.

“Hahahaha, I can take on three of them! It’s worth it even if I die!”

Yuan Cheng was clearly being besieged by three Frostwarden realm experts and was in a perilous situation, yet he joked that he could take on three at once.

Hearing his joke, the morale of the Great Xia soldiers surged once more.

“Brothers, no retreat! Longshan will be defeated!”

“Kill!”

…

Chapter 305: Signs of Defeat Emerge, the Snow Bamboo’s Gambit

Xia Chuan’s roar and the banter from Yuan Cheng and the other Frostwarden realm experts sent the morale of the Great Xia garrison, fighting to the death on all four sides of the Main Building, soaring once more.

That’s right, all four sides.

The Longyou Army had originally attacked from the north, but with over three thousand men, one direction was not enough. Under the command of Longshan’s Frostwarden realm experts, the Longyou soldiers had long since split off to the flanks, completely encircling the area a hundred-odd meters around the Main Building.

The scene at this moment was one of several thousand Great Xia soldiers, their backs to the Main Building, desperately holding back the Longyou soldiers who were relentlessly charging inward from the perimeter.

Crash…

On the west side of the Main Building, dozens of Longyou soldiers had already torn open a breach and pushed a dozen meters inside. Although Great Xia soldiers constantly moved to fill the gap and block them, the difference in strength between the two sides was simply too great.

Crack…

“The land of Longyou will not be defiled by others! Brothers, kill all the Xia dogs!”

A Longyou soldier bellowed after cutting down several Great Xia soldiers with his butcher’s knife. He then led a dozen or so comrades in another charge, advancing three or four more meters.

Pfft…

Unfortunately for him, that was as far as he would go.

The soldier had charged too recklessly, failing to notice a silver-gleaming iron arrow streaking toward his face from atop the Main Building.

Just as he raised his blade to strike again, the arrow struck him squarely in the forehead. The sharp arrowhead pierced through the back of his skull, killing him instantly.

“Brothers, we can’t fall back! Fill the breach! Drive them all out!”

“Don’t retreat! Any further back and we’ll be at the base of the building! Charge!”

“Lord Zhao Long and the others are giving us covering fire with their arrows! If we retreat to the building, they won’t have a clear shot! Charge, everyone, charge forward!”

…

Despite the hoarse cries and relentless sacrifices of the Great Xia garrison, the breach continued to widen. Once the dozen or so Longyou soldiers secured their footing, a steady stream of reinforcements poured in from behind them.

The gap grew, and soon they were only twenty or thirty meters from the Main Building.

These were, after all, the elites of Longshan. Against Great Xia’s Earthforger realm soldiers, almost every Longyou soldier could take on three, five, or even more opponents.

The battle had already raged for over an hour. If not for the Great Xia garrison fighting with their lives on the line, coupled with the precise covering fire from Zhao Long and the other Frostwarden experts in the Main Building, this would hardly be the only breach in their lines.

“Hah… Die!”

Bang!

Just as the breach was rapidly expanding, a double-bladed great axe smashed in from the flank, felling three Longyou soldiers in a single cleave. It then swung around in a wide arc, sweeping aside all the other Longyou soldiers in the vicinity.

“Don’t panic! Their rear ranks can’t get in! Just hold against this wave!”

Dressed in black, the burly Yuan Cheng was like a god of war. He spun his great axe in a furious whirlwind, sending more than a dozen Longyou soldiers flying while also shouting reminders to the surrounding Great Xia garrison, urging them to keep pushing forward.

As expected of a Frostwarden expert, Yuan Cheng, with his Third Mane strength, immediately halted the expansion of the breach upon entering the fray. As he continuously pushed outward, the breach even began to show signs of closing.

“Xia dog! You think you can stop us alone? You’re courting death!”

Unfortunately, Yuan Cheng’s ferocious display did not last long.

Longshan’s Frostwarden experts quickly arrived to reinforce their troops.

And there was more than one!

Dressed in white, Li Xuanping intercepted Yuan Cheng’s great axe with his saber.

Simultaneously, two more Frostwarden experts appeared on either side of Yuan Cheng. One slashed his saber horizontally at Yuan Cheng’s neck from the upper left, while the other thrust his sword diagonally toward Yuan Cheng’s heart from the lower right.

“Damn it!”

The moment his great axe was stopped, Yuan Cheng knew Li Xuanping’s strength far surpassed his own. Instead of clashing head-on, he pulled his axe to the left, attempting to retreat.

However, with lethal attacks aimed at his vitals from both sides, he had almost no path of escape. No matter which way he dodged, death awaited.

Yuan Cheng gritted his teeth. With a flick of his eyes, he slammed his axe to the left while simultaneously leaping into the air.

“Trying to break through on the left? You think you can escape?”

A savage grin appeared on Li Xuanping’s face. He pressed down hard with the saber that was locking the great axe, and Yuan Cheng’s ascending body was immediately forced back down.

Shhlick… Pfft…

Forcibly pushed down by Li Xuanping, Yuan Cheng failed to complete his leap, and his escape attempt was naturally thwarted.

Fortunately, his struggle was not in vain.

The sword from the right found its mark, but it pierced through him near his armpit. The saber from the left also hit, but it sliced across the collarbone an inch below his neck.

This was a clash between Frostwarden experts. Even if the blows didn’t strike vital points, the damage they inflicted was terrifying.

The pale gold iron armor Yuan Cheng wore offered almost no protection; it was instantly breached. A long gash was torn across his chest, and a bloody hole was pierced under his left armpit. As the Frostwarden expert swiftly withdrew his sword, blood gushed out, instantly dyeing his upper garments red.

Frostwarden experts only possessed hide strength and base strength far exceeding those of the Earthforger realm; they were still within the bounds of normal humans. Even if not fatal, such severe injuries, from the sheer pain alone, were enough to completely drain Yuan Cheng of his strength.

As the three had expected, Yuan Cheng’s face was contorted in agony, and his head hung low—a clear sign of exhaustion.

“Ha!”

But what happened next made Li Xuanping’s eyes widen in an instant.

Yuan Cheng’s head snapped up, the pain on his face vanishing in a flash. His eyes immediately became bloodshot as he let out a roar and raised his great axe, bringing it down viciously on the man with the saber to his left.

Whoosh…

During the Martial Arts Tournament in June, Yuan Cheng’s great axe had been of the Hundred-forged grade. After the tournament, he had immediately used his contribution points to commission a Thousand-forged double-bladed great axe from the Artisan Department. He had been slightly worried that the axe wouldn’t be ready before the war with Longyou began.

Luckily, Mu Dong had entrusted the finished axe to the batch of people transferred from Xiacheng a few days ago, and they had brought it to him.

A Thousand-forged weapon was not particularly special, especially in the eyes of Longshan’s Frostwarden experts, who all wielded weapons of the same grade.

But it was essential. Like the people of Great Xia, these Frostwarden experts from Longshan were also clad in armor. Without a Thousand-forged weapon, he couldn’t even break through their defenses, let alone injure them.

Yuan Cheng’s desperate, all-or-nothing axe strike not only exceeded Li Xuanping’s expectations but also completely caught the saber-wielding Frostwarden expert on the left off guard. His face was a mask of shock.

He clearly hadn’t expected that Yuan Cheng, after suffering two heavy blows and with his upper body nearly drenched in blood, could still raise his great axe and swing it at him. Judging by the sound of the air displaced by the axe, it seemed his opponent was still unleashing his full power.

How was this possible?

Regardless of his disbelief, his movements were still swift. He quickly drew back his saber and retreated, attempting to dodge. Li Xuanping and the sword-wielder also reacted instantly, lunging forward to continue their assault on Yuan Cheng and intercept him.

Unfortunately, it all happened too quickly. Yuan Cheng had just been feigning weakness to deceive them, which meant the three of them reacted a step too slow.

Crack…

Yuan Cheng’s target was clear: the Frostwarden expert with the saber. He completely ignored the other two as his great axe chopped straight down.

In his haste, the Frostwarden expert managed to raise his saber behind him to block, but his strength was no match for Li Xuanping’s. His saber was shattered by the great axe, and the axe blade bit three or four inches into his back.

The sound of bones breaking was sickeningly clear. A flash of pain crossed the man’s eyes before his body slammed onto the ground with a thud, his fate uncertain.

“Yuan Ning!”

Seeing his nephew struck down by the great axe, Li Xuanping’s voice was filled with fury as he swung his saber directly at Yuan Cheng’s head.

Whoosh…

The power of a nine-Mane expert was evident in the whistling sound of Li Xuanping’s wrathful strike.

Yuan Cheng dropped his great axe and, casting aside all dignity, threw himself to the ground in a desperate dodge.

“He can still move so freely after such heavy injuries? Does he feel no pain?”

Seeing Yuan Cheng’s evasive maneuver, the sword-wielding Frostwarden expert couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.

Li Xuanping also sensed that something was wrong, but at that moment, he was consumed by the desire to kill Yuan Cheng and had no time to ponder the reason. He swung his saber straight toward Yuan Cheng’s abdomen.

Yuan Cheng was weaker and far slower than him. Even by shamelessly rolling on the ground to escape, he was caught within two or three breaths. His abdomen was about to be split open by the saber.

Swoosh…

At that critical moment, a silver iron arrow shot forth from the Main Building behind them.

If it were an arrow from an ordinary soldier, Li Xuanping would have ignored it. But this arrow, from its color to its speed, was clearly extraordinary, and it was aimed at his face. He had no choice but to turn his head to avoid it.

But that slight turn threw off the aim of his descending blade.

The saber, originally aimed at Yuan Cheng’s abdomen, suddenly veered toward his thigh.

Clang…

A long, narrow saber suddenly stabbed at Li Xuanping from the flank, toward his armpit. Now, he couldn’t even strike Yuan Cheng’s thigh. He had to withdraw his saber to parry the narrow blade.

“Shi Ping, you… you broke through!”

Yuan Cheng quickly scrambled to his feet. Seeing Shi Ping, the wielder of the long saber, he first looked stunned, then his face lit up with joy.

To be able to force back Li Xuanping with a saber…

Clearly, Shi Ping had also broken through to the Frostwarden realm.

“Prefect, now is not the time for that.”

Shi Ping, who had just broken through, showed no joy at Yuan Cheng’s words. Instead, his expression was grim.

Yuan Cheng followed his gaze and noticed that Shi Ping’s armor was also broken, his upper body almost completely soaked in blood. His condition looked even worse than his own.

He glanced around and understood why Shi Ping said it wasn’t the time.

While he had been entangled with Li Xuanping and his men, the breach he had previously blocked had been completely overrun by Longyou soldiers.

Now, all four sides of the Main Building had turned into a battlefield.

Apart from the thousand or so men still clinging to the vicinity of the Main Building, the rest of the Great Xia garrison was locked in combat with the Longyou soldiers.

No, “locked in combat” was perhaps too generous a description for the Great Xia garrison.

Whether judging by the ratio of bodies on the ground or the overall state of the battlefield, the Great Xia side was clearly in full retreat, on the verge of annihilation.

Every Longyou soldier could fight against multiple opponents, not to mention their overwhelming superiority in the number of Frostwarden experts. A quick scan was all it took for Yuan Cheng to see that Yue Feng, Qiu Peng, Lin Kai, Hong Guang, Meng Yi, and all the other Frostwarden experts were almost all heavily wounded. Some had even fallen, their status unknown.

It wasn’t just them. Even Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan on the north side were being beaten back by Li Xuanling, their bodies covered in sword wounds and saber cuts. Xia Chuan’s golden saber puppet had been reduced to its torso; the four great blades attached to its limbs had all been severed by Li Xuanling’s longsword.

The garrison was falling, Frostwarden experts were starting to die, and the entire army was in retreat. How long had it been? How long…

Keep in mind, because of the suppressive archery from the three thousand-plus men in the Main Building, more than half of the three thousand Longyou troops were still pinned down in the outer circle. The first wave that had reached the Main Building numbered just over a thousand at most.

Six thousand defenders against a little over a thousand attackers, and they had collapsed!

Seeing the second wave of Longyou troops already weathering the arrow storm and closing to within a hundred meters of the battle, Yuan Cheng could no longer hold back and shouted to Xia Chuan:

“Lord Director, we can’t delay any longer! If we do, we’ll lose!”

Clang…

Xia Chuan raised his black saber in front of him. Although he managed to deflect Li Xuanling’s longsword, he couldn’t withstand the force transmitted through the blade. The webbing between his thumb and forefinger split open, and he stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.

If not for Chen Yingyuan’s timely spear thrust from the flank, interrupting Li Xuanling’s follow-up punch, he would have been severely injured, if not killed.

The power disparity is too great. She’s over the twenty-Mane mark. Big Brother can handle sixteen Frostwarden experts, including Li Xuanling, by himself, yet Chen Yingyuan and I together can’t even get an advantage against her. Damn it, damn it, damn it…

The immense difference in strength drove Xia Chuan to the brink of madness. He was already keenly aware of his army’s dire situation; he didn’t need Yuan Cheng’s reminder.

“Where is Xia Hong? Where did your Cloud Serpent Army go?”

At this stage of the battle, how could Li Xuanling not have figured it out? Great Xia soldiers were falling in droves, yet Xia Hong and the Cloud Serpent Army were still nowhere to be seen. There was only one explanation…

They weren’t here.

And if they weren’t here, where else could they be?

“You… already have the answer… in your heart. Why… are you asking me?”

Xia Chuan already had seven or eight bloody holes in his torso, and his left leg had been slashed three times. His injuries were clearly even more severe than Yuan Cheng’s and Shi Ping’s, so he was breathing heavily as he spoke.

But no amount of ragged breathing could hide the thick smugness on his face as he uttered those words.

Li Xuanling’s pupils constricted. She had evidently found the answer in his words.

They went to attack Longshan!

Xia Hong had taken the Cloud Serpent Army to attack Longshan.

How dare he? How could he possibly dare?

The shock on Li Xuanling’s face lasted for no more than three or four breaths before she seemed to realize something. Her expression quickly returned to normal, and a cold sneer formed on her lips.

“Attacking Longshan? What a plan your leader came up with. You don’t actually think Great Xia is the first to have designs on my Longshan, do you? Your Xiacheng may be impregnable, but do you think my Longshan’s garrison is made of paper? Xia Hong’s strength is indeed considerable, but for him to think he can breach Longshan with just that one thousand-man Cloud Serpent Army? Dream on!”

“You’ll know soon enough whether he can breach it or not.”

His innate trust in his older brother gave Xia Chuan no desire to argue with Li Xuanling. After a cold laugh, he quickly turned his head and roared toward the Main Building behind him, “Raise the Bamboo Screens! Zhao Long, lead everyone out! Victory or defeat rests on this moment!”

Raise the Bamboo Screens…

What did that mean?

Not only Li Xuanling, but all the other Frostwarden experts from Longshan heard Xia Chuan’s words.

“Ha, brothers, it’s our time to shine!”

Everyone’s expression froze for a moment. Then, a voice rang out from the base of the Main Building. The thousand-plus men who had been stationed around it quickly split into four companies, taking positions on each of the four sides. Then, working together, they each pulled on three enormous iron chains from the ground.

Krrrrr-rattle-rattle-rattle…

The twelve iron chains, three on each of the four sides, had all been buried underground.

The ends of the chains were connected to points roughly a hundred meters away from the four sides of the Main Building.

With over a thousand men pulling in unison, a snow-white, fine-meshed bamboo net rose from the ground on each of the four sides, a hundred meters out from the building.

The four bamboo nets were square, each about a hundred meters wide. But unlike ordinary bamboo, this bamboo was snow-white and covered in a layer of fine, ten-centimeter-long spikes.

The second wave of Longyou troops, who had yet to reach the Main Building, were now standing right at the edge of the bamboo nets. Xia Chuan had clearly timed this perfectly before ordering the thousand men at the building to act.

Although the nets were woven exceptionally tightly and the three iron chains on each side were thick, they were still made of bamboo. As the nets rose, some Longyou soldiers standing on them managed to cause a fair bit of damage.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh…

“What are these things!”

“The barbs on this bamboo can shoot out!”

“The impact is only ten thousand catties, it can’t break my armor. It’s fine.”

“There are too many! Watch your eyes!”

…

The spikes covering the surface of the Snow Bamboo shot out automatically upon sensing movement.

The moment the four bamboo nets rose, countless spikes fired off, raining down on the Longyou soldiers in front of and behind them.

However, the force of the Snow Bamboo spikes was just over ten thousand catties. Aside from a few unlucky soldiers whose armor was already damaged or who were hit in the eye, the rest of the Longyou soldiers quickly realized that the spikes, at most, could only break their skin and could not cause serious injury.

“This is your gambit? Ridiculous. Great Xia will undoubtedly be defeated tonight!”

Li Xuanling had also figured it out by now. Yuan Cheng’s roar, Xia Chuan’s shout, and the thousand men who had stayed by the Main Building without fighting—it was all for these four bamboo nets.

But what difference could these four nets make?

The Longyou soldiers were all cultivators who had surpassed the thirty-thousand-catty limit, with some already beginning to reforge their hides. A barrage of ten-thousand-catty barbs, no matter how numerous, could not inflict significant damage.

And so Li Xuanling delivered her final verdict, declaring that Great Xia would be undoubtedly defeated tonight.

However, Xia Chuan clearly disagreed with her. He let out two cold laughs.

“Don’t be so hasty!”

Swoosh…

As Xia Chuan’s voice fell, over a thousand iron arrows suddenly flew out from all four sides of the Main Building.

But unlike before, this time the arrowheads were all wreathed in flames.

Whoosh… Whoosh… Whoosh…

Flames instantly engulfed the area around the Main Building.

Countless flaming arrows embedded themselves in the bamboo nets, immediately igniting the Snow Bamboo.

Not a single arrow from the Main Building had been aimed at the Longyou soldiers; all of them had struck the surrounding bamboo nets.

Hiss hiss hiss…

The Snow Bamboo caught fire instantly. The temperature around them soared, while the spikes from the yet-unburned sections continued to shoot toward the Longyou soldiers.

A careful observer would notice that from the moment the temperature rose, a wisp of white smoke began to rise from the tips of the fired spikes and from the skin of the Longyou soldiers where the spikes had cut them.

“My wound… why is it smoking?”

“It’s not just the wounds, the spikes are smoking too…”

“It’s poison! This smoke is toxic!”

…

“Brothers, victory or defeat rests on this!”

“Take out your antidote pills and swallow them! Charge!”

“Slaughter these beasts from Longshan! Avenge our fallen comrades!”

“Kill!!!”

The Snow Bamboo alone could never have dealt with the Longyou Army.

The Soaring Serpent poison smeared on the spikes of the Snow Bamboo was Xia Chuan’s true killing move.

The Longyou Army was indeed powerful, but they were still in the Earthforger realm. At best, they had only begun to reforge their hides. They could not withstand the Soaring Serpent poison’s mist.

The poison-coated spikes had already broken the skin of many Longyou soldiers. Now, catalyzed by the high temperature from the flaming arrows, the poison took immediate effect.

The moment the white smoke rose around the Main Building, Great Xia’s Frostwarden experts had already instructed all their soldiers to take their antidote pills.

After a roar from Zhao Long, the three thousand men who had been hiding inside the Main Building finally dropped their bows. They poured out from all four directions, sweeping up the Great Xia garrison on the perimeter, and charged toward the Longyou Army with overwhelming momentum.

As mentioned before, only the first wave of the Longyou Army had ever reached the Main Building; the second wave had been held back a hundred meters away.

The twin blows of the Snow Bamboo nets and the Soaring Serpent poison threw the second wave of Longyou soldiers into disarray. Many were already showing clear signs of dizziness.

The inner circle of Longyou soldiers, who had been slaughtering their opponents just moments before, were now also being enveloped by the toxic mist. Although the poison hadn’t taken full effect on them yet, palpable panic was spreading through their ranks.

At this very moment, the Great Xia garrison, having taken their antidote pills and bolstered by the three thousand fresh troops led by Zhao Long and ten other Frostwarden experts, came crashing down on them. The intimidating effect was perfect.

Crack…

For more than an hour, Great Xia had been utterly suppressed.

The two to three thousand bodies on the ground were proof of that.

Now, knowing the Longyou soldiers were affected by the Soaring Serpent poison and couldn’t fight at full strength, every last one of Great Xia’s men fell into a frenzy.

“Kill!”

Someone was the first to charge a Longyou soldier in the front rank, raising his saber and hacking at the man’s head with no regard for his own life.

Clang…

He was, of course, no match for the Longyou soldier. Before his saber could land, his shoulder was pierced by the enemy’s spear.

“Longshan dog, die!”

But the Great Xia soldier did not give up. Even with his shoulder impaled, he brought his saber down with ferocious brutality.

Crack…

The Longyou soldier’s shoulder armor split open. A flash of panic crossed his face as he instinctively tried to retreat and disengage from the saber.

However, a second, a third, a fourth… an unending stream of Great Xia soldiers surged forward, instantly burying him.

“Kill!!!”

Zhao Long and the other nine had been waiting impatiently in the Main Building. Just moments ago, they had watched in agony as Xia Chuan was nearly killed by Li Xuanling. Now, finally able to lead the army in a charge, all their pent-up rage exploded onto the nearest Longyou soldiers.

Crash…

It was a foregone conclusion. Not just the Longyou soldiers, but even the group of Longshan Frostwarden experts around the Main Building were instantly scattered by the massive charge.

Li Xuanling was no exception.

Xia Chuan, Chen Yingyuan, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Lin Kai, and the other Frostwarden experts who had been in dire straits were all rescued.

Their injuries were too severe for them to join the charge. They could only stand at the rear, watching the Longyou Army being pushed back relentlessly, their eyes filled with satisfaction.

Of course, besides satisfaction, Xia Chuan kept a constant watch on the Longyou Army’s movements, ready to give the next command.

“The Soaring Serpent poison’s effects are still limited for now! Don’t be afraid! They are all weaker than you! Rearguard, retreat and pick up bows and arrows! Vanguard, hold the line!”

Li Xuanling could no longer stand it. She did not retreat indefinitely. After falling back several dozen meters, she led all the Frostwarden experts to form a curtain, grimly holding back the Great Xia army while turning to issue commands to the Longyou troops behind her.

The Longyou soldiers reacted quickly. Those in the front who were being forced back gradually halted their retreat. The rearguard—the second wave that had never reached the Main Building—followed her orders, retreating while picking up the iron bows and arrows from the ground and beginning to fire at the Great Xia army.

They had coincidentally retreated to the spot where the Great Xia garrison had dropped their bows to charge, which was why Li Xuanling had given this order.

“Great Xia army, retreat! Everyone, fall back!”

Seeing the Longyou soldiers beginning to shoot sporadic arrows, Xia Chuan suppressed the pain from his injuries and issued the command.

Zhao Long and his brothers had charged far ahead, but they had clearly kept their wits about them. Hearing Xia Chuan’s voice, they stopped without a moment’s hesitation.

“Rearguard becomes vanguard! Everyone, retreat to the Main Building! Move, move, move!”

Compared to the Longyou Army, Great Xia’s thousands of Earthforger realm soldiers were naturally not as disciplined, and their maneuvers were slower. But their advantage was that they had been on the offensive, so their formation was more orderly than that of the routed Longyou Army. Thus, Zhao Long’s order to retreat was quickly executed.

The Great Xia garrison, which had poured out like a tide, now flowed back toward the Main Building.

“We held them!”

“We held them! Hahahaha!”

“The Longyou Army is nothing special after all!”

“Three thousand Earthforger limit experts, so what?”

“We didn’t even need the Leader. The Director and us were enough to hold them!”

“Hahaha!”

…

The tension of the life-and-death struggle had kept every heart in the Great Xia army wound tight. Now, the relief of surviving, the joy of successfully repelling the Longyou Army, and the uncertainty of what was to come all mixed together. Unable to contain their repressed emotions any longer, they began roaring taunts, one after another, at the retreating Longyou Army.

Xia Chuan stood at the back, clutching his torso wounds, his eyes clouded with gloom.

Normal taunts wouldn’t be roared like that; they should be cheerful.

He knew very well that their reaction was born more from desperation.

The Longyou Army was too strong.

If they came again, his men would surely not be able to hold.

So rather than taunting, they were using the taunts as a pretext to vent the terror in their hearts.

“This isn’t enough. We have to think of something else.”

Chapter 306: The Thwarted Longyou Army, The Great Xia Army Cannot Escape, Sacred Cauldron

As the two armies pulled apart, the underground main area fell into silence.

In the Hive Main Area, north of the building complex.

At the Longyou Army camp, beside a bonfire, Li Xuanling’s face was dark. Seeing Meng Ying return from tallying the casualties, she immediately asked:

“What are the casualties among the soldiers?”

Meng Ying’s expression was incredibly grave. “Five hundred seventy-two killed in action, thirty-two heavily wounded. Total casualties are six hundred and four. The lightly wounded were not counted. We have two thousand three hundred sixty-five combat-ready soldiers remaining.”

Crack…

Li Xuanling smashed the makeshift table before her. She stood up, scanned the Frostwarden realm experts, and furiously berated them, “How could we have lost so many? I observed during the retreat just now—Great Xia’s casualties were just over two thousand at most. How did you manage a fight like this?”

On the battlefield, and even while leading the army’s retreat, her focus had been entirely on Great Xia’s losses. Li Xuanling truly had no idea about her own side’s casualties. The number six hundred and four was clearly beyond what she could accept.

It wasn’t just Li Xuanling; a look of shock appeared on the faces of all the Longshan Frostwarden realm experts around the bonfire. A few even stared at Meng Ying in disbelief.

Six hundred and four to over two thousand—a kill ratio of roughly one to three.

If they had achieved such a result against a normal army of comparable strength and numbers, their reactions certainly wouldn’t be like this.

But they were facing a garrison force composed of Great Xia’s ordinary Earthforger realm soldiers.

Failing to breach the Main Building was already a huge defeat.

To think the loss ratio hadn’t even reached one to five—how was that possible!

“The Great Xia Army’s will to fight seems much stronger than ours.”

“It’s not their will to fight, it’s their pills. Not only are Great Xia’s healing pills better than ours, but they also seem to have one that blocks the sensation of pain. The man I was fighting was stabbed through the abdomen three times, yet he could still counter-attack.”

“The Great Xia soldiers in the front ranks are all equipped with Hundred-forged armor and weapons. Although our soldiers have the advantage in cultivation, they couldn’t kill their enemies in one blow, which is why our advance was so slow.”

“More than half of the soldiers in the rear were suppressed by the arrow volleys from the Main Building and couldn’t advance to provide support. In the end, only a little over a thousand men actually reached the base of the Main Building.”

“That white smoke was produced by catalyzing Soaring Serpent poison with high heat. It can directly kill those in the Lumberjack realm. While it’s not fatal if an Earthforger limit individual inhales it, they still experience intense dizziness. We’ve hunted Soaring Serpents in Longshan before, so why did we never think this stuff could be used on a battlefield?”

………………

“All of you, shut up!”

Li Xuanling cut them off, her face as dark as blood.

She wasn’t blind. She had seen every factor they mentioned with her own eyes on the battlefield. But even with so many extenuating circumstances, she could not accept that the Longyou Army had performed so poorly.

Her gaze fixed fiercely on the Main Building to the south as she angrily questioned Meng Ying.

“How are the soldiers?”

When the Soaring Serpent poison mist spread, its coverage was so wide that nearly every soldier had inhaled some, and thus everyone was poisoned.

Longshan was no stranger to Soaring Serpent poison mist. Li Xuanling knew that this poison wasn’t particularly potent. It would kill ordinary people and those in the Lumberjack realm, but Earthforger realm soldiers could hold on for a moment by covering their faces with a damp cloth. Earthforger limit soldiers who had begun to reshape their Hide would only feel dizzy no matter how much they inhaled; it wouldn’t be fatal.

Meng Ying immediately replied, “It’s nothing serious. Cheng Guang is leading men to collect damp earth from the tunnels and squeeze water from it. Some of the more lightly poisoned soldiers have already recovered. There are over six hundred more serious cases, and we expect them to recover in about an hour.”

This area of the Hive outpost had so many underground tunnels that the soil wasn’t as dry as elsewhere. By gathering enough damp earth, they could squeeze out water—and fresh water was the best remedy for Soaring Serpent poison.

Another hour!

Li Xuanling’s brows knitted tightly. She looked up at the openings in the iron-plated ceiling and, seeing no light from outside, clenched her fists.

The rodents had broken through the wall, and the entire Longyou Army had successfully descended underground during the latter half of the night on June twenty-fifth. After descending, the scattered soldiers gathered on the north side, then advanced toward the building complex, which was followed by the bloody battle at the Main Building. All of this had taken time.

During her fight with Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan near the Main Building, she had noticed light filtering in through those openings. Now, there was none.

This meant that an entire day had passed.

It was now the night of June twenty-sixth.

Although she couldn’t pinpoint the exact time, she could roughly estimate that about four hours had passed since nightfall.

In other words, the first half of the night was almost over.

The army still needed to rest for another hour. By the time they were ready to launch another attack, it would be the latter half of the night at the earliest. Victory would not come until June twenty-seventh.

Three thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army had arrived at the Hive in the first half of the night on June twenty-third, yet they had been held up for a full four days by Xia Chuan’s twenty-seven Frostwarden realm experts and his nine thousand-plus ordinary Earthforger realm soldiers.

And they still hadn’t won!

Li Xuanling stood up, spun around to face the others, and declared sharply:

“Great Xia deployed a total of twenty-seven Frostwarden realm experts. I’ve already confirmed with you all: three were killed. Including Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan, whom I fought, a total of nineteen are heavily wounded and cannot possibly recover in a short time.

Their total Earthforger realm force is about nine thousand. In the first wave, at least two thousand were killed. Including those who have lost the ability to fight, at the highest estimate, they have only six thousand combat-ready soldiers left.

On our side, only six Frostwarden realm experts are heavily wounded. Not a single one has died! Forty-six of us remain. We still have two thousand three hundred and sixty-five soldiers. As soon as we are fully recovered and regrouped, we will surely breach the Main Building in the second wave and annihilate the entire Great Xia army!”

The faces of the men, which had been somewhat dejected, finally showed a flicker of renewed spirit. Hearing that they had killed three of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts while losing none of their own was a particular boost to their morale.

In such a large-scale melee, it was actually very difficult for Frostwarden realm experts to die. After all, even the weakest among them had a base strength at least three times that of an Earthforger limit cultivator—or even more. While battlefield conditions might prevent them from using their full power, the strength of their Hide was undeniable. As long as they didn’t just stand there and let soldiers hack at them, they only had to defend against attacks from experts of the same realm.

And if worse came to worst, if you couldn’t win, couldn’t you run?

As long as you were clever enough to retreat into the crowd after being heavily wounded, survival was quite easy.

Under these circumstances, Great Xia had lost three and had nineteen heavily wounded.

On their side, only six were heavily wounded, and not one had died.

Clearly, in terms of Frostwarden realm experts, Longshan held a significant advantage.

Of course, this was an advantage born of numbers.

The total number of Frostwarden realm experts Longshan had brought this time was a staggering fifty-two, while Great Xia only had twenty-seven. And that was just quantity.

In terms of strength, the gap was even wider. They had eleven experts at Nine-Mane or above, plus Li Xuanling herself at Twenty-one-Mane. On Great Xia’s side, the strongest were Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan, who were merely Nine-Mane. The rest were around Third Mane, with a few even at First or Second Mane.

At this thought, the expressions of the men stiffened slightly, and a hint of embarrassment showed on their faces.

Seeing their embarrassment, Li Xuanling was not surprised in the least.

Evidently, they had realized, just as she had, that given such a massive disparity in strength, fighting to this stalemate was indeed a disgrace.

“Good, you know how to feel shame. Use that shame to fuel your courage. In the next round, don’t be so timid! If all of you, from the Frostwarden realm experts down to the ordinary Earthforger realm soldiers, could fight with the same do-or-die mentality as the Great Xia army, how could a force this small possibly stop us!”

Li Xuanling paused, then continued in a low voice, “If I’m not mistaken, Xia Hong has taken his one thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers to Longshan…”

“What?”

“To attack Longshan? Has Xia Hong lost his mind?”

“One thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers, attacking Longshan?”

“Impossible!”

………………

Li Xuanling’s words were like a stone cast into a calm lake, creating a thousand ripples. Out of the forty-odd people present, a few cried out in alarm, while nearly half wore expressions of utter disbelief.

Of course, a few, like Li Xuanyan, Li Xuantian, Li Xuanping, Meng Ying, Cheng Guang, and Song Kang, remained calm, having clearly guessed this possibility long ago.

“Daring to attack Longshan with only one thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers… Xia Hong must have gone completely mad. No matter how strong he is, he could never take it.”

“Longshan has a population of one hundred thirty thousand and fifteen thousand Earthforger realm soldiers. What can one man do, no matter how powerful? It’s a pipe dream!”

Hearing Li Xuanping’s words, the others immediately nodded in agreement.

Longshan originally had a population of just over seventy thousand, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that in April, they had seized the initiative and annexed the three families of Yucheng, Songyuan, and Changning. While the number of Frostwarden realm experts hadn’t changed much, the number of Earthforger realm soldiers had grown significantly. Even excluding the three thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army here, they still had fifteen thousand back home.

This was also why Longshan had been able to form the New Army in early June.

Although the New Army was gone, the Earthforger realm soldiers at the camp were still there!

Furthermore, Longshan still had Li Tiancheng, its strongest expert, standing guard with five other Frostwarden realm experts. With a full stock of wartime supplies, what could Xia Hong possibly use to attack them?

However, Li Xuanling had chosen this moment to mention Xia Hong’s attack on Longshan, and it clearly wasn’t to put everyone at ease.

Meng Ying was the first to react. He spoke to the others in a low voice:

“Before attacking the Hive, you all thought it was a sure thing. What about now?”

Hearing this question, the expressions of the others froze.

That was right. Before attacking the Hive, they had also felt there would be no problems. They were sure that once the armies clashed, Longshan would be victorious. Just like now, upon hearing that Xia Hong was attacking Longshan, not a single one of them thought he could succeed.

The bitter defeat just now had already been a slap in the face.

So, what about the latter…

Was it possible that Xia Hong could slap them in the face again and actually conquer Longshan?

Following Meng Ying’s line of thought, the expressions of the men instantly changed.

The Hive was just an outpost for Great Xia.

But Longshan… was their home.

Their parents, their children, their relatives, their friends—they were all in Longshan!

The more they thought about it from this angle, the graver their expressions became. A few even looked up at Li Xuanling, clearly wanting to say something.

“I’m telling you this not to make you anxious or fearful. With Second Uncle leading the defense, I believe Xia Hong’s one thousand men can never break through Longshan. But you all need to understand: the more time we waste here at the Hive, the longer Xia Hong has to attack our home, and the more casualties there will be…”

Li Xuanling paused, her tone becoming stern. “Therefore, in the second attack that is about to begin, we must win. Failure is not an option. Do you all understand?”

At this question, everyone snapped their heads up, their expressions filled with grim determination as they answered in unison, “Yes, Leader!”

Seeing their morale restored, Li Xuanling finally showed a satisfied expression. She singled out the six Command Captains of the three armies and ordered, “Go and make this clear to all the soldiers. Inform them that we march in half an hour. The second attack must crush the Great Xia army in one fell swoop.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

The six Command Captains clasped their fists in acknowledgment and headed toward the barracks.

“The Longyou Army is invincible.”

“Crush the Great Xia army in one blow!”

“Longshan is unbeatable…”

………………

A moment later, roar after roar erupted from the direction of the barracks. The soldiers’ spirits were quickly roused.

The strength of an army wasn’t determined by cultivation alone; morale was just as important.

Xia Hong had known to withdraw everyone from Wushuang, leaving them with an empty prize to dampen the Longyou Army’s initial morale. Li Xuanling, of course, also had her ways to boost her own side’s morale.

The Frostwarden realm experts knew Longshan was under attack. Their hearts were with their families back home, and they were desperate to breach the Main Building. Their morale soared, and the soldiers of the Longyou Army were no exception.

Watching the army’s morale steadily rise, Li Xuanling’s mood finally eased a little. Just then, Li Xuandu spoke to her softly.

“Leader, have you ever considered why Great Xia is defending the Main Building?”

Great Xia… why are they defending the Main Building?

Li Xuanling turned and stared at the Main Building for three or four breaths, then quickly realized the true meaning behind Li Xuandu’s question. Her expression immediately froze.

The Main Building was certainly the sturdiest structure in the entire complex, but at the end of the day, it was still just a building. Against the onslaught of such a large army, it offered minimal protection.

On the contrary, because the Main Building was located in the center of the complex, defending it meant Great Xia could easily be surrounded.

The Great Xia army’s cultivation and combat strength were inferior to the Longyou Army’s. Their only advantage was their numbers. To increase their chances of winning, they needed to reduce the contact area with the Longyou soldiers, to prevent the Longyou Army from bringing its full strength to bear as much as possible.

From the last engagement, it was clear that Xia Chuan understood this. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stationed three thousand men on the Main Building to use their arrows to suppress the Longyou Army’s rear ranks and prevent them from charging forward.

Since he understood this, he should have chosen a sufficiently narrow area to defend. That way, they would only face the Longyou Army from one or two directions, and their chances of holding out would surely be greater.

The Hive’s building complex covered a radius of two kilometers; there were plenty of such areas.

Why didn’t Xia Chuan choose one, instead opting for the Main Building, which could be attacked from all sides?

“The Main Building has an exit, a passage to the surface! They’re trying to escape!” Li Xuanling suddenly cried out, causing the expressions of Li Xuandu and the others beside her to freeze instantly.

They all turned to look at the Main Building to the south, their faces filled with urgency.

Although the Great Xia army was still positioned outside the Main Building, they had no idea what was happening inside.

What if Xia Chuan was really leading his men to escape?

“Don’t worry, they can’t escape!”

Li Xuanling had already turned her head anxiously toward the barracks, clearly intending to forcibly organize the not-yet-fully-recovered Longyou soldiers for an early attack.

But just as she was about to speak, a voice sounded from beside her.

The one who spoke was Li Xuantian.

The moment Li Xuantian spoke, everyone immediately looked relieved and fell silent.

Li Xuanling was no exception, but in her eyes, besides relief, there was also a hint of struggle and hesitation. She didn’t even turn to look at Li Xuantian, merely nodding lightly and saying, “Very well. We will wait another half hour. Once the soldiers have recovered, we’ll attack.”

………………

“What? The surface is full of white mist and Frost Beasts?”

In the main hall of the Hive’s Main Building, Xia Chuan, wrapped in bandages, turned his pale face to look at Yue Feng, his expression one of utter disbelief.

All twenty-six other Frostwarden realm experts were in the main hall.

Of course, that included the three bodies lying on the floor, covered by black cloths.

Eighteen of them were wrapped in bandages just like Xia Chuan. In fact, compared to them, Xia Chuan, who could still stand up and turn his head, was in relatively good condition. Eight of them were lying unconscious on the ground.

As for the five in the front, they were also injured, just with fewer bandages, and their mobility was still relatively normal.

The person Xia Chuan was questioning, Yue Feng, was one of those five.

Yue Feng’s clothes were caked with dirt, and he looked haggard. With a grim expression, he replied, “It’s true. I only poked my head out to observe for a moment. The ground directly above the main area is completely covered in white mist. I don’t know how large the area is, but many Frost Beasts have arrived. Most are mid-grade, but there are high-grade ones too. There must be several hundred of them at least.

The commotion from our battle just now was too great; the entire underground area was shaking. That’s why so many Frost Beasts gathered on the surface without us even knowing.”

Several hundred—even if they were all mid-grade Frost Beasts, that was terrifying.

And there were high-grade ones mixed in!

The expressions on the faces of most of the Frostwarden realm experts present turned to despair.

After the great battle ended and they had tallied the casualties, everyone, including Xia Chuan, immediately realized one thing: if the Longyou Army launched a second attack, they had almost no chance of stopping it.

Frostwarden realm: three killed, and of the nineteen heavily wounded, eight were completely incapacitated. The other eleven, even if they could fight, couldn’t exert their full strength. The remaining five lightly wounded did not include Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan.

Earthforger realm: two thousand seven hundred eighty-two killed, nine hundred twenty-four heavily wounded. Earthforger realm cultivators didn’t have the resilience of Frostwarden realm experts; a heavy wound basically meant they were out of the fight. So, their remaining combat-ready force was less than five thousand seven hundred.

Xia Chuan saw it clearly. After sacrificing so many, they had killed less than six hundred Longyou soldiers—a fifth of their own losses.

And that was a result achieved with the advantages of Soaring Serpent poison, Snow Bamboo, and a large number of iron arrows.

They couldn’t fight a second round.

Or rather, if they did fight, they had to be prepared to leave all their lives behind.

Xia Chuan had realized this earlier than the others. As soon as he retreated, he had immediately ordered Yue Feng to clear the tunnel on the top floor of the Main Building to scout the situation outside, preparing to lead his men to evacuate the underground. In other words, to escape.

This was a retreat route he had prepared in advance. Their mission was only to delay the Longyou Army; a last stand at the Hive was just a means to an end. Since they couldn’t hold it, he naturally wouldn’t stay here and fight to the death.

Unfortunately, it seemed this only escape route was now blocked.

“The Frost Beasts must have been drawn by the white mist. The White Dew Aberration has made its move. There’s an eighty percent chance Li Xuantian is being controlled. The rodents that broke through the iron wall earlier were also lured by the mist!”

Chen Yingyuan, also heavily wounded, stood beside Xia Chuan and offered his speculation, his words slightly breathless.

When Xia Hong had previously scouted the Yanglu forsaken land, he had brought Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo with him. He had seen the white mist in the Yanglu forsaken land with his own eyes, so when he saw white mist seep in from the hole the rodents made, he immediately knew what was happening.

After hearing this, Xia Chuan gave no reaction, merely lowering his head in thought.

“We can’t escape…”

Seeing Xia Chuan’s reaction, Zhao Long’s expression dimmed, and he couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

Slap!

Yuan Cheng was also one of the heavily wounded, but his condition was slightly better; he was sitting in a chair. Hearing Zhao Long’s words, he slammed his hand on the chair, shot to his feet, and roared, “If we can’t escape, then we won’t! It’s death either way! Director, let’s go all out against the Longyou Army! I’ll give up my life to kill a few more of those Longshan dogs!”

As soon as Yuan Cheng spoke, Qiu Peng, Luo Yuan, Lin Kai, Meng Yi, Zhu Yuan, and even the dejected Zhao Long followed his lead, roaring in anger.

“That’s right! The worst that can happen is death! Over two thousand of our brothers are gone! I’ll drag a few more of those Longshan bastards down with me even if I die!”

“Huang Yong, Zhu Ling, Ying Xuan… we’ve already lost three Frostwarden realm experts. What’s a few more of us? Director, let’s fight them! I’m not afraid!”

“The Leader has probably already taken Longshan! We, the nine thousand-plus here, can’t hold him back! Let’s go all out against Li Xuanling and her men!”

“There are no cowards in Great Xia! I’ll gladly give my life!”

“After living such good lives these past few years, it’s about time we repaid the encampment.”

“I never even dreamed I’d break through to the Frostwarden realm in my old life. Following the Leader has brought me this fortune. I’ve lived a full life. Director, let’s fight them!”

………………

“You don’t have to die. Rest assured!”

Seeing their death-defying determination, a trace of emotion showed in Xia Chuan’s eyes. He stood up and cut them off.

Just as Xia Chuan was about to speak again, suddenly, a person burst in from outside.

The man’s face was frantic, and he spoke, panting for breath:

“Director, my Lords, the bodies… the bodies on the ground… they’ve started exuding large amounts of white dewdrops! It’s exactly like the Dewdrop Plague from before! It’s spreading incredibly fast! Many of the wounded brothers are starting to show it too!”

Upon hearing this, the one who reacted most strongly was Yuan Cheng.

He clearly remembered something. His pupils constricted, and he hurriedly turned to look at Xia Chuan, only to find not a trace of surprise on Xia Chuan’s face.

Right, he had already told the Director about what happened on Yangyuan Peak.

The others also mostly knew about the Dewdrop Plague. They all subconsciously took out their Congealing Fire Salve. The soldier who had just delivered the message had also clearly smeared some on himself.

Evidently, the people of Great Xia already had experience dealing with the Dewdrop Plague.

However, the plague spread extremely fast, especially in areas with many corpses and wounded. Using Congealing Fire Salve simply wasn’t fast enough.

“Yue Feng, light the fire!”

Just then, Xia Chuan gave a seemingly random order.

Light the fire? What fire?

The men looked stunned for a moment, then saw Yue Feng walk towards the side room behind Xia Chuan, at the back of the main hall.

Sizzle…

A flame suddenly erupted from the side room, and an intense warmth immediately spread from it. Everyone in the main hall reacted almost instantly.

“The Sacred Cauldron?”

“The Leader left the Sacred Cauldron for us?”

“The Dewdrop Plague is no problem then, we don’t need the Congealing Fire Salve.”

“Wait, doesn’t the Sacred Cauldron eliminate aberrations indiscriminately? If we light it, the dewdrops on the Longyou Army will disappear too. They’ll still attack!”

………………

The appearance of the Sacred Cauldron was certainly a joyous occasion.

But the problem of the Longyou Army was still not solved!

“Don’t be anxious just yet. Yue Feng, go to the surface and check things out first, then…”

Xia Chuan gestured for everyone to calm down, then called Yue Feng to his side and began assigning tasks one by one. After he finished, he turned to Chen Yingyuan.

“Get your wounds treated. We’re going to talk with Li Xuanling.”

Chapter 307: Twists and Turns, a Severed Arm and a Head, a Helpless Retreat

“Why did the temperature underground suddenly rise?”

“It’s coming from the Main Building. Is this Great Xia’s doing?”

“It doesn’t feel like a trick. This warmth is actually quite pleasant!”

“The Dewdrops on my body have turned into water droplets.”

“I hadn’t even finished applying the Congealing Fire Salve and the Dewdrops are gone.”

“Look at the corpses! The Dewdrops on their surface have turned clear. They’re not heating up anymore.”

………………

Just as the Xia army collected the bodies of their fallen soldiers, so too did Longshan.

They had also noticed the large patches of Dewdrops appearing on the corpses of the fallen and in the wounds of the living. Li Xuanling had immediately ordered her soldiers to take out the Congealing Fire Salve and begin applying it.

Longshan still had a considerable amount of the salve purchased from Great Xia some time ago, and Li Xuanling had specifically ordered it all to be brought along for this expedition.

At the rear of the military camp was a temporary holding area for the bodies of the war dead.

Li Xuanling and a group of Frostwarden realm experts watched as the reddish, warming Dewdrops on the corpses’ surfaces slowly dissipated with the rising temperature, turning into ordinary water droplets. Their expressions were a mixture of relief and gravity.

“As expected, Great Xia’s methods for dealing with anomalies are far superior to ours. The temperature of the entire underground space has risen, and the Dewdrops on the soldiers’ wounds and the corpses have all vanished.”

“It’s not surprising. For them to produce a miraculous item like the Congealing Fire Salve, it’s no wonder they possess other, even more powerful treasures.”

“The source of the heat is the Main Building. Is that treasure located there?”

“This has solved our Dewdrop Plague problem as well. They probably can’t control the range of this heat source; otherwise, they wouldn’t be so kind.”

“They have far more dead than we do, and the Dewdrop infection spreads faster for them. If they didn’t solve it quickly, the moment the Dewdrops on the corpses burst into flames, they would all die.”

………………

“How is Second Brother?”

Ignoring the discussion around her, Li Xuanling asked faintly about Li Xuantian’s condition.

Shortly after the underground temperature began to rise, Li Xuantian had suddenly lost consciousness.

“He is still unconscious. During the great battle just now, Second Young Master only suffered a single blade wound to his back. It wasn’t too deep. How could he suddenly fall unconscious?” Meng Ying replied hastily, his face filled with confusion.

He wasn’t the only one; the others around him were just as perplexed by Li Xuantian’s sudden collapse.

“Have someone watch over him! As long as the Dewdrop problem is solved, it’s fine. Have the army take a final half an hour to rest. After that, we begin the att—”

“Leader Li, Xia Chuan has an urgent matter to discuss. I hope you will grant me the honor!”

Before Li Xuanling could finish her sentence, a voice suddenly rang out from the south of the camp, interrupting her. The faces of everyone present changed, and they all turned to look southward.

“How dare those Xia curs come here? The audacity!”

“Does he really think he’s Xia Hong? Leader, let me go and capture him.”

…………

“No rush. Wait!”

Li Xuanling waved her hand, signaling for everyone to remain calm. She stood in place for a long while, her expression wavering, before she finally began to walk slowly toward the outskirts of the camp.

“I will go alone. You all inform the soldiers to be ready to attack at any moment.”

“Yes, Leader!”

After giving her final command, Li Xuanling strode quickly southward.

The military camp was situated north of the building district. Li Xuanling only had to walk a kilometer south before she saw Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan standing one behind the other in the distance.

When she saw Xia Chuan, dressed in black, with a normal complexion and steady breathing, showing no signs of injury, a flicker of astonishment crossed Li Xuanling’s face.

And when she noticed that Chen Yingyuan, in his yellow robes behind Xia Chuan, was in a similar state, she clenched the fists hidden beneath her sleeves.

“Great Xia’s healing elixirs are truly miraculous!”

During the battle, she had fought Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan alone. Li Xuanling knew very well the extent of the damage her longsword had inflicted on them.

When she had retreated, she had even believed that the two of them were very likely incapable of fighting again. Even if they could, the injuries she had dealt would have sapped most of their strength. If they were to fight again, she was confident she could kill them both.

Yet now, neither of them showed the slightest sign of injury.

If this was the case for these two, had the other seventeen Frostwarden realm experts from Great Xia also recovered?

Li Xuanling’s heart sank. She didn’t even notice that she was still more than two hundred meters away from Xia Chuan and his companion.

“Leader Li, the Dewdrop Plague in your camp has disappeared, hasn’t it?”

Li Xuanling stopped and looked up at the smiling Xia Chuan. Her expression tightened slightly, and a shadow fell over her face as she mulled over something unknown.

“Leader Li, I have, in a way, saved your Longshan.

“There is something wrong with Li Xuantian, as we both know. In the last battle, your Longshan must have lost around six hundred men. If it happens again, your casualties will be even greater. By then, Great Xia won’t even need to act; Li Xuantian will be the death of you all.

“Moreover, my leader is currently leading an attack on Longshan. Are you sure you want to waste time with me here? There are only five hours left until dawn. If you withdraw your army now, you can still make it back to Longshan through the tunnels to provide reinforcements. But once the sun rises, you will have lost your chance completely.

“Leader Li, listen to my advice. Take your army…”

“Are you afraid?”

Before Xia Chuan could finish, Li Xuanling suddenly cut him off.

Seeing the slight stiffness in Xia Chuan’s expression, Li Xuanling’s eyes filled with a cold chill as she said in a low voice, “We’ve fought this far. Do you really think I will retreat?”

“Leader Li, in terms of casualties, Longshan has suffered far less than Great Xia. In the previous battle, we lost nearly three thousand men, and even three Frostwarden realm experts fell. The lives of Longshan’s people may be precious, but my Xia people are certainly not worthless chaff. If I didn’t know that continuing this fight would only benefit that White Dew Aberration, I would never have come to be this mediator!”

Xia Chuan began by playing the victim; in the middle, when he said the Xia people were not worthless chaff, his tone carried a hint of resentment; finally, when he spoke of being a mediator, his voice was filled with helplessness and compromise. His speech was impassioned and his face was full of sincerity. Anyone would have thought his plea was heartfelt.

After this, Xia Chuan paused, his expression solemn, and continued, “Anomalies are humanity’s greatest enemy. Leader Li should understand this well. Based on how many of our people Longshan has killed tonight, there is absolutely no possibility of peace or truce between us in the future. Yet even so, I would rather face Longshan in a fair and open battle. In the end, no matter which of us wins, at worst, over a hundred thousand people will simply change their allegiance and continue living their lives.

“But you saw the Dewdrop Plague just now, Leader Li. That White Dew Aberration can no longer hold back. There are at least three thousand corpses in the main district now. Once they burst into flames, even the Congealing Fire Salve won’t suppress it. Only the Sacred Cauldron left by my leader can. But if we continue fighting and give the White Dew Aberration an opening, every single one of us will die here…”

“There is one way!”

“This Xia is willing to hear Leader Li’s wise counsel.”

Xia Chuan looked slightly stunned, then turned to Li Xuanling with a hopeful expression.

“Hand over that Sacred Cauldron you mentioned to my Longshan. In addition, all Xia soldiers in the Main Building will disarm and surrender. I can guarantee that I will not kill a single one of you. As long as Longshan is safe and Xia Hong obediently withdraws his forces from Longyou, our two factions will not cross each other’s paths from now on. We can mind our own business.”

Upon hearing the first sentence, Xia Chuan’s pupils constricted slightly, but he patiently listened until Li Xuanling finished. His face was a mask of hesitation and struggle, as if he were genuinely considering her proposal.

“This… The Sacred Cauldron, surrender… these are matters of great importance. This Xia truly has no authority to make such a decision. If Leader Li trusts me, I will send someone to Longshan to find my leader and ask for his judgment. How about it?”

“You’re toying with me!”

ROAR…

The first part had been fine, but after that last sentence, Li Xuanling would have to be a fool not to realize what was happening. But just as the words left her mouth, an extremely excited roar from a Frost Beast echoed from above.

“A high-level Snow Mane, how can this be!”

Li Xuanling’s expression changed drastically. She snapped her head up to look at the iron ceiling above the main district. Her hunting experience was vast, and she immediately identified the roar as that of a high-level Snow Mane.

Xia Chuan’s expression froze for a moment before he reacted, grabbing Chen Yingyuan and turning to retreat toward the Main Building. But before he could get away, a streak of bloody light shot out from the ground, piercing straight through his waist.

Pfft!

Xia Chuan was already seriously wounded. Skewered by the bloody light, he was unable to dodge and was sent flying fifty or sixty meters backward. If Chen Yingyuan hadn’t run back in time to catch him, he might have landed right next to Li Xuanling.

Squeak squeak squeak…

A faint squeaking sound suddenly rose from where the red light had emerged, followed by two long, sharp fangs piercing through the ground.

It was important to remember that the entire main district of the Hive was encased in iron. To break through from below meant that the owner of these fangs had pierced through the iron plating layer that was more than ten meters thick.

That a Gnawing Rodent could chew through the iron plating was not what was shocking.

The crucial part was that they had been talking for so long without having heard a single sound.

That was the most terrifying thing!

Xia Chuan, Chen Yingyuan, and Li Xuanling across from them all stared intently at the pair of fangs on the ground, not daring to blink.

Rustle rustle rustle…

A golden Gnawing Rodent’s head, more than a dozen centimeters wide, pushed through the ground. Its two blood-red, bean-sized pupils darted around, first glancing at the three people on either side, then fixing its gaze directly on the Main Building.

Its eyes were filled with desire and greed. Clearly, something in the Main Building held a powerful attraction for it.

Roar… Roar… Roar…

At the same time, more and more Frost Beast roars came from the top of the main district.

Now, it wasn’t just Xia Chuan and Chen Yingyuan; Li Xuanling’s expression changed as well.

“Damn it! Frost Wolves, Snow Manes, Demonic Sheep—they’re all coming down the tunnels!”

At this moment, Xia Chuan’s face was filled with terror.

He had told Yue Feng to light the Sacred Cauldron for two reasons: one, to suppress the Dewdrop Plague; two, to disperse the white mist created by the White Dew Aberration on the surface, allowing the Frost Beasts there to scatter.

He knew, of course, that the Sacred Cauldron would attract Frost Beasts.

But he had no idea the attraction would be this strong.

Gnawing Rodents lived underground and were natural diggers, so it wasn’t strange for them to be drawn here. But the other Frost Beasts didn’t live underground, yet they had followed the tunnels all the way down.

Even from over a hundred meters below ground, those high-level Frost Beasts could sense it.

These were high-level Frost Beasts. One or two would be more than enough to handle.

Judging by the noise from above, there were likely more than ten of them.

High-level Frost Beasts were quite small. The Gnawing Rodent had just torn many holes in the district’s walls, each about a meter in diameter—more than enough for them to enter.

Furthermore, as long as the Sacred Cauldron remained lit, it would continue to attract nearby Frost Beasts. The longer it burned, the more of them would come.

If they all got in, everyone would be finished.

He had to extinguish the Sacred Cauldron quickly.

No, wait, there was another way!

An idea flashed through Xia Chuan’s mind. He looked back at the Longyou Army camp behind Li Xuanling, a vicious glint in his eyes.

“Chen Yingyuan, let’s go! Back to the Main Building, quickly!”

Xia Chuan could no longer move on his own and had to rely on Chen Yingyuan for support. As soon as he spoke, Chen Yingyuan immediately helped him run towards the Main Building.

Swish…

The Gnawing Rodent was three or four times faster than them. It burst from the ground, transforming into a streak of golden light as it shot toward the Main Building.

“Big Brother, mobilize the army! Attack the Main Building directly, now!”

Chen Yingyuan hadn’t gotten far with Xia Chuan when he heard Li Xuanling’s furious shout from behind. At the same time, the sharp ring of a sword sounded behind them. Chen Yingyuan’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately fled desperately toward the Main Building with Xia Chuan.

“You two were both seriously injured! You were faking it! All this time, you were just stalling, trying to escape with your men. Dream on!”

Fortunately, Xia Chuan had maintained a safe distance. Although Li Xuanling reacted quickly, she couldn’t catch up to them immediately. The two of them barely managed to escape into the ranks of the army surrounding the Main Building.

“Xia Chuan, the Longyou Army is coming! Don’t even think about running!”

After acting for so long, Xia Chuan finally broke. His face deathly pale, he turned to stare at Li Xuanling, watching the Longyou Army rushing toward them from behind her. He roared in a low voice, “Li Xuanling, can’t you hear the high-level Frost Beasts above? They’re about to get in! If you retreat with the Longyou Army now, there’s still a chance. If you keep dragging this out, everyone from both our sides will die!”

Li Xuanling stood outside the perimeter of the Main Building’s army, her expression unmoved. She looked at Xia Chuan and said lightly, “These high-level Frost Beasts were all drawn by that Sacred Cauldron, weren’t they? You have a way to deal with this. I won’t let you go!”

She paused, then continued, “If the Longyou Army is completely wiped out here today, don’t think a single one of you will escape. We might as well all perish together. Longshan has more Frostwarden realm experts. When those high-level Frost Beasts get in, I’ll just lead my people away. With all twenty-something of Great Xia’s Frostwardens dead here, we will still drive you out of Longyou in the end!”

Seeing Li Xuanling’s growing madness, Xia Chuan’s expression became fraught with conflict.

The Longyou Army was already closing in, now only three or four hundred meters from the Main Building. To fight now would be a death sentence for everyone.

BANG…

The high-level Gnawing Rodent that had broken through the ground had now climbed to the top floor of the Main Building, clearly trying to get closer to the Frigid Ruins Cauldron. Several of Great Xia’s injured Frostwardens were already engaged with it.

Before he had gone to find Li Xuanling, he had instructed Yue Feng to clear a passage from the top of the Main Building to the surface. By now, Yue Feng should have already led some men to escape through that passage. But Great Xia had nearly six thousand men in total; it would take time.

This was why he had deliberately gone to stall Li Xuanling.

When he realized the high-level Frost Beasts were coming, his plan had been not to extinguish the flames. That way, Li Xuanling would surely lead the Longyou Army to retreat from the underground. Once as many Great Xia men as possible had escaped, he would extinguish the fire at the last moment.

But who would have thought Li Xuanling would be so insane? She was certain he had a way to deal with the high-level Frost Beasts, and not only did she not retreat, but she also led her army to press forward ahead of schedule.

If he extinguished the Sacred Cauldron’s fire, the White Dew Aberration would make its move.

If he didn’t, the high-level Frost Beasts would soon be upon them.

The problem was, whether he extinguished it or not, this madwoman Li Xuanling clearly had no intention of letting things go. She was determined to drag them all down with her.

Xia Chuan was not just caught between a rock and a hard place; at this moment, nothing he did seemed to matter.

“Madwoman! Madwoman! You’re a madwoman! My Big Brother has already breached Longshan by now! Even if you wipe us all out here, what can you possibly achieve?”

“Breached Longshan? What a joke! Xia Hong is strong, but to think he could breach Longshan with just your one thousand Cloud Serpent Army soldiers… dream on!”

“Dream on? Of course, one thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers can’t breach Longshan. But what if you add the Earthforger realm experts from seven factions: Zhaoyang, Changning, Songyuan, Baiyuan, Dongkang, Xiling, and Yucheng?”

Suddenly, a voice that was incredibly familiar to everyone came from the top of the Main Building.

“Yuwen Tao is back!”

“That’s Prefect Yuwen’s voice.”

………………

Xia Chuan, Chen Yingyuan, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Lin Kai—all of Great Xia’s Frostwardens, as well as every Earthforger below, immediately recognized who it was.

Dressed in black with a broadsword on his back, Yuwen Tao held a powerful bow. He first shot the high-level Gnawing Rodent that was fighting with Yuan Cheng and the others, sending it flying. Then he took a bundle from his back, tossed it into the air, nocked an iron arrow, and aimed at a building directly in front of the Longyou Army. He loosed the arrow.

THWACK…

The bundle opened in mid-air, spilling a human head and a severed arm. The iron arrow unerringly struck both targets, pinning the head and the arm directly to the top of the building.

“That head is… Li Xuankong?”

“Lord Xuankong? Wasn’t he defending Longshan?”

“Didn’t you hear? The Great Xia Leader took one thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers to attack Longshan!”

“And that severed arm, whose is it?”

………………

The arm and head were displayed for all the soldiers of the Longyou Army to see. They immediately recognized the owner of the head.

Many of the smarter soldiers had already registered what Yuwen Tao had just said, but most of them fixed their gaze on the severed arm.

The arm was covered by a white sleeve adorned with silver thread patterns, clearly indicating it was precious. Although stained with blood, one could still see the wrinkled state of the skin, suggesting its owner was quite old.

“That’s Father’s—”

“Idiot, shut your mouth!” Li Xuanping’s words were cut short by Li Xuanling’s furious roar.

However, the Longyou soldiers were not fools. Even without Li Xuanping’s words, many recognized the owner of the severed arm by its white sleeve.

“That arm… it belongs to Old Ancestor Tiancheng!”

“Old Ancestor Tiancheng’s arm was cut off! Something has happened at Longshan!”

“Was Longshan breached by Xia Hong and his men?”

“How could one thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers possibly breach Longshan?”

“Didn’t you hear? That man just said the Earthforger realms from Zhaoyang, Changning, Songyuan, Baiyuan, Dongkang, Xiling, and Yucheng all helped him.”

………………

“Longshan’s Iron Stake Wall is indeed formidable. Unfortunately, loyalties have shifted. The three factions of Changning, Songyuan, and Yucheng rebelled. With the help of an inside agent, the Iron Stake Wall was breached in a single night.

“Li Tiancheng has already lost an arm to our leader. Of the five Frostwarden realm experts you left to defend your base, one has been beheaded and three are grievously wounded.

“Right now, Li Tiancheng is leading the remaining hundred thousand-odd people, using their lives to hold back our leader. Li Xuanling, surrender. Longshan has already fallen. From this day forward, Longyou is the territory of my Great Xia.”

As discussions spread like wildfire among the Longyou soldiers, Yuwen Tao’s voice rang out again from the top of the Main Building at the perfect moment.

His words, combined with Li Tiancheng’s severed arm and Li Xuankong’s head nailed to the wall, instantly shattered the psychological defenses of the Longyou Army soldiers.

“Our home base has been breached! What are we still fighting for here?”

“Go back! We have to get back to Longshan! My family is still there!”

“Changning, Songyuan, and Yucheng were forcibly annexed by us after their leaders were killed. The Earthforger experts of the three factions already held resentment. With outside support, it’s very possible they would rebel.”

“Back to Longshan! We can’t stay here any longer!”

“There are still four hours until dawn. We have a chance to get back, Leader!”

“Leader, we cannot afford to lose our home base. Let’s retreat!”

……………………

It wasn’t just the soldiers pleading for a retreat to reinforce Longshan; even the few Frostwarden realm experts beside her couldn’t help but speak up.

Li Xuanling clenched her fists tightly, turning to look at the Great Xia Main Building, so close she could almost touch it. Though her expression was filled with struggle and unwillingness, she finally loosened her fists and slowly spoke: “Retreat!”

After she said it, her whole demeanor seemed to crumble, as if uttering that one word had drained every last bit of strength from her body.

Chapter 308: Rebel Inside Agent, Chaos and Opportunism, Longshan Changes Masters

Great Xia, Second Year, the sixth day of the seventh month, at the turn of midnight.

The wind and snow were like blades, and a chill eroded the land.

At this moment, the Longshan garrison was filled with heaven-shaking roars.

“The rebels have broken into the Main Building!”

“Longshan does not retreat! Brothers, we’ll drag the Xia army down with us even in death!”

“We can’t let them in! The Leader’s reinforcements will be back soon.”

“Longshan has fallen! Lay down your arms and you will be spared!”

“The Xia army is trying to break our spirit! Brothers, hold them back!”

………………

On the eastern periphery of the Longshan garrison stood several hundred pentagonal iron stakes, each with sides eight meters long.

These stakes extended from deep underground. The parts visible above ground alone were fifteen meters tall. On the inner side of each stake, a thick iron chain was attached, clearly used to control its extension and retraction from below.

Hundreds of stakes extended eastward from the northern and southern points of the mountain, finally connecting on the far eastern side, forming a fan-shaped city wall of iron stakes with a total length of about twelve kilometers, firmly guarding the Longshan garrison within.

Unfortunately, at this moment, on the northern side close to the mountain, two of the stakes had failed to extend from the ground. To the left of these two, another stake had only extended halfway, and the portion that had emerged was bent grotesquely inward.

A single side of these pentagonal stakes was eight meters long. With three stakes not properly erected, what was once an impenetrable wall now had a twenty-meter-wide gap.

Around the gap in the stakes, corpses littered the ground. The thick stench of blood had nearly condensed into a tangible crimson mist in the air, staining the falling snowflakes red and adding another layer of bone-piercing chill to the world.

Clearly, this opening had just dealt a devastating blow to Longshan.

A tide of people had long since charged through the gap.

The entire Longshan garrison was filled with the sounds of slaughter and roaring.

Over ten thousand Earthforger realm fighters, clad in plain clothes and wielding sharp weapons, were madly charging toward the garrison’s core, the Main Building. The several thousand Longshan garrison soldiers blocking their path were in constant retreat.

Although more and more Lumberjack realm experts and even ordinary people rushed out from around the Main Building to fight to the death, it could not stop Longshan’s retreat. The attacking side drew closer and closer to the Main Building, soon less than five hundred meters away.

Moreover, the attackers incessantly shouted, “Lay down your arms and you will be spared!” The morale of the Longshan defenders was visibly collapsing. Many ordinary people began to flee into the houses within the garrison. Once this trend of retreat appeared, it spread rapidly through the crowd, its pace accelerating.

Compared to the sky-rending battle cries inside the garrison, the periphery seemed unusually quiet. Near a tall building closest to the Iron Stake Wall, a large group of soldiers clad in pale gold armor was gathered, numbering several hundred by a rough count.

However, these men were clearly not in good shape. The armor on most of them was damaged beyond recognition. A good half of them bore injuries, and dozens were even lying on the ground, gasping for breath, clearly severely wounded and unable to fight.

Even so, their faces were all alight with excitement. They would turn to look toward the Longshan Main Building, then glance up at the top floor of the tall building beside them, their expressions thrilled, their eyes filled with elation.

“We actually broke through. We… we actually broke through Longshan!”

“The Leader, it’s the Leader who is too powerful. The inside agent didn’t succeed at first. It was the Leader who directly bent that iron stake, allowing us to get in smoothly and help the agent loosen the other two. Otherwise, the main army outside couldn’t have entered.”

“Indeed. The Leader fought many alone, severed one of Li Tiancheng’s arms, killed Li Xuankong, and heavily wounded three Frostwarden realm experts. If the Leader hadn’t tied down all of Longshan’s experts, how could Prefect Yuwen and the others have focused on leading us in the assault?”

“I guessed that Longshan had an inside agent. Some time ago, Hanqiong saved so many people from Longshan and Zhaoyang. But how could Earthforger realm experts from the three families of Changning, Songyuan, and Yucheng turn traitor on the battlefield and betray Longshan?”

“I just overheard. During the Longyou alliance meeting in April, the leaders of these three families were killed by Longshan. They were forcibly annexed. Some of their staunchest loyalists were locked in Longshan’s dungeons. They were never truly subservient. Our inside agent secretly went to the dungeons and freed them. After being persuaded by these loyalists, the remaining three thousand-plus Earthforger realm experts from the three families who had already surrendered quickly turned on Longshan and joined us.”

“What a great contribution! Who is this inside agent? He’s incredible!”

“Four days ago, among the five thousand-plus people who came from Zhaoyang to Longshan, over three hundred were arranged in advance by Lord Hou Jing. It seems there was even a Frostwarden realm expert mixed in.”

“That’s not all. Longshan had two of their own, named Yang Zhong and Li Hu. These two seem very important. That Li Hu was captured by Li Tiancheng. Yang Zhong is upstairs right now; the Leader just summoned him.”

“This is a massive meritorious deed. The Leader will probably reward him heavily.”

“With Longshan defeated, won’t all of Longyou belong to our Great Xia from now on?”

“Hahahaha, Longshan, it’s mainly about Longshan. The three resource lands in all of Longyou will belong to our Great Xia alone from this day forward!”

……………………

In contrast to the jubilation of the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers below, Liu Yuan and Peng Bo stood guard at the door of a room on the top floor. Although their expressions were also filled with excitement, they were clearly restraining their emotions, remaining quiet and only glancing into the room from time to time.

Behind them stood Yang Zhong, his face a mask of extreme anxiety.

Tiger was captured by Li Tiancheng. Only the Leader can save him. I must ask the Leader to rescue him. We’ve finally made it through the hard times; I can’t let Tiger die!

Yang Zhong’s mind was repeating this thought over and over.

Just as the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers below had discussed, the role he and Li Hu had played in Great Xia’s crushing victory over Longshan was almost irreplaceable.

Four days ago, on the night of the twenty-second day of the sixth month, among the more than five thousand people from Zhaoyang, a Frostwarden realm expert named Liu Ying had approached him and Li Hu, revealing Great Xia’s plan to attack Longshan.

Yang Zhong had been extremely apprehensive at the time. It was thanks to Li Hu’s boldness that he realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and seized it immediately.

With the cooperation of Liu Ying’s three hundred-plus men, they first snuck into the dungeons to meet the loyalist prisoners from the Changning, Songyuan, and Yucheng families, successfully coordinating with them in advance. Then, they waited until the first half of tonight. As soon as Great Xia launched its frontal assault on the eastern side, they took advantage of the chaos in the camp and released the people from the dungeons.

Once these people successfully turned the majority of the three families’ Earthforger realm experts, Li Hu led them directly to the northern side to open the Iron Stake Wall and let the Xia army in, according to their original plan.

The Xia army’s frontal assault tonight had been a feint. The elite Cloud Serpent Army had been waiting on the northern periphery all along and immediately charged over upon seeing the commotion inside.

Of course, things had not gone so smoothly. The moment their large group made a move, they were discovered by Li Tiancheng before they had even lowered the two northern stakes by a few meters.

Fortunately, Xia Hong had acted in time!

Even though more than an hour had passed, when Yang Zhong recalled the kick with which Xia Hong had bent the pentagonal iron stake, he couldn’t help but swallow hard, his eyes filled with shock and awe.

Right now, his only worry was Li Hu, who had been captured by Li Tiancheng while they were opening the gate for the Xia army.

They had rendered such a great service and finally made it through so much hardship. Just as they were about to go to Great Xia to live a good life, he absolutely could not let anything happen to Li Hu.

“The Leader summoned me, surely to reward me. I don’t want any reward. I only ask him to rescue Li Hu. The Leader will definitely agree!”

He had originally been on the battlefield with the seven families’ Earthforger realm experts. He had received a message from Peng Bo saying that Xia Hong wanted to see him, which was why he was waiting here.

Just now, Xia Hong had severed one of Li Tiancheng’s arms and repelled Longshan’s Frostwarden realm experts, allowing the main armies of Zhaoyang, Baiyuan, Xiling, and Dongkang to charge into the garrison and join forces with the three families of rebels. After that, he had entered this tall building and hadn’t come out since.

The Cloud Serpent Army was probably resting below, while also standing guard for Xia Hong as he cultivated. After all, they had expended the most effort and suffered considerable casualties in breaking through Longshan’s iron wall.

The ten-thousand-strong army on the battlefield was currently under the command of Hou Jing, Chen Yingyuan, and the other Frostwarden realm experts. Although the battle was not over, the outcome was more or less decided.

Though extremely worried about Li Hu’s safety, Yang Zhong didn’t dare to even breathe loudly at this moment. He could sense that Xia Hong, inside the room, was in closed-door cultivation, and likely at a critical juncture.

Hoo… hoo… hoo… hoo…

Even through the wall, he could perceive Xia Hong’s immensely powerful aura from his increasingly deep and prolonged breathing. And as his breaths grew longer, that aura continued to rise, to expand.

“So strong… I’ve already broken the thirty-thousand-catty limit, but in the face of this aura, I’m like a child. The Leader’s strength is truly…”

Hoo!

The sound of breathing in the room suddenly quieted. Yang Zhong looked up sharply, only to find that Liu Yuan and Peng Bo in front of him had already raised their heads and were staring into the room.

The Leader must have finished his cultivation!

“You’re Yang Zhong, right? You and Li Hu did well this time. When we return to Xiacheng, I will reward you both handsomely.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s voice from within the room, Yang Zhong immediately dropped to his knees, his face filled with worry. “Yang Zhong does not want any reward. I only ask the Leader to rescue my brother, Li Hu. To be honest with you, Leader, releasing everyone from the dungeon and turning the three Yucheng families were all Li Hu’s ideas. I merely assisted him.”

Whoosh…

A mere gust of air brushed against his face, and Yang Zhong, who was prostrated on the floor with his head lowered, found a pair of black beast-hide boots before his eyes. Realizing Xia Hong was standing in front of him, he bowed his head even lower.

Xia Hong, who had just walked out of the room, still had a trace of excitement on his face. He calmed himself slightly before looking down at the prostrate Yang Zhong. A hint of appreciation appeared in his eyes as he gently raised his hand and said:

“Get up. Don’t worry, Li Tiancheng won’t kill him. You are both great heroes. When we return to Xiacheng, I will reward you both according to your merits!”

Though Yang Zhong was somewhat confused, he obeyed and raised his head. Seeing Xia Hong up close, the reverence and fervor in his heart nearly spilled from his eyes. He couldn’t help but bow his head respectfully to Xia Hong again. “This subordinate thanks the Leader!”

It was difficult for anyone who had personally witnessed Xia Hong’s power not to show an expression like Yang Zhong’s. Even Liu Yuan, who was very familiar with Xia Hong, and the elderly Peng Bo, could not hide the fervor on their faces.

Xia Hong was in no mood to look at the expressions on their faces. Through the window, he saw that the western army had already reached the base of the Main Building. His recently calmed heart began to pound with excitement again.

He had actually done it. He had actually conquered Longshan!

From the very beginning of his northern campaign, Xia Hong had never thought he could conquer Longshan in one fell swoop.

His sole objective had been to force Li Xuanling to withdraw her army by besieging Longshan.

His original plan in having Hou Jing mix over three hundred inside agents into Zhaoyang’s five thousand-plus men was merely to create some minor problems for Longshan’s city defenses. Who could have imagined that those two, Li Hu and Yang Zhong, would be so clever as to turn so many Earthforger realm experts from the Yucheng, Changning, and Songyuan families by releasing the prisoners from the dungeon?

The state of allegiance within Longshan was truly terrifying.

The impact of over three thousand rebels was a world of difference compared to three hundred inside agents.

Xia Hong had originally intended to attack Longshan on the night of the fifth. It was only after learning about the possibility of three thousand rebels that he changed his mind, buying another day for Li and Yang.

And it had actually worked.

They had wiped out Longshan directly!

“I thought I’d be fighting Longshan for several more years. Plans really can’t keep up with changes. Since the hearts and minds of Longshan are so divided and it collapsed so quickly, I’ll have to change my approach from here on out!”

After a moment of contemplation, Xia Hong turned and asked Liu Yuan, “How long has Yuwen Tao been gone?”

“A little over an hour. At his speed, he should have reached the Hive long ago. He took the severed arm and the head with him. If all goes as expected, Li Xuanling should have already withdrawn her army. I just don’t know how heavy the casualties are on the Director’s side.”

Hearing Liu Yuan’s answer, Xia Hong’s expression tightened slightly.

He was well aware of the difficulty of nine thousand five hundred Earthforger realm experts defending against three thousand soldiers of the Longyou Army.

If the Hive’s iron walls remained unbroken, it would be fine. But once they were breached and the barrier was lost, the outcome would be hard to predict. Moreover, Li Xuantian was there. Even though he had left the Frigid Ruins Cauldron with Xia Chuan, Xia Hong wasn’t truly confident.

“Though the Frigid Ruins Cauldron can extinguish supernatural threats, its attraction to Frost Beasts is too great. There are only ten puppet soldiers in total, and they can currently only perform at the level of mid-grade Frost Beasts. Once ignited at the Hive, it will be difficult to clean up the mess…”

Xia Hong took a shallow breath, looked to the west, and his brow furrowed.

The battle in the direction of the Main Building was still ongoing. Hou Jing and the other Frostwarden realm experts were close to breaking through to the Main Building, but the ten-thousand-strong army of Earthforger realm fighters was still bogged down more than four hundred meters away, clearly held back by the Longshan garrison.

Furthermore, as more and more people from Longshan rushed to the base of the Main Building, the army was even showing signs of being pushed back.

Liu Yuan followed Xia Hong’s gaze and immediately understood why he was frowning. He said softly, “Leader, there are too many people in Longshan. Even after excluding the three families that have rebelled, they still have over seventy thousand people. These are all Longshan’s die-hard loyalists. And there are many Earthforger realm experts among them; there are probably still over eight thousand left.”

It was Longshan, after all. Their foundation was indeed deep!

Xia Hong shook his head with a slight sigh. After they broke through the iron wall, they had killed at least three or four thousand Earthforger realm experts, yet Longshan still had over eight thousand remaining.

In other words, without the three thousand-plus rebels, the number of Earthforger realm experts originally defending Longshan was over fifteen thousand.

This population of Earthforger realm experts was truly enviable.

Even Great Xia might not have that many right now.

“Leader, my Cloud Serpent Army still has over six hundred battle-ready soldiers. Let me lead them. It shouldn’t be difficult to break through to the Main Building with Hou Jing’s ten thousand men.”

Seeing the stalemate on the western front, Liu Yuan was getting impatient and directly requested to join the battle.

However, Xia Hong refused without a second thought, waving his hand. “Longshan has already lost. There’s no need for you. Between Baiyuan, Xiling, and tonight’s assault, the Cloud Serpent Army has already lost over three hundred men. Our foundation is too shallow to be tossed around like this. You continue to have them rest here. Peng Bo will go with me. Right, and you…”

Though disappointed, Liu Yuan knew Xia Hong was right. He could only nod and watch as Xia Hong, Peng Bo, and Yang Zhong, who was named last, departed.

“Leader!”

“Greetings, Leader.”

“Greetings, Leader…”

………………

As Xia Hong descended the stairs, he saw many recuperating Cloud Serpent Army soldiers struggling to rise and salute him. He immediately waved his hand and smiled. “Stay down and rest. No need to get up. The Cloud Serpent Army will take first credit for conquering Longshan this time. Wait to be rewarded according to your merits when we return to Xiacheng!”

Upon hearing this, the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers all grew excited.

The Cloud Serpent Army was to take first credit for conquering Longshan.

Coming from Xia Hong’s own mouth, those words carried immense weight.

Contribution points, the Martial Arts Hall, pills, weapons, supplies, cultivation resources…

The soldiers were instantly lost in their own daydreams.

Xia Hong did not disturb them further and continued toward the western battlefield. As he walked, he noticed that Yang Zhong, who was following him, still wore a worried expression. He smiled and said, “What, you don’t believe me when I say Li Tiancheng won’t kill Li Hu?”

Yang Zhong was taken aback. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded, revealing his confusion. “I dare not disbelieve the Leader’s words, it’s just…”

“Li Xuanling’s three thousand Longyou Army troops can’t make any more waves. The Longshan Li family will soon be history. Li Tiancheng will not let the Li family line die out!”

Not let the Li family line die out?

Yang Zhong lowered his head and pondered for a moment. When he understood, his body trembled slightly.

……………………

“Where is the Leader’s army? Why haven’t they returned?”

“We’re only three hundred meters from the Main Building. The Xia army is about to break through.”

“There’s hope. Tens of thousands of us are here now. Hou Jing can’t break through.”

“What damn hope? That golden-armored army of Great Xia hasn’t even moved. They’ve been resting and observing from the rear. Once they attack, we’re finished.”

“Go inform the Leader! Tell the Leader to bring the army back to reinforce the garrison immediately.”

“Traitors, traitors, traitors! Those damn traitors from the three Yucheng families! We should have wiped them all out long ago! We should have killed them!”

“I told the Leader back then that these three families couldn’t be trusted! What’s the use of just locking up a few of their higher-ups? Once those people in the dungeon got out and persuaded them, they all turned, all of them! Over three thousand people, all of them went over to Great Xia’s side! It’s over, it’s over…”

“Li Hu, Li Hu, you vile creature! You have the blood of my Li family flowing in you, yet you collude with outsiders! Now you’ve caused the deaths of so many people! I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, ah…”

“It was Li Hu who led people to the dungeon to free the higher-ups of the three families! It was him.”

“I knew it! How could the Xia army be so familiar with our Longshan garrison’s layout? They charged straight for the Main Building along the mountainside as soon as they broke in from the north. None of the defensive positions and garrisons in the building district were effective. Traitors! It was Li Hu and Yang Zhong, those two traitors, who told the Xia army everything about our garrison!”

“I’ll flay you alive, Li Hu, you beast, you beast!”

……………………

On the top floor of the Main Building, hundreds of people were crammed into Longshan’s assembly hall.

Unlike its usual grandeur, the faces of the hundreds in the hall were now filled with either terror or despair, with none of the usual domineering air of Longyou’s overlords.

After a series of desperate and fearful roars, several Longshan disciples raised their sabers and charged toward Li Hu, who was tied to a pillar at the front.

Li Hu’s upper body was stained red with blood. Despite his injuries, there was not a trace of pain on his face. Instead, looking at the group clamoring to kill him, he let out a laugh of immense satisfaction.

“All of you, silence!”

The entire hall was in an uproar, and combined with the sounds of slaughter from outside, the noise was deafening. It wasn’t until a pale-faced Li Tiancheng roared in anger that the clamoring Li family disciples stopped in their tracks. The hall finally fell silent.

But the quieter it became, the more clearly they could hear the sounds of battle from the east of the Main Building. The look of terror on many faces intensified, and some of the women and younger, more timid members even began to tremble.

Li Tiancheng’s left arm was gone. He swung his empty sleeve, looked down at Li Hu tied to the pillar, and asked in a low voice:

“You were the one who sent word to the Xia army about the ambush at Long White Gully, weren’t you?”

“Of course, it was me. The New Army formed in the sixth month, the eight hundred sets of Hundred-forged armor and weapons, the destination being Baiyuan, a gift for Zhaoyang—I told the Xia army everything!”

Li Hu met Li Tiancheng’s gaze directly, without flinching.

Li Tiancheng closed his eyes, his expression sinking into the depths of sorrow.

“You are also a child of Longshan. You have the blood of the Li family…”

“Shut up, old man! I was never a child of the Li family. I took my mother Li Yuning’s surname. The blood flowing in me is from the Zhaoyuan Li family. With your Longshan Li family, I have nothing but the blood feud of my mother’s murder. We have nothing to do with each other.”

Li Tiancheng was cut off by Li Hu before he could finish.

Seeing the deep-seated hatred in Li Hu’s eyes, Li Tiancheng’s already aged face instantly gained more wrinkles, and his entire demeanor drooped.

Longshan had only so many people. Li Tiancheng had long been aware of the life story of this grandnephew, Li Hu, and the unjust treatment he had suffered.

But there were too many Li family children, and Li Hu’s talent was not outstanding among them. Furthermore, his stepmother, Zhu Rou, was the daughter of the Frostwarden realm outsider, Zhu Xing. So even though he knew, it was not his place to interfere.

His original thought was that after enduring these hardships, Li Hu would be more likely to amount to something in the future than the other pampered Li family children.

Now it seemed he had indeed amounted to something—just for Great Xia instead!

As Li Tiancheng closed his eyes in thought, a woman holding a sword rushed out from behind, heading straight for Li Hu.

“Little beast, little beast! I said long ago that this ungrateful wolf couldn’t be tamed! We should have listened to me and killed him back then! Now, not only did he get my son captured by Great Xia, he’s caused this great disaster! Let me kill him, kill him!”

The woman who rushed out was none other than Li Hu’s stepmother, Zhu Rou.

Zhu Rou had been agonizing over Li Yuanqing’s capture since the ambush at Long White Gully. Now, suddenly learning that Li Hu was responsible, her rage was unimaginable, and she charged out to kill him.

Li Tiancheng glanced at Zhu Rou, then noticed the bone-deep hatred in Li Hu’s eyes as he looked at her. He let out a soft sigh, his gaze suddenly sharpening. He grabbed a short sword from the table and threw it forcefully at Zhu Rou.

Clang…

The short sword was knocked away by a large saber.

The wielder was a middle-aged man who bore some resemblance to Zhu Rou.

“Uncle Tiancheng, why did you attack my daughter without cause?”

The web of Zhu Xing’s hand had split open. Clearly, deflecting Li Tiancheng’s short sword had not been easy for him. He looked at Li Tiancheng and spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying a clear note of questioning.

It all happened too fast. Everyone in the hall looked bewildered, evidently unable to process the events.

Why did Li Tiancheng suddenly try to kill Zhu Rou?

And Zhu Xing dared to block Li Tiancheng’s short sword?

Only Li Hu, tied to the pillar, turned to look at Li Tiancheng, his expression faltering slightly as if he had figured something out. A complex look appeared in his eyes.

“Every injustice has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. Zhu Xing, Longshan’s fall is your daughter’s fault! With so many dead and wounded in the camp, she must pay with her life!”

Zhu Xing’s face darkened. Seemingly no longer intending to hide his true feelings, he pointed at Li Hu and sneered, “If I recall correctly, that other traitor, Yang Zhong, is your own grandson, isn’t he? Your Li family has had the misfortune of raising two such little beasts who brought wolves into our house. Instead of dealing with them, you want to kill my daughter? And you talk about perpetrators and debtors.

“Li Tiancheng, do you really think we outsiders are dogs of your Li family?”

Zhu Xing roared out the last question.

“Zhu Xing, how dare you!”

“How dare you speak to grandfather like that?”

“Zhu Xing, what are you trying to do?”

………………

The Li family disciples in the hall all began to denounce him.

But their voices clearly lacked momentum.

In the hall, apart from a small number of Li family disciples who stood with Li Tiancheng, a large majority had moved to stand behind Zhu Xing. Many others remained silent, saying nothing at all.

Li Tiancheng seemed unsurprised by this delicate scene. He looked up at Zhu Xing and asked with a slight smile:

“Zhu Xing, it seems you have your own plans?”

When the Iron Stake Wall was breached earlier, Hou Hu had immediately fled with his men. Of Longshan’s five Frostwarden realm experts, one was killed by Xia Hong and three were heavily wounded, leaving only Zhu Xing.

He himself had lost an arm, and now he was trying to kill Zhu Rou. It was understandable that Zhu Xing would have his own plans.

Having his thoughts exposed, Zhu Xing showed no embarrassment. He looked at Li Tiancheng with a calm expression and said, “Uncle Tiancheng, the Li family’s defeat is a foregone conclusion. For us outsiders, it’s just a matter of changing masters. We certainly won’t die with your Li family!”

Hearing Zhu Xing’s heart-piercing words, the Li family disciples erupted in furious condemnation:

“Zhu Xing, you beast!”

“Vile creature, Zhu Xing! When the Leader returns with the army, he will surely kill you!”

“Zhu Rou, and you call yourself the Second Young Master’s woman! You betray Longshan…”

………………

“How lively, everyone!”

Their accusations were quickly interrupted by a light chuckle.

At the sound of this chuckle, everyone in the hall froze, including Li Tiancheng at the head of the hall and the many Li family disciples before him.

This voice was all too familiar to them.

Last night, at the start of the assault, it was less than three breaths after this voice sounded that an iron stake on the northern side was forcefully bent from the outside.

Tap, tap, tap…

The sound of footsteps came from the entrance at the back of the hall. Everyone turned to look. Seeing the black-robed figure standing at the entrance, they all trembled.

At the entrance to the hall, Xia Hong, dressed in black, walked in slowly. Two slender sabers of equal length hung at his waist. Though he wore a faint smile and did nothing, his mere presence made it impossible for the hundreds of people in the hall to even breathe.

Those who stood in Xia Hong’s way quickly moved to the sides, clearing a path for him straight to the back of the hall.

Isn’t the battle still going on outside? The Main Building hasn’t been breached yet!

How did Xia Hong get in?

This question popped into everyone’s mind.

Xia Hong walked to the back of the hall as if no one else was there. He looked up at Li Tiancheng above, cupped his hands slightly, and was about to speak when he was interrupted by Zhu Xing beside him.

Thud…

“Greetings, Leader Xia. I, Zhu Xing, wish to bring my family and friends to abandon the darkness for the light and join Great Xia. I hope Leader Xia will not be stingy with your acceptance.”

Zhu Xing dropped to his knees. Zhu Rou beside him, and the hundred-plus people behind him, all knelt before Xia Hong.

Seeing this, the faces of the Li family disciples were filled with rage. A few, unable to contain themselves, looked like they were about to shout in anger but were pulled back by those beside them.

On the high platform, Li Tiancheng said nothing, merely watching quietly.

It was Li Hu, tied to the pillar, who clenched his fists, silently shut his eyes, a clear flash of pain crossing his face.

If Zhu Xing joins Great Xia, how can I ever kill Zhu Rou for revenge?

A Frostwarden realm expert was more valuable than him and Yang Zhong combined.

It was obvious what choice Xia Hong would make.

Zhu Rou, kneeling on the ground, had clearly realized this as well and was looking up at Li Hu with a smug expression.

Swoosh…

But the smug look on her face, along with the sound of a blade and a warm spray on her face, froze in an instant.

It was her father, Zhu Xing, kneeling beside her. His head had been sent flying by Xia Hong.

A meter-high column of blood spurted from his neck, splashing onto her face. This was the source of that warm spray.

“Ah… Father…”

Everyone was stunned. No one had reacted. Xia Hong had suddenly killed Zhu Xing, who was surrendering to him.

The entire hall fell into a dead silence, broken only by Zhu Rou’s tragic wails.

“I don’t like people who act like dogs. Besides, a Six Mane Frostwarden realm expert is no different from an ordinary person in my eyes. It’s too naive to think you can rely on your cultivation to save your life!”

Xia Hong spoke casually, then slashed the ropes binding Li Hu and handed him the Dragon Sparrow Saber, which had been broken by Li Xuanling.

“Go get your revenge.”

From the moment Xia Hong killed Zhu Xing, Li Hu’s expression had been one of deep emotion. Now, hearing Xia Hong’s words and taking the Dragon Sparrow Saber, his body trembled uncontrollably. Unable to suppress his feelings, he knelt directly before Xia Hong, his voice shaking.

“Leader, this subordinate can never repay your great kindness. From this day forward, in life, Li Hu is a person of Great Xia; in death, a ghost of Great Xia. Through mountains of daggers and seas of fire, even if the Leader tells me to die now, Li Hu will not so much as frown!”

This was like a one-way vow. After speaking, Li Hu didn’t even wait for Xia Hong’s response. He kowtowed three times, then stood up and charged toward Zhu Rou.

“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!”

“I am your mother, Li Hu, I am your mother!”

“You can’t kill me, don’t…”

Zhu Rou not only begged for mercy, but she also tried to retreat and flee.

Unfortunately, without Xia Hong needing to say a word, a few of the more perceptive ones from the group that had intended to surrender with Zhu Xing quickly ran out and restrained her.

Splurt…

Li Hu showed no mercy. With a swift fall of the blade, he decapitated Zhu Rou.

After waiting for the drama to end, Xia Hong turned his gaze back to Li Tiancheng above. He cupped his hands again and smiled. “Senior Li, Longshan has fallen. Let’s not have those people outside make any more pointless sacrifices. What do you say?”

Li Tiancheng remained silent for a long time. It was a Li family disciple in front of him who mustered the courage to step forward, point at Xia Hong, and say furiously:

“You want us to surrender? Dream on! My Longshan still has the three-thousand-strong Longyou Army! When our Leader returns with his forces, all of you will die here! I urge…”

Splurt!

There happened to be a short sword by his foot. Xia Hong simply kicked it. The short sword flew up and embedded itself between the man’s eyebrows, cutting him off.

Thump…

The sound of the body hitting the ground made everyone in the hall tremble.

“Senior Li, what do you say?”

Xia Hong hadn’t glanced at the man from beginning to end. He just continued to stare at Li Tiancheng on the high platform and asked again.

Li Tiancheng’s gaze had been fixed on Li Hu. Now, he finally seemed to snap out of it. He looked at Xia Hong and sighed heavily.

“To lose to you… Longshan’s defeat is not unjust…”

But his face was still filled with intense unwillingness. After a pause, he asked with a note of struggle in his voice, “My Longshan still has over fifty Frostwarden realm experts and three thousand Longyou Army troops outside. Xia Hong, do you really think victory is in your grasp?”

“They can’t come back!”

Xia Hong answered directly. Seeing the confusion on Li Tiancheng’s face, he smiled and added, “Those three thousand Longyou Army troops, whether they win or lose at the Hive, they won’t be coming back!”

“On what grounds?” Li Tiancheng asked, still unwilling to give up.

Xia Hong didn’t answer directly. Instead, he took his Dragon Sparrow Saber back from Li Hu beside him and then threw it forcefully at Li Tiancheng on the high platform.

Swoosh!

After leaving Xia Hong’s hand, the Dragon Sparrow Saber almost instantly turned into a silver streak of light, flashing past Li Tiancheng’s ear and piercing straight through the wall behind him.

Bang…

After passing through the wall, the Dragon Sparrow Saber flew for a full two or three breaths before finally hitting something, creating a massive boom.

The others were still confused, but Li Tiancheng’s expression changed drastically.

“Why do you think I only took one of your arms just now?”

Li Tiancheng’s eyes trembled violently. The others didn’t understand, but he did.

The distance between the Main Building and the mountain behind it was about a kilometer. Xia Hong’s casual throw had covered that distance in less than three breaths, and it had made such a loud noise from so far away.

Power!

Xia Hong’s power was far beyond his own.

“Why do you think I only took one of your arms just now?”

Combined with Xia Hong’s question, how could Li Tiancheng not understand? With his strength, he could have killed him during the assault earlier.

Why did he deliberately only take his arm?

Of course, it was to have someone take the severed arm to the Longyou Army, to force Li Xuanling to lead her troops back to reinforce them. Just now, Xia Hong had sent Yuwen Tao away with the severed arm and Li Xuankong’s head in front of everyone. Li Tiancheng had heard it too.

“Impossible! Even if Xuanling leads the three-thousand-strong army back, you have no way to deal with her! Your Great Xia simply doesn’t have the strength!”

Seeing Li Tiancheng still putting on a show of unwillingness, Xia Hong continued with a faint smile, “Seeing your severed arm and Li Xuankong’s head, even if she knows returning is a mistake, she won’t be able to defy three thousand soldiers and more than fifty Frostwarden realm experts. By my calculations, when Yuwen Tao arrives at the Hive with the arm and the head, there should be just over four hours left…”

A wave of dizziness washed over him, and Li Tiancheng instantly deflated.

Four hours. To rush back to Longshan from the Hive, a normal march was impossible!

To speed up, Li Xuanling would have no choice but to lead her army through the Great Xia tunnels.

Xia Hong’s meaning could not be clearer. Great Xia had tampered with the tunnels.

“I don’t believe it. Xuanling is peerless in her intelligence and strategy. How could she not see through such a simple trick? She won’t lead the army through the tunnels.”

“No matter how smart she is, she can’t defy the will of the people. Enough…”

Xia Hong had no desire to speak further with Li Tiancheng. He waved his hand to cut him off and pointed towards the east side of the Main Building. “As for the fate of the three thousand Longyou Army, we’ll just have to wait and see. But for now, Senior Li, let’s not add to Longshan’s casualties any further. If you would.”

Li Tiancheng closed his eyes, stood up, and followed Xia Hong to the outer corridor on the east side of the Main Building.

Hou Jing’s ten thousand men were still about three hundred meters from the Main Building, making little progress. But the problem was, behind them stood a golden-armored army of about six hundred soldiers.

Watching the casualty rate of the Longshan defenders below increase rapidly, a flicker of pity crossed Li Tiancheng’s eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally opened his mouth and shouted down to the base of the tower:

“Surrender! Do not resist pointlessly any longer.”

Li Tiancheng’s voice was clearly highly recognizable in Longshan. The first to react below were mostly the garrison soldiers of the Earthforger realm. They turned to see Li Tiancheng on the Main Building, their faces a mixture of sorrow and unwillingness. But in the end, they slowly lowered their weapons.

Clang…

Many had already surrendered by laying down their arms. Li Tiancheng’s words acted as a catalyst. A large number of Earthforger realm experts were the first to drop their weapons, followed by more and more.

The Lumberjack realm experts and ordinary people had even less will to resist. In just over ten breaths, all of them had dropped their weapons and surrendered.

Although there was some small-scale resistance, it lasted for less than a hundred breaths before being extinguished by Hou Jing’s army.

Xia Hong turned to look at the massive mountain to the west behind the Main Building, a look of elation on his face, his fists tightening slightly.

Longshan, from this day forth, had a new master!

“Hou Jing, you and Dong Zhong will lead the five thousand men from Zhaoyang and Dongkang to confiscate the weapons of all surrendered soldiers and clear out any hidden rebels in the garrison.

“Chen Yingba, you, Yu Bin, and Wu Ningyuan will take the two thousand-plus Earthforger realm experts from Xiling and Baiyuan to quickly repair the breach in the northern city wall.

“Wu Tianxing, you will take the three thousand-plus Earthforger realm experts from the Changning, Songyuan, and Yucheng families to set up defenses and patrol all areas of the garrison. You will be held responsible for any trouble that arises.

“Liu Yuan, you will allocate three hundred Cloud Serpent Army soldiers to Peng Bo. Take the rest of the Cloud Serpent Army to patrol the city walls. From now on, no one is to leave the garrison, and no one is to sneak in.

“Peng Bo, I’m giving you three hundred Cloud Serpent Army soldiers. Hou Xing, Zhang Ying, and Kong Fan, three Frostwarden realm experts, will also be under your command. I want you to screen all of Longshan’s higher-ups and Li family disciples, one by one, and lock them in the dungeons.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Hou Jing and the other ten Frostwarden realm experts all cupped their hands in a salute to Xia Hong and quickly led their men off to their respective tasks.

Chapter 309: Helplessness, Losing the People’s Hearts, Total Annihilation, and a New Territory

Year 48 of the Longyou Calendar, June 26th.

It was still four hours until dawn.

“What are you still thinking about? This is the only way. The tunnel is the fastest route to Wushuang. From there, we can follow the road we came on through Songyuan and back to Longshan. We can make it in four hours.”

“If we want to reinforce Longshan quickly, we have to take the tunnel.”

“There are only about two thousand three hundred of us left. We can march faster now. Taking the tunnel will save at least half the time. We can’t delay any longer, Leader, let’s go!”

“Those high-grade Frost Beasts from before haven’t all left. If we march in the open instead of taking the tunnel now, we’ll all be wiped out if they spot us.”

“There’s no more time to think. Let’s take the tunnel, Leader!”

………………

On the northwest side of the Hive, Li Xuanling stood at the tunnel entrance. Hearing the urging of the Frostwarden realm experts behind her, she clenched her fists tightly, her expression fraught with conflict. For a long time, she did not give the order.

“Fourth, we can’t delay any longer. We’re running out of time.”

“Let’s go!”

With Li Xuanyan’s final plea, Li Xuanling finally, helplessly, gave the order to march. But she immediately added, “Xuan Ping, Xuanqiu, Xuanhong, Jiang Ping, Meng Ying, Cheng Guang, and Song Kang—the seven of you will take the tunnel first as the vanguard. If you encounter any trouble, signal a warning immediately.

As for the six heavily injured Frostwarden experts, have the soldiers carry them. The remaining thirty-six Frostwarden experts will disperse with me to scout ahead of the tunnel. If anything happens, warn us at once so the army can retreat from the tunnel.”

Unlike those in the Earthforger realm, Frostwarden realm experts were far less restricted by the environment. If they focused solely on traveling, they could return to Longshan quickly and had no need to take the tunnel to increase their speed.

Li Xuanling had been against taking the tunnel from the start. Now, unable to overrule the others, she had to settle for the next best thing: ordering all Frostwarden experts to stay on alert in the surrounding area to ensure the army’s safety as much as possible.

“This subordinate obeys!”

Li Xuanping and the other six nodded at her command and were the first to enter the tunnel, heading forward. Behind them, the other Frostwarden experts urged the Longyou Army soldiers to enter.

In truth, they needed no urging. The more than two thousand three hundred Longyou soldiers were all anxious to return home. They quickly filed into the tunnel and set off for Wushuang.

“Fourth, why don’t you send half of the Frostwarden experts back to Longshan first to check things out? Second Uncle’s arm was severed, and Xuankong was killed. We don’t know what the situation is at the garrison!”

“That’s right, Leader. If what that Yuwen Tao said is true—that the three families of Yucheng, Songyuan, and Changning have rebelled, and Xia Hong has gathered Xiling, Baiyuan, Zhaoyang, and Dongkang—then that’s a total of seven families’ Earthforger realm warriors. That must be over ten thousand men. The garrison cannot fall. If we send half the Frostwarden experts back now, they might be able to help.”

Hearing the suggestions from her third brother, Li Xuandu, and Sun Yan, Li Xuanling shot back angrily, “Do you think I haven’t thought of that?”

She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, “Yuwen Tao showed that severed arm and head to all our soldiers on purpose. It was a clear move to force us to retreat and reinforce Longshan. Since they’ve calculated that far, do you really think they haven’t planned something else? Our current situation is even more dangerous than when we were underground, do you understand?”

The two men’s faces froze, and for a moment, they were speechless.

They weren’t fools. After retreating from underground, they quickly understood Yuwen Tao’s intentions. The problem was, even if they understood, there was nothing they could do.

Like the two thousand-plus Longyou soldiers, their families were also in the garrison. The soldiers worried for their relatives in the distant garrison, and they were just as concerned.

Whether Xia Hong had breached Longshan or not was unimportant. What mattered was that the severed arm and head Yuwen Tao had brought were real. That alone was reason enough for them to retreat.

Even in the most extreme scenario, if they had breached the Hive and killed all of Xia Chuan’s people, but their own garrison was wiped out by Xia Hong in the meantime, it would all have been for nothing.

This was likely the deeper reason why Li Xuanling had ultimately agreed to retreat.

“I’ve already sent Yue Qian to take Second Brother back to Longshan to scout out the situation. If he’s fast, we should get a message back in an hour. Within this hour, let’s focus on ensuring our own army’s safety. If anything else goes wrong, we’ll really be…”

Hearing the grave tone in Li Xuanling’s voice, Li Xuandu and Sun Yan exchanged a look, both slightly puzzled.

“Great Xia only had twenty-seven Frostwarden experts underground in total. We killed three and heavily injured nineteen. At most, they have five left with any fighting capability. If they try to ambush us with their five thousand Earthforger troops, they’re just asking to die!”

As soon as Li Xuandu finished, Sun Yan immediately nodded in agreement. “Leader, the Young Lord is right. Even if they wanted to cause trouble now, they don’t have the strength for it. There’s no need to be this cautious. Shouldn’t we send some people back to Longshan first?”

It wasn’t just Li Xuandu and Sun Yan. Several of the other Frostwarden experts who hadn’t dispersed yet also nodded in agreement, all turning to look at Li Xuanling.

Li Xuanling’s expression faltered. As she looked at their expectant eyes, a sense of powerlessness washed over her.

She knew exactly what they were thinking. They were anxious about the safety of the garrison, worried that their home base would be overrun by Xia Hong’s forces.

She was worried too, of course, but she knew better than anyone that if something went wrong at this moment, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“No. Everyone will listen to me. No one is to leave until Yue Qian brings back news from Longshan. Once we’re through this Great Xia tunnel, I will immediately send half of our forces back to Longshan!”

Li Xuanling could no longer heed their pleading gazes and chose to make a unilateral decision. Seeing that they were about to speak again, she cut them off with a wave of her hand. “That’s enough. Everyone, move out and scout ahead.”

Hesitation was written all over their faces. Several of them opened their mouths to object, but seeing that Li Xuanling had already taken the lead and started walking forward, they held their tongues.

“Alright, listen to the Leader. Let’s go and scout ahead!”

Although Li Xuandu disagreed, he chose to uphold Li Xuanling’s authority as leader and told the others to get to their posts.

“The tunnel is fast. We’ll be at Wushuang in a dozen minutes at most. Once we’re there, the Leader will send a group back to Longshan. Go!”

The others nodded, finally compromising and dispersing to the front of the tunnel.

………………

“They’re here, they’re here! It’s the people from Longshan!”

On a snowy hill about seven kilometers northwest of the Hive, Chen Ying sped in from the south, hissing a warning to the three figures hiding behind the hill.

“Who is it?”

“Soldiers or Frostwarden experts?”

“It can’t be Li Xuanling, can it?”

Behind the hill, Bai Wuting, Lin Fan, and Lu He asked one after another.

Like Chen Ying, all three held greatblades and carried a powerful bow on their backs.

“It’s Frostwarden experts. Li Xuanling is too cunning. She’s dispersed a large number of them to guard the sides of the direct road. She’s specifically watching out for us…”

Hearing Chen Ying’s words, Bai Wuting’s face darkened.

Five days ago, on the night of the first of July, they were supposed to have joined Yue Feng’s seven thousand men to garrison the Hive. But as soon as they arrived, they received an order from Xia Chuan for Bai Wuting to lead a team of four to lie in wait along this direct road between the Hive and Wushuang.

“I’ve already had men bury a large number of torches on both sides of the direct road at the seven-kilometer, fourteen-kilometer, and endpoint markers. Starting tonight, if you see an army taking the direct road, ignite the torches immediately.”

This was Xia Chuan’s order. The four of them were veterans of the camp and knew perfectly well what the “little torches” were for, so they immediately understood his intent.

“We’ve been waiting for five days. We ignored all that commotion at the Hive, and now that we’ve finally caught them, we can’t let it all be for nothing. We have to find a way!”

As Bai Wuting spoke, the other three nodded firmly.

“Those Longshan Frostwarden experts are too strong. If we get too close, we’ll definitely be discovered. A direct confrontation is out of the question. Since they’ve posted guards on both sides of the road, we’ll do nothing at the start to lull them into a false sense of security. We’ll go straight to the final point, find four spots with the best range, and hide. As soon as the army arrives, we each find our chance to strike. Four chances. I refuse to believe we won’t succeed at least once. You all know what I mean, right?”

Bai Wuting looked pointedly at the other three. They clearly understood the meaning in his eyes and nodded with grim expressions.

“Good!”

With that, Bai Wuting led the three of them away from the tunnel area, moving as far away as possible as they headed for the northern end of the tunnel.

………………

“The Youngest is just too young, too cautious. She’s afraid of everything. The Great Xia forces are beaten this badly, what tricks can they possibly play in the tunnel? The garrison is what’s most important right now, yet she’s holding us back.”

At the end of the Xia Direct Road, Li Xuanping stood at the exit, his expression extremely grim.

Beside him, Li Xuanqiu, already looking worried, couldn’t help but add after hearing his words, “Father’s arm was severed, we don’t even know if he’s alright. I can’t take it anymore. I’m going back to Longshan now.”

After speaking, Li Xuanqiu actually got up and started to walk west.

“Li Xuanqiu, the Leader’s orders are paramount!”

Meng Ying couldn’t help but call out to stop her. Just a moment ago, Li Xuanling had ordered the seven of them to scout the tunnel ahead. They had walked all the way to the exit without finding anything unusual and were waiting for the main army. Now, Li Xuanqiu was about to desert the team to return to Longshan on her own. He naturally had to intervene.

Li Xuanqiu paused and turned back with a cold smile. “It wasn’t her father who lost an arm, so of course she doesn’t care. If it had been First Uncle’s arm, I’d like to see if Li Xuanling could remain so calm.”

Meng Ying was taken aback. He looked at Li Xuanqiu and her brother and fell silent.

He didn’t know what to say. The man who lost an arm was Li Tiancheng, their father. He really couldn’t blame them for their reaction.

“Big Brother, come with me. Let’s go back to Longshan first. If something happens to Father because we were too late, we’ll regret it for the rest of our lives!”

Li Xuanping stood where he was, his expression shifting uncertainly for a moment. Finally, he gritted his teeth and followed his sister. “Let’s go!” he said in a low voice.

“Xuan Ping, Xuanqiu, you can’t leave without the Leader’s order.”

Seeing the two of them really leaving, Meng Ying’s face filled with anxiety. But no matter how he shouted, neither Li Xuanping nor Li Xuanqiu looked back. They sprinted west toward Longshan, soon becoming distant figures.

“Let them go. It’s not a bad thing to have two more people go back and check on the garrison!”

Hearing Jiang Ping’s words, Meng Ying’s expression tightened slightly. He turned to see that Li Xuanhong, Cheng Guang, and Song Kang had no reaction either. He said no more and resumed standing guard with them.

Meng Ying’s wife and children were also in Longshan. He was just as worried about the garrison’s safety. He might not rationally approve of Li Xuanping and his sister defying the Leader’s orders to leave the team, but he was still glad to see them go.

Clank… Clank…

The hearing of a Frostwarden expert was far superior to that of an ordinary person. In just over a hundred breaths, Meng Ying and the other four heard the sounds of an army marching from about two hundred meters inside the tunnel. The vigilant expressions on their faces immediately relaxed.

“See? I told you nothing would happen.”

“Even if Great Xia wanted to ambush us, they don’t have the men.”

“Nineteen of Xia Chuan’s people are heavily injured. If he dared to bring his seven thousand Earthforgers here for an ambush, he’d be saving us a lot of trouble.”

Sizzle…

“Who’s there!”

Just as Jiang Ping, Li Xuanhong, Cheng Guang, and Song Kang were chatting idly, the faint sound of a flame igniting reached them. Meng Ying was the first to notice, whipping his head around to look north of the tunnel.

The other four immediately fell silent and looked north as well.

Under the snowy night, a cluster of flames had appeared more than two hundred meters away to the north.

“Someone’s there?”

“Definitely. Let’s go, quick, check it out.”

“Wait, don’t all go. Jiang Ping, you go.”

Meng Ying’s brow furrowed slightly. He stopped the others, motioning for Jiang Ping to go alone. The other three understood and remained where they were.

Jiang Ping, greatblade in hand, cautiously approached the flames.

Soon, he was less than a hundred meters from the fire.

Whoosh…

Just then, from beneath the snow behind the flames, a dark figure suddenly stood up, raised a giant bow, and fired an arrow at Jiang Ping.

Clang…

“Who are you? You’re courting death!”

Jiang Ping’s roar immediately caught the attention of Meng Ying and the other three.

“There really is someone there.”

“They’re fighting! Let’s help!”

It was only two hundred meters away. The four of them clearly saw Jiang Ping draw his blade, swat the iron arrow aside, and charge the figure. Li Xuanhong and Cheng Guang, being more hot-tempered, immediately rushed forward to help.

Meng Ying and Song Kang remained at the tunnel entrance. As they watched, they saw the black-clad figure get sent flying by Jiang Ping after just a few moves. Before Li and Cheng could get close, the figure fled north. Both Meng Ying’s and Song Kang’s eyebrows shot up.

“Something’s wrong! Xuanhong, Cheng Guang, get back—”

Whoosh…

Suddenly, from more than two hundred meters to the southwest, another iron arrow came flying.

There was clearly some flammable material tied to the arrow. It ignited with a sizzle in mid-air. Its target was not Meng Ying and Cheng Kang, but the snow on either side of the tunnel’s end.

“Xuanhong, Cheng Guang, come back, quickly!”

Interrupted, Meng Ying reacted with extreme speed. After shouting for the two to return, he ignored the archer and instead drew his blade to cut down the incoming arrow before charging straight for the person who fired it.

The moment the black-clad man fled north, Li Xuanhong and Cheng Guang had actually realized something was off, but by then they were already over a hundred meters from the tunnel entrance.

A Frostwarden expert’s speed was fast, but it all depended on what you compared it to.

Whoosh…

From the northwest, another flaming iron arrow shot through the air.

Clang!

The only one left near the tunnel entrance was Song Kang.

He had also realized what was happening. He first deflected the arrow, then charged straight after the archer.

Meng Ying, who had already chased over fifty meters, saw the person to the southwest flee immediately. His brow furrowed. When he turned and saw Song Kang chasing in another direction, his pupils constricted violently. “Song Kang, don’t chase!” he yelled.

Whoosh…

Thud!

From due south, a third speeding iron arrow, with no one to intercept it, struck the snow on the south side of the tunnel.

Like the previous two, this arrow had also lit up mid-flight. The flame was surprisingly resilient; even after plunging into the snow, it did not go out but continued to burn.

“What are they trying to do?”

“Why are they shooting flaming arrows into the snow?”

“Whatever they’re doing, put that fire out, quickly!”

Unlike the others, Meng Ying had figured it out long ago. The four people who had appeared in succession were clearly part of a plan. No matter what they intended, such a calculated scheme could not be good for them.

So he charged directly toward the south side of the tunnel, signaling to Song Kang, Li Xuanhong, and Cheng Guang, who were closer, to put out the fire immediately.

Sizzle-sizzle-sizzle-sizzle…

However, they were a fraction too slow.

Or perhaps, whatever had been buried on the south side of the tunnel was just too flammable.

A faint sizzling sound reached them, and the four of them froze.

BOOM…

A pillar of flame erupted from the snow where the arrow had struck, instantly engulfing the tunnel exit. It then spread to the north side, burning its way over a hundred meters northward.

BOOM…

Judging by the sequence of ignition and the flames that soared more than ten meters high, it was clear that large quantities of flammable material had been buried on both the north and south sides of the tunnel.

“What’s happening!”

“Is there a fire up ahead?”

“We can just break through the tunnel wall. The army has just arrived, it’s fine.”

“What’s a fire to be afraid of? We’re here now anyway.”

…

The moment the flames erupted, the Longshan Frostwarden experts above the tunnel and the army inside that was just about to reach the exit noticed it simultaneously.

Li Xuanling and the Frostwarden experts who had been scouting in the distance immediately rushed over. Seeing the towering inferno, their expressions changed slightly, but then they simply ordered the army to break through the tunnel wall to get out.

“Meng Ying, what’s with this fire? And why are there only four of you left?”

Thank goodness, thank goodness the army is safe. It’s just an ordinary fire…

Meng Ying hadn’t seen what happened and was feeling relieved. Hearing Li Xuanling’s question, he was about to answer when suddenly—

ROAR…

A massive roar came from the north. Everyone whipped their heads around to look.

Li Xuandu’s expression froze. “A high-grade Frost Beast?” he asked instinctively. “Didn’t they retreat from the Hive? Why are they back?”

ROAR… ROAR…

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE…

A dozen more roars followed, and the ground began to tremble. The entire snowy plain seemed to start thrumming.

Li Xuanling, Meng Ying, and all the surrounding Frostwarden experts’ faces changed in an instant.

“The fire! The fire! This fire is like Great Xia’s Sacred Cauldron, it can attract Frost Beasts! Put it out! Put out the fire, quickly!”

Meng Ying was the first to react, roaring for the others to extinguish the flames.

Hearing his words, Li Xuanling instantly understood. Her face turned grim. Seeing the Frostwarden experts already trying to fight the fire, her expression became utterly ghastly. “We can’t put it out!” she snarled. “Get the army to the Wushuang garrison, now!”

Great Xia hadn’t just buried flammable material on both sides of the tunnel; they had spread it out for fifty or sixty meters in each direction. The fire now covered a stretch over a hundred meters long. It was impossible to extinguish it quickly.

And most importantly, the tremors in the ground were growing stronger!

“Run! Run!”

Li Xuanling turned and yelled at the army, her voice filled with urgency.

Pat-pat-pat-pat…

Several small beastly figures suddenly ran in from four directions. Though it was night, the light from the fire at the tunnel exit was so bright that the forty-plus Longshan Frostwarden experts, as well as the Longyou soldiers who had just broken out of the tunnel, all saw them clearly. A violent shudder ran through them, and their faces turned deathly pale.

“Frost Beasts! Those are high-grade Frost Beasts!”

“There’s more! Behind them! Look, so many mid-grade Frost Beasts…”

“It’s a Beast Tide! Run!”

“How can there be a Beast Tide? We’re only two kilometers from Wushuang, this isn’t Longshan! How could a single fire attract a Beast Tide? How is that possible?”

“The Frost Beasts drawn to the Hive’s underground area earlier didn’t go far.”

………………

Squeak-squeak-squeak…

The soldiers’ cries were cut short by a Gnawing Rodent that suddenly burrowed out of the ground. It was less than half a meter long, with a head a dozen centimeters wide and a fleshy tail half a meter long trailing behind it. Its back was covered in fur as soft as golden silk. A pair of blood-red, bloodthirsty pupils stared intently at the flames.

There were four or five sword wounds on the rodent’s back. From the way the flesh was peeled back and still bleeding, the wounds were clearly fresh.

“It’s injured! It’s that high-grade Gnawing Rodent from underground!”

Li Xuanling recognized it at a glance as the same one that had appeared when she was talking with Xia Chuan underground. In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through her mind—shock, regret, anger, humiliation… A mixture of emotions coursed through her, and she began to tremble slightly with rage.

Squeak-squeak-squeak… ROAR…

For some reason, this time the Gnawing Rodent didn’t charge straight for the fire. Instead, it turned to stare at the Longyou soldiers near the flames. After a few soft squeaks, it opened its mouth and let out a sudden roar.

As it roared, its small body rapidly swelled. In just three or four breaths, it transformed into a giant, golden-backed rat fifteen meters long.

The claws on its chest alone were half a meter long, looking like six sharp short swords when held together. It maintained a semi-upright rodent-like posture. Its powerful hind legs were corded with muscle, capable of supporting its fifteen-meter frame, a testament to the terrifying strength within. The golden fur on its back stood on end, like sharp golden quills, a chilling sight to behold.

“What are you all standing there for? Run! Run!”

Seeing the large number of soldiers frozen in fear, Li Xuandu couldn’t help but roar, urging them to run toward the Wushuang garrison two kilometers to the northwest.

“Run! Big Brother, Third Brother, Meng Ying, all Frostwarden experts, follow me and hold off the Frost Beasts! Let the army escape first!”

Li Xuanling had already drawn her longsword and charged forward, because the Gnawing Rodent, after entering its combat form, had started attacking the Longyou soldiers around the fire.

An army composed of warriors at the Earthforger limit was undoubtedly powerful, but it depended on the opponent. If they were facing mid-grade Frost Beasts, as long as the numbers weren’t too great, they could not only hold them off but, with proper coordination, could even annihilate them.

But a high-grade Frost Beast was another matter entirely.

It didn’t take many. Even a single high-grade Frost Beast meant the army had to run.

The reason was simple: a high-grade Frost Beast’s combat form was too large, its defense too strong. Anyone with strength below the Mane level couldn’t even injure them. Furthermore, the innate abilities of most Frost Beasts seemed tailor-made for wide-area destruction. That was why an army could only run from a high-grade Frost Beast, and the larger the army, the faster they needed to run.

This was why only Frostwarden experts could hunt high-grade Frost Beasts.

One look at the Longyou soldiers facing the Gnawing Rodent made it all clear!

With a single charge, the golden-backed Gnawing Rodent sent a large swath of soldiers flying. Its speed, strength, and size completely overwhelmed the Longyou soldiers. Using both its claws and hind legs, it tore countless soldiers to shreds. in less than four breaths, it had completely scattered the several hundred Longyou soldiers who had exited the tunnel.

“Ah! Help me!”

“Run!”

“Run! Toward Wushuang!”

“We can’t make it! The Frost Beasts have surrounded us! Run in another direction, just get out of here!”

“Help! Leader! Lord, save me!”

Splurt… Splurt…

In an instant, the area around the tunnel exit descended into chaos. The scattered Longyou soldiers ran like headless chickens. Cries for help, wails, and screams filled the air, mingled with the light of the towering flames. The scene was completely out of control.

Swoosh… Swoosh…

Although Li Xuanyan and a few other Frostwarden experts charged up to block it, the Gnawing Rodent, for whatever reason, was filled with murderous intent towards them. Even while being engaged by the Frostwarden experts, it shot beams of blood-red light from its eyes, continuously slaughtering the soldiers below.

“This Gnawing Rodent is insane! Doesn’t it just want the fire? Why is it killing people?”

“It’s no use, Fourth! We can’t hold them back!”

“More than half our men are still trapped in the tunnel! The high-grade Frost Beasts have already surrounded us, and there’s a huge wave of mid- and low-grade beasts behind them!”

“The fire is getting bigger, Leader!”

“Leader…”

………………

“It’s over… it’s over… it’s all over…”

Li Xuanling watched as the Longyou soldiers were continuously slaughtered at the tunnel exit. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her face was a mask of utter despair. She seemed not to hear the calls of Meng Ying, Cheng Guang, and the others, only muttering “it’s over” under her breath.

“Leader, wake up! What’s done is done, there’s no use for regret!”

“Leader, make a decision!”

“Fourth, as long as the green—”

Li Xuandu’s cry of “Fourth” finally snapped Li Xuanling out of her daze.

He clearly felt the rest of his sentence was not suitable to be shouted aloud, so he stopped after three words, simply turning to look at her.

Li Xuanling’s face was a mixture of hesitation and torment. She knew what Li Xuandu’s look meant. He wanted her to order all the Frostwarden experts to flee.

They could escape, of course. But what about the Longyou soldiers?

“There’s no other way, Fourth. Even if we fight to the death, we can’t stop this many Frost Beasts. Look behind us. Don’t hesitate any longer.”

Li Xuandu could no longer hold back and spoke his thoughts plainly.

Li Xuanling turned and scanned her surroundings. Seeing the ever-increasing number of Frost Beasts on the perimeter, she clenched her fists tightly and shouted, “Break through to the west!”

Li Xuanyan, Li Xuandu, Li Xuanhong, and many of the Li family’s Frostwarden experts almost instantly disengaged from their fights with the Frost Beasts. They quickly regrouped and began to break through to the west.

Meng Ying, Jiang Ping, Cheng Guang, Song Kang, and the other Frostwarden experts from outside families looked at the Longyou soldiers near the tunnel, a flicker of pity in their eyes. But after a moment’s hesitation, they too ran west.

“No! Don’t leave us! Leader, save me!”

“My lords, you can’t abandon us! We’ll all die here!”

“Help! Leader! Leader, save us!”

“I’m a Li family disciple too! Save me, Third Uncle!”

“Don’t abandon us! Leader!”

“You animals! May you die a horrible death!”

“Li Xuanling, you coward! You dare call yourself a leader?”

“Bitch! You animals! You won’t get away!”

………………

The moment Li Xuanling gave up, the fate of the Longyou soldiers was sealed. With all the Frostwarden experts gone, the two thousand or so men were nothing but lambs to the slaughter before the Frost Beasts.

In the face of death, some begged pitifully, some cursed venomously. Some cursed all forty-plus Frostwarden experts, while others aimed their fury directly at their leader, Li Xuanling.

But no matter their reaction, it could not change their grim fate.

With forty-plus Frostwarden experts acting in concert, breaking out was easy. Li Xuanling soon led everyone out of the Beast Tide’s encirclement. They didn’t dare stop until they were near the Wushuang garrison, where they finally turned to look back to the southeast.

BOOM BOOM BOOM…

Watching more and more Frost Beasts converging on the site of the great fire, tears streamed ceaselessly down Li Xuanling’s cheeks, and her expression grew ever more bleak and hopeless.

Li Xuanyan, Li Xuandu, and the other Frostwarden experts around her looked toward the fire, their faces a mixture of shame, guilt, anger, and despair. Their emotions were clearly in turmoil.

“Those four bastards were Great Xia’s men.”

“It was clearly a premeditated attack. The four of them had it all planned out. First, they drew our attention, then they seized the opportunity to ignite the target with flaming arrows.”

“It’s a pity Xuan Ping and Xuanqiu left. If they had been there, maybe…”

“Great Xia… It’s all Great Xia’s fault! They forced us to retreat, knowing we would take the tunnel. They must have buried all this stuff to attract the Frost Beasts long ago.”

“This was the last of Longshan’s strength! We must have our revenge! We must get revenge on the Xia Hong brothers! We’ll kill them and destroy Great Xia!”

……………………

Her face a mask of sorrow, Li Xuanling paid no attention to their arguments. She even ignored Meng Ying’s mention of Li Xuanping and his sister, as well as the four men from Great Xia who had started the fire. Though she understood immediately what had happened, she didn’t pursue the matter, a clear sign that she had reached the depths of despair.

“Fourth, don’t be like this. The annihilation of the Longyou Army is a fact. There’s no point dwelling on it. We still have Longshan. It’s just us forty-plus Frostwarden experts left now, so let’s go back to the garrison and check on the situation!”

“That’s right. The garrison probably hasn’t been breached by the Xia army yet. Let’s go back.”

………………

At the mention of Longshan, a spark of life returned to Li Xuanling’s eyes. She scanned the faces around her, then clenched her fists, forcing herself to rally.

“Let’s go back and see.”

With that, she led the group west, toward Longshan.

Including Li Xuanling, none of them looked back at the fire again. They just pushed onward, focused only on reaching Longshan.

……………………

“This Li Xuanling is truly ruthless. Over two thousand three hundred soldiers of the Longyou Army, and she abandoned them just like that. Looking at the scale of this Beast Tide, I doubt many will survive.”

“Ahem… I wouldn’t call it ruthless. There were just too many high-grade Frost Beasts. Even if she and her forty-plus Frostwarden experts fought to the death, they wouldn’t have saved many. I suppose you could say reason won out!”

On a snowy hill five kilometers east of the fire, Xia Chuan coughed lightly after hearing Yuwen Tao’s teasing remark and spoke a word in Li Xuanling’s defense.

Yuwen Tao shook his head. “This Li Xuanling is smart, alright, just a little too rational. I recall she’s done this kind of thing twice now. With a leader like her, it’s no wonder Longshan has completely lost the people’s hearts.”

“It’s just a shame about these two thousand-plus Longyou soldiers. They were all good prospects at the Earthforger limit. Tsk, tsk… cough…”

Chen Yingyuan, standing beside them, couldn’t help but chime in. His injuries were no lighter than Xia Chuan’s, and just speaking a few words made him cough.

“No matter how good Longshan’s prospects are, they’re useless to us. They killed over two thousand of our brothers underground. Now, they’ve paid their debt. It’s not unjust!”

A cold glint flashed in Xia Chuan’s eyes. He tore his gaze away from the fire and looked at the row of people standing behind him, a smile on his face.

On the snowy hill, it wasn’t just the three of them. Almost all of Great Xia’s Frostwarden experts from the Hive were present, including the four who had set the fire, Bai Wuting’s team.

“Longshan’s last assets have been wiped out in one go. You four have performed a great service this time. When I see the Leader, I will personally request a commendation for you.”

“Thank you, Director!”

Bai Wuting and the other three immediately cupped their fists in a salute, unable to hide their excitement.

Their contribution this time was indeed great, but the price they paid was not small.

Lin Fan, who had first lit the fire in the north to draw the attention of the five from Longshan, had his right arm cut off by Jiang Ping. It was a good thing the great fire erupted when it did, scaring Jiang Ping off from pursuing him further; otherwise, he would have surely lost his life.

Xia Chuan turned to look at the empty sleeve on Lin Fan’s left side, his expression shifting slightly.

“Don’t worry, Lin Fan. My puppet threads should be able to reattach a severed limb. I’ve been experimenting on Shi Qing recently. Keep your severed limb safe. I’ll be the first to let you know when it’s possible.”

Having lost his right arm, Lin Fan’s expression was bleak, his spirits clearly low. Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, his head shot up, his eyes once again filled with hope.

Xia Chuan wasn’t lying to him. Shi Qing was Shi Ping’s father, the former leader of the Great Stone Camp. His meridians had been pierced by the threads of the Wooden Puppet Aberration, essentially crippling him and making it impossible for him to cultivate.

Partly due to Shi Ping’s incessant pleading, and partly as an experiment for himself, Xia Chuan had been testing whether the threads, which could connect and control puppets, could also be used to reconnect meridians. Shi Qing, desperate to recover, was more than willing to cooperate.

Xia Chuan wasn’t just trying to comfort Lin Fan; he had genuinely seen some promising signs recently, which was why he said it.

“Alright. Since the Longyou Army is gone, there’s no need for us to rush our withdrawal from the Hive. This Beast Tide won’t last long. Let’s go back and reorganize the army!”

Hearing this, everyone’s spirits lifted slightly. They had all heard from Yuwen Tao that their Leader had successfully breached Longshan, so they immediately understood why Xia Chuan was reorganizing the army.

“Longshan has a total population of over one hundred thirty thousand. Right now, eight families’ Earthforger forces are all mixed up there, and seven of them are surrendered troops. It’s a chaotic mess. We only have the Cloud Serpent Army there, so the Leader will definitely have a hard time controlling the situation. Tomorrow night at nightfall, I will personally lead these six thousand men from the Hive to Longshan to assist the Leader!”

With the Longyou Army annihilated, there were no forces left in all of Longyou that could threaten Great Xia. Xia Chuan could finally act without restraint.

After speaking, he frowned and turned to give an order.

“Li Xuanling’s group is also heading for Longshan. To prevent them from causing trouble for the Leader, Prefect Yuwen, you will take Yue Feng, Bai Wuting, Ying Yi, Lu He, Zou Yuankai, Chen Ying, Lu Sheng, Tong Xinglong, Li Yuankun, and Xiao Kangcheng and depart for Longshan immediately to help.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Yuwen Tao and the ten others who were named immediately bowed their heads.

It was somewhat disheartening. Even in defeat, Longshan still had over forty Frostwarden experts, yet he could only send eleven to help Xia Hong. Great Xia’s numbers in the Frostwarden realm were still too few.

But Xia Chuan had no other choice. Yue Feng, Lu Sheng, Tong Xinglong, Li Yuankun, and Xiao Kangcheng were the five who had been only lightly injured in the battle underground.

Bai Wuting, Lu He, and Chen Ying had been watching the tunnel and had not participated in the defense of the Hive. Ying Yi and Zou Yuankai had just arrived from Xiacheng as reinforcements.

He had sent practically every available Frostwarden expert he had.

“By the way, Director, where is Li Xuantian?”

Just as Yuwen Tao was about to depart, he suddenly remembered the instructions Xia Hong had given him when he returned from Longshan and quickly turned to ask Xia Chuan.

Xia Chuan froze, then remembered something. His expression changed. “Quick, back to the surface of the Hive!” he said urgently to Yuwen Tao. “I’ve already had people bring out the Sacred Cauldron. The eleven of you, get it to Longshan immediately! The Leader might be in danger!”

Ever since the Sacred Cauldron had been lit in the Hive’s underground, it seemed Li Xuantian had vanished. Xia Chuan now realized he hadn’t been seen in a long time. Furthermore, he didn’t seem to be among Li Xuanling’s group that had just fled.

It was almost certain that Li Xuantian was being controlled by the White Dew Aberration. The only thing it likely feared was the Sacred Cauldron. Knowing the Cauldron was hidden here at the Hive, it wasn’t hard to guess what he would do.

Yuwen Tao also understood. His face paled in shock, and he quickly led Yue Feng and the other ten in a rush toward the Hive, preparing to deliver the Sacred Cauldron to Longshan.

“The Leader is so strong, nothing will happen to him.”

“That White Dew Aberration couldn’t even finish us off. Go after the Leader? In its dreams!”

“The Leader’s strength is unparalleled. Director, you don’t need to worry.”

………

Seeing the worry on Xia Chuan’s face, Yuan Cheng and the others offered words of comfort.

It wasn’t just comfort, either. Judging by their confident tones, it was clear they genuinely believed that nothing could happen to Xia Hong.

Hearing them say this, and recalling the strength Xia Hong had displayed on several occasions, Xia Chuan’s tense heart immediately relaxed.

“You’re right. That White Dew Aberration couldn’t even handle us in the Hive underground. Daring to make a move on Big Brother is just asking for death.”

With that, Xia Chuan waved his hand. “Alright, I’m going to reorganize the army. The rest of you, go and recuperate! Tomorrow night, before nightfall, if your injuries have recovered well enough, you can come with me to Longshan. It’ll be a good chance to see the new territory the Leader has conquered for us!”

At these words, Yuan Cheng and the others’ spirits soared.

The new territory wasn’t just Longshan!

According to the news brought back by Yuwen Tao, the four families of Zhaoyang, Baiyuan, Xiling, and Dongkang had all surrendered. The three families of Yucheng had rebelled. Now, the last remaining power, Longshan, was on the brink of collapse, with only Li Xuanling and her forty-odd homeless dogs left.

This meant that basically the entire Longyou region had become the territory of Great Xia.

Over thirteen thousand square kilometers.

That was the new territory!

Chapter 310: News of a Silver Mine, and Successive Mutinies

“Longshan has no silver mines? How is that possible?”

In the western storeroom of the Longshan garrison, Xia Hong held a ledger, staring at Peng Bo in utter astonishment.

Seeing the shock on Xia Hong’s face, Peng Bo was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly realized that Xia Hong must have misunderstood something. He nodded and explained, “Leader, silver mines are extremely precious. It’s perfectly normal for Longshan not to have any.”

“If there are no silver mines, then where did Li Xuanling’s sword, this Yanhan, and the silver Longshan used to save people during the Dewdrop Plague outbreak come from?”

Xia Hong deliberately brandished the silver ghost-head great saber at his waist. It was Li Tiancheng’s personal weapon, named Yanhan. After Li Tiancheng laid down his weapon and surrendered, the Yanhan saber had naturally fallen into his hands.

It wasn’t just the Yanhan saber; he had seen many silver weapons in Longyou—Hou Hu’s silver staff with a coiled-dragon pattern, Li Xuanling’s silver longsword, Hou Tong’s silver eight-faced giant hammer…

If there were no silver mines, where did all these weapons come from?

“Leader, surely you don’t think this Yanhan saber is made of pure silver?”

Xia Hong froze, a look of confusion on his face.

“This Yanhan saber weighs at least twenty thousand catties. If it were made of pure silver, it would probably bankrupt all of Longshan. It’s iron clad in silver. The main material is ten-thousand-forged grade iron, just with a layer of silver wrapped around the outside.

Of course, that layer of silver isn’t light. I once heard from someone in Longshan that the silver on the outer layer of the Yanhan saber weighs over five hundred catties, making it the second most precious weapon in all of Longyou.”

“The most precious one is Li Xuanling’s sword?”

“That’s right. The silver wrapped around Li Xuanling’s Tianhua Sword is said to weigh over eight hundred catties. You won’t find a better weapon in all of Longyou.”

The main material was ten-thousand-forged iron, with just a layer of silver wrapped around the outside…

Xia Hong looked at the Yanhan saber in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed.

He could understand the practice of cladding weapons in silver. Setting aside its effectiveness against anomalies, silver was far superior to iron in both toughness and hardness. It also had a higher melting point and a significantly more stable structure. Wrapping it around the outside would not only make a weapon sharper but also more resistant to wear and tear, greatly increasing its durability.

“If Longshan has no silver mines, then where did all this silver come from?”

“Li Tianhua!”

Xia Hong had a rough idea of the source, but he continued to listen to Peng Bo.

“Li Tianhua is the only person in all of Longyou who can traverse the Longshan mountains. Li Xuanling’s Tianhua Sword, this Yanhan saber, Hou Hu’s staff with its coiled-dragon pattern, and all of Longshan’s silver reserves—he brought it all here.”

Seeing the confusion on Xia Hong’s face, Peng Bo knew what he was wondering and quickly said, “As for where Li Tianhua got it, this subordinate doesn’t know. I reckon that even the core members of the Li family might not know for sure.”

Stored Silver: 1,215 catties

Xia Hong looked at the amount of silver in Longshan’s reserves recorded in the ledger. His brows knitted together, and for a long time, he was at a loss for words.

It took five catties of silver to convert to one system resource point, which meant that all of Longshan’s stored silver could only be exchanged for a mere 243 points. Of the nine system buildings, aside from the Blackearth Wall and the Yellowearth Land, the other seven all required silver for upgrades. The Spirit Tablet, which had the lowest requirement, needed 3,000 points, equivalent to 15,000 catties of silver.

With such a paltry amount of silver, there was no point in even converting it.

It seemed he would have to find a silver mine himself. Without one, his buildings could only be upgraded to level three at most, and he wouldn’t even be able to unlock the Small Wooden Table and Thick Iron Chain.

Xia Hong took a shallow breath and carefully flipped through the ledger again. Even when he saw the astonishing quantities of Longshan’s stockpiles of iron, coal, beast meat, beast hides, Beast Blood, and other materials, his interest had completely waned.

Peng Bo, on the other hand, was visibly thrilled by the fall of the old hegemon, Longshan. He didn’t notice Xia Hong’s lack of enthusiasm at all and said animatedly, “Longshan is so wealthy! They have twelve iron mines alone, and five of them haven’t even been excavated yet. And twenty-one coal mines…”

Xia Hong didn’t interrupt him. The defeat of Longshan was truly significant for the old hands of Longyou, so Peng Bo’s excitement was understandable. It wasn’t just Peng Bo; last night, he had seen that Hou Jing, Dong Zhong, Yu Bin, Wu Ningyuan, and the other Frostwarden realm warriors from Longyou all had strong reactions. It was clear they had all held deep-seated grievances against Longshan for a long time.

When Peng Bo finally finished listing all of Longshan’s important assets, he noticed the troubled expression on Xia Hong’s face. Realizing it was about the silver mine, his expression turned peculiar. “Never mind finding a silver mine, even if we did, it would be very difficult to mine it with manual labor. Could it be that the Leader isn’t aware of this?”

Xia Hong’s expression faltered, and he immediately asked, “What’s the matter?”

Seeing Xia Hong’s reaction, Peng Bo instantly understood. His leader, though powerful, was only in his early twenties. Moreover, the Great Xia encampment had risen to prominence in less than two years. It was perfectly normal that Xia Hong was unaware of many things, let alone the specifics of silver mines.

“Leader, you know of the Zhu Silver Flower, right?”

The Zhu Silver Flower was one of the eleven medicinal herbs used to concoct the Jade Bone Elixir. Now, in Great Xia, it was one of the four most important primary ingredients for refining the Yang Core Pill, as well as the main ingredient for the Sunwarden Pill. Of course, Xia Hong knew of it.

But he quickly remembered something and realized why Peng Bo had asked him this.

Zhu Silver Flowers typically grew in two places: either near silver mines or where Gnawing Rat swarms lived. Although Longyou’s methods for concocting the Jade Bone Elixir were primitive, they still had a steady need for Zhu Silver Flowers, so they must have harvested them often. If they had harvested them, it was very likely they knew the location of a silver mine.

At this thought, Xia Hong looked at Peng Bo with an expectant expression.

Peng Bo hurriedly waved his hands and chuckled, “Leader, please don’t look at me like that. I’ve never picked a Zhu Silver Flower. In all of Longyou, the only ones capable of harvesting them are Longshan and Zhaoyang. If I’m not mistaken, someone in one of those two families should know the locations of some silver mines.”

If someone knew the location, then things were much simpler!

Suddenly, a glimmer of hope appeared, and the weight on Xia Hong’s heart lifted considerably. Then he recalled what Peng Bo had just said—that even if a silver mine were found, it would be difficult to mine with manual labor. After a moment of thought, he guessed, “Is it difficult to mine because of Frost Beasts?”

Peng Bo nodded. “Many people think that only Gnawing Rodents like to gather around silver mines. In reality, wherever there’s a silver mine, there will be Frost Beast packs occupying the area. Sometimes just one or two packs, but sometimes as many as a dozen. Even a Frostwarden realm expert would die if they ventured into such places. Organizing manual labor for mining is almost impossible.”

Frost Beast packs!

Hearing these words, Xia Hong’s brow furrowed. He immediately recalled the Gnawing Rat swarm on the Northern Slope of the Cliffs before the first year, and even earlier, the pack of Frost Wolves that had blocked their path when he led the people of Great Xia from the earthen slope to Double Dragon Valley.

To this day, Great Xia had only encountered Frost Beast packs twice, but both times had brought considerable harm to the encampment. This was enough to prove that lone Frost Beasts and organized Frost Beast packs were two completely different concepts.

A single Frost Beast pack was definitely far more formidable than a Beast Tide of the same size.

The reason was simple. Based on their two previous encounters, an organized Frost Beast pack had a leader giving commands, strong adults to charge the lines, dedicated scouts, and a rearguard to cover their rear… they weren’t much different from a human encampment.

With a more advanced organizational structure came naturally greater combat strength.

Furthermore, the larger a Frost Beast pack, the more it proved the power and superior intelligence of its king, making it even more difficult to deal with.

No wonder!

If that was the case, then acquiring silver was far more difficult than acquiring iron.

The realization dawned on Xia Hong, and he suppressed his desire for a silver mine. He looked up at Peng Bo and asked curiously:

“How do you know so much?”

Peng Bo smiled and replied, “Has the Leader forgotten? I was a political hostage in Longshan for a few years. In a way, you could say Li Tianhua and I share a bond like that of a master and disciple.”

Li Tianhua!

Since coming to Longyou, Xia Hong had heard this name countless times; his ears were about to grow calluses.

Thinking of Li Tianhua’s departure from Longyou, he felt both relieved and regretful.

If Li Tianhua were still around, he would never have been able to take Longyou so quickly. He would likely have had to hole up in Redwood Ridge to develop for several years before he could extend his reach into Longyou.

The regret stemmed purely from his curiosity about Li Tianhua.

Looking at the overall development of Longyou, the consolidation of over two hundred encampments into eleven, the subsequent establishment of the Longyou Alliance, and Longshan’s rise to dominance as the nominal sovereign—all of it was basically orchestrated by Li Tianhua.

In fact, if not for Great Xia’s sudden intervention, Longshan would have unified all of Longyou with the foundation Li Tianhua left behind. It was only a matter of time.

According to Hou Hu, at his peak-Frostwarden realm, he possessed sixty-four Mane of strength, placing him in a league of his own, unmatched by anyone in Longyou.

For such a legendary figure, who was nearly flawless in intelligence, vision, talent, and strength, Xia Hong was naturally curious.

Besides, it had been a long time since he had faced an evenly matched opponent.

“I can’t underestimate others. Li Tianhua’s last appearance was in the forty-fifth year of Longyou. He has likely been gone from Longshan for over three years. If he’s not dead, he might have already broken through to the Sun Manifestation realm. If he returned now and I couldn’t handle him, it would be a disaster!”

Xia Hong shook his head. Just as he was about to speak to Peng Bo, he saw Wu Tianxing and Hou Xing run in from outside, one after the other, their faces flushed with anger.

“Reporting to the Leader, another disturbance has broken out in the garrison!”

As soon as Wu Tianxing finished, Hou Xing immediately followed up:

“There’s chaos in the dungeon too! Those Li family disciples refuse to stay quiet. Every few minutes, someone breaks down a cell door and starts a mutiny. Just now, an Earthforger limit from the Li family actually managed to persuade more than forty people to join him. They slipped into a hidden tunnel to escape. If one of our moles in the dungeon hadn’t discovered it and reported it in time, that group might have actually escaped.”

Hearing their reports, Xia Hong’s brow furrowed sharply. He first looked at Peng Bo and asked, “I just had you screen the Li family disciples and lock them in the dungeon. Didn’t you confiscate their weapons?”

He had just given orders to all the Frostwarden realm warriors. Peng Bo, along with Hou Xing, Zhang Ying, and Kong Fan, and three hundred Cloud Serpent Army soldiers, was responsible for imprisoning Longshan’s upper echelon and the Li family disciples. If a problem occurred, Peng Bo was naturally the one to ask.

Peng Bo was clearly also aware of the disturbance in the dungeon. He said with a helpless expression, “Leader, you may not know this, but these Li family disciples know the garrison like the back of their hands. They know exactly where weapons are hidden in the dungeon and where the secret passages are. It’s impossible to guard against everything. If Commander Liu hadn’t suggested planting moles among the prisoners, the dungeon would have devolved into utter chaos by now.”

Xia Hong frowned and looked up at Hou Xing. “You didn’t kill anyone?”

Hou Xing looked just as helpless. “We’ve already killed them. There have been three mutinies in the dungeon, and we’ve killed at least seventy people in total. But it’s like they have no fear of death; they just won’t stop.”

Xia Hong’s frown deepened. He then turned to look at Wu Tianxing.

Wu Tianxing quickly cupped his hands and replied, “This time it was the South District. More than seven hundred people were involved. The ringleader’s surname is Song, named Song Ning. He’s the nephew of Song Kang, one of Longshan’s Eight Great Guardians.”

“Have they been killed?”

“He and the thirty-six other main instigators of the disturbance have all been killed. But I don’t think it did any good. There will definitely be more disturbances later.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Hong’s face immediately darkened.

The dungeon was only so big, while Longshan’s population was a full one hundred and thirty thousand. During the siege in the first half of the night, not everyone had participated in the resistance. Xia Hong naturally couldn’t lock everyone up. So, apart from Longshan’s Earthforger realm warriors and all the Li family disciples, there were at least seventy or eighty thousand people still in the garrison.

Among this group, there were certainly many who were loyal to the Li family. Worried they would cause trouble, Xia Hong had sent Wu Tianxing with over three thousand Earthforger realm warriors to patrol the garrison.

However, he had clearly underestimated the number of Li family loyalists. Barely an hour had passed, and eight disturbances had already occurred in the garrison, each involving hundreds or even thousands of people.

This was already the ninth time Wu Tianxing had come to report a disturbance to him.

These disturbances were not to be taken lightly. In the Ice Abyss, even a Lumberjack realm warrior possessed a base strength of over five thousand catties. Once the scale of a disturbance grew to tens of thousands, it would become very difficult to control. It was highly likely that fighting would break out again, leading to more unnecessary casualties.

The people causing these disturbances clearly didn’t fear death; killing them didn’t deter them.

And ultimately, the whole point of capturing Longshan was for its population. Killing too many would not only be putting the cart before the horse but would also be detrimental to Great Xia’s future rule.

Hou Jing was still leading men to hunt down hidden rebel soldiers within the garrison; Chen Yingba’s two thousand men were repairing the breach in the northern wall. Relying on just over three hundred Cloud Serpent Army soldiers and three thousand Earthforger realm warriors to control over a hundred thousand people was clearly a difficult task.

Xia Hong stood there, deep in thought. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Liu Yuan rushed in.

“Leader, the North District is in chaos! A man named Cheng Yu has gathered a large group and is charging west. It looks like they’re heading for the dungeon. More and more people are joining them along the way. There are already over six thousand of them.”

A mutiny of over six thousand people!

Without a second thought, Xia Hong led the charge outside.

Liu Yuan hurried to his side, with Peng Bo and the others following closely behind.

“I was inspecting the city walls. When I saw what was happening, I immediately notified Hou Jing. He sent four thousand men with Dong Zhong to suppress them, but it was too slow. By the time they arrived, the crowd had already grown to over six thousand. I sent the Cloud Serpent Army over, but they still couldn’t hold them back. I had no choice but to seek the Leader’s judgment!”

In the time it took Liu Yuan to speak, Xia Hong had already led everyone to the top of a tall building near the entrance of the North District’s dungeon.

“Brothers, Great Xia is just tricking us! Old Ancestor Tiancheng and the others laid down their arms and surrendered, but they’re still running around the garrison killing people! If we do nothing, they’ll come for us next!”

“We can’t let them do whatever they want in Longshan! It’s just one life anyway, let’s fight them! I don’t believe Great Xia can kill all of us!”

“If they don’t release Old Ancestor Tiancheng to give us justice, we’ll fight Great Xia to the death!”

“Our only hope is to storm the dungeon and free the Old Ancestor and the others!”

…

Liu Yuan had said there were only six thousand people, but clearly there were more.

Near the entrance to the western dungeon, a massive, dark sea of at least fifteen thousand people had gathered. The vast majority of them were able-bodied young men, who were emotionally charging the human wall formed by over six hundred Cloud Serpent Army soldiers and more than four thousand Earthforger realm warriors.

Amidst the occasional instigating shouts and jeers, the crowd’s charges grew more frequent and violent. It looked like they were on the verge of clashing with the more than four thousand garrison troops outside the dungeon entrance.

“All of you, stop! If you don’t stop, I’ll order the army to start killing!”

Dong Zhong’s voice was loud, but how could he be heard over a crowd of more than ten thousand?

“Go on! Kill us all if you have the guts!”

“Longshan is our home! We’ll never let the Xia dogs take it!”

“Old Ancestor Tiancheng and the others clearly surrendered! What right does Great Xia have to keep them locked up and kill our people in our own garrison? Release Old Ancestor Tiancheng!”

“Release Old Ancestor Tiancheng!”

“Release Old Ancestor Tiancheng!”

…

Instead of quelling the surging tide of people, Dong Zhong’s words only inflamed the conflict, making the crowd of over ten thousand even more frenzied.

“Leader, if this continues, just let the brothers make their move!”

Watching the crowd begin to charge the dungeon again, Liu Yuan’s patience wore thin. His eyes filled with a ruthless light as he made the suggestion to Xia Hong.

Although the rioting crowd numbered over fifteen thousand, ninety-nine percent of them were ordinary people. There were no more than three hundred Earthforger realm warriors among them, and very few were armed. The rest were practically bare-handed.

If the six hundred Cloud Serpent Army soldiers and the four thousand-plus garrison troops guarding the dungeon entrance were to really fight, they would have no problem dispersing or even slaughtering them all.

But the question was, what then?

Xia Hong directly rejected Liu Yuan’s suggestion with a wave of his hand. If they opened fire and killed people now, the seven thousand-plus Earthforger realm warriors in the dungeon, and the remaining hundred thousand-plus population in the garrison, would surely spell endless trouble in the future, even if they were brought under Great Xia’s rule.

The instigators of this mutiny were clearly banking on this, knowing that Great Xia wouldn’t dare order its army to massacre them.

Xia Hong scanned the rioting crowd, his expression hardening slightly. He asked Liu Yuan, “Who started this mutiny? Have you found out?”

Liu Yuan immediately shook his head. “It happened too fast. We didn’t have time to investigate.”

A dark glint flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes. He then leaped up and jumped directly towards the dungeon entrance.

Bang!

Xia Hong deliberately put extra force into his landing. From a height of merely a dozen meters, his descent caused the ground within a radius of several hundred meters to tremble several times.

The crowd charging the garrison force was thrown into disarray. By the time they managed to steady themselves and look up at the black-clad Xia Hong, they all fell silent in an instant.

“That’s the man who bent the city wall last night!”

“He’s the one who cut off Old Ancestor Tiancheng’s left arm.”

“Is that the leader of Great Xia?”

“It is him. His name is Xia Hong, the strongest person in Great Xia.”

“Did he cause the ground to shake just now?”

…

“I don’t know how many leaders there are among you, but I will give those individuals a chance. Walk up to me, state your demands in front of all these people, and as long as they are reasonable, I will grant them.

But if you dare to charge my lines again, then…”

After this abrupt statement, Xia Hong paused, then glanced meaningfully at Dong Zhong and Liu Yuan behind him.

“Prepare!”

“Prepare!”

The two men understood immediately, shouting the command to the four thousand Earthforger realm warriors and the six hundred-plus Cloud Serpent Army soldiers respectively.

Shing! Shing! Shing!

At the command, the soldiers of both armies drew their weapons. Their gaze upon the more than ten thousand rioters grew sharp and menacing.

Just then, Xia Hong spoke again. But compared to before, his voice was now very deep, and his tone was laced with distinct killing intent.

“For every charge, I will kill one-tenth of you, until you are too scared to charge again. So think very carefully about what you’re going to say and do next.”

As Xia Hong’s words fell, a deathly silence descended upon the scene.

Everyone stared up at him, not a single person daring to speak.

After dozens of breaths, a few voices finally broke the silence from within the crowd.

“I’ll go!”

“I’ll go…”

“And me.”

…

Hearing five consecutive voices, Xia Hong’s gaze narrowed. He slowly nodded at the crowd with a smile. “Come forward! The rest of you, make way for them.”

Chapter 311: Sudden Turn of Events, Grievous Injuries, Wavering Hearts

Five men emerged from the crowd.

They were unassuming, dressed in the iconic white robes of Longshan just like many others below. They were the sort of men who would disappear the moment you put them in a crowd.

As the mutineers parted to make way, the five men walked forward in near-perfect unison. They only stopped when they were less than ten meters from Xia Hong, halted by a sharp shout from an uneasy Liu Yuan.

“That’s far enough!”

But Xia Hong waved his hand, signaling that it was fine. He smiled and motioned for the five men to continue forward.

The five men resumed their advance, soon arriving right before Xia Hong.

“Tell me, what was the point of staging this muti—”

Whoosh…

No one could have anticipated it. Just as Xia Hong began to speak, the five seemingly ordinary men exploded into action, striking at him.

In their hands, great sabers wreathed in blue flames materialized simultaneously.

One circled around to his rear, two sealed off his flanks, one leaped high to descend from above, and the last one charged straight ahead.

In an instant, Xia Hong was completely surrounded by the five men. There was no room to retreat, not even an inch to evade.

The sudden turn of events was simply too fast.

The five unarmed men had suddenly produced great sabers and, with the speed of a thunderclap, surrounded Xia Hong, striking at him all at once. Not just the Cloud Serpent soldiers, but even the Frostwarden realm experts failed to react in time.

Crucially, the speed of the five was simply unbelievable.

Even Xia Hong’s eyes betrayed a flash of panic and surprise.

Though his reaction was swift, he only managed two actions in his haste.

First, his right arm drew the Yanhan saber from his waist to block the man in front of him.

Second, he raised his left arm to shield his head.

Crack… Crack…

Not two, but five crisp cracks of bone being struck rang out in succession, audible to nearly all of the twenty thousand people present.

Boom… Boom…

Before the crowd could register what had happened, five violent shockwaves erupted from where Xia Hong stood, blasting outwards. The front rank of Cloud Serpent soldiers closest to him lost their footing and collapsed.

If even they were affected like this, it went without saying for the others.

Of the Earthforger realm garrison force near the dungeon entrance, the front rank was sent flying over ten meters, while those further back were staggered.

Among the mutineers, who were mostly of the Lumberjack realm, over a hundred people in the front were instantly pulverized into a bloody mist, vanishing without so much as a scream.

Those behind them were luckier, merely being thrown back several hundred meters. But judging from the loud thuds as they hit the ground, they were fortunate to escape death, likely suffering grievous injuries.

With Xia Hong at the center, a vacuum nearly five hundred meters wide was blasted into the eastern flank of the mutineers’ formation.

Just the shockwaves from the five sabers striking Xia Hong possessed such power. The strength of these five men was…

“Assassins! There are assassins! Save the Leader!”

Liu Yuan was the first to react. Seeing the four pillars of blood erupt from Xia Hong, his eyes nearly split with fury and panic. He was the first to charge forward, screaming a warning to the others.

“Save the Leader! Get up there and save the Leader!”

“Assassins! Protect the Leader!”

“Protect the Leader!”

…

Following Liu Yuan were the more than six hundred Cloud Serpent soldiers, and then Peng Bo.

Wu Tianxing, Dong Zhong, and Hou Xing hesitated for a moment before joining the charge.

The more than four thousand Earthforger realm soldiers guarding the dungeon entrance were all terrified and retreated, not a single one daring to rush forward.

The five Frostwarden realm experts were the fastest, naturally reaching Xia Hong’s side first.

However, they couldn’t even get close to him.

The five assassins didn’t even draw back their sabers. They simply waited for the weapons of Liu Yuan’s group to strike them, their bodies trembling slightly before they each shot out a leg, kicking their assailants squarely.

Bang…

Peng Bo, whose base strength was close to Ten Mane, was sent flying dozens of meters. The weaker Liu Yuan and Hou Xing fared even worse; their abdomens caved in or even burst open as they were kicked back over a hundred meters.

“Hee hee hee hee!”

The moment the blue-flamed sabers appeared, the five men’s demeanor had changed. Now, as they let out piercing, sadistic laughter in unison, the blue flames spread from their sabers to their bodies, and their faces transformed completely.

“Yue Qian, Song Kang, Cheng Guang, Han Jiuli…”

Pinned between the five blue-flamed sabers, Xia Hong’s face was ashen, clearly showing signs of decline. But as he quickly glanced at the five, he instantly recognized four of them.

All were survivors of the bloodbath at Yangyuan Peak. That meant the last one had to be…

“Wu Lin!”

Having identified the last man, Xia Hong wasted no more words. He glanced at the crowd that had been blasted away, then swiftly retracted his Yanhan saber. He slammed his body to the right, simultaneously reverse-gripping his saber and flicking it upwards.

In the initial ambush, he had only managed to block Song Kang on his left. The four streams of blood Liu Yuan saw were caused by Han Jiuli from above, Yue Qian from the front, Cheng Guang from behind, and Wu Lin from the right.

His chest, back, and right waist were all gushing blood. If he hadn’t raised his left arm in time to protect his head, judging from the sound just now, Han Jiuli’s strike would have likely shattered his skull.

As Xia Hong charged to the right, his eyes darted to the scattered crowd before he slammed his body directly into Wu Lin.

Bang…

“Your strength… how could you…”

The moment Xia Hong collided with him, Wu Lin’s eyes flashed with utter shock. Then, to the disbelief of everyone present, he was sent flying over a hundred meters.

He was fated never to finish his sentence. Xia Hong used the momentum of the collision to break free from the other four’s encirclement. In less than half a breath, his Yanhan saber was slashing toward Wu Lin’s body.

“Forty-two Mane! How is his strength so astonishing!”

Wu Lin dared not hesitate. He scrambled up from the ground and changed direction, fleeing south toward the crowd that had just been scattered.

“What are you all staring at? Block them, even if it costs you your lives! Charge!”

Ignoring the wound in his own abdomen, Liu Yuan got to his feet and led Peng Bo and the others to charge at Han Jiuli’s group once more.

Swish swish swish…

When Xia Hong was being assassinated at close quarters, the Cloud Serpent soldiers couldn’t get a clear shot. Now that Xia Hong was chasing Wu Lin, leaving a hundred-meter gap between him and the other four, they immediately nocked their arrows and let fly.

Clang… Clang…

Although the iron arrows couldn’t pierce the assassins’ bodies, the sheer force of such a dense volley successfully halted the four who were pursuing Xia Hong.

This, in turn, created the perfect opportunity for Xia Hong to slay Wu Lin.

“Run? You think you can get away?”

Xia Hong’s voice echoed by his ear, but Wu Lin, who had already fled into the crowd, showed no panic. Instead, his eyes were filled with excitement.

“Run! Run!”

“Don’t block me, run!”

“You in front, run faster! The shockwaves will kill us!”

“Flee!”

…

The moment Wu Lin charged in, the crowd erupted into chaos.

The memory of the damage from the first five shockwaves was still fresh. Seeing Wu Lin and Xia Hong charging into their midst, everyone around them scrambled to get away, fleeing outwards like madmen.

But there were simply too many people gathered here. With everyone pushing and shoving to get out, evacuating the area instantly was impossible.

Furthermore, a cornered Wu Lin grabbed, kicked, and shoved anyone near him, throwing them at Xia Hong in a clear attempt to buy time for Han Jiuli and the others to arrive.

Thump… Thump…

Xia Hong caught more than a dozen people, skillfully neutralizing the terrifying force they had been thrown with before pushing them aside and continuing his advance on Wu Lin.

Those who were caught and saved by Xia Hong wore expressions of both delighted surprise and bewilderment after they were pushed aside.

They were surprised they had survived, but their bewilderment clearly stemmed from their inability to understand Xia Hong’s actions.

Especially when they saw Xia Hong’s pale face, his upper body soaked in blood, with four gruesome wounds on his chest, left arm, back, and right waist that were so deep the bone was visible. The bewilderment on their faces gradually shifted into something more complex and conflicted.

They were all part of the mutiny. Technically, this assassination attempt on Xia Hong could be blamed on them.

Under these circumstances, Xia Hong was still willing to take the time to save them!

Setting aside the thoughts of the others for a moment.

Xia Hong was now less than ten meters away from Wu Lin.

Bang…

Another person was thrown at him by Wu Lin. Xia Hong reached out with his left hand to catch him as before, but just as the person was about to reach him, he snatched his hand back like lightning and struck with the Yanhan saber in his right.

Strangely enough, the person Wu Lin had thrown at him also attacked.

Whoosh…

Just like Han Jiuli’s group, a great saber wreathed in blue flames suddenly materialized in the man’s hand, and he viciously chopped down at Xia Hong.

“You…”

As the blue flames erupted, the man’s true face was revealed.

It was none other than Li Xuantian, last seen during the attack on the Hive!

“An assassination. To think you’d come up with this. Did you really think I couldn’t kill you without the Frigid Ruins Cauldron?”

Xia Hong sneered, his voice so low that almost only Li Xuantian, who was face-to-face with him, could hear.

Li Xuantian’s face flushed red, then turned an unnatural shade of blue. The flames on his body suddenly doubled in height as he roared, “Without the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, what makes you think you can kill me? With your forty-two Mane of strength? Die!”

The voice that roared from his throat was not Li Xuantian’s at all, but a shrill, female voice.

If Yuwen Tao and Yuan Cheng were here, they would have recognized it as the exact same female voice they heard on the night the White Dew Aberration awakened at Yangyuan Peak back in April.

Li Xuantian, or rather, the White Dew Aberration, saw the blue saber in his hand suddenly swell to more than double its size, reaching an astonishing three meters in length. Its strength also skyrocketed. Just by raising the saber, it stirred the air currents around it. In Xia Hong’s eyes, countless red substances clung to the edge of the saber.

Whoosh…

The arc of the saber pulled the air currents with it, extending the blade’s reach by more than ten meters. From a distance, it looked as if a massive, ten-meter saber was chopping horizontally toward Xia Hong’s head.

This strike was like a collapsing mountain, a crashing flood. Before the blade even fell, the pressure alone had carved a half-meter-deep trench in the ground beneath Xia Hong.

Compared to the time with Wu Xiong in Gourd Valley at Hanqiong, the White Dew Aberration’s power and methods had clearly improved immensely. Not only could it control six Frostwarden realm experts at once, but the power it could unleash through a human body was on a completely different level.

Although it was unclear how this White Dew Aberration controlled humans, this was Xia Hong’s second encounter with it, so he had a basic understanding. If he recalled correctly, when it controlled Wu Xiong back in Gourd Valley, it could only exert a strength of just over thirty Mane. The five who had ambushed him earlier, Han Jiuli’s group, were probably at a similar level.

But the Li Xuantian before him was different.

This strike was one he could truly sense danger from!

Thankfully, when he didn’t see Li Xuantian among the first five, he had kept his guard up. If he had been caught completely off guard by this strike, the outcome might have been entirely different from the first ambush.

“Why do you think I left the Frigid Ruins Cauldron at the Hive, you fool!”

As the great saber descended, Xia Hong sneered softly. Three blood-red marks, the Great Xia Sacred Sigil, suddenly appeared on his forehead. He reverse-gripped his Yanhan saber with both hands, bent his knees, and dropped so low he was almost prone on the ground, before explosively slashing upwards.

Whoosh…

A violent blade aura shot up from below, tearing through the night sky.

The vertical blade edge, carried by the surging air currents, was in no way inferior to Li Xuantian’s strike. In fact, it was even more condensed, more ferocious.

This strike was like white-hot magma erupting from the depths of the earth, and it clashed head-on with Li Xuantian’s horizontal blade aura that was like a collapsing mountain.

BOOM…

The vertical and horizontal blade auras intersected in mid-air, forming a perfect cross. At the point of impact, an intensely powerful shockwave instantly erupted.

BOOM…

The power of the two was simply too immense. Neither the initial clash nor the subsequent stalemate produced the typical clang of weapons colliding.

To be more precise, their power was so great that the sound of the shockwaves was too loud, creating the illusion that their weapons hadn’t made contact.

“Impossible! Your strength… how can it be greater than mine!”

After a stalemate of only three or four breaths, before the shockwave had even dissipated, Li Xuantian’s expression changed. He realized that the blade aura he had unleashed was slowly disintegrating.

This meant Xia Hong’s strength was greater than his!

How could this be? How was this possible?

To orchestrate this assassination, it had specifically returned to Yangyuan Peak and split off a third of its Sacred Sun Body to empower the six puppets. It had already cultivated Li Xuantian’s body to its absolute limit, capable of erupting with over fifty Mane of strength. How could it possibly lose to Xia Hong?

Xia Hong’s next quiet words broke its composure even further.

“Just a clown. Did you think you could hide in a crowd where I couldn’t see you? I spotted all of you—Han Jiuli’s group and you included—the moment I walked over here. The only reason I didn’t expose you was to see what little tricks you were up to. An assassination… to think you’d come up with that. But it’s a perfect opportunity to use you to put on a show!”

Swoosh…

A golden ray of light—the Spirit-Shattering Light—shot out from Xia Hong’s left eye, striking Li Xuantian between the eyebrows. He then pushed off with his back legs, rotated his waist, and raised his saber-wielding hands high. As his body returned to a normal posture, he brought the blade down fiercely on Li Xuantian.

Fist, footwork, and waist combined into one, concentrating power on a single point—a Long Fist combat routine.

“I don’t just have better methods than you. My strength is far greater too!”

Xia Hong’s expression was one of contempt, a touch of pride flashing across his face. Seeing Li Xuantian’s forehead begin to crack, he brought the Yanhan saber down without a trace of mercy.

This strike did not produce a massive shockwave. The blade’s edge only extended three or four meters, and its momentum was ordinary. It seemed far less impressive than the previous one Xia Hong had unleashed.

Crack…

Li Xuantian’s already fractured skull was struck by the blade and shattered into countless pieces. His body was crushed under the blade’s force and driven into the ground.

The four-meter-long blade aura passed through Li Xuantian’s body and finally struck the earth.

Bang…

The ground seemed to tremble for a one-kilometer radius.

Where the blade aura landed, it carved a trench more than twenty meters long.

Sand and stones flew, and dust filled the sky.

Everyone present, be they from Longshan or Great Xia, was instantly dumbfounded.

They looked down at the trench, three or four meters deep, and gulped audibly. When they looked back at Xia Hong, their eyes were wide with shock and horror.

“Forty-two Mane of base strength, plus the fifty percent boost from the sacred sigil and the thirty percent boost from the Long Fist routine. My strongest burst of power should be above seventy-five Mane. Add to that the Spirit-Shattering Light… you thought you could assassinate me with a clone that has barely over fifty Mane of strength? How naive!”

Just like Wu Xiong, after Li Xuantian’s body turned to dust, it coalesced on the ground into droplets of Hanping Jade Dew.

“Cough… Capture them…”

Xia Hong paid no mind to the Hanping Jade Dew on the ground. He suddenly shot forward, first toward Wu Lin, who was trying to flee from behind Li Xuantian’s corpse, while simultaneously signaling Liu Yuan and the other Frostwarden realm experts to contain Han Jiuli’s group of four.

His exchange with Li Xuantian had been quick, but the resulting commotion was terrifying. Hou Jing, Chen Yingba, and the other Frostwarden realm masters in the garrison had long since rushed over.

Hearing Xia Hong’s command, the eleven men dared not delay. They swiftly led the Cloud Serpent Army to surround Han Jiuli and the other three.

Wu Lin’s strength was only around thirty Mane. Against Xia Hong’s full power, he had no chance of escape. After dodging for less than three breaths, he was sliced in two by Xia Hong’s saber.

Strangely, however, even after his body was cut in half, he didn’t die immediately. He turned his head to look at Xia Hong, his face full of shock as he spoke:

“The Yin-Yang Mirror… you actually captured the Yin-Yang Mirror!”

This White Dew Aberration recognizes the Yin-Yang Mirror?

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed slightly. Just as he was about to speak, the Yanhan saber stuck in Wu Lin’s waist suddenly seemed to heat up, beginning to sizzle. Soon, black smoke rose from it, a clear sign that the silver was taking effect.

At the same time, Wu Lin began to scream in agony.

Hkk… hkk… Ahhh…

After killing Wu Lin, Xia Hong’s face was deathly pale, and blood was still pouring from the four wounds on his body. Yet he gritted his teeth and charged toward Han Jiuli and the remaining three.

Unlike when Xia Hong was first assassinated, when only Liu Yuan’s group and the six hundred Cloud Serpent soldiers had intervened, this time, after he killed Li Xuantian, the four thousand-plus Earthforger realm soldiers also joined the fray, along with more and more Earthforger realm soldiers arriving from elsewhere.

Though Han Jiuli’s group of four was strong, surrounded by so many people, they had no hope of escape. They could only wait for Xia Hong to kill them one by one.

The first one Xia Hong killed was the relatively stronger Han Jiuli.

Han Jiuli, who was being cornered by Hou Jing’s men, had already reached the Iron Stake Wall on the eastern side of the garrison. He was just one step away from climbing over the wall and escaping, but Xia Hong arrived just in time and took his head with a single slash.

All that remained were the weaker Cheng Guang, Song Kang, and Yue Qian.

Xia Hong went for Song Kang first, his Yanhan saber striking his shoulder. Thick smoke immediately billowed out.

“Leader Xia, spare me…”

Yi!

Just as Xia Hong was about to exert force and behead him, Song Kang actually cried out for mercy. The blue-flamed saber in his hand vanished.

“He can regain consciousness. He’s different from Li Xuantian and Han Jiuli!”

Xia Hong’s eyes glinted. He pulled out his saber and kicked Song Kang over to Liu Yuan’s group. He then repeated the process, capturing Cheng Guang and Yue Qian alive.

Seeing Xia Hong deal with the five assassins so cleanly, everyone present was filled with admiration and shock. The Cloud Serpent soldiers, in particular, had looks of fervent worship in their eyes.

But this fervor soon turned into deep concern.

Pfft…

Xia Hong violently spat out a mouthful of blood. His already ashen face grew even darker, and his entire presence instantly weakened to an extreme degree.

“Leader!”

“Leader, are you alright?”

Liu Yuan rushed to Xia Hong’s side, his face filled with alarm. Peng Bo followed close behind.

Chen Yingba stood where he was for a moment, pondering, before slowly walking over as well.

As for the remaining eight, including Hou Jing, their expressions became noticeably subtle.

“Liu Yuan, Peng Bo, take me to the Main Building. Cloud Serpent Army, stand guard and don’t let anyone near. Hou Jing, you take the rest and keep an eye on the garrison. If anything goes wrong, I’m holding you responsible.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Hou Jing immediately nodded in compliance.

Liu Yuan dispensed with the formalities, lifting Xia Hong onto his back and sprinting toward the Main Building. The six hundred-plus Cloud Serpent soldiers followed automatically without needing to be told.

“The Leader is seriously injured?”

“He must be. All four of those first cuts hit the bone. And that last strike from Li Xuantian was even more terrifying. He’s definitely badly hurt.”

“He only called for Liu Yuan and Peng Bo, and he has the six hundred Cloud Serpent soldiers guarding him, not letting anyone near the Main Building. To put it bluntly, he doesn’t trust any of us!”

…

“All of you, shut up!”

Hou Jing cut off the whispers of Dong Zhong, Yu Bin, and the others. He looked up at the sky and gave his orders. “It’ll be dawn soon, so the garrison should quiet down for a bit. There are about ten thousand Earthforger realm soldiers in the camp. Pick the one thousand most elite to guard the Leader outside the Main Building. As for the remaining nine thousand, we’ll each take one thousand and continue to watch the camp. Just wait for the Leader’s orders!”

Though the eight men had varied expressions, they all nodded.

Suddenly, Hou Jing seemed to notice something. A look of surprise crossed his face as he snapped his head up to look north of the camp.

“Someone’s coming?”

“Quite a few. Eleven of them.”

“Who is it? It can’t be Li Xuanling’s group, can it?”

“I don’t think so.”

…

The other eight men noticed it as well, all turning to look north.

“Where’s the Leader? Where’s the Leader?”

Seeing that the newcomer was Yuwen Tao, Hou Jing’s expression relaxed considerably. But then he saw ten people behind Yuwen Tao, carrying a massive, square cauldron on five iron poles as they ran at high speed.

Yuwen Tao was agitated. After asking twice with no answer, he turned directly to Hou Jing. “Senior Hou Jing, where is the Leader?”

Hou Jing hesitated for a moment before recounting what had just happened.

“The Leader was assassinated and is gravely injured?”

“How is that possible?”

…

Hearing that Xia Hong had been assassinated and seriously wounded, Yuwen Tao and his group were all in disbelief. But then they saw the expressions on the faces of Hou Jing and the other nine and realized it was true. Their faces immediately filled with worry.

Of course, it wasn’t just worry, but also anger.

“How was the Leader assassinated?”

“A thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers, and over ten thousand of you lot… what are you all good for? Did you just stand there and watch the assassins approach the Leader?”

“Where’s Liu Yuan? Where’s Peng Bo? There are eleven Frostwarden realm experts here, and you let five assassins get close to the Leader and gravely injure him?”

“The Leader is severely injured, yet none of you seem to have a scratch on you?”

…

Yue Feng, Li Yuankun, Zou Yuankai, and several others started questioning Hou Jing’s group, their words growing harsher with each sentence, completely ignoring the darkening expressions on their faces.

“Alright, everyone be quiet for now. Come with me to see the Leader!”

Yuwen Tao’s expression was now also clearly unfriendly as he looked at Hou Jing and the others. But he restrained himself, silenced Yue Feng’s group, and led them directly toward the Main Building.

“These Frostwarden realm masters from Great Xia aren’t that strong, but they sure have big tempers. Hmph!”

After the eleven had left for the Main Building and Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing had also departed, Yu Bin was the first to speak, unable to hold back a cold snort.

He was a leader from Xiling and in his sixties. Being so openly humiliated and questioned by a group of juniors was a great blow to his pride.

Dong Zhong followed up with a cold laugh. “Well, they’re about to inherit Longshan’s mantle and become the new overlords of Longyou. It’s only normal for them to have a bit of a temper!”

Hou Jing didn’t join in, listening with a calm expression.

It was Zhang Ying, next to him, who suddenly spoke in a quiet, haunting tone, “Aside from Leader Xia Hong, the rest of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm masters don’t seem all that impressive…”

Hearing this, Dong Zhong and Yu Bin exchanged a subtle glance.

The two were clearly about to say something, but before they could, Hou Jing angrily berated Zhang Ying, “Shut your mouth, Zhang Ying! If you dare spout any more nonsense, I’ll take your head to the Leader and beg for forgiveness myself! Now go and do your duty!”

Hou Jing clearly still held great authority in Zhang Ying’s eyes.

Hearing the rebuke, he didn’t dare to argue back. He nodded immediately, turned, and left.

The remaining two, Yu Bin and Dong Zhong, looked at Hou Jing, their brows furrowed. Not daring to say anything more, they turned and led their men to patrol the garrison.

Chapter 312: The Last Gamble, the Li Family’s Swan Song

As daylight arrived, a biting cold light scattered across the land. A condensed chill immediately swept over the earth, and the more than one hundred thousand people inside the garrison quickly ducked into their houses and started fires to keep warm.

What Hou Jing had said—that the garrison would quiet down at dawn—was proving to be true.

This was because anyone below the Frostwarden realm could not withstand the severe cold of the day.

No matter how many loyalists of the Li family were still among the populace, eager to cause a disturbance, they could do nothing during the day, at the very least.

With Xia Hong’s orders, Hou Jing dared not rest carelessly. He divided the entire garrison into nine zones. He took responsibility for the central area around the Main Building, while the other eight zones were assigned to eight other Frostwarden realm experts, each leading a thousand Earthforger realm warriors.

Of course, during the day, even those Earthforger realm warriors could only hide in their houses. Only Hou Jing and the other eight Frostwardens would occasionally step out to patrol.

A garrison housing over a hundred thousand people contained tens of thousands of buildings. The area the nine of them could patrol was naturally extremely limited, so they mostly stuck to the main roads or the peripheries of the houses. As long as there were no obvious signs of unrest, they wouldn’t interfere.

Just as the entire garrison fell into silence, an incredibly fierce argument was erupting in a basement two hundred meters away from the North District Dungeon.

“Xia Hong is so heavily injured that he won’t even let people near the Main Building. What is there to hesitate about? Besides him, Great Xia only has Peng Bo and Yuwen Tao who are decent fighters. The other Frostwardens aren’t that strong. The Cloud Serpent Army and the Earthforger forces can’t be deployed during the day. With such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I don’t know what you’re all so afraid of!”

Although Li Xuanping tried his best to keep his voice down, the excitement and agitation in his tone were clearly audible to everyone else in the basement.

Even so, hesitation still lingered in the eyes of the vast majority.

Of course, a few faces showed clear resistance.

Meng Ying was one of them. He spoke up with a cold smile.

“Did you not see the power Xia Hong displayed? The White Dew… Li Xuantian and those other five were all stronger than our Leader, yet they just failed. If we go, we’ll just be seeking death.”

Jiang Ping couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “That’s right. Even if he’s severely injured, we have no idea how much of his strength he can still bring to bear!”

Sun Yan followed close behind. “Song Kang, Cheng Guang, and Yue Qian have all been captured. We only have forty-seven people left, and six are badly wounded. That’s only forty-one of us who can fight. Judging by the power Xia Hong just showed, even if he’s protected by more than twenty Frostwardens and can only use thirty or forty percent of his strength, we still don’t stand a chance.”

The three men’s rebuttals caused Li Xuanping’s anger to flare up.

Beside him, Li Xuanqiu trembled with rage and snapped, “How could Xia Hong use thirty or forty percent of his strength when he’s that badly hurt? I think you people are just cowards, afraid of dying! It’s like you’re eager to just hand Longshan over to others.”

At Li Xuanping’s rebuke, the expressions of Meng Ying and the other two hardened. Sun Yan couldn’t help but sneer, “I wonder which two idiots were in such a hurry to get back to Longshan that they caused the entire Longyou Army to be wiped out, yet now they have the nerve to accuse us of being cowards.”

Hearing Sun Yan’s words, the siblings’ faces flushed crimson. They stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal.

They already knew that the Great Xia forces had set fire to the exit of the Wushuang tunnel, attracting a Beast Tide that ultimately led to the annihilation of the Longyou Army.

According to Meng Ying, Great Xia only had four people lying in ambush at the time. Their group initially had seven guarding the tunnel entrance. If the two of them hadn’t disobeyed orders and run back to Longshan early, leaving them short-handed and allowing the enemy to succeed, that Beast Tide might have been avoided, and the Longyou Army would not have been wiped out.

Having made such a colossal mistake, the two of them were too ashamed to say another word.

“Xuanping, Xuanqiu, are you certain that Second Uncle, Xuancheng, Xuanying, and Yuanlong are not in the dungeon?”

The tense atmosphere lingered for a long time before Li Xuandu finally broke the silence.

Hearing his question, Li Xuanling also turned to look at the two.

Li Xuanping nodded hastily. “I’m certain. Xuanqiu and I were the ones who stirred up the earlier disturbances. We used the chaos to sneak into the dungeon and look. Aside from over seven thousand Earthforgers, the only others inside are some Li family disciples. Father and the other three, as well as the immediate families of everyone here, are all missing. I asked the people in the dungeon, and they said they were likely all captured by Great Xia and are being held in the Main Building.”

At these words, Li Xuandu’s expression instantly darkened.

Li Xuanling simply closed her eyes, a trace of despair flashing across her face.

It was obvious. How could someone as cunning as Xia Hong not keep a tight grip on the very bargaining chips he could use against them?

“Two paths!”

Seeing Li Xuanling’s silence, Li Xuandu finally spoke up. After uttering those two words, he continued:

“The first is to surrender to Great Xia and save our own lives and those of our families!”

At the mention of surrender, a flicker of interest passed over the faces of Meng Ying and the other Frostwardens who were not of the Li family, but they didn’t voice their opinions, looking instead to Li Xuanling.

The members of the Li family were more direct. Li Xuanping’s face was filled with resistance as he asked, “What’s the second path?”

“Gamble!”

Li Xuandu took a deep breath and continued, “Gamble that Xia Hong’s injuries are truly severe. Gamble that we can actually succeed in the assassination. Hou Jing, Yu Bin, and Dong Zhong haven’t been with Great Xia for long. The order in the garrison is currently maintained by the ten thousand Earthforgers under their command. As long as we succeed with the assassination, it shouldn’t be difficult to persuade the three of them to switch sides. At that point, Great Xia will only have a dozen or so Frostwardens and over six hundred Cloud Serpent soldiers left. Taking them down won’t be hard.”

Hearing this, the disciples of the Li family immediately grew excited.

According to Li Xuandu, as long as they successfully assassinated Xia Hong and reclaimed Longshan, it would be as if all their previous failures had been erased.

“And what if we lose the gamble?”

Just as Li Xuanping and his sister were getting more and more excited and were about to speak, Li Xuanling, who had been silent for a long time, threw a bucket of cold water on their enthusiasm.

Li Xuandu’s expression tightened slightly. He turned to the others and said in a low voice, “Then we won’t even have the chance to surrender. Xia Hong could certainly tell that we deliberately allowed the White Dew Aberration’s assassination attempt. If we try again and fail, our Li family of Longshan will truly be at the end of its road. Life or death will then be decided by Xia Hong alone.”

Li Xuanling had clearly known this answer all along. She turned her head and scanned the Li family disciples to her left, a sense of helplessness welling up inside her. Her face was grim as she said:

“To gamble or not to gamble, speak your minds!”

Faced with this question, even the twenty-seven Li family disciples fell silent in an instant, to say nothing of Meng Ying and the fourteen other non-family Frostwardens.

To choose the gamble was to bet everything they had, including the lives of their families.

No one dared to give a casual answer to such a question.

This included Li Xuanping. An idea seemed to strike him, and his expression brightened. “Leader, if we can turn Hou Jing, Yu Bin, and Dong Zhong to our side and have them release the seven thousand Earthforgers from the dungeon, and add them to the ten thousand they already command, wouldn’t annihilating Great Xia be easy?”

“That’s right!”

“That makes sense.”

“Good idea.”

…

Seeing the Li family disciples grow excited, genuinely believing Li Xuanping’s suggestion was viable, Li Xuanling turned her back to them in frustration.

“How would you turn Hou Jing and the other two? Tell us,” Meng Ying asked Li Xuanping, his tone laced with mockery.

Li Xuanping hesitated for a moment before replying, “Supplies, spirit medicines, territory… we just give them whatever we have, wouldn’t that work?”

“And do we have any of those things right now?”

All of Longshan—or to put it more broadly, all of Longyou—was currently in Great Xia’s hands. They had nothing to offer.

Although he understood Meng Ying’s point, Li Xuanping was still reluctant to give up. “We can promise the three of them that once Longshan is reclaimed, we’ll divide all of Longyou into four parts and rule it together with their three families.”

“Hmm, that is a tempting offer, but…”

Meng Ying’s tone shifted abruptly as he asked in a low voice, “Is that an offer? Can you guarantee the assassination will succeed? If you can’t, then it’s all just empty words. Why should they risk their lives and their families’ futures to gamble with you?”

Li Xuanping and the other Li family disciples’ expressions froze at this question. They had clearly realized the problem.

“We have no chance of turning the three of them at all. Of course, judging by Xia Hong’s assassination attempt just now, Hou Jing’s faction and their ten thousand Earthforgers are indeed very likely to switch sides, but that is predicated on us successfully assassinating Xia Hong…”

Li Xuandu picked up where Meng Ying left off. After he finished, his gaze swept over the Frostwardens before him once more as he asked, “So, do we gamble or not?”

“Gamble!”

Desire ultimately triumphed over reason in Li Xuanping’s mind. He was the first to step forward and declare his stance. Turning to the Frostwardens behind him, he said, “Right now, there are almost no organized forces left in Longyou. As long as we can kill Xia Hong, not only can we turn the tables and reclaim Longshan, we can also use this momentum to unify Longyou…”

Li Xuanqiu was the second to speak. “After we’ve reorganized, we can even push on to Redwood Ridge and take our revenge on Great Xia, or even conquer them. I also agree to this gamble.”

Li Xuanhong was swayed as well. “That’s right. Our Li family has too many Frostwardens. Even if we surrender, Xia Hong will inevitably be wary of us. Life under someone else’s rule will surely be difficult. Rather than that, we might as well risk it all!”

“The former leader once said Longshan has a destiny. I believe we can win this gamble!”

“Gamble!”

“I agree as well.”

…

Not only the twenty-seven Li family disciples, but also Yang Fengping and two Frostwardens related by marriage all voiced their approval, deciding to stake everything on one last try.

Meng Ying, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, and the eight men behind them remained silent. Soon, all eyes were on the eleven of them.

“Leader, this subordinate is not…”

“Say no more. Don’t worry, I won’t force you!”

Meng Ying was about to speak, his expression filled with guilt, but Li Xuanling raised a hand to cut him off.

“The eleven of you will wait here for the outcome. If we succeed, I will send someone to inform you immediately. If we fail… you can go and surrender to Great Xia on your own. It shouldn’t be difficult to save your families’ lives.”

Li Xuanling’s words undoubtedly made Meng Ying and the others feel even more guilty.

“Alright, since we’ve decided to risk it all, let’s prepare!”

Li Xuanling didn’t look at Meng Ying’s group. She simply walked to the back, lifted a metal plate from the floor, and revealed a hidden tunnel just large enough for one person to pass through.

She hadn’t brought everyone to hide in this random basement by chance.

This basement had been built by her father and his men when Longshan was still weak. The hidden tunnel inside led directly to the underground levels of the Main Building.

“Peng Bo, Liu Yuan, Yuwen Tao, and the others… Xia Hong has at least thirteen Frostwardens by his side right now. Add to that the six hundred-plus Cloud Serpent soldiers, and the defenses at the Main Building are formidable. Just getting close to Xia Hong won’t be simple, so we must first devise a foolproof plan…”

As Li Xuanling laid out her plan step by step, Li Xuandu, unlike the rest of the increasingly excited Li family disciples, seemed to realize something. A look of shock appeared in his eyes as he quietly looked up at her.

He finally understood why Li Xuanling had brought them to hide in this particular basement.

She had decided to assassinate Xia Hong from the very beginning.

If she had already decided, why did she make the Li family disciples speak up first?

A terrible guess formed in Li Xuandu’s mind. His expression immediately dimmed. His mouth opened slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

…

Like the other buildings in the garrison, the four-story Main Building of Longshan was sealed shut, with all its doors and windows closed.

However, the light sources within were clearly far more numerous than in other buildings. Judging from the thick smoke pouring from the chimney on its roof, the number of coal stoves used for heating inside was definitely several times greater than elsewhere.

And this was indeed the case. Despite all the doors and windows being shut, and beast-hide tarps covering any spots that might let in light, the interior of the Main Building was brilliantly lit by countless coal stoves, not dim at all.

Inside, guards were posted every five steps, with sentries every ten. Soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army in pale gold armor were everywhere. On each floor, three Frostwardens were assigned to patrol constantly.

Xia Hong’s severe injuries had clearly put everyone from Great Xia on high alert.

Normally, daytime was a time of rest for the people of Ice Abyss, but at this moment, whether it was the Cloud Serpent soldiers on guard or the Frostwardens on patrol, they were all intensely focused and extremely vigilant. The slightest disturbance would catch their attention.

“Old Tong, I don’t think we’ve ever seen the Leader so badly injured, have we?”

Zou Yuankai, having finished his patrol of the first floor, returned to the staircase and couldn’t help but strike up a conversation with Tong Xinglong.

Tong Xinglong’s expression was grave as he nodded. “Indeed, I’ve never seen anything like it. The Leader wasn’t even this badly hurt when he was hunting mid-grade Frost Beasts back when he was in the Earthforger realm.”

“I just went up to the top floor to have a look. The Leader is covered in blood and looked like he could barely stand. I heard Liu Yuan had to carry him up in the end. Was that White Dew Aberration really that strong?”

“Didn’t you hear Prefect Yuwen? That White Dew Aberration was controlling six people, all terrifyingly strong. Add to that Hou Jing and the others being slow to reinforce, and the Cloud Serpent Army reacting a bit too late, that’s why the Leader was so severely injured.”

As soon as Tong Xinglong finished speaking, Zou Yuankai sneered. “Prefect Yuwen has already questioned all the Cloud Serpent soldiers who were present. Among those on the scene when the Leader was attacked, besides Liu Yuan and Peng Bo, Wu Tianxing, Dong Zhong, and Hou Xing didn’t charge in immediately. The rest of the Earthforgers were so scared they kept backing away. Not a single one dared to go forward. No wonder the Leader only allowed Liu Yuan and Peng Bo to escort him to the Main Building and had the Cloud Serpent Army guard it, refusing to let anyone else near. I think Hou Jing and his lot all have something to hide.”

Xiao Kangcheng, who had just finished his patrol and was walking back, happened to overhear Zou Yuankai. He couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Brother Zou, are you saying the Leader will hold them accountable for their negligence later?”

“Brother Xiao!”

“Brother Xiao is back.”

Seeing Xiao Kangcheng return, Tong Xinglong and Zou Yuankai quickly clasped their hands in greeting.

The three of them were in charge of patrolling the first floor.

After a moment of thought, Zou Yuankai replied, “I don’t know if the Leader himself will pursue it, but when the Lord Prefect arrives, he most certainly will.”

Xiao Kangcheng immediately nodded upon hearing this.

He had some understanding of his son-in-law.

Xia Chuan, as the Prefect, managed almost all the affairs in the camp. While he might be flexible when dealing with other difficult matters, he showed no mercy whatsoever when Xia Hong was involved.

Unless Xia Hong himself spoke up, no one else’s persuasion would work.

Moreover, among the more than one hundred thousand people in Great Xia now, he was probably the most respectful and fervent admirer of Xia Hong.

It wasn’t hard to imagine his reaction when he arrived at Longshan and learned that Xia Hong had been so gravely wounded—and had nearly died.

Never mind Hou Jing, Wu Tianxing, Hou Xing, and Dong Zhong, who had dared to hesitate when Xia Hong was attacked; even the Cloud Serpent Army, Liu Yuan, and Peng Bo, who had been slow to respond, were highly likely to receive a dressing-down.

“Hou Jing, Yu Bin, and Dong Zhong, those six just surrendered to Great Xia, so I can understand their hesitation. But Wu Tianxing and Chen Yingba’s actions were inexcusable. Wu Tianxing betrayed the Hive back then to become Hou Hu’s spy. If the Prefect hadn’t spared his life, he would have died countless times over. As for Chen Yingba, his older brother Chen Yingyuan is now completely loyal to the camp and fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the Prefect in the Hive’s defense, essentially putting his life on the line. Yet his younger brother actually started to have devious ideas.”

Hearing Xiao Kangcheng’s words, Tong Xinglong and Zou Yuankai nodded in agreement.

“I just wonder what the Lord Prefect will do in the end…”

Bang!

Tong Xinglong was cut off mid-sentence by a loud crash from behind them.

It was clearly the sound of the floor being broken through. The three men’s expressions changed drastically as they spun around and rushed toward the source of the sound.

“Assassins!”

“It must be Li Xuanling and her group.”

“On guard, on guard!”

…

The exclamations of the three men and the shouts of the Cloud Serpent soldiers on the first floor erupted almost simultaneously. The Main Building was only so large; the commotion on the first floor immediately spurred the soldiers on the upper three floors into action.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

However, their reaction was clearly a bit too slow.

Or more accurately, their strength was lacking.

The sound had come from the very back of the first floor. Xiao Kangcheng and the other two had just reached the corridor and were about to rush toward the location when they looked up and saw a group of twenty-seven people charging toward them from the end of the hall.

“Li Xuanping, Li Xuanqiu, Li Xuanhong, they’re all Li family disciples! It’s them! Quick, notify the Prefect and the others to come down and help!”

Tong Xinglong and Xiao Kangcheng had participated in the siege of the Hive and immediately recognized the twenty-seven people as the group of Frostwardens from Longshan.

“There are twenty-seven people on the first floor. If floors two and three are clear, come down and help.”

The Main Building was only so big, so the three of them didn’t need to go up to call for help. While drawing their weapons and charging at Li Xuanping’s group, they shouted up to the floors above.

Thump, thump, thump…

The Cloud Serpent soldiers on the first floor were already rushing toward Li Xuanping’s group. The second and third floors were apparently clear, as the sound of a large number of soldiers rapidly descending the stairs could be heard.

Bang!

Li Xuanping and the twenty-six other Frostwardens on the first floor didn’t charge at them right away. Instead, they drew their weapons, split into several groups, and first smashed all the nearby windows before starting to demolish the surrounding walls.

“This was all premeditated! Stop them, quickly!”

Once the walls were destroyed and the cold light streamed in, the Cloud Serpent soldiers would be rendered ineffective. Seeing how well-coordinated Li Xuanping’s group was, acting without a single word from start to finish, Xiao Kangcheng immediately realized their plan was premeditated. Without waiting for the people from the upper floors to arrive, the three of them charged directly at Li Xuanping’s group.

“Hold them off! Keep destroying the walls!”

Bang…

At Li Xuanping’s command, several people immediately rushed out to block Xiao Kangcheng’s trio, while the rest sped up their destruction of the walls, soon punching one large hole after another.

This was a testament to Longshan’s wealth.

This Main Building was constructed entirely of iron, and its foundations must have been laid extremely deep. So, despite Li Xuanping and his people blasting hole after hole in the walls, the building barely shook.

As for it collapsing, that was clearly impossible.

“A pack of homeless dogs, daring to come here and die!”

Yue Feng’s voice suddenly rang out from the corridor.

Not just Yue Feng, but Bai Wuting, Ying Yi, Lu He, Chen Ying, Li Yuankun, and Liu Yuan—all ten who had arrived the previous night, except for Yuwen Tao—had arrived.

“The rest of you, keep destroying the walls! Xuanqiu, Xuanhong, with me!”

Seeing so many Frostwardens arrive, Li Xuanping showed no fear. Instead, a trace of excitement rose in his eyes. He motioned for the others to continue demolishing the walls while he, along with Li Xuanqiu and Li Xuanhong, took the lead and charged at the Great Xia forces.

By now, not only the windows but also a large portion of the walls had been destroyed. As sunlight seeped in, the temperature inside the building began to plummet. The Cloud Serpent soldiers had already retreated into the shadows in the back.

“Brothers, these people are here to assassinate the Leader! If we can’t go out, use your bows to assist the lords! We cannot let them get upstairs, even if we die!”

“That’s right, stop them! Don’t let them go upstairs.”

“If you want to kill the Leader, you’ll have to get through me first!”

“Brothers, we can’t retreat! Just like when the Prefect led us to defend the Main Building against the Beast Tide, we just need to rotate in shifts! We won’t freeze to death.”

“That’s right! Protect the Leader! Never retreat!”

“Never retreat!”

“We already failed our duty once during the ambush near the dungeon! We absolutely cannot drop the ball this time! We must protect the Leader!”

…

Even though the cold was already making them tremble, the Cloud Serpent soldiers erupted with astonishing fighting spirit. After their roars, they raised their longbows, endured the chill, and aimed at the Frostwardens destroying the walls, firing frantically.

As more and more soldiers came down from the upper floors, Li Xuanping’s group found themselves under increasing pressure, having to deal with Yue Feng’s ten-man team while also fending off the iron arrows from the Cloud Serpent Army.

Pfft…

Li Xuanping swept Yue Feng aside with his saber, then looked back to see one of his clansmen, who had been destroying a wall, get shot in the left leg with an iron arrow. He rushed over to help him up and, seeing the fear in the man’s eyes, whispered sharply:

“Hold on a little longer! The Leader will succeed any moment now!”

Hearing his words, the man nodded, his expression instantly reinvigorated.

The battle on the first floor seemed intense, but interestingly, after several minutes of fighting, there hadn’t been a single casualty.

The reason was simple. Although Li Xuanping’s side had twenty-seven people, worried about the numerical superiority of the Cloud Serpent Army, he had assigned at least twenty of them to exclusively destroy the walls. The ones actually fighting Yue Feng’s group of ten were only him, Li Xuanqiu, Li Xuanhong, and four others—a total of seven.

Their group of seven was pressing Yue Feng’s ten, clearly superior in strength. But the problem was the large number of Cloud Serpent soldiers firing arrows from the side. Every time they were on the verge of landing a killing blow, countless iron arrows would fly at them, an incessant annoyance.

For this reason, they dared not call the other twenty over. If no one continued to destroy the walls and let the cold in, the Cloud Serpent soldiers would have more and more room to operate, and their troubles would only grow.

Just as the struggle on the first floor was intensifying, suddenly…

BANG!

A loud crash echoed down from the rooftop.

Both Li Xuanping’s group from Longshan and Yue Feng’s group from Great Xia froze, then whipped their heads up to look at the top floor.

The faces of the Longshan side were filled with anticipation and excitement.

The Great Xia side, however, clearly realized something, and their faces filled with apprehension and unease.

But the voice that came from upstairs immediately caused the expressions on both sides to completely switch.

“Hou Jing, take your eight men to the first floor and help. Yuwen Tao, Peng Bo, Liu Yuan, you go down as well. Capture them all. Don’t let a single one escape!”

It was Xia Hong’s voice!

Not only that, but his voice was brimming with energy, completely devoid of the weakness he had shown after the earlier assassination attempt.

“So that’s how it is! That’s how it is!”

“The Leader was pretending! Hahahaha!”

“I knew it! This bunch of riffraff trying to assassinate the Leader? In their dreams!”

“How could the Leader be seriously injured? Hahaha!”

“Capture the assassins! The Leader said not to let a single one escape!”

In stark contrast to the cheering Great Xia members, the people from Longshan turned deathly pale, their expressions like those of mourners at a funeral.

…

“Cough… cough… you really dared to gamble…”

On the top floor of the Main Building, Xia Hong stood up from his main seat. After a couple of light coughs, he waved away Liu Yuan who was coming to support him. His tone was full of mockery and jest as he slowly walked downward.

In the center of the main hall, Li Xuanling was pinned to the Frigid Ruins Cauldron by her own Tianhua Sword, which pierced through her shoulder blade.

To the left, Li Xuanyan’s great saber was broken, and he himself was nailed to a pillar by a long spear. He was struggling to lift his head, looking at Xia Hong with a face full of shock and terror, gasping for breath.

To the right, Li Xuandu was in the worst state. A large section of his chest had caved in, and he lay motionless on the floor, it being unclear whether he was dead or alive.

A pierced shoulder blade was not a fatal wound.

Therefore, Li Xuanling was still conscious.

But even as Xia Hong walked right up to her, she made no move. She simply stared blankly at the ceiling of the hall, her face a mask of calm despair.

“You should be well aware of the consequences of a lost bet, right?”

Chapter 313: The Leader Is Still Ruthless, The Price of a Lost Bet

“You should be well aware of the consequences of losing a bet, right?”

“It’s nothing more than death. Do it!”

Although Li Xuanling’s face was filled with calm despair, Xia Hong still noticed the trace of unwillingness hidden deep in her eyes.

Recalling this struggle for Longyou, which began in mid-April and had finally ended now after nearly three months, Xia Hong could guess with near certainty what Li Xuanling was thinking and what she couldn’t accept.

“You’re not convinced, are you?”

Three thousand soldiers from the Longyou Army, a total of nearly sixty Frostwarden realm experts, plus fifteen thousand Earthforger realm warriors, and a population of over one hundred thousand—to lose to the Great Xia, which was inferior in every way, it would be strange if Li Xuanling could accept it.

Li Xuanling suddenly turned to look at Li Xuanyan to her left and said in a heavy voice, “In mid-April, if not for this idiot’s indecisiveness, which allowed Bai Qiucheng, Yu Bin, and Dong Zhong to escape and caused their three families to completely side with Zhaoyang, how would your Great Xia have had the chance to meddle in Longyou?”

Hearing this, Li Xuanyan, who was on the floor, flushed red and lowered his head without a word, clearly admitting that Li Xuanling was right.

Li Xuanling didn’t look at him, pausing for a moment before continuing, “If Li Hu and Yang Zhong hadn’t been tipping you off, it would only have been a matter of time before I drove the Great Xia out of Longyou by combining the forces of Longshan and Zhaoyang.”

Evidently, when Li Xuanling had snuck into the stronghold last night, she had already learned from others how it had fallen and was aware of Li Hu and Yang Zhong’s identities as traitors.

“Two traitors—one from our own clan, the other a relative by marriage. Forcing our own people to rebel is one thing, but I gave those fools over two months, and not only did they fail to root out those two, they even let them infiltrate the New Army.

“After the battle at Long White Gully, I warned them a thousand times to keep a close watch on the dozens of soldiers who fled back to the stronghold. If they had done as I said, how would Li Hu and Yang Zhong have had the chance to go to the dungeons and turn the people from the Yucheng and the other two families?”

Her face was filled with bitter disappointment, and her voice grew deeper with anger. “And those two idiots, Li Xuanping and Li Xuanqiu. They were just one step away from Wushuang, yet they couldn’t resist running back to Longshan, leading to the annihilation of over two thousand three hundred men…”

Everything Li Xuanling said was a complaint about the failures of the Li family disciples.

Clatter…

Just as she finished speaking, the sound of a knee hitting the ground came from the back of the great hall. It was Yuwen Tao, Hou Jing, Yue Feng, and the others, who had just brought up the twenty or so people, including Li Xuanping, who had tried to storm the first floor.

Li Xuanling turned her head to look at the group of Li family disciples behind her. Finally, in a low voice, she spoke her greatest regret:

“If it weren’t for this bunch of idiots ruining things one after another, I would never have lost to you!”

“How pathetic!”

The word “pathetic” suddenly fell from Xia Hong’s lips, causing Li Xuanling’s expression to freeze.

“To this day, you still don’t understand why you lost!”

Xia Hong raised a hand and pointed at Li Xuanyan beside him, smiling. “As a Leader, you’re not qualified at all. At best, you’re only slightly better than him.”

“What did you say?”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling’s brows shot up. Xia Hong comparing her to Li Xuanyan was clearly both infuriating and unbelievable to her.

“Do you really think I was able to break through Longshan last night just by relying on Li Hu, Yang Zhong, and the three thousand-plus men they turned?

“Even without those three thousand who were turned, your stronghold still had at least twelve thousand Earthforger realm garrison members. As for the remaining one hundred and twenty thousand people, I took a rough look when I came in last night. At least a third of them are able-bodied young adults of the Lumberjack realm—that’s over forty thousand men!

“In total, the garrison force within the Longshan stronghold last night was at least fifty-two thousand strong, and that’s not even counting the rest of the population.

“And what did I have? Besides a Cloud Serpent Army of over six hundred, I only had the seven thousand-plus thrown-together rabble from the four families of Zhaoyang in the Earthforger realm.

“You had a numerical advantage of at least seven to one. If the hundred thousand-plus people of Longshan had been united last night, forget a motley army of over seven thousand—even if I had brought seven thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers, I wouldn’t have been able to break through, even without that Iron Stake Wall!”

Xia Hong’s voice was thunderous. Not only was Li Xuanling stunned, but Li Xuanyan, the recently awakened Li Xuandu, the Li family disciples like Li Xuanping in the back, and even Yuwen Tao and the other Frostwarden realm experts of Great Xia were all dumbfounded.

Within the entire great hall, only the eldest, Hou Jing, showed no change in expression, clearly unsurprised by Xia Hong’s point of view.

Li Xuanling’s pupils quaked, her face instantly contorting in pain.

She understood now!

Setting everything else aside, the very fact that she had failed to conquer the Hive, which was defended by only ten thousand Earthforger realm warriors, despite leading three thousand Longyou soldiers and fifty-one Frostwarden experts, was enough to prove Xia Hong’s point.

If over a hundred thousand people were truly of one mind, how could they fail to defend against Xia Hong’s paltry seven thousand?

“Your Li family has lost the hearts of the people of Longshan. You were doomed to fall apart from the start. Li Hu and Yang Zhong are just two examples. It wasn’t them who toppled the Li family, nor was it the Great Xia. It was the vast majority of the people living under Longshan’s rule!”

After spelling it out, Xia Hong looked at Li Xuanling and continued with a cold smile, “I never expected to take the Longshan stronghold so quickly.

“I said that as a Leader, you’re only a little better than Li Xuanyan, and you still don’t accept it?

“Back in Gourd Valley, you abandoned the other Earthforger realm warriors for the sake of the Longyou Army, which led to the rebellion of Li Hu and Yang Zhong, and in turn, the destruction of the New Army at Long White Gully. After all that, I thought you would have learned your lesson.

“Who would have thought that at the entrance to the Wushuang tunnel last night, you’d abandon over two thousand Longyou soldiers for the sake of that group of Frostwarden experts.

“To make the same mistake twice—in my eyes, there’s not much difference between you and the Li family idiots you curse.

“You people only look out for yourselves, treating others’ lives as if they’re worthless. You’re always weighing the odds, thinking you’re clever, abandoning this person and that one. In the end, it’s only natural that you, too, are abandoned and deserted by all!”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, Yue Feng, Liu Yuan, and Li Yuankun couldn’t help but clench their fists, their eyes filled with emotion.

They didn’t know if anyone else could understand what Xia Hong was saying.

But they understood almost instantly.

Because Xia Hong had always led them by example.

From its humble beginnings on a small mound, Great Xia had risen to where it stood today. No matter what difficulties or even hopeless situations they faced, Xia Hong, their Leader, had never abandoned a single one of them, not even the weakest among them.

It was because of Xia Hong’s words and deeds that the three of them firmly believed that what Li Xuanling did at Hanqiong’s Gourd Valley and the Wushuang tunnel entrance could never happen in Great Xia, not to them.

After hearing Xia Hong’s speech, Li Xuanling looked as if she had been struck by lightning. Her heart was clearly shaken to its core. The color drained from her face, her eyes became vacant and tearful, and she bit her lip so hard her fingertips dug into her palms. The bearing of the chosen daughter of Longyou was completely gone.

“Leader Xia, it’s enough to kill a person. Why must you also crush their spirit?”

The great hall was already silent, but Li Tiancheng’s aged voice suddenly echoed from the back, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

Tap, tap, tap…

Dressed in a white robe, Li Tiancheng slowly walked out from a small room at the back of the hall. Not only was he not restrained in any way by Great Xia, but his complexion was also much better than before. He showed no signs of being a captive.

Of course, his left sleeve was still empty.

“Father!”

“Grandfather.”

“Old Ancestor Tiancheng is still alive.”

“Second Uncle…”

Li Xuanyan, Li Xuanping, and the twenty-or-so other kneeling Li family members were overjoyed to see Li Tiancheng, and they all began to cry out.

Li Xuanling only showed a few ripples in her eyes, her reaction muted.

Li Xuandu was also pleasantly surprised, but when he saw that his Second Uncle, Li Tiancheng, completely ignored the Li family’s cries and didn’t even look at them, he then noticed the deep sorrow in Li Tiancheng’s eyes. Realizing something, his heart sank.

“She’s about to become my woman, after all. It’s a good time to teach her a lesson and change her ways. Otherwise, if she causes any trouble in the future, it’ll be a hassle to clean up.”

Xia Hong’s words left everyone in the great hall stunned.

“You… I… Ptooey… Xia Hong, I’d rather die than marry you!”

Li Xuanling’s deathly pale face instantly flushed red with rage. Ashamed and furious, she spat directly at Xia Hong’s face.

Smack…

Xia Hong didn’t humor her. He slapped her across the face, then grabbed her by the chin and said viciously:

“Bitch, do you think you have a choice? Even if you want to die, you’ll have to wait until after we’re married!”

It was the first time Li Xuanling had been slapped so violently. She was stunned for a moment, only reacting after three or four breaths. She looked up at Xia Hong, her whole body trembling with rage, but she couldn’t utter a single word.

Li Tiancheng clearly wanted to intervene, but seeing that Xia Hong had held back his strength in the slap, he opened his mouth but ultimately held his tongue, letting out only a soft sigh.

Everyone in the hall, still reeling from the one hundred and eighty-degree turn of events, was jolted awake by Xia Hong’s slap.

The Leader was still a beast!

Below, Yuwen Tao, Yue Feng, and the other Frostwarden experts of Great Xia saw Li Xuanling beaten into silence. While trying to suppress their laughter, they couldn’t help but give Xia Hong a thumbs-up in their hearts.

“Alright, Senior Li, our bet has reached its conclusion. Since Li Xuanling chose to lead an assassination attempt, it means you’ve lost…”

Hiss…

As Xia Hong turned his head to speak, a sharp pain shot through the web of his hand.

He had been holding Li Xuanling’s chin with his right hand the whole time. The woman had taken advantage of his distraction to duck her head and bite down on the flesh between his thumb and forefinger.

Li Xuanling was also at the Frostwarden realm, with a strength of twenty-two Mane. Although her bite didn’t pierce the flesh, it broke the hide, and blood immediately began to seep out.

Xia Hong endured the sharp pain, looked down at the defiant Li Xuanling, and forcibly suppressed his rage. He first gave a cold laugh, then turned to Yuwen Tao and said in a heavy voice, “First, lock up all these Li clan members in the dungeon. After nightfall, you’ll lead some men to screen everyone in the camp again. Find every single member of the Li clan. Don’t miss a single one.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Hearing this, Yuwen Tao seemed to realize something. His expression sharpened as he cupped his fist and replied.

Everyone present was at the Frostwarden realm. If Yuwen Tao could figure it out, the others, hearing the conversation between Xia Hong and Li Tiancheng, could make an educated guess even if they didn’t fully understand.

The expressions on Li Xuanping and the others on the floor immediately turned to terror. As they were dragged out of the hall by Yuwen Tao and his men, they cried out one after another to Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling.

“Father, what bet did you make with Leader Xia?”

“Grandfather, I’m your grandson! Save me, Grandfather!”

“Second Uncle, Second Uncle, what did you bet with Leader Xia?”

“Xuanling, we’re family! You have to beg the Leader to spare us! Xuanling, save me, save me!”

………………

Li Tiancheng closed his eyes tightly, his face contorted in pain as he ignored his descendants’ pleas.

Li Xuanling acted as if she couldn’t hear them at all, biting down hard on the web of Xia Hong’s hand, refusing to let go no matter what.

Seeing that his father and Li Xuanling were both ignoring him, Li Xuanping grew desperate and turned to beg Xia Hong, “Leader Xia, once Xuanling marries you, we’ll be family! Why must we fight among ourselves? We will sincerely join Great Xia. We only ask that the Leader spare our li—”

“Spare your lives?”

Xia Hong interrupted him with a slightly mocking question. A thick killing intent rose in his eyes as he said grimly, “Then with whose blood shall we honor Huang Yong, Zhu Ling, Ying Xuan, the three thousand souls of the Hive, and the Cloud Serpent soldiers who died in the attack on Longshan?”

With that, he gestured to Yuwen Tao.

Yuwen Tao and the others understood. They immediately gagged Li Xuanping and the rest, pierced their clavicles with iron hooks, and quickly dragged the twenty-odd people away.

However, Liu Yuan returned from the entrance shortly after.

“Leader, Meng Ying, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, and the other eight non-clan Frostwarden experts from Longshan are outside seeking an audience.”

“Let them meet with their families who are being held in the Main Building first. I will see them after nightfall.”

“Yes, Leader!”

Xia Hong wasn’t surprised at the request from Meng Ying and the other ten. After arranging for Liu Yuan to take them to see their families, he looked down at Li Xuanling, who still refused to let go, and sneered, “I might as well tell you, your Second Uncle told me about that basement in the North District long ago. You’re not completely stupid. You only brought this group from the Li family tonight. If you had brought Meng Ying and the other eleven, you would have doomed them.”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling finally understood that Xia Hong’s severe injuries last night had been an act, all to lure her into a trap.

Her Second Uncle must have known that Xia Hong wasn’t badly hurt, which was why he told him about the basement in the North District. If that was the case, why didn’t her Second Uncle have her lead the Li disciples to surrender? Why did he bet with Xia Hong on whether she would try an assassination?

Though confused, Li Xuanling still refused to let go. She only shifted her eyes toward Li Tiancheng, her face filled with bewilderment.

“Don’t look at your Second Uncle. The bet was my idea. He didn’t have a say in it!

“I told him, if you came to me with your people to surrender, I wouldn’t kill a single Li disciple. I would even leave a piece of land in Longyou for your Li family to develop on your own. But if you came to assassinate me, then except for you four, not a single Li family disciple in Longshan would be left alive.”

Not a single Li family disciple left alive…

Hearing those last words, Li Xuanling shuddered, and a deep hatred rose within her. She bit down even harder.

Xia Hong ignored her, pointing at Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu on the floor and gesturing to Li Tiancheng.

“Alright, take these two out. I need to have a private chat with her!”

Li Tiancheng seemed to want to say something more, but seeing Xia Hong raise a hand to dismiss them, he sighed softly. He went forward to help Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu to their feet and then slowly exited the great hall.

“Let go!”

Xia Hong took a deep breath. Seeing Li Xuanling was still biting down stubbornly, a flicker of anger rose in his eyes. He raised his hand and struck her beautiful face again.

Smack…

“Do you think that face of yours is so precious? If it wasn’t to help the hundred thousand people of Longshan integrate into my Great Xia sooner, you’d be no different from the other Li clan members in my eyes.”

Smack…

“A loss is a loss. You should have been prepared for this before you attempted the assassination. You should be thankful that some people in Longshan are still loyal to your Li family. Otherwise, I would have had no reason to spare the lives of you three siblings.”

Smack…

“I’d like to see just how tough you are. Still not letting go, are you!”

Riiip…

Li Xuanling’s defiance and tenacity made Xia Hong’s anger surge. With the sound of something tearing, Li Xuanling, who had refused to let go, suddenly opened her mouth and let out a startled cry.

Then, the sounds in the great hall gradually grew strange.

………………

Chapter 314: Expulsion and Unease, Xia Chuan’s Extreme Measures

“Second Uncle, since Leader Xia is going to marry Fourth Sister, why must he still drive our Li family to extinction? Our wives, our children, so many of our clansmen—they are your descendants too! Are you really going to watch them all be executed by Great Xia? Second Uncle, please, beg him for us! Or have Fourth Sister beg him, it will definitely… cough, cough…”

After leaving the great hall and entering the cell arranged by Great Xia, Li Xuanyan had barely sat down on a chair before he couldn’t stop himself from speaking to Li Tiancheng.

His injuries were too severe. Saying so much at once caused him to strain himself, and he broke into a fit of coughing, unable to finish his sentence for a long time.

“Sigh…”

Seeing him cough so violently, Li Tiancheng let out a soft sigh.

Beside them, Li Xuandu looked at Li Xuanyan and said in a low voice, “Big Brother, didn’t you understand what Xia Hong said in the hall? The ones who truly wish for the Li family’s destruction are not just Great Xia, but also the vast majority of people in the Longshan camp. If he doesn’t eliminate our family, not only will he be unable to answer to the people of Great Xia, but he will also be going against the will of the people of Longshan. Whether Fourth Sister or Second Uncle pleads, it will be useless!”

Although he saw the situation clearly, Li Xuandu’s voice was still thick with unwillingness. After all, his wife and children were also among those slated for execution.

Li Xuanyan still refused to give up. With a look of anger, he said, “Are we just going to watch Xia Hong drive our Li family to extinction?”

“Who said he’s driving us to extinction?”

Li Tiancheng suddenly spoke, his expression faint as he continued, “Aren’t you all still alive? Xuantian has a son, Li Hu. And my grandson, Yang Zhong, rendered great service in the conquest of Longshan. He will surely be valued by Xia Hong in the future.

“We also have Meng Ying, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, Song Kang, Yue Qian, and a host of other Frostwarden realm experts, as well as a large number of loyalists at the Earthforger realm. With me and Xuanling—the Leader’s wife—to support them, our Li family will surely have a place in Great Xia in the future. When Xuanling bears Xia Hong a child who inherits his position, won’t that child still carry half of our Li family’s blood?”

“Li Hu and Yang Zhong, those two trai—”

“Silence!”

Li Tiancheng cut Li Xuanyan off, his voice cold. “It has come to this. Great Xia’s unification of Longyou is a foregone conclusion. No matter what they have done, they cannot erase the Li family’s mark upon them. Li Hu and Yang Zhong are both intelligent men. They surely understand that if they want to secure a place in Great Xia, they will ultimately have to rely on us, on Xuanling. As long as that’s the case, it is enough!”

Li Xuanyan opened his mouth but, in the end, said nothing.

Li Xuandu, however, keenly noticed that Li Tiancheng had not mentioned him or his Big Brother. He asked in a low voice, “Second Uncle, Big Brother and I will both be expelled from Longyou, won’t we?”

Li Tiancheng turned to look at this intelligent third nephew. Amid his admiration, the undeniable fact of the Li family’s downfall brought a renewed sense of sorrow to his face.

“That’s right. As soon as your injuries heal, you and Xuanyan must leave. You are not to return to Longyou for ten years.”

Hearing this, Li Xuanyan clenched his fists, his eyes filled with hatred.

Li Xuandu, however, showed little reaction. He had clearly anticipated this.

“I guessed as much. Sigh…”

Xia Hong’s core reason for both destroying the Li family and marrying Li Xuanling was to minimize the cost of integrating Longshan’s one hundred thousand-plus people into Great Xia.

Destroying the Li family was to follow the will of the people, which both appeased the large faction in Longshan that had never submitted to Li family rule and prevented the Li family from rising from the ashes. Marrying Li Xuanling was to allow Meng Ying, Jiang Ping, and other Li family loyalists to integrate into Great Xia more quickly. As the Lord’s wife, Li Xuanling would serve as their backer in Great Xia, giving these people a natural sense of belonging.

That being the case, to prevent these people from harboring improper thoughts, Xia Hong would not allow him and Li Xuanyan, two core Frostwarden realm experts of the Li family, to remain in Great Xia, or even in Longyou.

Expulsion from Longyou, with no return for ten years.

It wasn’t complete annihilation. It would have to do.

“Focus on recuperating. Don’t think about anything else. I am already eighty-eight this year and don’t have many years left. From now on, I will stay in Great Xia. For one, it will ensure Xuanling is not left without support. For another, it will preserve Xuantian’s lineage. The two of you will be out on your own. Whether you find fortune or disaster will be up to you.”

“Second Uncle…”

Li Xuandu and Li Xuanyan looked up at Li Tiancheng, their eyes instantly turning red.

The lifespan of a Frostwarden realm expert was said to be one hundred years, but no one could guarantee it. Their expulsion from Longyou this time would most likely be a final farewell to Li Tiancheng.

………………

At the same time as the conversation between Li Tiancheng and his nephews, in another quiet room on the same floor, Meng Ying, Jiang Ping, and Sun Yan were also meeting their families.

“Father! Uncle Ping, Uncle Yan!”

“Husband, you’re finally back.”

“Thank goodness you’re all right. We’ve been worried sick these past few days.”

“Father.”

“Father.”

…………

Meng Ying and the other two were all over fifty, so they naturally had large families. As soon as the three men entered, the more than forty people in the room stood up with joyous relief and rushed to their side.

“Great Xia didn’t give you any trouble?”

The moment he entered the room, Meng Ying noticed that his two wives and six children bore no injuries. Their clothes were clean, and there was even a lot of unfinished food on the table. There was no sign that they had been imprisoned at all.

It wasn’t just his family; the families of Jiang Ping and Sun Yan were the same.

Meng Ying’s eldest son, Meng Tian, who was thirty-two this year, stepped forward. He was the eldest of the three families’ children and was clearly the best informed. He addressed his father, “Not only did they not give us any trouble, they treated us quite well. They sent someone to bring us basically anything we asked for. The only rule was that we couldn’t leave this room.”

Jiang Ping’s eldest daughter, Jiang Ning, couldn’t help but add, “Uncle Yue, Uncle Song, and Uncle Cheng’s families were locked in here with us at first. We heard that the three of them were seriously injured last night. Those soldiers in golden armor just took their families away, saying they were needed to take care of them…”

“That’s right! It scared us to death. Husband, I’m so glad you’re all right!”

Hearing the words of his daughter and wife, Jiang Ping was momentarily stunned. He then turned to exchange a look with Meng Ying and Sun Yan, and a complex emotion flashed through all three of their eyes at the same time.

The “Uncle Yue” and others Jiang Ning mentioned were, of course, Yue Qian, Cheng Guang, and Song Kang.

The prisoners in the room didn’t know, but the three of them knew very well that Yue Qian and the others had been gravely injured because they had tried to assassinate Xia Hong.

Who would have thought that Great Xia not only didn’t punish their families but even took them away to care for the wounded men?

“All right, there’s no need to worry anymore. Go and rest for now.”

Meng Ying spoke first to comfort his family, then motioned for them to leave. Jiang Ping and Sun Yan also had their families withdraw.

Seeing that the three men wanted to talk, everyone immediately dispersed.

The three sat down in their chairs and looked at each other, silent for a long time.

“The Leader’s assassination attempt failed. That much is certain. Are we really just going to switch sides and pledge allegiance to Great Xia?”

Finally, it was Sun Yan who broke the heavy silence.

Meng Ying gave a bitter smile. “What else can we do? Our wives and children are all here. They haven’t given them any trouble from the beginning. It’s clear they intend to win us over.”

Sun Yan clearly had a different opinion. He hesitated before saying, “Wouldn’t that be too great a betrayal to the Old Leader?”

At the mention of the Old Leader, guilt appeared on the faces of Jiang Ping and Meng Ying.

The three of them, along with Yue Qian, Song Kang, Cheng Guang, Zhou Yuan, and He Tu, who died on Yangyuan Peak—the eight of them were known to the outside world as the Eight Great Guardians of Longshan, the representatives of the non-Li family members.

Being outsiders didn’t mean they were disloyal to the Li family.

Longshan would never have grown to its current scale without the eight of them being steadfastly loyal to the Li family.

Of course, it was more accurate to say they were loyal to Li Tianhua.

It was no exaggeration to say that without Li Tianhua’s nurturing, the eight of them would not exist today.

Although some Li clansmen ostracized them for being outsiders, Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling had always treated them with utmost sincerity.

Compared to Yue Qian, Song Kang, and Cheng Guang, the three of them felt deeply ashamed for surrendering to Great Xia so spinelessly. Naturally, they felt a pang of guilt toward the Old Leader who had invested so much in them all those years ago.

Meng Ying took a deep breath, as if having made a decision. He stood up abruptly and said, “We can’t just surrender like this. When the Old Leader left Longshan, he instructed me to assist the young lords with all my heart. Now that Longshan has fallen, I am powerless to change it, but I must protect the young lords no matter what. I cannot let the Old Leader’s bloodline be extinguished.”

Sun Yan and Jiang Ping’s expressions grew solemn upon hearing this, and they immediately nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. A man’s life is as fleeting as grass in autumn. Without the Old Leader’s diligent cultivation of us back then, let alone reaching the Frostwarden realm, it’s uncertain if we would even be alive today. If we do nothing, we will have no face to see him in the afterlife. Later, we will go find Leader Xia and plead with him to spare the young lords’ lives, no matter the cost. We will offer the remaining decades of our own lives in exchange. It can be considered a final act of filial piety to the Old Leader.”

Hearing Jiang Ping’s words, Sun Yan thought for a moment before continuing, “It’s not just us. There are many who are loyal to the Leader. Once Great Xia takes Longshan, they will surely gather everyone after nightfall to declare their sovereignty. At that time, we will rally everyone willing to step forward and petition together. From the fact that Leader Xia is willing to treat our families with such courtesy, we can see he is not a cruel man. As long as he wants our group to peacefully integrate into Great Xia, he will surely agree.”

Sun Yan’s proposal made Meng Ying’s and Jiang Ping’s eyes light up.

That’s right. If enough people petitioned, Xia Hong would have to consider it.

However, doing so clearly had a hint of using the crowd to pressure him.

Although the three of them were somewhat confident, they didn’t know Xia Hong’s temperament and were unsure of the consequences. A sense of unease crept into their hearts.

“Why hesitate? The worst that can happen is death. We can willingly accept death, as long as we can implore Leader Xia to spare our families.”

“Exactly. To repay the Old Leader’s kindness, I am willing to take this risk.”

“Let’s do it, whatever the consequences!”

The three finally made up their minds. They would do it.

What they didn’t notice was that among the anxious family members in the room, Meng Tian, who had spoken earlier, had been listening intently. After hearing their last few sentences, he immediately shuffled a few steps closer to the door.

………………

Chronicle of Great Xia, Year Two, the seventh day of the seventh month.

Half an hour before nightfall, Xia Chuan, who was supposed to arrive with the main army, unexpectedly showed up early, and alone.

“Big Brother, are you all right?”

The moment Xia Chuan entered the Longshan settlement, he hurried to the top floor of the Main Building.

When he saw the bandages on Xia Hong’s body and his somewhat pale face, his expression immediately grew tense as he asked if he was okay.

“It’s nothing serious. But you, you were also heavily injured at the Hive. Why did you rush over here alone ahead of time?”

Xia Hong had a strange look on his face. It was true he had four cuts—on his left arm, chest, back, and right waist—but they weren’t deep, only reaching the flesh. The sound of a bone breaking during the attack last night had been intentionally created by him to lure Li Xuanling and the others into a trap.

On the contrary, Xia Chuan had several deep sword wounds on his chest, visible through the bandages. His breathing was ragged as he walked, and his injuries were clearly more severe than Xia Hong’s.

Xia Chuan didn’t answer. Still worried, he stepped forward to carefully inspect Xia Hong’s wounds. After seeing them, his face filled with rage.

But he immediately suppressed his anger and answered:

“Just now, Yuwen Tao sent Chen Ying to the Hive to inform me that a lot of matters have piled up here and that I was needed to handle them. The main army can only set out after dark. I thought that was too slow, so I came ahead on my own.”

“Good. There are indeed many things to deal with here. It’s perfect that you’ve come!”

Longshan had a total population of over one hundred and thirty thousand. Nearly ten thousand were still locked up in the dungeon, leaving one hundred and twenty thousand scattered throughout the settlement. Keeping an eye on them all with just the ten thousand-plus Earthforger realm warriors led by Hou Jing, Yu Bin, and Dong Zhong was still leading to occasional disturbances.

The riots had to be stopped, the population had to be sorted, the people in the dungeon had to be dealt with, post-war punishments had to be decided, and the subsequent integration and relocation of the population had to be managed…

Xia Hong had little mind to spend on these matters, one by one. It was indeed a job for Xia Chuan, the Director, to handle specifically.

“Understood, Big Brother. I have already notified Yuwen Tao to summon everyone to the great hall for a meeting. I will begin handling things immediately.”

Xia Chuan’s expression was very solemn. Chen Ying had clearly told him a great deal about the situation here on his way from the Hive.

Xia Hong nodded slightly, then glanced toward the back of the great hall.

“How to deal with the Li family members, and how to appease their loyalists—Yuwen Tao should have told you everything. Prioritize these two matters. Don’t let any more chaos erupt in the camp.”

“Yes, Big Brother!”

“Alright, you handle it. I’m going to rest.”

After speaking, Xia Hong waved his hand, indicating for Xia Chuan to take over, and walked directly into the living quarters behind the great hall.

Xia Chuan sat in the seat of honor on the left side of the hall, closed his eyes, and waited.

Soon, Yuwen Tao was the first to enter.

“Greetings, Director. Everyone has been notified and will be here shortly.”

Xia Chuan waved his hand. “Good. Wait with me.”

Seeing that Xia Chuan’s expression was not good, Yuwen Tao thought for a moment and decided not to find a seat, instead standing in the middle of the hall.

Soon, Liu Yuan, Peng Bo, Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, Yue Feng, Chen Ying, and the rest of Great Xia’s fourteen Frostwarden realm experts arrived.

They were followed by Hou Jing, Yu Bin, Dong Zhong, Hou Xing, Zhang Ying, Kong Fan, and Wu Ningyuan—the seven Frostwarden realm experts from the four houses of Zhaoyang, Baiyuan, Xiling, and Dongkang.

Besides these twenty-one Frostwarden realm experts, five others, who were only at the Earthforger limit, also entered, their hearts filled with apprehension.

“Greetings, Director!”

Xia Chuan’s tense expression immediately softened when he saw Li Hu and Yang Zhong. He gently raised his hand, gesturing for the two to rise.

As his gaze shifted to the other three, Yuwen Tao introduced them at the opportune moment:

“Lord Prefect, these three are Yan Donghai, Wang Biao, and Liu Gu. They are the sons of the former leaders of Yucheng, Songyuan, and Changning. We owe much of our success in turning three thousand of Longshan’s Earthforger realm warriors to our side to them.”

Yan Donghai and the other two quickly bowed to Xia Chuan.

“Greetings, Lord Prefect!”

“No need for formalities. Rise.”

Xia Chuan waved for the three to rise, then stood up himself. He walked to the space below the main seat on the high platform, faced the crowd, and spoke in a deep voice:

“I heard that after breaking into Longshan last night, nine riots broke out in the last hour or so before dawn. During the final one, six assassins managed to get close to the Leader, nearly succeeding in their assassination attempt.”

Xia Chuan’s tone was laced with clear anger. The expressions of the nine people who were present last night all changed slightly. Hou Jing, Yu Bin, and Dong Zhong frowned, clearly sensing something was amiss.

“Excluding the ten thousand or so people locked in the dungeon, there are a total of over one hundred and twenty thousand people scattered throughout the Longshan settlement. But most of them are at the Lumberjack realm or are even ordinary people, with a negligible number at the Earthforger realm.

“You had over six hundred soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army and over ten thousand Earthforger realm warriors under your command, yet you couldn’t even keep watch over this small number of people. I would like to ask, are you all truly that stupid and incompetent, or are some of you harboring other intentions?”

Xia Chuan’s voice was flat and low, and he directed his last sentence almost directly at Hou Jing and the other eight.

Liu Yuan and Peng Bo, at the front, had long since lowered their heads in shame.

Hou Jing’s expression was hidden, his head bowed, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Dong Zhong, Yu Bin, and the other six clearly lacked his composure; their chests heaved with anger, and they looked as if they were about to step forward and retort. Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing immediately lowered their heads, not daring to meet Xia Chuan’s eyes.

“Prefect Yuwen, you will take the ten thousand Earthforger realm warriors, break them up, and reorganize them into ten companies of one thousand men. Place them under the command of Yue Feng, Bai Wuting, Ying Yi, Lu He, Zou Yuankai, Chen Ying, Lu Sheng, Tong Xinglong, Li Yuankun, and Xiao Kangcheng. I want this done before nightfall.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

“After nightfall, you ten will lead your companies and herd all one hundred and twenty thousand people in the settlement to the vicinity of the North District Dungeon. Not a single person is to be missed. If anyone causes a disturbance or disobeys, kill them on the spot. You do not need to report to me.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

“Peng Bo, after nightfall, you will take three hundred soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army and drag all the Li family disciples out of the dungeon. Remember to gag them.”

“This subordinate obeys.”

“Liu Yuan, you will take the remaining soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army and bring all the Frostwarden realm experts from the Main Building and their families to the dungeon as well.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

“After nightfall, I will be in the North District to declare that Longshan has changed masters. The Longyou calendar will officially end, and from now on, all of Longyou will use the Great Xia Chronicle. Of course…”

Xia Chuan paused here, his voice suddenly dropping and growing heavy. He continued:

“I will also have all Li family disciples publicly executed!”

Hearing this, the anger that had just risen on the faces of Hou Jing and the other eight who had not been named instantly dissipated. They looked up at the killing intent on Xia Chuan’s face, and a chill ran through their hearts.

Chapter 315: Winning Hearts, Executions, Astonishment, and Submission

“Dare I ask, Lord Director, what are we to do?”

Just as Yuwen Tao and the other Great Xia commanders acknowledged their orders and were about to leave the main hall, Yu Bin from Xiling couldn’t help but speak up, his tone thick with anger.

The ten thousand-plus Earthforger realm experts currently controlling the encampment all belonged to the seven factions: Zhaoyang, Xiling, Baiyuan, Dongkang, Yucheng, Songyuan, and Changning.

Naturally, the Earthforgers from these seven factions were to be led by their own Leaders or high-ranking members.

After Xia Hong had conquered Longshan, the most he had done was to let Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing take command of the forces from Yucheng, Songyuan, and Changning.

But Xia Chuan had only just arrived, and he was already stripping them of all their military authority with such lightning speed. It wasn’t just Yu Bin; the expressions on Hou Jing, Dong Zhong, and Wu Ningyuan’s faces were not pleasant either.

Yu Bin was asking what he should do, but he was actually expressing his dissatisfaction at having his command taken away. Everyone present could hear it. Yuwen Tao and his men, who had been about to exit the hall, immediately stopped and glared at Yu Bin with hostility.

Being stared at by fifteen people at once, Yu Bin instantly felt a twinge of regret.

If the others could understand his intent, it was even more obvious to Xia Chuan.

“Leader Yu, do you still wish to lead troops?”

Xia Chuan didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, he bluntly exposed Yu Bin’s thoughts, asking him if he wanted to continue leading soldiers.

Although Xia Chuan’s tone was calm and held no threat, when Yu Bin looked up and met his exceedingly plain gaze, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly came to his senses and lowered his head.

“This subordinate would not dare!”

When Yu Bin uttered those four words, the expressions of Hou Jing, Dong Zhong, Wu Ningyuan, and the other leaders all dimmed slightly with obvious disappointment.

“It’s good that you wouldn’t dare. You seven have only recently joined us and may not be familiar with our rules. In the Great Xia, all personnel at the Earthforger realm and above are under the unified command of the Hunting Department, one of the Six Departments. The current Prefect of the Hunting Department is the man before you, Yuwen Tao.”

Xia Chuan paused for a moment before continuing, “Therefore, from now on, not only those ten thousand-plus Earthforgers, but also the seven of you, will all follow Prefect Yuwen’s commands. Do you… understand?”

Xia Chuan deliberately stressed the last few words.

The seven men stiffened slightly, then wisely turned around, bowed to Yuwen Tao, and paid their respects in unison:

“This subordinate pays his respects to Prefect Yuwen.”

“No need for formalities. We’re about to reorganize those ten thousand men, and I will be relying on your cooperation. If you please!”

Yuwen Tao was exceptionally shrewd. He immediately understood Xia Chuan’s intention and directly requested the seven of them to cooperate with his reorganization of the Earthforgers.

After this series of suppressive moves from Xia Chuan, the seven leaders naturally dared not object again. They all bowed, nodding repeatedly in a show of complete cooperation.

“Chen Yingba, Wu Tianxing, the two of you are to set out immediately. Go and take inventory of the current population, stored supplies, and various mineral resources at the seven encampments of Zhaoyang, Xiling, Baiyuan, Dongkang, Yucheng, Songyuan, and Changning. Also, inform everyone in those seven encampments to start packing their things in the next two days. By the tenth of the month at the latest, I will dispatch the army to relocate them all to Xiacheng.

If anything goes wrong, I’ll hold you responsible!”

Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing both showed bitter expressions. They had a bad feeling when they heard Xia Chuan suppressing Hou Jing and the others. Now, being assigned such arduous tasks, they were certain that Xia Chuan was blaming them for the assassination attempt on Xia Hong the previous night.

However, both felt guilty and dared not argue. They quickly bowed and nodded, “This subordinate obeys.”

“Alright, night will be falling soon. Go and get to your tasks!”

The crowd bowed and quickly filed out of the great hall.

Xia Chuan turned, bowed toward the high platform behind him, and also walked out.

“So eager to strip Hou Jing and the others of their command. You actually think they’ll obediently serve the Great Xia? In your dreams!”

In a chamber behind the great hall’s high platform, Li Xuanling, wrapped in a fleece blanket, lay half-reclined on a bed. She looked at Xia Hong, who was cultivating beside her, and let out a cold laugh.

Xia Hong sat cross-legged, perfectly still. A bloody aura swirled around him, and the flesh beneath his skin pulsed faintly with his breathing, as if he hadn’t heard her at all.

“All the encampments in Longyou are run much like my Longshan, ruled by one or two powerful families. You were only able to turn those seven factions against me because of their hatred for Longshan. If you want all their people to truly integrate into the Great Xia, you can’t treat Hou Jing like this…”

“Save your breath. I will not spare the Li family!”

Interrupted, Li Xuanling’s expression stiffened. She first clenched her fists under the blanket, then her eyes reddened and her voice suddenly softened. “Since you’ve already decided on a marriage alliance with me, why must you still kill them? Surely you don’t want a wife sleeping beside you who wants to kill you at every moment, do you?”

Huu…

Xia Hong took a deep breath, and the bloody aura around him instantly flowed back into his body through his pores. He then turned to look at Li Xuanling and suddenly laughed.

“So, you can be soft after all?”

On a whim, he pinched her chin and sneered, “Your biggest flaw is your arrogance. You mistake straw for treasure. You see nothing but what you consider precious!

Did I ever say I wanted Hou Jing and his ilk to obediently serve me?

Zhaoyang, Xiling, Baiyuan, Dongkang—those four factions have a combined population of one hundred and ten thousand. I have always sought to win over the majority, not your so-called upper echelon. If they were truly capable of uniting their people, they wouldn’t have ended up being swallowed by my Great Xia, just like your Longshan.

You greatly overestimate your so-called upper echelon.

This is a note Meng Tian just passed to me. Take a look!”

Xia Hong suddenly pulled an animal hide scroll from his chest and tossed it onto the bed.

Meng Tian?

Hearing the name, Li Xuanling was first taken aback. Then she picked up the scroll. After reading its contents, her face turned ashen.

The scroll recorded every conversation Meng Ying, Jiang Ping, and Sun Yan had after returning to their cells, including their plans to collude with others to force the Great Xia to spare the four siblings. Everything was noted in meticulous detail.

“You even bought Meng Tian?”

“Is there a need to buy him?”

A cold smile tugged at Xia Hong’s lips. He said disdainfully, “Ever since Longshan was conquered last night, Longshan people have been continuously pledging their loyalty to the Great Xia. Meng Tian is just one of them. There are at least three or four hundred other high-ranking individuals from other families like him, and countless commoners below.”

Li Xuanling was clearly in deep shock, her expression already vacant.

Meng Tian’s identity was simply too unique.

His father, Meng Ying, was one of Longshan’s Eight Great Guardians, his loyalty to the Li family unquestionable. Yet Meng Tian, a scion of Longshan’s absolute upper echelon, had turned to the Great Xia so quickly. It was a clear testament to how unpopular the Li family had become.

And there were three or four hundred more high-ranking scions like Meng Tian.

“Guess if anyone from your own Li family has pledged loyalty to my Great Xia to save their own skin?”

Xia Hong continued to shatter Li Xuanling’s spirit, not waiting for her reply. “Even a core member of the upper echelon like Meng Tian has no loyalty to your Li family, to say nothing of the commoners below.

Your so-called rule by the elite is already riddled with holes!

Just as with the one hundred and thirty thousand people of your Longshan, their integration into the Great Xia is not for the Li family to decide. Likewise, the fate of the one hundred and ten thousand people from the seven factions is not something Hou Jing and those other Frostwarden realm experts can determine.

The resource allocation model of the Longyou encampments has long sealed their fate. I only need to sow a little division, and a great number of people will flock to the Great Xia. The reason is very simple…”

For the common person, Longyou was too unfair. All the encampments followed the same rules as Longshan in resource distribution—all resources were unconditionally funneled to the single core family, or a handful of families.

From his initial observation of the Hive’s meritocratic system to his deepening understanding of Longyou, Xia Hong had already seen this point.

The Chen family of the Hive, the Hou family of Zhaoyang, the Li family of Longshan, the Wu family of Wushuang, the Han family of Hanqiong… The twelve factions of Longyou were less like twelve giant encampments and more like twelve great families, each controlling a large population and ruling their own domain.

“You twelve families are like parasites, latching onto the four hundred thousand people of Longyou and constantly sucking their blood. While you enjoy their provisions, you maintain your own supreme status. Without external intervention, the people below are powerless to resist, so of course you can continue your little game.

But once a powerful external force intervenes, you twelve families will immediately face a backlash and be attacked by the masses. The fate of the Li family tonight is a perfect example!”

After saying this, Xia Hong paused, then continued with a cold smile, “If Hou Jing and those other leaders are smart, they’ll know that keeping their heads down is the best way to survive. If they dare to harbor any improper thoughts, the fate of the Li family tonight will be their tomorrow.”

Hearing these words and realizing that the Li family disciples could not escape death, Li Xuanling raised her head and stared at Xia Hong, making no effort to hide the burning hatred in her eyes.

However, Xia Hong’s face was full of indifference as he continued to sneer:

“Whether you want to kill me at every moment, I couldn’t care less. What’s most important is whether you have the ability to kill me. Before you have that ability, you’d best behave yourself. Don’t ask for trouble!”

Pa… pa… pa…

As Li Xuanling’s expression grew more shamed and indignant, the sounds coming from her throat also became increasingly strange.

………………

On the seventh day of the seventh month of the second year of the Great Xia, night fell as scheduled.

After Xia Chuan’s admonishment, the attitude of Hou Jing and the other seven leaders had clearly changed significantly. This was evident from the fact that it took Yuwen Tao less than an hour to reorganize the ten thousand-plus Earthforgers.

Once the reorganization was complete, Yue Feng and his ten captains immediately took their thousand-man companies and began herding everyone scattered across the encampment toward the North District Dungeon.

Mobilizing one hundred and twenty thousand people was a massive undertaking for any task and naturally did not go smoothly. However, with Xia Chuan’s orders, Yuwen Tao, Yue Feng, and the others were not so polite.

“Listen up, I will say this only once! Anyone who fails to assemble outside the North District Dungeon within half an hour will be charged with insubordination against the Director and sentenced to three years of corvée labor!”

As Yuwen Tao had Yue Feng and the others relay the order, the entire encampment instantly burst into activity. A great, dark mass of people poured out of their homes and headed toward the dungeon in the North District.

“What are they planning to do?”

“I don’t know. Gather at the North District Dungeon? Are they going to lock us up?”

“How is that possible? There are over a hundred thousand of us. They couldn’t lock us all up even if they tried.”

“Longshan has a new master. Why else would they summon us to the dungeon at a time like this? It must be to deal with the Li family and those Earthforgers in the cells!”

“My father is locked in the dungeon right now! Are the Great Xia going to kill him?”

“I doubt it. There are over seven thousand Earthforgers locked up in there. The Great Xia wouldn’t dare kill them all.”

“Look over there, at the Main Building. The people locked up in there are coming too.”

“Those look like the families of Lord Meng Ying, Lord Jiang Ping, and the others. Didn’t they surrender to the Great Xia? Why are they being brought to the dungeon as well?”

“I don’t know. Let’s hurry. They’re pushing us from behind.”

……………………

It took over two hours for the more than one hundred and twenty thousand people to arrive at the North District.

The space outside the North District Dungeon was not originally large, and it would have been impossible to accommodate one hundred and twenty thousand people.

Fortunately, Xia Chuan had specifically ordered people to demolish all the surrounding buildings, clearing out a massive, thousand-meter-square plaza. Then, he had Yuwen Tao’s ten thousand-man companies maintain order while dividing the crowd into ten sections. Only then did everyone manage to gather successfully.

Everyone was facing the direction of the dungeon. Near the dungeon entrance, a temporary wooden platform, five meters high, had been erected, obviously to ensure that everyone could see.

With over a hundred thousand people gathered in one place, even a collective cough would have been deafening. The entire plaza was a cacophony of chatter, utterly devoid of order.

On the high platform, Yuwen Tao frowned at the noise below. He cupped his fist to Xia Chuan, who was beside him, and said, “Director, everyone has arrived. Should we have them be silent?”

Hearing Yuwen Tao’s words, Xia Chuan shook his head and simply nodded at Peng Bo next to him.

Peng Bo cupped his fist in understanding and walked to the back of the platform.

“Mmph… Mmph…”

“Mmph…”

………………

Soon, from behind the high platform, Cloud Serpent Army soldiers in pale golden armor emerged one by one. Each soldier was escorting a prisoner. Without exception, the prisoners had their clavicles pierced with iron hooks and their mouths stuffed with wood chips, rendering them unable to speak, only able to make muffled sounds.

“Is that… Lord Xuan Ping from the Council?”

“And his son is there too.”

“Lord Xuanqiu is there as well.”

“They’re all members of the Li clan!”

“Not just them. Lord Xuanqiu’s husband, Lord Yang Fengping, is also there.”

“Their son, Yang Gan, is in the first row.”

“It’s all the Li family’s core clan and their maternal relatives!”

……………

The first batch brought out consisted of twenty-nine people. Aside from Li Xuanping and the twenty-six others who had tried to storm the first floor last night, two others had been seriously injured during the attack on the Hive. Every single one of them was a Frostwarden realm expert, their identities being either a core member of the Li clan or a relative of the ruling clan from the maternal side.

The identities of the prisoners on the high platform were quickly passed through the crowd by word of mouth.

To everyone below, these twenty-nine Frostwarden experts were great figures who were usually far beyond their reach. To see them being forced to their knees on the high platform by Great Xia soldiers, kneeling before them all—one could only imagine the immense shock these people were experiencing.

Every single person stared, wide-eyed, at the high platform.

The noise in the plaza began to diminish with incredible speed.

As Yue Feng and the ten other Great Xia Frostwardens walked up behind the prisoners and raised their executioner’s blades, the expressions of everyone below turned to disbelief.

This can’t be happening, can it?

Slice…

Thud…

With a faint wave from Xia Chuan, Yue Feng and the other nine simultaneously swung their blades. The heads of the ten prisoners in the first row, including Li Xuanping, immediately fell to the ground.

The sound of the blades and the sound of heads rolling on the platform were almost simultaneous.

The last vestiges of noise in the plaza vanished completely with the rolling of ten heads. The crowd’s already wide eyes were now filled with astonishment, horror, and disbelief.

And, of course, a sliver of joy hidden deep within their gazes!

Slice…

Slice…

Yue Feng and his men went through two more rounds. After all twenty-nine people on the platform had been beheaded, dozens of Golden Armored Soldiers rushed out to collect the bodies.

Once the platform was cleared, Xia Chuan waved his hand again.

Mmph… mmph…

Another batch of people was escorted up by the Golden Armored Soldiers. This time there were over a hundred prisoners, nearly filling the entire platform. The executioners were now the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers who had brought them up.

Slice…

The Cloud Serpent Army soldiers’ blades rose and fell, and heads immediately rolled across the platform.

Xia Chuan still did not speak, merely continuing to wave his hand amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.

This cycle repeated six times.

Only after at least seven or eight hundred people had been killed on the platform did Xia Chuan finally stop waving his hand.

Plip… plop…

The amount of blood that gushed from a decapitated body was already incredible. With nearly eight hundred people killed in succession, the entire platform was virtually stained red with blood. A considerable amount of it was even dripping down from the platform’s eaves.

This scene of a river of blood made even the executing Cloud Serpent Army soldiers and the Frostwarden experts on the platform—including Yuwen Tao, Yue Feng, and Hou Jing—look somewhat uncomfortable.

To say nothing of the hundred thousand-plus people below. They had long been scared into silence, not even daring to move. Some whimpering infants were being held by their parents, their mouths tightly covered, lest they make a sound.

“Everyone!”

Xia Chuan slowly walked to the front of the platform. He gathered his energy in his throat, and at the moment when the plaza was at its quietest, his voice instantly reached everyone’s ears.

“The Li family of Longshan has exploited the masses, oppressed the good, and enslaved the four hundred thousand people of Longyou for decades, earning the wrath of the people and the condemnation of heaven! Now that my Leader, Xia Hong, has taken control of Longshan, how could he tolerate such a thing?”

For his final rhetorical question, Xia Chuan pointed at the last batch of uncollected corpses on the platform and roared with anger.

Nearly seventy percent of the people in the plaza flinched in fright.

“A total of 788 people have just been executed. Among them, 438 were those who resisted most fiercely during last night’s city defense. The rest were all members of the Li clan…”

The Cloud Serpent Army’s casualties during last night’s siege were actually low. Most of the casualties had been among the Earthforgers from the four Zhaoyang factions and the three Yucheng factions. These so-called 438 who resisted most fiercely had each taken at least two lives.

Xia Chuan executed this group to appease the ten thousand-plus Earthforgers from the seven factions. As soon as he made the announcement, the expressions of the Earthforgers maintaining order in the plaza clearly showed a sense of relief.

“The Li family’s core clan and maternal relatives totaled 372 people. According to their crimes of disobeying the Leader and resisting the Great Xia’s army, they should all have been executed. However, my Leader is benevolent and not a bloodthirsty man. He said that not everyone in the Li family is wicked, and therefore pardoned a portion of the Li family’s maternal relatives, as well as…”

Xia Chuan paused here before continuing:

“Li Tiancheng, Li Xuanling, Li Xuanyan, and Li Xuandu.”

Hwaaa…

As soon as these four names were read out, the crowd below erupted in an uproar.

It was clear that the Great Xia’s decision to pardon these four had caught everyone by surprise.

They had killed over three hundred, nearly wiping out the entire Li clan, yet they hadn’t killed these four most crucial members. Most people found it very difficult to understand.

But within the crowd, some people showed expressions of pleasant surprise.

Meng Ying was one of them. Not just him, but also Sun Yan, Jiang Ping, and the seriously injured Yue Qian, Song Kang, and Cheng Guang… This group accounted for more than a quarter of the crowd, at least thirty thousand people.

“Although Li Tiancheng, Li Xuanyan, and Li Xuandu were core culprits of the Li family, they were able to realize their errors and return to the right path, leading their followers to surrender in a timely manner and reducing a great number of unnecessary casualties. Therefore, the Leader has decided to show leniency. However, while the death penalty may be waived, their crimes will not go unpunished.

Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu are to leave Longshan within five days and are forbidden from setting foot in Longyou for ten years.

In consideration of Li Tiancheng’s advanced age and meritorious surrender, the Leader permits him to remain in the Great Xia to live out his remaining years in peace.”

Hearing the judgment for these three, Meng Ying and the others nodded slightly, but then they, along with everyone else, looked up at Xia Chuan with curiosity.

There was still one person left unspoken for—Li Xuanling!

Xia Chuan knew what everyone was waiting for. After a pause, he continued:

“The former Leader of Longshan, Li Xuanling, although a member of the Li family, understands the greater good. Not only did she surrender voluntarily, but she also assisted the Leader in successfully capturing Li Xuanping and the other Li family Frostwarden experts. For her great service to the Great Xia, the Leader has already granted her a reward.”

………………

The entire crowd was instantly stunned. Meng Ying, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, and the other eight Frostwardens who had almost followed Li Xuanling to assassinate Xia Hong in the Main Building last night were also completely bewildered.

The others didn’t know what Li Xuanling had done, but the eleven of them knew everything. Why would Xia Chuan say such a thing?

Their confusion was quickly resolved by Xia Chuan’s next words.

“Oh, and for the people of Longshan to better and more quickly integrate into the Great Xia, the Leader has decided that after returning to Xiacheng, he will choose an auspicious day to marry Li Xuanling.”

Hwaaa…

“So it’s a marriage alliance!”

“The two Leaders are getting married? Doesn’t that mean we’re still people of Longshan?”

“So that’s how it is, I knew it…”

…………

The entire crowd instantly erupted.

The previously somber atmosphere was immediately relieved.

As for Meng Ying and the other ten, after a series of emotional fluctuations, their expressions gradually returned to calm. They first looked up at Xia Chuan on the stage, then turned to look in the direction of the Main Building, a look of admiration appearing on their faces simultaneously.

“So that’s how it is. This Leader Xia’s methods are truly astonishing…”

“I’m afraid there’s no better way to handle this!”

“Longshan truly didn’t lose without reason this time…”

“I submit. I am truly and utterly convinced!”

Chapter 316: Migration Preparations, Population Boom, and Placement of the Frostwarden Experts

The moment Xia Chuan announced before more than one hundred thousand people that Li Xuanling was to marry Xia Hong, the Li family’s die-hard loyalists lost any legitimate basis for a restoration.

With that, the hundred thousand-plus people of Longshan no longer had any psychological barriers to integrating into Great Xia.

Naturally, having gone to such lengths to gather one hundred and twenty thousand people in one place, Xia Chuan would not let them disperse so easily. The execution of those seven hundred-odd people was a display of deterrence, while the announcement of Xia Hong and Li Xuanling’s marriage was a form of appeasement. These were merely the two most important matters of the night.

Over ten thousand people were still locked in the dungeons. Among them, more than seven thousand were Earthforger realm experts who had formed the Longshan garrison force during Xia Hong’s assault on the city the night before. The roughly four hundred with the most severe crimes had just been executed. Although the crimes of the remainder were lighter, they had all fought directly against the Great Xia army, so the rules for prisoners of war applied to them.

Xia Chuan’s punishment for this group was deliberately lenient. The heaviest sentence was only five years of corvée labor, while the lightest was a mere six months—and the latter applied to over ninety percent of them.

Following this was the abolition of the Longyou Calendar, the announcement of the population migration plan, and the resettlement arrangements after reaching Xiacheng. This included a detailed explanation of Great Xia’s current contribution point system, the mechanism of the Six Departments, and all manner of benefits, which Xia Chuan recounted in full detail.

This migration was unlike any before. Longshan alone had a population of nearly one hundred and thirty thousand. Including the people from Zhaoyang, Baiyuan, Xiling, and Dongkang, the total was estimated to exceed two hundred and sixty thousand, more than twice the current population of Great Xia. It was an absolutely massive and complex undertaking.

Furthermore, these people already had their own homes in their original settlements, and a small portion even had private property. Convincing them to leave their homeland and move to Great Xia would naturally require a great deal of persuasion.

As expected, upon hearing of the relocation, everyone showed strong resistance.

But when they heard about Great Xia’s contribution point system and the exchange prices for various resources from the Logistics Department—especially cultivation resources like beast meat, Beast Blood, and pills—their expressions first turned to shock, then to suspicion.

When they heard Xia Chuan’s description of the magnificent city of Xiacheng, they began to waver. The bolder ones asked questions directly, and after receiving Xia Chuan’s personal assurances, some began to soften their stance.

“Lord Prefect, can ordinary people like us really exchange for beast meat, Beast Blood, and cultivation pills after we go to Great Xia?”

“Of course. As long as you have contribution points, anyone can make an exchange.”

“Lord Prefect, is it true that any supplies we get from the Logistics Department will belong to us, to do with as we please?”

“It’s true. Even if you throw them away, no one will care!”

“Lord Prefect, can we really build our own houses?”

“Everyone can. When you first arrive in Great Xia, you will live together in temporary wooden houses we’ve prepared. But as long as you work hard at logging and hunting, you can purchase land from the Logistics Department and build a house. Once it’s built, it becomes your private property, which you can pass down to your children and grandchildren for generations. No one can ever take it away.”

“Lord Prefect, will Great Xia really give everyone who hasn’t broken through to the Lumberjack realm a daily ration of one to two catties of beast meat?”

“Of course! And children under six will receive five catties a month.”

…

As Xia Chuan patiently answered every question thrown at him, the expressions of the crowd in the square visibly softened, and their resistance to the migration lessened.

The night was long, and Xia Chuan continued to address the people’s concerns, never once showing a hint of impatience. When the crowd fell silent, he would take the opportunity to describe the wonders of Great Xia: its clothing, fruits and vegetables, fine wine, refined salt, pills, the Weaponry Workshop, the Alchemy Workshop, the Martial Arts Academy…

Hearing of these unprecedented and curious things, not only the common people, the Lumberjack realm, or the Earthforger realm experts, but even the Frostwarden realm experts like Meng Ying in the crowd could not help but widen their eyes, their faces filled with curiosity.

…

People strive for better things, just as water flows downward.

The willingness to migrate ultimately depended on whether their living conditions would improve. This was beyond doubt.

Xia Chuan’s confidence in gathering over a hundred thousand people to openly and transparently explain Great Xia’s situation stemmed from its superior living conditions and fair system of resource distribution.

The concept of private property alone was enough to attract everyone in Longyou.

Despite Longshan’s apparent prosperity, the idea of private property was limited to the Frostwarden realm class and a small number of people associated with them.

The vast majority of Longshan’s common people still relied on the camp’s centralized distribution for food, clothing, and shelter. The moment they heard they could own their own homes, their faces clearly showed they were moved.

Everything that followed unfolded largely as Xia Chuan had anticipated.

Nearly eighty percent of the people agreed to move to Great Xia. The remaining dissenters were drowned out by the overwhelming tide of the crowd.

With one hour left until dawn, Xia Chuan finally brought the discussion to a close and signaled for Yue Feng and his team of ten to lead the people away from the square in an orderly fashion.

Meng Ying and the others, along with their families, had been escorted to the square by Liu Yuan and over three hundred Cloud Serpent soldiers. Therefore, when leaving, they had to return to the Main Building with Liu Yuan’s group.

Great Xia had not yet lifted the restrictions on them, so they were still confined to the Main Building and could not move about freely.

On the way back to the Main Building, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, and the other eight Frostwarden realm experts looked deeply unsettled and couldn’t help but discuss matters in low voices.

“It seems this integration will happen much faster than we anticipated.”

“If it’s truly as this Xia Chuan says, then the benefits in Great Xia are too good to be true. Everyone gets a share of beast meat, and even Beast Blood and beast bones can be exchanged. And cultivation pills from the Lumberjack realm to the Frostwarden realm can all be freely exchanged without any restrictions. How can the Xia family possibly maintain control over the camp?”

“There is no Xia family. I’ve already asked around. Besides his younger brother Xia Chuan, Leader Xia has no other blood relatives.”

“Don’t you all think that the current situation in the Great Xia camp is very similar to Longshan in its early days, when it was led by the Old Leader?”

…

Hearing Meng Ying’s words, everyone was startled for a moment. Then, a complex expression appeared on their faces as they nodded in unison.

Among the eleven of them, the youngest, Gongsun Fu, was already forty-seven. They had all fought alongside the Old Leader, Li Tianhua, so they all knew the history.

In its early years, when the Longshan camp was first establishing itself in Longyou, there was no Li family to speak of. Much like Great Xia today, there were only the brothers Li Tianhua and Li Tiancheng. Everyone rallied around them, gradually absorbing and annexing surrounding camps, expanding their population, and growing stronger, step by step, until they claimed the throne of Longyou’s hegemon.

Back then, who could have imagined that Longshan, too, would one day be annexed?

At this thought, the old guard of Longshan looked desolate and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Sooner or later, Xia Hong and Xia Chuan will also build a Xia family. The dominance of a single family is ultimately unavoidable. The upper echelons will also decay with the passage of time. Perhaps all camps are fated to follow Longshan’s old path!”

“That’s right. Longshan today, Great Xia tomorrow. It is likely a cycle…”

“Great Xia will never become another Longshan!”

Meng Ying had not even finished speaking when a sharp voice cut him off.

“Greetings, Lord Prefect!”

Before they could turn around, Liu Yuan and the three hundred-plus Cloud Serpent soldiers had already bowed in salute to the person behind them.

Meng Ying and the others froze. They turned to see Xia Chuan approaching from behind and realized he had overheard their conversation. Their expressions immediately grew anxious.

“We were just talking nonsense just now. We hope the Lord Prefect will forgive us!”

“Lord Prefect, please forgive us!”

…

Dressed in a white brocade robe woven from Snow Bamboo Silk, Xia Chuan carried no weapon, only a pendant of beast bones hanging from his waist. He walked before them with a warm smile and gestured for them to rise.

“There’s no need to be so nervous, everyone. Please, rise!”

Just moments ago on the high platform, Xia Chuan had seemed exceptionally cold-blooded and ruthless, bringing about a river of blood with a wave of his hand. Now, up close, he projected an affable and gentle demeanor. This stark contrast made Meng Ying and the others even more uneasy.

“You have all just joined Great Xia and are not very familiar with my brother. It’s hardly surprising that you would lament ‘Longshan today, Great Xia tomorrow.’ In the future, after you have spent more time in Great Xia, you will naturally understand…”

Xia Chuan paused for a moment, his expression turning solemn as he continued, “My leader, Xia Hong, is a man of broad vision who employs people without regard for their background. He judges talent not by status but by substance, and he often finds worthy individuals among the humble. The fact that the Great Xia camp could grow from a mere hundred people to a population of hundreds of thousands in just three short years is proof of this!

“Great Xia is not, and never will be, the private property of the Xia family. Nor will there ever be a distinction between the Xia family and outsiders, as there was in Longshan. Before entering Longyou, Great Xia had a total of thirty-seven Frostwarden realm experts from nearly thirty different surnames. It is fair to say that the camp is what it is today because of these outsiders. Why, then, would we cut off our own arms by creating divisions between us?”

Meng Ying and the others had yet to react to these words, but Liu Yuan, Yue Feng, and the other Great Xia men around them, including the three hundred-plus Cloud Serpent soldiers, were the first to show visible emotion, their expressions filled with excitement.

Xia Chuan’s words alone might not have been persuasive, but combined with the reactions of hundreds of Great Xia men like Liu Yuan and Yue Feng, the effect was completely different.

Meng Ying and the others looked away from Liu Yuan’s group, exchanged glances among themselves, and then bowed in unison, offering Xia Chuan a solemn salute.

“The generals of a defeated army are shamed to speak of allegiance, but an enlightened lord accepts surrender with virtue. From now on, we are willing to serve the Leader, Great Xia, and the Lord Prefect with the loyalty of a dog or horse!”

Meng Ying and the others were no fools. From the reactions of all the Great Xia people over the past day, they could discern the order of importance of Great Xia, Xia Hong, and Xia Chuan in their hearts. That was why they deliberately placed Xia Hong first, followed by Great Xia and Xia Chuan.

Sure enough, upon hearing their pledge, not only Xia Chuan but also Liu Yuan, Yue Feng, and the other Frostwarden realm experts by his side all broke into smiles.

“Excellent. By the way, I must inform you that at dawn, all Frostwarden realm experts in the camp are to meet the Leader in the main hall. Please do not forget.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

With that, Xia Chuan waved his hand and led Liu Yuan and the Cloud Serpent soldiers into the main hall first.

Watching Xia Chuan leave with the Cloud Serpent Army, Meng Ying and the others were first stunned, then realized they were free. A wave of excitement washed over them.

…

In Xia Chuan’s view, securing the surrender of these eleven men was crucial.

Longshan had a total of fifty-six Frostwarden realm experts. Twenty-nine had just been executed on the high platform, one was killed by Xia Hong during the assault last night, and later, he had also killed Li Xuantian, who was controlled by the White Dew Aberration. Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu were both to be exiled from Longyou. Factoring out Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng, only twenty-one remained.

Of those twenty-one, ten—Yue Qian, Cheng Guang, Song Kang, and seven others—were severely injured. Meng Ying’s group of eleven represented all of Longshan’s remaining healthy Frostwarden realm experts.

With their help, the difficulty of the population migration would be significantly reduced. This was why Xia Chuan had deliberately caught up with them to say what he did.

Of course, winning over these eleven was also part of his mission.

…

Year 2 of Great Xia, the 8th day of the 7th month.

Creak… Creak…

A chill even more biting than the night’s gradually swept over the land. A violent, frosty wind slammed into the mountains to the west and battered all the wooden houses in the Longshan settlement, producing a series of creaking groans.

“Is it dawn? Why do I feel like it’s not as cold as it used to be?”

“You’re only noticing now? The temperature last night wasn’t as low as usual either.”

“Didn’t you notice? Among the people who gathered in the square last night, there were many young children, even babies. Would they have been able to endure it normally?”

“What do you mean? Are you saying the temperature rose a while ago?”

“The temperature rose on the evening of the 26th. I think it was after that last wave of chaos in the camp. The temperature shot up a lot. I felt it a while ago.”

“I heard the new Leader has a treasure that can warm the settlement.”

“The Lord Prefect mentioned it last night. It’s called the Sacred Cauldron of Great Xia!”

“That’s right! The night before last, I saw that Sacred Cauldron near the dungeons. It took ten people to carry it in.”

“What 26th? The Longyou Calendar has been abolished. The night before last should have been the 6th day of the 7th month of Year 2 of Great Xia.”

“Right, right, hehe, I forgot. Today should be the 8th.”

…

Longshan had no shortage of coal, so those staying inside the settlement were not particularly sensitive to the temperature changes. Compounded by the recent change in leadership, everyone had been feeling very anxious and had failed to notice that the temperature had risen significantly.

After the grand assembly last night, everyone’s mood had relaxed considerably. As day broke, they immediately noticed that the current temperature in the settlement was much higher than usual.

Coincidentally, Xia Chuan had told them about the Sacred Cauldron during the assembly, so everyone instantly put two and two together. Amid their curiosity, a new wave of heated discussion about the Sacred Cauldron began.

Setting aside this wave of discussion for now, the main hall of Longshan’s Main Building was indeed becoming lively after dawn.

From the moment the sun rose, people had been continuously entering the main hall. Some came directly from outside, while others came up from the stairs.

Upon entering, they saw that the main seat at the head of the hall was empty. They first saluted Xia Chuan, who was standing at the forefront on the left, before slowly taking their places in the center of the hall.

Their positions were arranged with an unspoken understanding.

Great Xia’s thirteen Frostwarden realm experts, including Yuwen Tao, Yue Feng, Liu Yuan, Peng Bo, and Chen Ying, stood at the very front. Behind them were the seven Frostwarden realm experts from the four families of Hou Jing, Yu Bin, and Dong Zhong. Next came the eleven recently arrived Longshan Frostwarden realm experts, including Meng Ying, Sun Yan, and Jiang Ping. The five people in the last row were Li Hu, Yang Zhong, Yan Donghai, Wang Biao, and Liu Gu.

It was clear that the five in the last row looked somewhat anxious.

This was especially true for Li Hu and Yang Zhong. Since they had arrived early, Meng Ying and his group of eleven had deliberately let their gazes linger on them as they entered the hall.

Yan Donghai and the other two were likely just unaccustomed to seeing so many Frostwarden realm experts, and combined with their own lower cultivation levels, they were understandably nervous.

“Is everyone here?”

A voice suddenly came from the head of the hall. The waiting crowd quickly looked up to see Xia Hong slowly walking out from the back.

“Greetings, Leader!”

Xia Chuan did not answer the question but was the first to bow and salute.

“Greetings, Leader!”

Seeing this, the others quickly followed suit, bowing to the figure at the head of the hall.

“No need for formalities. Rise!”

After rising with the others, Xia Chuan answered, “Reporting to the Leader, Longshan currently has a total of forty-one Frostwarden realm experts. Yue Qian, Song Kang, Cheng Guang, Xu Shicheng, Zhang Jiuling, Yuan Shan, Yuan Ning, Lu Yushan, Wang Tao, and Liu Chang are all severely injured and unable to move. Besides these ten, the remaining thirty-one are all present.”

Having spent two days with Li Xuanling, Xia Hong had a basic impression of Longshan’s Frostwarden realm experts and recognized all ten names Xia Chuan had mentioned.

Yue Qian, Song Kang, and Cheng Guang had been injured during their assassination attempt on him last night.

Xu Shicheng, Zhang Jiuling, and Yuan Shan were the three Frostwarden realm experts he had severely injured while attacking the city the night before last. Yuan Ning, Lu Yushan, Wang Tao, and Liu Chang were the four who had been seriously wounded in the assault on the Hive.

Longshan had originally had six members seriously injured at the Hive, but two of them had been true-born disciples of the Li family and were executed last night.

Xia Hong’s gaze swept over the thirty-one people present, focusing on Meng Ying, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, and the others in the third row. Then he continued his inquiry.

“There should be more Frostwarden realm experts in Longyou than just these. You’ve done a count, haven’t you?”

Of course, there were more!

This time, all the settlements in Longyou had been annexed by Great Xia. Apart from Hou Jing of Zhaoyang, who had brought all three of his settlement’s Frostwarden realm experts, Xiling and Dongkang had each only sent their two leaders, Yu Bin and Dong Zhong.

Xia Chuan had clearly already done the math and immediately replied, “Yu Cheng and Long Mu from Xiling; Dong Si and Ying Wuji from Dongkang. Adding Chen Yingba and Wu Tianxing, who went to notify Zhaoyang’s seven outposts to prepare for the move, that makes a total of six more.”

Forty-one plus six is forty-seven.

“The Frostwarden realm experts from the Hive have all returned to Great Xia to recuperate, I assume?”

Hearing this question, Xia Chuan immediately understood what Xia Hong wanted to know. He paused for only a moment before quickly replying, “Reporting to the Leader, there are a total of 34 new Frostwarden realm experts from Longyou. Xiacheng currently has 41. The total number of Frostwarden realm experts in Great Xia should now be 75.”

Xia Chuan really did understand him!

Upon hearing this number, Xia Hong’s eyes immediately lit up.

He remembered that when he led the army to Longyou at the end of June, Great Xia had a total of 37 Frostwarden realm experts. Three had died in the battle at the Hive, which should have left 34. But Xia Chuan was now reporting 41, which meant that in the time since, another 7 people had broken through to the Frostwarden realm.

Seventy-five people!

This was far more than the number of Frostwarden realm experts Longshan had even at its peak.

And that wasn’t all. Since Great Xia began its campaign in Longyou in April, they had captured quite a few Frostwarden realm experts as prisoners.

Xia Chuan was clearly aware of this and quickly continued, “In the battle at the Hive in April, we captured Hou Ming, Hou Ying, Hou Bing, and Lin Ye.

“In the battle at Long White Gully, we captured Zhou Yuan, Li Yuanqing, and Cheng He.

“In the battle at Ningyuan Hill, we captured Hou Ming and Wang Lie.

“Adding the four that the Leader personally captured—Hou Tong, Hou Quan, Zhang Qingyuan, and Lu Yin—the total number of Frostwarden realm prisoners currently held in Xiacheng is 13.”

With Hou Hu’s escape and Longshan’s submission, all of Longyou was now unified. It was almost certain that these thirteen prisoners would eventually join Great Xia.

No, wait, the one from the Li family probably wouldn’t.

Excluding him, Great Xia would still have a total of eighty-seven Frostwarden realm experts!

Never mind Great Xia three years ago when it was cooped up on a small hill; even the people back in Xiacheng right now would probably never imagine that the camp’s number of Frostwarden realm experts had grown so large without them even realizing.

Xia Hong didn’t know what the others were thinking, but after arriving at the number 87 in their minds, he, Xia Chuan, Liu Yuan, and all the other members of Great Xia looked visibly more invigorated.

In fact, Hou Jing, Meng Ying, and the others from the Zhaoyang and Longshan groups now wore looks of deep shock. The psychological impact of the number 87 was clearly not a light one.

As for the five in the back row, Li Hu and Yang Zhong, their astonishment was even greater.

“You should have also compiled the population figures for the migration. Tell us your plan for a smooth relocation to Xiacheng as well.”

Xia Hong temporarily suppressed his excitement and began to inquire about the migration.

Xia Chuan nodded, stepped forward, and said, “The population to be relocated mainly comes from five major powers: Longshan, Zhaoyang, Baiyuan, Xiling, and Dongkang. I’ve only done a preliminary count, but the total population is estimated to be over two hundred and sixty thousand. Among them, there are more than twenty-seven thousand Earthforger realm experts and over seventy thousand Lumberjack realm experts.

“The population is too large, and migrating through normal means would be too slow. I propose that we have Mu Dong bring a team of artisans to Longyou. With the people from the five settlements, they will simultaneously construct five direct roads to Wushuang. Once the roads are complete, we can quickly move all five populations to Xiacheng.

“With the abundant manpower now available in Longyou, I estimate the construction will take a month and a half at most to complete all five roads. With these roads, the subsequent migration can be finished in half a month at most.”

Wushuang was located right in the center of Longyou, closest to the five settlements, and it already had a direct road connecting it to the Hive. Therefore, once the people from the five settlements reached Wushuang, they could travel all the way to Xiacheng on direct roads.

Xia Chuan’s method was clearly far more time and labor-efficient.

If they were to send escorts for batch after batch, it would likely take half a year to move all two hundred and sixty thousand people.

“Alright, we’ll do as you say. Send someone to notify Mu Dong. Today is the 8th of July. Can you finish before October? Any problems?”

Xia Chuan immediately nodded and replied, “Absolutely no problem. The Leader can rest assured!”

Xia Hong nodded, then looked around at the crowd below, his gaze finally settling on Hou Jing, Meng Ying, and the others. He smiled, “Normally, with so many reputable Frostwarden realm experts joining Great Xia, I should establish a new department in addition to the existing Six Departments, specifically to place all of you…”

The eighteen newly joined Frostwarden realm experts realized that what Xia Hong was about to say concerned their future status in Great Xia, and they immediately perked up.

Last night in the northern district plaza, Xia Chuan had explained Great Xia’s current systems and the regulations of the Six Departments. They had all been present, so they understood what Xia Hong was saying.

The Hunting, Logistics, Felling, Artisan, Garrison, and Civil Affairs Departments of Great Xia all currently had leaders, all of whom were Frostwarden realm experts. As prominent figures themselves, they couldn’t just be casually placed in a department to work under someone, could they?

Therefore, establishing a high-level department outside the Six Departments, similar to Longshan’s Council, to accommodate them seemed perfectly reasonable.

But Xia Hong’s words clearly had a ‘but’ coming.

No one dared to interrupt, so they continued to listen.

“However, in Great Xia, there is no precedent for attaining a high position immediately upon arrival.

“And your situations are all different!

“The seven of you, including Hou Jing, Yu Bin, and Dong Zhong, led a force of over seven thousand Earthforger realm experts from four families to assist Great Xia in conquering Longshan. This is indeed a merit.

“But the twenty-one of you from Longshan, including Meng Ying and Sun Yan, while your later surrender was meritorious, it only cancels out your earlier offense of attacking the Hive. So, strictly speaking, you have not an inch of merit to your names in the eyes of Great Xia.

“Yu Cheng and Long Mu from Xiling, and Dong Si and Ying Wuji from Dongkang, also did not contribute in any way this time. They, too, have no merit.”

Xia Hong had gone through a roll call of all the new Frostwarden realm experts joining Great Xia this time. After a moment of contemplation, he continued, “Let’s do this. The merit of Hou Jing’s group of seven will be judged along with everyone else when we return to Xiacheng in October to reward according to merit.

“For now, all newly joined Frostwarden realm experts will be treated equally. You will all be assigned to the Hunting Department, temporarily under the command of Yuwen Tao!”

No special treatment? All sent to the Hunting Department, under Yuwen Tao’s command?

Hou Jing and the other Frostwarden realm experts below were instantly stunned.

However, Xia Hong’s next words immediately revitalized their spirits.

“It’s only temporary, so don’t worry. I have decided that once the camp’s armies reach a total of five, I will establish a new Department of Military Affairs. It will be responsible for the establishment and management of all of Great Xia’s armies, as well as their internal deployment and external campaigns!

“To hold a position in the Department of Military Affairs, commanding an army is the basic requirement. For all of you, that shouldn’t be too difficult. So, for the next two months, you’d best put some effort into your work in the Hunting Department.”

They had already learned the conditions for forming an army in Great Xia from Xia Chuan last night.

Any hunting team that advanced to high-level status would be qualified to form an army.

As powerful Frostwarden realm experts, it wouldn’t be too difficult for them to collaborate and raise a high-level hunting team to earn the right to establish an army.

In terms of manpower, they also had an advantage over Great Xia’s existing Frostwarden realm experts. After all, a total of over twenty-seven thousand Earthforger realm experts had been absorbed from Longyou, and these experts came from their own five families.

This Department of Military Affairs sounded like it was tailor-made for them!

The excitement of Hou Jing and the other eighteen stood in stark contrast to the grave expressions of Great Xia’s original Frostwarden realm experts.

Xia Chuan even opened his mouth as if to say something, but after a moment of thought, he seemed to understand. His eyes lit up slightly, and a smile touched the corners of his lips.

“Besides this new Department of Military Affairs, there is one more thing. To facilitate the reward ceremony in October, I have added a preliminary concept for a nine-rank nobility system to the Chapter of Rites and Regulations in the Four Rites of Xia. Xia Chuan, take this and review it. Discuss it with the others. If you have anything to add, you can tell me. It must be finalized before October.”

A nine-rank nobility system!

Hearing these words, the crowd felt they were hearing something profound and impressive, even if they didn’t fully understand it.

Xia Chuan stepped forward and took the book from Xia Hong’s hands. After flipping through a few pages, his expression immediately turned to one of excitement.

Chapter 317: The Longshan New Policy, the Frost Apple Trees, and the Silver Mines

“The matter of the peerage system can wait; you have plenty of time to consider it further. For now, let’s discuss the eight new garrisons added in Longyou, shall we?”

Xia Hong cut Xia Chuan off directly. Seeing that all eyes were on him, he continued:

“Longyou spans a total of thirteen thousand square kilometers. Apart from the Yanglu territory, the rest can now be considered Great Xia’s land. Normally, all eight garrisons should be managed by a Garrison Commander, just like before. However, the situation at the Longshan garrison is clearly special. What are your thoughts on how we should handle it?”

The group lowered their heads in thought for a moment and quickly understood Xia Hong’s meaning.

The Longshan garrison was not only large enough to accommodate over a hundred thousand people, but its defenses were also extremely formidable due to the Iron Stake Wall. At the same time, it was backed by Longshan, the largest resource-rich area, with an astonishing number of coal and iron mines. It was also the most important source of spirit herbs in all of Longyou. No matter how you looked at it, its importance far surpassed that of all other garrisons in the region.

The key was that such a strategically vital garrison was located on the very edge of Great Xia’s domain.

Xiacheng was the main base camp and couldn’t be moved easily.

But the vast Longshan couldn’t be moved either.

As such, special consideration had to be given to the Longshan garrison.

Simply appointing a Garrison Commander as they did with the other garrisons would definitely not suffice.

“All entrances to the Longshan main range are located here. In the future, a large number of personnel from the camp will come here for logging and hunting, making this a vital resource transit hub for Great Xia. Given its importance, I propose we have Shi Ping, the Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department, stationed here. We should also establish subordinate branches of the Six Departments, which will allow us to administer the people of the seven garrisons of Xiling, Baiyuan, Zhaoyang, Changning, Songyuan, Wushuang, and Yucheng from here.”

Xia Chuan reacted quickly, immediately offering a solution.

Upon hearing this, everyone showed their approval.

However, Xia Hong did not nod in agreement right away. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Has Shi Ping reached the Frostwarden realm?”

Although Shi Ping was the Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department, Xia Hong remembered clearly that when they set out from Xiacheng at the end of last month, he was still only at the Earthforger limit.

For Xia Chuan to have the confidence to recommend Shi Ping now, he must have had a breakthrough.

As expected, Xia Chuan nodded and replied with a smile, “Shi Ping successfully broke through during the defensive battle at the Hive.”

“Excellent!”

Xia Hong first praised Shi Ping, but still did not agree to Xia Chuan’s proposal.

Sending a high-ranking official to oversee the garrison and establishing branches of the Six Departments to strengthen the connection with Xiacheng was undoubtedly the right approach. The problem was…

“Your proposal is good, but I have a question. According to your plan, if I send Vice-Prefect Shi Ping to oversee Longshan and establish branches of the Six Departments, who will have the final say in the entire garrison’s operations then?”

“Of course, Vice-Prefect Shi—”

Xia Chuan’s answer came out subconsciously, but before he could say the final part of the name, “Ping,” he keenly sensed the deeper meaning behind Xia Hong’s question. His expression stiffened slightly, and he lowered his head, lost in thought.

The original purpose of establishing garrisons was to govern the land for Great Xia, or to put it more broadly, to continuously extract local resources for Xiacheng.

Who had the final say?

Naturally, it was Xia Hong, the Leader, or rather, the leadership back in Xiacheng.

But according to his own proposal, Longshan would have people, land, and strong defenses, along with a complete set of branches for the Six Departments. It would possess nearly all the key elements of an independent camp. If absolute power were then handed to a single individual, the consequences would be unimaginable should that person harbor any ill intentions.

Of course, Xia Chuan trusted Shi Ping, but this was a matter of system design, unrelated to Shi Ping personally. As Great Xia’s territory expanded and more key garrisons like Longshan appeared, they couldn’t just hope that every person sent to preside over them would be as loyal as Shi Ping.

Therefore, the system was key!

It wasn’t just Xia Chuan; all the Frostwarden realm cultivators present clearly realized this.

Everyone was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to address Xia Hong’s concern.

“Leader, the Six Departments already include the Garrison Department. Currently, the Garrison Department only has the rank of Garrison Commander. I propose we add a new position: Garrison Prefect. This position would be specifically for important garrisons like Longshan. The Garrison Prefect would be the nominal head of the garrison but would be of equal rank to the heads of the branches of the other five departments. During normal operations, the Six Departments would each perform their own duties. Only during wartime would the Garrison Prefect have the authority to command the other five departments!”

The moment Yue Feng spoke, Xia Chuan’s and the others’ eyes, including Xia Hong’s above them, immediately lit up.

“The Garrison Department’s duty is to defend the garrison. This means the Garrison Prefect is the nominal head, but in peacetime, he can only manage the garrison’s defenses and is of equal rank to the heads of the other five departments. They all answer only to their respective superiors, which is to say, the Six Departments in Xiacheng. They only gain command authority during wartime. Excellent, excellent, Yue Feng’s proposal is brilliant!”

Xia Chuan immediately grasped the genius of Yue Feng’s suggestion.

The Garrison Prefect and the heads of the other five departments would be of equal rank, and all would answer only to their respective superiors. This meant the heads of the Six Departments in Longshan would have a certain power to supervise one another. It was a form of power-sharing within the garrison, which would inevitably create a system of checks and balances, each constraining the others.

“Indeed, it’s excellent. Yue Feng, you’ve been the Garrison Commander of Jing Valley for quite some time, haven’t you?”

Yue Feng was already delighted that his proposal had been accepted. When he suddenly heard Xia Hong bring up his current position, he was momentarily stunned, then realized something, and his expression instantly became excited.

“Replying to the Leader, this subordinate was appointed Garrison Commander of Jing Valley in March of the first year. It has been one year and four months to this day.”

“In April, we marched from Xiacheng into Longyou. In May, the populations of the Hive, Hanqiong, and Wushuang were relocated to Xiacheng. At the end of June, the Cloud Serpent Army was dispatched. At the beginning of July, the main army was transferred to the Hive. Four months of continuous, large-scale personnel movements, and Jing Valley never had a single mistake. Your contribution is significant.”

Jing Valley served as a transit point between Redwood Ridge and Pingxi Plain. The straight road south connecting to Xiacheng also passed through the Arrow Bamboo Forest. That there were no issues during more than four months of frequent personnel movements was a testament to Yue Feng’s administrative abilities.

“The Leader praises me too much. Compared to the brothers who fought and bled in this campaign, what this subordinate did in the rear is nothing.”

“Their contributions were great, but yours is not small either. There’s no need to sell yourself short.”

Xia Hong waved his hand. From his perspective, he was well aware that victory in any war was the result of many factors, never the achievement of a single person or army. The soldiers fighting and bleeding on the front lines were important, but so were the people responsible for logistics and transport in the rear.

Besides, Yue Feng had also participated in the defensive battle at the Hive, where he too had fought and bled on the battlefield.

“Yuan Cheng, the Prefect, isn’t here, and I won’t be leaving Longshan for a while. I won’t appoint a Garrison Prefect for Longshan just yet. We’ll talk about it after we reward everyone according to their merit back in Xiacheng in October!”

This was as good as Xia Hong appointing Yue Feng as the Garrison Prefect of Longshan. How could the others not understand? They all looked at Yue Feng with envy.

Yue Feng naturally understood as well, his expression growing even more spirited.

Xia Hong was in a good mood. This didn’t just solve the problem of the Longshan garrison; in the future, no matter how the territory expanded, whenever a key garrison like Longshan appeared, they could handle it according to the method discussed today.

“Xia Chuan, let’s proceed with Yue Feng’s suggestion. You will lead a team to decide on the specific names, official titles, and ranks for the subordinate branches of the Six Departments.

“This can be considered a new policy for Great Xia. Since it begins in Longshan, we’ll call it the Longshan New Policy. Any important strongholds in the future will be managed this way.

“Over the next two months or so, in addition to the population migration and resource inventory, I want you to inform Qiu Peng to have him and the Logistics Department compile the merits of all participants in the Longyou campaign before October. It must be precise, down to each individual’s kill count, number of captives taken, and the specific amount of supplies seized.

“Of course, prioritize compiling the list of fallen soldiers. Send designated personnel to all locations to collect their bodies and send them back to Xiacheng to be returned to their families. The associated compensation must also be handled properly!”

“Rest assured, Leader. I will see to it at once.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s final words, Xia Chuan’s expression became much more solemn.

In this campaign to conquer Longyou, the camp had suffered considerable casualties. The Cloud Serpent Army had lost over four hundred men, and nearly three thousand ordinary Earthforger realm cultivators had fallen. Of course, there were also the three Frostwarden realm experts: Huang Yong, Zhu Ling, and Ying Xuan.

Great victory was inevitably accompanied by great loss. Before April, Longyou’s total territory was just over nine hundred square kilometers. In May, after successively taking the Hive, Wushuang, and Hanqiong, the territory expanded to three thousand square kilometers. This time was even more astonishing; by taking all of Longyou’s thirteen thousand square kilometers, the domain had expanded by nearly fifteen times.

Compared to a fifteen-fold expansion of territory, the price Great Xia had paid this time was already quite small.

“Alright, if there’s nothing else, you’re all dismissed! Since you and Yuwen Tao are both here, go ahead and establish the framework for the Six Departments in Longshan and restore a normal life of gathering and hunting for these one hundred twenty thousand people as quickly as possible.”

The official migration would not begin until all five straight roads were completed, which would be in September at the earliest. For the next two months, the hundred-plus thousand people would still have to live here in Longshan, so they couldn’t remain in their current state indefinitely.

“Understood, Leader. However, I have one more matter to report.”

“What is it? Speak!”

Xia Hong had already stood up, ready to leave. Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, he stopped and looked at him with curiosity.

“The ambush on the Leader two days ago was incredibly perilous in hindsight. To prevent similar situations in the future, I think it’s necessary to establish a separate army dedicated to protecting the Leader’s safety…”

Hearing this, Liu Yuan, Yue Feng, and the others immediately nodded in agreement.

A Personal Guard!

Xia Hong’s expression was a little odd. Just as he was about to speak, Xia Chuan continued.

“The most elite force in Great Xia right now is the Cloud Serpent Army. Let those six hundred-plus men be converted into the Personal Guard and stay by the Leader’s side. We can replenish their numbers later…”

“Forget it!”

Xia Hong waved his hand, interrupting Xia Chuan. He said with a strange expression, “I do indeed need a Personal Guard. But with the Cloud Serpent Army’s current strength, if they were to follow me, would I be protecting them, or would they be protecting me?”

At Xia Hong’s rhetorical question, Xia Chuan and the others were stunned into silence.

Of course, not everyone reacted the same way. Liu Yuan, Captain of the Cloud Serpent Army’s Scout Battalion, lowered his head in shame.

Many soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army were standing on the periphery of the great hall. Xia Hong had spoken loudly, and after hearing his words, most of them blushed with embarrassment, lowering their heads in silence.

Xia Chuan was clearly insistent and wanted to try persuading him further.

But Xia Hong cut him off with another wave of his hand. “My Personal Guard can’t very well appear only at night. We’ll discuss this when the camp has enough Frostwarden realm experts. That’s all for today. You may continue your meeting!”

A personal guard was only worth establishing if it could be effective.

Xia Hong didn’t expect them to actually protect him, but they needed to be presentable in critical moments and genuinely capable of helping him with tasks. Otherwise, if an emergency occurred, being unable to help would be a minor issue; if he had to divert his attention to look after them, it would be a huge joke.

At present, the Cloud Serpent Army, unable to even appear during the day, clearly did not meet Xia Hong’s requirements for a personal guard.

Seeing Xia Hong turn to leave, Xia Chuan said no more. Along with the others, he bowed respectfully to see him off before turning back to continue the meeting with the remaining group.

This two-hour meeting was merely Xia Hong clarifying the main objectives for the next three months. To achieve these goals, Xia Chuan and the others had an overwhelming number of tasks ahead of them.

They had to send people to Xiacheng to notify Mu Dong to bring artisans over to build the straight roads; they had to start setting up the subordinate branches of the Six Departments here in Longshan; they had to restore normal hunting life in Longshan and the other seven garrisons; Xia Hong had only designated the Garrison Prefect for Longshan, so they still needed to appoint Garrison Commanders for the seven new posts…

As Xia Chuan led the group through one agenda item after another, the number of people in the great hall gradually dwindled. One by one, the Frostwarden realm experts received their assignments, left the hall, and went about their business.

Under the efforts of these Frostwarden cultivators, all of Longyou began to integrate at a rapid pace.

The reserved supplies in the eight garrisons began to be inventoried and categorized, ready to be transported to Xiacheng once the straight roads were completed.

The high-ranking members of the eight families also compiled all the vital information they previously controlled—such as spirit herbs, Frost Beasts, mines, pill formulas, rare items, and so on—and submitted it to Xia Chuan in Longshan.

Of course, it wasn’t just resources and information. Household registers, population data, and cultivation levels were also being prepared in an orderly fashion for the eventual migration.

The eight garrisons and their two hundred sixty thousand people were just the foundation. The resources were the real prize. The unexcavated iron and coal mines alone numbered over a hundred. As for the reserves stored in the eight camps, it was another story altogether; even accurately inventorying them would likely be a challenge.

And that was before counting everything else: beast meat, hides, bones, Beast Blood, Jade Bones, spirit herbs, and local specialties… the list was endless.

It was no whim that Xia Hong had given them a three-month deadline. Such a massive and complex undertaking was destined to take a very long time to complete.

………………

The twelfth of July, in the second year of Great Xia.

In the dead of night, about fifteen kilometers deep into Longshan, four figures—two in front, two behind—walked silently deeper into the mountains. They continued on until they were nearly twenty kilometers in before all four came to a stop.

The two in front turned around, revealing them to be Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu.

Both looked well, their injuries clearly healed.

The two behind them were an old man and a young woman: Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling.

“Second Uncle, this is far enough. It’s time for us to be on our way!”

Unlike Li Xuanyan’s face, which was full of resentment, Li Xuandu looked up at Li Tiancheng and managed to squeeze out a smile, though it had a rather forced quality.

His expression became even more complicated when he saw the coiled-up hairdo on Li Xuanling’s head. He opened his mouth, but seemed at a loss for words.

Li Xuanyan was more direct. He avoided looking at Li Xuanling altogether and simply said to Li Tiancheng, “Second Uncle, I will definitely return to Longyou.”

But at his words, both Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling’s faces changed.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Leader Xia has already shown you mercy. Even if you truly miss your Second Uncle, you must obediently wait ten years before coming back.”

“I…”

A flash of anger appeared on Li Xuanyan’s face, and he immediately opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the person beside him, Li Xuandu, gave him a gentle tug.

He turned to meet Li Xuandu’s eyes, instantly understood, and quickly suppressed the anger in his gaze. “I understand, Second Uncle,” he said in a low voice.

“Three years ago, I saw Big Brother off at this very spot. Now, I’m sending the two of you away as well. Fate is a cruel trickster, alas…”

Li Tianhua gazed into the dense forest of Longshan’s depths, a touch of sorrow in his eyes.

Li Xuandu turned to look at the forest behind them and suddenly asked, “Second Uncle, do you think… Father is still alive?”

“Whether Big Brother is alive or not has nothing to do with you anymore. The paths in Longshan are deep and treacherous. You’ll be lucky to save your own skins!”

Li Tiancheng once again cut off the topic Li Xuandu had raised, then urged them, “Alright, you should be on your way! No matter what, Xuanling’s marriage to Leader Xia is a fact. Xuantian still has a descendant in Great Xia. The feud between the Li family and Great Xia is now impossible to untangle. If you are fortunate enough to survive, live your lives well and carry on the Li family bloodline. Don’t think about anything else.”

Hearing these words, Li Xuandu’s expression became incredibly complex. But seeing that his elder brother, Li Xuanyan, had already turned and left, he said nothing more and followed.

“Third Brother…”

Li Xuanling, who had been silent all this time, finally couldn’t help but speak as she watched Li Xuandu walk farther away.

The night could hide her reddened eyes, but not the slight tremble in her voice.

Li Tiancheng turned his head and saw that although his niece Li Xuanling’s face was covered in tears, she was still trying to suppress her sobs. He sighed softly in his heart.

In the end, she was only a twenty-two-year-old girl.

His big brother had this little niece when he was over seventy, a daughter in his old age. His sister-in-law was in her fifties at the time and passed away just a few months after giving birth.

Li Xuanling had grown up without a mother. Although Li Tianhua doted on her, Longshan was at its zenith back then, and as its leader, he naturally couldn’t spare much time for her.

She was also more than thirty years older than her first and second brothers, so they didn’t have much in common, and their relationship wasn’t very deep.

Only her third brother, Li Xuandu, was just ten years her senior and was willing to look after her, taking her all over Longshan to play since she was a child. Thus, of the four siblings, their personalities were the most similar, and their bond was the strongest.

It was only natural that Li Xuanling was reluctant to see Li Xuandu leave Longyou.

Li Xuandu, who was already some distance away, stopped in his tracks upon hearing her call him “Third Brother.” He didn’t turn back, but simply said with a laugh:

“Xuanling, the destruction of the Li family was our own doing. It has nothing to do with you. Leader Xia is a capable man. Your life with him will surely get better and better. In ten years, Third Brother will definitely come back to see you and Second Uncle!”

This was perhaps the difference between having affection and having none.

Although Li Xuandu’s heart was still filled with hatred for Xia Hong, he knew he was powerless to change anything, so he chose to offer his blessings and even tried his best to alleviate some of Li Xuanling’s guilt.

Watching Li Xuandu walk farther and farther away until his figure blurred, Li Xuanling was already sobbing uncontrollably.

A thought suddenly struck her. She spun around to face the direction they came from and pleaded in a tear-choked voice, “Xia Hong, I know you’re here too! I’m begging you, spare my third brother. Let him stay in Longyou. I’m begging you…”

Li Xuanling’s tearful cries and pleas ultimately failed to elicit a response from Xia Hong.

Only after Li Xuandu had completely disappeared from sight did Xia Hong’s voice drift over from behind.

“Get up. You knew it was impossible for me to let them stay.”

Li Xuanling had stopped crying. She was slumped on the ground, watching Xia Hong slowly approach from behind, her eyes filled with hatred.

“Don’t look at me like that. Based on what those two just said, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for me to chase them down and kill them right now, would it?”

Xia Hong’s sudden jest made both Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling’s expressions freeze. He smiled and continued, “If they can really find Li Tianhua, perhaps your Li family of Longshan could make a comeback. I’ve given you a chance. You shouldn’t hate me; you should thank me.”

“Arrogant!”

Li Xuanling couldn’t help but snap. Clever as she was, she naturally understood the meaning behind his words. He was clearly saying that even if Li Xuandu and his brother found Li Tianhua, it would be useless.

Li Tiancheng, standing to the side, remained silent, merely clasping his hands in a slight bow.

“There is no need for that, Leader Xia. You and Xuanling are already husband and wife. Even if my big brother returns, I’m sure he will eventually accept you as his son-in-law.”

Eventually…

The implication was that Li Tianhua would still cause some trouble before accepting him.

Xia Hong shook his head without a word, not bothering to pick apart Li Tiancheng’s choice of words.

Li Tianhua left Longyou three years ago and would be ninety-eight years old now. If he had broken through to the Sun-Manifestation realm and greatly increased his lifespan, he would have returned to Longshan long ago. Why would he wait until now?

Therefore, he was either dead or had not yet broken through.

He feared neither possibility.

This was the real reason he dared to let Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu go.

“Alright, I didn’t come here today to watch you see them off. Take me to see those two Frost Apple Trees and the locations of those two silver mines!”

Xia Hong had not come today to keep an eye on the two brothers.

Putting aside the fact that the Li family still had a host of relatives from the maternal side, just for the sake of Meng Ying, Zhou Yuan, Jiang Ping, and the others, it was impossible for Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling to run off with Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu.

If they did, not only would these people face immense difficulties in Great Xia, but they would also very likely be used by Xia Hong to vent his anger.

He had come today to see Longshan’s most important assets.

Two Frost Apple Trees, and two unexcavated silver ore veins!

Chapter 318: The Peculiar Frost Apple Tree, The Occupied Silver Mine

“I heard from Hou Hu that of the two Frost Apple Trees, one was first discovered by his father, Hou Luan, and was later stolen by you, Longshan. Is this true or false?”

They were about to see the two Frost Apple Trees, and Xia Hong was in a good mood. Recalling what Hou Hu had said previously, he asked the pair with great interest.

“Shameless!”

Li Tiancheng, who was leading the way, frowned but said nothing. Li Xuanling, however, couldn’t stop herself from cursing aloud.

“My father was clearly the one who discovered that Frost Apple Tree first! Hou Luan didn’t want Longshan to have it all to itself, so he united with more than twenty other encampments at the time to wage war against us. It brought devastation to Longyou, and the number of encampments plummeted to just twelve. My father couldn’t bear it, and in the end, he had no choice but to give them a seventy percent share!”

Seeing the fury in Li Xuanling’s arched brows, her words were likely true. Although Xia Hong had suspected that Hou Hu was probably lying to him back then, he hadn’t expected the man could twist the truth to such a degree.

“Then what he said about that Frost Apple Tree only producing forty drops of Jade Dew per year since the fortieth year of Longyou—is that true or false? And the other one, how many drops does it produce each year?”

Hou Hu only knew of one Frost Apple Tree; Longshan had evidently hidden another, a secret kept from everyone else in Longyou.

Right now, what interested Xia Hong most was the Jade Dew yield of the two Frost Apple Trees.

Li Tiancheng spoke up, “To be honest with you, Leader Xia, we really weren’t lying about the Frost Apple Tree Hou Hu mentioned. Starting from the twentieth year of Longyou, its yield has been gradually decreasing. As of this year, it produces, on average, just one drop every ten days. Over the entire year, it doesn’t even reach forty drops.”

Seeing the winding and twisting path the two were taking, the Frost Apple Trees were likely still a long way off. Xia Hong decided to continue his inquiries as they walked. “Then what about the other tree? What’s its yield?”

“The other Frost Apple Tree was discovered in the thirty-first year of Longyou. It’s not a very old tree. Last year, it produced more than two hundred and forty drops.”

Well now, they had concealed a yield six times greater. No wonder the power gap between the other eleven encampments and Longshan had widened so much over the years.

“You said it produces one drop every ten days. Does that mean this Hanping Jade Dew doesn’t mature all at once, but grows drop by drop?”

Xia Hong’s face was full of confusion. Since it was called a Frost Apple Tree, it shouldn’t have strayed from the category of plants. Sprouting, flowering, fruiting, and ripening—that was the growth pattern of all vegetation, just like the Frost-Solid Trees, Blue Jade Trees, and other tree species discovered by Great Xia.

But from Li Tiancheng’s description, that was clearly not the case.

“Country bumpkin!”

Li Xuanling was still fuming. Seeing Xia Hong’s ignorance about the Frost Apple Tree, she immediately seized the opportunity to mock him.

Unfortunately for her, Xia Hong completely ignored her, simply waiting for Li Tiancheng’s explanation.

Seeing Li Xuanling actively bickering with Xia Hong, a strange expression appeared on Li Tiancheng’s face. He was about to explain, but Li Xuanling spoke first.

“The Frost Apple Tree grows upside down, into the ground. The Jade Dew is the liquid it condenses after absorbing the daily cold light, so naturally, it drips down along the root.”

There were many plants that grew underground, but very few that could produce a precious medicinal ingredient like Jade Dew.

“Then let’s pick up the pace. Hurry up and show me!”

Growing ever more curious about the Frost Apple Tree, Xia Hong urged the two onward.

The place where they had just bid farewell to Li Xuandu and his sister was already twenty kilometers deep into Longshan. In just this half hour, Xia Hong estimated they had gone another fifteen kilometers or so deeper.

“This should be considered the main mountain range of Longshan, right?”

On the eastern periphery of Longshan, there was an area extending from the main range, roughly fifty-some kilometers from north to south and only about thirty-some kilometers from east to west.

Xia Hong had followed the pair thirty-five kilometers east, which meant he had reached Longshan’s main range. They were now very deep inside.

“The Frost Apple Tree that Hou Hu mentioned is just ahead.”

Li Tiancheng pointed to a mound to the west and led the way with Li Xuanling. Xia Hong followed closely behind, and they soon arrived atop the mound.

Behind the mound was a deep valley that plunged down for several hundred meters.

Xia Hong stood at the edge of the mound and looked down. An extremely dazzling cyan glow immediately met his eyes.

“Let’s go!”

After speaking, he went straight down the gully’s slope. Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling followed close behind.

The leaves and branches of the Frost Apple Tree were the color of cyan jade, the same as Jade Bone. Its overall shape resembled a stemless mushroom—a large, umbrella-like canopy.

“This canopy is about fifteen meters in diameter. How long is the root?”

Li Xuanling had just said that the Frost Apple Tree grew underground. After observing the part above ground, Xia Hong asked his question as he walked under the tree. He brushed aside the surrounding soil to get a clear look at the root, and his expression instantly froze.

The crown of this Frost Apple Tree was a large canopy fifteen meters in diameter. Xia Hong had originally assumed the root would be at least half that, so three or four meters wouldn’t have been unreasonable.

But in reality, its root was only as thick as a little finger.

“Leader, please follow me!”

Li Tiancheng walked over to the eastern stone wall of the gully and fumbled around for a moment. He then gave the wall a hard push, and an entrance to a cave appeared.

As he led Xia Hong into the cave, he spoke.

“The root of this Frost Apple Tree is too thin, and its direction of extension underground is completely erratic. So not only did we have to dig a tunnel to find its end, but we must also send people to confirm its position once every year.”

This was something Li Tiancheng didn’t really need to explain. Xia Hong understood it himself after just a short walk with them through the tunnel.

Sometimes it went east, sometimes west, then it would suddenly plunge downwards, and moments later, it would slope upwards again.

The tunnel had clearly been dug following the direction of the root. Its convoluted and chaotic nature was proof enough of what Li Tiancheng had said.

The three of them walked underground for more than ten minutes before finally reaching a circular stone chamber over five meters in diameter.

In the very center of the chamber’s floor, a thumb-thick, cyan-jade root stood silently. Around the root were more than a dozen iron pans. Xia Hong counted carefully; there were nine drops of Jade Dew in total, yet to be collected.

“More than ten minutes… at our pace just now, we probably walked seven or eight kilometers. In other words, this root is over seven thousand meters long.”

After saying this, Xia Hong shook his head.

No wonder Longshan hadn’t transplanted this Frost Apple Tree to their encampment. It was one thing for the root to be an absurd seven thousand meters long, but it was also only as thick as a thumb. Trying to move it without damaging the root would be incredibly difficult.

The crucial point was that no one knew if the tree would continue to produce Jade Dew after its root was damaged. Longshan only had these two precious specimens. Not touching them and slowly collecting the Jade Dew was clearly the safest approach.

“It’s a blessing in disguise, I suppose. The root of this Frost Apple Tree grows chaotically underground, which has made harvesting it extremely difficult for us. But because of this chaotic growth, combined with its lack of color and scent, even if a common Frost Beast discovers the canopy on the surface, it will eventually give up after failing to find the root.”

Not only did it lack color and scent, but the underground root was only as thick as a little finger. Frost Beasts were often several meters in size; even those that lived underground would probably have a hard time finding this place by sight, following the root.

“Alright, take me to see the second one!”

Xia Hong calmly took out a wooden box and collected all nine drops of Jade Dew before signaling for Li Tiancheng and his niece to continue leading the way.

The second Frost Apple Tree was on a mountaintop, over twenty kilometers away from the first.

“This canopy must be over a hundred meters in diameter. No wonder the yield is so high!”

Without even looking at the root, Xia Hong knew why this tree’s yield was so high just by seeing its massive crown.

According to Li Xuanling, the Frost Apple Tree absorbed the cold light of day through its canopy and then condensed it into Jade Dew along its root. If that was the case, then the larger the canopy, the stronger its ability to absorb light, and naturally, the higher its output.

It wasn’t just the canopy; the root of the second Frost Apple Tree was also about three times thicker than the first, with a diameter of about three centimeters.

The length of its root stretching underground was even more exaggerated, reaching a staggering thirteen thousand meters, almost twice as long as the first.

Following Li Tiancheng underground again, they found the end of the root. This time, there was much more Jade Dew on the ground—over seventy drops.

“We usually come to collect it once every three months. As soon as the Jade Dew is brought back, it’s immediately distributed to the Frostwarden realm cultivators below, so the encampment basically has no stock.”

Hearing Li Tiancheng’s words, Xia Hong raised an eyebrow and looked at Li Xuanling.

Longshan’s storehouse had already been inventoried; there wasn’t a single drop of Hanping Jade Dew left. This actually showed that Li Xuanling was a decent leader. There was no point in hoarding something like Jade Dew; it was useless unless it was distributed to the Frostwarden realm cultivators. The fact that Longshan’s Frostwardens were relatively strong was likely due to her.

However…

A smile tugged at the corner of Xia Hong’s mouth as he teased Li Xuanling, “You seem to have twenty-one drops hidden in your chambers. What, couldn’t bear to hand them over?”

“You dog! How dare you barge into my cha—”

Being exposed for hoarding twenty-one drops of Jade Dew didn’t bother Li Xuanling much, but when she realized Xia Hong had secretly gone through her private room, a look of shame and anger washed over her face, and she unconsciously cursed at him.

But before she could finish, she remembered that Xia Hong had already possessed her entirely. To get angry now because he had entered her room seemed rather laughable.

“You usually wear white clothes, but your room is filled with red things. You’re not as you appear, woman!”

“Shut your mouth!”

With her Second Uncle right there, being teased like this made Li Xuanling’s face instantly flush crimson. She couldn’t help but stomp her foot and glare at Xia Hong, even feeling the urge to draw her sword.

Xia Hong shook his head and chuckled softly. He first collected the Jade Dew on the ground, then took a porcelain bottle from his robes. He tipped it over, and two fiery-red Spirit Pills with a layer of black cracks on their surface fell out. He tossed one to Li Tiancheng and one to Li Xuanling.

“The Saint Sun Pills that Li Xuantian gave out are definitely problematic. If you still have any on you, I advise you to hand them over to me immediately.”

“This Yang Core Pill was developed by my Great Xia. It’s a Spirit Pill specifically for Frostwarden realm cultivators. A single pill’s medicinal power is three to four times that of one catty of Jade Bone Elixir.”

“The materials needed to decoct three catties of Jade Bone Elixir can refine a furnace of these, and one furnace yields nine pills. So if you have any Hanping Jade Dew, it’s best to give it all to me. Using it to decoct Jade Bone Elixir is a huge waste…”

At Xia Hong’s mention of the Saint Sun Pills, both Li Tiancheng’s and Li Xuanling’s expressions changed slightly, but their attention was quickly drawn to the Yang Core Pills in their hands.

A single pill was three to four times as effective as a catty of Jade Bone Elixir?

The materials for three catties of the elixir could produce nine pills? By that calculation, it meant that using the same materials to refine Yang Core Pills yielded a medicinal effect at least thirty times greater than that of the Jade Bone Elixir?

This…

The two of them stared at the Yang Core Pills in their hands, their expressions frozen in shock.

“Thank you, Leader, for bestowing these pills. As for the Saint Sun Pills, Li Xuantian only ever gave out about thirty in total. We ran out of them long ago.”

Li Tiancheng was the first to react, thanking Xia Hong.

Li Xuanling was not so courteous. She simply put the Spirit Pill away, pretended nothing had happened, and started walking forward.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to the location of the two Silver Mines!”

Li Xuanling was actually taking the lead. Xia Hong looked a little stunned.

Li Tiancheng quickly explained with a smile, “I’ve actually never been to those two Silver Mines. I’ve only heard Big Brother talk about them. In all of Longshan, only Xuanling has gone with Big Brother, so only she knows the location.”

So that was it.

Xia Hong followed behind Li Xuanling, continuing deeper into Longshan.

The first Frost Apple Tree had been thirty-five kilometers deep inside Longshan.

Although the second was twenty kilometers away from it, it was to the north, so their depth was roughly the same.

The location of the Silver Mines was clearly much more special.

Li Xuanling led the two about another ten kilometers deeper. The three of them began to notice occasional prying gazes from their surroundings, and their expressions gradually grew wary.

“Our exploration of Longshan only extends about forty-some kilometers. At this depth, there are already many high-level Frost Beasts, and even Beast Kings appear from time to time. So normally, aside from teams of Frostwardens coming here to hunt, no one else dares to venture this far.”

Hearing Li Tiancheng’s words, Xia Hong nodded slightly. Though it was the first time he’d heard the term “Beast King,” he understood it almost instantly.

It was almost certain that there were Frost Beasts even more powerful than the high-level ones. Otherwise, where did all the Frost Beasts in Redwood Ridge, Arrow Bamboo Forest, and Longshan come from?

For one thing, Xia Hong still hadn’t figured out how Frost Beasts reproduced. Judging by the density of Frost Beasts in the three regions of Redwood Ridge, they seemed endless. No matter how many were killed, new ones would always appear.

That was quite terrifying.

But these were clearly not things for Xia Hong to be thinking about now. The day he truly figured out that problem, his power would likely be unimaginable.

Hoooo… Hoooo… Hoooo…

Li Xuanling had already signaled for the two men to be quiet. After walking another five or six hundred meters, she suddenly waved her hand, signaling for them to stop. She then turned to face them.

A grave expression appeared on all three of their faces.

“Is that… the sound of breathing?”

“It’s a bit too loud, isn’t it? I feel like it can be heard for three or four kilometers around.”

“What kind of Frost Beast could be making that sound?”

These three questions were whispered by Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng.

Xia Hong remained silent the whole time, merely looking toward the east, three kilometers away, his eyes filled with solemnity.

“This aura… it’s exactly the same as that Red Carp monster I encountered on the north bank of the Xing River. Could this be a Beast King?”

Li Xuanling led the two up a large, nearby tree. After climbing to a height of over thirty meters, she pointed to a mountain to the east and said in a low voice, “There’s a Silver Mine hidden in that mountain. But it’s occupied by a very large pack of Frost Wolves. My father said there are at least ten thousand of them, with at least several hundred high-level Frost Wolves. When I came here before, this breathing sound wasn’t here. It seems this pack has most likely produced a Beast King.”

Ten thousand Frost Wolves, hundreds of them high-level, and a Beast King…

Xia Hong looked at the distant mountain, shaking his head with a soft sigh. “Take me to the location of the second Silver Mine. We can forget about this place for the time being.”

Chapter 319: The Blood Jade Fox and the Tease, Xiacheng in an Uproar, the Migration Begins

The second silver vein was at a similar depth to the first, just another thirteen kilometers or so to the south.

The two veins were also in different types of locations. The former was in a mountain, while the one before them was situated in a region of gently rolling hills.

The area covered by the hills, however, was vast, estimated to be about twenty-five square kilometers in all.

While still two kilometers from the mound, Li Xuanling stopped and led the other two up a large, nearby tree.

After climbing the tree, Xia Hong looked toward the mound in the distance, and his scalp prickled.

On the side of the mound facing him, the lowest area was packed with a dense swarm of silver-backed, flesh-tailed Long-tailed Gnawing Rats. Just from a rough estimate of those on the surface, there were over three thousand of them. Crucially, many of the rats had burrowed into the ground, leaving only their flesh-colored tails swaying above the surface.

Despite the distance, Xia Hong noticed occasional flashes of golden light among them—clearly, high-grade Gnawing Rats were present.

And that was only the lowest level. Further up, in the middle section of the mound, hundreds of Golden-armored Thunder Kui, each over ten meters long, were coiled. In many places among the Thunder Kui, the ground appeared like a flowing golden liquid. Evidently, like the Gnawing Rat swarm, some of the Thunder Kui had also burrowed underground.

Higher still, at the very top of the mound, were countless densely packed cave entrances, each about half a meter in diameter. Though it was too far to see what was inside the caves, he could make out a faint, blood-red radiance shimmering within them.

“This silver vein may not have a Beast King, but it is occupied by six different Frost Beast populations: Gnawing Rodents, Thunder Kui, White Rong, Hyena-spotted Tigers, Snow Manes, and Blood Jade Foxes. When my father discovered this silver mine years ago, the numbers of these six populations weren’t actually that large—probably just over ten thousand in total. But their populations have expanded faster and faster over the years, and now the total is likely close to forty thousand. Never mind sending people to mine it; it’s difficult to even get close enough to count the Frost Beasts.”

Unlike his reaction to the first silver mine, Xia Hong did not shake his head and sigh this time. Instead, a clear look of interest appeared on his face.

Although the number of Frost Beasts occupying this silver vein was four times that of the previous one, the fact that six different species were living together, combined with the absence of a Beast King, opened up a world of possibilities.

Different Frost Beast species had relationships where one countered another. Great Xia had already discovered three such pairs: Gnawing Rodents and Soaring Serpents, Flint Tigers and Frost-Lightning Apes, and White Bears and Thunder Kui. Among the six populations residing on this mound, there were bound to be natural enemies.

Coupled with the fact that Great Xia possessed torches, an unparalleled tool for luring Frost Beasts, there was a very real hope of dealing with these six populations and mining this silver vein, provided preparations were thorough and they had enough Frostwarden-realm warriors.

Of course, the preparations involved would be immense. Great Xia’s current understanding of Frost Beast populations and the number of its Frostwarden-realm warriors were far from sufficient. It was certainly not something to be considered in the short term.

Still, at least there was hope!

Undiscouraged, Xia Hong led Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling on a circuit around the mound to observe the other four Frost Beast populations.

The two populations on the northern side of the mound were the White Rong and the Hyena-spotted Tiger. These were Frost Beast species unique to Longshan, and Xia Hong had already seen specimens in the garrison’s warehouse, so he showed no surprise.

As for the Snow Mane, that was even less of a novelty; there were hordes of them at Redwood Ridge.

“Those caves at the top of the mound must be the Blood Jade Foxes’ dens, right? Do they rarely come out? How come I haven’t seen a single one?”

With only the Blood Jade Foxes left unseen, Xia Hong asked curiously.

“Of the six Frost Beast populations, the Blood Jade Foxes are the strongest. Although these Frost Beasts are small—a mid-grade one is only about half a meter long—their speed is more than double that of a Gnawing Rodent, and their two golden claws are exceptionally sharp, capable of easily tearing through the hide of a Frostwarden-realm warrior.

“The crucial thing is that when they are in danger, they spray a colorless, odorless, hallucinogenic poison mist. It can seep through a person’s skin. Once an Earthforger-realm warrior inhales it, they immediately fall into a fatal illusion and die. The poison mist from a high-grade Blood Jade Fox is difficult for even a Frostwarden-realm warrior to resist…”

Li Xuanling was clearly very knowledgeable about Blood Jade Foxes. She paused, a peculiar expression on her face, before continuing, “Moreover, the fur of a Blood Jade Fox is extremely good for concealment. It’s pure white in the absence of a light source, but once illuminated, it turns a translucent, crystalline, blood-jade color. This makes them incredibly difficult to hunt.”

Xia Hong understood immediately.

In the Ice Abyss, Frost Beasts were always hunted at night.

White fur in the dark didn’t sound particularly stealthy at first glance, but considering this was the Ice Abyss World, where the ground was covered in snow and all vegetation wore a coat of frost, it made perfect sense.

The Blood Jade Fox was so small that it would blend in with the snow at night, making it hard to spot. Furthermore, its speed was more than double that of a Gnawing Rodent. Not even mentioning its claws and poison mist, these two traits alone made it a formidable opponent.

Of course, Xia Hong had also noticed the peculiar look on Li Xuanling’s face.

But he didn’t say anything, merely nodding. “Alright, we’ve seen all four sides. Let’s head back for now.”

Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng nodded and followed him down from the tree.

However, the moment the three of them landed and turned around, their expressions froze.

Huu… huu… huu… huu…

A terribly familiar, heavy breathing sound suddenly came from behind them.

For a moment, none of them dared to turn around. They only twisted their heads slightly to look at each other, seeing the horror and shock in one another’s eyes.

That breathing… it was unmistakably what they had heard at the first silver mine.

Had that Beast King followed them?

Gulp…

This time, even Xia Hong couldn’t help but swallow. He remained frozen in place for a good three or four breaths before finally whipping his head around to look behind him.

Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng followed suit.

Behind them, about a hundred meters to the west of the hill, stood an enormous beast. It was over a hundred meters long and its shoulders stood more than ten zhang high.

The beast’s head alone had a diameter of over ten meters. Its entire body was covered in silvery fur as bright as moonlight, and a collar of barbs, each a dozen meters long, encircled its neck, looking like sharp steel spikes under the snowy night—a truly terrifying sight. Its vertical green pupils, like two fanning, diamond-shaped portals, were fixed motionlessly on the three of them.

“The Wolf King! That’s the Beast King from the first silver mine!”

“It saw us long ago and has been following us from behind.”

“Split up and run, or none of us will make it out alive!”

After a quick exchange, Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng immediately decided to flee in different directions. But just as they were about to move, Xia Hong stopped them.

“Wait, something’s wrong!”

Xia Hong sniffed the air. A faint glint of light flashed in his left eye. After staring at the giant wolf for a moment, the grave expression on his face vanished.

“What a wicked beast, to resort to such insidious tricks…”

Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng looked confused, not understanding what Xia Hong meant.

“Stay here and don’t move. Wait for me!”

Before they could ask, Xia Hong left them with those words, drew the Cold Blood Saber from his waist, and charged straight toward the enormous Wolf King.

“Is he insane?!”

“No, wait, something does seem off. For a beast as massive as the Wolf King, the Frost Beasts on the hill behind it aren’t reacting at all.”

Li Xuanling, stunned for a moment, immediately understood.

Over to the west, Xia Hong had already reached the Wolf King.

“ROAR—”

The Wolf King’s earth-shattering roar exploded in their ears. Li Xuanling felt the ground for dozens of kilometers around them begin to tremble violently. She turned to look at the hill behind her again and saw that there was still not the slightest stir. Only then did her expression turn grim.

“We really fell for it. It must be the poison mist from a high-grade Blood Jade Fox. All three of us inhaled it. How did he see through it?”

“Have you forgotten? When that White Dew Aberration controlled Xuantian and the others to assassinate him, he saw through it instantly. He must have some method for seeing through illusions and disguises.”

Putting aside their shock, Xia Hong had already engaged the Wolf King in a swift exchange.

The Wolf King’s sheer size was overwhelming. Xia Hong, charging from the ground, seemed insignificant. Even though he leaped high into the air, he could still only reach the Wolf King’s lower jaw.

Swoosh…

The Cold Blood was a saber, so Xia Hong usually used it for slashing cuts. This time, however, he used a chopping motion, and his target was not the Wolf King’s jaw, but the very bottom of its right foreleg.

Screech…

With a sharp tearing sound, the Wolf King abruptly lifted its right forelimb to meet Xia Hong’s Cold Blood Saber, slashing out with three golden claw marks.

The golden claw marks seemed to tear through the very air. Their trajectory was almost invisible, appearing only for an instant as the Wolf King raised its paw before colliding directly with Xia Hong’s saber.

Clang…

A deafening sound of metal striking metal rang out, sending a shower of sparks into the air.

“Over thirty Mane! This Blood Jade Fox’s strength is this formidable!”

The instant the Cold Blood Saber clashed with the golden claws, the massive body of the Wolf King dissipated. In its place before Xia Hong was a snow-white, fox-shaped Frost Beast, its body no more than twenty-something centimeters long, with a fluffy tail half a meter in length dangling behind it.

Before the sparks had faded, the beast’s originally snow-white fur, illuminated by the fiery light, turned into a crystalline, blood-jade color, just as Li Xuanling had described. It truly lived up to its name, Blood Jade Fox.

“Chirp…”

The Blood Jade Fox’s crimson pupils were now filled with panic, for a small piece of its claw had been directly severed by Xia Hong’s Cold Blood Saber.

With a strength of just over thirty Mane, it was naturally no match for Xia Hong.

The Blood Jade Fox reacted quickly. Without even bothering to retrieve its claw, it transformed into a streak of white light and fled east, toward its den on the mound.

“You came looking for trouble, and now you think you can run!”

Unfortunately for it, Xia Hong gave it no such chance.

Before the Blood Jade Fox had fled ten meters, Xia Hong spun around, kicked off the ground, and closed the distance in a flash. He brought the Cold Blood Saber down in a fierce stab at the front of the white streak.

Psshhht…

The Cold Blood Saber pierced straight through the Blood Jade Fox’s neck, pinning it firmly to the ground. The fox, unwilling to give up, stared viciously at Xia Hong, letting out continuous hissing sounds from its mouth.

But soon, it seemed to sense something. Its eyes filled with terror, and it began twisting its head frantically, clearly trying to wrench itself free from the Cold Blood Saber.

But Xia Hong’s strength was terrifying. He held the handle firmly, and the Blood Jade Fox struggled for only three or four breaths before it went still.

Xia Hong pulled out the saber and weighed the Blood Jade Fox in his hand for a moment. He then looked down at the Cold Blood Saber, which had become heavier again, and shook his head slightly.

“You’re drinking blood faster and faster. Just in that short moment, it lost seven or eight catties. I’ll have to be quicker withdrawing the blade next time, or I’ll end up feeding all the high-grade Beast Blood to you.”

A high-grade Frost Beast only yielded ten to fifteen catties of blood, but its effect was ten times that of mid-grade Beast Blood. It could also be used for alchemy, making it an extremely precious resource for Great Xia. Xia Hong truly felt a pang of regret at the thought of feeding it all to his saber.

Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng now walked over from behind.

Their faces still showed a lingering shock as they looked at Xia Hong, clearly finding it incredible that he could kill a Blood Jade Fox so cleanly.

“A Blood Jade Fox… you can kill one by yourself?” Li Xuanling exclaimed. After she spoke, her eyes, fixed on the Blood Jade Fox in Xia Hong’s hand, flashed with unmistakable desire.

Li Tiancheng’s mouth was also wide open. After a long silence, he slowly said, “Leader Xia’s strength is transcendent. I am thoroughly impressed!”

Xia Hong paid no mind to their praise. He waved a hand, then suddenly turned to Li Xuanling and asked softly, “Don’t tell me you want this Blood Jade Fox?”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling’s cheeks flushed slightly, and for once, she didn’t refute him.

“Then keep on wanting. We’re heading back.”

With that, Xia Hong turned and walked away, dangling the Blood Jade Fox.

Being teased like this, Li Xuanling’s already pink cheeks flared into a deep crimson. She stomped her foot on the ground and burst out angrily, “Pah! Who said I wanted it? Xia Hong, nothing good ever comes out of your mouth!”

Watching this scene from the side, Li Tiancheng shook his head repeatedly. He eventually calmed Li Xuanling down with a few words and pulled her along to follow Xia Hong back toward the garrison.

Li Xuanling was not one to be trifled with lightly. She was so angry that she didn’t say another word to Xia Hong the entire way back. It wasn’t until they were nearing the garrison and Li Tiancheng had left that she seemed to remember something. She took the Yang Core Pill from her clothes, pondered for a moment, and then hurried to catch up with Xia Hong ahead.

“Xia Hong, how many contribution points does it take to redeem a Yang Core Pill in Great Xia?”

The new policies had been decided on July 8th. Today was the 12th. Xia Chuan, along with Yuwen Tao and the others, had already established the six administrative divisions for Longshan.

Of course, since Longshan was a subordinate branch, they were called the Six Divisions instead of the Six Departments. Xia Chuan had also settled on the official titles for the heads of these Six Divisions.

The Garrison Division was led by the Garrison Prefect, the Logistics Division by the Armament Master, the Artisan Division by the Chief Artisan, the Civil Affairs Division by the Civil Magistrate, the Hunting Division by the Hunt Master, and the Logging Division by the Herb Master.

With the Six Divisions established, the more than one hundred thousand people in Longshan who were at the Lumberjack realm or above had naturally begun to register with the Logistics Department, each receiving their own contribution point record.

As these measures were rolled out, everyone had become familiar with Great Xia’s resource allocation rules and contribution point system.

Li Xuanling’s question about the price of a Yang Core Pill proved that she, too, had been secretly paying attention to the Six Divisions and the contribution point rules over the past few days.

Xia Hong raised an eyebrow and replied, “Three thousand points per pill. Only Frostwarden-realm warriors can redeem them as needed. Why?”

“That’s such a rip-off. According to the Logistics Division’s public postings, turning in a high-grade Snow Mane only gets you fifteen thousand contribution points. Assuming an bone yield of three catties, you can make nine Yang Core Pills. At three thousand points each, that’s twenty-seven thousand contribution points. And that’s not even counting the hide, blood, and meat, which are also high-grade and valuable. The camp profits by half without lifting a finger…”

“What are you trying to say? Just say it. Don’t beat around the bush!”

Xia Hong was in no mood to debate this with Li Xuanling. Besides, her math was wrong. She wasn’t factoring in the recipe for the Yang Core Pill, the eighteen types of precious herbs required for alchemy, or the immense amounts of coal and manpower consumed in the process…

The camp certainly made a profit, but it was nowhere near as exaggerated as Li Xuanling claimed.

Remembering Great Xia’s Beast Meat rations for reservists and children under six, as well as the numerous measures implemented in Longshan over the past four days, Li Xuanling evidently knew she didn’t have a strong argument. She didn’t get angry at being interrupted, instead saying softly to Xia Hong, “My second uncle is getting on in years. It’s too dangerous to have him go out hunting high-grade Frost Beasts with everyone else. Could you… could you give him a few Yang Core Pills each month?”

Hearing this, Xia Hong’s brow twitched. He turned to look at her and said, “You’re saying he does nothing, and I should just give him a few pills directly every month?”

Li Xuanling nodded, her expression suggesting it was only natural.

Clearly, she still thought Great Xia was like the old Longshan, where the upper echelons had special privileges. To her, someone as strong and senior as Li Tiancheng receiving a few Yang Core Pills a month was nothing.

“Do you have any idea how many people, since Great Xia established its contribution point rules, don’t need to use contribution points to redeem resources?”

Li Xuanling looked taken aback and subconsciously replied, “You, your brother Xia Chuan, those Frostwarden-realm warriors who fought to the death at the Hive, they should all…”

“One person. In all of Great Xia, there is only one person!”

Interrupted, Li Xuanling froze. When she realized the person Xia Hong was referring to could only be himself, an expression of disbelief crossed her face.

“How is that possible?”

“Why would it be impossible? Otherwise, why do you think so many people in Great Xia willingly turn over the Frost Beasts they hunt, the herbs they gather, and the iron and coal they mine? It is because this rule applies to everyone equally. Everyone knows that the portion the camp profits from will eventually be returned to them through the Logistics Department…”

Xia Hong paused, then continued, “Your second uncle has a base strength of twenty-seven Mane. If he goes out with a few other Frostwarden-realm warriors, hunting high-grade Frost Beasts isn’t too difficult. If he’s truly afraid of the danger, he can hunt mid-grade Frost Beasts. At one-tenth the contribution value, it’s still easy for him to earn enough Yang Core Pills for his cultivation.”

With the significant increase in the number of Frostwarden-realm warriors in the camp, Xia Chuan and Qiu Peng had issued a new regulation in mid-June to prevent people from intentionally hunting mid-grade Frost Beasts to rack up contribution points. Frostwarden-realm warriors hunting mid-grade Frost Beasts could now only redeem them for one-tenth of their original value.

A mid-grade Frost Beast was generally worth between four thousand and five thousand points. One-tenth of that was about four hundred points, meaning one would have to hunt nearly thirty of them to equal the value of one high-grade Frost Beast.

Even so, it was more than enough for Li Tiancheng to get his Yang Core Pills.

However, Xia Hong’s response clearly did not meet Li Xuanling’s expectations.

She had brought this up to secure special resource privileges for Li Tiancheng. Being flatly rejected by Xia Hong, her small face immediately tightened.

Seeing Xia Hong walk directly into the garrison, seemingly intending to ignore her, she asked angrily, “Then what about me? What about my cultivation resources? Over the last four days, the Logistics Division has registered contribution points for everyone in the camp at the Lumberjack realm and above, but no one came to find me. Don’t tell me you’re afraid my cultivation speed will be too fast and I’ll surpass you, are you?”

“Heh…”

Without stopping, Xia Hong let out a disdainful laugh. He tossed a small porcelain bottle back toward Li Xuanling and said lightly, “Since you’re with me now, I will naturally be responsible for your food, clothing, shelter, and cultivation expenses from now on. I will give you ten Yang Core Pills every month. If you think that’s not enough, or if you want to get cultivation resources for your second uncle, then go hunt high-grade Frost Beasts yourself!”

Hearing these words, Li Xuanling’s face flushed. She opened the porcelain bottle and saw at least a hundred Yang Core Pills lying inside. Looking up at Xia Hong’s departing back, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.

What she didn’t notice was that Xia Hong, walking toward the Main Building, grimaced slightly, a pained look on his face.

“Li Xuantian and his group dropped 215 drops, the eight new garrisons yielded a total of 139 drops, I took 21 drops from Li Xuanling’s chambers, plus the 85 drops from tonight, the total stock of Hanping Jade Dew is now 460 drops. Once I have the other dozen or so herbs, that’s enough to refine over four thousand pills. Ten a month for this woman… I should be able to handle it, right?”

Great Xia, Year Two, August 1st.

Compared to Longshan, which was in a whirlwind of reconstruction, Xiacheng was far livelier.

To say it was merely lively was an understatement. The entire city had been in a complete uproar since the night of July 8th.

The reason was simple: on the night of the 8th, Liu Yuan had returned.

Victory at the Hive and in Longshan. The unification of Longyou. One explosive piece of news after another spread from Liu Yuan, and the whole of Xiacheng immediately began to boil with excitement.

It wasn’t just the common people, the Lumberjack-realm, or the Earthforger-realm warriors. Even Yuan Cheng and the seventeen others who had just returned from the Hive to recuperate couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear all day long after hearing about the victory in Longshan and the unification of Longyou.

In the Inner City of Xiacheng, in the square before the Main Building, Yuan Cheng, wrapped in bandages, sat in a wooden wheelchair, watching a large group of youngsters, with an average age of just over ten, practicing their punches.

“Hey, you brats! Your punches are so weak! All that Beast Meat you eat has gone to waste. No wonder you’re all so old and still haven’t broken through to the Earthforger realm. One of these days, I’ll drag you out into the wilderness to face some Frost Beasts, and then you won’t dare to loaf around in the city anymore.”

“Over at the Martial Arts Academy, the current record for the youngest to reach the Earthforger realm is ten years and three months, and it’s about to drop below ten. If you kids are any slower, you might not even be able to beat children in the future.”

“Don’t you dare disbelieve me. Back when I followed the Leader out from the dirt hill, I was about your age. Tsk, tsk, Great Xia was so weak back then, we couldn’t even find a decent saber. I took a stone axe, and along with the Leader and the Director, we fought a Snow Mane in the wilderness for an entire night. We nearly lost our lives…”

Yuan Cheng chattered on endlessly, completely oblivious to the fact that in the back rows of the training group, many had already started covering their mouths to snicker and mock him.

“Lord Yuan has been coming to watch us practice every day recently.”

“That’s not right. It should be, he comes to brag to us every day.”

“Doesn’t he have anything better to do?”

“It’s not that he’s idle; he’s recuperating. I heard a total of nineteen lords were seriously injured at the Hive, including the Director. Lord Yuan’s injuries are among the worst, which is why he still hasn’t recovered.”

“I know. And three Frostwarden-realm warriors died in battle. A lot of bodies were brought back on the 15th of last month. I heard crying from the house next to mine.”

“They say over three thousand people died in total. On the 20th of last month, Lord Zhu Yuan held a unified funeral for all the fallen soldiers according to the rites of the Great Xia mourning protocols. Not only their families, but all the adults in the camp went.”

“I know about that. Lord Zhu Yuan’s younger brother was one of them. The compensation the camp gave was quite high. An Earthforger-realm warrior got twenty thousand contribution points, and all their assets, including the military honors they earned this time, were inherited by their widow and children. If they had none, an orphan was chosen to inherit.”

“A lot of people died, but our camp gained a lot too! All of Longyou now belongs to our Great Xia. I heard an adult say it’s thirteen thousand square kilometers. I don’t even know how big that is. Do you guys?”

“I don’t know either. They say it’s more than ten times our current territory.”

“More than ten times… hiss…”

“The Leader is amazing. Before he even broke through to the Earthforger realm, he was already leading us out to hunt Frost Beasts. I…”

The discussion at the back of the group didn’t disturb Yuan Cheng’s bragging. He was still滔滔不绝 spinning his fabricated tales.

But soon, he was interrupted by a discordant voice.

“Alright, alright, what nonsense are you spouting here? If I remember correctly, you didn’t break through to the Earthforger realm until you were seventeen. Every single one of these kids in front of you will probably break through before you did. Aren’t you ashamed?”

“Get lost, get lost! Xu Ning, what nonsense are you talking about? Everything I said is true.”

In reality, those who could train here in front of the Main Building were mostly children from the Inner City’s core circle. Their parents were either Hunting team captains, Cloud Serpent Army soldiers, or, in a few cases, even Frostwarden-realm warriors of Great Xia.

These children were long familiar with the history of Great Xia’s early rise. They knew the stories of Xia Hong, Xia Chuan, and even Yuan Cheng himself like the back of their hands.

How could they not recognize the tall tales Yuan Cheng had been spinning lately? They just didn’t dare, nor did they wish, to expose him, partly out of fear of his authority and partly because they knew he was just in a very good mood.

Now that Xu Ning had loudly and directly called him out, seeing Yuan Cheng’s embarrassed and awkward expression, the group of children couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha…”

“Hahaha!”

“No laughing! Continue with your punches!”

The children paid no attention to his reprimand and continued to laugh.

Seeing that he couldn’t stop them and was starting to lose his own composure, Yuan Cheng turned to Xu Ning and complained, “Weren’t you supposed to be heading back to Wuyuan? What are you doing here, ruining my fun?”

Xu Ning smiled and said, “I didn’t come here intentionally to rain on your parade. A message came from Longshan. The Director wants to know how much longer it will take for you to fully recover.”

Hearing that it was Xia Chuan asking, Yuan Cheng’s expression immediately turned serious. He replied, “About another half a month. Why, does the Director have orders for me?”

Xu Ning nodded. “There are eight new garrisons in Longyou. So far, the Leader has only personally appointed a Garrison Prefect for Longshan. The candidates for the other seven garrisons haven’t been decided yet. It’s time for you, the Prefect of the Garrison Department, to get to work!”

At the mention of this, Yuan Cheng’s face immediately fell into a bitter expression, and he shook his head repeatedly.

“Don’t even start. So many people have come to me these past few days, all saying they want to go. I don’t know who to pick. If you ask me, the Leader and the Director should just appoint them directly. If I have to choose, who am I supposed to pick?”

Xu Ning had a strange look on his face, but then he remembered that the number of Frostwarden-realm warriors in Great Xia was far greater than before, and he quickly understood.

There weren’t many positions available in Great Xia at the moment. Below Xia Chuan, the Director, were the Prefects and Vice-Prefects of the Six Departments. Further down were the recently established Six Divisions in Longshan. A garrison commander was essentially a junior version of a Garrison Prefect. Although their rank was the same as the heads of the Six Divisions, their authority was clearly lower.

Normally, it wasn’t a particularly impressive position, but demand outstripped supply. With only so many positions available and over eighty Frostwarden-realm warriors in the camp now, everyone was naturally vying for one.

Moreover, rumors had been circulating recently that after the rewarding of merits in October, the camp would undergo another round of restructuring, and those with official positions would receive special treatment.

This naturally made the competition even more fierce.

“I have an idea. Want to hear it?”

“Quick, tell me! What is it?”

Hearing Xu Ning’s words, Yuan Cheng immediately asked. He had been tearing his hair out over this matter recently, and hearing that Xia Chuan had even sent someone to press him made him even more anxious. If Xu Ning had a good suggestion, he was, of course, all ears.

“Actually, from the Leader’s appointment of Yue Feng as the Longshan Garrison Prefect, you can roughly tell that what these garrison commander and prefect positions require most is likely not strength, but the ability to manage a region.

“Since Yue Feng was appointed garrison commander of Jing Valley, he has supplied Xiacheng with a great deal of iron ore and coal. He has also sent large quantities of Beast Meat, Beast Blood, Beast Bones, as well as resources like Snow Bamboo and bamboo fiber. On top of that, during the Longyou campaign from April to July, the transport of troops and supplies along the northern and southern direct roads from Jing Valley proceeded without any issues.

“So, it’s not surprising that the Leader appointed him!”

After hearing this, Yuan Cheng immediately fell into deep thought.

“You mean, I should test their administrative abilities?”

“Of course.”

“Then how should I test them?”

“I hear the direct road will be completed next month. The people in Longyou should be waiting to migrate right now, so regular hunting and mining at the seven garrisons have probably stopped. For those who are interested, just send them with their own hunting teams to a garrison for a month, empty-handed. Use one month as the deadline. Whoever supplies Xiacheng with the most resources in the end gets to be the garrison commander!”

“What a great idea! Xu Ning, you’re brilliant!”

The light bulb went on for Yuan Cheng, and his expression immediately became excited.

This method of selecting people was indeed perfect.

The more Yuan Cheng thought about it, the happier he became. But after staring at Xu Ning for a while, he seemed to remember something and said with a hint of regret, “It’s a bit of a shame for you. Wuyuan can’t compare to Jing Valley. I reckon if you had been sent to Jing Valley, you wouldn’t have done any worse than Yue Feng. That Longshan Garrison Prefect position might have been yours.”

Xu Ning merely shook his head at these words but didn’t refute them.

There was some truth to what Yuan Cheng said.

Jing Valley had, after all, been the territory of a massive camp. Not to mention the vast resource area of the Arrow Bamboo Forest, when it was annexed by Great Xia, there were two confirmed iron mines within its borders.

Compared to Jing Valley, Wuyuan was lacking. Firstly, the Five Ape Mountain was not very large, so its Frost Beast resources were not as abundant. Secondly, there was only one iron mine, the one from the former Three Tigers camp.

As the saying goes, you can’t make bricks without straw. Having been given a relatively resource-poor area, the amount of resources he could supply to Xiacheng was naturally less than Yue Feng’s.

Coupled with the recent military campaigns being focused on Longyou, Yue Feng had more opportunities to earn merit than he did. Thus, it was only natural that Yue Feng would stand out and be personally appointed by Xia Hong as the Garrison Prefect of Longshan.

Xu Ning clearly did not wish to dwell on this topic and suddenly asked Yuan Cheng, “By the way, has Qiu Peng come to tally your military merits yet?”

At the mention of military merits, Yuan Cheng’s expression immediately became animated. He chuckled and nodded, “He came to ask me the day before yesterday. Haha, I held off three Frostwarden-realm warriors by myself, one of whom was Li Xuanping. Qiu Peng said my military merit in the defense of the Hive is definitely among the highest. Probably just a little less than the Director’s. Even Chen Yingyuan can’t compare to me.”

Hearing this, a look of envy first appeared on Xu Ning’s face, but then his eyes fell upon Yuan Cheng’s extensive injuries, and he calmed down considerably.

He had also been present on the night of the Hive’s defense and had seen the scene of Yuan Cheng single-handedly holding off three Frostwarden-realm warriors.

To be honest, if not for a stroke of luck where the newly broken-through Shi Ping appeared and saved Yuan Cheng, Xu Ning was almost certain that Yuan Cheng would have been the fourth Frostwarden-realm warrior from Great Xia to die that night.

This was military merit that Yuan Cheng had earned with his life.

It was indeed enviable, but also very difficult to replicate.

“My military merit should be a bit lower than yours. I heavily wounded a Frostwarden-realm warrior from Longshan. Qiu Peng went to Longshan to confirm his identity. I think his name was Lu Yushan.”

“That strict? He had to go confirm the person’s identity?”

Hearing that Qiu Peng had gone to such lengths to confirm the identity, Yuan Cheng looked curious. He then asked, “I hear something big is going to happen at the rewarding of merits in October, and the camp is going to be restructured again. Is that true or false?”

Clearly, rumors of the restructuring had reached everyone’s ears.

Xu Ning nodded. “I’ve heard some things from Qiu Peng. The reason they’re verifying military merits so strictly is because they’re going to use them to grant titles of nobility. It seems that in the future, Besides the positions in the Six Departments, the most important thing in the camp will be these titles. I don’t know the specifics.”

Titles of nobility?

Yuan Cheng looked stunned for a moment, but then something seemed to occur to him. “Shilu went to the Xia Clothing Workshop yesterday to get a set of clothes made for our boy. She said she saw the tailors there working on some very beautiful clothes. Apparently, they’re all woven thread by thread from bamboo fiber and dyed with golden shimmer powder. She wouldn’t shut up about it when she got back and insisted that I go to the Artisan Workshop and ask if we could trade for a set.

“Those people at the Artisan Workshop said that batch of clothes was custom-ordered by the Director and can only be used in October. Could that be related to the titles of nobility?”

Xu Ning shook his head, clearly not knowing.

“Alright, I have to get back to Wuyuan. I haven’t been there in almost a month. I wonder how things are over there.”

“Okay, okay, you go on ahead. I’m going to find Qiu Peng and ask around some more.”

The fervor in Xiacheng continued. Discussions about military merit and titles of nobility, based on rumors and speculation, grew more and more frequent. But the most important thing, of course, was the curiosity about the more than two hundred thousand people who were about to migrate from Longyou.

In the Outer City, one large temporary wooden house after another was being erected. The ground was also being planned out, clearly preparing plots of land for the newcomers.

Those already living in the Outer City felt a renewed sense of urgency knowing that more people were about to pour in, especially those who had just arrived in May from the Hive, Wushuang, and Hanqiong, and who had not yet had a chance to buy land and build a house.

The migration was set to begin in September. They did not have much time left.

Time trickled by, and August was soon over.

On September 10th, the five sections of the Xia Direct Road connecting Longshan, Zhaoyang, Baiyuan, Xiling, and Dongkang to Wushuang were officially declared complete.

A vast and mighty great migration had finally begun…

Chapter 320: End of the Migration, Grandeur of Great Xia, Stargazer Hall

Second year of Great Xia, September 30th, first half of the night.

Bang…

A faint sound suddenly echoed from the northern wall of Xiacheng.

“Incredible. This wall clearly looks like it’s just made of black earth, yet it can withstand the force of one Mane. And at this scale, even if I were to strike with all my might, I’d probably only make a few small dents. Without enough time, causing any large-scale damage would be impossible.”

Below the wall, Li Xuanling couldn’t help but marvel as her punch left only a small, shallow indentation.

Although she had only used one Mane of force, it was equivalent to a full-power strike from most mid-grade Frost Beasts. The wall was five meters thick. Even an iron wall of the same thickness would be somewhat deformed by a charge from a mid-grade Frost Beast, yet this wall only had such a tiny dent.

“It must not be ordinary black earth. These three walls could probably withstand the impact of a large-scale Beast Tide, as long as there aren’t too many high-grade Frost Beasts. It’s a good thing you were wise back in July. If you had brought the Longyou Army to attack Xiacheng then, you probably would have suffered a more miserable defeat!”

Li Tiancheng blurted out his true thoughts. Seeing Li Xuanling’s expression darken, he realized he had brought up a sore subject and quickly pointed toward the western wall to change the topic. “The migrating groups should all be in the city. Let’s hurry over. We can finally see just what this Xiacheng is like.”

Li Tiancheng had already scouted the Redwood Ridge area to check on Xiacheng before the war began in July, though he hadn’t entered the city at the time. Over the past two months in Longshan, he had heard so many stories about Xiacheng from the Frostwarden realm cultivators of Great Xia that his ears were practically calloused. Now that he could finally see it for himself, he was naturally very curious.

Li Xuanling nodded, and walked with Li Tiancheng toward the west gate.

Ever since the five straight roads were completed on the tenth of September, the two hundred and sixty thousand people of Longyou had been migrating to Xiacheng in a continuous stream.

The number of people in this migration was immense, and the vast majority were ordinary civilians, untrained unlike a proper army. Furthermore, Xia Chuan had implemented a phased migration to reduce security risks, which naturally made the process astonishingly slow.

The group of over ten thousand people migrating tonight was the very last one from all of Longyou, and it happened to be the people from Longshan.

The aunt-and-nephew pair, Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng, felt a lingering attachment to their homeland and were reluctant to leave so soon, so they had waited until tonight to come with the final batch.

After walking west for a short while, Li Xuanling saw from a distance that there were still ten long queues at the city gate. A rough estimate told her that at least six or seven thousand people had yet to enter, and she frowned.

“Barely half of them are inside. Why is entering the city so slow?”

Li Tiancheng also shook his head in confusion. Seeing Li Xuanling stride forward angrily, he worried she might cause trouble and quickly followed behind her.

“Next!”

“This humble one is Zhou An, from Longshan, twenty-three years old, Lumberjack realm, married. These three are my wife, Wang Yuniang, twenty-one, also Lumberjack realm; my son, Zhou Shun, seven; and my daughter, Zhou Rou, four.”

“It matches. Your residence is in temporary wooden building number 48 in the Outer City, room 98 on the third floor. After entering, walk five hundred meters along the main road and turn right. You’ll find it by following the building numbers.”

“Thank you, my lord, thank you!”

“Next!”

“This humble one is Zhang Fan, from Yucheng, nineteen years old, Earthforger realm. Unmarried and not part of a registered household. I’m alone.”

“It matches. Your residence is the same as the previous one, also in temporary wooden building number 48, room 67 on the second floor. You can find it by following the family of four in front of you.”

“Thank you for the directions, my lord!”

“Next!”

“This humble one is Zheng Qing, from Longshan, thirty-one years old, Earthforger realm, married. This is my wife, Liu Ying, twenty-eight, Lumberjack realm, and this is my son, Zheng Hong, eight.”

“It matches. Your residence is in temporary wooden building number 49 in the Outer City, room 12 on the first floor. You can find it by following the people ahead.”

“Thank you, my lord, thank you!”

………………

Still over a hundred meters from the gate, Li Xuanling could clearly hear the voices and finally understood why the process was so slow.

The guards were checking and verifying the information of each person entering the city, and the screening was incredibly thorough, covering everything from name, origin, household registration, and age to family members.

“Didn’t we already go through a population and household registration in Longshan? Do we have to be checked again upon entering the city? Isn’t Great Xia being a bit too strict?”

Li Tiancheng didn’t answer right away. Instead, he listened for a while longer before sighing softly and saying in a low voice, “Listen carefully. They’re assigning housing based on household registration and origin. Those with the same household registration are mostly being split up and housed with people from other places.”

Li Xuanling was quite clever herself. She quieted down and listened for another moment, realizing her second uncle was right. She immediately understood.

“They’re afraid people from the same place will form cliques, so they’re deliberately mixing everyone up by their origins. Xia Hong is being far too petty, hmph!”

Of course, this had nothing to do with pettiness. Such a measure not only drastically reduced administrative costs but also enhanced the settlement’s control over the newly integrated population. At the same time, it accelerated their integration into Great Xia and was even highly significant for the settlement’s security…

This was clearly a brilliant measure with multiple benefits.

Li Tiancheng was well aware of his niece’s intelligence.

For Li Xuanling to say such a thing was obviously a deliberate act of pique against Xia Hong.

Li Tiancheng thought for a moment, then tried to console her in a low voice.

“Xuanling, Leader Xia has treated you well. Ten… every month…”

“Excuse me, is that Senior Li Tiancheng?”

His words were cut short by a voice from the city gate.

The two looked up and saw two Golden Armored Soldiers leading more than ten beautiful young women, who were jogging toward them.

As the group approached, the two took the chance to observe their attire.

At the city gate, both the soldiers on duty and those screening the newcomers wore black, hundred-forged iron armor, and their base strength was mostly below twenty thousand catties.

However, the two men approaching them wore the same golden armor as the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers, and their base strength was above twenty thousand catties.

Furthermore, although the ten-odd beautiful young women behind them had only just broken through to the Earthforger realm, they were dressed exquisitely.

They wore cotton clothes underneath, just like herself, but over them, they had blue velvet padded jackets. Judging by the fineness of the velvet, it was clearly the top-layer fleece of a Frost Wolf.

Top-layer fleece from a Frost Wolf wasn’t particularly rare in Longshan, but because of its excellent insulation and low yield, it was usually used to make hats, and not everyone could afford to wear them.

But to use it for clothing, and for more than ten women who had just reached the Earthforger realm to be wearing it, was a different matter entirely.

And that wasn’t all—the silver rat fur stoles around their necks, the aqua silk sewn into their cuffs, the bone jade accessories in their hair, the snow-white fleece skirts they wore…

The clothes and accessories on these women alone were derived from more than ten different types of Frost Beasts, to say nothing of the exquisite workmanship.

Could it be that in Great Xia, even those at the Earthforger realm could afford such clothing?

Even someone as worldly as Li Tiancheng couldn’t help but be stunned.

As for Li Xuanling, it went without saying. She had plenty of her own accessories and clothes, but compared to these women of Great Xia, hers could only be described as simple.

Despite her Frostwarden realm cultivation, Li Xuanling was still a woman, and a love for beauty was in her nature. Seeing such magnificent clothes and accessories, she couldn’t hide her curiosity and found herself appraising the women.

As a newcomer, Li Tiancheng dared not act presumptuously. He nodded and cupped his hands toward the two Golden Armored Soldiers. “I am he. May I ask who you are?”

“Gate Commander of Xiacheng, Zhu Kang!”

“Gate Commander of Xiacheng, Hong Yu!”

Gate Commander. It was obviously an official position for guarding the city gates.

Li Tiancheng nodded. Just as he was about to speak, a woman who seemed to be the leader of the group of women behind them hurried forward to stand before Li Xuanling.

“Then you must be Madam. My name is Hanyue, Head Maid of Stargazer Hall. By order of the Lord, I am here to welcome you, Madam.”

Being called “Madam” made Li Xuanling’s face instantly flush red. She was about to retort, but before she could open her mouth, the dozen or so maids behind Hanyue bowed in unison.

“We greet you, Madam.”

Hong Yu and Zhu Kang exchanged a glance and also bowed.

“We greet you, Madam!”

………………

Li Xuanling froze on the spot, at a loss for words.

“No wonder the Lord said we just had to wait at the gate and that we’d recognize Madam as soon as she arrived. I’ve never seen anyone prettier than Madam among the hundreds of thousands in Great Xia!”

“That’s right! Madam is so beautiful just in a white dress with no accessories. She’ll be breathtaking in our Xia attire.”

“Only a beauty like Madam is worthy of our Lord.”

………………

Li Xuanling had always been thin-skinned. Being showered with such direct praise by the maids made her small face turn crimson, losing the usual composure of the former Leader of Longshan.

“Alright, let’s not block the way. Let’s get Madam into the city first!”

Hanyue interrupted the maids and led Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng toward the city gate.

The soldiers on duty at the gate clearly recognized the group of maids. Seeing Li Xuanling being escorted like a star surrounded by moons, they immediately realized who she was and all stopped what they were doing, clearly preparing to rise and salute.

Seeing their movements, Li Xuanling frowned slightly and said softly, “We are only entering the city. There’s no need for such a commotion…”

She paused, worried her words wouldn’t be heeded, and continued, addressing Hong Yu and Zhu Kang, “I think it’s better to let this last group of people enter the city quickly. It’s freezing out here, and we should avoid any accidents.”

“As Madam commands!”

To her surprise, Hong Yu and Zhu Kang complied without any hesitation. Understanding her intent, they bowed and immediately rushed to the gate.

“Don’t stop! Get back to your duties! Continue letting people in.”

“Everyone, keep working. Don’t look around.”

………………

Seeing Hong Yu and Zhu Kang obey her command so readily, a strange look flickered in Li Xuanling’s eyes.

The maid Hanyue, leading the way beside her, seemed to guess what she was thinking and said in a low voice, “There’s no need to be so reserved, Madam. When the Lord returned five days ago, he said that within Xiacheng, you are his equal. Therefore, all of us will obey your commands.”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling felt a flicker of happiness.

But on second thought, she couldn’t help but purse her lips.

Xia Hong’s words meant that her authority as “Madam” was confined to Xiacheng. Outside the city, in the other territories of Great Xia, it wouldn’t apply.

Of course, Li Xuanling also knew that for Xia Hong to do this much was already quite remarkable. So, despite her slight pout, she didn’t say anything more and continued to follow Hanyue and the others into the city.

“Senior Li, your residence is also in the Outer City. I will personally take you there.”

Before the group had even stepped into the city, Hong Yu caught up from behind.

Li Tiancheng looked startled. He clearly hadn’t expected that the temporary residence Great Xia had arranged for him would be in the Outer City.

“Don’t worry, Senior Li. You won’t be living amongst the general populace. The Artisan Department has built a private courtyard residence for every Frostwarden realm cultivator from Longshan. Prefect Qiu said this is an advance. Once you have enough contribution points, you can simply repay the Logistics Department.”

The Six Divisions of Longshan had been established for over two months, so Li Tiancheng was no stranger to Great Xia’s many rules. In fact, he had already formed his own hunting team in Longshan and had accumulated a fair number of contribution points.

Still, Great Xia’s policy of giving absolutely no special treatment to those at the Frostwarden realm stirred a strange feeling in him, and it also made him even more curious about what lay within the city.

“In that case, I will have to trouble little friend Hong Yu to lead the way!”

After Li Tiancheng spoke, the group started moving again, heading into the city.

As they stepped through the city gates, the faces of Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng were immediately illuminated by firelight. They looked up at the scene before them, their expressions instantly freezing in a stupor.

Before them was a wide main road, ten meters across. Although palm-sized snowflakes were drifting down from the sky, there was no snow on the road. To be more precise, the snowflakes would melt just as they neared the ground, turning into water that flowed into drainage channels on either side of the road.

Along both sides of the main road, seven-meter-tall iron poles stood every five meters, each holding a coal furnace. Through the walls of the furnaces, one could see the glowing red coal stones, continuously radiating heat.

Of course, the heat was secondary; the light was more important.

The light cast from such densely packed furnaces illuminated nearly the entire main road. In addition, the rows of buildings on both sides were also lit with furnace fires, so that as far as the eye could see in the Outer City, there wasn’t a single dark corner.

It wasn’t just the furnaces. Every twenty meters along the streets stood a large Icegleam Tree with a diameter of over five meters. These trees had clearly been transplanted into Xiacheng long ago; even the layer of ice that had once coated them was gone. Under the glow of the firelight, they faintly shimmered with a greenish hue.

“Madam has arrived at an inopportune time. These Icegleam Trees are most beautiful when they bear fruit and their fruits and branches are covered in a thick layer of ice. The last harvest was in August, so we’ll have to wait another two months for the next one to mature.”

Hanyue noticed the expressions of Li Xuanling and Li Tiancheng and immediately began to explain.

“Both the Inner and Outer Cities have four main roads. The Icegleam Tree is not a particularly precious plant, so it’s placed closest to the city gate. Further in, you’ll see dozens of other tree varieties, such as Chenxiang, Lushui, Lanyu, Qingxian, Xianghan, Baizhi, Jade Bone, Hantong, and more. This way, Madam!”

If the static streets, houses, and trees had merely caused Li Xuanling and her nephew to widen their eyes, then the original inhabitants of Great Xia occasionally passing by on the streets, including the residents emerging from the houses on either side, were enough to leave them utterly dumbfounded and speechless.

Many of the people on the street were newcomers like them, who had just entered through the gates. But with a single glance, one could distinguish them from the original residents of Great Xia by their clothing alone, without even needing to look at their vitality.

The vast majority of people from Longyou still wore beast-hide clothes. Even those at the Earthforger realm who could afford cotton clothes often had some beast hide mixed in. The only ones who could wear pure cotton were generally those at the Earthforger limit or the children and relatives of the settlement’s upper echelons.

But Great Xia was different. Almost all adults in the Outer City wore a layer of cotton clothes underneath, with a standard-issue animal-hide coat over it for warmth.

Some of the six- and seven-year-old children playing on the streets were dressed in full sets of small beast-fleece outfits. One look at the workmanship and materials told you they were better than the cotton clothes the adults wore.

“Xuanling, look at that boy. Am I seeing things?”

Li Tiancheng suddenly looked as if he’d seen a ghost, pointing at a young boy not far down the street for Li Xuanling to see.

Li Xuanling looked over, her face also filling with astonishment.

“He’s thirteen or fourteen at most, and he’s already at the Earthforger realm?”

Hong Yu was right beside them and naturally heard Li Tiancheng’s exclamation.

He followed their gaze, and when he saw the boy, his expression turned a little strange. “Speaking of which, that boy shares the same surname as you, Senior and Madam. His name is Li Yuanqing, and he just turned fourteen.”

At the mention of this name, the expressions of Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling froze simultaneously.

It wasn’t just the same surname.

Li Xuantian had a son also named Li Yuanqing, a Provost Captain in the second regiment of the Longyou New Army. He was captured by Great Xia during the battle of Long White Gully, and Xia Hong had personally ordered his execution at the end of July.

Although Hong Yu hadn’t been a Gate Commander for long, he knew a great deal thanks to his father, Hong Guang. Seeing the frozen expressions on their faces, he thought for a moment and instantly recalled that the person from the Li family executed at the end of July was also named Li Yuanqing. He realized he had said something he shouldn’t have.

“Madam, Senior, my deepest apologies. It was not my intention to offend you!” he quickly apologized, his expression somewhat apprehensive.

“It’s fine. Continue leading the way.”

Neither Li Tiancheng nor Li Xuanling would blame him for it. They gestured for him to continue, sighed softly, and followed him onward.

Soon, it was time for Li Tiancheng to part ways with Li Xuanling. His residence was in the southern part of the Outer City, so he needed to turn right, while Li Xuanling had to continue straight to enter the Inner City.

“Second Uncle, take care. I’ll come to the Outer City to see you when I have time.”

Li Tiancheng nodded and instructed softly, “Leader Xia has not yet set a date for your wedding. I will go speak with him about it in a couple of days. You take care as well.”

With that, Li Tiancheng left with Hong Yu.

Li Xuanling continued on toward the Inner City with Hanyue and the other maids.

Seeing that the checkpoint for the Inner City was still a few hundred meters away, Li Xuanling asked Hanyue, “Have you always called him ‘Lord’?”

Hanyue shook her head and replied, “It was last month that the Lord Prefect ordered us to change the title. The Prefect said that Great Xia now has a population of four hundred thousand and a territory spanning tens of thousands of kilometers, far exceeding the standard for a town-level encampment. Therefore, we must address him as Lord.”

A population over one hundred thousand made an encampment town-level. Great Xia’s current scale was indeed far beyond that standard, so calling him Lord was appropriate.

“Is the Stargazer Hall you mentioned the Lord’s residence?”

“That’s right. Stargazer Hall is a residence of masterful design, built especially for the Leader by Prefect Mu. Its craftsmanship is truly divine, and it’s deservedly the tallest building in Xiacheng. When its construction was completed five days ago, it was a marvel to behold. I’m sure you will love it when you see it, Madam.”

It’s just a building, what’s all the fuss about…

Despite being thoroughly shaken by the Outer City, Li Xuanling decided, for the sake of her pride, that no matter how much of a marvel the hall was, she had to remain composed.

They soon reached the checkpoint to the Inner City.

Her first glimpse after entering the Inner City was a devastating blow to Li Xuanling’s psyche.

Standing before her were two women dressed in blue Xia attire.

Both women were exceptionally beautiful, and their clothes were clearly of high quality, perhaps no less expensive than her own gauze dress. The many accessories they wore were visibly of a much higher grade than those worn by Hanyue and the other maids.

Of course, their appearance alone wouldn’t have been enough to deliver such a severe blow.

It was their cultivation!

She realized that the woman in front also had a Frostwarden realm cultivation.

Her power might not be as strong as her own, but she wasn’t as old either!

She could roughly tell that the woman was twenty at most, possibly not even twenty, at least two years younger than herself.

And she had a large belly, looking as if she was about to give birth.

Li Xuanling suddenly realized something, and her face instantly turned pale.

“Hanyue greets the Director’s wives!”

“We greet the Director’s wives.”

But when she heard the title Hanyue and the other maids used as they bowed to the two women, Li Xuanling’s deathly pale face instantly regained its color.

Xia Chuan was the Prefect of Great Xia. The “Director’s wives” were naturally his wives.

“We’ve long heard that Big Brother married a wife as beautiful as a celestial fairy. We didn’t believe it at first, but seeing you today, we know it’s true. Sister-in-law, you are truly beautiful. I, Xiao Yu, have never seen a woman as pretty as you.”

“Xiao Ning greets Sister-in-law!”

Compared to Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu was both more talkative and proactive. She came forward and showered Li Xuanling with praise. After closing the distance, she took Hanyue’s place, linking her arm with Li Xuanling’s and leading her deeper into the Inner City with a smile.

“Sister-in-law, since you’re new here, if you ever feel bored in the Inner City, please feel free to come find us sisters for a chat to relieve your boredom…”

Xiao Yu’s friendliness was infectious, and Li Xuanling quickly warmed up to her. It was as if they were old friends meeting for the first time, and they soon began to chat.

But in between their conversation, Li Xuanling didn’t forget to observe the Inner City.

The streets, the coal furnaces, the houses, the furnace lamps hanging on the mountain cliffs… The layout and facilities were even more luxurious than in the Outer City, leaving her somewhat dazzled.

And when she shifted her gaze from the objects to the people, her pupils contracted continuously, and she could barely suppress the astonishment in her heart, almost crying out in shock.

“All of them are at the Earthforger realm! Such young children, all at the Earthforger realm!”

“That one… he’s thirteen at most, right?”

“This one… might not even be eleven.”

“And that one… is he even ten? How is this possible?”

………………

At that moment, Li Xuanling just wanted to drag her second uncle, Li Tiancheng, over to see the children on the streets of the Inner City. That Li Yuanqing from the Outer City would probably be considered old here.

How could Great Xia have so many geniuses?

“Sister-in-law, we’ve arrived!”

“Ah… we’re at Stargazer Hall?”

Li Xuanling was pulled from her daze by Xiao Ning’s voice. She quickly looked up and realized that she had unknowingly arrived before a massive, three-story wooden building, about two hundred meters wide and fifteen meters tall.

From the scale and location of the building, and the meticulous arrangement of each floor from top to bottom, it was clearly the Main Building of Great Xia.

Li Xuanling had to admit, with the carved dragons and painted phoenixes on the eaves, the carefully arranged beast-shaped coal furnaces, the banner at the top of the building, and the overall appearance of alternating pale gold and black…

This Main Building was indeed impressive.

But to call it divine craftsmanship or a work of masterful design was a bit of an exaggeration.

As for being a marvel to behold, that was even more…

“Madam, this is the Main Building. Stargazer Hall is above. Please step back and take a look.”

Not Stargazer Hall?

Hearing Hanyue’s words, Li Xuanling froze for a moment, then took two steps back and looked up again above the Main Building.

At that sight, she was instantly stunned.

Hovering in the air behind and above the Main Building was a floating palace.

That palace was clearly forged from pure iron. Except for some decorative bone carvings and the bonfires and coal furnaces inside, it was entirely black.

It was only a little over thirty meters wide, just one-seventh the width of the Main Building, and was of a similar height, also fifteen meters. But because it was suspended thirty meters above the Main Building, it was hard to see clearly if one wasn’t looking carefully from the front.

How could a hall float?

As this question arose in Li Xuanling’s mind, she stared intently at the hall. An iron bridge extended from its main entrance, with the other end connected to the top floor of the Main Building.

Suddenly, noticing something, Li Xuanling turned her head to look at the cliffs on either side of the valley, and a look of sudden realization dawned on her face.

“It’s not floating. There are many iron structures underneath Stargazer Hall, connected to the stone walls on both sides of the valley. So that’s how it is…”

Chapter 321: A Changed Li Xuanling, Reforms, and the Ninth-Rank Viscount

“Madam, to get to Stargazer Hall, we must cross that iron bridge. We can go directly from the Hall of Deliberation. Please, follow me!”

Hanyue led Li Xuanling into the Main Building, up to the top floor, and directly into the Hall of Deliberation.

After the shock of seeing Stargazer Hall, Li Xuanling didn’t have much of a reaction to the Hall of Deliberation. She quickly followed Hanyue and the others through the great hall, onto the iron bridge at the back, and headed toward Stargazer Hall.

“Why didn’t they follow us?”

As they reached the hall’s portico, Li Xuanling noticed that Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu were no longer behind her and asked with curiosity.

“Madam, besides the fifteen of us maids, only you and the Director are permitted to enter Stargazer Hall. No one else may enter unless summoned by the Lord.”

Li Xuanling nodded and continued to follow Hanyue along the portico until they reached a chamber directly behind Stargazer Hall.

Upon entering the chamber, a complex expression immediately appeared on Li Xuanling’s face.

It wasn’t that the chamber was particularly luxurious—though the dazzling array of ornaments and Great Xia garments was certainly an eye-opener, that alone wasn’t enough to elicit such a reaction.

The key was that the chamber’s layout was identical to her private chambers back in Longshan. Even the items she had brought with her were arranged in exactly the same way.

“Did… he arrange all of this?”

Hanyue first nodded, then covered her mouth and chuckled, “The Lord personally instructed us to do all of this. It was the first time I’ve ever seen him so attentive. Madam, you are truly fortunate.”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling fell silent for a moment. She looked around the room, her gaze finally landing on the weapon rack by the west window, where she froze once more.

A silver longsword was placed at the very top of the rack—it was, unmistakably, her Tianhua Sword.

When her sneak attack on Xia Hong had failed, her weapon had naturally been confiscated.

During her time in Longshan, she had wanted to ask Xia Hong for it back on several occasions, but she had always held her tongue. She never expected him to return it to her just like this.

“Oh, right. Madam, please look at this. The Lord specifically asked me to give this to you.”

Hanyue suddenly remembered something. She opened the wardrobe and took out a white palace-style dress, unfolding it before handing it to Li Xuanling.

The dress felt as light as air in her hands. When unfolded, the fine white down on its surface seemed to glow, giving it an exquisite texture. Even more magically, under the flickering firelight of the room, the pristine white gradually transformed into a translucent, blood-jade color.

“What a magical dress.”

“This dress… it’s beautiful.”

“It’s gorgeous!”

“No wonder the Lord named it ‘Snow-Reflected Crimson Silk.’ So this is why.”

“It’s stunning. This dress must be incredibly precious.”

…

Hanyue and the other maids were clearly unaware of the dress’s special property. Seeing it change color, they gasped in amazement, their eyes filled with envy.

While Hanyue and the others didn’t know, Li Xuanling recognized it at a glance. The material of the dress was the fur of a Blood Jade Fox. What’s more, a single Blood Jade Fox could yield at most twenty-some centimeters of usable fur. This dress would have required at least ten Blood Jade Foxes to create.

She looked down at the magnificent dress in her hands. An unprecedented, strange feeling surged up from the bottom of her heart, and the complexity deep in her eyes slowly turned into inner conflict.

“Snow-Reflected Crimson Silk… He named it himself…”

“Madam must not have eaten since arriving from Longshan. We have already prepared a meal. Please, have your evening meal first!”

Standing behind Li Xuanling, Hanyue couldn’t see her expression. Remembering that she hadn’t eaten, she quickly signaled for the other maids to set up dinner.

Li Xuanling pushed aside her turmoil and quickly composed herself. Noticing that Hanyue had said “evening meal,” she recalled seeing households on both sides of the street preparing food as she entered the city. She asked curiously, “What do you mean by ‘evening meal’?”

Hanyue smiled and explained, “The evening meal is the last meal of the day. In Great Xia, we now have three meals a day: the morning meal, the midday meal, and the evening meal.”

Li Xuanling glanced at the moon outside the window and guessed that it was roughly the third watch of the latter half of the night. She immediately understood the meal schedule.

“Is the midday meal during the fourth watch after nightfall?”

Hanyue nodded. Just then, maids entered carrying trays.

Before the lids were even lifted, an incredibly tempting aroma wafted out, making Li Xuanling turn her head involuntarily.

She walked to the table and sat down, watching as Hanyue uncovered the first plate.

“This dish is Stir-fried Mane Meat with Snow Bamboo Shoots. The Snow Bamboo shoots are the most precious young shoots from the Arrow Bamboo Forest, and the Mane meat is from the most tender part of a mid-tier Snow Mane’s neck. Please try it, Madam, and see if you like it.”

It wasn’t that Li Xuanling had never eaten fine food—she had even tasted high-tier beast meat before. She was familiar with the two ingredients Hanyue mentioned and had eaten them before, but why had they never smelled so fragrant?

She took the iron chopsticks from Hanyue, picked up a piece, and put it in her mouth. Her expression changed instantly.

“This… this flavor… how can it be so delicious?”

She suddenly remembered something and asked, “It’s the salt, isn’t it? The salt!”

Hanyue was confused for a moment, but then she remembered Li Xuanling had just arrived in Great Xia and quickly nodded. “That’s right, Madam. The food that you and the Lord eat is seasoned with refined salt.”

During the past two months in Longshan, she had heard rumors about salt, but since she had never seen or tasted it herself, she hadn’t paid them much mind.

Now that she had tasted it firsthand, she finally understood just how magical this substance was.

It wasn’t just the taste; it made her body feel very comfortable and had a noticeable effect of clearing her blood qi and meridians. This meant that eating it could actually increase her cultivation speed.

Braised White Bear Paws in Green Drop Sauce, Roasted Lamb Chops with Aged Fruit, Stewed Kui Beast Ribs with Crystal Twigs, Tiger Stew with Fragrant Frostfruit—after tasting the next four dishes, Li Xuanling’s mouth was never empty again. It was only when Hanyue poured her a cup of Bloodchill Wine that her attention was finally drawn away from the food.

Li Xuanling raised the cup and drained it in one gulp. Her face instantly flushed red, and a wave of dizziness washed over her. She closed her eyes, savoring the aftertaste for more than ten breaths before slowly opening them, her face filled with excitement and vigor.

This wine was not only delicious but could also enhance her cultivation?

“This is Bloodchill Wine. The Lord specially instructed me to prepare five catties for you, Madam. If you wish to drink more in the future, I can fetch it for you at any time.”

Throughout the entire evening meal, the psychological impact on Li Xuanling was no less than when she had first laid eyes on Xiacheng.

She still hadn’t recovered even after Hanyue and the others had cleared everything away and were preparing to leave.

“Madam, I must return to serve by the Leader’s side. Hanshuang, Nongying, Qiuru, Mingyue, and Hualing will be dedicated to serving you from now on. Hanshuang is the head maid. If you need anything, Madam, you can have her come find me.”

Hanyue left five maids behind. Hanshuang, the head maid, bore a seventy percent resemblance to her and was likely her younger sister.

Li Xuanling nodded. After seeing Hanyue off, she lay down on the bed, attended by the five maids, and prepared to rest.

It was almost dawn. Normally, those at the Frostwarden realm slept at night, but since she wasn’t going out to hunt, sleeping during the day was fine.

She had eaten a lot and drunk a catty of Bloodchill Wine, so she was drowsy and naturally fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

But soon, she was jolted awake by a large hand slipping under her covers.

“Who’s there? How dare—”

Li Xuanling, startled awake, began to scold reflexively, but before she could finish, she realized who the intruder was and immediately fell silent.

What followed was a series of rustling sounds from within the room.

After a long while, the sounds in the room gradually subsided.

“Weren’t you unwilling before? Had a change of heart?”

“Get lost!”

Outside the door, the two maids on duty had long since turned beet red with embarrassment.

…

October 1st, the second year of the Great Xia Era.

As night fell, the Inner City became unusually lively.

Normally, the night was for hunting and production, so a bustling atmosphere was expected, but tonight’s situation was clearly different.

Many Frostwarden realm experts were heading toward the Main Building in groups. A large number of Earthforger realm individuals also seemed to have received some news in advance, gathering in clusters at the base of the Main Building, chattering excitedly.

“In the battle to defend the Hive, I killed one enemy. I suppose that counts as a small contribution.”

“Killing an enemy? That’s no small contribution! I’ve asked around; the ones attacking the Hive were from the Longyou Army, all at the Earthforger limit or higher. Killing one of them is definitely a major merit!”

“That’s right. The ones who managed to kill enemies were mostly Frostwarden realm experts. Not many of us could do it.”

“I seriously wounded two with my arrows. The Logistics Department has already confirmed it with me.”

“Me too, I seriously wounded one.”

“The main event tonight must be for those Frostwarden realm masters. They killed far more enemies than we did. The Lord will surely reward them with a lot of contribution points.”

“Contribution points are nothing. The granting of noble titles is the real main event.”

“Noble titles? What’s that?”

“I heard a rumor from the Logistics Department. They said the Lord has established a nine-rank nobility system to specifically reward those with outstanding military merit.”

“I’ve heard about it. They say that once you have a title, your status will be different, and you get special treatment. I just don’t know the specifics.”

“Different status? How different can it be? If you ask me, getting more contribution points is a better deal!”

“There are so many people in the camp now, contribution points are getting harder and harder to earn. Every night, hundreds of hunting teams go to Redwood Ridge. Good heavens, if you go late, there aren’t even any trees left to chop. And you have to fight tooth and nail for low-tier Frost Beasts.”

“I know, right? I heard a few teams got into a fight over prey last month. Someone almost died. Prefect Yuwen had to step in personally.”

“It’s true, contribution points aren’t easy to earn anymore. If this title of nobility isn’t useful, getting more contribution points would be a much better deal.”

“Let’s just wait and see what happens. Maybe it’ll be useful!”

Thump, thump, thump…

The discussions below the Main Building were interrupted by the sound of a large army marching.

Everyone turned to look toward the Outer City and saw a large contingent of soldiers clad in pale gold armor slowly approaching.

“It’s the Cloud Serpent Army! The Cloud Serpent Army is here too.”

“Of course. The Cloud Serpent Army was the main force in conquering Longyou. How could they be left out when rewards are being handed out based on merit?”

“That looks like over a thousand men. Didn’t they say over three hundred soldiers from the Cloud Serpent Army died in Longyou?”

“With all the new people who’ve arrived in the camp recently, their ranks were replenished long ago.”

“The one leading them is Captain Liu Yuan. The Director isn’t here.”

“The Director must have been in the Hall of Deliberation for a while now.”

“When the Leader attacked Longshan, Captain Liu was there too. His contributions must be significant.”

“Not just Longshan. I heard he was present at Long White Gully, Ningyuan Hill, and even when the Leader took his army to conquer Baiyuan and Xiling while we were defending the Hive. He was in all of them. For this capture of Longyou, his military merit is probably unmatched by all but a few.”

“Then he must be incredible!”

…

“Liu Yuan, Captain of the Cloud Serpent Army’s Scout Battalion, pays his respects to the Lord!”

“No need for formalities. Rise.”

In the Hall of Deliberation, with the arrival of the last person, Liu Yuan, all 89 of Great Xia’s current Frostwarden realm experts, including Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling, were finally gathered.

In early July, Xia Hong had taken a count in Longshan. At that time, not including Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling, there were 75 people.

Now, the 12 additional people in the hall were Hou Ming, Hou Ying, Hou Bing, Hou Tong, Hou Quan, Hou Ming, Lin Ye, Zhou Yuan, Cheng He, Wang Lie, Zhang Qingyuan, and Lu Yin.

The surrender of these 12 was well within Xia Hong’s expectations. After all, Zhaoyang and Longshan were gone, and Hou Hu had fled. With both Li Tiancheng and Hou Jing offering them a way out, as long as these 12 weren’t fools, they would inevitably choose to surrender.

“I won’t waste your time. I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve summoned you all here tonight for two main reasons: first, reforms, and second, rewarding merit. Let’s start with the reforms…”

Xia Hong paused slightly. Seeing that he had everyone’s full attention, he continued, “I won’t rehash the Longshan New Policy. You all have a general understanding of the Six Divisions as a local administrative body. What I want to reform this time is the ranking system for the existing positions in Great Xia.”

At this, Xia Hong gave Xia Chuan a look.

Xia Chuan nodded, immediately stepped forward, and announced to the crowd, “Excluding myself, the current positions in Great Xia can be broadly divided into four tiers. The first tier is the heads of the Six Departments, currently the six Prefects. The second tier is the Vice-Prefects of the Six Departments who assist the Prefects. The third tier is the newly established positions within the Six Divisions. The fourth tier includes the deputy positions in the Six Divisions and the various Garrison Commanders.

“By the Lord’s decree, all positions in Great Xia will henceforth be assigned a rank. For now, they will be divided into ranks one through five. Each ranked position will have a corresponding monthly stipend, which will consist of three components: contribution points, Yang Core Pills, and silk.

“Fourth-rank positions will receive a monthly stipend of 3,000 contribution points, 6 Yang Core Pills, and 20 meters of silk.

“Third-rank positions will receive a monthly stipend of 4,000 contribution points, 9 Yang Core Pills, and 25 meters of silk.

“Second-rank positions will receive a monthly stipend of 5,000 contribution points, 12 Yang Core Pills, and 30 meters of silk.

“First-rank positions will receive a monthly stipend of 6,000 contribution points, 15 Yang Core Pills, and 40 meters of silk.”

Everyone in the hall who held a position instantly found their breathing growing heavy.

Xia Chuan’s meaning was perfectly clear: this was a monthly stipend.

This meant that as long as they held their positions, they would receive these items every month, even if they did nothing.

The contribution points and silk were one thing, but the Yang Core Pills were the main prize. A single pill was worth 3,000 contribution points and was an essential spirit pill for their cultivation.

There were not many people in Great Xia who currently held official posts. Of the 89 Frostwarden realm experts in the hall, less than half actually had a position.

Thus, the vast majority looked at Yuwen Tao and the few others with unconcealed envy, which quickly turned into a strong desire for a position of their own.

“Of course, this is just a preliminary draft. With the recent surge in our population, both the Six Departments and the Six Divisions will need to be filled with a great deal of personnel. The need for management talent will only increase. We may add more ranked positions in the future. At that time, appointments will be made based on individual ability.”

Xia Chuan paused briefly before continuing, “In addition, the Lord has ordered me to establish the Department of Justice and the Department of Military Affairs. The former will oversee all criminal penalties and prisons within Great Xia, while the latter will command all of Great Xia’s military affairs. I will also be selecting the Prefects for these two departments from among you. It will all depend on your performance.”

The Department of Military Affairs was something everyone had already heard Xia Hong mention back in Longshan in July, so they weren’t surprised. But the Department of Justice immediately piqued their interest.

Two new departments meant a lot of new positions!

Their minds immediately began to race with possibilities.

“Aside from this, there is the matter of corvée labor. Previously, the camp rules required everyone to contribute a fixed quota of coal and iron daily, based on their cultivation level. Starting today, those with official positions will be exempt from corvée labor. You need only focus on your official duties. However, if you step down from your post, you will have to resume your contributions.”

After Xia Chuan finished, Xia Hong immediately picked up.

“Of course, it’s not just officials who can be exempted from corvée labor. Those with a title of nobility can as well!”

The moment Xia Hong said this, everyone below instantly perked up.

Compared to the Earthforger realm experts outside, these Frostwarden realm experts had much better access to information. They obviously knew more about the nine-rank nobility system than the others. Now, looking at Xia Hong, their faces were filled with both curiosity and anticipation.

“The nine ranks of viscount, from lowest to highest, are Dark-Feather, Crimson-Firmament, Azure-Abyss, Violet-Lightning, Golden-Palace, Jade-Balance, Celestial-Authority, Supreme-Subtlety, and Quasi-Earl…”

As Xia Hong listed the nine viscount ranks, the expressions of everyone present turned solemn.

Chapter 322: Ennoblement by Military Merit, an Exciting Prospect

“Ennoblement is a reward for those who have rendered meritorious service. And what constitutes meritorious service? Fighting enemies on the battlefield, expanding our territory, punishing evil, protecting our borders, managing a region… Anyone who has made a great contribution to the settlement will have the opportunity to be granted a title of nobility!

And as an individual’s merits accumulate, their title can also rise through the ranks, from the lowest Dark-Feather to the highest Quasi-Earl.

Whether one can be ennobled depends on personal merit.

Since many contributions are difficult to quantify, in most cases, an individual’s eligibility for a title will be jointly deliberated by Director Xia Chuan and the Prefects of the Six Departments, with the final decision made by me.

However, there are also more direct, easily quantifiable standards, such as military merit.

Next, I will focus on explaining the standards for ennoblement through military merit!”

Hearing this, the crowd’s spirits lifted, and they all perked up their ears to listen intently.

“To be granted the lowest-ranking Dark-Feather title, an individual must have a battlefield kill count of five hundred. Of course, this isn’t just any five hundred—they must be true enemy soldiers, like those of the Longyou Army or the Blood Guard Army.

Considering the different battlefield situations, ten ordinary Earthforger realm combatants can be counted as one true enemy soldier, and a Frostwarden realm enemy general can be counted as one hundred enemy soldiers.”

A commotion erupted…

Xia Hong’s words instantly set off a huge stir in the hall.

“Five hundred kills? And they all have to be soldiers like those from the Longyou Army or the Blood Guard Army?”

“How is that possible? The entire Longyou force we faced before was only five thousand strong. If we’re strict about it, doesn’t that mean at most ten people could be ennobled as Ninth-Rank Dark-Feather Viscounts?”

“What about the Frostwarden realm warriors? Five of them would work, right?”

“Easier said than done. Think back carefully. During the great war in Longyou from the fourth to the seventh month, how many people in our Great Xia actually killed a Frostwarden realm warrior?”

“Well, it seems like only the Director and the Prefects, plus a few others.”

“The conditions for ennoblement through military merit are a bit too harsh.”

…

“They are meant to be harsh! Otherwise, if just anyone could be ennobled, what would be the point of establishing this nine-rank nobility system?”

Xia Hong first cut off the crowd’s discussion, then continued, “Starting from the Ninth-Rank Dark-Feather Viscount, the kill requirement doubles for each rank you ascend. That means Crimson-Firmament requires one thousand kills, Azure-Abyss requires two thousand, and for the highest rank, Quasi-Earl, the requirement is one hundred and twenty-eight thousand enemy soldiers…”

What an unfamiliar number—one hundred and twenty thousand enemy soldiers!

Could they even find a settlement in the Ice Abyss with an army that large?

Xia Hong ignored the incredulous looks on everyone’s faces and continued to speak.

“This is purely for ennoblement by military merit. As I said before, it’s not just about fighting on the battlefield. Expanding territory, punishing evil, protecting our borders, managing a region… as long as you have enough merit for the settlement, you will be eligible for a title. However, I must set one precondition: all who are ennobled must have military merit to their name. If you are ennobled for other contributions, your military merit must be at least one-third of the battle merit required for the corresponding title.”

This was easy to understand. For instance, if your contributions in managing a region were immense, getting the approval of Xia Chuan and the Six Prefects wasn’t enough; you also needed a minimum kill count of 166 to truly qualify for the Ninth-Rank Dark-Feather Viscount title.

Clearly, Xia Hong was deliberately amplifying the importance of military merit.

After a moment of thought, the crowd immediately understood.

“Next, let’s talk about what you’re all most curious about—the benefits of being ennobled!”

At this, everyone truly focused with all their attention.

Since the difficulty of receiving a title was so high, the corresponding rewards would naturally be substantial.

They were just unsure of the specifics, so they all listened with rapt attention.

“A Ninth-Rank Dark-Feather Viscount is bestowed with one set of Ninth-Rank Great Xia Dark-Feather robes, and one set of imperially-made saber and battle armor. The annual noble’s stipend is: ten thousand contribution points, three Yang Core Pills, ten Blood Origin Pills, ten catties of high-grade Beast Blood, one hundred meters of silk, one catty of Bloodchill Wine, ten catties of aged liquor, and twenty catties of refined salt.

In addition, they are exempt from corvée labor for life. Their wife is granted the title of Ninth-Rank Viscountess and is also exempt from corvée labor for life. Their children may be called ‘Young Lord’ or ‘Young Lady.’ They may construct a two-hundred-square-meter residence within Xiacheng and are permitted to have two maids and five attendants in their household.”

…

After Xia Hong finished, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone’s breathing grew heavy. This was especially so after Mu Dong, right in front of them, had his men bring out the three items: the Great Xia Dark-Feather robes, the imperially-made saber, and the imperially-made battle armor. Their eyes were glued to the items, unable to look away.

“This crimson Dark-Feather robe is hand-woven from bamboo silk dyed with cinnabar frost powder. The Snow Mane pattern on it is embroidered stitch by stitch with Snow Bamboo Silk dyed with golden sheen powder. The dyeing process alone took half a month, and the entire production involved over a hundred tailors, taking a total of one month. What do you all think? Not bad, right?”

Mu Dong held up the Dark-Feather robe and spread it out as if showing off a treasure, afraid the crowd wouldn’t see it clearly, and he revealed nearly every detail.

“Next are this saber and set of armor. The saber is of the thousand-forged grade and has a Beast-quelling attribute. This set of armor is quite different from the Thunder Kui Golden Armor worn by the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers, as you all can probably see.”

The difference was obvious at a glance. The existing hundred-forged grade Thunder Kui Golden Armor in the settlement had a pale golden appearance, while the set Mu Dong presented was a much brighter gold, almost a true gold color.

“This armor is made with a higher concentration of Thunder Kui skull powder. Not only is the color better, but its defensive capabilities are also thirty percent higher than ordinary hundred-forged Thunder Kui armor. Unfortunately, its forging cycle is too long and it consumes too many materials, making it impractical for widespread use among soldiers. Therefore, it is used as the imperially-made Viscount’s armor.”

After explaining, Mu Dong seemed to remember something and added, “You may not understand what ‘imperially-made’ means. It signifies that it was crafted by order of the Lord himself. So, once this saber and armor set has an owner, the Artisan Department will engrave their name on it, signifying it as the holder’s exclusive weaponry and armor.”

If the noble’s stipend was a tangible benefit, then the robes, weapon, and armor before them were symbols of status—of fame.

Once they wore these robes, equipped this imperially-made saber, and donned this imperially-made armor, who in Xiacheng wouldn’t recognize them?

It is human nature to chase fame and fortune. Even the nearly ninety Frostwarden realm warriors standing in the hall were no exception to this rule.

Moreover, what Xia Hong had just described were only the benefits for the lowest-ranking Dark-Feather Viscount!

The ranks above—Crimson-Firmament, Azure-Abyss, Violet-Lightning… the rewards would surely get better and better. So what kind of lavish rewards would the highest rank, a Quasi-Earl, receive?

At this thought, their breathing became even heavier, and the desire in their eyes gradually intensified to its peak.

Only one thought remained in their minds:

I must be ennobled! I absolutely must be ennobled!

…

Xia Hong did not interrupt them. The significance behind the ennoblement system was profound, and it was unrealistic to explain it thoroughly in such a short time. He could only let them think and comprehend it slowly on their own.

For now, the handsome stipend alone was enough to drive these people wild.

“That’s all for now on the matter of ennoblement. Next, we will begin to reward according to merit for the Longyou war that took place between the fourth and seventh months…”

Xia Hong paused here and gestured to a nearby attendant to hand the stack of documents on the desk to Xia Chuan.

Xia Chuan took the documents, his expression turning sharp. He turned to face the crowd and picked up the first volume.

The main event of the day had finally arrived!

Everyone raised their heads and looked toward Xia Chuan and the others at the front of the crowd, their eyes filled with envy and curiosity.

Xia Hong had spent so much time explaining the ennoblement system; it was obviously in preparation for this moment of rewarding merit. How could they not understand?

In this war for Longyou, besides the Cloud Serpent Army, the ones who had truly shone brilliantly were the few Frostwarden realm warriors like Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and Liu Yuan.

They were all curious now: how much military merit had these few accumulated, and what titles would they be granted? Would it be the lowest rank, Dark-Feather, or…

“Zhu Ling, Huang Yong, and Ying Xuan, for defending the Hive, fought without retreat. Though they ultimately died in battle, they did not tarnish the prestige of our Great Xia above, nor did they lose the dignity of our people below. By the Lord’s decree, the three are posthumously ennobled as Ninth-Rank Dark-Feather Viscounts. Once their heirs come of age and accumulate the required military merit, they may inherit the title!”

…

Hearing the first document, everyone was stunned for a moment. A sense of solemn respect washed over them, but then they suddenly realized something, and their gazes instantly became incredibly fervent.

The title could be passed on to one’s children?

This meant that even if they died in battle for Great Xia, the title they earned would not be lost. As long as their descendants weren’t complete trash, they could likely inherit it.

After understanding this point, the allure of ennoblement undoubtedly skyrocketed in everyone’s hearts.

Xia Chuan did not stop and continued to read the conferment documents.

In the end, a total of twenty-six people were made Ninth-Rank Dark-Feather Viscounts. They were:

Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Yue Feng, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Xu Ning, Liu Yuan, Zhu Yuan, Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, Li Longkai, Ying Yi, Zou Yuankai, Zhu Shun, Lu Sheng, Tong Xinglong, Li Yuankun, Xiao Kangcheng, Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Hong Gang, Mu Dong, and Meng Yi.

These twenty-six had all participated in the Longyou war from the fourth month, taking the Hive, attacking Wushuang, and capturing Hanqiong. They also took part in the subsequent defense of the Hive and the assault on Longshan.

The more they participated, the more military merit they naturally acquired.

As Xia Chuan read each name, he would announce their specific battle records and total military merit, showing that they had done their homework thoroughly over the past two months to investigate these individuals’ achievements.

All twenty-six people received their conferment documents from Xia Chuan, followed by the hundred-forged grade Dark-Feather iron tablet that symbolized their status as Viscounts. They respectfully bowed to Xia Hong above:

“This subordinate thanks the Lord for the reward! May Great Xia last ten thousand years, may the Lord live ten thousand years!”

“There is no need for such ceremony. Rise.”

After rising, they returned to their original positions and then, in unison, turned their heads to look at Mu Dong at the front.

Seeing their gazes, Mu Dong instantly understood. He slapped his head and said with a smile, “The robes, weapons, and armor are still being made. What you saw today were just samples. There’s no need to be anxious. They will all be completed in three months at the latest. When the time comes, I will personally deliver them to your homes.”

“Hahaha, we’re not in a hurry, not at all.”

“It’s not going anywhere. Good work takes time, right? No problem.”

“Hahaha, don’t be anxious, does anyone here not trust Prefect Mu’s craftsmanship?”

…

Mu Dong had called out their awkward eagerness for the three-piece set of robes and arms, and the hall immediately filled with laughter, the atmosphere easing considerably.

Of course, after the laughter died down, their gazes all invariably fell upon Yuwen Tao in the front row, and upon Xia Chuan, who held the last two conferment documents.

Only these two had yet to be rewarded.

Xia Chuan was already continuing:

“Prefect of the Hunting Department, Yuwen Tao. In the fourth month’s attack on the Hive, exploration of Yanglu, and crusade against Wushuang; in the seventh month’s battles at Long White Gully and Ningyuan Hill; with the Lord’s northward expedition to strike Baiyuan and fight in Xiling; and in the final assault on Longshan—in all these, his battle achievements were magnificent, second to none in the entire settlement. By the Lord’s decree, Yuwen Tao is ennobled as an Eighth-Rank Crimson-Firmament Viscount.”

Xia Chuan paused slightly here, then continued, “For an Eighth-Rank Crimson-Firmament Viscount, the noble’s stipend is double that of a Ninth-Rank Dark-Feather Viscount. The imperially-made saber is of the ten-thousand-forged grade, and the battle armor is of the thousand-forged grade.

One of his children is granted a lifetime exemption from corvée labor. His wife is granted the title of Eighth-Rank Viscountess and is also exempt from corvée labor for life. His children may be called ‘Young Lord’ or ‘Young Lady.’ He may construct a four-hundred-square-meter residence within Xiacheng and is permitted to have five maids and ten attendants in his household.”

Hiss…

Double the stipend was one thing, but the imperially-made weapon was ten-thousand-forged grade, and the armor was thousand-forged grade, something Great Xia hadn’t even produced yet. And that wasn’t even mentioning the other benefits that followed.

Instantly, everyone in the hall was looking at Yuwen Tao with eyes full of envy.

As the man in question, Yuwen Tao’s heart was clearly not calm either. He stepped forward, bowed, and accepted his conferment document. Then he bowed to Xia Hong on the high platform and said in a deep voice:

“This subordinate thanks the Lord for the reward! May Great Xia last ten thousand years, may the Lord live ten thousand years!”

“There is no need for such ceremony. Rise.”

The last was Xia Chuan’s own conferment document. For the sake of brevity, he did not read out all the articles on it but simply announced the title he had been granted.

“Director Xia Chuan, ennobled as Eighth-Rank Crimson-Firmament Viscount!”

To everyone’s surprise, Xia Chuan’s title was the same as Yuwen Tao’s. Looks of astonishment appeared on more than a few faces, especially among the Frostwarden realm warriors who had recently joined from Longyou.

From leading the troops to take the Hive in the fourth month, to marching on Wushuang and conquering Hanqiong, and then to the desperate defense of the Hive, it could be said that Director Xia Chuan’s role in Great Xia’s successful conquest of Longyou was, to some extent, no less important than that of Lord Xia Hong himself.

Coupled with his relationship with Xia Hong, people felt that even if he had been directly ennobled as a Quasi-Earl, it would have been acceptable.

But in the end, he was only granted an Eighth-Rank Viscount title, the same as Yuwen Tao.

The prestige of these titles was terrifyingly high!

As this thought flashed through the minds of the Frostwarden realm warriors who had not been ennobled, their expressions unconsciously became much more fervent.

“All who are ennobled share a common destiny with Great Xia. As Great Xia grows stronger and more prosperous, your rewards will also rise. Conversely, if Great Xia goes into decline, your rewards and status will be gradually reduced. Therefore, ennoblement is only the beginning. Do not think that once you have a title, all is well, and you can rest on your laurels.

Furthermore, I want to emphasize one point in particular. Having a title does not mean you have become a privileged class. On the contrary, you must uphold the settlement’s rules and regulations more diligently than ordinary people. Otherwise, I will punish you severely. It’s not out of the question that I might even revoke your titles. Do you all understand?”

Hearing Xia Hong’s warning, the expressions of the twenty-some people who had just been ennobled immediately grew solemn. They nodded and replied in unison:

“We understand, Lord!”

“Good. Recently, the population in Xiacheng has been increasing. The establishment of the Department of Justice is imminent. To maintain order in the city and ensure the normal lives of the people, laws and statutes will soon be issued. At that time, if an ordinary person breaks the law, there will be corresponding punishments. But if it is one of you, with a title to your name, who breaks the law, the punishment will be doubled. Don’t say I didn’t warn you in advance.”

Realizing that Xia Hong was not joking, the already solemn expressions of the crowd took on a few more shades of gravity.

Chapter 323: The Rudiments of a State and Hectic Arrangements

“Alright, that’s all twenty-six individuals to be ennobled this time. That concludes the matter of titles. Next is the Cloud Serpent Army!”

Hearing Xia Hong mention the Cloud Serpent Army, Xia Chuan and Liu Yuan immediately straightened up, their expressions intent.

Xia Hong knew the soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army were currently assembled in front of the Main Building, so he deliberately raised his voice as he spoke:

“From annihilating the Longyou New Army in Long White Gully and destroying the Zhaoyang Blood Guards on Ningyuan Hill, to marching north with me to take Xiling and Baiyuan, and finally breaking through Longshan—the Cloud Serpent Army deserves the primary credit for the unification of Longyou. I won’t elaborate on the contribution points each man earned for his kills here; the Logistics Department will verify and distribute them.

What I want to say is that the military merit earned by every soldier will not only be rewarded with contribution points but will also be specially recorded by the soon-to-be-established Department of Military Affairs. As long as your accumulated military merit reaches the standard for a title of nobility, I will personally issue an edict to ennoble you!

Furthermore, for the next six months, the monthly ration of Blood Origin Pills for the Cloud Serpent Army will be increased from three to five, contribution points from one thousand to one thousand five hundred, and Beast Blood from fifty catties to seventy catties. Consider this an additional reward for the great battle for Longyou!”

Personal military merit could be converted into contribution points and would also be specially recorded by the Department of Military Affairs. Once it reached the required standard, one could be personally ennobled by the Lord himself.

For the next half-year—the next six months—the monthly military stipend was also being significantly increased. Xia Hong had even announced the specific increases for contribution points, Blood Origin Pills, and Beast Blood.

“Xia Chuan thanks you, my Lord! May the Great Xia last ten thousand years! Long live the Lord!”

Xia Chuan, Marshal of the Cloud Serpent Army, was the first who couldn’t help but bow deeply to Xia Hong.

Liu Yuan followed suit, bowing to Xia Hong and exclaiming with excitement, “Liu Yuan, Captain of the Cloud Serpent Army’s Scout Battalion, thanks you, my Lord! May the Great Xia last ten thousand years! Long live the Lord!”

At this moment, the one thousand Cloud Serpent Army soldiers gathered before the Main Building were also overcome with emotion. In unison, they bowed toward the council hall.

“We thank the Lord for his grace! May the Great Xia last ten thousand years! Long live the Lord!”

In reality, only a little over six hundred soldiers had returned alive from Longyou. The army had just been brought back to full strength with the addition of over three hundred new recruits.

Just now, when Xia Hong announced the increased military stipend for the next six months, he hadn’t specified that the three hundred new soldiers would be excluded. Thus, this group had lucked out. Compared to the six hundred veterans, they were even more excited, and their shouts were even louder.

“There is no need for such ceremony. Rise!”

In the council hall, Xia Hong gently raised a hand, gesturing for Xia Chuan and Liu Yuan to stand. He then turned to Qiu Peng and continued, “As for the more than nine thousand people who participated in the defense of the Hive, Xia Chuan will take the lead in rewarding them according to their merit, in cooperation with the Logistics Department. I will not involve myself further.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

The two men immediately bowed their heads.

“Alright, I’ve finished the three matters I wished to discuss today: reforms, ennoblement, and rewarding merit. Now, it’s your turn!”

As Xia Hong finished speaking, his gaze fell directly upon Xia Chuan and the prefects of the Six Departments behind him.

Xia Chuan understood immediately. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “My Lord, in early May, when the populations of Wushuang, Hanqiong, and the Hive were relocated here, the settlement’s population exceeded one hundred and ten thousand. At that time, the Six Departments were already overwhelmed. It was only by adding a large number of people that they barely managed to function.

“After this latest wave of migration, the settlement’s population has exploded to 412,352. The total number of registered households in Xiacheng has surpassed one hundred and twenty thousand, the total number of Earthforgers has exceeded forty thousand, and the total number of Lumberjacks is over one hundred and thirty thousand. If we continue with the previous system of governance, the current staffing of the Six Departments is definitely insufficient.

“Therefore, my proposal is also for reforms, and they must be carried out as soon as possible!”

Hearing this, everyone in the hall was stunned. None of them had expected Xia Chuan to also propose reforms, and so urgently at that.

Xia Hong, however, seated above them, showed no sign of surprise on his face.

He had fully anticipated that Xia Chuan would bring this up today.

With two hundred and sixty thousand people flooding into Xiacheng, the greatest impact was not on the city itself, but on its Director, Xia Chuan, and the prefects of the Six Departments—or more accurately, on the Great Xia’s current administrative system.

Ever since early May, when the population surged to one hundred and ten thousand, Xia Hong had noticed that the existing Six Departments were clearly struggling to manage so many people.

The Great Xia’s previous rule was simple: once someone broke through to the Lumberjack realm, they would have a personal contribution point record in the Logistics Department. The next step was to become a member of one of the Six Departments based on their individual talents and abilities.

That was the theory, but in practice, a glance at the names of the Six Departments revealed that the vast majority of people had little choice but to enter the Harvesting Department.

A few with talents in identifying medicinal herbs, forging, tailoring, or carpentry could join the Artisan Department. The Logistics and Civil Affairs Departments would recruit on their own when they needed people. As for the Garrison Department, even Frostwarden realm experts fought tooth and nail for a position. That left the Hunting Department, which one automatically entered upon reaching the Earthforger realm, leaving no choice in the matter.

So, nearly ninety-nine percent of the settlement’s Lumberjacks were crammed into the Harvesting Department.

Over ninety percent of the Earthforgers were crammed into the Hunting Department. If the Cloud Serpent Army hadn’t been formed as a separate entity with one thousand peak Earthforgers, that figure would likely also be ninety-nine percent.

As for the other four departments, apart from the Artisan Department, which had a decent number of over two thousand five hundred members, the remaining three were pitifully small. The Logistics Department had over four hundred people, the Civil Affairs Department over two hundred, and the Garrison Department was even smaller. With twelve Garrison Guards, one Garrison Prefect, and its prefect Yuan Cheng, it had a grand total of fourteen members.

So, while they were nominally the Six Departments of the Great Xia, in reality, over ninety percent of the population was concentrated in the Hunting and Harvesting Departments. The other four departments served more of a functional role and didn’t actually accommodate many personnel.

Furthermore, it wasn’t just a matter of personnel placement. After the population explosion, the administrative costs of the Six Departments were rising rapidly.

To take the simplest example:

The Logistics Department used to only need to track the contribution points of a few thousand, or at most tens of thousands, of people. Now, that number had suddenly ballooned to one hundred and seventy thousand, and it would only continue to grow as more people broke through.

The Civil Affairs Department used to manage only tens of thousands of households. After this migration, the number had soared to one hundred and twenty thousand, and it would only increase in the future.

The same was true for the Hunting Department. Before, with only a hundred or so hunting teams, there was no need to assign hunting grounds each night. Everyone tacitly respected each other’s territories. Tallying the day’s catch wasn’t complicated, and departure and return times were staggered to avoid conflicts. But now, with the number of teams suddenly jumping to over a thousand, and potentially thousands more in the future, the situation was completely different.

The clash between hunting teams last month was a prime example. If these issues weren’t addressed proactively, they would inevitably evolve into internal conflicts. The day they boiled over, it would become a major problem.

It wasn’t just these three departments; the Artisan and Harvesting Departments faced similar issues. For now, perhaps only the Garrison Department, with the fewest members, could rest easy.

Xia Hong looked up at Yuan Cheng, who was standing behind Xia Chuan looking drowsy and carefree, and couldn’t help but shake his head.

“Tell me your ideas for the reforms.”

Xia Chuan nodded at the words and continued, “The reforms must begin with the Six Departments. They are the administrative core that maintains the settlement’s operations and can no longer serve as the department that accommodates all personnel. Now that the settlement has a surplus of manpower, unlike in the past, I propose that from now on, only those at the Earthforger realm can become official members of the Six Departments.”

This was a drastic measure. Only Earthforgers could join the Six Departments, meaning that Lumberjacks, no matter how talented in carpentry, alchemy, or tailoring, could no longer enter the Artisan Department early.

Although it seemed somewhat harsh, it wasn’t unreasonable considering the current number of Earthforgers in the settlement and their ability to acquire resources.

Breaking through to the Earthforger realm was certainly not difficult in the current Great Xia. It wasn’t as if such a requirement would stifle talent.

However…

Xia Hong had already guessed that Xia Chuan had more to say.

But it was Qiu Peng, the prefect of the Logistics Department, who spoke first. “Director, if we do this, we’ll be downsizing the Six Departments. With fewer people, how can we govern the more than four hundred thousand residents of Xiacheng?”

As expected, Xia Chuan smiled and nodded. “Correct. I am indeed downsizing the Six Departments. So, to manage a larger population, I propose dividing Xiacheng into different districts. Each district will have one hundred thousand people, and each will be managed by its own Six Divisions, just like with the Longshan New Policy!”

At this proposal, everyone in the hall, including Xia Hong above, brightened up.

Of course! Divide the city into districts, breaking down the large into the small and simplifying the complex. The structure of the Six Divisions would be the same as before. Not only would the management model remain familiar, but the Six Departments also had plenty of existing talent who could be appointed to positions in the various Six Divisions.

At this point, Xia Hong could roughly guess what Xia Chuan was going to say next.

“So the responsibilities of the Six Departments will also have to change?”

This was equivalent to taking the original duties of the Six Departments, dividing them by population into different zones, and handing them over to the Six Divisions established in each respective zone.

If so, the responsibilities of the Six Departments would naturally have to change.

Hearing this question, Xia Chuan immediately realized that Xia Hong understood his meaning. He nodded and continued, “Of course they must change. My idea is to focus on the big picture and delegate the details, to prioritize what’s important…”

Xia Chuan’s overarching idea for the reforms could be summarized in one principle: focus on the big picture and delegate the details.

The Hunting Department would henceforth only be responsible for all high-level hunting teams within the settlement, as well as the establishment and promotion of all hunting teams. The medium- and low-level hunting teams would all be managed by the Hunting Divisions in their respective districts.

The Artisan Department would retain only the most outstanding craftsmen at its headquarters. All other primary goods, such as wooden and iron tools, basic clothing, and healing medicines, would be delegated to the Artisan Divisions to produce independently.

The Harvesting Department would be the same. Only the most elite members would remain at headquarters, while the rest of the Lumberjacks and some Earthforgers would be assigned to the Harvesting Divisions below.

The Civil Affairs Department would see little change. The household numbers and unregistered population data gathered by the Civil Affairs Divisions below would still be consolidated at the headquarters. However, the task of demarcating the districts, as well as future adjustments as the settlement’s population grew, would now be handled by the Civil Affairs Department, since they managed the household registry.

The Garrison Department would also change. In addition to ensuring the security of the outposts, it would now also supervise the operations and development of the major districts and outposts, adjusting the deployment of Garrison Prefects and Guards according to the situation.

Finally, the Logistics Department. With the exception of some basic materials that could remain with the local Logistics Divisions for their own operations, cultivation resources such as beast meat, Beast Blood, beast bones, and spiritual herbs, as well as certain important materials, would still be consolidated at the main Logistics Department. The department would then allocate these resources downward. If a district’s expenditures exceeded its income, the Logistics Department would even have to allocate supplies to maintain its operations…

As Xia Chuan laid out his ideas for the reforms, everyone in the hall nodded repeatedly, their eyes growing brighter and brighter.

This kid has really grown up!

Even Xia Hong couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration as he looked at Xia Chuan.

Overall, the principle was to focus on the big picture and delegate the details. The Six Departments would only control the most vital cultivation resources and certain important materials like salt, iron, coal, and snow silk, as well as the most elite personnel. The rest of the basic day-to-day operations would be delegated to the Six Divisions in the districts below.

This way, the entire settlement would still be broadly controlled by the Six Departments, but all the complicated tasks would be divided among the Six Divisions.

Moreover, because the means of producing some important materials and precious resources remained in the hands of the Six Departments, the Six Divisions below would still have to rely on allocations from above to function. Therefore, they would have no choice but to submit their surplus of basic goods upward. They might even redouble their efforts to submit more in the hopes of receiving a larger allocation of resources from above.

From Xia Hong’s forward-thinking perspective, this system’s design was actually the prototype of a polity—the very rudiments of a state!

And Xia Chuan had come up with all of this on his own.

He hadn’t provided a single hint.

“Excellent. It seems you’ve thought this through. We’ll implement the changes just as you’ve described. As for how to divide Xiacheng into districts, and the positions, personnel, and compensation for the Six Divisions, you will lead the prefects of the Six Departments in discussing it. Once you have a result, present it to me for a final decision.”

Xia Chuan clearly hadn’t expected Xia Hong to agree so readily. He looked stunned for a moment, but then he realized the immense trust Xia Hong was placing in him. A warm feeling spread through his heart, and he cupped his hands and bowed. “This subordinate obeys!”

“That concludes today’s meeting. Next…”

As Xia Hong spoke, he stood up and walked behind the high-backed chair on the platform.

Following his gesture, the crowd noticed that the large map of the Great Xia’s territory, which usually hung behind the chair, was covered by a yellow cloth today.

Everyone sensed what was coming, and their breathing grew a little heavier.

Swish…

Xia Hong tore away the yellow cloth. As they expected, the map of the Great Xia’s territory behind it had already been replaced.

“Since the fall of Longshan, our territory stretches from Double Dragon Valley in the east to Longshan in the west, from the Xing River in the south to Mount Mang in the north. The entire Longyou region, encompassing the three resource-rich lands of Arrow Bamboo Forest, Redwood Ridge, and Longshan, now belongs to the Great Xia. Our domain has grown to over fifteen thousand square kilometers!”

After Xia Hong stated this plainly, the Frostwarden realm experts in the hall found their breathing hitched.

This was especially true for the people of the Great Xia. They stared at the map, their faces filled with uncontrollable excitement and emotion.

In just three short years, from a small earthen mound to over fifteen thousand square kilometers—who could have imagined it? If you told anyone, they probably wouldn’t dare to believe it!

Yet, under Xia Hong’s leadership, they had actually done it!

“Alright, I didn’t tell you this just to get you all excited…”

Xia Hong used a teasing tone to temper the excitement on their faces before pointing to the thirteen outpost locations on the map. “Of these fifteen thousand square kilometers, the only areas we truly control are Xiacheng and the immediate vicinity of our thirteen outposts.

“We won’t even talk about the progress of surveying the three resource lands of Redwood Ridge, Arrow Bamboo Forest, and Longshan. The foot of Mount Mang to the north, the entire north-south line of the Double Dragon Mountain cliffs to the east, the eastern foothills of Longshan to the west, and the area along the Xing River to the south—in other words, the four border regions of the Great Xia’s current territory—we still haven’t explored them thoroughly.

“Therefore, your next task is to use these thirteen outposts as bases to accelerate the exploration of the border regions in the four cardinal directions. If you find any human settlements, absorb them directly. We must confirm that there are no hidden threats within our borders and bring the entire land of Longyou truly under the Great Xia’s rule as soon as possible, lest we leave room for future troubles.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

After giving his first set of instructions, Xia Hong continued, turning to Xia Chuan, “The reforms of the Six Departments must be accelerated. The seventh, the Department of Justice, can be established first. The Cloud Serpent Army’s missing numbers have been filled, and next, we must begin expanding the military. We’ll stick to what I said before: whichever team is the first to be promoted to a High-level Hunting Team will be the first to form an army. Strive to establish four more armies as quickly as possible and build up the Department of Military Affairs.”

Xia Chuan quickly bowed his head. “This subordinate obeys.”

“There is still a major problem in Longyou, and the two silver mines in Longshan are waiting for you to grow strong enough to take them. So you all need to pick up the pace.”

Hearing this, the expressions of everyone in the hall grew much more solemn.

The Frostwarden realm cultivators from Longyou had been with the Great Xia for over two months. They naturally understood that the “major problem” Xia Hong referred to was the White Dew Aberration in Yanglu.

“This problem with the White Dew Aberration must be resolved quickly. Here’s the plan: for the next two months, I will be stationed at the Hive. The newly reinforced Cloud Serpent Army will be led by Liu Yuan and also stationed at the Hive. All subsequent high-level hunting teams that get promoted will also go to the Hive. Your mission is to clear out all Frost Beasts within Yanglu’s territory as quickly as possible.”

The White Dew Aberration’s main body was likely confined to Yangyuan Peak. Without clearing out the large number of Frost Beasts it had attracted, it was impossible to even get close to the peak, let alone see its true form or find a way to deal with it.

“Of course, prepare an ample supply of Congealing Fire Salve. The distance from Yangyuan Peak south, through Redwood Ridge to Xiacheng, is not very far. To prevent that White Dew Aberration from doing something desperate, I must leave the Sacred Cauldron in Xiacheng. The Hive can only rely on Congealing Fire Salve. Xia Chuan, I’m entrusting this matter to you.”

“Rest assured, my Lord. This subordinate will see it done.”

“In that case, we will end here for today. The rest of the matters are for you and the Six Departments to handle jointly.”

Xia Chuan nodded. Seeing that Xia Hong had already turned to walk toward the back, he immediately bowed deeply. “We respectfully see the Lord off!”

“We respectfully see the Lord off!”

The rest of the people in the hall also hurriedly bowed, watching Xia Hong depart.

Reforming the Six Departments, dividing Xiacheng into districts, deciding on the positions, compensation, and candidates for the Six Divisions, establishing the new Department of Justice, accelerating military expansion in preparation for the Department of Military Affairs…

Although Xia Hong had left, Xia Chuan and the prefects of the Six Departments had a great deal of work ahead of them. So, the moment Xia Hong was gone, Xia Chuan immediately gathered Yuwen Tao and the other prefects, along with all the Frostwarden realm experts in the hall, and began discussing these issues one by one, planning their execution.

As this discussion concluded, news of the ennoblements, reforms, military expansion, the establishment of the Six Departments and Six Divisions, and the new Departments of Justice and Military Affairs spread rapidly throughout Xiacheng. Everyone knew that the Great Xia was about to undergo another earth-shaking transformation.

Chapter 324: Cleansing the Yanglu Territory, the Dragon Martial Army Approaches Formation

The second year of the Great Xia, the fifth day of the twelfth month.

On the snowy plains about twenty kilometers west of the Hive.

This area was already considered the heart of the Yanglu territory. Just as it had been when Xia Hong, Chen Yingyuan, and Peng Bo first scouted it at the end of the sixth month, the entire region was still blanketed in a thick white fog, visibility extremely low.

Roar… Roar…

The continuous, low roars of beasts could be heard from within the thick fog. In fact, compared to half a year ago, they seemed to have grown even more frequent.

Crackle… Crackle…

Two faint crackling sounds suddenly echoed across the vast, empty snowfield—unmistakably the sound of flames catching.

BOOM…

A giant bonfire, ten meters high, erupted from a depression over three hundred meters in diameter. It instantly illuminated an area of fifty to sixty meters around it. As an unknown black substance within the fire ignited, the thick black smoke it emitted began to slowly push back the surrounding white fog.

That white fog was the very culprit behind the low visibility on the snowfield. Once it was driven away by the black smoke, the area lit by the bonfire expanded immediately, growing to a radius of about five hundred meters.

Roar… Roar…

At the same time, the low beast roars from within the fog suddenly turned savage.

Thump, thump, thump…

The ground began to tremble violently. The sound of galloping beast hooves came from all directions, converging on a single point: the bonfire.

“ROAR!!!”

A massive wolf’s head broke through the dense white fog a hundred meters away, its blood-red eyes locked on the bonfire in the depression, filled with desire and greed.

BAM…

Just as the Frost Wolf was about to move, it was sent flying by an even larger Thunder Kui from behind. Then, over fifty Frost Beasts of comparable size charged out of the fog simultaneously, rushing toward the bonfire.

Following them, more than three hundred smaller Frost Beasts surged out of the fog like a tsunami, their target also the bonfire.

ROAR, ROAR, ROAR…

This was undoubtedly a medium-scale Beast Tide. And with mid-grade Frost Beasts making up twenty percent of their number, its destructive power was certainly far greater than that of an ordinary tide.

Faced with such a charge, even a massive settlement of over ten thousand people would likely be trampled underfoot, powerless to resist.

However, this great bonfire was clearly man-made.

And to dare make it, one must have a reason for their confidence.

The moment the fifty-odd mid-grade Frost Beasts in the front rank set foot in the depression, a thunderous shout erupted from its perimeter.

“Saber Battalion, loose!”

The snow along the rim of the circular depression suddenly exploded as six hundred soldiers clad in pale golden armor leaped up from beneath the snow. They drew their bows and, without hesitation, loosed a volley of arrows at the fifty-plus mid-grade Frost Beasts below.

Swish, swish, swish, swish…

Hundreds of speeding iron arrows instantly lit up the entire depression. The air currents from all directions were swept up by the arrows, surging toward the Frost Beasts below.

Thwack… Thwack… Thwack…

A dozen Frost Beasts on the outer edge bore the brunt of the first wave of arrows. Despite their nearly ten-meter-tall frames, they couldn’t help but stagger and sway under the simultaneous impact of hundreds of iron arrows.

And that was just the first volley.

Swish, swish, swish, swish…

The six companies of the Saber Battalion ringing the depression didn’t pause for a moment after firing their first round. A second wave, then a third, followed in a relentless, continuous rain of arrows.

BAM… BAM…

The Frost Beasts inside the depression finally lost their footing. But losing their balance meant more than just being unsteady.

One mid-grade Snow Mane was knocked airborne by the arrows, smashing into a Demonic Sheep further in. It roared in fury and tried to get back up, but its body was completely suppressed by the volley, unable to rise.

The Demonic Sheep was knocked silly, yet it hadn’t completely fallen. But with the unending stream of iron arrows, it too inevitably collapsed.

The fate of this Snow Mane and Demonic Sheep was a microcosm of the fifty-plus mid-grade Frost Beasts in the depression. Nearly all of them were pinned down by the arrow fire, unable to move. Confined within the depression and limited by the distance, they couldn’t even effectively use their innate abilities.

But they were not the only ones in this Beast Tide.

The fifty-plus mid-grade Frost Beasts were merely the first to reach the depression.

Beyond them, over three hundred low-grade Frost Beasts were also charging this way!

“ROAR…”

“Fourth and Fifth Battalions, turn and fire on the western beast tide! The other four battalions, continue suppressing the depression! Scout and Glaive Battalions, with me, engage the enemy!”

Just as the Saber Battalion soldiers had appeared, silhouettes suddenly rose from the snow about fifty meters beyond the depression’s edge. On the western side were one hundred soldiers from the Scout Battalion, armed with various weapons. To the east, north, and south were one hundred soldiers each, wielding massive glaives.

BAM…

The three-meter-long glaives were a perfect match for these smaller, low-grade Frost Beasts. The nearly two hundred beasts charging from the east, north, and south were held at bay by the Glaive Battalion, unable to advance a single step.

In fact, after repelling the first charge, the three companies of the Glaive Battalion even began to coordinate and push outward. The Frost Beasts couldn’t even break through their Hundred-forged Thunder Kui Battle Armor, while their Hundred-forged Glaives easily pierced the beasts’ defensive hides.

“They’re nothing! Brothers, finish them quickly and go help the Scout Battalion!”

“Right, let’s put in some effort, finish them off, and help out on the west side!”

“A pack of wretched creatures daring to act so ferocious! Kill!”

The three commanding Captains roared in unison. The three hundred soldiers of the Glaive Battalion charged outward with even greater ferocity. Compared to the Frost Beasts, they seemed the more savage.

The Scout Battalion on the west side truly did need help!

Although the bonfire had drawn Frost Beasts from all directions, a quick glance would reveal that the west—the direction of Yangyuan Peak—had the largest number.

The Scout Battalion, though an elite force, was struggling to hold against the charge of over one hundred Frost Beasts, even with arrow support from the two Saber Battalion companies on the northern and southern flanks of the depression.

“Brothers, we are the elites of the Scout Battalion! Don’t let the other nine battalions look down on us! This is our first time against a mid-sized beast tide. The Scout Battalion will not be the weak link! Charge with me!”

The Scout Battalion’s Captain, Liu Yuan, was absent. Commanding in his place was a man named Wang Yuan. Gripping a wide-hilted saber, he roared and sent a Demonic Sheep flying with a powerful shove before charging headfirst into the center of the western beast tide.

Inspired by Wang Yuan, the other ninety-nine elite scouts—whether wielding sabers, spears, staves, or axes—followed the path he carved, roaring as they plunged into the heart of the beast tide.

The beast tide, which had been on the verge of breaking through their line, was brought to a dead stop!

Even though the low-grade Frost Beasts were fighting with crazed desperation, unleashing their last-resort abilities like the Snow Mane’s spinal quills, the Demonic Sheep’s golden eyes, and the Blue Moon Spirit’s hind legs, they still couldn’t halt the charge of these one hundred elites.

Not only were they stopped, they were even being forced back…

“Saber Battalion, enter the depression and clean up! Glaive Battalion, shift to support the west!”

Just then, the same commanding voice rang out again.

It turned out that the quivers of the six Saber Battalion companies were mostly empty.

Upon hearing the command, the six hundred soldiers of the Saber Battalion around the depression, whether their quivers were empty or not, dropped their longbows, drew the sabers from their waists, and charged down into the hollow.

By now, more than half of the fifty-plus mid-grade Frost Beasts in the depression were already dead or wounded. Less than twenty could barely remain standing, and from their trembling limbs, it was clear they had little fight left in them.

Six hundred golden-armored soldiers charged down like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, slaughtering the remaining Frost Beasts in the depression with overwhelming force.

Meanwhile, on the west side of the depression, with the addition of three hundred soldiers from the Glaive Battalion, the Scout Battalion completed the extermination of the one hundred-plus low-grade Frost Beasts.

Splurt…

As the last Frost Wolf to the west of the depression was beheaded by Wang Yuan’s saber, the Beast Tide triggered by the bonfire came to a definitive end.

Huff… huff… huff… huff…

The area for five hundred meters around the depression was thick with the stench of blood. All the soldiers stood in silence, heads bowed, catching their breath. Their blood-splattered faces flickered in the firelight. When they caught each other’s eyes, an excited grin would occasionally appear, making them look like Asura demons freshly returned from hell.

“That was at least four hundred this time. A first for us!”

“How long did it take?”

“Don’t know. The Marshal hasn’t said anything yet.”

“You little brat, you almost pissed your pants back there, didn’t you?”

“You’re the one who pissed his pants! I killed at least two Frost Beasts.”

“And I shot down a mid-grade one!”

“Hahahaha, listen to you brag! The mid-grade beasts were taken down by the six Saber companies, and they were the ones who finished them off. You never even went down into the depression.”

“Give me a break, you little…”

“Hahahahaha!”

…

“Enough chatter. All battalions, report your losses! Now!”

The initial commanding voice sounded again, and the men immediately fell silent.

“Fourth Battalion, Third Company, assemble over here! Now!”

“Ninth Battalion, Second Company, assemble!”

“Scout Battalion, Second Company, over here, now!”

“Third Battalion, First Company, assemble!”

…

As the company leaders began to gather their squads, the scattered soldiers quickly fell into formation, their ranks becoming orderly once more.

At the same time, Xia Chuan, dressed in black, walked over slowly from a short distance away.

As he neared the depression, ten men rushed out from the army ranks and ran to his side, reporting loudly one after another.

“Scout Battalion, seven lightly wounded.”

“Fourth Battalion, ten lightly wounded, one heavily wounded.”

“Ninth Battalion, eight lightly wounded.”

“Sixth Battalion, twelve lightly wounded.”

“Eighth Battalion, fourteen lightly wounded.”

“Third Battalion, nine lightly wounded.”

“First Battalion, six lightly wounded.”

“Second Battalion, eleven lightly wounded.”

“Fifth Battalion, sixteen lightly wounded.”

“Seventh Battalion, seventeen lightly wounded.”

…

Hearing the casualty reports from the ten battalions, Xia Chuan turned to Wang Yuan and the others, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Excellent. Three hundred and sixty-two low-grade Frost Beasts, fifty-eight mid-grade Frost Beasts, for a total of four hundred and twenty. And it took you only half an hour. It seems you haven’t wasted these past two months. Your strength has improved greatly!”

At Xia Chuan’s praise, the faces of Wang Yuan, the other nine leaders, and the thousand soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army behind them were filled with excitement and elation.

Xia Chuan had just arrived at the Hive tonight. Wang Yuan clearly knew what he wanted to know most and stepped forward, clasping his hands. “Director,” he began, “at the start of the tenth month, when the army first arrived at the Hive, the Lord would personally lead us every night to clear the outskirts of Yanglu. When we found an area dense with Frost Beasts, he would use torches to trigger a beast tide, but he always kept the scale under three hundred beasts.

“In the eleventh month, after we pushed to our current position, triggering a beast tide started to draw out high-grade Frost Beasts. The Lord worried the army couldn’t handle them, so he had us rest for a while. He first sent the high-level hunting teams to eliminate the high-grade Frost Beasts. Once they were cleared out, we would come in to sweep the surrounding area.

“In the last half-month, we’ve only been mobilized three times, advancing about three kilometers each time. Tonight, the Director led us on another sweep. We estimate we are now less than ten kilometers from Yangyuan Peak.”

Xia Chuan’s eyes lit up at the news, and he nodded, looking toward the west.

He had spent over two months finally taking care of all matters in Xiacheng. Tonight, he finally had the chance to come to the Hive and see the situation for himself.

His big brother had been leading the Cloud Serpent Army and all of the settlement’s high-level hunting teams here to clear out the Frost Beasts in the Yanglu territory. Xia Chuan was concerned about their progress, and Wang Yuan’s words had perfectly answered his questions.

However, Xia Chuan was still puzzled about something. “The settlement’s high-level hunting teams… if I remember correctly, we only have the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Squads. Can they really eliminate targets that quickly? You’re able to come in and clean up once every five days?”

According to Wang Yuan, Xia Hong’s strategy was to first send high-level hunting teams to eliminate the high-grade Frost Beasts in an area before the Cloud Serpent Army moved in to clean up the mid- and low-grade ones.

The strategy was sound, but Great Xia currently had only two high-level hunting teams, which was obviously not enough. Advancing three kilometers at a time seemed a bit too much.

At the end of the sixth month, Xia Hong had scouted the Yanglu territory. He had said the density of high-grade Frost Beasts was not low. Two hunting teams, even with him personally leading them, couldn’t possibly advance so quickly.

Wang Yuan was clearly aware of this and smiled. “You may not know, Director, but while there are only two high-level hunting teams, our settlement has many at the Frostwarden realm. The Leader has transferred all the Garrison Prefects and Garrison Guards from the other ten posts in Longyou, as well as the Frostwarden experts from the Six Divisions, to the Hive. He has them form three-person teams to hunt together. That has greatly increased the speed.”

Hearing Wang Yuan’s explanation, Xia Chuan finally understood.

That made perfect sense!

Including the Hive, Longyou had a total of eleven posts—ten smaller ones and Longshan, where the Six Divisions were established. All together, they had sixteen people at the Frostwarden realm. Add to that the eight who had come from Xiacheng in the past two months, and that made a total of twenty-four. In teams of three, that was eight squads capable of hunting high-grade Frost Beasts.

Counting the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Squads, that made a total of ten high-level squads. With that kind of force, it was only natural that their advance toward Yangyuan Peak would be so much faster.

Xia Chuan continued to look toward Yangyuan Peak in the west and asked Wang Yuan, “Those eight three-man squads, do they come every night? Are they in there now?”

Wang Yuan nodded. “They haven’t missed a day. Those twenty-four lords are truly efficient hunters. Sometimes they can kill more than a dozen high-grade Frost Beasts in a single night. They’re even more formidable than the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Squads!”

Three-person teams of Frostwarden realm experts were more efficient at hunting high-grade Frost Beasts than the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Squads?

A flicker of doubt crossed Xia Chuan’s face when he heard this.

Although a high-level hunting team in Great Xia had a full roster of one hundred, they never deployed everyone for a hunt, sending fifty at most.

He had founded the Cloud Serpent Squad himself and knew its strength well. Liu Yuan was currently pulling double duty as its leader. The entire squad had two in the Frostwarden realm, Liu Yuan and Shi Ping, and over half its members had reached the Earthforger limit.

How could a squad like that be less efficient at hunting high-grade Frost Beasts than a team of three Frostwarden realm experts?

Not to mention Yuwen Tao’s Dragon Martial Squad.

The Dragon Martial Squad now had four in the Frostwarden realm. Its captain, Yuwen Tao, was a Frostwarden expert whose strength was not far from his own.

“Are those eight squads all being led personally by the Lord?”

Wang Yuan immediately nodded in reply. “Indeed. Every night, the Lord and Madam lead them here from the Hive.”

That explained it.

With his big brother personally leading them, wasn’t it normal for their hunting efficiency to be high?

“I see! I was wondering how those eight squads suddenly became so formidable. So it’s because the Lord and Madam are helping them!”

Wang Yuan also had a moment of realization, a look of understanding on his face.

Xia Chuan’s gaze shifted slightly as he asked Wang Yuan, “So, you’re saying that right now, those eight three-man squads, plus the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Squads, and the Lord and Madam—all of them are deep in the west, correct?”

“That’s right. Does the Director wish to go find them?”

“I have urgent business with Prefect Yuwen. You can lead the army back!”

“This subordinate obeys!”

After instructing Wang Yuan to lead the army back to the Hive, Xia Chuan was about to head west when a thought struck him. He stopped and glanced back at the Cloud Serpent Army, smiling at Wang Yuan in praise. “You’ve all made great progress during this time. Including you, there are now… two, three, four… a total of four in the Frostwarden realm.”

As he spoke, he scanned the crowd of soldiers and quickly recognized the other three who had recently broken through: Zhu Xing from the Scout Battalion, and the Captains of the Second, Third, and Sixth Battalions.

“You praise us too highly, Director. In these last two months, the Lord has rewarded us with more high-grade Beast Blood than we can use. If a few more of us didn’t break through, it would be a waste of the Lord’s efforts.”

Wang Yuan beamed at Xia Chuan’s praise.

The rewards for the Cloud Serpent Army over the past two months of clearing Frost Beasts with Xia Hong at the Hive had indeed been astonishingly high.

“Alright, pack up your spoils and return to the Hive. I’m heading off!”

“We respectfully see the Director off.”

“We respectfully see the Director off!”

Hearing Wang Yuan’s voice, the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers knew Xia Chuan was leaving and immediately shouted in unison, respectfully seeing him off.

After Xia Chuan was some distance away, the Scout Battalion’s other Frostwarden realm expert, Zhu Xing, immediately ran over to Wang Yuan, his face full of curiosity.

“Old Wang, why did the Director suddenly show up?”

Xia Chuan hadn’t left Xiacheng for over two months. His sudden appearance at the Hive surely meant something important. Zhu Xing’s curiosity was understandable.

Wang Yuan clearly knew a little. He smiled and said, “The Director just said he had urgent business with Prefect Yuwen. What else could it be but the formation of the new army!”

Zhu Xing’s expression grew animated, and he nodded.

The Dragon Martial Squad had been promoted to a high-level hunting team in the eleventh month. According to the Lord’s decree, the first hunting team to be promoted to high-level would earn the right to form the second army.

The army should have been formed last month as soon as the Dragon Martial Squad was promoted, but it was postponed because the settlement didn’t have enough people at the Earthforger limit.

Xia Chuan’s rushing here to inform Yuwen Tao most likely meant it was time.

“The Lord is eager to clear out the Frost Beasts in the Yanglu territory. Relying on just our one army is too slow. The Director must be here for that reason—to establish the Dragon Martial Army as soon as possible. With two armies cleansing the area together, the efficiency will certainly be much greater!”

Hearing that the Dragon Martial Army was about to be formed, Zhu Xing tightened his grip on his great saber. His face showed disbelief, but in his heart, he marveled at the unpredictability of life’s fortunes.

In the fourth month of last year, he had just been the leader of an ordinary medium-sized settlement on Five Ape Mountain, with a base strength of just over twenty thousand catties. Who could have imagined that today he would have broken through to the Frostwarden realm and become a member of the Director’s Cloud Serpent Army Scout Battalion?

Moreover, Liu Yuan would likely succeed the Director and become the Marshal of the Cloud Serpent Army. At that point, Wang Yuan would surely take over as the Captain of the Scout Battalion, and he, Zhu Xing, would most likely become the second-in-command.

No, wait. Liu Yuan had recently mentioned promoting him to be the Captain of the Ninth Battalion. Perhaps after this Yanglu business was over, Liu Yuan would petition the Marshal?

Zhu Xing suppressed his excitement. Thinking of what Wang Yuan had said about the Dragon Martial Army, he smiled. “A second army, eh? Our Cloud Serpent Army won’t be the only one anymore. The Prefect and the Director already have a bit of a rivalry going on. Now that both armies have their designations, they’ll surely compete even more intensely in the future!”

Wang Yuan was taken aback for a moment, but he soon nodded in agreement.

The subtle and not-so-subtle competition between Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao was no secret in Great Xia; almost everyone knew about it. From low-level to high-level hunting teams, and now to forming their own armies, the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial squads had basically been in a constant race. Anyone with a bit of sense could see it.

“Both the Director and the Prefect can be considered prodigies. It’s only in Great Xia, under a man like our Lord, that they can be held in check. If they were in any other settlement, those two would never coexist peacefully.”

Zhu Xing nodded, his face showing complete agreement.

“Alright, tell the soldiers to hurry and pack up the kills. We’re heading back to the Hive. After tonight’s cleanup, we’ll get to rest for a few days.”

“Right, right. I’ll go let them know.”

“Pack up the kills! Prepare to return to the Hive!”

…

Deep within the Yanglu territory, Xia Chuan headed west, cutting through the white fog. After traveling less than three or four kilometers, he heard commotion from up ahead.

“Pull the ropes tight! Don’t let them get close!”

“Yue Feng, take eleven men and circle around behind them! Block those three Demonic Sheep.”

“Xuan Ling, you take the rest and kill those five Hyena-spotted Tigers! I’ll handle the other Frost Beasts! Go!”

…

“That’s Big Brother’s voice. They’ve already pushed this deep!”

Recognizing Xia Hong’s voice and knowing he was leading people against Frost Beasts, Xia Chuan immediately shot forward at full speed, quickly closing the distance.

Chapter 325: A Pack of Frost Beasts Banding Together for Treasure, the White Dew Aberration’s Panic

Within Yanglu’s borders, in an area yet to be cleared by the army, the dense fog persisted. Xia Chuan had to venture another five hundred meters deeper before he could clearly see the scene ahead.

On the snowy plains over a hundred meters away, Li Xuanling was leading Peng Bo and twelve others in a fierce battle against five sawtooth tigers with white hide and black spots. All five Hyena-spotted Tigers were over twenty meters long, and they were baring their fangs and claws, their ferocity on full display.

Behind her, Yue Feng, Chen Yingyuan, Lin Kai, Meng Yi, and eleven others were working together to hold back three Demonic Sheep. Not only were the three Demonic Sheep all over twenty-five meters in size, but their bodies were also covered in roughly seven or eight hundred eyeballs, a clear sign of their considerable strength.

To Li Xuanling’s right, the situation was even more extreme!

Xia Hong, wielding his Cold Blood Saber, was tightly surrounded by three Frost Beasts.

On his left was a Hyena-spotted Tiger twenty-five meters in length; on his right was a stout Demonic Sheep over thirty meters long, its body covered with more than a thousand eyeballs.

Behind him stood a Golden-armored Thunder Kui, about twenty meters long. Its body was covered in a layer of pure gold hide, and a six-meter-long, greenish-gold, skyward-pointing horn grew from its forehead. The horn’s surface was covered in a peculiar pattern of thunder sigils, from which arcs of electricity faintly flashed.

“Roar—”

Of the three types of Frost Beasts, the most numerous Hyena-spotted Tigers created the greatest commotion.

The Demonic Sheep relied on the eyes covering its body, the Thunder Kui on the horn on its forehead, but the Hyena-spotted Tiger’s innate ability was sonic in nature.

The roars it emitted carried a low-frequency vibration that could make a person’s heart tremble violently. It was not only extremely intimidating but could also interfere with one’s consciousness.

Even from a hundred meters away, Xia Chuan’s heart began to beat wildly.

“I’ll help!”

Of course, a violently trembling heart was not nearly enough to frighten him.

Xia Chuan abruptly brandished the black saber in his right hand. He surged forward, reaching Xia Hong’s side on the right in the space of three or four breaths. Seizing a gap in the Demonic Sheep’s charge, he slashed directly at its forehead.

Clang—

The strength of a high-level Frost Beast was at least ten Manes, and this was a thousand-eyed grade Demonic Sheep. Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, and the nine others had previously encountered a thousand-eyed Demonic Sheep at Redwood Ridge; if not for Xia Hong’s intervention, they likely would have all perished.

Xia Chuan’s base strength was a mere six Manes. His mastery of Long Fist was inferior to Xia Hong’s, and even with the boost from his sacred sigil, he could at most exert a strength of about ten Manes. How could he possibly block this Demonic Sheep?

When the black saber collided with the Demonic Sheep’s horn, Xia Chuan’s body was sent flying backward for a good dozen meters like a kite with a snapped string, crashing directly into the flank of the Hyena-spotted Tiger on the left.

Bang—

“Eh? Your strength has improved!”

Xia Hong slammed his left fist into the Demonic Sheep’s horn, sending it flying back over twenty meters. He turned to look at the repelled Xia Chuan. Far from looking overwhelmed, he had actually used the impact to nearly kick the Hyena-spotted Tiger over. A look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He had noticed Xia Chuan when he was still a hundred meters away and had anticipated his move to provide support. Based on this thousand-eyed Demonic Sheep’s strength, Xia Chuan should not have been able to withstand its charge.

To ride the momentum and almost topple the Hyena-spotted Tiger—this was something the eight-Mane Xia Chuan of the past could not have done.

“Hehe, Big Brother is always improving, so I can’t just stand still!”

“Reached the mid-stage?”

“Almost. My base strength is already at ten Manes!”

A look of admiration appeared on Xia Hong’s face. He remembered clearly that during the Martial Arts Tournament in June, Xia Chuan’s base strength was only six Manes. With the thirty percent boost from his sacred sigil and the twenty percent from his Long Fist techniques, he could at best unleash an explosive force of nearly ten Manes.

Now that his base strength had risen to ten Manes, with the other enhancements, his maximum explosive power could reach fifteen Manes.

That certainly explained it.

“Not bad. Go help Yue Feng’s side. You can’t handle these three!”

Admiration gleamed in Xia Hong’s eyes, but there was no time for more words. After directing Xia Chuan to help the others, he kicked off the ground and charged at the Hyena-spotted Tiger he had nearly knocked over.

Xia Chuan wanted to refuse, but remembering his brief clashes with the Demonic Sheep and the Hyena-spotted Tiger, and after glancing at the other two battlefields, he ultimately followed Xia Hong’s command and rushed toward Yue Feng’s group behind him.

The three high-level Frost Beasts fighting Xia Hong were undoubtedly the strongest. The explosive power of that Demonic Sheep alone was at least twenty Manes, and the Hyena-spotted Tiger and Thunder Kui were likely even stronger.

At that level of strength, he was not even qualified to intervene.

Moreover, Yue Feng’s group was indeed under the most pressure.

Although the other group faced five Hyena-spotted Tigers, which was a greater number, Li Xuanling was the second strongest fighter on the field after Xia Hong. With Li Tiancheng’s help, the five tigers were practically being suppressed.

Yue Feng’s side, in contrast, was struggling. Of the twelve of them, only Chen Yingyuan’s strength was decent. Aside from his group with Yuwen Tao, Zhou Yuan, and Hou Ming, which was keeping one Demonic Sheep in check, the other two groups of eight were clearly unable to hold their ground. Several times, they were nearly broken through by two Demonic Sheep trying to join the other Frost Beasts.

“Roar—”

Furthermore, the stout Demonic Sheep fighting Xia Hong seemed to be issuing some kind of command to its three kin. The three Demonic Sheep fighting Yue Feng’s group frequently looked up toward the center upon hearing the sounds, repeatedly attempting to break through and form an encirclement with the five Hyena-spotted Tigers.

Bang!

Xia Chuan had arrived. Seeing a Demonic Sheep about to break through, he charged directly into the golden light it shot out, enduring the blast as he brought his greatsaber down on its head, forcibly driving it back.

“Can these high-level Frost Beasts communicate with each other?”

The group he had chosen to help consisted of Yue Feng, Song Kang, Lin Kai, and Meng Yi. Hearing his question, Yue Feng, who had just pierced an eye on the Demonic Sheep’s back with his longsword, immediately nodded. “The high-level Frost Beasts in the inner area are all in packs; you rarely find them alone. They seem to be competing for something. The Lord just risked going in for a look. Many high-level Frost Beasts are guarding the area around Yangyuan Peak, as if waiting for something from up there.”

“These eleven Frost Beasts are a group from the outer periphery. The Lord originally intended to lure them out one by one, but it seems they were already a team and came all at once.”

Yue Feng’s words contained a great deal of information. As Xia Chuan continued to fight the Demonic Sheep alongside the other four, his expression changed instantly.

High-level Frost Beasts of different species banding together, all of them waiting near Yangyuan Peak, had clearly been lured there by something the White Dew Aberration created.

The group they were fighting now consisted of three species, eleven beasts in total, and the three leaders—the ones besieging Xia Hong—were incredibly powerful.

And a group like this could only linger on the outskirts of Yangyuan Peak.

How strong must the Frost Beast groups closer to the peak be?

Puchi—

As Xia Chuan’s expression shifted, the battlefield behind them finally saw a kill!

It was Li Xuanling. She and Li Tiancheng had joined forces and successfully slain the first Hyena-spotted Tiger. Without any hesitation, she immediately joined the fray with Song Kang and Yue Qian’s group, assisting them against the other four.

Roar—

The death of that Hyena-spotted Tiger clearly alerted the other ten Frost Beasts to the danger, especially the three leaders who had been unable to take down Xia Hong.

The Hyena-spotted Tiger among them let out a furious roar. Upon receiving the command, the other four tigers being besieged by Li Xuanling ignored her group’s weapons and charged recklessly toward Xia Hong.

“Stop them!”

Li Xuanling’s expression changed drastically. Xia Hong was already under immense pressure from the three strongest beasts. If these four Hyena-spotted Tigers also reached him, the outcome would be uncertain.

But her worry was clearly unnecessary!

Puchi…

In the instant the Hyena-spotted Tiger opened its mouth to roar, Xia Hong kicked backward, his body shooting out like a bolt. The Cold Blood Saber plunged directly into its upper jaw.

Schlick—

A fierce pulling force emanated from the blade. A look of horror flashed in the Hyena-spotted Tiger’s eyes as it frantically shook its head, trying to break free from Xia Hong.

But how could its strength compare to his?

“Don’t stop them. They’re trying to flee. We’ll keep as many as we can.”

Xia Hong gripped the saber’s hilt tightly, keeping the blade embedded in its jaw. With his left hand, he grabbed the mane on the tiger’s forehead. Not only was he not thrown off, but he also used the momentum to pull the tiger’s body back toward him.

“Roar—”

The Thunder Kui, the strongest of the three, suddenly cried out.

But its cry contained no ferocity.

It had clearly seen how formidable Xia Hong’s Cold Blood Saber was. Its eyes were filled with apprehension and fear. After its cry, it turned and fled across the snowy plains to the south.

“Roar—”

With the Thunder Kui gone, the Demonic Sheep lost its will to fight. But it seemed a bit greedy. It not only wanted to escape itself but also wanted to take its three subordinates along, roaring to signal for the other three Demonic Sheep to retreat.

“Letting the strongest one escape is one thing, but you think you can escape too?”

Greed was destined to come at a price.

The moment the Hyena-spotted Tiger fell, Xia Hong drew his Cold Blood Saber. Seeing the Demonic Sheep had fled less than a hundred meters, he shot after it.

The slender blade of the Cold Blood Saber moved in Xia Hong’s hand like an ethereal butterfly, piercing one eyeball after another on the Demonic Sheep’s back with unerring precision. Amidst the sounds of cracking bones and splattering blood, the Demonic Sheep’s movements grew sluggish and slow. After struggling for two hundred meters, it finally succumbed to exhaustion and collapsed.

Two of the three strongest Frost Beasts were now dead.

Xia Hong picked up the Demonic Sheep’s corpse, which had shrunk back to its normal form, and headed back north. With his participation, the outcome on the other two battlefields was easy to guess.

He had just helped Yue Feng’s side finish off the three Demonic Sheep when Li Xuanling’s side had already taken care of all five Hyena-spotted Tigers.

“That Thunder Kui just now was likely just temporary help. The main group was these six Hyena-spotted Tigers and four Demonic Sheep. I can’t believe high-level Frost Beasts are teaming up to snatch treasure. How strange…”

Xia Chuan, who had just arrived, was seeing high-level Frost Beasts teaming up like this for the first time. He walked over to Xia Hong and couldn’t help but sigh.

The others, however, seemed to find it less surprising.

Yue Feng explained, slightly out of breath, “Director, you just arrived, so you may not be aware. This is the situation in the seven-to-eight-kilometer radius around Yangyuan Peak. The high-level Frost Beasts here almost never act alone. They are in groups of five or six at least, sometimes as many as twenty or thirty, and there is always a leader. Tonight’s group was of a normal size.”

Xia Chuan asked in surprise, “There are many groups in there?”

Before Yue Feng could answer, Xia Hong spoke first.

“I went in to check three days ago. Around the entire Yangyuan Peak, there are a total of thirteen groups. Tonight’s was the weakest among them. There are ten groups with over twenty members each. At the very center are two clans, the Snow Manes and the Frost Wolves, each numbering over five hundred, with more than a hundred mid-level and over thirty high-level beasts.”

Xia Chuan’s expression changed instantly.

Ten groups, each with more than twenty members—that added up to over two hundred high-level Frost Beasts, not to mention the even more troublesome Snow Mane and Frost Wolf clans.

“In that case, doesn’t that mean we have no hope of getting near Yangyuan Peak?”

Hearing his words, everyone’s expression grew grim.

Xia Hong, however, showed a hint of indifference and chuckled lightly.

“If all these Frost Beasts were completely united, we’d indeed have no hope. But after tonight, things are different. As long as we’re strong enough and prepare in advance, we can defeat them one by one. There’s still hope.”

Hearing this, everyone’s faces lit up.

Even Xia Chuan, looking at the ten Frost Beast corpses on the ground, immediately understood Xia Hong’s meaning and nodded gently.

They were less than seven kilometers from Yangyuan Peak. The commotion from the battle just now had been immense; how could the high-level Frost Beasts inside not have heard it?

The fact that they didn’t come out proved that these high-level Frost Beast groups were wary of one another. Considering they had banded together to seize treasure at Yangyuan Peak, they were likely rivals.

In that case, using torches to pick them off one by one was indeed a viable strategy!

“These Frost Beasts aren’t controlled by the White Dew Aberration, and they don’t even show signs of étant infected by the Dewdrop Plague. This proves that the most it can do is lure the beasts here. It can’t do anything else. That makes dealing with it much easier. As long as we can gradually clear out the Frost Beasts on the periphery, disperse the white fog in this area, and finally approach Yangyuan Peak, it’s just a matter of time.”

Li Xuanling, having just finished inspecting the Hyena-spotted Tiger corpses, also walked over.

The White Dew Aberration was the culprit behind the death of her second brother, Li Xuantian. She clearly held a grudge and was already thinking about how to get to Yangyuan Peak to deal with it.

Xia Hong smiled. “Easier said than done! Two months have passed, and we’ve only managed to clear this far. This small group of eleven tonight wasn’t too strong, but it was still a tough fight. The coming groups will have over twenty beasts each. If they decide to cooperate with one another, we’ll be in even more trouble.”

That was right!

Since different specifies of high-level Frost Beasts could communicate, who could guarantee that the remaining ten groups wouldn’t join forces?

After all, there were still two large clans in the very center. To successfully seize the treasure on Yangyuan Peak, it wasn’t impossible for them to form another alliance.

At this realization, everyone’s expression turned grim again.

Xia Hong turned to look west at Yangyuan Peak, his expression also becoming slightly serious.

In such a small area of just a six-kilometer radius, it had managed to attract nearly three hundred high-level Frost Beasts. The White Dew Aberration had certainly gone to great lengths.

Xia Hong didn’t know the specific strength classifications of high-level Frost Beasts, but he had risked a peek inside three days ago. Closer to Yangyuan Peak, he had seen thousand-eyed grade Demonic Sheep, Snow Manes that could freeze the air with their breath, Frost Wolves that moved with the wind at their feet, and a cyan-jade Soaring Serpent that looked no thicker than a thumb… all of this proved that the Frost Beast groups in the inner circle were each more terrifying than the last.

“To be able to attract so many Frost Beasts, it must be some important treasure that can help one ascend to Beast King, right? I wonder if it has any effect on humans?”

The Frost Beasts were greedy, and so was Xia Hong. With so many of them gathered here, the thing created by the White Dew Aberration must be exceedingly precious.

Even setting that aside, the White Dew Aberration itself was a great opportunity!

Suppressing the desire in his heart, Xia Hong turned to Xia Chuan and asked, his thoughts stirring, “Why did you come? Is the manpower for the Dragon Martial Army sufficient?”

Before Xia Chuan could answer, Yuwen Tao on the other side had already turned around eagerly, his face full of expectation.

Xia Chuan naturally noticed and nodded with a smile. “Many people broke through in November. The number of those at the Earthforger limit has surpassed one thousand two hundred. We can indeed start forming the Dragon Martial Army.”

“Excellent!”

Yuwen Tao was overcome with joy and cried out in excitement.

Ever since the Dragon Martial Squad was promoted to a High-level Hunting Team last month, he had been waiting for this day. Hearing Xia Chuan confirm that the troop numbers were sufficient, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

“Good. Then after we return to the Hive to rest and reorganize, Yuwen Tao, you’ll go straight back to Xiacheng to establish the army. Once it’s formed, don’t waste any time. No need to go elsewhere; bring the Dragon Martial Army directly to the Hive. They can train right here in Yanglu.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, Yuwen Tao immediately cupped his fist and replied, “This subordinate obeys!”

There were still ten kilometers of dense fog in Yanglu. The periphery needed to be continuously cleared. If the Dragon Martial Army also came, the efficiency would naturally increase significantly.

Of course, two armies were far from enough!

Xia Hong continued to question Xia Chuan, “Is everything settled in Xiacheng?”

For the past two months, Xia Chuan hadn’t left Xiacheng once because of the reforms. Given his personality, he wouldn’t have made a trip here just for the Dragon Martial Army.

As expected, upon hearing Xia Hong’s question, Xia Chuan’s face lit up with excitement. He nodded and replied, “It’s all done. The Outer City has been divided into four districts: east, south, west, and north. Each district currently has just over ninety thousand people and has been set up with its own set of Six Divisions. The heads of the Six Divisions have all been appointed, and they are all at the Frostwarden realm.”

“All of them are at the Frostwarden realm? Is there enough manpower?”

Xia Hong’s face showed a hint of surprise as he asked the question.

If the heads of the Six Divisions in all four districts were at the Frostwarden realm, that would be a total of twenty-four people. Great Xia could certainly produce twenty-four Frostwarden realm experts, but as far as he knew, many of them already held positions. The group of Frostwarden experts newly integrated from Longyou were all busy leading their respective hunting teams and likely had no time to serve in the Six Divisions.

“I’ve started to utilize the people from Longyou. And Lord, you may not be aware, but quite a few people in the encampment have broken through to the Frostwarden realm in the past two months!”

Hearing this, Xia Hong’s eyes lit up. He realized he hadn’t been paying attention to the number of Frostwarden realm cultivators in the encampment and immediately asked, “How many?”

Xia Chuan’s tone was full of excitement. “There are seventeen in the entire encampment. The Cloud Serpent Army alone accounts for four. Another nine are from five hunting squads: Dragon Martial, Dragon Slaying, Steel Mane, Tiger Leopard, and Falcon. The remaining four are from the group that joined us from Longyou.”

Seventeen new breakthroughs! Adding the eighty-nine from the beginning of October, the number of Frostwarden realm experts in Great Xia had now surpassed three digits, reaching one hundred and six!

After calculating this number, everyone’s expression became much more excited.

Xia Hong was no exception. His eyes lit up as he said, “Excellent. If we can maintain this rate of breakthrough, we might be able to completely clear out Yanglu soon!”

The biggest problem in Yanglu right now was the high-level Frost Beasts grouping together. With enough Frostwarden realm experts, plus the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies, there was great hope.

“Clean this place up. After taking the ten carcasses back to the Hive, Yuwen Tao, you take them back to Xiacheng. There are twenty-five days left this month. Before the first day of the new year, increase the supply of Beast Blood and high-level Beast Blood from the Logistics Department, and also offer up slots in the Martial Arts Academy. Do everything you can to help those at the Earthforger limit break through. Let’s see how many can make it. If we have enough people, we might be able to solve the trouble here before next year.”

Xia Chuan and the others immediately cupped their fists and replied, “This subordinate obeys!”

Great Xia currently did not lack cultivators at the Earthforger limit. The soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army and the soon-to-be-formed Dragon Martial Army already numbered two thousand. Adding the members of the various high-level hunting teams and departments, the total was at least two thousand five hundred.

With a sufficient supply of Beast Blood and the support of the Martial Arts Academy, it was only natural that more and more people would break through to the Frostwarden realm.

As long as there were enough people, dealing with the Frost Beasts in Yanglu would not be a problem at all!

“The only worry is whether that White Dew Aberration will pull some other tricks in the process. I’ll stay and oversee the Hive for the time being and come over to check from time to time. I’ll leave the rest to you. On the twenty-ninth of December, just tell me the total number of Frostwarden realm experts in Xiacheng.”

“This subordinate understands.”

“Alright, let’s head back!”

After speaking, Xia Hong headed east. The others picked up the ten high-level Frost Beast carcasses from the ground and followed him back to the Hive.

………………

Seven kilometers to the west, on Yangyuan Peak shrouded in dense fog, a fist-sized pearl engulfed in blue flames was continuously releasing thick white smoke. The pearl seemed to be alive, facing east and stirring restlessly.

“I split off one-third of my Sacred Sun Body and still couldn’t kill him. He’s about to come over with that great cauldron. These pieces of trash I lured here are too weak; they can’t stop them at all. What should I do, what should I do…”

A shrill female voice came from within the pearl, a voice filled with hysterical madness and the fear and unease of impending doom.

“He has the Yin-Yang Mirror. I can’t escape no matter how I disguise myself. I can’t escape at all. No, I can’t let him capture me. I just managed to revive. I will never be someone else’s slave, not even in death!”

“I’ve got it! I’ve got it! Jie jie jie jie jie…”

Roar—

After the eerie, crazed female voice faded, a beastly roar filled with panic suddenly erupted from the side of Yangyuan Peak.

Chapter 326: Imminent Labor, the Talented Xiao Clan, Emergency Assembly

Fifteenth of December, Year Two of Great Xia.

Shortly after nightfall, in the reception hall of the Xiao Estate’s front courtyard in the Inner City.

The mistress of the house, Lin Lan, was arranging a family banquet with two maids.

“Here, this dish is for Ning’er. Put it over here.”

“Xiaoyue, go to the kitchen and fetch three bottles of aged liquor.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Xiaoping, go see if the stewed meat is ready. If it is, bring it over.”

“I’ll go right now, Madam.”

“The banquet is about to start. Let me see what else is missing!”

………………

Although she was so busy she couldn’t stop, Lin Lan was beaming, a smile constantly playing on her lips. It was clear she was enjoying every moment.

“Father! Mother! Big Sister and Second Sister are here! Come quick!”

Suddenly, her son Xiao Heng’s shout came from the main gate.

Lin Lan quickly put down what she was doing, hastily washed her hands with the two maids, and hurried toward the front gate.

From the main hall, four middle-aged men also emerged. The man in the lead was none other than Lin Lan’s husband, Xiao Kangcheng. Closest to him was Xiao Yuan. The other two resembled Xiao Kangcheng, clearly his brothers.

A large crowd also swarmed out from the side hall—three women leading fifteen youths. Their faces were full of curiosity as they followed behind Xiao Kangcheng’s group toward the front gate.

“Sister Ning and Sister Yu are here! It’s been so long since we’ve seen them.”

“You can’t call them that anymore. You have to call them Madam.”

“Right, right, we should call them Madam. I heard Second Madam just broke through. She’s the third female Frostwarden realm cultivator in Xiacheng now!”

“It happened three days ago. First Uncle and the others even went to see for themselves.”

“Isn’t Second Madam pregnant?”

“That’s why First Uncle and the others were so worried, because her belly is so big. Luckily, nothing went wrong. Today’s banquet is to celebrate Second Madam’s breakthrough.”

“And Uncle Yuan! Uncle Yuan broke through last night too. With First Uncle and Uncle Yuan, plus First Madam, our Xiao family has five Frostwarden realm cultivators now.”

“It won’t be just five for long. Second Uncle and Third Uncle are close too!”

………………

“Ahem… Quiet, all of you. Don’t be impolite when you see the Madams!”

As Xiao Kangcheng, the head of the family, spoke, the crowd of women and juniors immediately fell silent, obediently following behind him to the front entrance.

However, before they could even step out, Xiao Heng led a group of people in.

In the front, Xiao Ning walked with a large pregnant belly, finding it a bit difficult to move.

Beside her, Xiao Yu’s abdomen was only slightly rounded, clearly early in her pregnancy.

Each was supported by two maids, and they walked with slow, careful steps.

Xiao Kangcheng first glared at his son, Xiao Heng, blaming him for bringing them in so hastily. Only then did he lead the whole family to his two daughters and bow respectfully.

“We pay our respects to the two Madams!”

“Oh, Father, Mother, Uncle Yuan, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Aunts, what are you all doing? Get up, please, get up.”

“If you do this again, Big Sister and I won’t dare to come back!”

Seeing their parents and uncles lead the entire family in a bow, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu grew a little upset and quickly told everyone to rise.

Once their parents and the others had stood up, Xiao Ning said with a hint of annoyance, “These Xia Rites are far too impersonal. To make family members act so distant!”

Xiao Ning knew very well why her father and the others were bowing to her. It was because of the regulations in the Chapter of Rites and Regulations of the Four Rites of Xia concerning the nine-rank nobility system.

The daily conduct of everyone in the Great Xia settlement was now governed by the Xia Rites. The Chapter of Rites and Regulations stipulated that commoners must perform a subordinate’s rite when meeting a titled noble, and a lower-ranked noble must do the same for a higher-ranked one.

Her husband, Xia Chuan, was an Eighth-Rank Crimson-Firmament Viscount, so she and Xiao Yu had been granted the title of Eighth-Rank Madam. Xiao Kangcheng was a Ninth-Rank Dark-Feather Viscount. According to the Xia Rites, he was indeed required to bow to them.

Although that was the rule, seeing their own parents bow to them was naturally difficult for the two women to accept, so they couldn’t help but complain that the Xia Rites were a bit unfeeling.

Xiao Kangcheng, however, had a clearer perspective. He waved his hand with a smile and said, “The new rules have just been established. There’s no harm in following them strictly. Don’t the Xia Rites also have a section on rites between father and son? I expect there will be adjustments and revisions later on.”

Hearing this, Xiao Ning immediately recalled that Xia Chuan had indeed mentioned this before. She nodded and smiled, “Father sees things more clearly than I do. Husband did say that the rites between father and son should supersede the Rites of Nobility.”

“Alright, alright, let’s not just stand here at the gate. My feet are getting tired. Let’s go in and sit down first!”

Xiao Yu, with her straightforward personality, urged everyone to go inside.

“Yes, yes, Yu’er has spoken. Everyone, let’s go in and take our seats!”

Xiao Kangcheng knew his second daughter’s temperament and gestured for everyone to enter with a smile.

Lin Lan could no longer hold back. She immediately rushed to Xiao Ning’s side, replacing a maid to support her arm, and looked at her eldest daughter with a face full of tenderness.

“Ning’er, I was going to have Heng’er pick you up. Why did you come on your own? You’re due next month, you must be careful! Don’t hurt my grandson!”

Seeing Lin Lan’s nervous expression, several aunts also gathered around. Some offered support, some made conversation, surrounding Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu like stars around the moon as they guided them toward the reception hall.

“Oh, Mother, I’m not that fragile. I’m just pregnant, that’s all. You gave birth to the three of us and weren’t this nervous. And you three aunts, you’ve each had four or five children. I’ve never seen such a fuss!”

Hearing Xiao Ning’s words, Lin Lan chided her, “How can that be the same? The one in your belly is a precious darling. I heard from Heng’er that even his First Uncle personally chose the name. My little Yuzong will be the most distinguished young lord in all of Great Xia.”

The more Lin Lan spoke, the prouder she became, and the three other women beside her joined in the teasing.

“That’s right. The Lord himself gave him a name before he’s even born. Such favor is unique in Great Xia.”

“Among the more than four hundred thousand people in Xiacheng, who could be more precious than our little Yuzong?”

“Not a noble young lord, he’s clearly our Young Lord Director, hahaha!”

………………

Hearing the flattery from her three sisters-in-law, Lin Lan’s smile naturally widened.

Back then, Xia Hong had chosen two names: Yuzong if it was a boy, and Yuning if it was a girl. Everyone had clearly already decided that Xiao Ning was carrying a boy, as no one even mentioned the name Yuning.

Amidst the pleasantries, everyone entered the reception hall and took their seats one by one.

Today was a family banquet for the Xiao clan, and everyone present was a member. Xiao Kangcheng, as the head of the family, naturally took the main seat. Beside him was his wife, Lin Lan, with their two daughters, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu, on either side of them.

Below them were his cousin, Xiao Yuan, and his wife, as well as his two younger brothers, Xiao Kangyue and Xiao Kangjian, with their respective wives.

Further down were the current second-generation members of the Xiao clan. His son, Xiao Heng, was among them, along with Xiao Lin, Xiao Jing, Xiao岑, Xiao Yue, Xiao Yan, Xiao Qing… a total of sixteen people.

“Tonight’s banquet is to celebrate Yu’er and Ah Yuan’s breakthrough to the Frostwarden realm. There’s no need for so much formality. Since everyone’s here, let the feast begin!”

As Xiao Kangcheng spoke, everyone picked up their chopsticks with a smile, and a joyous family banquet began.

Looking at this large family, Xiao Kangcheng couldn’t help but feel a little emotional. A year ago, they were in Five Ape Mountain with just over a thousand people, living a hard life. Compared to now, it felt like a dream.

The twenty-six people present today constituted their entire Xiao clan.

In terms of Frostwarden realm cultivators alone, there were him, Xiao Yuan, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Yu—four of them. His two younger brothers, Xiao Kangyue and Xiao Kangjian, were both at the Earthforger limit. They had just been selected for the Dragon Martial Army and appointed as Battalion Captains. It probably wouldn’t be long before they also broke through to the Frostwarden realm.

Among the sixteen second-generation members, seven were in the Earthforger realm. His own son, Xiao Heng, had achieved an excellent eighteenth place in the Lumberjack realm group of the Martial Arts Tournament in June and was a standout among them. The remaining eleven were not lacking in talent for their age, and among them was even a promising youth who was about to break the record for reaching the Earthforger realm.

Today, the Xiao clan, by their strength alone, was enough to secure a place among the upper echelons of Great Xia. And with Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu as the wives of a Director, it was no exaggeration to say that the Xiao clan had already joined the ranks of Great Xia’s top elite families.

What more could one ask for in life!

“Yu’er congratulates Uncle Yuan on his breakthrough. From now on, our Xiaoshan Squad will have four Frostwarden realm cultivators. Once Big Sister has her baby, we can try hunting high-level Frost Beasts. Maybe we can even form the Xiaoshan Army then!”

As Xiao Kangcheng was lost in his thoughts, he heard his daughter Xiao Yu’s words. His expression flickered with interest, but after a moment’s thought, he shook his head and quickly calmed down.

Xiao Yuan cupped his hands and said with a smile, “I’m already old, so a breakthrough is to be expected. But you, Yu’er, to have broken through so early, your future will be limitless. It should be me congratulating you!”

Hearing Xiao Yuan’s words, a sense of urgency inevitably rose in the hearts of Xiao Kangyue and Xiao Kangjian. They were about the same age as Xiao Yuan. It was fine when they were all in the Earthforger realm, but now that their eldest brother and Xiao Yuan had both broken through, they naturally felt they were falling behind.

As for the dozen or so juniors below, their faces were filled with envy as they looked up at the four, their eyes burning with a desire for the Frostwarden realm.

“Father, three days ago, the Martial Arts Academy sent out a notice and suspended our quotas for the Earthforger realm. Do you know what’s going on?”

Xiao Heng was a bit bolder and directly asked Xiao Kangcheng about the recent reduction in quotas at the Martial Arts Academy. Hearing this, the other Xiao clan youths also raised their heads curiously, clearly very concerned about this issue.

Xiao Kangcheng frowned, likely thinking his son was prying, and was about to scold him.

Xiao Ning saw her father’s intention and, to save her brother from a scolding, she spoke first, “You rascal, you’re full of questions every day. Does an order from Prefect Qiu need to be explained to you?”

Xiao Yu was more carefree and said directly, “I heard it’s because of the situation at the Hive. The Lord himself gave the order. For the time being, the quotas at the Martial Arts Academy are all being allocated to those at the Earthforger limit to help as many of them as possible break through to the Frostwarden realm.”

“That’s right. I heard there are many high-level Frost Beasts at the Hive, and the Lord is personally overseeing the situation there. They need a large number of Frostwarden realm cultivators to help.”

“The Dragon Martial Army is setting out for the Hive the day after tomorrow. A very small number of people whose Hide reforging is almost complete were left behind. I heard it was so they could enter the Martial Arts Academy first to cultivate, break through to the Frostwarden realm, and then go to the Hive to help!”

Xiao Kangyue and Xiao Kangjian happened to be at the Earthforger limit, and they had clearly heard something about this as well, nodding in agreement.

“No wonder I keep hearing loud laughter from the Martial Arts Academy recently. Someone must have broken through to the Frostwarden realm. Big Sister, the number of Frostwarden realm cultivators in Great Xia must be over a hundred now, right?”

Hearing Xiao Heng’s question, Xiao Yu immediately smiled and said, “It’s been over that for a while. Back in October, when the Lord held a meeting in the Deliberation Hall, there were already about ninety. In the past two months, at least a dozen more have broken through. I estimate that Great Xia now has close to one hundred and twenty Frostwarden realm cultivators, or even more.”

Hiss…

Not just the second-generation youths, but even Xiao Kangyue and Xiao Kangjian couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath at this astonishing number.

“Otherwise, how could the Dragon Martial Squad have been promoted to a High-level Hunting Team so quickly and gained the qualification to form an army? I heard that last month alone, three people from their squad broke through to the Frostwarden realm.”

Hearing Xiao Yu’s words, Xiao Kangyue immediately nodded and said, “Indeed. Apart from Marshal Yuwen Tao, the Dragon Martial Army has four other Battalion Captains who are also at the Frostwarden realm. Zhou Yuan and Hou Quan are new additions from Longyou, and the other two were brought over directly from the Dragon Martial Squad.”

Hunting teams and the army were two different systems. After the Dragon Martial Army was established, the Dragon Martial Squad was not disbanded. Yuwen Tao would have certainly left behind a portion of his elites to maintain the squad’s strength.

With three new Frostwarden realm cultivators, Yuwen Tao took two to the Dragon Martial Army and left one behind. As long as they slowly recruited new members and had Yuwen Tao send people to help from time to time, maintaining the title of a High-level Hunting Team wouldn’t be too difficult.

At this moment, Xiao Ning keenly noticed her father Xiao Kangcheng’s slightly cool demeanor. Recalling his calm expression when Xiao Yu had just mentioned forming the Xiaoshan Army, she asked curiously, “Father, don’t you want to establish the Xiaoshan Army?”

Xiao Kangcheng shook his head slightly. What man didn’t dream of commanding thousands of troops on the battlefield and achieving great deeds? He was no exception.

It was just that he saw things a little more clearly than his daughter.

“We shouldn’t think about it for the short term. Right now, there are over a dozen squads vying for promotion to High-level Hunting Team. Tiger Leopard, Dragon Slaying, Falcon, Steel Mane, Golden Eagle, Xuanwu, Shenwu, Zhenwu, Xiongwu… These teams will definitely qualify to form armies before the Xiaoshan Squad. Even if I really intended to create the Xiaoshan Army, I would probably have to wait behind all of them. By the time armies with those designations are all established, it would probably take several years. I’m not in a hurry…”

Xiao Ning was stunned at first, but she quickly understood and nodded.

Xiaoshan was an Intermediate Hunting Team. Among the many squads under the Hunting Department, its strength was in the third tier. It truly couldn’t compete with the teams her father had just mentioned.

The key was that there were too many teams waiting to form armies. Even if her father made a forceful push and got the Xiaoshan Squad promoted to high-level, it probably wouldn’t be his turn.

“The settlement only has about forty thousand Earthforger realm cultivators, and those at the Earthforger limit aren’t a dime a dozen. Forming an army isn’t that simple. The Dragon Martial Army was able to be formed so quickly thanks to the large influx of population from Longyou, which included many cultivators at the Earthforger limit. I estimate that the next army, the third one, won’t be established until the middle of next year at the earliest.”

Hearing her father’s words, Xiao Ning nodded and said, “The Lord said that only after Great Xia has five armies will the Department of Military Affairs be established alongside the seven existing departments. Husband mentioned once before that the establishment of the Department of Military Affairs would probably have to wait until next year!”

Xiao Yuan couldn’t help but speak up as well.

“Besides, the settlement probably doesn’t need that many armies. Armies can only be used to hunt low and mid-level Frost Beasts. Hunting high-level Frost Beasts still relies on small-scale teams composed of Frostwarden realm cultivators. I estimate the Lord will eventually limit the number of armies and will only add more when the population reaches a certain size!”

They probably wouldn’t even need to limit it. Each new army required a massive amount of Blood Origin Pills, Hundred-forged iron armor, Hundred-forged weapons, Beast Blood… these resources were not easily acquired, even for the current Great Xia.

As far as Xiao Ning knew, the soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army were still using the weapons and armor seized from Longyou. Continuously establishing new armies would certainly be more than the settlement could bear.

“Well, let’s not talk about this. With Big Sister and me here, the Xiaoshan Army will eventually happen. It’s only a matter of time. Aren’t the outposts in Longyou currently clearing out the scattered settlements in the territory? I see new people arriving in Xiacheng every day. When the population is sufficient, Father will have his chance to form an army.”

Xiao Yu’s words instantly eased the atmosphere.

Xiao Kangcheng waved his hand and smiled. “I’m not that ambitious. Life is very comfortable as it is. Let’s not talk about these things. I recently ordered two Three-Mane Strongbows from the Weaponry Workshop. They should be ready the day after tomorrow. Once I get them, I can lead a team into the depths of Redwood Ridge and try hunting a high-level Frost Beast.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yuan’s face lit up. Two Three-Mane Divine Arm Bows—one of them was clearly meant for him.

“It’s a pity that ten of our Earthforger limit members from the Xiaoshan Squad were drafted for the Dragon Martial Army this time. Otherwise, our chances of a successful hunt would be even higher.”

The Xiaoshan Squad originally had thirty-two members at the Earthforger limit. With the two of them at the Frostwarden realm, hunting a weaker high-level Frost Beast probably wouldn’t have been a problem.

But now there were only twenty-two, so it was hard to say.

Xiao Kangjian and Xiao Kangyue were two of the ten who had been drafted. They both nodded with regretful expressions.

“Father, you probably won’t be able to get those two Three-Mane strongbows. Just two days ago, Prefect Qiu issued an order. The Weaponry Workshop needs to rush-produce a batch of Divine Arm Bows. I heard it’s for the Hive. They need to make two hundred in total. Right now, all the bow-making materials are being used for this. Other custom orders will surely have to wait.”

Upon hearing this, a look of shock appeared on Xiao Kangcheng’s face. “Two hundred Divine Arm Bows? They need to make that many? Is the situation at the Hive that severe?”

The first Divine Arm Bow forged by Mu Dong had a draw strength of Six Mane and was made specifically for the Lord, Xia Hong. After the annexation of Longyou, Mu Dong discovered many new materials suitable for bowstrings and forged several strongbows with a draw strength of over Five Mane. Since then, Great Xia had started to refer to all strongbows with a draw strength of Five Mane or more as Divine Arm Bows.

To make two hundred of them at once, just how many high-level Frost Beasts were at the Hive? And did Great Xia even have that many Frostwarden realm cultivators with the strength of Five Mane or more?

Xiao Yuan and the others also came to this realization and looked at Xiao Ning with astonishment.

Xiao Ning nodded, her face turning grave. “I heard that hundreds of high-level Frost Beasts have gathered in the Yanglu Realm, all summoned by that White Dew Aberration. The matter with the Martial Arts Academy quotas, and the Lord personally overseeing things there, it’s all because of this. The Dragon Martial Army is heading over the day after tomorrow, and it’s expected that all Frostwarden realm cultivators in the settlement will be summoned there before the year is out. There will definitely be a massive battle!”

Hearing this, Xiao Kangcheng and the others also grew solemn.

Hundreds of high-level Frost Beasts… only the Lord’s presence there would make a difference. Anyone else would probably be crushed to dust in an instant.

“Husband took both my and Yu’er’s Divine Arm Bows for military use. If we still had them, we could have given them to Father to use.”

Xiao Kangcheng waved his hands repeatedly. “It’s fine. This batch of Divine Arm Bows from the Logistics Department will eventually be for us to use anyway. It’s just a matter of getting them sooner or later. You should keep your things for yourselves. What would it look like if I took them!”

Xiao Kangcheng was well aware that his two daughters possessed many fine items. To prevent others from gossiping, he did his best to stop his family from taking things from his daughters. If he demanded this of his family, he held himself to an even higher standard.

Xiao Ning knew her father’s temperament and didn’t press the issue. She turned to look at the other second-generation members and said, “I heard our Xiao clan is about to have a young genius who will break the record for reaching the Earthforger realm. Introduce me, who is it?”

At these words, Second Uncle Xiao Kangyue immediately perked up. He pointed to a handsome boy under ten at the end of the table and said with a smile, “It’s my son, Yan’er. The boy is quite promising. He’s three months short of ten years old. I’ve sent him to the Martial Arts Academy a few times, and his base strength is now over nine thousand six hundred catties. At this rate, breaking through to the Earthforger realm before he turns ten shouldn’t be a problem!”

Xiao Kangyue’s wife, Lu Guixiang, was also beaming. She pulled her son, Xiao Yan, to his feet and said with a smile, “Yan’er, quickly greet your sisters. Let them have a good look at you.”

Not yet ten years old, Xiao Yan was not the least bit shy being stared at by so many people. He stood up by the table and bowed to Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu.

“Yan’er pays respects to Big Sister and Second Sister!”

“Good, good, a fine prospect. If you really break the Earthforger realm record, Big Sister has a great gift for you!”

Breaking through to the Earthforger realm before the age of ten—who would have believed it a year ago in Five Ape Mountain? To think that such a genius could emerge from the Xiao clan. Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu were smiling so widely their eyes could barely stay open.

Of course, it wasn’t just them. Xiao Kangcheng and everyone else, including the Xiao clansmen of Xiao Yan’s generation, were clearly beaming with joy as well, happy from the bottom of their hearts.

“Ah Heng isn’t bad either. He broke through to the Earthforger realm during the June Martial Arts Tournament, and now his base strength is already at thirteen thousand. He’s joined the Mountain River Squad, hasn’t he?”

Xiao Yu was clearly worried about her brother being left out and made sure to praise him too.

Xiao Kangcheng nodded. “I have him and Xiao Lin stay in the Second Company. They usually just go out to hunt some low-level Frost Beasts. The two boys are doing quite well, not causing me any trouble.”

The Mountain River Squad was an Intermediate Hunting Team with a full roster of fifty. Xiao Kangcheng had intentionally created a First Company and a Second Company. The First Company, which he led personally, could even attempt to hunt high-level Frost Beasts. The Second Company was weaker and specialized in hunting low-level ones, serving as a training ground for reserves, so he had his son and nephews join it.

The family chatted for a long time. Finally, seeing the night grow late and many people in the settlement beginning to go out, Xiao Ning suggested it was time to leave.

“Father, it’s getting late, and you all will be getting busy soon. Yu’er and I will head back now so we don’t disturb you.”

“You only just got back after so long. Stay a while longer, talk with your mother!”

“Mother, we’re all in the Inner City, so close to each other. If you miss us, you can just come to our homes to find us. Why act so distant!”

Lin Lan was reluctant to part with her daughters and tried to make them stay, but hearing Xiao Ning’s words, she couldn’t say much more and could only nod.

Suddenly, she had an idea and pointed to the two maids beside her. “Ning’er is about to give birth, and Yu’er is pregnant too. I’ll have Xiaoyue and Xiaoping go over and help. I don’t really need maids here.”

Xiao Ning immediately wanted to refuse, but before she could speak, her mother had already pushed the two maids toward her.

Xiao Kangcheng also nodded from the side, saying seriously, “I know you have many maids at home, but your mother and I don’t really need them. Many hands make light work. It’s better to have them go and help take care of you.”

Seeing that their father also agreed, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu could no longer refuse. To put their parents at ease, they had no choice but to take the two maids back with them.

The family escorted Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu all the way to the gate before turning back.

“Dragon Martial Army, emergency assembly!”

“Dragon Martial Army, emergency assembly!”

“Dragon Martial Army, emergency assembly!”

…………

Just as Xiao Kangcheng was about to take Xiao Yuan and his two younger brothers back to the main hall to talk more, he suddenly heard a series of loud shouts from the street.

“Emergency assembly? Weren’t they supposed to set out for the Hive the day after tomorrow? Are they leaving early?”

“Big Brother, Brother Yuan, we have to go! It’s an emergency assembly order. Twenty lashes if we don’t reach the barracks in twenty breaths. We’re leaving now!”

Xiao Kangyue and Xiao Kangjian immediately bid farewell to Xiao Kangcheng and Xiao Yuan and dashed toward the Outer City barracks without a second glance.

Xiao Kangcheng knew that military orders were absolute and didn’t try to stop his brothers. He just watched them go before sighing softly, “Twenty lashes for not reaching the barracks in twenty breaths. Prefect Yuwen is too strict with his army!”

Xiao Yuan, at his side, smiled and said, “The New Army has just been formed, so it’s understandable for them to be stricter. Prefect Yuwen has always wanted to compete with the Director. The Dragon Martial Army was formed half a year late, so he must be eager to increase its combat strength quickly, otherwise, the gap with the Cloud Serpent Army will only grow wider.”

Xiao Kangcheng smiled at his words, a trace of longing rising in his eyes.

He wondered when his own Xiaoshan Army would ever be established.

Chapter 327: Early Training, a Surge in Frostwarden Realm Numbers

After more than two months of renovations led by Xia Chuan, the Outer City had been divided into four distinct districts: southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest.

The Great Xia’s Outer City was enclosed by three walls and the cliff face of Double Dragon Mountain. It spanned four kilometers from north to south and three kilometers from east to west, covering a total area of just twelve square kilometers.

Xia Chuan had designed the four districts to be exceptionally compact, pushing them as close to the city walls as possible. This left a large, open area in the center, a clear provision for future population growth.

At the very heart of Xiacheng stood a square wooden structure with sides about five hundred meters long.

The structure was five stories tall, with each floor identical in size. Except for a few windows on the top floor for ventilation, it was almost completely sealed. Barely any light escaped from within, and from the outside, one could not see anything happening inside.

However, a massive wooden plaque hung from the top floor.

On it, the word “Barracks” was written in shimmering gold powder.

Although the Barracks was situated a good two or three hundred meters away from the Outer City’s streets, it couldn’t stop the people’s curiosity. Young children, in particular, often gathered at the perimeter, their faces filled with envy and longing as they gazed at the building.

“Was that the Dragon Martial Army being summoned just now?”

“Yes! Didn’t you see the firelight coming from the second floor?”

“The second floor? What does that mean?”

“Building the Barracks with five floors was apparently the Lord’s idea. He said our camp’s short-term goal is to establish five great armies, and these five floors are for them. Only two floors are in use so far.”

“The first is for the Cloud Serpent Army, and the second is for the Dragon Martial Army?”

“That’s right. The construction standards for this place are pretty high. I heard the foundation piles alone were driven over twenty meters deep, and the floorboards and joints are all made of solid iron. It won’t collapse even if tens of thousands of people cram inside at once.”

“Of course not. It’s a crucial military facility. The weakest soldiers in both armies are at the Earthforger limit. If it wasn’t built strong enough, they’d stomp through it in no time. That would be a joke.”

“The Dragon Martial Army must be training. Should we sneak over for a look?”

“Are you crazy? The Barracks is a restricted area now. No one is allowed near it except for soldiers. Violators get a beating for a light offense or a forced labor sentence for a serious one. If you want to die, go ahead, but I’m not going with you.”

“Hehe, I was just kidding. How could I forget the regulations the Director set last month? Even if I go in, I’ll do it openly and with dignity as a soldier of a great army.”

“Keep dreaming. By the time you break through to the Earthforger limit, Great Xia will probably have more than a dozen great armies, let alone five. You think it’ll be your turn?”

“Don’t look down on me. You just wait and see.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll be waiting.”

………………

Barracks, second-floor plaza.

The square plaza, over two hundred meters wide, could easily accommodate ten thousand people, let alone one thousand. At this moment, the one thousand soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army stood in tight formation in the center of the plaza, their eyes fixed forward.

The hundred-forged iron armor worn by the Dragon Martial Army soldiers was not pale gold but pure black, a clear sign that it was forged in Longshan.

Not only their armor but their weaponry also differed from the Cloud Serpent Army’s.

The hundred men in the front rank carried a variety of weapons, clearly an elite scout company like that of the Cloud Serpent Army. Of the nine hundred-man groups behind them, three were armed with sabers, while the remaining six wielded longspears.

At the very front of the formation, Yuwen Tao, clad in armor of nearly pure gold, paced slowly forward. He glanced over the formation and asked in a booming voice:

“Is everyone present?”

From the front rank of the army, Scout Company Captain Zhou Yuan stepped forward, clasped his fist, and replied:

“Reporting to the Marshal, all one thousand men from the ten companies are present!”

Yuwen Tao nodded and continued to the front of the army. He looked at the ten Company Captains, including Zhou Yuan, a sharp glint in his eyes.

“My Dragon Martial Army may have been established late, but our starting point is much higher than the Director’s Cloud Serpent Army. From its inception, we have four Frostwarden realm experts: Zhou Yuan, Hou Quan, Yuwen Yong, and Zhu Yang. If I can leverage this well, it is not impossible to surpass the Cloud Serpent Army in combat strength!”

Just as many in Xiacheng suspected, Yuwen Tao did indeed harbor thoughts of competing with Xia Chuan. This desire had intensified after he lost to Xia Chuan by a single move in the Martial Arts Tournament back in June.

Xia Hong’s power was on a completely different level. Yuwen Tao admitted he had neither the heart nor the courage to compare himself to him; he didn’t even have a strong desire to catch up.

But Xia Chuan was different!

He was of a similar age, with a similar cultivation level and a comparable battle physique aptitude. In fact, Yuwen Tao had always been certain that when it came to combat talent, Xia Chuan was his inferior.

And yet, at the June Martial Arts Tournament, he had been soundly defeated by Xia Chuan.

For Yuwen Tao, that loss was more than just losing the right to form an army. A fire had been smoldering in his heart ever since.

The next Martial Arts Tournament wouldn’t be until next year, so he had to best Xia Chuan in some other way. The establishment of the Dragon Martial Army was that opportunity.

Ten days ago, upon his return to Xiacheng, he had immediately sought out Zhou Yuan and Hou Quan. After much effort and persuasion, he finally convinced them to join the Dragon Martial Army.

Including Yuwen Yong and Zhu Yang, whom he had brought from the Dragon Martial Squad, the newly formed Dragon Martial Army already boasted four Frostwarden realm experts. Moreover, Zhou Yuan and Hou Quan were both above the nine-mane level in strength.

Before the fifth of December, he had been at the Hive, so he knew the Cloud Serpent Army’s situation well. Even now, including Liu Yuan, they only had a total of five Frostwarden realm experts.

In terms of the number of Frostwarden realm cultivators alone, the gap between the two armies was already negligible.

The next thing to close was the gap in combat power!

Yuwen Tao took a deep breath, scanned the soldiers before him, and announced loudly, “The plan was to set out the day after tomorrow and train with the Frost Beasts in the Yanglu region once we reached the Hive. However, I believe that since it’s training, why wait until we get there? Redwood Ridge is crawling with Frost Beasts. We cannot waste tonight and tomorrow night, which is why I’ve summoned you all here on short notice!”

The soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army straightened up at his words. Their army had only been formed a few days ago, and they had yet to see a single battle.

“Only 950 of you will be departing the day after tomorrow. You should all know the reason. To deal with the anomaly in the Yanglu region, the Lord has recently cleared out the Martial Arts Academy’s quotas specifically to help those at the Earthforger limit break through. The Cloud Serpent Army was allocated 100 spots. Our Dragon Martial Army, being newly formed, only received 50.”

The Martial Arts Academy could accommodate two hundred people cultivating at once. The soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army and Dragon Martial Army, all at the Earthforger limit, naturally took up most of the spots.

The remaining fifty spots were given to others in the camp at the Earthforger limit who were not in the army.

At the mention of the Martial Arts Academy quota, the expressions of the men stirred with interest.

Half of the Dragon Martial Army’s soldiers were newcomers from Longyou. They had only been in Xiacheng for a little over two months, and most had only heard about the accelerated cultivation in the Martial Arts Academy without having experienced it themselves.

Nevertheless, based on what they heard from others in the camp, the academy’s speed-boosting effect was definitely real. Naturally, they all coveted a spot and wanted to try cultivating inside.

“I have already made a preliminary decision on the 50 spots for the Dragon Martial Army. A list will be posted after we dismiss, and you can go directly to the Martial Arts Academy to cultivate.

However, more of you will break through. Once someone breaks through, a spot in the academy will open up. The Dragon Martial Army’s 50 spots will not change, so when that happens, I will select someone else to take the place of the one who broke through.

Now, let me tell you the selection criteria!”

As Yuwen Tao finished speaking, the expressions of the crowd grew excited.

That’s right!

When the first group of fifty goes in, people will gradually break through. As soon as someone breaks through, a spot opens up!

The fifty spots belonging to the Dragon Martial Army wouldn’t change, which meant that as long as someone achieved a breakthrough, they would have a chance to take their place and continue cultivating in the Martial Arts Academy!

Everyone wore an expression of longing. They all perked up their ears, listening intently for the selection criteria Yuwen Tao was about to announce.

Yuwen Tao smiled and continued, “Truthfully, the gap in your cultivation levels isn’t large. Everyone who enters the Martial Arts Academy this time will be eligible to exchange for high-level Beast Blood, and you certainly have enough contribution points. So, as long as you get in, breaking through to the Frostwarden realm is practically guaranteed.”

He paused here, his voice growing slightly grave as he continued:

“Since everyone is capable of breaking through, I cannot just hand out the spots randomly. My criteria for selection will be this: the person who performs most outstandingly in the training tonight and tomorrow night—in other words, the one who slays the most Frost Beasts—will earn the right to the subsequent spots in the Martial Arts Academy!”

A look of understanding appeared on everyone’s faces. They had suspected as much when Yuwen Tao first announced they would be training early in Redwood Ridge, so they were not surprised to hear that the spots would be contested based on the number of Frost Beasts killed.

“I will have the ten Company Captains keep records on the battlefield. Your individual performance will determine the allocation of future spots, so don’t be resentful if you lose. Also, there is something else I need to tell you…”

Yuwen Tao paused, sweeping his gaze across the crowd before continuing:

“From what I know, this matter in the Yanglu region is not simple. In the area around Yangyuan Peak alone, there are hundreds of high-level Frost Beasts, not to mention the powerful White Dew Aberration standing behind them. The Lord is deploying the Cloud Serpent Army and our Dragon Martial Army at this time, and even vacating the Martial Arts Academy spots for those at the Earthforger limit to break through, all to resolve the major trouble on Yangyuan Peak.

There will be a fierce battle at the end of the year. Seizing a spot now, entering the Martial Arts Academy, and breaking through to the Frostwarden realm ahead of time could be what saves your life. Consider this an advance warning. How you perform tonight and tomorrow night is entirely up to you. Do you all understand?”

Yuwen Tao deliberately emphasized his last question.

The men’s faces tensed at his words, and then they shouted in unison:

“Understood!”

“Have you not eaten? Louder!”

Yuwen Tao’s roar made everyone jolt.

They all took a breath, then tilted their heads back and answered again.

“This subordinate understands!”

This time, their morale was clearly much higher.

The entire wooden barracks seemed to tremble slightly.

“Alright, Zhou Yuan, lead the Scout Company out first. Take the little torches with you. The other nine companies, follow. After leaving Xiacheng, take the straight western road and enter Redwood Ridge as quickly as possible. Move out!”

With Yuwen Tao’s command, Zhou Yuan was the first to lead the Scout Company downstairs and out through the Barracks’ western exit. The soldiers of the other nine companies quickly followed.

“The Cloud Serpent Army’s training started with just a few Frost Beasts. The Dragon Martial Army already has five Frostwarden realm experts. There is no need to be so slow. We can start directly with a small-scale beast tide in the double digits. We must increase our combat power at the fastest possible rate so we don’t drag the Cloud Serpent Army down when we get to the Yanglu region!”

Yuwen Tao took a shallow breath and followed behind the army.

The Cloud Serpent Army’s training method was indeed the fastest and most effective, which was why he had the Scout Company bring the little torches.

His haste in strengthening the Dragon Martial Army was partly due to his rivalry with Xia Chuan, but that was secondary.

He wasn’t so reckless as to disregard the lives of his soldiers just to compete with Xia Chuan.

His primary motivation was what he had just told them.

Before the fifth of December, he had been in the Yanglu region with Xia Hong, clearing out Frost Beast packs around Yangyuan Peak. He was therefore very familiar with the situation. The matter in Yanglu was indeed serious, and a fierce year-end battle was highly likely.

If the Dragon Martial Army didn’t rapidly increase its combat power now, dragging down the Cloud Serpent Army would be a minor issue; losing their lives would be the major one.

The Dragon Martial Army had just been formed. He didn’t want to lose too many men so soon.

“Better to suffer some injuries now than to lose your life on the battlefield later. Tonight, we’ll start directly with a beast tide in the double digits!”

Having made up his mind, Yuwen Tao led his men out of the city gate and headed straight for the western road.

The straight western road out of Xiacheng connected to an iron mine within Redwood Ridge and was typically used by miners. He took the Dragon Martial Army this way purely to save time and get into the depths of Redwood Ridge faster.

………………

News of the Dragon Martial Army’s early training soon spread throughout Xiacheng.

When Xia Chuan heard about it, he said nothing. Training early was not a bad thing. The Dragon Martial Army had indeed been formed a bit late; developing their combat effectiveness sooner meant fewer casualties when they reached the Yanglu region later.

He remained focused on the situation at the Martial Arts Academy. As soon as someone broke through, he would immediately send someone to the Hive to notify a Cloud Serpent Army soldier to return and take their place, doing everything he could to push those at the Earthforger limit to break through.

The difficulty of breaking through from the Earthforger limit to the Frostwarden realm wasn’t actually that great. Especially now, with the camp’s plentiful supply of Beast Blood, the aid of auxiliary Spirit Pills like the Blood Origin Pill, and the Martial Arts Academy’s ability to increase the efficiency of reforging one’s hide, the combination of these three factors left almost no obstacles.

The only variable was the speed of the hide-reforging stage.

The selection for these spots had been strict to begin with. Anyone chosen to enter the Martial Arts Academy was already at least 70% of the way through reforging their hide. After staying inside for five to ten days, a breakthrough was almost certain.

On the tenth of December, two people broke through.

On the eleventh of December, four people broke through.

On the twelfth of December, three people broke through.

…………

This continued until dawn on the twenty-ninth of December.

“Five more broke through last night, Director!”

Xia Chuan, who was cultivating in the quiet room of the Main Building, immediately opened his eyes upon hearing Qiu Peng’s report and asked, “Have you counted? What’s the total?”

Qiu Peng had clearly already tallied the numbers and answered without hesitation, “Starting from the sixth of December until today, a total of 102 people have broken through. I have just dismissed everyone from the Martial Arts Academy, leaving only the 15 who have a chance of breaking through tonight.”

“102. Adding the previous 106, that’s enough. Notify all Frostwarden realm experts to assemble at the Hive immediately. Have someone watch over this last batch tonight. As soon as they break through, send them to the Hive. I’m going to inform the Lord now.”

“This subordinate will see to it at once!”

With that, Xia Chuan walked out of the quiet room, left the Main Building, and headed towards the city gate. Qiu Peng dispatched a large number of his subordinates to notify all the Frostwarden realm experts throughout Xiacheng.

Chapter 328: Assembling at the Hive, But Where are the Divine Arm Bows? Full Mobilization

Second year of the Great Xia, December 29th.

As night fell, the main underground area of the Hive began to bustle with activity.

The two thousand soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army and the Dragon Martial Army had long since donned their armor, taken up their strongbows and weapons, and swiftly assembled at the exit of the main area’s iron gate.

In the grand hall on the top floor of the Main Building, more than two hundred people were gathered. Aside from a small group in the front sitting upright and serious, most were chatting and conversing with beaming smiles.

“Hahaha, Old He, you broke through too?”

“Just luck, just luck. I broke through half a month ago.”

“Old Yang, you’re not bad either. You just broke through last night, right?”

“I just made it. Otherwise, my time in the Martial Arts Academy would have been for nothing.”

“Hahaha, I broke through last night. One day later and I would’ve missed out.”

…

In the front row, Xiao Kangcheng glanced at the more than two hundred people around him, a look of disbelief on his face from start to finish.

Of course, he wasn’t the only one in disbelief; so was Xiao Yuan beside him.

Xiao Yuan was muttering as he counted heads. After finishing, he turned to Xiao Kangcheng and said in astonishment, “Two hundred and ten! That’s too exaggerated. So many people breaking through in less than a month. Since when did the Frostwarden realm become so common?”

Hearing this number, the shock on Xiao Kangcheng’s face deepened.

He remembered clearly that at the beginning of the month, the entire camp had just over one hundred Frostwarden realm experts. In less than a month, the number had actually doubled. It was indeed far too exaggerated.

“Zhu Xing pays his respects to Lord Xiao!”

While the two were still marveling, an old acquaintance, Zhu Xing, came over. He smiled and first bowed to Xiao Kangcheng before continuing, “Among the two hundred and sixty thousand people who came over from Longyou in October, there were many at the Earthforger limit. They were already on the verge of a breakthrough. With the support of high-level Beast Blood, Blood Spirit Pills, and the Martial Arts Academy, it’s not surprising to see a concentrated wave of breakthroughs.”

This explanation brought a sudden realization to Xiao Kangcheng.

Indeed, if one only counted the Earthforger limit experts from Great Xia itself, there wouldn’t be so many breakthroughs. But factoring in the group from Longyou that joined in October made it much more reasonable.

Xiao Kangcheng had received the summons during the day and had just rushed to the Hive from Xiacheng. He didn’t know the details about the high-level Frost Beasts in Yanglu. Recalling that Zhu Xing was the company commander of the Cloud Serpent Army’s Scout Battalion, he took the initiative to inquire.

“Brother Zhu, I heard in Xiacheng that there are hundreds of high-level Frost Beasts near Yangyuan Peak. Did the Lord summon us here for this matter?”

Although he had been granted a ninth-rank title, Zhu Xing was also a Frostwarden realm expert and an old acquaintance from Five Ape Mountain, so he didn’t put on too many airs.

Hearing his question, Zhu Xing’s expression immediately turned grave. He nodded and said:

“It is true. Around Yangyuan Peak, including the Snow Mane and Frost Wolf packs, there are a total of twelve Frost Beast groups. The number of high-level Frost Beasts in them totals nearly three hundred. However, over the past twenty-plus days, the Lord led us to deal with three of the outer groups. Now, there are a total of seven Frost Beast groups remaining, each with more than twenty members.

“Of course, there are also those two Frost Wolf and Snow Mane packs. Relying solely on the Cloud Serpent Army and the Dragon Martial Army will make it very difficult to deal with them.”

Xiao Yuan then asked, “Can’t we use torches to attract them? We don’t have to encircle and annihilate them. Can’t we just use a large number of torches to lure all these Frost Beasts away from Yangyuan Peak?”

Zhu Yuan shook his head. “Torches are not that effective at attracting high-level Frost Beasts. At the very least, those high-level Frost Beasts clearly place more importance on whatever the White Dew Aberration created at Yangyuan Peak.

“The Lord tried it before. Using torches to attract them from a controlled distance had little effect. The three groups we dealt with over the past twenty-plus days were all lured out by the Lord himself, who put himself in danger to do so!”

Although Xiao Kangcheng had broken through to the Frostwarden realm, he had yet to try hunting high-level Frost Beasts. He had assumed he could lure them away with little torches, just like hunting low and mid-level ones.

Hearing Zhu Xing’s explanation, he finally understood.

“So, the Lord plans to lead us in a direct assault to forcibly drive the Frost Beasts away from Yangyuan Peak. With over two hundred Frostwarden experts, plus the Dragon Martial Army and the Cloud Serpent Army, are we confident?”

After asking, Xiao Kangcheng exchanged a look with Xiao Yuan. Both of their expressions were somewhat anxious; clearly, they had little confidence.

There was no need to think too hard about it. Leaving aside the two massive packs of Snow Manes and Frost Wolves, just the two hundred-plus high-level Frost Beasts alone were far more powerful than their side.

For a Frostwarden realm expert to hunt a high-level Frost Beast, unless they were exceptionally powerful and could do it single-handedly, it usually required a team of at least three. This alone was enough to prove that in a one-on-one situation, most high-level Frost Beasts were much stronger than a human Frostwarden expert.

What’s more, of the two hundred-plus Frostwarden experts gathered here today, more than half had just broken through, and their base strength was mostly below two Manes.

Even with the Cloud Serpent Army and the Dragon Martial Army, successfully driving away so many Frost Beasts from the vicinity of Yangyuan Peak would likely not be so simple.

Zhu Xing was clearly aware of this, so he didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, his brow furrowed slightly before he spoke in a low voice:

“Since the Lord has summoned us here, he should be confident. I heard that over the past twenty-odd days, the Artisan Workshop has been rushing to produce Divine Arm Bows. If every one of us could be equipped with one, maybe we’d have a chance!”

“This… Brother Zhu has a point.”

Xiao Kangcheng’s expression tightened slightly, but he ultimately nodded in agreement.

He had heard about the two hundred Divine Arm Bows back in Xiacheng.

The question was, could this batch of bows really compensate for the disparity in strength between the two sides?

Xiao Kangcheng shook his head slightly. Seeing that the people around him were still excitedly discussing the matter of Yangyuan Peak, he didn’t continue to probe Zhu Xing for information.

Now was clearly not the time for doubt. This group of people who had just broken through to the Frostwarden realm were currently brimming with confidence. If he were to voice his concerns, he risked being accused of undermining morale.

Tap…

Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps came from the private chamber behind the main hall.

Xiao Kangcheng immediately stood up straight, facing the front of the hall.

Everyone in the hall, all two hundred-plus of them, was at the Frostwarden realm. If Xiao Kangcheng could hear the footsteps from the back room, the others naturally could too.

So it wasn’t just him; everyone else who had been chatting immediately fell silent and stood at their positions, facing the head of the hall with solemn expressions and upright postures.

The once-lively hall instantly quieted down.

Tap… tap… tap…

As the voices in the hall died away, the footsteps from the back room became exceptionally clear.

Soon, from the side wing at the rear of the hall, Xia Hong, dressed in black, walked out with a smile. He first swept his gaze over the crowd before walking to the main seat at the head of the hall and sitting down.

Seeing him take his seat, Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and the others in the front row led the two hundred-plus people in the hall to bow in unison, calling out in a chorus:

“We pay our respects to the Lord!”

“No need for formalities. Rise!”

Xia Hong gestured for everyone to rise and then spoke directly to Xia Chuan, “Are all the Frostwarden realm experts currently in the camp here?”

Xia Chuan stepped half a pace forward and cupped his hands. “Reporting to the Lord, as of dusk, the camp has a total of two hundred and fourteen Frostwarden experts. With the exception of the pregnant Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu, for whom it is inconvenient to come, the remaining two hundred and twelve have all been accounted for.”

Hearing this, Xia Hong’s expression faltered for a moment. Only then did he remember Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu. Both of his sisters-in-law were already six months pregnant. And if he remembered correctly, Xiao Ning’s due date was next month.

“Xiao…”

Xia Hong had intended to ask about Xiao Ning’s condition, but realizing it wasn’t a good time, he stopped the words on the tip of his tongue. Then, as if remembering something, he turned to look at Li Xuanling sitting on his left before facing the crowd and speaking with a smile:

“Two hundred and fourteen Frostwarden experts. My Great Xia is now truly rich in talent. You all probably have a good idea why I’ve gathered you here this time, so I won’t waste words. I’ll tell you the mission directly…”

Xia Hong paused, then pointed to the map behind the main seat and continued, “Over the past three months, I have led the Cloud Serpent Army and the Dragon Martial Army to clear out most of the Frost Beasts in Yanglu. The area now covered by the dense fog is only a five-kilometer radius around Yangyuan Peak.

“This five-kilometer radius is currently occupied by a Frost Wolf pack and a Snow Mane pack, both numbering over five hundred. In addition to these two packs, there are seven small groups composed of high-level Frost Beasts, each numbering over twenty. The Cloud Serpent Army and the Dragon Martial Army can no longer make progress, which is why I had to call you over.”

Using a charcoal pencil, Xia Hong first marked Yangyuan Peak on the map, then proceeded to clearly mark the specific locations of the Frost Wolf and Snow Mane packs, as well as the positions of the other seven Frost Beast groups.

“I have numbered these nine locations according to their strength. Number one is the Snow Mane pack, number two is the Frost Wolf pack, and numbers three through nine represent the seven small groups of high-level Frost Beasts.

“Tonight, I will attempt to place bait five kilometers north of Yangyuan Peak.

“If I can successfully lure those Frost Beast groups over one by one, then tonight will be a great success. You will only need to follow me and annihilate the Frost Beasts, and you’ll face basically no danger.

“However, I fear an accident. If my bait draws all of them over at once, the situation will be dire. Your mission will be to split up all the high-level Frost Beasts and lure them to different areas to prevent them from gathering and causing too much destruction.

“The Cloud Serpent Army and the Dragon Martial Army are not very effective against high-level Frost Beasts, and I need to reserve them to deal with the Frost Wolf and Snow Mane packs. Therefore, the main force at the beginning of tonight’s operation will be you two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts.

“There are two hundred and twelve of you in total. You will be led by Li Xuanling, Li Tiancheng, Hou Jing, Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Chen Yingyuan, and Peng Bo, and divided into seven small teams of equal numbers.

“If I can successfully lure out the Frost Beasts in batches, then the seven teams will hunt them with me. If an accident occurs and all the Frost Beasts swarm at once, then you will do as I just said: the seven leaders will lead their teams to lure all the beasts to different areas as much as possible.

“These high-level Frost Beasts are too powerful. I don’t expect you to successfully hunt them down. As long as you lure them away, with my assistance from the side, we should have no problem eventually killing them. All you need to do is lead them away and wait for my support. Understand?”

Placing bait five kilometers away could lure the Frost Beasts from around Yangyuan Peak?

Most of them looked skeptical, but a few, like Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao, had clearly guessed what Xia Hong’s “bait” was.

“This subordinate understands!”

Although they were suspicious, their innate trust in Xia Hong still made them give the firmest possible answer.

“Alright, form your groups now. As I said, the main goal is to lure them, not to have you hunt high-level Frost Beasts. So, distribute the strength among the teams as evenly as possible!”

After speaking, Xia Hong sat back down in his chair, quietly waiting for them to form groups.

There was no need to hunt, only to lure the Frost Beasts away. This meant they didn’t have to fight to the death. Distributing the strength evenly among the seven teams would be beneficial for their survival.

Xia Chuan and the others naturally understood this point, so the grouping was done by the book. Those at the mid- and late-Frostwarden realm were distributed evenly, and the remaining newly promoted Frostwarden experts were divided among the teams.

Soon, in less than ten minutes, the seven Frostwarden realm teams, led by Li Xuanling and the other six, were smoothly formed.

“Alright, Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao, go down and assemble the army to set out. The rest of you, follow me over there first. Once everyone is in position, we’ll begin!”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao nodded in acknowledgement, immediately turned, and left the hall to assemble the army at the main area’s iron gate.

Xia Hong also stood up and led the others out through the passage on the roof of the Main Building.

“Where are the Divine Arm Bows? Weren’t a batch of Divine Arm Bows made?”

In the crowd, Xiao Kangcheng’s brows knitted together. After exchanging a look with Xiao Yuan, his face was filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Didn’t Mu Dong rush-produce two hundred Divine Arm Bows?

They were about to face high-level Frost Beasts, so why hadn’t Xia Hong distributed those two hundred-plus Divine Arm Bows to them, the Frostwarden experts?

“Didn’t they say there was a batch of Divine Arm Bows?”

“There must be. Over the past month, I personally saw the Weaponry Workshop take a lot of high-level Soaring Serpent sinew and a massive amount of iron ore from the Logistics Department. They must have forged a large batch of Divine Arm Bows.”

“I also heard that over two hundred Divine Arm Bows were made. Aren’t they for us?”

“Could they have been sent over already?”

“I’m not sure. Let’s follow the Lord and see!”

…

Evidently, Xiao Kangcheng wasn’t the only one who knew about the Divine Arm Bows. Many other Frostwarden experts had heard about them as well. Seeing that Xia Hong hadn’t mentioned the matter yet, they all looked visibly perplexed.

“Alright, stop murmuring. Let’s move out!” Xia Hong urged from the front. The crowd quickly stopped their discussion and followed him into the passage, heading toward the surface.

…

Five kilometers north of Yangyuan Peak, there was a high, raised snow hill.

The highest point of the snow hill was about twenty-odd meters above the ground. For Longyou, a territory composed entirely of snowy plains, the terrain here was already considered quite high.

“Alright, it should take the army another half an hour to get here. I’ll go check the situation around Yangyuan Peak first. You all wait here!”

Leading the group of Frostwarden experts, Xia Hong had taken only a few minutes to travel from the Hive to this spot. After arriving at the snow hill, he signaled for everyone to wait in place while he himself dashed across the snowy plains toward the dense fog in the direction of Yangyuan Peak to the south, clearly intending to scout ahead.

The three main tunnels of the Hive connected to Jing Valley, Hanqiong, and Wushuang respectively. For the army to reach the snow hill, they had to march across the snowy plains, which was naturally much slower. The rest of them could only wait here.

Half an hour later, the marching army finally appeared to the east of the snow hill.

“They’re here! The army has arrived!”

The first person spotted the marching column, and everyone immediately turned to look.

With one look, someone immediately noticed something unusual.

“Hey, what’s that big cart being pulled in the middle of the army?”

In the middle of the army procession, a ten-meter-long giant iron-wheeled cart was being escorted. Some soldiers had even been dispatched ahead of the army to clear a path in the snow, obviously for that iron-wheeled cart.

“It looks like a transport cart for iron ore and coal.”

“It’s covered with a black tarpaulin. Is that the batch of Divine Arm Bows?”

“It must be. I knew it. How could Mu Dong make that batch of Divine Arm Bows and not give them to us? It turns out the army was transporting them.”

…

Everyone nodded one after another, all believing that the cart was transporting the Divine Arm Bows.

Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao, who had left the main army to arrive at the snow hill earlier, heard the group’s speculation. Their expressions were a bit strange, but they said nothing, merely walking into the middle of the crowd to wait for Xia Hong with them.

Xia Hong returned shortly after. Seeing that nearly all the soldiers had arrived behind the snow hill, he slowly walked to the high point of the hill and gave a gentle wave of his hand.

A dazzling beam of light suddenly appeared in front of Xia Hong.

Weng…

Everyone felt their vision blur, and a seven-meter-long, pale-gold, square-shaped giant cauldron appeared directly in front of Xia Hong, standing tall at the very top of the snow hill.

“Isn’t that the Sacred Cauldron?”

“Isn’t the Sacred Cauldron in Xiacheng?”

“Can the Lord summon the Sacred Cauldron from Xiacheng out of thin air?”

“This…”

“A divine object! I’ve long said the Sacred Cauldron is a divine object! It truly is!”

…

For the original inhabitants of Great Xia, Xia Hong’s ability to summon objects from thin air was certainly not unfamiliar. But for the Frostwarden experts who had just come over from Longyou, it was the first time they had witnessed such a scene.

From the time they joined in October until now, they had personally experienced many miraculous things in Xiacheng, such as the Blackearth Wall, the Martial Arts Academy, the Weaponry Workshop, the Alchemy Workshop, the Frost Beast training posts, and so on…

The Sacred Cauldron, a divine artifact that could significantly raise the surrounding temperature and prevent invasions by anomalies, was already shrouded in a layer of divinity in their eyes. Now, witnessing Xia Hong summon it from Xiacheng as if by a miracle, one could imagine the awe and shock in their hearts.

They exclaimed in shock one after another, their gazes gradually shifting from the Sacred Cauldron to Xia Hong in front of it, a fervent gleam now visible in their eyes.

“Everyone get ready! I’m lighting the fire to start luring the Frost Beasts!”

Xia Hong reminded everyone, took a deep breath, and then turned to look toward Yangyuan Peak to the south, his expression hardening slightly.

He had been calculating for days. This position was exactly five kilometers from the outermost Frost Beast group near Yangyuan Peak. This meant that once the Frigid Ruins Cauldron was lit, its radiation range would encompass that Frost Beast group.

Based on normal logic, only that small, localized group of Frost Beasts should be attracted by the Frigid Ruins Cauldron.

But Xia Hong had no idea what would actually happen. After all, he had only ever used small torches to attract Frost Beasts before. Using the Frigid Ruins Cauldron as a lure was a first for him.

“According to what Xia Chuan said, during the siege of the Hive, the Frigid Ruins Cauldron had an extremely strong attraction for ground-dwelling Frost Beasts. It should be no exception this time. I just don’t know how strong it will be. Will it only attract those within its radiation range, or will it draw all the Frost Beasts from over there…”

Xia Hong’s gaze narrowed slightly. He turned his head and saw that the Frostwarden experts behind him, as well as the soldiers of the two armies below the hill, were all ready. With a slight stir of his mind…

Sizzle sizzle sizzle…

As the resource points in his system decreased, a few faint sounds first came from within the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, followed by the rise of a tiny flame.

And then,

BOOM…

Flames suddenly erupted from within the cauldron. The surrounding temperature instantly rose, followed by an intense wave of warmth that radiated rapidly outwards with the cauldron at its core.

RUMBLE…

Almost at the exact moment the warmth enveloped everyone, the ground began to thunder.

The Frostwarden experts on the hill, the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies behind it, and even Xia Hong standing beside the Frigid Ruins Cauldron all instantly turned to look south toward Yangyuan Peak, their faces changing in unison.

“They’re moving! They’re all moving!”

“This commotion… it’s definitely not just one group! All the high-level Frost Beasts are coming!”

“Draw your bows and prepare for battle! Quick, quick, everyone get ready!”

…

Xia Hong’s urgent shouts made everyone’s expression instantly turn grave. They drew their respective weapons and watched the south, ready for battle.

The two thousand soldiers behind the snow hill nocked their arrows with extreme speed, their gazes fixed grimly on the group atop the hill.

The Frostwarden experts on the snow hill were the first line of defense. Only when that line collapsed and the Frost Beasts charged up the hill would they have a chance to shoot back.

Chapter 329: Divide and Conquer, Spirit-Shattering Light, The Trump Card Appears!

Thud…

A Frost Wolf less than two meters long suddenly rushed out of the dense fog on the southern snow plains. It stared intently at the burning Frigid Ruins Cauldron on the snow hill, its originally jade-green vertical pupils gradually turning bloodshot with greed and desire.

“Awoooo…”

The Frost Wolf had already spotted the group of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts on the snow hill. It could clearly sense that this group of people posed an extreme threat to it. A flicker of apprehension crossed its eyes, but it was quickly overwhelmed by greed. With a furious roar, its body suddenly swelled and enlarged, instantly transforming into a behemoth over twenty meters long.

Roar… Roar… Roar…

And this Frost Wolf was just the beginning!

Long-tongued Snow Mane, Golden-eyed Demonic Ram, Frost-Lightning Ape, Flint Tiger, Blue Moon Spirit, Golden-armored Thunder Kui, Cloud-Mist Soaring Flood Dragon, Hyena-spotted Tiger, Long-tailed Gnawing Rat, White Bear…

Over a hundred in total, comprising nearly twenty different types of Frost Beasts, swarmed out of the dense fog, baring their fangs and claws. Like the Frost Wolf, they stared fixedly at the Frigid Ruins Cauldron on the snow hill, their eyes filled with greed and desire. Despite sensing the threat from the Great Xia contingent on the hill, they still unhesitatingly transformed into their combat forms and accelerated their charge.

To put it in perspective, the Frost Wolf’s size was considered small among Frost Beasts, but even so, after a high-level Frost Wolf transformed into its combat form, its body length mostly exceeded twenty meters.

If that was the case for the Frost Wolf, the others were even more so.

Over a hundred high-level Frost Beasts, all in their combat forms, charged straight for the snow hill. To describe the scene as “blotting out the sky and sun” was no exaggeration at all.

In fact, there were more than just a hundred.

The stream of high-level Frost Beasts from the dense fog was almost ceaseless.

“They should all be out now. Only the Frost Wolf and Snow Mane clans haven’t moved. To think the Frigid Ruins Cauldron’s attraction to these beasts is this strong!”

On the snow hill, Xia Hong’s gaze was like a torch. Watching the approaching Frost Beasts, he turned and shouted to the people around him: “Proceed according to the original plan! We’re not aiming for kills, just draw them away in separate groups!”

“Lord, these Frost Beasts are too frenzied! We should extinguish the Frigid Ruins Cauldron first!”

Someone couldn’t hold back and suggested putting out the fire in the Frigid Ruins Cauldron first.

Everyone could see that the beasts’ frenzy was triggered by the burning Frigid Ruins Cauldron. Logically, if the fire were extinguished, the Frost Beasts wouldn’t be so crazed.

But this suggestion was not accepted by Xia Hong.

“Don’t worry, they won’t make it up the hill.”

The first Frost Wolf was already climbing the slope of the snow hill, so as his words fell, Xia Hong had already drawn his Cold Blood Saber and charged forward.

Puchi!

Xia Hong moved like a phantom. One moment he charged out, the next he was standing directly in front of the Frost Wolf, having violently thrust his Cold Blood Saber through its lower jaw.

A high-level Frost Beast was naturally not so easy to kill. The Frost Wolf clearly sensed the Cold Blood Saber draining the blood from its body. A flash of terror crossed its pupils, and it immediately twisted its head and pulled back to escape the saber.

But how could Xia Hong let it get its way? He surged forward with a powerful shoulder strike, his body slamming into the Frost Wolf’s chest like a cannonball.

The Frost Wolf’s twenty-meter-plus body was sent flying backward for several dozen meters by Xia Hong’s strike, like a kite with a broken string.

Thump…

Many more Frost Beasts were charging toward the hill from behind, so when the Frost Wolf’s body flew back, it slammed directly into a large row of them, momentarily impeding their advance.

The two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts on the snow hill were all instantly dumbfounded.

“Gulp... Just how many Manes is the Lord’s base strength?”

“That one blow knocked over at least a dozen Frost Beasts!”

“No wonder he said these high-level Frost Beasts couldn’t make it up. The Lord is too strong!”

“Is the Lord really at the same Frostwarden realm as us?”

…

Xia Hong pressed his advantage. Before the Frost Wolf could regain its footing, he stomped on its forehead, reverse-gripped his Cold Blood Saber, and plunged it straight through its left eye socket, deep into its skull.

Chiii…

The Cold Blood Saber’s bloodthirsty trait activated. Unlike last time, the Frost Wolf’s head had suffered a grievous blow, so its struggles lasted for less than two or three breaths.

“Seven teams, fight on your own! Draw these Frost Beasts away in different directions. Just don’t let me get surrounded. As for the rest, you have free rein!”

Xia Hong pulled out his Cold Blood Saber and charged toward the nearest Soaring Serpent. In his peripheral vision, he noticed many Frost Beasts were already bypassing him and heading up the hill. He immediately shouted for everyone to engage.

Li Xuanling, Xia Chuan, and the other seven squads immediately moved on his command.

Frostwarden realm experts weren’t like those at the Earthforger limit. Their base strength was at least one Mane or higher, making it difficult to equip them with powerful bows of suitable draw weight. Thus, of the two hundred-plus Frostwarden experts present, only some of those who had recently transferred from Longyou had bows. The rest, at most, carried a Thousand-forged weapon.

Fortunately, Xia Chuan had been thoughtful when forming the groups, so the archers were distributed almost evenly among the seven squads, with each squad having about five archers on average.

“Hou Ming, you five, provide archery support! The rest of you, follow me to intercept on the left flank!”

In Yuwen Tao’s squad, Hou Ming and four others were the archers. After deciding to intercept on the left, he first signaled for Hou Ming and the other four to provide covering fire, while he led the remaining twenty-plus men to draw their weapons and engage the Frost Beasts in close-quarters combat.

The other six groups followed suit, quickly spreading out at the base of the snow hill, establishing a defensive line and splitting up the Frost Beasts.

Bang…

“Stop those Frost Beasts! Don’t let them get near the Lord!”

Xia Chuan, controlling his saber puppet, cleaved aside a Demonic Sheep at his side, then sharply commanded his men to draw away the few Frost Beasts charging toward Xia Hong.

Rumble… Rumble…

The entire snow hill was no more than half a kilometer across and only twenty meters at its highest point. The charge of over a hundred high-level Frost Beasts flattened it in mere moments.

Adding to that, Great Xia’s Frostwarden experts were now evenly split into seven squads, entangled in battle with the beasts. The berserk power from both sides was continuously unleashed upon the ground through weapons and limbs. The already-flattened snow hill actually began to slowly sink, gradually forming a depression.

“This location was chosen for nothing. The power being thrown around is too great; it’s changing the very terrain!”

Xia Hong dodged a golden beam shot from an eye on a Demonic Sheep’s body and viciously plunged his Cold Blood Saber into its back. He turned his head to look at the snow hill, which had already sunk three to four meters, and a grave look flashed in his eyes.

The snow hill he had deliberately chosen was clearly not serving much purpose anymore.

“Lord, this isn’t working! There are too many Frost Beasts, and more are coming! I’m afraid all the beasts from around Yangyuan Peak are here! We have to extinguish the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, or we won’t be able to hold them off!”

A shout from Peng Bo on the flank caught Xia Hong’s attention. He turned to look at the dense fog to the south and saw that Frost Beasts were indeed pouring out of it ceaselessly. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice:

“Don’t panic. They won’t reach the Frigid Ruins Cauldron.”

After saying this, he immediately drew his Cold Blood Saber and cleaved aside a Hyena-spotted Tiger that was charging him from the flank.

Roar…

That Hyena-spotted Tiger had clearly been waiting a long time for this opportunity. After being struck aside by Xia Hong’s saber, it immediately used its tail to balance itself, then let out a furious roar, turned, pushed off the ground, and leaped high, pouncing at Xia Hong once again.

Moreover, the black spots on its body instantly began to ripple. The gnarled muscles within bulged, and its entire body swelled by another thirty to forty percent.

“Trying to compete with my strength? You must be insane!”

The Hyena-spotted Tiger was a species unique to Longshan. Having spent so long in Longyou, Xia Hong was naturally familiar with it. The black spots on a Hyena-spotted Tiger’s body could provide a fifty percent boost to its strength, a power it generally only used when fighting for its life.

The impact force this Hyena-spotted Tiger had just unleashed was roughly eighteen Manes. After activating its black spots, its strength would likely rise to twenty-seven Manes. Against any other Frostwarden expert, the outcome would be obvious.

But it had run into him.

“Teaming up? Even teaming up is useless!”

Xia Hong’s peripheral vision swept over, and he immediately noticed a Thunder Kui on his left, also charging at him with its head lowered. The horn on the Thunder Kui’s forehead crackled with arcs of electricity; it had clearly been gathering power for a long time, intending to coordinate its attack with the Hyena-spotted Tiger.

Bang!

Xia Hong stomped his feet hard. In a flash, he drew the Dragon Sparrow Saber from his waist with his left hand and blocked the horn of the Thunder Kui on his left.

The Thunder Kui’s nearly thirty-meter-long body was stopped cold by Xia Hong’s single hand. The arcs of electricity crackling on its horn suddenly exploded, scattering sparks everywhere.

Roar…

The Thunder Kui kept its head down, maintaining its charging posture, roaring as it pushed with even greater force, but it couldn’t budge the Dragon Sparrow Saber before it by even a fraction of an inch.

At the same time, the Hyena-spotted Tiger’s cavernous maw arrived.

Thump!

Without even giving the Hyena-spotted Tiger a direct look, Xia Hong simply kicked up at its lower jaw, then raised his Cold Blood Saber high with his right hand and plunged it directly into the back of the Golden-armored Thunder Kui’s neck.

Puchi!

Roar… Roar…

The Golden-armored Thunder Kui had intended to dodge, but it had been locked in a forward charge, and in its struggle against the Dragon Sparrow Saber, it had used almost all its strength. Trying to pull back and evade so suddenly, its reaction was naturally not fast enough.

As the Cold Blood Saber sank into the back of its neck, the blood inside the Thunder Kui’s body instantly began to boil. It clearly sensed the strange transformation within itself. Its pupils filled with horror and terror, it thrashed its head wildly, trying to dislodge the Cold Blood Saber.

Naturally, Xia Hong gave it no such chance.

He gripped the Cold Blood Saber tightly. Under the suppression of his immense strength, the Thunder Kui could barely shake its head half a meter. It was forcefully drained of its blood by the Cold Blood Saber until its pupils lost all color and it crashed to the ground.

Thump…

“The ninth one. No, still too slow. I need to speed up!”

Xia Hong’s brows furrowed. He glanced at the ever-increasing number of Frost Beasts around him. A faint glimmer of light flashed in his left eye as he charged again toward the Hyena-spotted Tiger he had just kicked away.

After being kicked away, the Hyena-spotted Tiger clearly realized it couldn’t defeat this person, so it pragmatically turned and fled up toward the hilltop.

However, it had only taken a few steps.

Whoosh…

A brilliant white light suddenly shot from Xia Hong’s left eye, striking the Hyena-spotted Tiger squarely on the back.

KRRACK…

After being hit by the white light, the Hyena-spotted Tiger’s body abruptly went rigid. It stood rooted to the spot, unable to move, as an intense heat emanated from its skin. Its body actually began to slowly crack apart.

The Hyena-spotted Tiger’s pupils were filled with terror and horror. It twisted its head frantically, trying to roar, but its throat seemed to be muted, and no sound came out.

Not only could it not cry out, but it couldn’t even move its body.

Puchi!

Xia Hong caught up from behind, leaped up, and beheaded it in a downward strike from mid-air.

Thump…

The massive tiger head hit the ground with a loud thud, and only then did it, along with the body, revert to its normal size.

Even after reverting to its normal size, the cracks remained on the Hyena-spotted Tiger’s body. Many of the surrounding Frost Beasts glanced over at it. When they saw the spiderweb-like patterns on the tiger’s back, the look in their eyes instantly changed.

“Lord, some Frost Beasts have reached the Sacred Cauldron!”

“Don’t worry, they won’t get through!”

Hearing Yuan Cheng’s shout from behind, Xia Hong didn’t even turn his head. The faint light in his left eye flickered as he charged directly toward the nearest Soaring Serpent on his right.

“How could they not get through?”

Yuan Cheng had been assigned to Peng Bo’s group, which was closest to the Sacred Cauldron. That’s why he was the first to alert Xia Hong when he saw three Frost Beasts break through the defensive line and rush toward the cauldron.

But Xia Hong’s response left him a bit stunned!

Among the more than two hundred people in the seven squads, almost no one was idle. Everyone was desperately tying up the Frost Beasts, either luring or distracting them, terrified they might reach the Sacred Cauldron.

The three Frost Beasts were a Gnawing Rodent, a Frost Wolf, and a Blue Moon Spirit. All three were among the faster types of Frost Beasts, so it wasn’t surprising they could break through the line.

“Qiu Peng, hold the line for a moment! I’m going over there!”

Seeing the three Frost Beasts were less than twenty meters from the Sacred Cauldron, Yuan Cheng gritted his teeth. He shouted for his teammate Qiu Peng to hold off the Soaring Serpent in front of them, while he hefted his giant axe and charged in that direction.

Bang…

But he had only charged about ten meters when a loud crash came from the direction of the Sacred Cauldron. He looked up and was instantly frozen in place.

“Why are the Frost Beasts fighting each other?”

Behind the Sacred Cauldron, ten high-level Thunder Kui had appeared from somewhere. In one move, they sent the three approaching Frost Beasts flying, then stood firmly in place, completely encircling the Sacred Cauldron.

“Look at their eyes! Those aren’t Frost Beasts! They’re the Lord’s training posts! He brought the Frost Beast training posts over from Xiacheng!”

Hearing Qiu Peng’s reminder, Yuan Cheng looked up at the ten Thunder Kui and finally noticed that their pupils weren’t the jade-green of normal high-level Frost Beasts, but a fiery red, like burning coal.

“So that’s it! No wonder the Lord was so confident!”

Yuan Cheng finally understood. Seeing the ten Thunder Kui guarding the Sacred Cauldron, a look of relief appeared on his face.

“High-level Thunder Kui transformed from the training posts, and ten of them at that! The Sacred Cauldron should be fine now. No wonder the Lord was unwilling to extinguish it. He had an ace up his sleeve all along!”

The others also realized what was happening and stopped paying attention to the situation around the Sacred Cauldron, focusing instead on the Frost Beasts before them.

Xia Hong continued to move through the battlefield. Ever since he started using the Spirit-Shattering Light from his left eye, his kill rate had increased almost exponentially. In just a short while, he had already killed twenty to thirty high-level Frost Beasts.

And that speed was still increasing.

Willingly or not, the high-level Frost Beasts were being separated by Great Xia’s Frostwarden experts. Even if a few faster, more agile ones slipped through the net and reached the Sacred Cauldron, the ten Golden-armored Thunder Kui transformed from the training posts were waiting for them.

The entire battlefield instantly took on a one-sided aspect.

“Awoooo…”

Suddenly, a low wolf howl came from the rear.

On the snow hill—or rather, the snow depression—the Great Xia Frostwarden experts entangled with the Frost Beasts all turned to look behind them.

At a single glance, their expressions instantly changed.

“Don’t panic! It’s those two Frost Beast clans finally making their move. Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, go to the rear and lead the main armies to meet the enemy. The rest of you, carry on.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao moved at once, handing over command to others before quickly running toward the Dragon Martial Army and Cloud Serpent Army at the rear.

“Coming so late… it seems they were waiting for the right moment. Could your trump card be hidden within these two Frost Beast clans…?”

Xia Hong turned his head toward Yangyuan Peak to the south, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Chapter 330: The Beast Tide War: Wolf King and a Trump Card, the White Dew Aberration’s Dead End

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A tremendous rumbling echoed from the flank of the depression. Xia Hong swept his gaze sideways, and his somewhat amused expression immediately turned grave.

On the snowy plain to the west of the depression, not a single Frost Beast was visible, yet the ground rumbled ceaselessly. Countless shrill wolf howls rose from beneath the earth, and the once-calm surface began to heave with strange protrusions.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

These protrusions formed a winding line, speeding toward the two-thousand-strong army in the depression with incredible velocity.

“Cloud Serpent Army, Saber Battalion, loose your arrows! The other four battalions, guard the perimeter!”

“Dragon Martial Army, Spear Battalion, loose your arrows! The other four battalions, guard the perimeter!”

This was not their first encounter with Frost Beasts. It was no secret that Frost Wolves liked to burrow beneath the snow to launch surprise attacks. Without any need for a reminder from Xia Hong, Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao had already begun directing their armies to respond.

They shouted their orders almost simultaneously, both calling upon only their most numerous units—the six Saber Battalions and the six Spear Battalions—to fire, while instructing the remaining four battalions to remain on alert.

“Smart!”

Hearing just their initial commands, Xia Hong immediately turned his attention back to the high-level Frost Beasts before him, no longer watching the main army’s position.

Due to the sparse vegetation, the snow in Longyou was much deeper than at Redwood Ridge. Even so, the snow cover in most areas was only between three and five meters thick.

A snow cover of three to five meters could, at most, conceal the forms of low-level Frost Wolves. The larger mid-level and high-level Frost Wolves could not hide so easily.

Therefore, the ones currently launching the initial assault from underground were merely the Frost Wolf pack’s first wave of decoys.

Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao had clearly seen through this, which was why they had only ordered six battalions to fire, keeping four in reserve to guard the surroundings.

Since their command abilities far exceeded his expectations, Xia Hong could naturally devote more of his focus to dealing with the high-level Frost Beasts in his vicinity.

His current targets were one Soaring Serpent and two Thunder Kui. Unlike his previous engagements, these three high-level Frost Beasts attacking him were not only powerful but also impeccably coordinated.

The two Thunder Kui, with their strength of over twenty Mane, appeared to be the main attackers, but in reality, they were just relentlessly charging, using their massive bodies to restrict his movement.

The Soaring Serpent, on the other hand, was the true primary attacker. It hadn’t even transformed into its combat form. Instead, it maintained its two-meter-long body, slithering through the snow and periodically bursting out from the shadows. It unleashed streaks of cyan light, coming dangerously close to slashing the hide on his neck several times.

Bang!

A Thunder Kui rammed him from behind. This time, Xia Hong didn’t raise his saber to block. Instead, he dug his feet into the ground and met the charge with sheer brute force.

The shockwave from the violent collision of forces, while not causing any real damage, sent his vital energy and blood churning within him.

Xia Hong’s strength surged through his body. With a sudden burst of power, he slammed backward.

Crack!

A moment ago, he had been the one receiving the impact, so his blood had naturally roiled. Now, the tables had turned, and the Thunder Kui behind him was on the receiving end. The difference in their strength was instantly apparent.

The horn on the Thunder Kui’s forehead bent on impact. Its massive thirty-meter-long body was not only thrown back fifty to sixty meters, but it also failed to regain its balance, toppling sideways onto the ground.

“Roar!”

Of course, Xia Hong hadn’t knocked it over for no reason. The second Thunder Kui was already charging him from the front, its crackling, lightning-wreathed horn aimed squarely at his chest.

With a furious roar, the Thunder Kui’s horn was less than two meters away from him. At that distance, there was no time to dodge, let alone raise his saber.

Whoosh!

Xia Hong had no intention of dodging. The Spirit-Shattering Light in his left eye burst forth, striking the Thunder Kui’s horn directly.

An intense heat suddenly flared from the horn. Then, with the point of impact as the center, cracks slowly spread across it like a spiderweb forming on its forehead.

“Roar!”

The intense pain sent the Thunder Kui into a fit of roaring. Though its charge didn’t stop, by the time it slammed into Xia Hong’s chest, most of its power had dissipated.

Slap!

Xia Hong simply thrust out his left hand and slapped the horn, snapping it clean off. He then raised the Cold Blood Saber in his right hand and lunged, aiming for the Thunder Kui’s left eye.

However, in the nick of time, Xia Hong twisted his wrist, switching to a reverse grip. He pointed the saber’s tip downward and stabbed it into the snow beneath his feet.

Pfft!

“Hiss…”

A sharp hiss came from under the snow. Xia Hong put force into his right arm and, with an upward flick, pried a small, cyan-jade snake out of the ground.

“You were right under my feet and still didn’t strike? Then I’ll strike first!”

This high-level Soaring Serpent had been surreptitiously closing in under the snow, but there was no way it could hide from his Eye of Scrutiny. Xia Hong had deliberately chosen not to dodge the Thunder Kui’s charge, feigning ignorance to lure the serpent in.

Stabbed by the Cold Blood Saber, the Soaring Serpent struggled for no more than three or four breaths before its eyes lost their spiritual light, its life completely extinguished.

Xia Hong casually flung the serpent’s corpse aside. Gripping the Cold Blood Saber, he shot toward the Thunder Kui whose horn had been struck by the Spirit-Shattering Light.

Pfft!

The Thunder Kui at the rear had just managed to regain its footing. It looked up just in time to see Xia Hong’s Cold Blood Saber plunge into its companion’s head. A flicker of terror crossed its gaze, and its eyes began to dart about nervously.

Clearly, it was thinking of retreating.

The allure of the Frigid Ruins Cauldron was powerful, but the threat of death that Xia Hong presented was clearly far more potent.

“Roar!”

The Thunder Kui first threw its head back and roared, feigning a ferocious charge toward Xia Hong. But in the next second, it spun around and fled south.

Xia Hong was momentarily stunned by the comical scene, but he then noticed that a dozen other Frost Beasts in different directions had also begun to retreat.

“It’s signaling for its companions to retreat as well. These high-level Frost Beasts certainly have high intelligence. They even know how to advance and retreat together!”

However, the ones who had been scared off were, after all, only a small fraction.

Since the beginning of the Beast Tide, Xia Hong had personally slain over twenty high-level Frost Beasts. While this would be a large number during a normal hunt, it was clearly insignificant in the current situation.

Nearly two hundred high-level Frost Beasts had charged out of the dense fog to the south just moments ago. The ones he had killed amounted to a tenth of their number at most.

Of course, the others had also made some gains.

Xia Hong glanced across the battlefield and saw three to five high-level Frost Beast corpses lying near the squads led by Li Xuanling, Li Tiancheng, and Hou Jing.

“It’s good that they know fear. As long as the army holds, we’ll kill them all sooner or later!”

The army was not only holding its ground but was even showing signs of launching a counter-offensive against the Beast Tide.

Although Xia Hong had been busy fighting high-level Frost Beasts, he occasionally checked on the situation behind the depression, so he had a firm grasp of what was happening with the army.

The first wave of decoys from the Frost Wolf pack on the left flank hadn’t even managed to break through the snow and reach the surface before they were completely annihilated by a hail of arrows.

The second wave of attacks, comprised of mid-level and high-level Frost Wolves, came from the right. The four battalions that Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao had each held in reserve had not only perfectly repelled them with arrow volleys but had even held out until the first six battalions finished off the decoys and turned to assist them.

Xia Hong noticed Peng Bo’s squad was in some trouble and immediately drew his saber and rushed over, keeping an eye on the main army’s situation along the way.

By now, the army was no longer facing just the Frost Wolf pack.

From behind the depression, hundreds of Snow Manes were also galloping across the snowy plain.

However, their timing was clearly off.

The hundred-plus mid- and high-level Frost Wolves had yet to break into the army’s formation; they were still pinned down by arrow fire several hundred meters away. For the Snow Mane pack to charge from the rear at this moment would only force the army to divert some of its forces to deal with them, thereby relieving some pressure on the Frost Wolves to the right.

“Cloud Serpent Army, hear my command! Scout and Glaive Battalions, turn and suppress the rear.”

“Dragon Martial Army, hear my command! Scout and Saber Battalions, turn and suppress the Snow Manes!”

Sure enough, just as Xia Hong reached Peng Bo’s side, he heard the voices of Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao commanding the army.

“The Snow Mane pack’s arrival is useless. This is the result of our earlier training. A beast tide of a mere few hundred beasts has absolutely no chance of even breaking the formations of the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Armies, let alone defeating them!”

Bang!

Peng Bo was entangled in mid-air by a gigantic, hundred-meter-long Soaring Serpent. The other members of his squad were busy with other Frost Beasts, and no one was free to help. He twisted his body frantically, barely breaking free from the serpent’s coiled belly. Before he could land, he was struck by its massive tail.

This Soaring Serpent was clearly much stronger than him. As the giant tail lashed out, he hastily raised his ghost-head great saber to block, but both he and his weapon were sent flying dozens of meters.

Pfft!

He spat out a mouthful of blood. While still in the air, Peng Bo sensed several streaks of golden light speeding toward him. His expression tightened. Looking down, he saw the form of a Golden-eyed Demonic Ram below, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes.

Swoosh… Swoosh…

The golden light shot toward him. Realizing he couldn’t dodge, Peng Bo subconsciously protected his vital areas like his head and chest, preparing to brace for the impact.

Clang… Clang… Clang…

But a large hand suddenly caught him from behind.

Then, the gleam of a saber flashed before his eyes. All the dazzlingly fast streaks of golden light were precisely blocked by a narrow, blood-colored saber.

“Thank you, my Lord!”

Peng Bo naturally recognized the Cold Blood Saber. He immediately heaved a sigh of relief.

“Don’t let your guard down. These high-level Frost Beasts can also coordinate with each other!”

Hearing Xia Hong’s warning, Peng Bo first glanced at the Soaring Serpent that had entangled him, then at the Demonic Ram that had shot the golden light at him. He nodded immediately and said in a low voice, “Indeed. But it seems they’re cooperating in small groups. It looks like these Frost Beasts, just like us humans, have their own little circles.”

A look of agreement appeared on Xia Hong’s face.

Evidently, it wasn’t just him; Peng Bo and the others had also been observing.

The Frost Beasts around them seemed to be in disarray, but a careful observer would notice that each human squad was facing roughly twenty of them.

This proved that the high-level Frost Beasts that had charged out of the fog, though seemingly chaotic, were actually fighting against the Great Xia Frostwarden realm experts in small teams.

For these high-level Frost Beasts to transcend their own species and form small, mixed groups, much like human social circles, demonstrated a high level of organization that undoubtedly indicated their intelligence far surpassed human imagination.

“If these high-level Frost Beasts develop any further, they could almost form a Frost Beast kingdom. No, wait, Redwood Ridge and Longshan are just the tip of the iceberg in this world, and there aren’t that many high-level Frost Beasts here. Who’s to say if such a thing already exists elsewhere?”

A Frost Beast kingdom!

These four words surfaced in Xia Hong’s mind, and his expression instantly became incredibly grave.

Whooosh…

A howling gale suddenly interrupted Xia Hong’s thoughts.

The fierce wind was blowing from behind the depression. Before Xia Hong could even turn his head, he heard cries of alarm from the army.

“Something’s wrong! There’s a situation!”

“Why did such a strong wind kick up all of a sudden?”

“I can’t hold on! The iron arrows are being blown off course!”

“This wind… it’s specifically targeting the army.”

“No, there’s a chill in this wind! My bow is forming ice crystals!”

“My iron armor is icing over too!”

…

From the right flank of the army, behind the group of mid- and high-level Frost Wolves, a violent white gale had suddenly appeared.

Normal air currents were colorless. The white that everyone saw clearly indicated that the wind contained an extremely powerful chill.

“Everyone, retreat with me to the army’s position! Don’t panic!”

Xia Hong’s shout made all the Frostwarden realm experts present tense up. Without questioning his reasons, they immediately disengaged from the Frost Beasts they were fighting and simultaneously turned, sprinting back towards the army behind the depression.

“What about these high-level Frost Beasts?”

“Their target is the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, not the army!”

“How did that cold wind start?”

“Something’s strange. Let’s retreat with the Lord first and see!”

…

Unlike the others, Xia Hong’s left eye was now shimmering with a faint light. His gaze was fixed on the empty air behind the group of Frost Wolves to the army’s right, his expression incomparably solemn.

“Is that a… Beast King?”

The others couldn’t see clearly, but with his Eye of Scrutiny, he could. Behind the hundred-plus mid- and high-level Frost Wolves, about fifty meters in the air, hovered a diminutive Frost Wolf barely more than a meter long.

The wolf was covered in a coat of smooth, silver-white fur. The barbs around its neck gleamed with a brilliant silver light. Unlike ordinary high-level Frost Beasts, whose pupils were cyan-jade, its pupils were black and white, just like a human’s.

It had its jaws wide open, breathing out a white frost.

That white frost was the source of the cold wind.

Whoosh… Whoosh…

The gale raged for more than ten breaths. By the time the Frostwarden realm experts had retreated to the army’s position, the soldiers in the front ranks were already being thrown into disarray, sent flying backward.

With the Frigid Ruins Cauldron providing warmth, the chill in the wind wasn’t a major threat; at most, it would coat the soldiers’ armor and weapons with a layer of ice. The problem was the wind’s sheer force. It had a strength of at least half a Mane to one Mane. The two armies’ soldiers, with their cultivation at the Earthforger limit, simply could not withstand it.

“Drop your bows! Prepare for close combat!”

“Drop your bows! Prepare for close combat!”

Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao shouted in unison. At that moment, the soldiers could barely hold their bows steady. Even if someone in the rear managed to fire an arrow, the violent air currents would throw it completely off target. Some arrows were even blown back, injuring their own men.

Therefore, abandoning their bows for close-quarters combat was the only choice.

Hearing their commanders’ orders, the soldiers of both armies dropped their longbows in unison and drew their respective weapons. As before, six battalions faced the Snow Mane pack at the rear, while the Scout Battalions and the other three battalions continued to watch the hundred-plus mid- and high-level Frost Wolves on the right.

“Xuan Ling, take all the Frostwarden realm experts and hold the position near the iron-wheeled carts. Don’t go out. If any Frost Beasts break through the formation, eliminate them quickly.”

“Understood!”

After several months together, Li Xuanling was no longer so resistant to Xia Hong. Realizing the urgency of the situation, she responded swiftly, leading the two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts to the vicinity of the iron-wheeled carts.

“The things on those iron-wheeled carts… that must be his trump card!”

Having fought for this long, Li Xuanling had long since noticed something was up. The iron-wheeled carts were still covered by black beast-hide tarps, obscuring their contents, but she was certain that this was Xia Hong’s trump card for the day.

Otherwise, at such a critical juncture, why would Xia Hong have her and over two hundred Frostwarden realm experts guard this spot?

“My Lord, those high-level Frost Beasts are about to reach the Frigid Ruins Cauldron! The ten Thunder Kui can’t stop them!”

Chen Yingyuan still had the leisure to glance back at the depression. Seeing a dozen high-level Frost Beasts bypassing the Golden-armored Thunder Kui manifested by the Frost Beast training posts and about to close in on the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, he immediately shouted a warning to Xia Hong.

“Don’t worry, wait a little longer. Just keep holding this position!”

Xia Hong turned to look at the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, a hint of alarm flashing in his own eyes. But he then turned to glare at the Frost Wolf King in the distance, gritted his teeth, and gestured for everyone to continue defending their position in the middle of the army.

It was true that the Frigid Ruins Cauldron was a system item, but he couldn’t recall it without touching it. Moreover, it wasn’t excessively heavy. If those high-level Frost Beasts got close, there was a high probability they could steal it.

This was the greatest artifact upon which his survival in the Ice Abyss depended. No matter how anxious the others were, none could be more anxious than Xia Hong, the cauldron’s owner.

“Roar!”

A lightning-fast Long-tailed Gnawing Rat suddenly burst out of the ground directly in front of the Frigid Ruins Cauldron. Staring at the cauldron so close at hand, the rodent’s cyan-jade pupils filled with greed. It reached out its claws, grabbed the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, and began to drag it toward itself.

“It’s over!”

“The Sacred Cauldron is being stolen!”

“My Lord…”

…

Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, and the other long-serving veterans of Great Xia almost couldn’t stop themselves from rushing toward the depression when they saw the rat’s actions. The Sacred Cauldron had been with Great Xia since its rise, and its significance to them was no less than it was to Xia Hong.

But with Xia Hong’s orders, they restrained themselves.

Whooosh…

Just as the Sacred Cauldron was about to be dragged underground by the rat, the gale blowing toward the army abruptly ceased.

“Pull off the tarps! Prepare the Divine Contraption Crossbow!”

Xia Hong’s shout was almost perfectly synchronized with the wind’s cessation.

The two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts gathered around the iron-wheeled carts were the first to react. Working together with the nearby soldiers, they yanked off the black beast-hide tarps covering the carts.

Mounted on the iron-wheeled carts was a gigantic crossbow.

The crossbow was mounted directly onto the cart. It had three prods, whose surfaces were covered in such a dense array of silver patterns that they were nearly impossible to count. Any discerning artisan could tell at a glance that it was all made of myriad-forged iron.

The long string of the crossbow was wound around the three prods. Though currently slack, it shimmered with a crystalline light of cyan and white in the snowy night. The Frostwarden realm experts recognized it almost instantly: it was a composite made from Snow Bamboo Silk and the sinew of a high-level Soaring Serpent, the finest bow-making material Great Xia currently possessed.

The string wound its way around the three prods, its visible length alone stretching over a hundred meters, not to mention it was over twenty centimeters thick.

Even more peculiar, the strings from the three prods were ultimately routed through pulleys to the sides of the cart, leaving a total of five pull-cords, each over ten meters long.

“So this is where all the bowstring materials have been going!”

“It’s not a Divine Arm Bow. What is this?”

“Didn’t the Lord say it? It’s called the Divine Contraption Crossbow!”

“Can a normal person even draw this bowstring?”

“Those pull-cords must be for drawing the bow.”

…

Xiao Kangcheng, Xiao Yuan, and all the other Frostwarden realm experts now understood instantly why the Logistics Department had forbidden the exchange of bowstring materials for some time. The more quick-witted among them, upon seeing the five pull-cords, had already guessed how this Divine Contraption Crossbow was operated.

“Li Xuanling, Li Tiancheng, Hou Jing, Xia Chuan, your four groups take the four lower pull-cords! Quickly!”

Xia Hong had no time for lengthy explanations. He rushed to the front of the Divine Contraption Crossbow himself, wrapped the foremost pull-cord around his body, and then used his strength to control the first prod. He nocked a special three-meter-long silver iron bolt, drew back with immense force, and aimed the arrowhead in the direction of the Frigid Ruins Cauldron.

The four individuals he had named responded immediately. They ran to the sides of the iron-wheeled cart, grabbed the four pull-cords, and, mimicking Xia Hong, wrapped the cords around themselves.

“Draw!”

Creeeeak…

At Xia Hong’s command, the four groups, totaling over a hundred people, pulled with all their might. The bowstring of the Divine Contraption Crossbow turned the pulleys, producing a tremendous groaning sound.

The combined base strength of over a hundred Frostwarden realm experts was at least four hundred Mane. Coupled with Xia Hong in the lead, the force currently being applied to the bowstring was at least five hundred Mane.

Twang… Twang…

The bowstring groaned under the immense strain, threatening to snap. The sheer shockwave radiating from the tension sent many soldiers near the cart flying, coughing up blood.

“Everyone else, get back!”

Xia Hong shouted a warning before rotating the Divine Contraption Crossbow to aim the iron bolt at the Frigid Ruins Cauldron. The web of his hand, like that of the other hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts, was already seeping blood, but he still clenched his jaw, refusing to release the pull-cord wrapped around him.

The other four pull-cords used pulleys to draw the bowstring and apply pressure to the crossbow. The one he held was the final trigger. Mu Dong had custom-made it for him; this pull-cord required a base strength of at least eighty Mane to draw.

The description was slow, but everything happened in a flash.

“Release!”

After aiming at the Frigid Ruins Cauldron with lightning speed, Xia Hong roared and released the pull-cord around him. At the same time, he quickly retreated to the very back of the iron-wheeled cart.

Simultaneously, the hundred-plus people below also released their pull-cords.

Vvvvvt—

The force from the pull-cords was transferred through the pulleys. The bowstring, under the immense force of over five hundred Mane, instantly snapped back into place. A tremendous ripping sound erupted from the Divine Contraption Crossbow as the power from all three prods was channeled into the special silver bolt at the front.

Whooosh…

The silver bolt was a full three meters long. It was less an arrow and more a spear. As it flew from the crossbow, it didn’t make the usual swish of an iron arrow. Instead, it generated a violent airflow that ignited the air along its path, leaving a straight trail of fire in the sky as it shot directly toward the Frigid Ruins Cauldron in the depression.

This one shot seemed to drain the color from the heavens and the earth.

Everyone felt the ambient temperature rise significantly.

Even the cold wind conjured by the Beast King earlier was not half as terrifying as the fierce gale created by this bolt.

Though it flew three or four meters above the ground, the snow in its path was instantly vaporized into white mist, and the ground itself was torn open, leaving a thin trench five to six meters deep.

The creator of this shot, Xia Hong; the hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts, including Li Xuanling, who had just drawn the cords; and all the others who hadn’t participated, including the soldiers of both armies—everyone was completely dumbfounded.

It wasn’t just the humans. Even the high-level Frost Beasts that were still charging the army’s formation seemed to sense the terror of this shot. They all stopped in their tracks and turned to look, their eyes filled with horror and dread.

Pfft!

Half of the Frigid Ruins Cauldron had already been dragged underground. Logically, Xia Hong’s shot should have had no target, as he had aimed above the cauldron.

However, unexpectedly, he hit his mark.

The instant the iron bolt reached the space above the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, a white gale suddenly darted over from the distance, arriving right above the cauldron.

A wolf’s paw extended from the gale, first slapping away the Long-tailed Gnawing Rat underground, then extending a second paw to hook the cauldron below.

And at that exact moment, the bolt fired from the Divine Contraption Crossbow struck home.

“ROOOOAAAR…”

A miserable, pained wolf howl erupted from within the gale. This time, everyone present not only heard it clearly but also saw the true form of the Frost Beast within the wind.

“Is that the Frost Wolf King?”

“It has to be! It’s floating in mid-air!”

“A Beast King! There was actually a Beast King!”

“The Lord shot it in the abdomen! Hahaha!”

…

Within the gale, the Frost Wolf King, wrapped in its smooth silver fur, indeed had its abdomen pierced by the three-meter-long bolt. Crimson blood was flowing from the wound.

The Frost Wolf King was staring fixedly at the Divine Contraption Crossbow, its face a mixture of fear and clear indecision, as if it were debating whether to abandon the great cauldron beneath it.

“Don’t just stand there! Draw again!”

However, Xia Hong clearly had no intention of giving it time to think.

After snapping out of their stupor, the Frostwarden realm experts immediately grabbed the pull-cords a second time and heaved backward to draw the bow. At the same time, Xia Hong, repeating his earlier actions, took control of the first prod again, nocked a silver bolt, and aimed at the Frost Wolf King for a second time.

“Roar!”

The Wolf King still seemed unwilling to give up the Sacred Cauldron.

It roared furiously, its claws hooked onto the great cauldron as it attempted to flee south.

Following its roar, the group of mid- and high-level Frost Wolves attacking the right flank grew even more frenzied, renewing their fierce assault on the army.

Meanwhile, the Snow Mane pack at the rear showed little reaction. In fact, the high-level Snow Manes at the front even showed a hint of retreat in their eyes.

“As expected, they’re not part of the same group. It can only command the Frost Beasts of its own pack!”

Xia Hong caught the reaction of the Snow Mane pack out of the corner of his eye, and a hint of delight appeared on his face. He then shouted once more to the others, “Release!”

Vvvvvt—

The taut bowstring snapped back again, and the second bolt howled through the air.

Pfft!

Greed can be deadly for humans, and the same held true for Frost Beasts.

The Frost Wolf King’s speed had already been greatly reduced by the first shot to its abdomen. Its escape to the south was not as fast as before. If it couldn’t dodge the first bolt, there was no chance of it dodging the second.

The bolt’s fiery trail pierced through its neck, shattering a large section of the barbs there and pinning it directly to the wall of the depression.

“Wuuu…”

This time, the sound the Wolf King made was not just one of misery.

It thrashed its neck desperately, trying to free itself from the wall of the depression, its cries now clearly laced with panic and fear.

“Draw again!”

And over here, Xia Hong was already having everyone draw the bow for a third time.

“Awooo… Awooo… Awooo…”

The Wolf King struggled on the ground for only three or four breaths. It had just managed to wrench the bolt from its neck and was preparing to take flight with the Frigid Ruins Cauldron.

“Release!”

The third bolt…

No, what Xia Hong fired this time was not a bolt.

He had placed his Cold Blood Saber directly on the tip of the bolt.

The immense power of the flying bolt carried the Cold Blood Saber forward. Without any need for special fastening, it shot straight toward the Wolf King, which had just gotten to its feet.

Pfft!

The Cold Blood Saber and the bolt simultaneously skewered the Wolf King’s tail, pinning it once again to the same spot on the wall of the depression.

“Roar!”

The Wolf King was still trying to summon its pack to attack Xia Hong, but after being pinned by the Cold Blood Saber this time, it struggled twice before it seemed to realize something. It twisted its head to look at the Cold Blood Saber embedded in its tail, its eyes filled with panic.

Hssst…

The Cold Blood Saber was sucking the blood from its body.

“Alright, all of you go kill the Frost Beasts. We don’t need the Divine Contraption Crossbow anymore!”

As Xia Hong’s words fell, he was already speeding toward the Wolf King.

Li Xuanling and the other Frostwarden realm experts all dropped their pull-cords and split into two groups, starting to reinforce the army’s right and rear flanks.

Even the Beast King had been dealt with!

The outcome of this battle was now basically settled.

Everyone’s mood instantly lightened. Only a few of the stronger individuals could spare a moment to check on Xia Hong’s situation.

At this moment, Xia Hong was already standing on top of the Wolf King’s body.

He felt the struggles of the Wolf King beneath him growing more and more violent. He stomped down on the hilt of the Cold Blood Saber, fixing it more firmly to the depression wall.

“Its strength is over a hundred Mane, but its overall power is clearly inferior to the Wolf King from the Longshan Silver Mine. It wasn’t controlled… it seems it was forcibly elevated to the Beast King realm by that White Dew Aberration!”

Xia Hong turned to look south toward Yangyuan Peak, a cold sneer on his face.

The idea for the Divine Contraption Crossbow had been his suggestion to Mu Dong, but they previously couldn’t find any bowstring material that could withstand his strength. That changed two months ago when Longshan was fully incorporated into Great Xia, and Mu Dong discovered the sinew of high-level Hyena-spotted Tigers.

When the spinal sinew of a high-level Hyena-spotted Tiger was melted into a viscous liquid at a high temperature, it could increase the toughness of Snow Bamboo Silk. When this was then combined with the sinew of high-level Soaring Serpents, the resulting bowstring could withstand a force of over five hundred Mane.

Upon learning this, Xia Hong had immediately realized that the opportunity to solve the problem at Yangyuan Peak had arrived. No matter what tricks that White Dew Aberration pulled now, they would be useless.

Five hundred Mane!

Although he didn’t know the specific power levels of Beast Kings, no matter how strong one was, five hundred Mane was enough to crush the vast majority of them.

“Among all the opponents I’ve faced so far, in terms of sheer power, perhaps only that Red Carp monster in the Xing River can compare to this Divine Contraption Crossbow. With this crossbow, many problems can be easily solved!”

The Wolf King beneath his feet was now completely devoid of life. Xia Hong pulled out the Cold Blood Saber, lifted the Wolf King’s corpse, and tossed it toward the army.

The body of the Frost Wolf King slammed to the ground with a loud thud. The group of mid- and high-level Frost Wolves that were still attacking the army on the right flank immediately halted.

The Snow Mane pack at the rear was even more straightforward. After recognizing the corpse on the ground as the Wolf King, they turned and fled without the slightest hesitation.

The rout of the Frost Wolf pack followed swiftly.

“The army will press the attack! Kill as many as you can. It all counts toward contribution points. I’ll leave it to you to show what you can do. I won’t interfere!”

At Xia Hong’s command, the Cloud Serpent Army, the Dragon Martial Army, and the two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts all erupted into a frenzy, drawing their weapons and chasing after the retreating Beast Tide.

Unlike just moments ago, this pack of Frost Beasts had lost all will to fight. All they knew was to flee, making them much easier to hunt than before.

A high-level Frost Beast was worth over ten thousand contribution points; a mid-level one was worth over four thousand. They certainly would not let such a golden opportunity slip by.

Xia Hong did not watch the others chase down the Frost Beasts. Instead, he sat cross-legged beside the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, swallowed a healing Blood Sore Pill, and then raised his head to stare at Yangyuan Peak to the south, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

“The Beast Tide is dealt with. Next, it’s your turn!”

Thinking it could protect itself with just one Beast King? It wasn’t that easy.

The dense fog in the south had already thinned considerably, seemingly a sign that the White Dew Aberration had completely exhausted its tricks.

Chapter 331: An Unsettling Feeling, the Jade Dew Stone, and Li Xuanling’s Panic

Although the wolf king had been slain, there were still at least one hundred and forty high-grade Frost Beasts surrounding the depression, in addition to over six hundred mid-grade Frost Wolves and Snow Manes.

Of course, these Frost Beasts were now scattering and fleeing in all directions.

On the open, expansive snowfields, annihilating them all was certainly impossible.

Li Xuanling led the two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts, Xia Chuan led the Cloud Serpent Army, and Yuwen Tao led the Dragon Martial Army in what was essentially a cleanup operation, killing as many as they could.

After Xia Hong took a Blood Sore Pill, he sat cross-legged on the spot to recover for an hour. Only then did Li Xuanling and the other two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts approach slowly, carrying their kills. After another ten minutes or so, the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Armies had also regrouped.

“Lord, the surrounding Frost Beasts have been cleared. The Cloud Serpent Army has fourteen killed in action, twenty-eight seriously wounded, and one hundred and one lightly wounded.”

“The Dragon Martial Army has twenty-nine killed in action, forty-two seriously wounded, and two hundred and ten lightly wounded.”

Hearing the casualty reports from Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao, Xia Hong turned to look at the army, which had already reformed behind him, his expression lifting slightly.

The total number of beasts in the tide they faced tonight had exceeded four digits, not to mention the fact that over two hundred of them were high-grade Frost Beasts. Putting aside the spoils, the casualty figures alone were enough to prove the strength of the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Armies.

The effects of using a small-scale Beast Tide for training were already becoming apparent. As long as he continued to nurture his armies, they would be able to handle any future Beast Tide with ease, regardless of its size.

“A job well done. We’ll tally the spoils after we return to Xiacheng. Have the soldiers rest on the spot for half an hour. Tend to the kills, check your bows, and repair your weapons. Get the Congealing Fire Salve ready. In half an hour, we advance on Yangyuan Peak with me!”

“As you command, my Lord!”

Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao nodded in unison and quickly returned to the rear to issue their orders.

Xia Hong then turned to Li Xuanling and the other Frostwarden realm experts.

“You all get your Congealing Fire Salve ready as well. That White Dew Aberration is sure to have a few more tricks up its sleeve. Don’t get caught off guard.”

“Yes, Lord!”

Although he had brought the Frigid Ruins Cauldron tonight, Xia Hong, wanting to be absolutely safe, had everyone prepare a dozen or so blocks of Congealing Fire Salve.

Half an hour passed in a flash. Seeing that the army was ready, Xia Hong stood up, first storing the Frigid Ruins Cauldron inside his body before turning to face the crowd and giving the order: “Move out!”

He led the two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts at the front, with the main army following closely behind, pushing the Divine Contraption Crossbows. Together, they began to advance toward Yangyuan Peak to the south.

Without the Xia Direct Road, the army’s marching speed on the snowfield was naturally not very fast. Furthermore, the Beast Tide had just come from Yangyuan Peak to the south, and the terrain in this area had been trampled beyond recognition, which made marching even more difficult.

Xia Hong estimated it would take the army at least an hour to get there.

If he had only brought the two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts, or gone alone, he could have arrived much faster. But Xia Hong did not do so, choosing instead to continue approaching slowly with the army.

Xia Hong looked at Yangyuan Peak, his expression shifting slightly. He turned his head and found Peng Bo in the crowd behind him. “Peng Bo, you told Xia Chuan that Yangyuan Peak was formed over ninety years ago when a giant dewdrop fell from the sky and crashed into the ground. Is that correct?”

Upon hearing this, Peng Bo immediately replied, “My Lord, that is indeed the case. This legend has been passed down for four generations in Yanglu. I heard it from my father in my early years, and he apparently heard it from his ancestors.”

Hearing this answer, Xia Hong’s brow furrowed. He continued to ask, “What else do you know about that dewdrop? Tell me everything!”

Peng Bo smiled wryly. “Lord, although I am the leader of Yanglu, I don’t really know much about this matter. If there is one peculiar thing, it’s that ever since we established our settlement on Yangyuan Peak, the Yanglu camp has never once been disturbed by Frost Beasts.”

“Not even once? Not a single Frost Beast has wandered in by mistake?”

“Absolutely not. I can confirm it!”

After hearing that, Xia Hong fell into deep thought.

Peng Bo was only in his fifties. It was natural that he wouldn’t know the details of a legend from over ninety years ago. What he had shared was already quite something.

No, this point was, in fact, crucial!

For a camp to have never been disturbed by Frost Beasts for over ninety years was not a normal occurrence in the Ice Abyss. The astonishment on the faces of the people from Great Xia at that moment was a testament to this fact.

“That White Dew Aberration only reawakened this April. This means that before then, it was in an unconscious state. Otherwise, the Yanglu settlement wouldn’t have survived for so many years. At that time, the Frost Beasts didn’t dare approach Yangyuan Peak, likely out of simple fear of its slumbering main body.

“After it reawakened in April, it attracted a large number of Frost Beasts to protect itself by releasing this thick fog, keeping outsiders—mainly us—from prying. From its actions of controlling Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli… and Li Xuantian, it’s clear that its main body is likely immobile. It’s even debatable whether it has any combat strength at all. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just sit there waiting for death!”

The one who spoke was Li Xuanling. She could clearly see Xia Hong’s reservations and quietly voiced her own speculations. Seeing no response from him, she continued in a soft voice, “With the Frigid Ruins Cauldron and the Congealing Fire Salve, you don’t even need to step foot on Yangyuan Peak yourself. You just need to…”

“I’m not afraid of it!”

Xia Hong shook his head with a light laugh and continued, “I understand everything you’ve said. However, I feel that the Frost Beasts weren’t afraid of the White Dew Aberration’s main body. It’s not that no Frost Beasts wandered into Yangyuan Peak over the years, but that the people in the Yanglu settlement simply couldn’t see them.”

Based on the gains from killing Wu Xiong and Li Xuantian’s group, Xia Hong was almost certain that the White Dew Aberration was connected to the Hanping Jade Dew. In fact, its main body was most likely a precious treasure capable of endlessly producing Hanping Jade Dew.

Frost Beasts also liked the jade dew. Following that logic, it was improbable that no Frost Beasts had wandered into Yangyuan Peak in the past ninety-plus years. More likely, the ones that did enter all disappeared in some fashion, and the people of the Yanglu settlement never found out.

“It possesses people through objects. It has no strength of its own and can only achieve its goal of controlling humans through bewitchment. This White Dew Aberration is a type of Malice Aberration, just like the Yin-Yang Mirror!”

Artisan, Nightmare, Malice, Spirit, Demon. Three years ago, Yang and Li in Beishuo Town had explained the differences between these five types of anomalies. Xia Hong had learned of it through Luo Ming. Coupled with his previous encounters with the Wooden Puppet Aberration and the Jing Xian, he now had a certain understanding of these creatures.

All five types of anomalies originated from the long-vanished civilization of the Ancient Abyss Era.

Artisan Aberrations were formed from the highly skilled craftsmen of the Ancient Abyss Era. Their methods of killing were bizarre and unpredictable.

Malice Aberrations, on the other hand, were formed from the treasures of the great figures of the Ancient Abyss Era. Their methods were inherited from the human heart, and they slaughtered due to obsession. Defeating one could yield related items. Initially, their name was a homophone for “experience,” but later, “malice” was deemed more fitting, and their name was changed.

“Then what are you still worried about?”

His thoughts interrupted by Li Xuanling, Xia Hong looked up in the direction of Yangyuan Peak and said in a low voice, “I’m just thinking about what other tricks it might pull. After all, it’s a Malice Aberration on the verge of breaking through to the high-level. It must have some tricks up its sleeve!”

Xia Hong could clearly sense that although the White Dew Aberration’s methods were stronger than the Yin-Yang Mirror’s, the two were likely of the same grade.

Although it had hastily created a Beast King, that Frost Wolf King’s actions were all highly autonomous, clearly not under the aberration’s control. Therefore, the scope of its abilities was most likely still at the Frostwarden realm level; it had just forcibly created this Beast King.

Now that the Beast King had been dealt with by the Divine Contraption Crossbows, there should be no obstacles left to finishing it off. Yet for some reason, a feeling of unease lingered in Xia Hong’s heart.

It was too quiet!

From the moment the Frost Beasts were lured over by the Frigid Ruins Cauldron to the end of the Beast Tide, the White Dew Aberration had done nothing at all. It seemed to have completely entrusted its safety to those Frost Beasts.

This was not the typical behavior of an anomaly…

Xia Hong’s brow was tightly furrowed. When he saw Li Xuanling looking at him with a worried expression, his own expression turned a little strange. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he asked:

“Are you… worried about me?”

This sudden teasing clearly caught Li Xuanling off guard. Her entire face flushed crimson in an instant. She subconsciously opened her mouth to curse him, but with over two hundred of Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts behind them, she swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.

“The Lord is responsible for the hundreds of thousands of lives in Great Xia. Your safety is naturally of the utmost importance. I am surely not the only one who is concerned!”

Seeing Li Xuanling’s transparent excuse, Xia Hong could hardly contain his amusement. To save her face, he refrained from teasing her further.

The Frostwarden realm experts behind them had all seen through Li Xuanling’s insincere words. The older ones with better composure, like Hou Jing and Peng Bo, turned their heads to look elsewhere. The younger ones who couldn’t hide their feelings, like Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, and Yue Feng, couldn’t help but lower their heads and chuckle.

Li Tiancheng, standing right behind Li Xuanling, also had a smile on his face. He was clearly pleased to see the warming of her relationship with Xia Hong.

The couple’s little interlude didn’t affect their march. About an hour later, the army was less than three hundred meters from the ravine on the north side of Yangyuan Peak.

Since Xia Hong had already put away the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, a thick white fog still shrouded Yangyuan Peak.

Xia Hong walked to the very front. After staring at Yangyuan Peak for a moment, he turned directly to the rear and ordered, “Alright. Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, have the army pick a good position and ready your bows. Await my command.”

“As you command, my Lord!”

Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao turned and returned to the army’s formation. They led the troops to assemble on a relatively high piece of ground near the ravine. Soon, nearly two thousand greatbows were set up, all aimed squarely at Yangyuan Peak.

Thump…

As soon as the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Armies were ready, Xia Hong took out the Frigid Ruins Cauldron and placed it in the very center of the army. At the same time, the ten Golden-armored Thunder Kui manifested from the Frost Beast training posts stood guard around the troops.

Woom…

The moment the Frigid Ruins Cauldron was lit, the white fog lingering over Yangyuan Peak was instantly dispersed at a visible rate. As it was nighttime, visibility on Yangyuan Peak actually decreased without the fog.

At this moment, everyone—from the soldiers of the two armies to the two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts in the front row—knew that the White Dew Aberration was entrenched on Yangyuan Peak. As they looked at the darkness-shrouded area behind the ravine, a grave expression appeared in their eyes.

“Aim for Yangyuan Peak. Empty your quivers. Fire!”

With everything prepared, Xia Hong didn’t waste any more words and gave the order directly.

Swish swish swish…

The soldiers of both armies released their bowstrings simultaneously. The first volley of nearly two thousand iron arrows flew directly toward Yangyuan Peak.

A rain of two thousand iron arrows was nothing compared to the entirety of Yangyuan Peak, which spanned four or five square kilometers. Most of the soldiers didn’t understand why Xia Hong had ordered them to do this.

But soon, they understood!

After the first volley of arrows had all plunged into the northern slope of Yangyuan Peak, plumes of thick black smoke began to rise slowly from the ground. The expressions of the soldiers from both armies changed instantly.

The iron arrows used tonight were all coated with Congealing Fire Salve. Such a violent reaction could only mean one thing: there was an anomaly underground on Yangyuan Peak.

“The entire Yangyuan Peak is the White Dew Aberration’s main body?”

“It must be. Didn’t Lord Peng just say that Yangyuan Peak was formed when that dewdrop crashed into the ground? That dewdrop must be the White Dew Aberration’s body, right?”

“This thing is a bit too big. Yangyuan Peak is nearly five square kilometers in area!”

…

The Frostwarden realm experts behind Xia Hong cried out in alarm as they watched the smoke rise from Yangyuan Peak, their eyes filled with shock.

An anomaly of this size was indeed beyond their expectations.

“Continue firing! Don’t stop until your quivers are empty!”

Xia Hong’s voice made the soldiers of both armies quicken their pace. The standard quiver for the Great Xia army held fifty iron arrows. The total number of arrows carried by the soldiers of both armies was close to one hundred thousand.

Two thousand iron arrows meant nothing to Yangyuan Peak.

One hundred thousand was a different story!

And it was one hundred thousand iron arrows coated in Congealing Fire Salve.

As the arrow rain’s coverage expanded, the entire Yangyuan Peak was soon wreathed in rolling black smoke. In some places, flames had even begun to erupt from underground.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle… BOOM…

The spot hit by the first volley of arrows suddenly erupted in a towering blaze. Then, like a plague, the fire spread rapidly in all directions. In just a short while, Yangyuan Peak had transformed into a raging sea of fire.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh…”

A shrill, piercing scream suddenly came from within the fire.

It’s out!

Xia Hong’s gaze sharpened. A faint light flashed in his left eye as he looked toward the source of the sound, shouting orders to the others:

“Keep firing, don’t stop! Everyone else, be on alert!”

Upon hearing his command, the soldiers of both armies immediately increased their rate of fire. The Frostwarden realm experts drew their weapons and stood guard, their eyes fixed on their surroundings, especially in the direction of Yangyuan Peak.

As the fire grew more ferocious, the entire Yangyuan Peak actually began to shrink. At the same time, the White Dew Aberration’s screams became increasingly shrill.

“Ahhh… It hurts… it hurts…”

“Ahhhhhh… Spare me! Lord of Great Xia, spare me, spare me! I can give you an endless supply of Hanping Jade Dew! Spare me…”

“Please, spare me, spare me, I don’t want to die…”

“Lord of Great Xia, spare me! I am willing to submit to you, and from now on…”

…

No matter what the White Dew Aberration said or how hysterically it cried, Xia Hong remained completely unmoved, watching Yangyuan Peak with an expressionless face.

After another ten minutes, when Yangyuan Peak had shrunk to an area of just one square li, Xia Hong glanced at the quivers on the soldiers’ backs. Seeing that most of them only had a dozen or so arrows left, he gave another order: “That’s about enough. Tie your remaining blocks of Congealing Fire Salve to your arrows and shoot them all at Yangyuan Peak. Don’t hold back!”

With the Frigid Ruins Cauldron here, the White Dew Aberration couldn’t pull any tricks even without the Congealing Fire Salve. The continuously shrinking Yangyuan Peak was clearly its main body. Intensifying the flames was tantamount to accelerating its demise.

BOOM…

As more and more soldiers shot entire blocks of Congealing Fire Salve onto Yangyuan Peak, the fire instantly grew more ferocious. Yangyuan Peak’s shrinking speed also increased. After about a hundred breaths, once all the soldiers had emptied their quivers, the once one-square-li Yangyuan Peak had shrunk into a round stone about a hundred meters in diameter.

The outer layer of the round stone was covered with many rocks and soil. But as the shrinking process intensified, more and more rocks and soil fell away, and its true form was slowly revealed to everyone.

The round stone was as transparent as a water droplet, with a layer of jade-white fluorescent light flowing across its surface. It was dazzlingly brilliant in the dark night, mesmerizing all who looked upon it.

Because the stone was transparent, everyone could clearly see a small blue flame burning in its very center.

“This… is the White Dew Aberration’s main body?”

“That color is exactly the same as the Dewdrop Plague from before.”

“The temperature is very high, and it seems there’s a blue core inside.”

“The White Dew Aberration’s voice is coming from that blue flame!”

…

After the army emptied their quivers, Xia Hong didn’t make any rash moves. Instead, he continued to watch with everyone else, letting the White Dew Aberration continue its miserable wails. No matter how it begged, he remained unmoved.

The giant hundred-meter stone continued to be burned and shrink by the fire. After about an hour, it had shrunk to less than ten meters.

The entire Yangyuan Peak had completely disappeared, leaving a bottomless pit in the ground. The round jade stone, the main body of the White Dew Aberration, continued to burn, suspended in mid-air.

The brilliant, crystalline luster of the jade stone flickered in and out of view within the flames, captivating the gazes of everyone present, including Xia Hong.

“Spare me, Lord of Great Xia, spare me! I can help you!”

“The Yin-Yang Mirror can connect to the Gloom World and make deals with the omnipotent and powerful Spirit Aberrations! Only I know how to communicate with them! Spare me, Lord of Great Xia! If you spare me, I’ll tell you everything! I’ll tell you all of it!”

…

The White Dew Aberration was still begging. Although Xia Hong was incredibly tempted, he forced himself to resist.

The Yin-Yang Mirror, the Gloom World, omnipotent Spirit Aberrations, deals…

This White Dew Aberration clearly possessed a great deal of extraordinary information. If he could truly make it submit, the benefits to him would be immense.

‘No, no, calm down. I don’t have the ability to control an anomaly. The more this White Dew Aberration knows, the more cunning it is. If I’m careless and get bewitched by it, I could very well end up like He Yuanhun. When that time comes, there will be no one to help me deal with it!’

Xia Hong forcefully suppressed the greed in his heart and continued to watch the White Dew Aberration with cold eyes.

He Yuanhun had been able to break free from the Jing Xian because of him.

If he were to be bewitched by the White Dew Aberration today, it was uncertain if anyone would come to help him in the future. There was no need to keep such an unstable element by his side.

Besides, after destroying the anomaly’s consciousness, he could still obtain its main body. It would just take more time to figure out how to use it.

Xia Hong led the crowd and watched for another half an hour. The White Dew Aberration’s main body finally shrank into a round jade stone the size of a thumb. The flames gradually weakened until they slowly disappeared.

The moment the flames vanished, the White Dew Aberration’s miserable cries came to an abrupt halt.

The area above the giant pit finally returned to complete silence.

The moment the flames died out, the round jade stone seemed to lose its spiritual power and fell directly toward the bottomless pit below.

“All of you stay here. I’ll go down and get the stone myself!”

Having spent so much effort tonight, Xia Hong was naturally not going to watch the jade stone slip away. After signaling for everyone to stay put, he jumped directly into the deep pit.

Thump…

Xia Hong fell along the wall of the pit. After about ten breaths, he saw the bottom. He drew his saber, plunged it into the wall to break his fall, and finally landed gently on the ground.

“Ten breaths… that must be over a thousand meters. This pit is actually so deep!”

The jade stone was just over ten meters away. Xia Hong ran over and picked it up.

Unlike a normal jade stone, which is cool to the touch, this round one felt intensely hot in his hand. The blue flame inside was still there, and the burning sensation seemed to be radiating from it.

“It feels scorching hot, yet its surface remains moist. And this moisture feels exactly like Hanping Jade Dew!”

Xia Hong looked down at the crystal-clear bead in his hand, a sharp glint in his eyes. If he wasn’t mistaken, the moisture on the surface of this jade stone was likely the key to producing Hanping Jade Dew.

“I’ll call you the Jade Dew Stone. I hope you bring me a pleasant surprise.”

The importance of Hanping Jade Dew was self-evident. If this stone could truly produce an endless supply of it, he would no longer have to worry about the cultivation pills for all the Frostwarden realm experts in Great Xia.

After putting away the Jade Dew Stone, Xia Hong was about to climb up the wall when his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of something white. His brow instantly knitted together.

This was underground. There was no snow or ice on the ground. How could something white appear here?

Xia Hong walked over and used his Cold Blood Saber to pick the object up.

It was the complete skeleton of a mid-grade Snow Mane.

How could beast bones appear underground?

Xia Hong’s expression grew even more curious. He searched the vicinity around the bone for a while longer, and this search led to a major discovery.

Snow Manes, Frost Wolves, Hyena-spotted Tigers… countless beast bones were buried underground here. There were even some species he had never seen before. Judging by their size, they were mostly mid-grade Frost Beast bones, with a few low-grade ones. There wasn’t a single high-grade Frost Beast Jade Bone.

The skeletons were intact. There were no signs of injury, not even signs of a struggle. They seemed to have died peacefully. After examining some of the bones, a question popped into Xia Hong’s mind.

How did all these Frost Beasts die?

In the ninety-plus years before this April, the White Dew Aberration certainly had no consciousness of its own, nor the ability to actively kill so many mid-grade Frost Beasts. Otherwise, the Yanglu camp could not have existed safely on top of its body for over ninety years.

The problem had to lie with the White Dew Aberration’s main body, the Jade Dew Stone!

It seemed this Jade Dew Stone had other properties he didn’t know about.

Xia Hong turned his head to survey the Frost Beast bones at the bottom of the valley, a hint of coldness rising in his eyes. “As expected. It wasn’t that no Frost Beasts came to Yangyuan Peak, but that none of them managed to cross that outer ravine. They all died underground.”

Although he didn’t know exactly how these Frost Beasts died, Xia Hong was certain the cause of death was the White Dew Aberration.

For over ninety years, the White Dew Aberration had lured and killed a massive number of low and mid-grade Frost Beasts, yet it had failed to awaken its consciousness. In April, when Wu Xiong and Han Jiuli joined forces to attack Yanglu, the death toll was at most a few thousand. Yet with just those few thousand deaths, the White Dew Aberration had completely reawakened.

He instantly understood why anomalies liked to kill people!

Killing humans was clearly the most efficient way for an anomaly to increase its strength.

“A massive amount of mid-grade beast bones, buried underground for so long. This conveniently saves the fermentation step. They’re perfect for making salt. I can tell Mu Dong to bring people over to collect them!”

Xia Hong took one last look at the beast bones on the ground, then began to climb and leap up the pit wall, using both his hands and feet.

In less than a hundred breaths, he saw the opening of the pit above.

“Lord, we’ve lowered a rope! Grab it and come up!”

A rope was lowered down the pit wall. Xia Hong immediately grabbed it. The people above pulled, and he ascended quickly along with the rope.

Swoosh…

However, just as he was twenty or thirty meters from the opening, a bright light suddenly shot out from his sleeve.

“It was faking it. The White Dew Aberration still has strength left…”

Xia Hong’s expression changed drastically. Seeing the Jade Dew Stone fly out of the pit, he immediately shouted to the people outside, “Stop the White Dew Aberration! Don’t let it escape!”

After shouting, he let go of the rope, pushed off the wall with his legs, and shot upward, chasing after the Jade Dew Stone.

By the time the Frostwarden realm experts on the north side of the pit heard Xia Hong’s voice, the Jade Dew Stone had already flown out. Their expressions also changed drastically as they quickly drew their weapons and charged toward it.

“It’s not fast! Use Congealing Fire Salve to stop it!”

Li Xuanling was the strongest and had the fastest reaction. She leaped directly above the Jade Dew Stone, took out a block of Congealing Fire Salve, threw it forward, drew her Tianhua Sword, and struck the stone with a single blow.

Clang…

“Ah…”

Hit by the Congealing Fire Salve again, the White Dew Aberration’s scream this time was extremely faint. It was clear that not much of its consciousness remained.

“Good!”

At the same time, Xia Hong had just leaped out of the pit. Seeing the Jade Dew Stone struck by Li Xuanling and flying in his direction, he reached out to grab it.

“You can’t kill me! You can’t kill me! Hehehehehehe…”

But just as Xia Hong’s hand was about to close around the Jade Dew Stone, the White Dew Aberration let out an extremely maniacal laugh. It kept repeating that Xia Hong couldn’t kill it, then paused in mid-air for a moment, transformed into a streak of light, and shot straight back toward Li Xuanling.

“With the little power you have left, you think I can’t kill you?”

Suppressed by the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, the White Dew Aberration was clearly unable to move quickly. With just its thumb-sized stone body, it could do nothing. There was no other outcome for it but to wait for death.

He didn’t even need to do it himself; Li Xuanling alone could capture it.

Xia Hong paid no mind to its words, dismissing them as the hysterical ramblings of a dying creature. He leaped to the edge of the pit, pushed off the ground, and shot up, pincering it with Li Xuanling and forcing it into a dead end.

However, just as Li Xuanling’s hand was about to grab it.

The Jade Dew Stone suddenly changed direction and flew toward Li Xuanling’s lower abdomen.

Swoosh…

Li Xuanling was clearly caught off guard. When she realized the Jade Dew Stone was flying toward her lower abdomen, her face instantly became extremely flustered. While raising her sword to block, she frantically retreated to dodge.

This scene made Xia Hong’s brow furrow sharply.

“What are you doing? You don’t need to dodge! The wretched creature has almost no power left! It can’t even break through your Hide!”

“I…”

Li Xuanling only said the word “I” and didn’t continue, as if she had something she couldn’t say.

The Jade Dew Stone first hit the Tianhua Sword, then, like an eel, transformed into a streak of flowing light, bypassed the sword, and drilled directly into Li Xuanling’s stomach.

“This…”

This scene didn’t just stun all the Frostwarden realm experts below.

Even Xia Hong was dumbfounded.

The Jade Dew Stone… had drilled into Li Xuanling’s stomach?

“I have a child in my belly! I have a child! Don’t let it get in! Don’t let it get in! Save the child, Xia Hong!”

However, the panicked words Li Xuanling spoke as she landed, clutching her abdomen, made everyone’s expression freeze.

“What did you say?”

Xia Hong’s expression wasn’t just frozen; he rushed to Li Xuanling’s side, grabbed her arm, and questioned her furiously.

Li Tiancheng, Meng Ying, Yue Qian, Cheng Guang, and the other Frostwarden realm experts from Longshan had also reacted by now and all rushed to Li Xuanling’s side.

Li Tiancheng, in particular, pulled Li Xuanling’s arm from Xia Hong’s grasp. After holding her wrist to check her pulse for a moment, his expression instantly became extremely grim.

“At least two months. And there are two of them. Xuanling, how could you hide something so important from us? You’re with child, why did you come out with us? You… this… ai!”

Two months. That meant it was before the migration in October.

Tears streamed down Li Xuanling’s face at that moment. She couldn’t say a word, only clutching her abdomen and looking at Xia Hong with a pleading expression, clearly worried to the extreme about the child in her womb.

“Get to the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, quickly!”

Xia Hong couldn’t bring himself to say any words of blame at this point. He grabbed Li Xuanling’s hand, rushed to the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, and pressed her hands directly onto its surface.

“It’s working, it’s working! It’s scared, it’s scared! The reaction in my belly is getting weaker, it’s getting weaker.”

Sensing the situation in her abdomen, Li Xuanling clung to this like a drowning person to a straw. Her face was full of joyful surprise. After a pause, she couldn’t help but look at Xia Hong and ask, “With the Frigid Ruins Cauldron here, it won’t be able to harm my child, right?”

Seeing the woman who was once the Heaven’s favored daughter of Longyou now showing the demeanor of an ordinary woman, Xia Hong’s expression couldn’t help but soften. He nodded and comforted her in a gentle voice, “It’ll be alright. Come back with me first. We’ll see if there’s another way to solve this.”

After saying that, he didn’t even bother with Xia Chuan and the others. He directly put away the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, took Li Xuanling’s hand, and rushed back in the direction of Xiacheng.

“Madam is with child?”

“That White Dew Aberration must have seen that Madam was pregnant and deliberately drilled into her stomach, forcing the Lord’s hand!”

“This… Why would Madam hide such an important matter?”

“Longshan was only recently conquered, after all. Madam must still be angry with the Lord, right?”

“Twins! If something happens…”

“Don’t say such unlucky things! The Lord is so capable, how could he let anything happen to Madam? The two young lords will surely be born safe and sound.”

” Smack… You’re right, you’re right. I was talking nonsense. The two young lords are blessed by heaven. Nothing will happen.”

…

“Alright, that’s enough chatter. Pack up and return to Xiacheng!”

Xia Chuan directly cut off the crowd’s discussion. He looked back in the direction Xia Hong and Li Xuanling had left, his face also full of worry.

Chapter 332: Refining the Jade Dew Stone, Eve of the Frigid Origin Festival

Xiacheng, Council Hall.

The moment Xia Hong returned, he brought out the Frigid Ruins Cauldron.

Before he could even call for her, Li Xuanling quickly walked over to the cauldron, sat down cross-legged, and dutifully placed her hands on its surface, continuing to sense the situation in her abdomen.

“I haven’t lit it yet, don’t rush!”

With a thought, Xia Hong infused the Frigid Ruins Cauldron with system-provided coal resources. A great fire immediately blazed to life inside, and the surrounding temperature rose rapidly.

Sizzle…

The instant the fire ignited in the cauldron, a faint burning sound emerged from within Li Xuanling’s body. As the sound grew louder, a look of pain slowly crept onto her face.

“How is it? Can you bear it?”

Seeing the pained expression on Li Xuanling’s face, Xia Hong grew tense, ready to extinguish the Frigid Ruins Cauldron at a moment’s notice.

Li Xuanling kept her eyes closed, her expression still pained, but she forced herself to speak. “It’s working. It seems… to be getting refined…”

Getting refined?

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed slightly. He looked up at the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, a hint of unease on his face.

The cauldron’s suppressive effect on anomalies was undeniable, but the question was whether this refining process would affect the fetus in her womb. That was his greatest concern.

But since it was her body, she was likely the only one who truly knew what was happening. Xia Hong could only wait quietly by her side.

Li Xuanling’s face remained contorted in pain, and beads of sweat dripped from her forehead. Xia Hong tirelessly wiped them away time and again.

Half an hour later, Li Xuanling’s tightly knit brows finally relaxed. She slowly opened her eyes, her face a mixture of relief and a distinct trace of anxiety. In a worried tone, she said:

“When its consciousness first appeared, it kept trying to attack the fetus in my womb, but I managed to block it by mobilizing my vital energy. The fire of this Frigid Ruins Cauldron seems to have incinerated its residual consciousness. I can’t expel it from my body, so I can only let it be refined.”

Xia Hong immediately placed his hands on Li Xuanling’s belly. After sensing for a moment and confirming that there was no longer any foreign object inside, he quickly asked:

“After it was refined, did your body feel any different?”

Li Xuanling shook her head gently, her expression somewhat bewildered.

Xia Hong’s brow darkened. Li Xuanling had no prior experience with anomalies, but he had encountered them three times now—or more accurately, had defeated them three times.

Refining an anomaly was not unheard of. Xia Chuan’s black blade, transparent threads, and puppet inheritance; the Sun-side Mirror in his own left eye; the Yin-side Mirror in He Yuanhun’s right eye—all were likely the results of refining anomalies.

By all rights, since Li Xuanling had refined the Jade Dew Stone within her body, she should have gained some benefit as well.

For there to be no change at all was, in itself, unusual.

“That Jade Dew Stone… was it very important to you? I’m sorry, I…”

“Don’t let your imagination run wild. I was only worried about the two babies in your womb. No matter how important that Jade Dew Stone was, could it be more important than them?”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, a soft light filled Li Xuanling’s eyes. She raised a hand to her lower abdomen and said gently, “The consciousness of that Jade Dew Stone has been completely eliminated. Don’t worry. Although their kicks are still very faint, I can feel that they haven’t been affected!”

Although those in the Frostwarden realm could not inspect their bodies internally, they possessed a strong perception of all their organs and meridians. For Li Xuanling to speak with such certainty, it was likely that the fetuses were indeed fine.

Besides, even if Li Xuanling missed something, there was still the Frigid Ruins Cauldron!

Xia Hong turned his head to look at the cauldron, his expression gradually calming.

Looking back at his two previous encounters with anomalies, the Frigid Ruins Cauldron had never once disappointed him. The suppressive power this divine artifact exhibited against anomalies far surpassed any other item.

【Frigid Ruins Cauldron (Level 4): Can burn coal to significantly raise the temperature within a five-kilometer radius. Can kill low-level and mid-level anomalies, intimidate high-level anomalies. Extremely attractive to Frost Beasts. Can consume coal resources for forging ironware.】

“The White Dew Aberration was, after all, only a mid-level anomaly. The Frigid Ruins Cauldron has the ability to kill it, so everything should be fine.”

Xia Hong deliberately checked the Level 4 Frigid Ruins Cauldron’s description again. Only after clearly seeing the words “Can kill low-level and mid-level anomalies” did he finally put his heart at ease.

“I will put the Frigid Ruins Cauldron in Stargazer Hall… no, I’ll put it in your bedroom. For the time being, don’t go out randomly. Just stay in Xiacheng and focus on nurturing the pregnancy and your cultivation until the children are born safely!”

After the fright she had just experienced, Li Xuanling naturally had no objections. Hearing Xia Hong’s command-like tone, a faint blush rose on her cheeks. She nodded and replied in a voice barely above a whisper, “I understand.”

“Hanyue, take the Madam back to Stargazer Hall to rest.”

Hanyue, who had been waiting outside the hall, entered immediately upon hearing his call. She had clearly overheard the conversation inside. Upon entering, she walked over and respectfully supported Li Xuanling, leading her around the main hall towards Stargazer Hall at the rear.

Xia Hong sat alone in the great hall, staring at the Frigid Ruins Cauldron with a deep frown.

The White Dew Aberration was dealt with, but it didn’t feel entirely resolved.

At the very least, he wouldn’t dare to be the slightest bit careless until the two children were born safely. He would have to constantly monitor the situation in Li Xuanling’s womb.

“Cultivation. The higher her cultivation, the stronger she will be, and the more protection she can offer the fetuses. Before the children are born, I must find a way to raise her cultivation level as much as possible! Let her break through first. Twenty-seven Mane, mid-Frostwarden realm. She’s only five Mane away from the late stage, and thirty-seven Mane from the peak.”

Li Xuanling’s aptitude was even greater than her father, Li Tianhua’s. She possessed a base strength of eight and a half Mane upon breaking through to the Frostwarden realm. Based on the cultivation progress of the Frostwarden realm, she would need to increase her base strength to at least thirty-four Mane for the second blood and flesh reconstruction, and sixty-eight Mane for the third.

“The idea of using the White Dew Aberration to solve the Hanping Jade Dew shortage has fallen through. For now, I can only rely on those two Frost Apple Trees in Longshan. The two trees produce about two hundred eighty drops of jade dew a year combined. Even if all of it is used to refine Yang Core Pills, it will only yield around two thousand six hundred pills at most. That’s not nearly enough!”

Two thousand six hundred Yang Core Pills sounded like a lot, but considering that Great Xia now had over two hundred people in the Frostwarden realm, it was completely insufficient.

Moreover, that number was not static.

Disregarding others, just the Cloud Serpent Army and the Dragon Martial Army had two thousand members at the Earthforger limit. Judging by the situation in the past two months, if the slots at the Martial Arts Academy were completely opened up, someone could break through every single day. The growth rate of Frostwarden realm cultivators would be astonishingly fast.

“I’ll have to rely on the hunting teams to put in more effort. If they explore a little deeper into the three resource areas—Redwood Ridge, Arrow Bamboo Forest, and Longshan—they might just find a few more Frost Apple Trees. That would solve the Yang Core Pill deficit.”

With a thought, Xia Hong called up the system interface:

【Camp: Great Xia (Level 0)】

【Lord: Xia Hong】

【Cultivation: late-Frostwarden realm (Forty-eight Mane)】

【Territory Population: 419,782】

【Resources: Wood 127,240,000, Coal 77,620,000, Iron 9,210,000, Silver 210, Gold 0】

【Unlocked Buildings (7): Frigid Ruins Cauldron (Level 4), Martial Arts Hall (Level 3), Alchemy Workshop (Level 3), Weaponry Workshop (Level 3), Blackearth Wall (Level 2), Spirit Tablet (Level 3), Yellowearth Land (Level 1)】

【Locked Buildings (2): Small Wooden Table, Thick Iron Chain】

Looking at his cultivation level, Xia Hong sighed softly.

The higher the cultivation, the slower the progress.

His base strength was already at forty-five Mane when he dealt with the White Dew Aberration’s assassination attempt at the end of June. In the five months since, he had only increased it by three Mane.

“For the third round of blood and flesh reconstruction, to break through to the peak-Frostwarden realm, I still need another twenty-four Mane. At a rate of three Mane every five months, it will take at least three more years. And there’s no telling if the progress will slow down even further. To quickly break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, I must find another way!”

Although his cultivation progress was slow, the camp’s development was heartening.

【Territory Population: 419,782】

Seeing the change in the population number, Xia Hong’s eyes lit up.

He remembered the figure was just over four hundred ten thousand when the entire population of Longshan was integrated in October. It had been less than two months, and it was already approaching four hundred twenty thousand. As Great Xia’s total population base grew, its natural population growth rate was also surging.

“Except for silver and gold, the other three resources are in surplus. The camp has plenty in reserve that I haven’t converted. Unfortunately, they can only be spent on the Yellowearth Land and the Blackearth Wall. For now, I can’t make a move on those two silver mines in Longshan. The only option is to keep searching for others!”

Of the two silver mines in Longshan, one was occupied by a single Frost Wolf pack numbering over ten thousand, with hundreds of high-level members and a genuine Frost Wolf King. The other, though lacking a Beast King, was overrun by six different Frost Beast packs, with a total of over forty thousand beasts.

Neither was an easy target.

With Great Xia’s current strength, even with the Divine Contraption Crossbows, Xia Hong had no confidence he could take either mine without suffering heavy casualties.

Mining for silver was ultimately for the camp’s development. If too many people were sacrificed for it, it would be a case of mistaking the means for the end.

Therefore, before breaking through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, his only choice was to look for other silver mines.

Great Xia now possessed three major resource areas. As long as they took their time, finding a silver mine shouldn’t be too difficult.

“The total number of Earthforgers has surpassed forty thousand, and there are conservatively more than one thousand five hundred hunting teams. Although most of them are mid- and low-level squads, as the number of Frostwarden realm cultivators increases, the number of high-level squads will definitely skyrocket!”

With more high-level hunting teams, the camp’s exploration progress in the three resource areas would surely advance rapidly. Finding a silver vein that was easier to mine shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

“Silver, I have to solve the silver resource problem quickly. With silver, other buildings can continue to be upgraded, and there’s also…”

【Small Wooden Table, Unlock Conditions: Iron 10,000, Silver 3,000】

The requirements for unlocking the Small Wooden Table were simply too demanding.

This was why Xia Hong hadn’t paid it any mind for a long time.

Silver was converted to system resources at a rate of five catty to one point.

Three thousand points of silver resource meant fifteen thousand catty of silver.

It was embarrassing to admit, but the entire Longyou region couldn’t scrape together such a colossal sum.

If he couldn’t find a silver mine, his only option might be to trade with other camps.

But any camp with silver to spare was likely stronger than Great Xia at its current stage. If he rashly approached them for a trade, why would they agree?

Moreover, in an environment like the Ice Abyss, recklessly contacting camps stronger than your own often led to undesirable outcomes.

“I still have to try and find a solution within these three areas…”

Xia Hong turned to look at the map of Great Xia’s entire territory behind him. His gaze lingered on the three resource areas. After a moment of contemplation, he lifted the Frigid Ruins Cauldron and walked towards Stargazer Hall in the rear.

…

December 30th, the second year of Great Xia.

The end of the year was approaching. The only people who knew what had happened at Yangyuan Peak were the two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm cultivators and the nearly two thousand soldiers of the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Armies.

The vast majority of people in Xiacheng had no idea what had transpired.

They were immersed in the joy of the approaching new year.

“The Frigid Origin Festival, what kind of festival is that?”

“Go read the Xia Code of Rites and you’ll know. The Frigid Origin Festival is Great Xia’s annual traditional festival. It signifies the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new. It officially starts at midnight tonight, the last day of the year, and lasts until the fifteenth of the first month.”

“Fifteen days? Is there some kind of special celebration?”

“For these fifteen days, the valley’s lights will stay on day and night. Nobody has to go out to gather or hunt. We can all stay in Xiacheng and reunite with our families. And on the first night, the Lord hosts a grand banquet! The Logistics Department will bring out a ton of delicacies you’d normally never see, and everyone can eat and drink their fill.”

“Is it really that good?”

“Of course! Go ask someone from the Logistics Department if you don’t believe me.”

“Then I’ve got to go ask. I need to save some room for tonight!”

…

For most of the people who had just been integrated into Xiacheng, the new year was not a new concept.

Since Longyou had a system for counting years, it naturally had its own new year. However, they clearly didn’t place as much importance on it as Great Xia. Whether it was the people from Longshan or the other ten camps, none of them seemed to treat the year’s end as a significant day.

It wasn’t until they noticed the people of the Inner City all beaming with smiles that some couldn’t help but ask. And with that, news of the Frigid Origin Festival spread.

Most people are practical and down-to-earth. Telling them about the festival’s symbolic meaning was useless. But telling them there was a grand banquet tonight with free food and drink instantly piqued their interest, and everyone grew expectant.

…

“Director, will the Frigid Origin Festival be held as usual this year?”

While the people were filled with joy and anticipation, inside the Council Hall of the Main Building, Xia Chuan furrowed his brow at Qiu Peng’s question and remained silent for a long time.

He and Yuwen Tao had returned earlier in the day with over two hundred Frostwarden realm cultivators. The soldiers of the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Armies had to wait until evening and should have just set out from the Hive.

The moment he got back to Xiacheng, he had wanted to find Xia Hong to ask about the situation. But unless it was a matter of utmost urgency, no one was allowed to enter Stargazer Hall without Xia Hong’s decree—not even him, the Director.

So, since returning to Xiacheng, he hadn’t seen Xia Hong at all.

He was completely in the dark about the condition of his two nephews and could only wait anxiously in the Council Hall for Xia Hong to emerge.

Qiu Peng’s question now was obvious. Xia Hong was likely worried about the fetuses in Li Xuanling’s womb, and to hold a joyous celebration as they did last year would clearly be inappropriate.

“Forget it, let’s just keep it simple this year! It just so happens that the population has grown, so let’s…”

“No need to keep it simple. Xuan Ling is fine. From now on, the Frigid Origin Festival need only consider the consumption of the Logistics Department. There’s no need to consider my feelings. Hold it as usual every year!”

Before Xia Chuan could finish, he was interrupted by Xia Hong’s voice. He shot up from his chair and turned to look towards Stargazer Hall, his face alight with joy.

“The Madam is fine, and the two young lords are safe. That’s wonderful!”

Knowing that Xia Hong’s heirs were unharmed, Qiu Peng’s expression was also one of extreme excitement.

Chapter 333: The Longshan Faction Gathers, A Simplified Clan System

As everyone in Xiacheng was preparing to welcome the Frigid Origin Festival, a large group of people had gathered in a meeting hall on the second floor of the Main Building. They sat in silence on their chairs, their faces grim.

In the front row were Meng Ying, Jiang Ping, Yue Qian, Cheng Guang, Zhou Yuan, Sun Yan, and Song Kang—the seven great stalwarts of Longshan. In the middle sat Xu Shicheng, Zhang Jiuling, Yuan Shan, Yuan Ning, Lu Yushan, Wang Tao, Liu Chang, and the other fourteen Frostwarden realm warriors of their generation. And in the back were Cheng He, Meng Tian, and dozens of younger men.

Evidently, this was a meeting exclusively for the Longshan faction. Everyone present was a core member of the former Longshan camp.

The gazes of the crowd flickered toward the doorway from time to time, clearly waiting for someone.

“Hahahaha…”

Suddenly, an old man’s laughter came from the entrance. Li Tiancheng strode in from outside, an irrepressible smile on his face.

Everyone stood up. Seeing the look on Li Tiancheng’s face, the seven men in front, led by Meng Ying, immediately realized what had happened. The gravity on their faces vanished instantly, replaced by joy.

“Old Li, is Madam all right?”

“She must be fine. It must be a safe delivery for both mother and children, or Old Li wouldn’t be smiling so happily.”

“I knew it. The two Young Lords are blessed by heaven. Nothing would happen to them.”

“Wonderful, wonderful! As long as the two Young Lords are fine!”

…

Apparently, the crowd had gathered here to inquire about the condition of the children in Li Xuanling’s womb.

Li Tiancheng walked to the front of the group and nodded with a smile. “That Jade Dew Stone has been refined. Madam is well, and the mother and sons are safe.”

Looking at the old comrades from Longshan, Li Tiancheng’s expression grew somewhat complicated. He sighed softly and said, “You shouldn’t have gathered here. If the Lord finds out, it will be hard to avoid the suspicion of forming a faction for personal gain!”

Hearing this, the crowd froze for a moment. Then, glancing at the people around them, they immediately understood the reason behind Li Tiancheng’s words.

Meng Ying was clearly prepared for this. He declared loudly, “Old Li, you worry too much. We haven’t gathered here for any other reason than our concern for the safety of Madam and the two Young Lords. We just wanted to hear the news from you as soon as possible. Even if the Lord finds out, he won’t blame us.”

Song Kang, who was beside him, nodded in agreement. “The two Young Lords are the key to the camp’s succession. It is only right that we are concerned. What crime is there in that?”

Upon hearing Song Kang’s words, the expressions of the Longshan people became subtle. Then, realizing his point, they quickly nodded and chimed in.

“Exactly. The two Young Lords are, after all, the Lord’s eldest heirs. They are destined to take over Great Xia in the future. It’s only natural for us to be concerned!”

“Even if the Lord takes other women in the future, the two Young Lords’ status as the eldest heirs will remain. They are the key to Great Xia’s legacy, so of course, we must show more care.”

“Forgive my bluntness, but the Lord will eventually grow old. One of the two Young Lords will surely inherit the Lord’s position. By showing concern for them, we are showing concern for the future Lord. What crime is there in that?”

………………

Hearing their words, a flush of red crept up Li Tiancheng’s aged face, and a hint of excitement gleamed in his eyes.

Last night on Yangyuan Peak, the moment he learned that Li Xuanling was pregnant, the fear in his heart as a grandfather was probably no less than that of Xia Hong, the father.

He understood what the children in Li Xuanling’s womb signified far better than Meng Ying or Cheng Guang.

They were Xia Hong’s eldest heirs, his undisputed first-in-line successors, and would inevitably be the next Lord of Great Xia.

And this future Lord would have half of the Li family’s blood running through his veins.

This was the true reason why the old guard of Longshan had gathered here tonight.

From the moment Li Xuanyan and Li Xuandu left Longshan, the fall of the Li family was sealed. In the two months since arriving in Xiacheng, Li Tiancheng had tried to approach Li Hu several times, but his grandson’s hatred for the Li family was practically bone-deep. It was impossible to change his mind in the short term.

Under such circumstances, any hope of raising the Li family’s banner anew in Xiacheng and reuniting the old followers like Meng Ying and Cheng Guang was lost.

But now, the two children in Li Xuanling’s womb had given Li Tiancheng a new opportunity—a perfect chance to reunite the old members of Longshan within Great Xia.

It wasn’t that he loved forming factions, but human beings are social creatures, let alone in a place like Great Xia, whose population now exceeded four hundred thousand.

Since arriving in Xiacheng in October, Li Tiancheng had spent the past two months observing and had come to a realization: the internal factions within Great Xia were exceptionally numerous and complex.

First and foremost, the largest and most trusted by Xia Hong was the Redwood Ridge faction.

The Redwood Ridge faction was further divided into two smaller groups. One consisted of those who had followed Xia Hong from the very beginning at the earthen slope, represented by figures like Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Yue Feng, Xu Ning, Lin Kai, and Lu Yang—about fifty Frostwarden realm warriors in total. This faction was likely the most powerful at present, with their people in positions from the seven departments at the top, to the Frostwarden realm warriors in the middle, down to the various hunting teams.

The other subgroup was the old guard from Rogge Camp in the valley, represented by Luo Yuan, the three Zhao Long brothers, Cheng Feng, Bai Dongying, Bai Wuting, Tong Xinglong, and others. This group also had over forty Frostwarden realm members. With Luo Yuan as the Vice-Prefect of the Hunting Department, and Cheng Feng and Bai Dongying in charge of the Harvesting Department, their influence was considerable.

The two subgroups of the Redwood Ridge faction had over one hundred Frostwarden realm members combined, accounting for nearly half of the total in Great Xia. Furthermore, the two groups had a harmonious relationship and rarely had any conflicts, which was the main reason they were so trusted by Xia Hong and Xia Chuan.

Next was the Jing Valley faction.

Represented by Yuwen Tao, the Jing Valley faction included the Hong Guang brothers, Zhu Yuan, Meng Yi, and a total of over thirty Frostwarden realm members. Not only did they have Yuwen Tao as the Prefect of the Hunting Department, but also Zhu Yuan as the Prefect of the Civil Affairs Department. Controlling two of the seven departments, they were considered the second-largest power in Xiacheng, though they couldn’t compare to the entire Redwood Ridge faction.

Then there were the Wuyuan faction represented by Xiao Kangcheng, the Hive faction represented by Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo, and the Longbei faction represented by Hou Jing…

Of course, none of them would admit to being a faction, but on matters of the camp’s daily decisions and the distribution of important resources, it was undeniable that people from the same group would hold the same stance.

This was not forming cliques for selfish purposes; it was simply human nature.

At its peak, Longshan camp also had a population of over one hundred thousand, so Li Tiancheng saw these things very clearly. He knew it had nothing to do with Great Xia’s management system. Any camp, once it grew large enough, would inevitably face such issues.

That being the case, it was only natural for them, the old guard of Longshan, to stick together. It wasn’t to confront other groups, but primarily to protect their own interests from being infringed upon by others.

Previously, their only reason to band together was Li Xuanling’s position as the Lord’s wife, which wasn’t a very solid foundation.

In an environment like the Ice Abyss, a powerful Lord like Xia Hong would not have only one wife. As Great Xia expanded, he would surely have other women in the future. It was uncertain whether Li Xuanling could maintain her current status forever.

But with heirs—two of them, no less—the situation was completely different!

Li Tiancheng cleared his mind and looked around at everyone in the hall. He spoke in a deep voice, “It seems you all have the right idea. Great Xia does not have our Longshan’s system of eldest heir succession. The Xia Code of Rites only stipulates that heirs have the right to inherit, without mentioning any order of precedence. In a few days, I will make a proposal to the Lord. When that time comes, I hope all of you will also speak up. What say you?”

Hearing Li Tiancheng’s final request, the crowd responded one after another:

“Rest assured, Old Li. Eldest heir succession is only right and proper. We will certainly join you in petitioning the Lord.”

“The system of eldest heir succession was established by Old Leader Tianhua back then. It not only prevents fratricide but also stabilizes morale. It benefits both the individual and the camp. It is only right that we propose this to the Lord.”

“Indeed. We have no selfish intentions. Great Xia now has a population of over four hundred thousand, with countless families having multiple children. If the system of eldest heir succession can be established, it would be a great thing for everyone.”

………………

A smile appeared on Li Tiancheng’s face as he heard their words.

He said no more, only turning to look toward Stargazer Hall behind him.

………………

“I’m only in my twenties, and your Second Uncle is already leading these people to consider candidates for the next Lord. Isn’t that a bit rushed?”

In the living quarters directly behind Stargazer Hall, Li Xuanling sat by the Frigid Ruins Cauldron. Hearing Xia Hong’s teasing remark, her cheeks flushed slightly.

But she quickly regained her composure and argued, “Second Uncle and the others are just worried about me. If they were truly forming a faction for personal gain, they wouldn’t have chosen to gather in a place like the second floor of the Main Building.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t blame them!”

Seeing Li Xuanling’s nervousness, Xia Hong first reassured her.

Indeed, the Main Building was only about thirty meters from Stargazer Hall. For the Longshan group to gather on its second floor couldn’t really be considered secret plotting. Moreover, they hadn’t taken any precautions with their conversation, openly showing they weren’t afraid of him overhearing. That being the case, he couldn’t rightly blame them.

“The system of eldest heir succession. What do you think? Do you feel that Great Xia should follow Longshan’s example and establish this system?”

At Xia Hong’s question, Li Xuanling’s expression instantly became delicate.

Her first reaction was clearly to agree, but she probably felt that would make her seem too selfish, so she held her tongue.

After a moment’s thought, she said, “What Meng Ying and the others said isn’t wrong. The system of eldest heir succession is indeed greatly beneficial for maintaining stability. This is especially true for those with higher status and more resources. Such people often have more than one child. Without a system of eldest heir succession, many tragedies of fratricide would occur. Longshan learned this lesson in the past.”

“So your Big Brother, despite his lack of ability and wits, still inherited your father’s position as Leader?”

Li Xuanling’s face froze at Xia Hong’s jest.

The matter of Li Xuanyan was a classic example of the negative consequences of the system of eldest heir succession.

Any discerning person could see that Li Xuanyan was not only inferior to Li Xuanling, but also clearly weaker than Li Xuantian and Li Xuandu. Yet, because he held the title of the eldest son, Li Xuanyan ultimately took the position of Leader.

The subsequent developments were just as expected. At the alliance meeting in April, Li Xuanyan’s indecisiveness was a clear sign that he was unworthy of his position. If anyone else had been in charge at the time, the outcome would likely have been completely different from today’s.

Li Xuanling was speechless because her own actions were a clear rejection of that system. After all, she was the one who personally pulled Li Xuanyan down from the Leader’s seat.

How could she have the nerve to say she supported the system now?

But after a moment’s hesitation, Li Xuanling still looked at Xia Hong and spoke:

“My brother’s case was just an exception…”

She paused, then looked straight into Xia Hong’s eyes and continued, “Besides, you should trust me, and trust yourself. The children we have together are destined not to be mediocre.”

At the end of the day, she was a mother. For her sons’ futures, Li Xuanling was willing to swallow her pride.

Xia Hong raised an eyebrow at her words but said nothing.

Longshan’s system of eldest heir succession was, in fact, a simplified version of the Zongfa system.

Because Longshan had no concept of distinguishing between heirs from primary and secondary wives, they had created the system of eldest heir succession. Its core principle was that the oldest child had the right to distribute all of the father’s inheritance. To put it bluntly, the eldest son inherited everything.

A conscientious heir, or one on good terms with his younger siblings, would naturally share a portion of the inheritance with them. But if he was unscrupulous or had a poor relationship with his siblings, then there was nothing to be done.

Whether the Zongfa system was necessary at this point was truly hard to say.

With Great Xia’s population growing, the emergence of a nobility was already inevitable.

Xia Hong’s establishment of the nine-rank nobility system was a tacit acknowledgment of the existence of a noble class, while also providing a path for everyone to be ennobled.

These noble statuses would rise through the ranks in the future, and eventually, a point would be reached where no more titles could be conferred. At that time, establishing hereditary titles would also be unavoidable.

If that was the case, then establishing a Zongfa system seemed necessary!

Xia Hong turned his head to look in the direction of the Main Building, a strange expression on his face.

Li Tiancheng and his group were now scheming to influence him.

Their desire to establish this system of eldest heir succession was, plainly speaking, for the sake of the children in Li Xuanling’s womb. This was a problem Xia Hong had no intention of solving any time soon.

He was only twenty-two years old. A Frostwarden realm expert had a lifespan of over a hundred years, not to mention he would break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm. And with the camp system, his future cultivation limit was certainly very high, and his lifespan would continue to increase.

Did he even need to consider the problem of a successor yet?

Xia Hong shook his head and said to Li Xuanling, “Tell your Second Uncle and the others to drop their devious ideas. I admit that Longshan’s system of eldest heir succession is useful, but Great Xia doesn’t need it at this stage. Tell your Second Uncle not to bring it up with me. When the time comes for such a system, it will appear naturally.”

Li Xuanling’s expression instantly froze. She had obviously thought of something unpleasant, and her expression gradually turned to one of anger as she looked at Xia Hong.

“Don’t let your imagination run wild. Weren’t you very confident just now? You said your children are destined not to be mediocre. With the support of you, your Second Uncle, and that whole group, it should be fine even if I don’t establish this system, right?”

Li Xuanling bit her lip and said nothing, clearly still displeased with Xia Hong’s words.

“Then you had better not go philander—”

Dong…

A great drumbeat suddenly resonated from above Stargazer Hall, cutting off Li Xuanling’s words.

The sound of the drum was earth-shaking. Not just Stargazer Hall, but the entire valley where Xiacheng was located, both inside and out, seemed to tremble with it.

Dong… Dong… Dong… Dong…

Eight more drumbeats followed in succession.

“The Frigid Origin Festival is here. Come on, let’s go to the Council Hall.”

Li Xuanling was already dressed in her finest attire. She seemed resentful that she hadn’t finished her sentence, but seeing that Xia Hong was already heading out, she could only grit her teeth and follow.

Chapter 334: Zhu Shun and Huang Tianxi, The Year Three Frigid Origin Banquet, Xia Yuzong

On the Inner City’s main road, Zhu Shun was leading his wife, Huang Yuniang, and their three children, Zhu Shen, Zhu Wen, and Zhu Wen, toward the Main Building.

Zhu Shun was dressed in a magnificent crimson Dark-Feather robe, and his wife and three children were also clearly dressed for the occasion. The family of five was exceptionally conspicuous as they walked down the main road. Many passersby recognized them and greeted them one after another.

“Lord Zhu, Madam, a peaceful Frigid Origin to you!”

“You’re too kind, Brother Meng. A peaceful Frigid Origin to you as well.”

“Captain Zhu, a peaceful Frigid Origin! Are these your wife and three young masters?”

“Indeed. A peaceful Frigid Origin, a peaceful Frigid Origin to you!”

“Lord Zhu, dressed like this, you must be heading to the Council Hall for the banquet, yes?”

“Hahaha, I just received a notice from the Logistics Department. Tonight, all who have been ennobled may ascend to the Council Hall to celebrate the Frigid Origin Festival with the Lord.”

“Lord Zhu, Madam, you’re in for a feast tonight.”

“Hahaha!”

…

Zhu Shun politely responded to the greetings from the pedestrians, while his wife behind him was radiant. She was clearly deeply satisfied with her husband’s current status in Great Xia. Their three children also wore proud expressions, occasionally looking up at their father’s back, their admiration and respect for him plain to see.

Huang Yuniang glanced at the lanterns lining both sides of the street, her grip tightening slightly on her silk sleeves, afraid that this was all a dream from which she might suddenly awaken.

She thought back to three years ago when her husband, Zhu Shun, was just an ordinary Lumberjack realm warrior in the Huang Zhao camp. Back then, forget about cultivation—their family couldn’t even guarantee two meals a day. They lived a life where they barely had enough food to eat, clothes to wear, or a safe place to sleep.

But ever since the Huang Zhao camp was annexed by Great Xia, from the moment her husband, Zhu Shun, was chosen as one of the first members of the hunting teams, their family’s quality of life began to skyrocket like a rocket launching into space.

They had more food than they could eat, more cotton clothes than they could wear, and an increasingly spacious and comfortable home. They had all sorts of exquisite furniture and utensils. Forget the three children; even she, a humble woman, could eat her fill of beast meat to cultivate. It was a complete, earth-shattering transformation in every aspect of their lives: clothing, food, and shelter.

Scarcity of food, lack of clothing, and restless nights were all things of the past. Now, their pursuit was how to eat better, dress more beautifully, and sleep more soundly.

If these changes were merely improvements on a material level, then the moment her husband was enfeoffed by the Lord as a ninth-rank Dark-Feather Viscount two months ago, on the first day of the tenth month, it brought satisfaction on both material and spiritual levels.

Only two eighth-rank and twenty-seven ninth-rank titles were conferred in the entire camp, and her husband, Zhu Shun, was one of them.

At first, she hadn’t realized the full significance of this event.

But later, when the Logistics Department delivered the ceremonial robe of a ninth-rank Dark-Feather Madam, along with two maids and five attendants, and her husband Zhu Shun’s noble’s stipend, the reality slowly began to dawn on her.

And now, with her husband bearing the title of “Lord,” wherever she went, people had to respectfully address her as “Madam.” Even her three children, like the heirs of the camps in Longyou of old, had gained the title of “Young Lord.”

Compared to the material comforts from before, the psychological satisfaction brought by this elevation in status was particularly intense.

That was why Huang Yuniang often felt as if she were in a dream, terrified that one day she would wake up and find herself back in that sunless cave under the cliff face.

“Father, why did you stop walking?”

Huang Yuniang’s thoughts were interrupted by her eldest son Zhu Shen’s voice. She looked up and realized that her husband beside her had suddenly stopped.

“You all go into the first floor of the Main Building and wait for me. I’m going to see your aunt!”

Hearing Zhu Shun’s words, Huang Yuniang turned her head and her expression froze.

She realized they had already reached the vicinity of the Main Building, right at the entrance of Residence Number Seven.

The owner of Residence Number Seven was Huang Yong, the former leader of the Huang Zhao camp, who had died heroically half a year ago in the defense of the Hive.

Huang Yong was not just her husband Zhu Shun’s old leader; he was also Zhu Shun’s brother-in-law. His wife, Zhu Mei, was Zhu Shun’s only sister.

When the Hunting Department was established, the Zhaolong Squad was founded by Huang Yong and Zhu Shun together, with Huang Yong as the leader. Now that Huang Yong had fallen in battle, the position of captain of the Zhaolong Squad had naturally and rightfully passed to Zhu Shun. This was why someone on the street had just addressed Zhu Shun as “Captain.”

“Dad, we want to see Auntie too.”

“Auntie likes me the most. I want to see her too.”

“That’s enough. Let your father go alone. Everyone, come with me to the Main Building. Let’s go!”

Hearing her young son Zhu Yun and young daughter Zhu Wen clamoring to go as well, Huang Yuniang immediately reprimanded them. She took their small hands and led them and her eldest son Zhu Shen quickly towards the Main Building.

Huang Yong had been dead for half a year, and the Huang family was now just the widow Zhu Mei and the orphan Huang Tianxi. She was worried that seeing her large family would upset Zhu Mei, so she and her husband had always been careful to visit Zhu Mei separately. Naturally, they wouldn’t bring their three children to her door at this moment.

Zhu Shun remained behind alone, looking at the firelight within the residence. He sighed softly before walking up and gently knocking on the door.

“Who is it?”

After a few knocks, a slightly childish voice, sounding about eight or nine years old, came from inside. The child seemed to be busy with something, as his voice was a little breathless.

“Tianxi, it’s me.”

“Uncle, it’s Uncle! I’ll get the door! Mom, Uncle is here!”

Hearing his nephew’s excited voice running towards the door, Zhu Shun couldn’t help but break into a happy smile.

Whoosh…

The door opened, and a small fist suddenly shot out from within, aiming straight for Zhu Shun’s chest.

Zhu Shun raised an eyebrow. Instead of blocking it, he slightly relaxed his pores to lower his hide’s defense, then smilingly received the blow with his chest.

Thwack…

Naturally, such an ordinary punch couldn’t harm Zhu Shun at all.

However, after taking the punch, Zhu Shun’s expression instantly froze. He looked down at his nephew, Huang Tianxi, who wasn’t even nine years old yet, his face filled with shock.

“Eight thousand nine hundred catties. Good lad!”

Huang Tianxi was bare-chested, wearing only a pair of cotton trousers. He had clearly been cultivating. Seeing the shock on his uncle Zhu Shun’s face, a hint of pride appeared on his own. He chuckled and said, “I told you Uncle would be shocked when he came this time.”

At this moment, Zhu Shun was more than shocked. He knew exactly what a base strength of 8,900 catties meant for a boy not yet nine years old.

The current record at the Martial Arts Academy for breaking through to the Earthforger realm was ten years and one month. According to Prefect Qiu, breaking the ten-year-old record seemed very difficult, and there were only a few promising candidates in the entire camp.

If he remembered correctly, Huang Tianxi was still four months away from his ninth birthday. This meant his nephew had a full sixteen months to break the record.

It was practically a sure thing!

So, those few promising candidates Prefect Qiu mentioned included his own nephew.

“Good lad, how have you been cultivating to progress so quickly?”

“Above, I rely on the Lord’s grace; below, on my father’s legacy. Before I break through to the Earthforger realm, I not only have the privilege of training in the Martial Arts Academy for three days each month, but I can also receive three Beast Spirit Pills from the Logistics Department. I don’t have to perform corvée labor, so I can focus solely on cultivation. It’s only natural that I have this speed.”

Huang Tianxi’s expression had already returned to normal. Though young, he could switch his demeanor with ease. When he mentioned the Lord and his father, his face was full of solemnity, a stark contrast to his earlier impulsiveness. It made Zhu Shun, his uncle, feel a little unaccustomed.

However, after hearing his nephew’s words, Zhu Shun thought for a moment and still shook his head. “Those are all external aids. Your own talent and diligence are the most important things. Your eldest cousin, Zhu Shen—I can send him to the Martial Arts Academy three times a month, and I’ve exchanged plenty of Beast Spirit Pills, beast meat, and refined salt for him from the Logistics Department. Didn’t he only break through to the Earthforger realm last month? Compared to you, he’s far behind!”

Zhu Shun wasn’t saying this just to comfort his nephew.

His eldest son, Zhu Shen, was fourteen and had just broken through to the Earthforger realm. His second son, Zhu Yun, was twelve, and his base strength was only 7,800 catties. His youngest daughter, Zhu Wen, had just turned six, so her potential was still unclear.

Among their peers in Xiacheng, his three children were indeed considered quite good, but they clearly fell short when compared to the top tier.

His nephew, Huang Tianxi’s, talent was obviously on par with the very best.

Huang Yong had a worthy successor!

“Big Brother, what brings you here?”

As Zhu Shun was marveling, his sister Zhu Mei had already walked out from the inner rooms.

Seeing that Zhu Mei was also wearing the ceremonial robe of a ninth-rank madam, Zhu Shun was momentarily stunned. Then, he reacted, his face filled with pleasant surprise as he asked, “Did you also receive the notice from the Logistics Department?”

“Xi’er, we need to head to the Main Building for the banquet soon. I’ve already prepared your clothes. Go and get changed quickly.”

“I know, I’m going now.”

Zhu Mei first gestured for her son to go change, then smiled and nodded at Zhu Shun. “I received it. Prefect Qiu sent someone to notify me. He said that anyone with a rank can bring their family to the banquet.”

Upon getting Zhu Mei’s confirmation, Zhu Shun’s face lit up with joy.

Huang Yong’s title of ninth-rank Dark-Feather Viscount was posthumous. After all, he was gone. Strictly speaking, the Huang family held no title of nobility, only Zhu Mei’s ceremonial rank as a ninth-rank madam. It would have been normal for the Logistics Department to overlook her, but who would have thought that Qiu Peng would be so considerate as to invite her.

That a widow and her orphan son could receive such consideration undoubtedly deepened Zhu Shun’s loyalty to Great Xia. Although he was at the Frostwarden realm, his work often required him to risk his life outside. Who could guarantee that he wouldn’t end up like Huang Yong one day?

Knowing now that even if he were to die in battle, his family would still be cared for and attended to by the camp, he naturally felt much more at ease.

Seeing that it would take a while for his nephew to change, Zhu Shun fell silent for a moment before lowering his voice. “Ah Yong’s legacy and pension are substantial, but you and your son still have a long life ahead. The Logistics Department just stipulated that the noble’s stipend can only be collected for three years after death. The six-month mourning period is almost over. My previous suggestion, you…”

“Big Brother, don’t bring this up again!”

Zhu Mei’s face instantly darkened, and she cut Zhu Shun off before he could finish.

Zhu Shun’s expression froze for a moment before anger rose in his face. He continued, “The Lord made it very clear in the Xia Code of Rites that one can remarry as soon as the mourning period is over. This is clearly aimed at situations like yours. You’re only twenty-nine this year. Do you really plan to live the rest of your life alone?

“Even if you can’t forget Ah Yong for a while, you should at least give me an attitude. Within three years, or five years, that’s fine. Otherwise, how can I rest easy?”

A stubborn look filled Zhu Mei’s face. Her lips trembled slightly, as if shaken by Zhu Shun’s anger. She lowered her head and remained silent.

Seeing his sister’s state, Zhu Shun’s heart softened. He sighed heavily, lowered his tone, and said gently, “I can help you for a while, but you have a long life ahead of you. I’m often away from home. Who knows if one day I might meet the same end as Ah Yong? If you never remarry, I’m afraid I won’t be able to close my eyes in peace when my day comes.”

“Big Brother, don’t say that. I…”

Hearing Zhu Shun’s words, Zhu Mei burst into tears.

Their parents had passed away when Zhu Mei was only six. She was essentially raised by her brother, Zhu Shun. They had depended on each other for so many years; how could she not know how much her brother cared for her?

In the six months since her husband’s death, her brother and sister-in-law had taken turns bringing things to her home every few days. Although she had refused countless times, they would still bring things over without fail a few days later.

Zhu Mei knew in her heart that Zhu Shun was urging her to remarry for her own good, but she just couldn’t get over the hurdle in her heart.

“Listen to me, find another…”

Seeing Zhu Mei’s expression soften, Zhu Shun thought he had persuaded her and quickly pressed on, but before he could finish, Zhu Mei interrupted him again.

“Big Brother, you don’t need to say any more. I can listen to you in all other matters, but not this one. I will not remarry. From now on, I will raise Tianxi to be a man. I want to see him marry and have children, to see him accumulate military merit and smoothly inherit Ah Yong’s ninth-rank Dark-Feather title. I won’t consider anything else. Things will definitely get better.”

“What about your life, just the two of you? Ah Yong’s pension and his legacy are certainly enough to support your daily lives, but not enough to support Tianxi’s cultivation. He is very talented and is about to break through to the Earthforger realm. His need for beast meat will be even greater. Beast Origin Pills, refined salt, and the Beast Blood he will need when he reaches the Earthforger limit in the future—these things will crush you…”

Hearing this, Zhu Mei bit her lip and said, “It’s a good thing you’re here, Big Brother. I was planning to tell you tonight. My base strength is also twenty thousand catties. I can join a hunting team. I want to join the Zhaolong Squad.”

“You…”

Zhu Shun was so angry at Zhu Mei’s words that he was momentarily speechless.

The way of life in Great Xia had developed to a point where men generally worked outside while women managed the household. Women who worked outside mostly took on less dangerous jobs like gathering or mining. There were women hunters, of course, but they were usually unmarried or had husbands who were not capable.

Let alone people with titles of nobility, any capable man would solve the corvée labor issue for his family, even if it meant buying a few captives. Who would be willing to let their wife go out and fight Frost Beasts to the death?

“Sigh… forget it, forget it. I can’t persuade you. Since you insist, I won’t say any more. From now on, you’ll have to bear your own hardships!”

Zhu Shun was silent for a long time before finally letting out a heavy sigh, saying no more.

As her big brother, how could he not know his sister’s temper? His tireless persuasion over the past six months had ultimately been for naught.

From now on, he could only help her more from the side. Fortunately, his nephew’s talent was indeed excellent. As long as he progressed step by step, inheriting the title shouldn’t be a big problem.

“The Lord has decreed that if one is to be ennobled for other merits, they must achieve at least one-third of the military merit required for the corresponding title. That’s killing 166 enemies on the battlefield. Tianxi’s talent is good. As long as he can go to the battlefield, I will risk my life to help him inherit Ah Yong’s title!”

“Big Brother…”

Hearing Zhu Shun’s solemn promise, Zhu Mei’s tears burst forth like a dam breaking. She was clearly moved to the extreme.

“Tianxi is coming. Wipe your face!”

Zhu Shun said nothing more. Noticing that Huang Tianxi was already coming downstairs, he quickly reminded his sister to wipe her face so that her son wouldn’t see anything amiss.

“Mom, I’ve changed. Let’s go!”

Although Huang Tianxi was not yet nine, he was already 1.5 meters tall. He wore a bright yellow cotton shirt with a dark blue beast-fleece jacket over it for warmth. As he was under fifteen, he didn’t wear a hair crown; his black hair was tied back with a cotton thread, making him look clean and sharp. He seemed to know the importance of tonight’s banquet, as his expression was quite serious. Paired with his sturdy frame, he looked like a miniature adult.

“Alright, let’s go together. Yuniang and the others are waiting for me on the first floor. Let’s find them first, then head to the Council Hall for the banquet.”

Huang Tianxi had clearly noticed the tear stains on his mother Zhu Mei’s face. He seemed to understand the reason. Seeing his mother deliberately turn her face away, he very sensibly pretended not to have seen anything. He even deliberately changed the subject, asking Zhu Shun, “Uncle, I heard that at the banquet in the Council Hall tonight, the Lord, Director Xia Chuan, and all the Prefects of the Six Departments will be there. Is that true?”

“Of course. Not just them. Lord Yuwen, Lord Yuan, Lord Qiu… the ones you kids always talk about will all be there. You’ll get to see them all at once tonight.”

“That’s great, haha!”

Seeing the excitement on his nephew’s face, Zhu Shun shook his head slightly.

Xiacheng’s population had now exceeded four hundred thousand. For young children like Huang Tianxi, let alone the Lord Xia Hong, even the Prefects of the Six Departments were figures they rarely saw. It wasn’t strange for them to react this way.

Zhu Shun led the mother and son to the Main Building. As soon as they entered the first floor, they were instantly dumbfounded.

The first floor of the Main Building was now filled with tables, already a sea of people. A rough glance suggested there were at least twenty thousand people.

“Stay close to me, don’t get lost. Why are there so many people?”

Zhu Shun gestured for the mother and son to stay close, then began searching for Huang Yuniang and their four children in the crowd.

While looking for his wife and children, he briefly observed the guests gathered on the first floor and immediately understood.

“They’re all at the Earthforger realm, and they all have a murderous aura about them. They must be members of the hunting teams. But they seem to be from low-level hunting teams. In that case, the second floor should be…”

“Lord Zhu, are you looking for your wife and children? They have already been guided to the Council Hall on the top floor. You should head up quickly as well. The banquet is about to start.”

A staff member from the Logistics Department in charge of the Frigid Origin banquet spotted Zhu Shun’s group of three and hurried over, gesturing for them to take the central suspended staircase upstairs.

“Thank you. Mei-niang, Tianxi, let’s go up!”

Zhu Shun led the two to the central staircase. Under the envious gazes of the surrounding crowd, they quickly ascended towards the top floor.

Huang Tianxi was clearly swept up in the fervent atmosphere. His face was flushed as he quickly followed his uncle and mother into the grand hall.

The massive golden load-bearing pillars within the palace; the imposing circular golden dome above; the beast bone sculptures of various forms and exquisite craftsmanship on both sides; the rich aroma of wine wafting through the hall; the various fruits and delicacies, many of which he had never seen before, piled on the tables; the Sacred Cauldron in the center of the hall, blazing with fierce flames…

And, of course, on the high platform at the innermost part of the hall, the two golden chairs that symbolized the pinnacle of power in Great Xia.

Entering the great hall for the first time, Huang Tianxi was completely awestruck by the multitude of things he had never seen before.

“Dad, we’re over here.”

“Aunt Mei is here too! Auntie, come here, we’re over here.”

“Let’s go!”

It wasn’t until his uncle spoke that Huang Tianxi came back to his senses. He quickly followed his mother over to the table where his aunt and cousins were sitting.

There were only twenty-nine tables in the hall, clearly corresponding to the twenty-nine ennobled individuals in Great Xia. The number of chairs at each table varied, apparently tailored to the specific number of people in each family.

Zhu Mei and her son’s seats were right next to Zhu Shun’s family. Zhu Shen immediately leaned over to whisper to his cousin Huang Tianxi.

“Tianxi, what do you think? Blown away, right?”

Huang Tianxi nodded without replying, his eyes continuing to scan the room.

“Look at the beast bone sculptures over there. I heard they’re all made from the bones of mid-grade Frost Beasts. And the eyes of the two Soaring Serpents on the Lord’s armrests are made from high-grade beast bones. These support pillars are all made of Ten-forged pure iron. And look at the beast meat and dishes on the table…”

Zhu Shen, having arrived earlier, had clearly already gathered a lot of information and was now excitedly explaining the various items in the hall to Huang Tianxi.

Huang Tianxi’s gaze, however, had long since drifted to the tables at the front of the hall. He spotted Director Xia Chuan and his two wives at a glance; then the solitary Prefect of the Hunting Department, Yuwen Tao; then the Prefect of the Garrison Department, Yuan Cheng, with his wife and child; the family of the Prefect of the Logistics Department, Qiu Peng…

All these great figures, usually so hard to catch a glimpse of, were present.

Although the food and wine were all served, no one touched their chopsticks. They were merely chatting idly, and the volume in the hall was not loud. Everyone was clearly waiting for something.

Huang Tianxi naturally knew what they were waiting for. He turned to look at the golden chairs on the high platform, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Dong, dong, dong…

The midnight drums finally sounded. Everyone in the hall, over a hundred people, except for the infants held in arms, regardless of age or gender, all rose to their feet, facing the direction of the golden chairs in unison.

“On the Frigrid Origin Festival of the third year of Great Xia, by the Lord’s decree: The first day of the first month, the auspicious hour has arrived. At the dawn of the new day, close the city gates, light the grain lamps, and let the Frigid Origin Banquet begin! May all people receive this edict and celebrate together under heaven!”

Above the valley, Yue Feng’s powerful voice instantly spread throughout the Inner and Outer Cities.

Boom… Boom… Boom…

Above the cliffs of Great Xia, tens of thousands of houses in both the Inner and Outer Cities simultaneously lit their bonfires.

K-k-k-k…

Inside the Council Hall, the sound of chains sliding was suddenly heard. The golden dome above split open from the middle, and the flames of the Sacred Cauldron surged upward, bursting through the dome and illuminating the entire Council Hall with brilliant light.

“Well now, everyone has come with their wives and children this year. A very good turnout!”

Startled, the crowd heard Xia Hong’s voice. They looked up to see him and Li Xuanling slowly walking out from behind the high platform with smiles on their faces. Everyone respectfully bowed their heads and paid homage to those above:

“We pay our respects to the Lord and to the Madam!”

Unlike the respectful adults, the children were more curious, and their sense of hierarchy and deference was not yet strong. So, while they spoke the words of greeting, their eyes were secretly peeking at Xia Hong and Li Xuanling on the high platform.

“The Madam’s dress is so magical! It’s clearly white, but how did it turn red when the light hit it?”

“The Lord’s clothes are beautiful too. Black silk, and the gold thread on it seems to glow with a white light. It looks like it was woven from Snow Bamboo Silk soaked in golden palm oil.”

“The Madam is so beautiful. You can’t find anyone in Xiacheng prettier than her. No wonder. Only someone so beautiful is worthy of the Lord!”

…

Xia Hong naturally noticed the children’s gazes. A mischievous thought arose in his heart. After sitting in the main seat, he suddenly looked up and met the eyes of the children who were peeking at him from the crowd.

The children were instantly frightened and lowered their heads, Huang Tianxi among them.

Beside him, Li Xuanling, who was clearly seeing this childish side of Xia Hong for the first time, had a somewhat strange expression.

“No need for formalities. Be at ease. Rise and be seated!”

Smack…

After rising, many adults immediately started disciplining their own brats.

They were obviously aware that their children had been sneaking glances at the Lord.

“Hahaha, everyone sit down!”

Seeing many of the children pouting after being scolded, Xia Hong couldn’t help but laugh out loud. After gesturing for everyone to be seated, his expression turned slightly more serious.

“According to the old rules from previous years, I should have you report on the various changes in Great Xia over the past year and the situations in your six departments. But times have changed. Great Xia now has a large population, and the number of people and matters you manage has multiplied several times over. If I ask you to report one by one, I’m afraid we won’t be able to start the banquet tonight. It doesn’t matter if the adults go hungry for a bit, but if the children starve, they’ll blame me, the Lord, for being a poor host!”

“Hahahaha…”

Xia Hong’s joke made everyone laugh.

The straightforward Yuan Cheng held up his son, who was less than a year old, and laughed heartily, “It’s fine, it’s fine, Lord! If my Shao’er dares to blame you, I’ll spank him!”

“Yuan Cheng, your boy can’t even talk yet. Who could he blame?”

“Heh, don’t you believe it. My son may be young, but he’s got a temper! Last time the Director came to hold him, the little rascal dared to pee on him!”

“Hahahahaha…”

The banter between Qiu Peng and Yuan Cheng made the atmosphere in the hall even more joyful.

Xia Hong looked at the infant in Yuan Cheng’s arms, a faint smile in his eyes.

He was the one who had helped Yuan Cheng choose the imposing name Yuan Shao.

“Alright, let’s keep it simple this year. Xia Chuan can give a brief overview!”

As soon as Xia Hong spoke, everyone quieted down.

Xia Chuan nodded, rose, and faced the crowd, speaking in a slow voice:

“I won’t elaborate on the growth of Great Xia’s territory. Everyone present today is a meritorious contributor to the unification of Longyou, and you all know the situation well. I will focus on the camp’s current population, cultivation levels, and the general state of the seven departments. Then, Prefect Yuwen can speak separately about the hunting teams, how does that sound?”

Beside him, Yuwen Tao immediately nodded in agreement.

“As of the first day of the first month, the total population of our Great Xia has officially surpassed four hundred and twenty thousand, with a total of 87,241 registered households. Among them are 225 at the Frostwarden realm, a total of 46,921 at the Earthforger realm, including 2,623 at the Earthforger limit, and a total of 168,251 at the Lumberjack realm. Furthermore, the latter two figures are increasing by a three-digit number every day.

“Additionally, the seven departments have established subordinate agencies in seven locations: the four districts of the Outer City, Longshan, Wuyuan, and Hanqiong. The seven bureaus in the four districts of the Outer City are already operational. For the other three outposts, all personnel will depart to take up their posts immediately after the Frigid Origin Festival. By then, the rule of our Great Xia will radiate to all corners of our domain.”

Wow…

Just as the crowd let out gasps of amazement, Yuwen Tao had already stood up to continue.

“The Hunting Department currently commands a total of 11 high-level hunting teams: Cloud Serpent, Dragon Martial, Dragon Slaying, Tiger Leopard, Longyuan, Falcon, Steel Mane, Xuanwu, Northern Zhao, Xiongwu, and Shenwu. There are also 521 intermediate hunting teams and 1,262 low-level hunting teams.”

…

The entire hall instantly fell silent. Not just the adults, but even the children were caught in a deathly quiet. It was clear that even they understood how astonishing these numbers were.

Only Xia Hong’s face showed no surprise. He was already aware of the population, cultivation levels, and the state of the hunting teams.

Originally, Great Xia only had two high-level hunting teams, Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial. But the great Frost Beast battle at Yanglu had directly given rise to nine more.

From the names, it was clear that Longyuan was the hunting squad founded by Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling, while Northern Zhao was founded by Hou Jing. With a foundation of Frostwarden realm warriors, these two squads naturally advanced much faster than the others.

With so many Frostwarden realm experts coming over from the unification of Longyou, it wasn’t just Li Tiancheng and Hou Jing. Many others had also founded new hunting teams. Xia Hong expected that many more high-level squads would emerge in the future.

“Excellent. You may be seated! The progress this year has indeed been great.”

Xia Hong motioned for the two to sit down, first offering a word of praise. Then, looking at the silent crowd, he smiled and continued, “Before we begin the banquet tonight, I have one more appointment to announce. The Prefect of the newly established seventh department, the Department of Justice, will be Li Tiancheng!”

Only those with noble titles could attend the banquet in the Council Hall tonight, so Li Tiancheng was not present. Hearing this appointment, the adults in attendance all nodded slightly, then glanced nonchalantly at Madam Li Xuanling, who was sitting beside Xia Hong.

“It seems the Longshan faction is set to rise!”

The expressions on the faces of Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Xiao Kangcheng, Zhu Shun, and the other Frostwarden realm experts were all clearly a bit subtle.

Sitting beside Xia Hong, Li Xuanling was stunned at first upon hearing the appointment, clearly unaware of it beforehand.

She then turned to look at Xia Hong, her expression a mixture of pleasant surprise and complexity.

Appointing her Second Uncle as a Prefect, and one in charge of Great Xia’s law and punishment at that, could be considered proof that Xia Hong had completely accepted her as his wife, and by extension, the Longshan faction.

This could be considered… rising in status through her child, couldn’t it…

“Alright, Xia Chuan will notify Li Tiancheng of his appointment after the banquet. We can now begin the feast. Everyone, at the start of the new year, I wish you a peaceful Frigid Origin!”

Xia Hong suddenly laughed heartily and raised his wine cup to the crowd.

Everyone in the hall, regardless of age or gender, quickly raised their own cups. Of course, only a minority were drinking wine; most had cups filled with fruit juice.

They stood up simultaneously, raised their cups high towards Xia Hong, and shouted in unison: “Long live the Leader! Long live the Madam! Long live Great Xia!”

The sounds from the Council Hall instantly traveled to the two floors below.

The members of the intermediate and high-level hunting teams on the second floor, and the members of the hunting teams on the first floor, all stood up as well, shouting towards the top of the Main Building:

“Long live the Leader! Long live the Madam! Long live Great Xia!”

Then came the Inner City, and then the Outer City. The entire population of Great Xia, more than four hundred thousand people, all rose and faced the direction of the Council Hall, shouting:

“Long live the Leader! Long live the Madam! Long live Great Xia!”

These three cheers officially declared the end of the second year of Great Xia and marked the beginning of its third. Everyone’s face was brimming with happiness and satisfaction, and their eyes were full of hope for the coming year.

After the ceremony, a night of feasting and drinking ensued.

The crowd celebrated until dawn, only returning home as the sky began to lighten.

The Frigid Origin Banquet lasted only one night, but the Frigid Origin Festival itself would continue for a full half-month, so the lively scene in Xiacheng was far from over.

The third year of Great Xia, the fifteenth day of the first month.

A joyous event raised the festive atmosphere of the Frigid Origin Festival to a new level.

At dawn on the fifteenth, Residence Number One, the closest to the Main Building, was packed with over a hundred people, all with looks of joy on their faces.

“Should be soon, right?”

“It’s the first madam who’s giving birth, correct?”

“The first madam is Xiao Ning. What a coincidence, giving birth on the last day of the Frigid Origin Festival. It’s definitely significant!”

“My daughter was born last year too. If only I could arrange a childhood betrothal with the Director’s eldest son.”

“My daughter is only three this year, she’s a good match too.”

“Go on, go on. How can you betroth an older girl to a younger boy? What are you all doing here? My wife is due in the seventh month, and it might be a daughter in her belly. My family is a better fit.”

“Hahahaha, you all have beautiful dreams.”

…

It turned out that Xia Chuan’s wife, Xiao Ning, was giving birth today.

Although the crowd was joking around, they all intentionally kept their voices low, afraid of disturbing the woman in labor inside.

“Has the Director’s father-in-law not arrived?”

“He’s been waiting inside for ages. He was the first one to rush over.”

“Not just the father-in-law, the Lord and Madam are here too, all waiting to see the Youngest Lord for the first time!”

“The Lord is here too? Right, right, he is his First Uncle after all.”

“What ‘he’? The Youngest Lord’s name has already been decided. It’s Yuzong.”

…

Since it was the first child, everyone had tacitly assumed that Xiao Ning was carrying a boy, clearly for good fortune.

“Wah… Wah…”

The hundred or so people were all at the Frostwarden realm, so they could hear the movements inside the residence clearly. The moment the baby’s cry was heard, everyone immediately fell silent, turning to look at the house with joyful expressions.

“Hahahaha, excellent! Xia Yuzong! From today, my Xia clan officially has an heir! Hahahaha…”

Hearing Xia Hong’s hearty laughter from inside the house, everyone broke into smiles.

Clearly, their auspicious guess was correct!

Xiao Ning had given birth to a boy.

The Director’s eldest son, Xia Yuzong, was born!

…

Inside the residence, Xia Hong’s face was wreathed in smiles as he took the child from the father, Xia Chuan. His eyes were especially excited when he saw the clear, vertical sacred sigil on the baby’s forehead.

Anyone from the Great Xia camp who had lived within the radiating area of the Sacred Cauldron for a period would automatically acquire the invisible sacred sigil bloodline, but it needed to be activated through cultivation, and it was not easy.

Currently, in Great Xia, basically only those at the Frostwarden realm could activate the sacred sigil bloodline.

But his nephew in his arms, Xia Yuzong, was born with it.

Overjoyed, Xia Hong looked at the nephew in his arms and couldn’t resist reaching out to poke his little cheek with his index finger.

Unexpectedly, before he had even opened his eyes, the tiny Xia Yuzong, after being poked just twice, seemed to reach out impatiently and grasp Xia Hong’s finger.

“Mmm…”

He was actually squeezing Xia Hong’s index finger forcefully and even pushing it away.

Xia Hong felt the gripping force on his finger and his expression froze.

“Good heavens, this strength… it must be over a hundred catties…”

Keep in mind, this was a newborn infant!

“Big Brother, what do you think? My boy’s strength is not bad, is it?”

Xia Chuan noticed the astonishment on Xia Hong’s face, a smile he couldn’t contain spreading across his own. He had clearly experienced it himself when he held Xia Yuzong just now.

“This boy’s talent is astonishing. In the future, he shall be a dragon of our Xia clan!”

Xia Hong’s casual words were heard by the nearby midwife and maids. Everyone, including Xia Chuan, his father-in-law Xiao Kangcheng and his wife, Xiao Ning lying on the bed inside, and Xiao Yu who was by her side, instantly broke into happy smiles.

With the affirmation of his uncle, the Lord Xia Hong, Xia Yuzong’s future path would undoubtedly be much smoother, and his potential would certainly be much higher.

Xiao Kangcheng and his wife finally took their grandson from Xia Hong’s hands. He had only held him for three or four breaths before his wife, Lin Lan, snatched him away.

Looking at his doted-upon little grandson, Xiao Kangcheng couldn’t help but feel a thrill.

“It seems this little grandson of mine was born to be extraordinary!”

It wasn’t just these Frostwarden realm experts who knew of Xia Yuzong’s birth. When the Lord Xia Hong announced a special pardon for five hundred high-performing captives to celebrate his birth, the entire population of Xiacheng, all four hundred thousand-plus people, came to know of his existence.

The joyous atmosphere of the Frigid Origin Festival naturally reached a new height.

And so, the second year of Great Xia passed in this lively and celebratory atmosphere.

It wasn’t just the birth of Xia Yuzong. Everyone could clearly feel that the explosive population growth after unifying Longyou and the reforms of the seven departments meant that in the new year, Great Xia was bound to usher in an era of swift and vigorous development.

Chapter 335: Chen Ying’s New Discovery, Xia Yuning, and a String of Good News

On a snowy night, at the cliffs two kilometers north of Xiacheng.

A team of about twenty men trudged up the slope, their heads bowed against the bitter cold.

“Captain, why are we here instead of hunting or scouting?”

Chen Shang, a saber at his hip and a strongbow on his back, looked at his father, Chen Ying, who was leading the team, and asked with a face full of confusion.

Though Chen Ying was his father, he was also the captain of the Iron Falcon team. When out with the hunting team, Chen Shang had to address him as captain. That was the rule.

“Let’s stop for a moment. We’re almost at the top of the slope. Take a rest!”

Chen Ying turned around. Glancing at his team members, he saw the same confusion on their faces as on his son’s. He called a halt, then remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly, “You all should know about the Gnawing Rodent swarm on the eve of Year One, right?”

At Chen Ying’s words, the expressions of Chen Shang and the two brothers beside him, He Yuanfeng and He Yuanluan, turned grim. They were all originally from the Chen Ye encampment and had experienced the Gnawing Rodent swarm firsthand. Of course, they remembered.

“I’ve read the Chronicle of Great Xia. It says that before Year One of Great Xia, a swarm of several hundred Gnawing Rodents appeared on the northern slope of the cliffs. Our encampment was very weak back then and could hardly cope. It was the Lord who discovered that Soaring Serpent poison sacs could counter the swarm. He then led the people to forge a batch of five-Stone bows. Finally, he led all the Earthforger and Lumberjack realm members of the encampment, and united, they drove the swarm away.”

“I’ve read that account in the Chronicle too. Rumor has it that’s when our Great Xia discovered the people of the Jing Xian encampment. We also merged with a small encampment of only a few hundred people, called… Chen Ye, I think.”

The Chronicle of Great Xia, managed by Yue Feng, recorded every major event since the encampment’s early days on the earthen slope, keeping the memories crystal clear. The Gnawing Rodent swarm on the northern slope of the cliffs had been a threat to Great Xia’s very existence, so of course, it was recorded in detail.

To ensure the people of Great Xia remembered the hardships of the past, and to further cement the Lord Xia Hong’s image in their hearts, Xia Chuan required everyone in Great Xia to be familiar with the Chronicle.

Therefore, not only the three who had lived through it—Chen Shang and the He brothers—but almost every member of the Iron Falcon team knew about the Gnawing Rodent swarm.

However, after a team member mentioned the Chen Ye encampment recorded in the Chronicle, he trailed off and looked up at their captain, Chen Ying.

The others reacted similarly. Upon hearing the name “Chen Ye,” they all looked at Chen Ying, understanding dawning on them instantly.

The Iron Falcon team was now a mid-level team. Having spent nearly two years with Chen Ying, they were naturally aware of some of his past.

Chen Ying was the former leader of the Chen Ye encampment. That meant he had personally experienced the Gnawing Rodent swarm. It was after that event that he had led the several hundred people of Chen Ye to successfully merge with Great Xia.

“Captain, are you saying that the reason for the Gnawing Rodent swarm back then was the presence of a silver mine? But in the last six months, at least six high-level hunting teams from the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies have investigated and found nothing. What’s the use of us coming here?”

Chen Shang had already guessed his father’s intention in bringing up this old matter.

It was no secret that Chen Ying had been preoccupied with the northern slope of the cliffs for the past two years. This was especially true after the Frigid Origin Festival at the beginning of the year, when Qiu Peng announced that anyone who directly discovered a silver mine would be awarded three hundred military merit points in the Logistics Department, while those who provided clues leading to a mine would receive thirty. Since then, his father Chen Ying had been almost possessed, rushing to the northern slope to search whenever he had free time.

Chen Shang sighed softly. He could understand why his father was so driven.

When it came down to it, it was all for the sake of ennoblement.

Last year in Longyou, his father’s personal contributions had been significant. In addition to accumulating one hundred and twenty military merit points in the defense of the Hive, he, along with Bai Wuting, Lin Fan, and Lu He, had used little torches to successfully lure a Beast Tide out of the tunnel connecting the Hive to Wushuang. This had destroyed the two thousand three hundred-strong Longyou Army personally led by Madam Li Xuanling, who was then the leader of Longshan.

If the credit for annihilating those two thousand three hundred Longyou soldiers had gone entirely to the four of them, it would have been enough for all four to be ennobled simultaneously.

However, such a great accomplishment clearly couldn’t be credited to just four men. While their direct role was crucial, their ambush would have been impossible without Xia Chuan leading his men to defend the Hive to the death, without Xia Hong leading a great army to break through Longshan and cut off one of Li Tiancheng’s arms, and without Yuwen Tao bringing news in time to demoralize the Longyou Army.

In the end, the merit was divided among all who participated in the battle, with Chen Ying and the other three who played a direct role receiving the largest shares—two hundred points each.

Thus, his father’s total military merit was three hundred and twenty points, just one hundred and eighty shy of ennoblement.

One hundred and eighty points might not seem like much, but the channels for acquiring military merit in Great Xia were currently far too few.

Ever since Longyou was annexed last year, the encampment had seen almost no conflict. Even when they encountered other encampments, they were mostly small or medium-sized. Large ones were rare, let alone giant ones.

Furthermore, with Great Xia’s current size, even a large encampment could probably be handled by a single high-level hunting team. Unless they ran into a village-level or town-level encampment, there were simply no opportunities to earn military merit.

With merit so hard to come by, the number of ennobled individuals was pitifully small. There were actually quite a few people like Chen Ying who had accumulated several hundred merit points in the Longyou campaign. As far as Chen Shang knew, Lin Fan had four hundred and fifty points, and Bai Wuting had four hundred and twenty, both higher than his father and very close to ennoblement.

However, today was already the twenty-fifth of July. In the past six months, only three new ninth-rank nobles had been created in the entire encampment, a testament to how difficult it was.

If Chen Shang remembered correctly, the three newly ennobled were Li Tiancheng, Hou Jing, and Zhou Yuan. The first two were basically the most powerful individuals in Great Xia, aside from the Lord and his wife. The last one, Zhou Yuan, was definitely among the top ranks in terms of strength.

This alone showed how hard ennoblement was.

Li Tiancheng had initially been awarded two hundred military merit points for providing the locations of two silver mines in Longshan. But when another one was discovered there later, he was awarded another three hundred, which was how he received his ninth-rank title.

Hou Jing had found two Frost Apple Trees, earning two hundred points, and then discovered a silver mine in the Beilang Mountains, earning another three hundred, which secured his ennoblement.

Zhou Yuan’s was pure luck. His Longyuan Hunting Team had always been stationed in Longshan. Early last month, he discovered a giant encampment named Beiyuan in the far north of Longshan, with a population of over eighty thousand.

As luck would have it, the leader of the Beiyuan encampment, Zhou Kai, had quite a temper and actually tried to negotiate with Great Xia to divide the hunting grounds of Longshan.

The result was that the newly formed Dragon Slaying Army, just a month old, was deployed. The Beiyuan encampment was swallowed by Great Xia without making so much as a ripple.

Zhou Yuan, who discovered the Beiyuan encampment, was credited with the primary contribution. He also participated in the subsequent battle, so his military merit easily surpassed five hundred. He was finally, and successfully, made a ninth-rank Dark-Feather Viscount at the beginning of this month.

Director Xia Chuan himself had presided over Zhou Yuan’s ennoblement ceremony last month. Chen Shang had been present, so he was well aware that many people, like his father, were obsessed with becoming a noble.

The rise in status within the encampment after ennoblement was almost tangible. The fact that the Lord had only invited nobles into the Council Hall during this year’s Frigid Origin Festival, in particular, had elevated the allure of ennoblement to its absolute peak.

Of course, it wasn’t just about status. The right to have maids and attendants, the privilege of exempting family members from corvée labor, the annual noble’s stipend… all these generous benefits made people flock to the prospect of ennoblement.

With Great Xia at peace, the only way to quickly earn military merit was to find silver mines or Frost Apple Trees. It was no wonder Chen Ying had been frequenting the northern slope of the cliffs so often recently.

The problem was, Chen Ying wasn’t the only one who knew about the northern slope. Not to mention the early witnesses like Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng, anyone in Xiacheng who had read the Chronicle knew about it. They had already scoured the area.

It would be one thing if other teams were incompetent, but six high-level hunting teams had been here in the first half of the year, and all had come back empty-handed.

How could his father expect to find anything by bringing them here tonight?

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but it all happened in an instant.

After Chen Shang posed his question, the others had clearly caught on as well. They nodded in agreement, looking at Chen Ying with puzzlement.

Facing the doubts of his son and his team, Chen Ying appeared calm. He nodded slightly and addressed the group, “I’m aware that the six high-level teams from Cloud Serpent and the others came here and found nothing. But I believe they all overlooked one place. I’ve been scouting here alone for the past month and have finally made a new discovery. That’s why I brought you all here tonight.”

Chen Shang and the others looked stunned, their gazes fixed on Chen Ying.

“What place did they overlook?”

A mysterious smile touched Chen Ying’s lips. He stomped his foot on the ground and said, “The area of our former encampment. I’m sure they never searched it carefully!”

Their former encampment? The Chen Ye encampment?

Chen Shang and the He brothers froze for a moment. Then, as realization dawned, their expressions lit up with excitement.

“That’s right! Back then, the Gnawing Rodent swarm only gathered on the peak of the northern slope during the day. At night, they would occupy the mountain above our old encampment. Anyone else who came to search would have gone straight to the peak of the slope. They wouldn’t have noticed the cave where our encampment was!”

As Chen Shang finished, He Yuanfeng immediately nodded and added, “I remember! There was a very deep hidden tunnel at the back of the encampment cave. Our strength was too weak back then, so we just sealed it with wood. If we explore inward from there, we might actually find something new!”

He Yuanluan chimed in excitedly, “The Gnawing Rodent swarm back then caused the mountain to collapse, and the entrance to our encampment’s cave was blocked by rocks. No one else would ever think of it.”

“Now do you see why I brought you here?”

Seeing that everyone remembered the situation with the cave, Chen Ying’s expression grew more animated. He continued, “Recently, I’ve followed that hidden tunnel to its end. It extends eastward for three or four kilometers, deep into the interior of Double Dragon Mountain. To go any further, we’ll have to dig it out ourselves. And…”

Here, Chen Ying paused, his face alight with excitement. “While exploring the tunnel, I not only ran into four low-level Gnawing Rodents, but I also found extensive traces of their activity. More importantly, last night at the end of the tunnel, I discovered two Zhu Silver Flowers!”

Whoosh…

At the words “Zhu Silver Flower,” Chen Shang and the other twenty-odd team members all shot to their feet, their faces instantly alight with excitement.

“So that’s it! No wonder the captain had us bring iron chisels and shovels tonight. If there are Zhu Silver Flowers, there’s a high probability of a silver mine!”

“This is great! A silver mine! Even if we report it now, we’ll get thirty military merit points!”

“You fool, why would we report it now? Of course, we keep exploring. If we can confirm it’s a silver mine, that’s three hundred military merit points.”

“The captain is only one hundred and eighty points away from ennoblement. If this is really a silver mine, that would be fantastic.”

“Not only can the captain get ennobled, but we’ll also get a lot of contribution points!”

“Let’s go, then! What are we waiting for? Let’s get to it!”

…

With Chen Ying’s revelation, the doubt on everyone’s faces vanished, replaced by a surge of motivation. They looked at Chen Ying with gratitude in their eyes.

Excavating the mountain was tiring, but Chen Ying was in the Frostwarden realm. If he was willing to spend more time, he could have brought just his son and eventually broken through the mountain on his own. If he had truly discovered a silver mine then, he could have taken all the credit for himself.

Yet Chen Ying not only revealed the news but also brought them along to work together. It was clear he intended to share some of the glory with them, and their hearts were naturally filled with gratitude.

“Alright, enough talk. I’ll lead you into the mountain. For the time being, we’ll focus on excavating and exploring deeper. As long as we don’t run into high-level Gnawing Rodents, there’s no danger. If we really do find a new silver mine, I won’t take all the credit. I only need one hundred and eighty military merit points. The rest will be divided among you.”

He would even share the military merit!

Hearing Chen Ying’s promise, everyone’s eyes lit up.

Military merit and contribution points were two separate rewards, both given for discovering a silver mine. They had only been thinking about sharing the contribution points, but to their surprise, Chen Ying was even willing to share the military merit. The team was now even more thrilled.

Chen Ying wanted to be ennobled, and so did they!

Even Chen Shang couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement.

Just as He Yuanluan had said, the Gnawing Rodent swarm back then had caused a rockslide, and the entrance to the encampment cave had long been blocked by debris. Chen Ying had already cleared a passage down from above the mountain. Now, he deftly led the team through the passage and began to excavate and explore deeper into the mountain’s interior.

…

Great Xia, Year Three, the fifth day of the eighth month.

As soon as August arrived, a palpable change in atmosphere could be felt in Xiacheng.

Especially in the Inner City.

The Main Building of the Inner City had long since become the dedicated administrative area for Great Xia’s seven departments. Aside from the public officials of the seven departments, the high-level hunting teams under the Hunting Department, and the soldiers of the great armies on rotating duty, no one else was allowed to enter casually.

Recently, anyone returning from outside would inevitably glance up towards Stargazer Hall before entering the Main Building, and then try to get some news from someone inside.

The reason for this was that the Lord’s wife, Li Xuanling, was about to give birth!

Those who could enter the Main Building now held no small status in Great Xia. Most had participated in the great Beast Tide battle in the Yanglu realm last year.

No one was a fool. Li Tiancheng had said at the time that Li Xuanling was two months pregnant. A quick calculation showed that her delivery date should be sometime this August.

Someone had long since leaked the news. Now, basically everyone in Xiacheng knew that the Lord Xia Hong’s child would be born this month.

If the birth of Xia Chuan’s firstborn son, Xia Yuzong, last year had only moved the high-ranking Frostwarden realm experts, the two children in Li Xuanling’s womb were now the focus of intense attention from the more than five hundred thousand people of Xiacheng.

“I bet the eighth is a good day. Madam will give birth on the eighth.”

“Good things take time. I think it’ll be closer to the end of the month.”

“I hear it’s twins. Madam is not only devastatingly beautiful, but her belly is more promising than an ordinary person’s too. Giving birth to two young lords at once, the Lord must be overjoyed.”

“Don’t just say whatever you want. The Director said last month that the Lord’s children are of royal blood, carrying the future of our Great Xia encampment. Their seats in the Council Hall are second only to the Lord’s. We must address them as ‘Highness’.”

“Right, right, my mistake. The two Highnesses.”

…

In Stargazer Hall, the head maid Hanshuang carried a basin of hot water into Li Xuanling’s room. Seeing that Li Xuanling was awake and sitting up in bed, she hurried over and draped a blanket over her.

“Madam is about to give birth. You must be careful not to catch a cold!”

Hearing the hint of chiding in Hanshuang’s tone, Li Xuanling shook her head slightly.

She was already in the late-Frostwarden realm, not far from breaking through to the peak. Even with the pregnancy, she wasn’t that fragile. Besides, the Frigid Ruins Cauldron was always in her room. What kind of chill could possibly affect her?

But having spent over half a year with Hanshuang, Li Xuanling understood her temperament. If she were to argue now, Hanshuang would immediately become anxious and fearful, thinking she had done something wrong.

So, Li Xuanling didn’t pursue the topic. Instead, remembering something, she asked, “The Lord hasn’t come out of seclusion?”

Hanshuang gently cleaned Li Xuanling’s hands with a warm cloth while replying softly, “I heard from my sister that after returning from Beiyuan last month, the Lord has been on the Stargazer Platform and hasn’t come out. My sister delivers food once every three days and has already delivered it twelve times.”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling’s brow furrowed slightly, clearly displeased.

Seeing her expression, Hanshuang understood at once. Remembering something, she quickly walked to the window, picked up a blood-red piece of jade from the windowsill, and said softly, “The Lord cares for you deeply, Madam. When he returned from Beiyuan last month, he specially brought you this Blood Agate Jade.

“This Blood Agate Jade is a treasure unique to Beiyuan, nourished by vast amounts of Beast Blood. Even Frostwarden realm experts can use it to restore their vitality. If an ordinary person wears it, it can even expand the tolerance of their skin and membranes ahead of time. I heard that in the Logistics Department, just one liang costs five hundred contribution points. This piece of yours is over four catties. It’s a truly incredible treasure, which shows how much the Lord values you, Madam.”

Hearing Hanshuang so eagerly speak up for Xia Hong, Li Xuanling glanced at her, her expression turning a little strange, and for a moment she forgot her displeasure.

She had noticed that it wasn’t just Hanshuang. Nongying, Qiuru, Mingyue, Hualing, and the entire group of maids, including Hanyue, harbored an almost fanatical adoration for their Lord, Xia Hong. They not only defended his image in public at every turn but also forbade anyone from slandering him even in private.

The moment she showed the slightest dissatisfaction with Xia Hong, Hanshuang and the others would immediately and deliberately speak in his defense, partly to protect his image and partly out of fear that their relationship would sour.

“Hanshuang, I remember you and your sister Hanyue came to Great Xia from Hanqiong. That wasn’t too long ago, was it?”

Hanshuang nodded first, then, as if remembering something, her face filled with reverence. “When Hanqiong was in peril, if the Lord hadn’t saved us, my sister and I would have long been dead. How could we be living the life we have now?”

Li Xuanling’s expression faltered. She then recalled the incident at Gourd Valley in Hanqiong and immediately understood why the two sisters were so loyal to Xia Hong.

A mischievous thought crossed her mind, and she asked Hanshuang in a low voice, “Your base strength is over twenty thousand catties. By rights, you could go out and live a normal life. Are you content to stay here in Stargazer Hall serving me?”

As expected, upon hearing her question, Hanshuang’s face turned pale, and her eyes immediately reddened. With a thud, she knelt before Li Xuanling.

“Madam, did Hanshuang do something wrong? I beg you, Madam, please don’t send me away. I’m willing to stay by your side forever. Hanshuang is absolutely willing, I beg you, Madam…”

“No, no, why are you so nervous? I was just teasing you!”

Li Xuanling naturally didn’t let her kneel. She reached out to help her up and quickly soothed her in a gentle voice. Seeing her tense and fearful posture, Li Xuanling felt a pang of guilt.

It was understandable. Never mind Hanqiong encampment, compared to her own past life in Longshan, life in Great Xia was incomparably superior.

What’s more, Hanshuang lived in Stargazer Hall. Forgetting everything else, just by living with Xia Hong, the clothes Hanshuang wore, the food she ate, and the things she used were things most people in Great Xia could only dream of.

Her status was special as well. Due to her long service to Xia Hong, she could even exchange a few words with Xia Chuan. This privilege alone was likely an honor that many in Great Xia could hardly imagine.

Even the Frostwarden realm experts in the encampment would greet Hanshuang proactively, to say nothing of the common folk below.

For maids like Hanyue and Hanshuang, living the life of an ordinary person would probably be akin to a punishment.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this. Has anything interesting been happening in the city lately?”

Seeing that Hanshuang still looked anxious, and worried she would overthink things, Li Xuanling changed the subject and asked about the goings-on in Xiacheng.

Hanshuang stood up and wiped her tears away, saying with a slight sob in her voice, “The most exciting thing recently is, of course, the two Highnesses in Madam’s belly. I heard everyone in Xiacheng is guessing when the two Highnesses will be born. People who come to the Main Building ask about it every day. When Nongying and I go to the Logistics Department to get things, we get asked several times a day.”

Li Xuanling couldn’t help but smile hearing her speak with a sob in her voice. She then asked, “What else besides that?”

She was well aware of the attention on her unborn children. Her second uncle, Li Tiancheng, sent someone to ask almost every few days, to her great annoyance.

Hanshuang thought for a moment, and her eyes lit up. “Oh, there’s something else I forgot to tell you, Madam. Director Xia’s second wife, Xiao Yu, is also due to give birth this month. I heard my sister say it last time. A few days ago, the Lord notified the Logistics Department to prepare a gift, presumably for the Youngest Lord.”

Xiao Yu was also due!

Li Xuanling immediately remembered. When she had first arrived in Xiacheng last year, there was Xiao Yu, Xiao Ning’s slightly younger second wife.

“This month as well…”

Li Xuanling mused for a moment. Seeing the Blood Agate Jade on the table, she gently broke off a small piece and handed it to Hanshuang. “Take this piece of Blood Agate Jade to the Artisan Department later. Have them carve it into two jade rings for me. When Madam Xiao gives birth, send them over together. Consider it a gift from me, their aunt, to the two young lords.”

“Hanshuang obeys!”

Hanshuang took the Blood Agate Jade and said with a smile, “My sister and I were just guessing today whether the two Highnesses will be older or younger brothers. Do you hope to give birth later, or earlier, Madam?”

Li Xuanling smiled at that, gently stroking her belly, her face filled with a soft, motherly glow. “Of course, it’s better for them to be younger brothers. I hope Yu’er can give birth before me, so my two children can have another older brother or sister.”

Compared to the cautiousness of others, Li Xuanling was much more casual. She felt it didn’t matter if she had boys or girls, so she simply said “older brother or sister.”

Hanshuang naturally wouldn’t correct her. She smiled and said, “Then Hanshuang also hopes the two Highnesses will wait a few more days to come out. I’m sure Madam will get her wish.”

Just as Li Xuanling was about to speak, Xia Hong’s voice suddenly came from outside.

“Your wish has indeed been granted. Xia Chuan’s daughter has been born. I’m going over to see her first. I’ll be back to see you later!”

Hanshuang tensed and turned to bow at the door, but when she looked, there was no one there. Only then did she realize that Xia Hong had just sent a message; he hadn’t come over in person.

“Madam Xiao has given birth, and it’s a daughter!”

Li Xuanling nodded, her attention focused on Xia Hong’s last sentence. The displeasure on her face clearly softened. Then, thinking of something, she quickly instructed Hanshuang, “Since it’s a Young Mistress, have the Artisan Department carve them into a jade ring and a jade bracelet for me.”

Since it was confirmed that Xiao Yu had a daughter, a bracelet was a more suitable gift. The term “Young Lord” didn’t exclusively refer to males; it was more a term for a high-status heir. Li Xuanling herself had been called a Young Lord back in Longshan.

“Understood, Madam!”

“A daughter. I remember Xia Hong gave this little niece a name, didn’t he?”

“Yes, Madam. I remember the name the Lord chose is Xia Yuning!”

“Yuzong, Yuning. They’re both lovely names. I wonder what names he will choose for the children in my belly.”

“The Lord is knowledgeable and knows everything. I remember that the children of Lord Yuan Cheng, Lord Yue Feng, Lord Lin Kai, and several others were all named by the Lord, and their names are all wonderful! If the Lord puts so much thought into other people’s children’s names, it goes without saying he’ll do even more for the two Highnesses. He will surely give them especially beautiful names, Madam, please rest assured!”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling nodded, her face wreathed in smiles.

…

Unlike when Xia Yuzong was born, because Xiao Yu gave birth at night this time, the crowd gathered inside and outside Xia Chuan’s residence was more than ten times larger, a dense sea of people.

Xia Hong certainly wouldn’t choose to enter through the main gate. The sheer mass of people would take a long time just to get through the greetings.

He appeared silently on the second floor of Xia Chuan’s residence. Seeing Xiao Kangcheng and the others all gathered at the door of a room, he cleared his throat softly.

Xiao Heng, at the edge of the crowd, was the first to turn and spot Xia Hong. His face flushed red with excitement. He was about to bow but stopped when Xia Hong raised a hand. He held it in and turned, shouting, “The Lord is here! The Lord is here! Dad, Brother-in-law, the Lord is here!”

“Greetings, my Lord!”

“Greetings, my Lord…”

“Greetings, my Lord!”

…

“Alright, there’s no need for formalities. Rise. I’m just here to see my little niece.”

Xia Hong walked through the crowd to the door of Xiao Yu’s room. Xia Chuan had already come out, holding his daughter. Xiao Ning followed behind him, holding the eight-month-old Xia Yuzong, who could only babble.

“Firs’ Un… Firs’ Un…”

A strange thing happened. Xia Yuzong, who couldn’t speak yet, reached his small hands towards Xia Hong upon seeing him. As he grasped at the air, he kept calling out, “Firs’ Un… Firs’ Un…”

“Not ‘Firs’ Un’, it’s ‘First Uncle’. Yuzong is afraid his little sister’s birth will make him lose favor with his First Uncle. He’s so anxious he’s started talking.”

The crowd, already amused by the scene, couldn’t help but roar with laughter at the jest from Xia Chuan’s mother-in-law, Lin Lan.

“Hahaha, the boy is only eight months old and he’s already so clever.”

“He already knows how to compete with his sister for affection, hahaha.”

“He’s going to be a clever little rascal in the future!”

“Hahahaha!”

…

Xia Hong couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch Xia Yuzong’s chubby cheek first, before slowly taking his little niece, Xia Yuning, from Xia Chuan’s arms.

As expected, the newborn Little Yuning also had a sacred sigil on her brow.

Xia Hong tickled her tiny palm with his finger. Just like Xia Yuzong back then, Little Yuning quickly grabbed his finger in annoyance.

“This strength is not much weaker than her brother’s!”

Xia Chuan’s face was all smiles, clearly having known this already.

“This is the first Young Mistress of my Xia family. Just as we did for Yuzong, let’s grant a special pardon to another five hundred prisoners who have shown outstanding performance, in celebration!”

Hearing Xia Hong say this, everyone was astonished.

Given Great Xia’s current societal structure where men worked outside and women managed the household, a preference for sons was an inevitable outcome. So, after Xiao Yu gave birth to a daughter, although no one said anything, they all thought to themselves that the Lord certainly wouldn’t place as much importance on her as he had on Xia Yuzong’s birth at the beginning of the year.

But Xia Hong’s decision to pardon another five hundred prisoners shattered their preconceived notions.

“Don’t be so surprised. Don’t think that women are useless. Li Xuanling is also a woman. Who among you is stronger than her?”

At Xia Hong’s question, all the men present blushed, while the women immediately held their heads high and nodded in agreement.

“It has nothing to do with being male or female. The fundamental principle of the Ice Abyss, where strength is revered, will never change. Great Xia has never rigidly stipulated that men work outside and women manage the household. These are all lifestyles you have chosen for yourselves. In the future, if a female noble appears, you need not be surprised.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, everyone present felt a jolt in their hearts.

A female noble!

Did the Lord mean that women could also be ennobled?

Xiao Ning, and Xiao Yu who was lying in bed in the room, looked at their older brother Xia Hong with eyes full of reverence.

Some of the younger women of the Xiao family now looked at Xia Hong with unconcealed admiration and adoration.

“Qiu Peng congratulates the Director on the birth of your precious daughter!”

Just as everyone’s minds were reeling, Qiu Peng burst in from outside, his face beaming with joy. He first congratulated Xia Chuan, then rushed straight to Xia Hong’s side and said in a low voice:

“My Lord, there’s great news! The Iron Falcon team has found a small silver mine on the northern slope of the cliffs. It’s confirmed to be occupied by only one Gnawing Rodent swarm. Their numbers are just over two thousand, with a dozen or so high-level, over a hundred mid-level, and the rest all low-level Gnawing Rodents.”

Before Xia Hong could say anything, Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, and the others who had searched the northern slope before reacted strongly, exclaiming in shock.

“What? A silver mine found on the northern slope of the cliffs? How is that possible?”

“I led a team and searched there for half a month and found nothing!”

“Yuwen Tao also searched there for over a month and found nothing.”

“The Tiger Leopard, Falcon, Bristlemane, and Xuanwu teams all went, and none of them found anything. The Iron Falcon? Whose team is that?”

“It’s Chen Ying’s. The cave beneath the northern slope used to be their encampment.”

“No wonder. That kid Chen Ying, he didn’t hold something back, did he?”

“I doubt it. If that were the case, he would have revealed the location of the silver mine long ago, not waited until today. He must have found it himself.”

…

By now, Xia Hong’s face was already alight with joy.

In the past six months, Li Tiancheng and Hou Jing had each found a new silver mine, but the Frost Beasts occupying them were no weaker than the ones in Longshan, so mining was still out of the question.

And now, Chen Ying had found another one!

“A little over two thousand Gnawing Rodents, with just a dozen high-level ones… This is practically a godsent silver mine! Where is Chen Ying? Take me to see it at once.”

“Chen Ying just returned from the northern slope. He’s in the Main Building.”

Xia Hong had no time to spare. He quickly handed his little niece to Xiao Kangcheng, who had been waiting for a long time, then turned to Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng and ordered, “Have the Cloud Serpent Army and the Dragon Slaying Army get ready. Also, send someone to Longshan to notify Yuwen Tao and have him bring the Dragon Martial Army back first.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

With that, Xia Hong led Qiu Peng towards the Main Building.

“Ning’er, you entertain our father-in-law. I’m off to the Council Hall to get busy!”

“Alright, Husband.”

With business to attend to, Xia Chuan had no time to stay home with his wife and child. He instructed Xiao Ning, bid farewell to his father-in-law and the others, and pulled Yuan Cheng along as he hurried towards the Main Building.

…

On the top floor of the Main Building, inside the Council Hall, an excited Chen Ying stood respectfully in the center, constantly peering towards the hall entrance, his impatience evident.

Tap, tap, tap…

Soon, the sound of urgent footsteps echoed from outside the hall.

Seeing Xia Hong and Qiu Peng walk in briskly, Chen Ying immediately bowed respectfully to them. “Chen Ying pays his respects to the Lord and to Prefect Qiu!”

“No need for formalities. Tell me, what happened?”

Chen Ying first calmed himself, then slowly recounted the story.

On the twenty-fifth of last month, he had led over twenty team members and started digging inward from the end of the hidden tunnel in the cave on the northern slope. They dug for a full nine days, discovering more than twenty Zhu Silver Flowers along the way. After digging an estimated three kilometers into Double Dragon Mountain, they finally broke through at nightfall yesterday, arriving at an open-air valley.

“We were digging upwards along the way. When we broke through, we reached another cliff face. The cliff was about two thousand meters high, and below it was a valley area about two kilometers in diameter. I suspect that valley was formed by a collapse somewhere in Double Dragon Mountain. I looked down and saw a lot of silver just exposed on the surface. It was occupied by a single Gnawing Rodent swarm of just over two thousand. There were no other types of Frost Beasts besides the Gnawing Rodents.”

An enclosed valley two kilometers in diameter, cliffs over two thousand meters high, occupied by a single Gnawing Rodent swarm of just over two thousand…

This was like having a silver mine fall from the heavens!

Xia Hong was incredibly excited. He stood up abruptly. “Good, good, good! Take me there to see it now. If it’s truly as you say, you will have performed a great service this time. Three hundred… no, I will have Qiu Peng award you five hundred military merit points directly, enough for you to be ennobled!”

Chen Ying froze, his breathing suddenly heavy.

He already had three hundred and twenty military merit points. Another five hundred would make it eight hundred and twenty, only one hundred and eighty points away from the requirement for an eighth-rank Crimson-Firmament Viscount!

“My Lord, please follow me!”

Chen Ying grew impatient himself and immediately led the way.

“Qiu Peng, get all the mid-level and high-level Soaring Serpent poison sacs from the Logistics Department’s inventory ready. We’ll be needing them soon.”

Xia Hong wasted no time. He gave the order to Qiu Peng and followed right behind Chen Ying, striding out of the hall and heading for the northern slope of the cliffs.

“This subordinate obeys!”

Hearing Xia Hong tell him to prepare mid-level and high-level Soaring Serpent poison sacs, how could Qiu Peng not understand? His expression immediately turned to one of excitement.

The silver mine was in an enclosed valley, occupied by only a single Gnawing Rodent swarm. Dealing with it would be incredibly easy.

“Three thousand soldiers from the Cloud Serpent, Dragon Martial, and Dragon Slaying armies, equipped with Soaring Serpent poison sacs… dealing with this Gnawing Rodent swarm will be effortless. This silver mine has come at the perfect time!”

…

It seemed good things came in pairs. Today, Xia Hong not only welcomed the birth of his little niece, Xia Yuning, but also received the joyful news of a silver mine from Chen Ying.

However, what Xia Hong didn’t know was that a third piece of good news was happening at the very moment he left Xiacheng.

Directly behind Stargazer Hall, the sleeping Li Xuanling was completely unaware that a transparent mist was suddenly rising from her abdomen. The mist seemed to fear the high temperature of the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, and it quickly condensed into drops of azure liquid along the edge of the bed, on the floor, the desk, the windowsill, and even the ceiling.

When the azure liquid covered the entire room, the sleeping Li Xuanling seemed to have reached her limit. Her eyes suddenly flew open, and she clutched her stomach, crying out in pain.

“Ah… ahh…”

“Madam, what’s wrong? What is this on the floor?”

“I’m going into labor! Quickly, go get people! Quickly!”

“Ah! Understood! Mingyue, Hualing, quickly go to the Logistics Department and notify the midwives! Nongying, Qiuru, come in and clean up this liquid in the room! Hurry, hurry…”

Chapter 336: A Silver Mine from the Heavens; Yu Yao and Yu Sheng; No Need for a Butcher’s Knife to Kill a Chicken

On the northern slope of the cliffs, Xia Hong followed Chen Ying through the tunnel and into the cave that had been Chen Ye’s camp. After walking about three hundred meters into its depths, he immediately saw the glint of firelight and human figures ahead.

“The Captain’s back, and there’s someone with him. It must be someone from the Logistics Department.”

“Captain, Lor… Lord… Greetings, Lord!”

He Yuanfeng and his brother were the first to hear the commotion and immediately came forward to greet them. When they saw the person behind Chen Ying, their expressions changed in shock, and they hurriedly bowed in salute.

Chen Shang and the others behind them reacted quickly as well, stepping forward to salute Xia Hong.

“Greetings, Lord!”

“Greetings, Lord!”

…

“No need for formalities. Rise,” Xia Hong said, gesturing with his hand. His gaze swept over the men before landing on the younger Chen Shang. He smiled. “I remember Chen Ying has two sons, Chen Shang and Chen Ping. You must be the elder one, Chen Shang, correct?”

Clearly not expecting Xia Hong to remember him, Chen Shang became visibly excited and nodded emphatically. “This subordinate is Chen Shang. Chen Ping is my younger brother.”

“Indeed, a tiger father will not beget a dog son. Excellent!” Xia Hong praised with a smile upon seeing Chen Shang’s excited state. Chen Shang looked to be about eighteen or nineteen, with a base strength of twenty-one thousand. For Great Xia, his talent was quite impressive.

However, the main reason he remembered the two brothers was because of the younger one, Chen Ping.

In the first Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament last year, among the top one hundred contenders in the Lumberjack realm division, only three had not yet broken through to the Earthforger realm. One of them was the fifteen-year-old Chen Ping.

At fifteen, a person who had not yet reached the Earthforger realm could not be considered to have strong cultivation aptitude. But to be able to rank among the top one hundred as a Lumberjack meant his combat talent was far beyond ordinary, which was why Xia Hong had a deep impression of him.

“Chen Ying, you lead the way. The rest of you, continue to stand guard here.”

Eager to see the silver mine, Xia Hong was in no mood for small talk. He directly called to Chen Ying behind him, signaling for him to continue leading.

“Lord, please follow me.”

Chen Ying nodded and ducked into the hidden tunnel in the rock wall, with Xia Hong close behind.

Just as Chen Ying had said before, the tunnel extended into the interior of Double Dragon Mountain. Xia Hong followed him for nearly four kilometers before finally seeing traces of a newly excavated passage.

“As you’ve probably noticed, Lord, the first four kilometers are basically underground tunnels dug by Gnawing Rodents. They weren’t as clear as this before; I spent over a month clearing them. From this point on is the tunnel we’ve excavated over the past nine days.”

Even without Chen Ying’s explanation, it was obvious. The new tunnel his team had dug was extremely narrow, at most one meter in diameter, forcing both of them to stoop to get through. In contrast, the previous four kilometers of hidden passages had been at least two meters in diameter—clearly on a different scale.

However, the tunnel was not so narrow for its entire length. There were many spacious areas in between, and Xia Hong noticed that every hundred meters or so, the tunnel’s diameter would widen to match the earlier passages.

He immediately understood. These suddenly wider sections had been dug by Gnawing Rodents, but because they were isolated, they hadn’t been connected. What Chen Ying had been doing all this time was linking them together.

“These Gnawing Rodents are truly master burrowers. I used to wonder how the caves we lived in came to be, given how hard the rock of the Ice Abyss is. Thinking about it now, they were probably all made by Gnawing Rodents.”

Chen Ying nodded immediately. “Indeed. I’ve also discovered that these rodents have a natural instinct for digging. The tunnels they create within the mountain are countless. If you’re not careful, they can collapse. In the last nine days, I actually spent most of my time reinforcing the tunnel structure.”

Xia Hong continued to follow Chen Ying for another two thousand meters or so before finally spotting a faint silver gleam far ahead. His eyes instantly lit up.

It was nighttime. According to Chen Ying, the tunnel’s exit led to a rock face in another valley, so there should have been no light.

Could this silver light be…

“Lord, we’re here. Take a look!”

They finally reached the end of the tunnel. At Chen Ying’s signal, Xia Hong took a shallow breath, walked a few meters forward, and leaned half his body out of the opening to look down at the valley floor below.

At that one glance, his expression turned to one of utter excitement, his eyes filled with irrepressible surprise and elation.

Below, just as Chen Ying had described, was a valley with a radius of about two kilometers.

On the valley floor, a dense population of over two thousand Gnawing Rodents rested. More than half of them had burrowed into the ground, leaving only their long, fleshy tails swaying on the surface, while a smaller portion scurried about.

In the very center of the valley were eighteen high-level Gnawing Rodents, only half a meter long with fur that had evolved to a golden color. Surrounding them were over a hundred mid-level Gnawing Rodents, each more than four meters in length.

Of course, a mere Gnawing Rodent colony wasn’t enough to make Xia Hong so excited. The key was that on the valley floor where they were gathered, hundreds of distinct, silvery veins of light were visible.

Just as he’d thought, the faint silver glow he’d seen earlier was emanating from silver.

Beneath this valley was truly a silver mine.

And the silver in the veins was already exposed on the surface!

We’ve struck it rich. We’ve truly struck it rich this time…

Suppressing the elation in his heart, Xia Hong scanned the valley and then looked up. The delight on his face intensified.

This valley was situated inside Double Dragon Mountain. The cave opening he was in was indeed halfway up the cliff face, about four hundred meters from the valley floor. The cliff above him likely extended for another two thousand meters or more. It was too far to clearly see the size of the opening at the top; he could only make out a sliver of the night sky.

“If I climb up the cliff face, I’ll reach the deepest part of Double Dragon Mountain’s western side!”

Xia Hong looked up at the night sky, a flicker of ambition in his eyes.

By now, climbing the cliff face up to Double Dragon Mountain was no longer a particularly difficult task for him or for many others in Great Xia.

But he still strictly forbade anyone in the settlement from going up Double Dragon Mountain.

The reasons were simple: first, safety; second, necessity.

The area above their cliff-side dwelling was, in theory, the deepest part of Double Dragon Mountain’s western side. The area around the cliffs was almost certainly devoid of human activity. Furthermore, the pattern for the three resource lands—Redwood Ridge, Arrow Bamboo Forest, and Longshan—was that the deeper one went, the more dangerous it became. By the same logic, the environment above the cliffs was bound to be exceptionally perilous. The massive tremors Xia Hong sometimes felt from above were proof enough.

The lack of necessity was even easier to understand.

The three resource lands under the settlement’s control had not yet been fully explored, and Xiacheng currently had a surplus of all kinds of resources. There was simply no urgent need to explore new territories.

“That said, if we could explore a new area, we could obtain more new types of resources, which would also be a great benefit to the settlement.”

Xia Hong took a shallow breath and glanced to the north.

“However, this isn’t the only tunnel in the mountain. There’s also a hidden tunnel in the Main Building of Hanqiong’s inner valley that leads directly into Double Dragon Mountain. I just don’t know where it exits. Lu Yang should have made some progress in his investigation by now.”

When Hanqiong fell last year, Han Jiuli’s son, Han Feng, had refused his offer of recruitment and fled with over a thousand people through that hidden tunnel. Xia Hong had not forgotten.

Lu Yang was the current Garrison Prefect of Hanqiong. When he went to assume his post at the beginning of the year, Xia Hong had instructed him to follow that tunnel and see if he could find any trace of Han Feng and his people.

“Lord, this silver mine is a gift from the heavens to our Great Xia. Such an enclosed valley, with only a small Gnawing Rodent colony, presents almost no difficulty in mining. This subordinate congratulates you, Lord, on finally achieving your wish!”

A myriad of thoughts had just flashed through Xia Hong’s mind, but it had all happened in an instant.

Seeing the excitement on his face, Chen Ying recalled how Xia Hong had been running around since the start of the year in search of a silver mine. He immediately clasped his hands and offered his congratulations.

Hearing this, the smile on Xia Hong’s face broadened. He nodded and said, “You deserve the highest credit for finding this silver mine. Don’t worry, what I said earlier still stands. Xia Chuan, when we get back, directly award Chen Ying 500 military merit. The other rewards he’s due shouldn’t be overlooked either.”

The Director wasn’t here, so why was Xia Hong calling for him?

Chen Ying was a little confused, but in just a few breaths, he understood why. He immediately turned to look back down the tunnel.

“This subordinate obeys. Lord, there’s great news, great news!”

From within the tunnel, Xia Chuan’s voice arrived before he did.

After four or five breaths, Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng came into Chen Ying’s view.

They were walking quickly, their faces beaming with joy as they rushed over, repeatedly exclaiming that there was great news.

“Chen Ying pays his respects to the Director and to Prefect Yuan!”

Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng waved their hands, bidding Chen Ying to rise, before rushing directly to a bewildered Xia Hong.

“What great news?”

“Madam is giving birth! Their Highnesses will be born any moment now!”

Xia Hong’s expression changed instantly. He subconsciously started to walk out of the cave, but he stopped after two steps. His brows furrowed slightly as he said, “You two, take a look at the valley below first.”

Although they had been mentally prepared, when Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng saw the exposed silver in the valley below, their faces still lit up with ecstatic joy.

“Over two thousand Gnawing Rodents, eighteen high-level, and over a hundred mid-level… this silver mine is practically a free gift!”

“This valley is completely enclosed. The Gnawing Rodents have no way out except to burrow or climb. We just need to dig a tunnel to the valley floor, ignite Soaring Serpent poison sacs inside, and have some troops fire arrows from this opening to quickly eliminate a large number of them. Then we can send the army underground to mop up the rest. It won’t even take an hour to clear them all. This silver mine is indeed no different from a free gift.”

Compared to Yuan Cheng, Xia Chuan’s thinking was much clearer, and he directly laid out the strategy for dealing with the Gnawing Rodent colony below.

Xia Hong’s face showed immediate approval. He asked, “Have you sent someone to notify Yuwen Tao? There are only two hours until dawn. Will it be too late for the Dragon Martial Army to rush back from Longshan, even taking the direct route?”

Xia Chuan nodded. “He’s been notified. I’ve told the Dragon Martial Army to rest in Jing Valley for tonight. Tomorrow night, I’ll lead the Cloud Serpent Army, and Yuan Cheng will lead the Dragon Slaying Army from Xiacheng. The three armies will rendezvous here.

“Qiu Peng has already ordered the Logistics Department to prepare mid- and high-level Soaring Serpent poison sacs and antidote pills. They will be distributed before the army departs tomorrow night.”

Hearing how well Xia Chuan had arranged everything, Xia Hong said no more. He called out to the others, “Then let’s all head back with me. This place is less than two kilometers from Xiacheng, so there’s no need to leave anyone on watch. We’ll deal with it tomorrow night!”

With that, Xia Hong walked briskly towards the tunnel exit, his heart clearly not as calm as he appeared.

Behind him, Xia Chuan and the other two followed quickly, their faces wreathed in smiles.

…

“Ah… It hurts, it hurts… I’m in so much pain…”

“Madam, don’t panic. Deep breaths, take it slow. It’s almost out.”

“Quick, fetch another basin of hot water.”

“No, ahhh… I’m in so much pain, so much pain…”

…

Inside Xiacheng’s Stargazer Hall, Li Xuanling’s unusually shrill screams had been going on for a long time. They could be heard clearly even from the entrance of the Council Hall, over a hundred meters away.

Outside the Council Hall, nearly three hundred people had gathered. Almost every Frostwarden realm cultivator in the settlement was there.

Everyone looked up at Stargazer Hall, their faces a mixture of worry and anticipation.

“Why is it taking so long? It’s been half an hour, hasn’t it?”

“It’s clearly not normal! Haven’t you noticed? The temperature around Stargazer Hall is much lower than usual.”

“I have. I heard a maid who just came from there say that the entire Stargazer Hall is filled with a transparent water mist. Even the Frigid Ruins Cauldron is useless. They’ve had to call in seven midwives to work in shifts just to withstand the cold!”

“But I thought Madam had already refined that Jade Dew Stone!”

“Madam is already at the Frostwarden realm, yet she’s in this much pain… this is…”

“Their Highnesses must be born safely!”

“They will be. Just wait a little longer, a little longer.”

…

At the front of the crowd, Li Tiancheng, Meng Ying, Zhou Yuan, and the other people from Longshan wore expressions of deep concern. If not for the strict rules of Great Xia, they would have already charged into the Council Hall and across the iron bridge to Stargazer Hall.

The people of the Ice Abyss had strong constitutions, women included. Even for an ordinary woman, childbirth rarely took more than half an hour. For those at the Lumberjack and Earthforger realms, the higher their cultivation, the shorter and easier the process.

This was easy to understand. The stronger the constitution, the stronger the body’s functions and the greater the ability to endure pain.

This was even more true for a Frostwarden realm woman giving birth. After reaching the Earthforger limit, the process of reforging the hide with beast blood was a hundred times more painful than childbirth. The pain of giving birth was nothing to them.

Xia Chuan’s two wives, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu, had both given birth in less than five minutes, without a single scream. That was what was considered normal.

Li Xuanling’s current situation was clearly abnormal.

Everyone immediately thought of what had happened in the Yanglu realm last year and was almost certain that Li Xuanling’s current abnormality was caused by that Jade Dew Stone.

Swoosh…

As the crowd waited anxiously, a figure suddenly rushed up from downstairs, barged directly into the Council Hall, and went straight for the cloud ladder leading to Stargazer Hall.

“The Lord is back.”

“It’s the Lord!”

…

“Quiet, everyone. Don’t make a fuss. Just wait for news inside the Council Hall!”

The crowd had just let out a few surprised cries when they were interrupted by Xia Chuan, who had followed behind. He gestured for them to be quiet and wait inside the Council Hall for news, while he himself followed Xia Hong towards Stargazer Hall.

…

“What’s the situation?”

Hearing Li Xuanling’s piercing screams from a distance, Xia Hong’s expression was naturally grim. As he neared Stargazer Hall and noticed the abnormally low temperature of the entire building, his brow furrowed. Spotting Hanyue guarding the door, he immediately asked what was happening.

Hanyue looked frantic. Without even taking the time to salute, she spoke directly.

“Reporting to the Lord, half an hour ago, the temperature in Stargazer Hall began to fluctuate. This water-blue liquid started condensing all over Madam’s room—on the bedframe, the floor, the tables, the windowsill. We heard Madam scream and immediately went to fetch the midwives.

“After the temperature in the room dropped completely, Madam’s condition stabilized a little. The midwives are only at the Earthforger realm and can’t bear the cold at all. We’ve already called in seven of them to take turns delivering the babies.”

As she spoke, Hanyue took out a small pouch of water-blue liquid from her clothes and handed it to Xia Hong.

“Is this… Hanping Jade Dew?”

Just then, Xia Chuan arrived from the Council Hall. Seeing what Hanyue handed Xia Hong, he froze for a moment, then his body jolted in realization. He asked Hanyue, “You just said Madam’s room is covered in this liquid. How much have you collected?”

Although Hanyue was only at the Earthforger realm, her long service to Xia Hong and frequent visits to the Logistics Department meant that while she had never seen Hanping Jade Dew, she had heard of it and knew it was an extremely precious alchemy ingredient.

Hearing Xia Chuan’s question, she realized something. Her expression faltered slightly before she nodded and said softly, “We’ve collected at least a thousand drops, and it’s still continuously condensing in Madam’s room.”

“This…”

Xia Chuan was stunned. He turned to meet Xia Hong’s gaze. Their eyes held a mixture of surprise and deep worry.

“The Jade Dew Stone must have been refined by Xuanling; she wouldn’t lie. Most likely, the refined stone has had some kind of effect on the children. Is this difficult birth part of it? To be able to counteract a level-four Frigid Ruins Cauldron… this effect is far too strong!”

Xia Hong forced himself to calm down. He handed the Hanping Jade Dew to Xia Chuan and began pacing back and forth to ease his nerves, but his repeated glances towards the room proved he was anything but calm.

“Big Brother, don’t worry. Everything will be fine,” Xia Chuan said, unable to do much else but offer words of comfort.

“Hmm? The temperature is rising!”

After waiting for another hundred breaths, Li Xuanling’s voice from inside the room suddenly softened slightly. At the same time, Xia Hong clearly perceived the temperature inside the room rapidly returning to normal.

“Waaah… Waaah…”

“Lord, don’t rush. There’s still another Highness to be born. wait a little longer.”

A loud cry echoed from the room. A look of intense joy erupted on Xia Hong’s face. If Hanyue hadn’t stopped him in time, he would have dashed into the room.

“Right, right, there’s another one, another one. I forgot!”

The smile that had just appeared on Xia Hong’s face was quickly replaced by apprehension.

“No, it hurts… it hurts… ahhh…”

As Li Xuanling’s second round of screams began, Xia Hong noticed the temperature in the room was now climbing at an incredible rate. The apprehension on his face transformed into deep worry.

Clearly, both fetuses had been affected by the Jade Dew Stone.

“Waaah…”

After the first child was born, the second came much more smoothly. Xia Hong only had to wait a few minutes before he heard a second baby’s cry.

This time, Hanyue didn’t stop him and let him go inside directly.

“Congratulations, Lord! Madam has given birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins.”

“The elder Highness is a girl, and the second Highness is a boy.”

“Congratulations, Lord.”

“Dragon and phoenix twins! There are only a few pairs in all of Xiacheng.”

…

Xia Hong rushed into the room and went straight to the bedside to check on Li Xuanling.

Seeing her deathly pale face, depleted energy, and noticeably thinner frame, Xia Hong quickly placed a hand on her arm. After assessing her condition for a moment, his expression turned grave.

Just as he feared. Twenty-eight Mane. Her cultivation had dropped!

At the end of last year, Li Xuanling’s base strength had already reached twenty-seven Mane. Over the past eight months, it had long since increased to thirty-one Mane, just three short of the late-Frostwarden realm.

And now, after giving birth, she had lost three Mane of cultivation!

Xia Hong had seen Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu after they gave birth, and they had not been in such a wretched state.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“I felt it. When the two children came out, they were desperate for vital energy, so I directed some of it to them. I can always cultivate back what I lost. It’s nothing.”

Li Xuanling, however, seemed completely unconcerned, clearly not taking her drop in cultivation to heart. But as she recalled how Xia Hong had rushed to her side the moment he entered the room, a soft look appeared in her eyes.

“Lord, look! The sacred sigils on the little Highnesses’ foreheads seem a little different from those of Young Lords Yuzong and Yuning!”

The midwife in charge, Zhao Ying, saw that the two had finished their exchange and tactfully brought the two babies over.

In Great Xia, midwives had another special title: birthing artisan. They belonged to the Artisanry Workshop, one of the four workshops of the Artisan Department. The Artisanry Workshop was originally called the Woodworking Workshop, but as Great Xia’s population grew and more people with special skills emerged, it was renamed to accommodate them, birthing artisans included.

To be chosen to deliver Li Xuanling’s children in Stargazer Hall, Zhao Ying’s skill was unquestionable. She was considered the most skilled midwife in the Artisanry Workshop and had just recently delivered Xia Chuan’s two children.

Having seen the Director’s two young sons with her own eyes, Zhao Ying was able to spot what was unusual about the new little Highnesses at a glance.

Hearing this, Li Xuanling immediately grew tense.

The moment Xia Hong took the pair of children from Zhao Ying’s hands, his expression changed slightly. He then lowered his head to look at the infants’ foreheads.

The shape of the sacred sigils on their foreheads was no different, still three vertical cloud-like patterns, but their color was not the blood-red of Yuzong and Yuning’s.

The daughter on the left had a water-blue sacred sigil, with the translucent texture of jade.

The son on the right had a golden-red sacred sigil, as if flames were burning within.

The infants had just been born and were wrapped only in silk blankets. Xia Hong could clearly feel that the texture of their skin was completely different.

The daughter’s tiny body constantly radiated a cold aura. The chill condensed upon meeting the high temperature, quickly forming a thin layer of transparent mist on his arm.

The son was the complete opposite. He was like a small furnace, his body temperature astonishingly high. If not for the normal color of his face, Xia Hong would have worried the child was sick.

“Quick, let me see the children!”

Lying on the bed, Li Xuanling had waited for a long time. Seeing Xia Hong’s brow furrow and then relax, her heart had been in her throat. Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore and sat up slightly, asking Xia Hong to give her the babies.

Xia Hong said nothing and bent down to place the two children in her hands.

The instant her hands touched the babies, Li Xuanling’s expression changed. She had clearly sensed the abnormality as well. She was about to ask a question when she noticed that both children had reached out their tiny hands and were clutching Xia Hong’s sleeve, refusing to let go.

Xia Hong, who had leaned over, did not straighten up immediately. He looked down at the infants’ tiny hands, a look of profound shock flashing in his eyes.

“This…”

Li Xuanling reached out and pried the children’s fingers open. As she did, she too instantly realized something. A look of astonishment crossed her face. She looked up, about to ask, but before she could utter a single word, Xia Hong silenced her with a look.

Xia Hong stood up and turned to the dozen or so people in the room. A smile appeared on his face as he said slowly, “Thank you for your hard work. Everyone who assisted with the birth tonight will be rewarded with 2,000 contribution points each.”

Zhao Ying and the other six midwives, along with Hanyue, Hanshuang, and the other dozen or so maids, were stunned for a moment before bowing excitedly to express their thanks.

“This common woman thanks the Lord, thanks the Lord!”

“Thank you for the reward, Lord.”

…

A typical Earthforger realm cultivator in a low-level hunting team could earn a little over 1,000 contribution points a month at most. To the dozen-plus women present, 2,000 contribution points was an absolute fortune. Such a reaction was not surprising.

Zhao Ying, with her rich experience, noticed Li Xuanling cooing at the babies on the bed. Remembering something, she quickly spoke to Xia Hong, “The two Highnesses haven’t been named yet, have they? It’s time for you to give them names, Lord!”

At these words, not only Hanyue, Hanshuang, and the other maids, but Li Xuanling herself perked up at once. Cradling the two children, she turned her head to gaze at Xia Hong with keen interest, waiting to see what names he would choose.

“Yu Yao, Yu Sheng!”

Xia Hong was clearly prepared and announced the two names without hesitation.

“Xia Yuyao, Xia Yusheng…”

Lying on the soft bed, Li Xuanling softly repeated the children’s names, her eyes shining brightly. She was clearly very pleased with them.

“Highness Yu Yao, Highness Yu Sheng. Oh! Those are wonderful names, Lord. One can tell at a glance they are little nobles of golden branches and jade leaves. This common woman will be the first to pay her respects and soak in some of their noble aura. Greetings, little Highnesses!”

Zhao Ying had clearly been in many similar situations. Her words brought smiles to the faces of Xia Hong, Li Xuanling, the other maids in the room, and even Xia Chuan, who had just walked in.

“We want to share in the good fortune too! Greetings to the two little Highnesses!” Han Yue, Hanshuang, and the other maids all mimicked her, bowing towards the bed.

“Hanyue, go to the Council Hall and tell everyone I’ll be there shortly.”

“Yes, Lord!”

“Xia Chuan, come. Hold your little niece and nephew.”

After instructing Hanyue to inform the others, Xia Hong saw Xia Chuan had entered. Smiling, he picked up his children from Li Xuanling’s arms and gestured for him to come and hold them.

Xia Chuan hurried forward and took his niece and nephew from Xia Hong’s hands. When he looked down and saw their unusual sacred sigils, he looked up at Xia Hong with a worried expression.

“It’s fine. It was caused by the Jade Dew Stone in Xuanling’s body. These two little ones most likely had a blessing in disguise.”

Hearing this, the worry vanished from Xia Chuan’s face. He was about to speak when his elder niece on the left reached out and grabbed his collar.

Xia Chuan froze, then shot a look upwards, his face filled with shock.

Five thousand catty! A Lumberjack realm cultivator at birth! This… how is this possible!

In disbelief, Xia Chuan reached out his index finger and prodded the hand of his nephew, Xia Yusheng, on the right. When the boy grabbed his finger, he finally confirmed that what he had just sensed was not a hallucination.

“Big Brother…”

“Say no more. They’re just a little unusual right after birth. We’ll only know what their true talent is when they grow up. Let’s go. There are still many people waiting in the Council Hall. Let’s take them out to meet everyone.”

Xia Chuan nodded immediately and didn’t press the matter, but as he looked down at the niece and nephew in his arms, his eyes were filled with ecstatic joy.

“Huh? Water droplets? What’s this?”

Suddenly, a chill rose from his left hand, which was holding his little niece. Xia Chuan quickly looked down and discovered that a thin layer of transparent water mist had condensed on his arm.

The mist wasn’t entirely transparent; a water-blue fluorescence shone from within. Under the high temperature radiated by the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, the mist was clearly turning into water droplets.

“Big Brother, is this mist turning into Hanping Jade Dew? Yu Yao is…”

“It is Hanping Jade Dew. If I’m not mistaken, Yu Sheng absorbed the core blue flame of the Jade Dew Stone, which is why his constitution is yang-aspected. Yu Yao, on the other hand, fused with the transparent outer layer of the stone, so her constitution is yin-aspected, causing her to constantly radiate this special cold qi. When this qi meets high temperatures, it condenses into jade dew. This is clearly a remarkable treasure!”

Xia Hong had seen the primary form of Hanping Jade Dew on the two Frost Apple Trees on Longshan. It was identical to the mist his daughter was producing. He had realized it the moment he first held her.

“Then, does condensing the Hanping Jade Dew have any effect on Yu Yao’s body…”

“It has no effect. The cold qi in Yu Yao’s body is endless, mostly in a state of overflow. Otherwise, it wouldn’t affect the surrounding environment!”

After hearing Xia Hong’s answer, Xia Chuan’s expression became even more ecstatic.

This meant that as long as his niece grew up safely, Great Xia would have a continuous supply of Hanping Jade Dew in the future.

His little niece was simply… too heaven-defying!

Wait, if his niece was like this, what about his nephew?

Xia Chuan was about to investigate further, but Xia Hong had already taken the two children from his arms and was striding towards the Council Hall.

…

In the Council Hall, Li Tiancheng and the other Frostwarden realm cultivators were roaring with laughter.

Hanyue had just come and anounced the news that Li Xuanling had successfully given birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins.

“Hahahaha, she’s given birth, she’s given birth! A boy and a girl, dragon and phoenix twins!”

“Yu Yao and Yu Sheng! Such grand names! The Lord chose well!”

“Their Highnesses were extraordinary right from birth. A normal birth takes half an hour at most, but Their Highnesses took almost a full hour, right?”

“What do you expect? They’re Highnesses! Good things take time!”

“Her Highness, the elder Princess Yu Yao, and His Highness, the second Prince Yu Sheng. I wonder if we’ll get a chance to see them today.”

“We should. Didn’t the Lord have Hanyue tell us to wait?”

…

“Yu Yao, Yu Sheng… Yu Yao, Yu Sheng…”

Li Tiancheng, in the front row, was the most excited of them all. He kept muttering the two names, unable to stop craning his neck towards Stargazer Hall, desperately eager to see his two grandchildren.

“Thank you all for waiting.”

Xia Hong’s voice came from behind. Li Tiancheng shot forward to the foot of the high platform and clasped his hands. “Congratulations, Lord, on the birth of your twin son and daughter. May this old man have the honor of holding his two grandchildren?”

Seeing Li Tiancheng’s eagerness, Xia Hong chuckled and nodded for him to come and hold the babies.

The nearly ninety-year-old Li Tiancheng showed a rare expression of nervousness. He first wiped his hands, then stepped forward and gently took the children from Xia Hong.

“This…”

Just as had happened with Xia Hong and Xia Chuan, Li Tiancheng immediately felt the abnormality after holding the two children. Only after Xia Hong gave him a look to reassure him did he calmly observe the two babies.

“Yu Yao, Yu Sheng, good children, good names. Good, good, good…”

Li Tiancheng had clearly pinned many hopes on his two grandchildren, endlessly repeating the word “good.” The many Frostwarden realm cultivators behind him all crowded around, looking at the children and showering them with praise.

“The sacred sigils on the Highnesses’ foreheads seem a little different!”

“They are. The sacred sigils of the two Young Lords, Yuzong and Yuning, are both blood-red. For our Highnesses, one is water-blue and the other is golden-red!”

“They must be exceptionally gifted! Their aptitude is surely far beyond ordinary people.”

“That goes without saying. How could the children of the Lord have poor aptitude?”

“Why does it feel like the temperature is different when I get close to the two Highnesses?”

“I feel it too. It’s warmer near His Highness Yu Sheng, and a little cooler near Her Highness Yu Yao.”

“This…”

…

As the crowd was showering them with praise, Li Tiancheng had begun to play with his grandson’s little hands. After Xia Yusheng grabbed his finger, his body instantly stiffened. He then looked up at Xia Hong, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Xia Hong said nothing, merely giving him a slight nod.

Gulp…

Li Tiancheng, who considered himself worldly and experienced, swallowed hard. He looked down at the two grandchildren in his arms, his pupils filled with surprise and deep emotion.

“Lord, this old man requests permission for Meng Ying, Cheng Guang, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, Yue Qian, and Song Kang to stay by the two Highnesses’ side from now on, never leaving them, to be solely responsible for their safety!”

Li Tiancheng’s sudden declaration silenced the crowd.

Xia Hong was also taken aback. He then said with a strange expression, “Is that necessary? The two infants will mostly be staying in Xiacheng. What could be unsafe?”

Li Tiancheng immediately shook his head and retorted, “You and Madam are already the two strongest people in Great Xia. You will surely focus on cultivation in the future and will often have to go out. How can you watch over the two Highnesses at all times? It is better to assign dedicated protectors.”

After he spoke, he gave Meng Ying and the other five a meaningful look.

The six men immediately stepped forward, bowed to Xia Hong, and said:

“Lord, the two Highnesses must not come to any harm. We six are willing to take up the duty of guarding Their Highnesses from now on. We hope the Lord will grant our request!”

Seeing the six voluntarily request the duty, Xia Hong first froze, then realized that Li Tiancheng had planned this all along.

Of the Eight Great Guardians of Longshan, He Tu was dead. Among the remaining seven, Zhou Yuan had a talent for leading troops and had long been recruited into the Dragon Martial Army by Yuwen Tao. The remaining six—Meng Ying and his group—had neither joined the Dragon Martial Army nor formed their own hunting team. They had even refused Xia Chuan’s previous suggestion that they take up posts in the Seven Departments at other outposts, choosing instead to remain in Li Tiancheng’s Longyuan Company.

He had previously thought that the six of them had lost their ambition and planned to just drift along.

So it turned out they were waiting for this…

“Lord, I agree with Elder Li’s suggestion. The safety of the two Highnesses is indeed important. It is necessary to have people following them at all times,” Xia Chuan stepped forward at this moment, supporting Li Tiancheng’s proposal.

Xia Hong looked a little startled, but after a moment of thought, he nodded in agreement. However, he thought for a moment more and added, “Let’s wait. We’ll talk about this again when they can walk out of Stargazer Hall on their own.”

Li Tiancheng wanted to say more, but thinking that indeed very few people could get into Stargazer Hall, he nodded.

Having successfully secured the assignment, Meng Ying and the other five looked visibly excited.

“Yuning, the silver mine, Yu Yao, Yu Sheng… today has truly been one happy event after another. A good omen, hahaha!”

Xia Hong took his two children back, his mood excellent. Thinking of the thousand-plus drops of Hanping Jade Dew Hanyue had just collected, he looked at the three hundred-plus people below and waved his hand magnanimously. “My Xia clan has gained three children in one day, and with Yuzong, who was born during the Frigid Origin Festival at the start of the year, that makes four in total. The fifth of the eighth month seems to be an auspicious day. Let’s do this: every Frostwarden realm cultivator in Great Xia will be rewarded with four Yang Core Pills, as a celebration for the birth of the four children of my Xia clan.”

Clap…

The hall fell silent in an instant. Everyone stared wide-eyed at Xia Hong, as if they had misheard.

Those were Yang Core Pills, used for cultivation by those at the Frostwarden realm! They were 3,000 contribution points a piece, one of the most expensive pills in the Logistics Department, and there was even a limit on how many one could exchange for!

Every Frostwarden realm cultivator would get four each?

There were at least three hundred Frostwarden realm cultivators in Great Xia right now. Four each would mean over 1,200 pills!

Was the Lord joking?

Qiu Peng, the Prefect of the Logistics Department, subconsciously opened his mouth to persuade Xia Hong to take back his order, but Xia Chuan at his side immediately leaned in and whispered a few words in his ear. Qiu Peng’s body jolted, and he turned to look at Xia Yuyao cradled in Xia Hong’s left arm, his eyes filled with surprise and deep emotion.

“What’s wrong? Are you all stunned? You don’t want them?”

How could they not want them!

The faces of every Frostwarden realm cultivator in the hall flushed red. They were all at a loss for words. Finally, it was Yuan Cheng who bellowed out.

“May the Lord live ten thousand years! May the Highnesses live ten thousand years!”

These four Yang Core Pills were entirely thanks to the two Highnesses…

“May the Lord live ten thousand years! May the Highnesses live ten thousand years!”

Everyone followed Yuan Cheng and shouted together, their eyes filled with joy as they looked at the two Highnesses in Xia Hong’s arms.

Xia Hong quickly covered the two children’s ears, afraid the noise would startle them. Once the crowd had calmed down, he turned and handed the children to Hanyue and Hanshuang beside him, saying, “It’s too noisy here. Take them back to their mother.”

Hanyue and Hanshuang hurried forward, each taking one child, and turned to return to Stargazer Hall.

“Since you’re all here, let’s discuss the matter of the silver mine on the northern slope of the cliffs. Tomorrow night, I’ll take you over to exterminate that group of Gnawing Rodents first, and then…”

Yuan Cheng interrupted boisterously, “Lord, our three armies are ready. For a mere group of Gnawing Rodents, wouldn’t it be making a mountain out of a molehill for you to act personally? Just leave it to us!”

The interrupted Xia Hong paused, then looked up at Yuan Cheng, a flicker of agreement in his eyes.

It was true. That group of Gnawing Rodents wasn’t strong. There really was no need for him to get involved.

“Yuan Cheng is right. My Cloud Serpent Army now has forty Frostwarden realm cultivators, the Dragon Martial Army has forty-three, and the Dragon Slaying Army has twenty-nine. Why use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken? Not only is there no need for you, Lord, but most of the settlement’s Frostwarden realm cultivators don’t need to be mobilized either. Our three armies can take that silver mine with ease!”

“Alright.”

Xia Hong was finally convinced. He nodded and said, “In that case, I’ll leave this matter to the three armies. But let me say this first: it’s not worth losing too many people for a silver mine, so you must control the casualties. If the losses are too great, I will hold you accountable.”

Yuan Cheng, brimming with confidence, immediately slapped his chest and promised, “Don’t worry, Lord! We guarantee zero deaths!”

“Good. Then I shall await your joyous news in Xiacheng.”

Chapter 337: Hanqiong’s Seven Divisions, Mo’ao Mountain, and News of Beishuo

Great Xia Calendar, Year Three, the sixth of the eighth month. Just after nightfall.

In the main hall of the Main Building, built against the eastern cliff face of Hanqiong’s Gourd Valley, Lu Yang sat at a desk, his brow furrowed with worry. He was dressed in the dark red regular uniform of a Dark-Feather Viscount.

Three men were seated on each side of the hall. To the left, in order, were Zhu Shun, Armament Master of the Logistics Division; He Xing, Chief Artisan of the Artisan Division; and He Ning, Civil Magistrate of the Civil Affairs Division. To the right were Zhao Hu, Hunt Master of the Hunting Division; Lin Fan, Herb Master of the Logging Division; and Wang Tao, Provost of the Judicial Division.

Zhu Shun, the Armament Master of the Logistics Division, who sat in the first seat on the left, was reading from a ledger:

“Total income for the seventh month: thirty-two catty of Jade Bone, four thousand three hundred catty of Beast Blood, one million two hundred ten thousand catty of beast meat, two million eight hundred thousand catty of iron ore, and five million eight hundred twenty thousand catty of coal. I won’t go into detail about the beast hides and bones. Additionally, there is one Crimson Sun Fruit tree, fifty-two stalks of Frosty Whisker Grass, twenty-seven Dual-Colored Liquid Spirit Fruits, and two hundred twelve Coiling Incense Leaves. The rest are some mid- to low-level medicinal herbs, as well as Hanqiong’s unique local products, such as Blue Pulp Fruit, Jade Fragrance Dew, and Green Fluorescent Mulberry Silk…”

After reading out the accounts, Zhu Shun put down the ledger, a wry smile on his face as he continued, “It sounds like a lot of supplies, but Hanqiong now has a population of six thousand nine hundred twenty-four. To maintain the outpost’s operations each month, beast meat alone consumes nearly seventy percent of our intake, and iron ore and coal take up half. As for the rest… I already did an inventory yesterday before the Transport Team sent the supplies over. We can send just over forty percent to Xiacheng. The estimated Creation Value for Hanqiong this month is five hundred twenty thousand, an increase of less than ten thousand from last month. There’s almost no change.”

Upon hearing Zhu Shun’s words, the five other division heads in the hall all frowned.

And Lu Yang, who was already worried, looked even more somber.

The Creation Value was a metric established by Director Xia Chuan at the beginning of the year. It represented the value created by an outpost’s surplus. Simply put, it was the total value of supplies each outpost could send to Xiacheng, measured in contribution points.

If one were to calculate the total value of all resources acquired by Hanqiong, it would certainly be more than five hundred twenty thousand. But as an independent outpost, Hanqiong needed supplies to sustain its operations. After subtracting that portion, the remainder that could be sent to Xiacheng was what translated into Creation Value.

Those willing to leave Xiacheng for an external outpost were clearly drawn by the local resources, so they were mostly at the Lumberjack and Earthforger realms. With their higher cultivation levels, the supplies they consumed, especially cultivation resources, were naturally greater.

As a result, the amount of supplies the outpost could send to Xiacheng was even smaller.

There were currently many outposts in the Great Xia territory, but besides the four districts of the Outer City, only Longshan, Wuyuan, and their Hanqiong were administered by the Seven Divisions.

There was no point in comparing with the headquarters and the four outer districts. Over eighty percent of the hunting teams, including the high-level ones, and a large number of Frostwarden realm experts were stationed there. They were the foundation of Great Xia, responsible for supporting the more than half a million people in the entire settlement.

Nor was there any point in comparing with Longshan. Every time Lu Yang returned to Xiacheng, he would make inquiries. Under Yue Feng’s governance, the population of the Longshan outpost had already exceeded twenty thousand. Its Creation Value in the sixth month had reached a staggering two million nine hundred thousand, nearly six times that of Hanqiong.

After all, their natural resources were different. Lu Yang had no intention of competing with Longshan. It was easy to find shade under a large tree. With the massive Longshan right there, Yue Feng didn’t even need to recruit; many hunting teams were fighting for a chance to go, especially the people who had been incorporated from Longyou. They were not only familiar with the Longshan environment but also understood the Frost Beast species there, so they were all willing to go.

But they should at least be able to compare with Wuyuan, right?

Wuyuan, under Xu Ning’s governance, only had the small Five Ape Mountain to its north, similar to Hanqiong’s situation with just a branch of the Longshan range. Logically, their Creation Values should have been similar.

And that was indeed the case when the Seven Divisions were first established at the beginning of the year. Both Wuyuan and Hanqiong were in dire straits, with Creation Values of less than a hundred thousand. They even needed precious cultivation resources like Beast Blood to be allocated from the Xiacheng headquarters to meet their outposts’ needs.

Lu Yang recruited people, personally led hunting expeditions, and relentlessly pushed the people of the Hanqiong outpost to mine, hunt, gather, and explore… He finally managed to raise the Creation Value to five hundred thousand in the sixth month. He thought he would be ahead of Wuyuan, but upon returning to Xiacheng and asking around, he learned that Wuyuan’s Creation Value for the sixth month had already surpassed one million.

And just like that, Hanqiong became the very last among the three external outposts!

Lu Yang sighed softly and faced the crowd. “Everyone, we need to come up with a plan. Not only are we at the bottom, but the gap with Wuyuan has nearly doubled. If this continues, forget about our year-end evaluation from headquarters—it’s questionable whether Hanqiong’s Seven Divisions will even exist next year. We’ll all have to return to Xiacheng in shame.”

Hearing Lu Yang’s words, the six people present all grew more solemn.

The original purpose for Great Xia to establish external outposts was to acquire resources for Xiacheng. The performance evaluation for officials in charge of these outposts was naturally based on their Creation Value.

The better their performance in the year-end evaluation, the greater the rewards from headquarters. What was more important was that it was tied to maintaining their current ranks and future promotions.

Great Xia’s official hierarchy currently had only five grades. The heads of the Seven Divisions at these outposts were fourth-grade, the second to last. But even for a fourth-grade official, the monthly stipend was three thousand contribution points, six Yang Core Pills, and twenty meters of silk. Aside from these tangible, immense benefits, after becoming a head of one of the Seven Divisions, everyone in the settlement would address them respectfully as ‘Lord,’ and their status had clearly risen significantly.

So, setting aside promotion, just maintaining their rank was no simple matter!

Many Frostwarden realm experts were eyeing their positions. Even if it wasn’t as drastic as Lu Yang had suggested—dissolving Hanqiong’s Seven Divisions entirely—it was still highly likely that headquarters would send replacements.

“I’ve had someone ask around in Xiacheng. The reason Wuyuan’s Creation Value surged in the sixth month is because Garrison Prefect Xu led his men east along the northern bank of the Xing River and opened up a new resource point. I think it’s called Songyang Ridge!”

Lin Fan of the Logging Division was the first to speak up, sharing the information he had gathered about Wuyuan.

Clearly, Lin Fan was not the only one who had been looking into Wuyuan. He Xing from the Artisan Division immediately nodded in agreement and added, “It’s called Songyang Ridge. I heard they not only discovered a new Frost Beast species called the Snow Ridge Fox but also identified more than ten unfamiliar plants, including Golden Pinecones, White Jade Hazels, and Blue Mulberry Trees. Several of them can be used for alchemy. It even caught the Director’s attention.”

Hearing their words, Lu Yang’s brows knitted together.

Wuyuan’s situation was no secret; he was aware of it too. What Lin Fan and He Xing were saying was obvious: they wanted him to follow Xu Ning’s example and open up a new resource point.

Hanqiong currently had only one resource point, the branch range of Longshan to the north. The range spanned a mere thirty kilometers from north to south. Over the past eight months, he and Zhao Hu had led two high-level hunting teams and had long since finished exploring it. Now, hunting teams had to search for prey along the western face of the mountain.

Opening up a new resource point would not only lead to the discovery of new materials and species but also attract more hunting teams from Xiacheng. It was, of course, the best way to increase Hanqiong’s Creation Value.

But while that was true in theory, if it were that easy, would he have waited until now?

Zhao Hu couldn’t help but speak up, his face flushed with anger:

“That brat Han Feng is just too much! If he wanted to run away with his people last year, fine, but to collapse all the mountain tunnels? He’s wasted so much of our time. If not for that, we would have reached the summit of Double Dragon Mountain through the tunnels long ago. We wouldn’t still be stuck with a single branch of the Longshan range!”

Hearing this, everyone nodded slightly, their expressions vexed.

Lu Yang’s face was the most vexed of all. The thought of Han Feng stirred anger in his heart.

Based on Hanqiong’s natural resources, it shouldn’t have warranted the establishment of a Seven Divisions administration. After all, with just one branch of the Longshan range, appointing a Garrison Commander with a dozen or so hunting teams would have been sufficient.

The decision to establish the Seven Divisions in Hanqiong was made personally by Xia Hong.

The reason was the hidden tunnel discovered beneath the Main Building in Hanqiong last year.

“Since that Han Feng dared to escape through the hidden tunnel with over a thousand people, it must lead to some safe place. After you take up your post in Hanqiong, your priority is to explore this tunnel. See if you can follow it to find Han Feng and his thousand-plus followers. It would be even better if you could discover other new settlements!”

Those were Xia Hong’s instructions when he came to Hanqiong to assume his post at the beginning of the year.

The very first thing Lu Yang did upon arriving was to organize people to explore the hidden tunnel.

The tunnel beneath the Main Building led eastward, straight up into the body of Double Dragon Mountain.

Everything was going well at first, but after Lu Yang led his men nearly ten kilometers deep, they discovered the path was blocked.

To be precise, the tunnel had been intentionally collapsed.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was responsible!

Han Feng had obviously been worried that Great Xia would follow him through the tunnel. With his Frostwarden realm cultivation, collapsing a tunnel beneath a mountain was an effortless task.

He was safe, but he had created a huge problem for Lu Yang and his men.

It was, after all, a tunnel that sloped continuously upward, leading deep into Double Dragon Mountain. The difficulty of excavating it was already astonishingly high.

Although they were almost certain the tunnel led to the upper parts of Double Dragon Mountain, Xia Hong had given strict orders not to climb the mountain without permission. So, apart from clearing out the collapsed tunnel, they had no other options.

From the second month until now, they had been clearing it for over six months and still hadn’t broken through. Not just Zhao Hu and the others, but even Lu Yang felt a surge of anger just thinking about it.

“Lord He, how is the progress on the secret tunnel?”

The excavation of the tunnel was naturally the responsibility of the Artisan Division.

Hearing Lu Yang’s question, Chief Artisan He Xing replied with a wry smile, “I was personally supervising it for a while. But by the end of the sixth month, we had dug out over twenty kilometers and there was still no end in sight. I got a little frustrated, so I handed it over to Fan Kui. I haven’t asked about it for over a month. Let’s call him over and ask about the situation!”

Fan Kui was He Xing’s subordinate, holding the position of Vice Chief Artisan in Hanqiong’s Artisan Division.

Lu Yang nodded. He was aware of the progress up to the end of the sixth month.

“Have him come over and ask. If it’s not enough, we’ll assign more men. We must…”

“My Lord, good news! Great news!”

Lu Yang’s words were suddenly cut off by a joyful cry from outside the door.

He and the six men below immediately looked toward the entrance.

“That’s Xiao Yuan’s voice. Is he back from Xiacheng already?”

“It’s just turned night. The Transport Team can’t be back yet. He must have returned early.”

“What’s the good news? He sounds so happy!”

…

The newcomer was Xiao Yuan, the Vice Armament Master of the Logistics Division. Everyone recognized his voice instantly.

The fifth of every month was the day all of Great Xia’s outposts delivered their supplies to Xiacheng. Xiao Yuan was in charge of this for Hanqiong.

The seven men were now curious as to why Xiao Yuan was so happy.

When Xiao Yuan walked in, the smile had not yet faded from his face. He first clasped his fist in a brief salute to everyone, then said with a laugh, “Xiacheng has had a string of joyous news recently! Madam has successfully given birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins, First Highness Xia Yu Yao and Second Highness Xia Yu Sheng! The Director’s second wife, Xiao Yu, has also given birth to a Young Mistress, named Xia Yuning! And Chen Ying found a silver mine on the Northern Slope of the Cliffs! That mine is only occupied by a Gnawing Rodent colony of about two thousand. Everyone in Xiacheng is saying it’s a congratulatory gift from the heavens for the birth of the two Highnesses.”

With a sudden rustle, Lu Yang and the other six men shot to their feet, their faces filled with delight.

This string of four pieces of good news was simply too much to take in.

But Xiao Yuan’s good news evidently wasn’t over.

He pulled a green porcelain bottle from his robes and said excitedly, “The Lord was overjoyed. He’s rewarded every Frostwarden realm expert in the entire settlement with four Yang Core Pills each. Hanqiong has a total of eighteen, so the Logistics Department gave me seventy-two pills to bring back to you.”

He first poured out four pills and then handed the bottle directly to Zhu Shun.

Zhu Shun was the Armament Master of the Logistics Division; distributing the Yang Core Pills was rightfully his duty.

The seven men looked at the Yang Core Pills, and the joy in their eyes deepened.

To them, Yang Core Pills were also extremely precious cultivation resources.

And four pills for each person…

“Long live the Lord! Long live the Highnesses!”

Lu Yang couldn’t help but clasp his hands and bow towards Xiacheng to the south. The other six men also grew solemn and followed his lead, bowing to the south.

“Long live the Lord! Long live the Highnesses!”

After everyone had taken their seats again, Zhu Shun immediately distributed the Yang Core Pills.

Lu Yang held the four Yang Core Pills, struggling to suppress the excitement in his heart.

“Xiao Yuan, when you went back this time, did you see the teams from Wuyuan and Longshan?”

Xiao Yuan clearly knew what Lu Yang wanted to know. A look of shame appeared on his face first, before he nodded and said, “I did. And I saw with my own eyes the Creation Values for all the outposts that Prefect Qiu announced. For the seventh month, Longshan was first with three million six hundred twenty thousand. Wuyuan was second with one million nine hundred twenty thousand. Third was Zhaoyang with eight hundred twenty thousand, fourth was Xiling with six hundred ninety thousand, and fifth was us, Hanqiong… The last place was Beiyuan, with only one hundred fifty thousand.”

This time, it wasn’t just him. Lu Yang and the other seven men flushed with shame.

Forget Longshan; Wuyuan’s value was nearly four times Hanqiong’s.

The key was that Zhaoyang and Xiling, outposts without a Seven Divisions administration, had also surpassed them!

This was simply outrageous.

As if he felt Lu Yang and the others weren’t dejected enough, Xiao Yuan continued with a wry smile, “I heard from Xu An, Wuyuan’s Vice Armament Master of the Logistics Division, that Garrison Prefect Xu discovered seven massive camps north of Songyang Ridge at the beginning of this month. He’s already started negotiating a merger with them. Wuyuan’s Creation Value for the coming months will definitely reach new heights. They might even be able to compete with Longshan!”

Thud…

Lu Yang finally couldn’t sit still any longer. He stood up abruptly and said in a low, firm voice:

“No, this won’t do. We can’t keep dragging our feet like this. If we delay any longer, forget competing with Wuyuan, all the other outposts will surpass Hanqiong. What face will I have to see the Lord and the Director when I return to Xiacheng then!”

After speaking, he turned to He Xing and said, “He Xing, allocate the manpower. Gather all the Earthforger realm cultivators in Hanqiong. We must prioritize clearing that…”

“My Lord, the tunnel is through! The tunnel is through!”

Lu Yang’s words were once again interrupted by an excited cry from outside the door.

A man covered in dirt, looking somewhat disheveled, ran in from outside. He first bowed to the assembled lords, then looked at Lu Yang and said, “Lord Fan sent me to inform all of you that the tunnel has been cleared. We’ve reached the end.”

This… this… was too much of a coincidence.

Just as he was about to order more men to focus on the excavation, the tunnel was cleared!

Lu Yang was taken aback, but his shock was quickly replaced by elation.

With the tunnel open, they could explore the area above Double Dragon Mountain.

They could open up a new resource point immediately!

Overjoyed, Lu Yang stood up straight and issued a command to those below: “Zhao Hu, Zhu Shun, Wang Tao, you three take your elite members and follow me.”

“Yes!”

The three men’s faces were also filled with joy. After replying, they immediately left the hall to assemble their teams.

Lu Yang then looked towards the door and called out, “Qingshan, tell the First Company they don’t need to go out hunting tonight. Have them assemble at the Main Building.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

A response came immediately from outside, followed by the sound of someone descending the stairs quickly.

“Two high-level squads, two mid-level squads that are about to be promoted… that should be enough. We’re just going to scout the way. There shouldn’t be much danger!”

Hanqiong’s resources were poor, so not many hunting teams were willing to come here, and their strength wasn’t high. The entire outpost had only two high-level hunting teams: his own Dongyang Squad and Zhao Hu’s Steel Mane Squad.

Zhu Shun’s Zhaolong Squad and Wang Tao’s Frostslayer Squad, though mid-level, each had three Frostwarden realm members, so they weren’t far from being promoted to high-level.

“Han Feng was able to escape through the hidden tunnel with over a thousand people last year. There’s no reason we can’t. That’s the plan. We’ll scout out the situation first, then return to Xiacheng to report to the Leader!”

Lu Yang pondered for a moment, and after making his decision, he quickly strode out of the hall.

The entrance to the hidden tunnel was in the basement of the Main Building.

It was just after nightfall, so the people in the outpost had not yet gone out.

By the time Lu Yang got downstairs, the elites of the four hunting teams had already assembled.

“My Lord, all thirty members of the First Company are here.”

Vice-captain Hong Qingshan stepped forward to report.

The Dongyang Squad was already a high-level hunting team with a full complement of one hundred members. Lu Yang followed the practice of other high-level hunting teams in the settlement and divided the members into three companies.

The First Company consisted of the thirty most elite members, all with cultivation above the Earthforger limit, responsible for hunting high-level Frost Beasts. The Second Company’s thirty members had lower cultivation but base strengths all above twenty thousand catty, responsible for hunting mid- to low-level Frost Beasts. The Third Company was the weakest, specifically tasked with fulfilling the team’s mining quotas.

Zhao Hu’s Steel Mane Squad had also brought thirty elite members. Zhu Shun’s and Wang Tao’s squads had each brought twenty. All of them were clad in Hundred-forged grade Thunder Kui golden armor and, like his own squad members, had cultivation levels above the Earthforger limit.

As Lu Yang looked at the thirty men from the Steel Mane Squad, he suddenly noticed that there were seven Frostwarden realm members among them, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

“Someone from the Steel Mane Squad has broken through again. Congratulations, Lord Zhao!”

The Steel Mane Squad had always been in Hanqiong, so Lu Yang knew very well that they, like the Dongyang Squad, only had six Frostwarden realm members. This extra one had clearly broken through recently.

“Hahaha, Lord Lu has sharp eyes. Zhao Shen just broke through three days ago. I haven’t had a chance to report it to Xiacheng yet. Zhao Shen, come and greet Lord Lu!”

From the flank of the Steel Mane Squad, the newly promoted middle-aged Frostwarden realm expert stepped forward, bowed to Lu Yang, and said, “Zhao Shen greets Lord Lu!”

“No need for formalities.”

He also had the surname Zhao, so he was most likely from Zhao Hu’s clan!

Lu Yang nodded, gesturing for Zhao Shen to rise. He then looked around at everyone and said sternly, “Fan Kui should be waiting for us at the end of the tunnel. Let me make this clear: beyond the tunnel is an unfamiliar area. Unfamiliar means dangerous. I am taking you there tonight only to scout the situation, not to do anything else. Everyone must follow my commands and not act on your own. Do you all understand?”

Seeing Lu Yang’s serious expression, the others straightened up and replied in unison, “Understood, my Lord!”

“Good, then let’s move out!”

With that, Lu Yang was the first to jump into the hidden tunnel. Zhao Hu, Zhu Shun, Wang Tao, and the subsequent hundred elite members all followed closely behind.

Bang…

The hidden tunnel was over fifty meters deep. Lu Yang’s landing made a loud thud.

Having been in Hanqiong for over eight months, Lu Yang had been down here dozens of times. He was not unfamiliar with it at all and expertly made his way eastward along the passage.

The main task of Hanqiong’s Artisan Division was currently clearing this tunnel, so people were in and out every day. Coal lamps were lit every hundred meters for illumination, so it wasn’t dark at all.

By the sixth month, they had already cleared over twenty kilometers. Fan Kui hadn’t specified their current location, but Lu Yang wasn’t impatient. He led his men eastward along the tunnel.

“We must have gone nearly forty kilometers, haven’t we? Is it still not the end?”

After walking for almost an hour without reaching the end, the short-tempered Zhao Hu finally grew impatient and grumbled.

“We haven’t been walking straight east. The tunnel curves. It must have turned left a few times in the middle. We should be heading north now!”

Wang Tao had a good sense of direction and immediately identified their current bearing.

“Heading north? Then the exit might not be at the summit of Double Dragon Mountain. That makes sense. If it led directly to the summit, how would Han Feng have dared to escape from here with over a thousand people.”

“Keep moving. The temperature is starting to drop. We should be close!”

Lu Yang’s feeling was correct. The group walked less than five kilometers further before the sound of airflow grew louder. After another five hundred meters, they finally heard voices coming from ahead in the tunnel.

“The Garrison Prefect is here!”

“Lord Fan, Garrison Prefect Lu is here.”

“Greetings, Garrison Prefect, Lord Zhao, Lord Zhu, Lord Wang.”

The tunnel was indeed cleared. Lu Yang saw the exit from a distance, and his expression turned excited.

“No need for formalities. Fan Kui, have you been outside to look?”

Fan Kui shook his head and replied, “As soon as the tunnel was cleared, I immediately sent someone to inform you, my Lords. We only glanced outside from the entrance. I believe this should be the northern side of Double Dragon Mountain, not far from the periphery. If you are going out to explore, my Lord, you can head north.”

Lu Yang nodded, walked to the entrance, and leaned out to look. His expression immediately became one of thrilled excitement.

The entrance they were in was located in the middle of a steep slope over a hundred meters high.

Outside was a world blanketed in white snow, not too different from Redwood Ridge, the Arrow Bamboo Forest, or Longshan.

What truly excited Lu Yang were the countless unfamiliar plants visible at a glance, the occasional flashes of never-before-seen Frost Beast silhouettes, and the complex, overlapping mountain ranges in the distance… This was a new world, completely different in style from the Pingxi Plain at the foot of Double Dragon Mountain, an uncharted territory that Great Xia had never set foot in.

“Zhao Hu, Zhu Shun, Wang Tao, have everyone get ready. Follow me out!”

At Lu Yang’s command, the one hundred elite hunting team members who had followed him became incredibly fired up. Everyone immediately adjusted their armor, readied their bows, and checked their weapons and equipment, preparing to exit the cave.

“Fan Kui, you and your men guard this place. Stay hidden and don’t let anyone discover this entrance. I’ll give you a code signal when I return.”

“Yes, my Lord!”

In just a moment, seeing that everyone was ready, Lu Yang gave Fan Kui one last instruction and then stepped out of the cave first. Zhao Hu and the hundred-plus men immediately followed him out.

“What’s this tree? It’s purple under the icicles?”

“Look over there! There are so many green fruits on that tree. We’ve never seen those in Xiacheng, have we?”

“Look at that patch of grass to the south, is it glowing?”

“On that tree over there, see it? What kind of sharp-beaked, monkey-faced Frost Beast is that?”

“We’ve struck it rich! We’ve really struck it rich! So many new species.”

…

As soon as they jumped out of the cave and got a clear view of the outside world, everyone became excited. Fortunately, they remembered Lu Yang’s earlier instructions. Although they were thrilled, they kept their voices low, speaking only in whispers.

Zhao Hu, Zhu Shun, and Wang Tao were also struggling to contain their excitement. They turned to Lu Yang, waiting for his command to start exploring.

“As Fan Kui suggested, let’s head north together first to see if this is really the northern edge of Double Dragon Mountain.”

Lu Yang remained calm. He first scanned the surrounding area and sensed that the nearby Frost Beasts were not strong, nor were there many high-level ones. He immediately led everyone to explore to the north.

“Zhu Shun and Wang Tao, lead the team. Zhao Hu and I will scout ahead. Everyone can explore on their own, but no one is to stray more than two hundred meters from the group. Let’s go!”

After walking for about two kilometers, Lu Yang sensed that the strength of the surrounding Frost Beasts was getting weaker. He immediately changed tactics, leading Zhao Hu ahead to scout.

When Zhu Shun, Wang Tao, and the hundred or so remaining men heard his command, their expressions lit up with excitement.

They were allowed to explore on their own, which meant they could freely hunt new Frost Beasts and gather new plant species. If the new things they brought back were found to be of great use, they could be exchanged for a large number of contribution points.

Setting aside the group’s excitement for a moment, Lu Yang and Zhao Hu left the team and sped northward, quickly covering seven or eight kilometers.

Zhao Hu, growing a bit impatient and wanting to see how much farther north they had to go, found a large tree over a hundred meters tall and climbed it.

Lu Yang didn’t stop him, but continued to observe the surroundings.

Soon, he made a discovery in a patch of snow.

“This is… a sleeve made of beast hide…”

Looking at the tattered black beast hide sleeve in his hand, Lu Yang’s eyes shone brightly.

This piece of a sleeve revealed a great deal.

There was definitely a human settlement nearby, and their strength was likely not too formidable.

“This… Lord Lu, hurry up and take a look!”

While Lu Yang was feeling excited, he heard Zhao Hu’s voice from the tree and immediately climbed up the same tree.

From the top of a hundred-meter-tall tree, the view was naturally expansive. Lu Yang thought Zhao Hu had discovered something to the north, so he looked in that direction as soon as he reached the top.

But he found nothing but snowy forests to the north.

“Look a little to the right!”

To the right was a northeasterly direction.

At Zhao Hu’s prompting, Lu Yang turned to look to the east.

At this sight, his expression went blank, and then his eyes filled with profound shock.

“That… that… what is that…”

To the northeast, there was a mountain!

Longshan, Double Dragon Mountain, Beilang Mountains—Lu Yang had seen many mountains.

An ordinary mountain would certainly not have elicited such a reaction from him.

The problem was, that mountain was simply too high.

Its peak seemed to connect with the heavens, like a god or demon looking down upon the entire Ice Abyss from beyond the sky. Its height was impossible to estimate by sight alone.

The key was that its summit wasn’t a single point, but a single, solid line that followed the majestic mountain range stretching from northwest to southeast.

“Gulp… Are the Beilang Mountains even half as tall as that?”

Hearing Zhao Hu’s voice, Lu Yang took a deep breath and immediately shook his head.

“Forget half; I doubt it’s even a tenth. We can see it so clearly from so far away. This mountain…”

Zhao Hu suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, “Could this be Mo’ao Mountain, the one those two brats from Beishuo Town talked about four years ago?”

Lu Yang froze for a moment, then immediately realized who Zhao Hu was talking about.

Four years ago, Yang Ning and Li Hu from Beishuo Town had indeed said that all the human settlements lived at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain.

“Judging by this height, it must be Mo’ao Mountain!”

To think they were actually seeing Mo’ao Mountain…

Lu Yang took a deep breath, firmly committing the sight of Mo’ao Mountain to memory, preparing to report it to Xia Hong upon his return.

Bang…

“Hahaha, got it, got it!”

“People!”

Zhao Hu whipped his head around to look to the west, his face full of joy.

A Frostwarden realm expert could sense movement within a several-hundred-meter radius. If Zhao Hu could hear the noise to the west, Lu Yang naturally could too. However, since he had already found the half-torn beast hide sleeve on the ground, his reaction was not as strong as Zhao Hu’s.

“Let’s go take a look. Don’t startle them!”

…

In a snowy forest not far away, a half-grown boy of about twelve or thirteen, dressed in a purple cotton coat, was surrounded by more than twenty adults.

The boy had his foot on a sheep-like Frost Beast that was over three meters long. His face was full of pride as he enjoyed the flattery of those around him.

“The Young Lord hit its left eye with a single arrow! Amazing!”

“This is an adult Black Demon Antelope. Its strength is probably around fifteen thousand.”

“The Young Lord is only twelve this year, right? His base strength is already over nine thousand. He’s about to break through to the Earthforger realm. So strong!”

“Of the seven camps within a hundred-li radius, probably only the second young mistress of Hongyuan Camp has better aptitude than the Young Lord.”

“Indeed. Apart from Hong Yuru, there’s likely no one else.”

“I heard Hong Yuru has caught the eye of a big shot from Beishuo Town and is already engaged. It would’ve been nice if she married our Young Lord!”

…

Hearing the name Hong Yuru, a flicker of displeasure rose in Zhu Baixu’s eyes. He sneered, “Hong Yuru is sixteen this year. I heard her base strength just passed twenty-five thousand. I still have more than three years to catch up. Surpassing her is only a matter of time.”

“Indeed, indeed. The Young Lord is young. Surpassing her will definitely not be a problem.”

“Hong Yuru is going to marry out anyway. She won’t be staying in our Beining Mountain in the future. It’s useless no matter how talented she is.”

“She’s just a woman. As for catching the eye of a big shot from Beishuo Town, I think it’s just a rumor. If a real big shot took a fancy to her, why wouldn’t they just bring everyone from Hongyuan Camp to Beishuo Town?”

“That’s right. It’s probably just some minor figure from Beishuo Town.”

…

Noticing the displeasure in his tone, the crowd quickly changed their tune.

Zhu Baixu’s expression softened slightly upon hearing this. Then, a malicious glint appeared in his eyes as he said, “Big Brother has already gone to investigate. Hong Fan is trying to marry off his daughter to get in with Beishuo Town, hoping to resist the rule of my Zhuling Camp on Beining Mountain. Wishful thinking! Even if he really does get a big shot on his side, Father has ways to make his plan go up in smoke. Hmph!”

Hearing his words, a shiver inexplicably ran down the backs of the adults.

In this region of Beining Mountain, the authority of Zhuling Camp was indeed difficult to shake.

“Alright, that’s enough for tonight. Let’s head back!”

At Zhu Baixu’s command, the twenty-odd adults immediately sprang into action. Some took his bow, some took his weapons, and others helped carry the prey…

Clearly, he was accustomed to a life of luxury.

Just after the group had departed, two voices suddenly came from the tree.

“Did I hear that right? Did they just mention Beishuo Town?”

“You heard right. It was Beishuo Town. We must be close to Beishuo Town. Beining Mountain, seven camps… looking at that kid’s cultivation level, and those twenty-odd Earthforger realm cultivators, they must be large camps, village-level at most.”

“This is great! Let’s hurry back and report to the Lord!”

“Not so fast. Let’s find out the location of this camp first. Follow them!”

Chapter 338: Songyang Ridge, Seven Houses Submit, First Batch of Silver Arrives

Year Three of the Great Xia, the eighth day of the eighth month, at night.

North of the Xing River, more than twenty kilometers east of Five Ape Mountain.

A contingent of over three hundred people was slowly advancing northward through a snow-covered forest.

The vast majority of them wore Hundred-forged grade Thunder Kui Gold Armor, carried thirty-Stone strongbows on their backs, and wielded various weapons. Only the dozen or so people at the head of the group wore the standard attire of the Great Xia.

While the rear of the column remained mostly quiet, the leading dozen chatted leisurely as they walked, their expressions exceptionally relaxed. They were clearly not out on a hunt.

“Judging by the flow of the Xing River, the terrain on both banks should rise steadily from west to east. The Pingxi Plain where we live must be in the middle or lower reaches of the river.”

“The cliffs of Double Dragon Mountain run for hundreds of kilometers from north to south, with its lowest point still over two thousand meters high. This valley through which the Tenebrous River flows is its only fault line. To enter the Pingxi Plain normally, one must pass through the slopes on these two banks.”

“We don’t know about the south bank, but our north bank here is at most five kilometers wide. So far, Songyang Ridge seems to be the only exception. I wonder if there are any other wider areas further east. If we could find a few more resource points, Wuyuan’s prestige would rise even higher in the Lord’s eyes!”

“Haha, Lord Zhao, you’re a bit too ambitious. Just discovering Songyang Ridge, which gives Wuyuan the qualifications to contend with Longshan, is already quite an achievement. If we can annex all seven camps in one fell swoop this time, it will be a great merit. At the year-end evaluation, we might not even lose to Longshan. If we find other new resource points, Wuyuan would be drawing a bit too much attention.”

“Hahahaha, you have a point!”

…

Hearing the banter from Lin Kai, Zhao Bao, Yu Bin, and the others behind him, and thinking about the stir Wuyuan had been causing in Xiacheng recently, a smile appeared on Xu Ning’s face at the very front. However, as he looked up at the northern bank before them, his mind was occupied with much more.

He took a slight breath and said in a deep voice:

“The Lord named this place Xinggu Pass, meaning it is the sole gateway connecting the Pingxi Plain to the outside world. For such a crucial pass, our Great Xia must naturally hold its entire territory firmly in our grasp. Songyang Ridge is just the beginning. Once we’ve dealt with those seven camps, we must immediately begin exploring Songyang Ridge and push eastward, turning the entire north bank of Xinggu Pass into the territory of our Great Xia!”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “In this way, our Great Xia can push eastward, extending our territory beyond the Pingxi Plain, perhaps even taking all of Double Dragon Mountain to challenge the legendary Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao!”

Lin Kai, Zhao Bao, Yu Bin, Lin Ye, Xu Shicheng, and all the other officials from Wuyuan’s seven divisions behind them turned slightly more somber upon hearing these grandiloquent words.

Among them, only Lin Kai knew about Xinggu Pass; the rest were hearing it from Xu Ning for the first time. Only now did they understand the critical strategic location of Wuyuan.

“No wonder the Lord established seven divisions in Wuyuan. So that’s the reason!”

“I was wondering why a place as small as Five Ape Mountain, with so few resources, would require seven divisions. It seems I was being short-sighted.”

“The Lord is truly farsighted. I, Yu, am thoroughly convinced!”

…

Hearing Yu Bin’s last sentence, Xu Ning turned to look at him, a hint of satisfaction on his face.

Yu Bin had been the leader of the former Xiling camp and had been part of the Great Xia for less than a year after Longyou’s annexation. Because of the assassination attempt on the Lord in Longshan last year, Xia Chuan’s impression of him was very poor.

Naturally, Xu Ning felt the same.

But it had to be said, Yu Bin’s performance since joining the Great Xia had been truly excellent.

Last July, while still in Longshan, he had formed the Lingyuan Squad with Yu Cheng and Long Mu, two Frostwarden realm experts from the original Xiling camp. With a solid foundation, Lingyuan was promoted to a High-level Hunting Team during the Frigid Origin Festival at the start of the year.

When Wuyuan’s seven divisions were established at the beginning of the year, the position of Herb Master in the Logging Division was vacant. The Director had intended to let others compete for it, but not long after the Frigid Origin Festival, Yu Bin achieved another great merit in the Beilang Mountains.

Hou Jing had been ennobled at the start of the year for finding a silver mine in the Beilang Mountains, and the clue to this mine had been discovered by the Lingyuan Squad, which was stationed in Zhaoyang at the time.

Speaking of which, Yu Bin was rather unlucky. He had found several Zhu Silver Flowers at the base of the cliffs, probably only two or three kilometers from the silver mine. He had already started excavating into the mountain with his men when they were discovered by nine high-level Giant Fire Lizards.

Not only did five members of the Lingyuan Squad die, but Yu Bin himself was seriously injured.

Left with no choice, he could only report the clue. At that time, the strongest hunting team in northern Longyou was Hou Jing’s Beizhao Squad. This was how Hou Jing’s subsequent ennoblement came to be.

Of course, Yu Bin hadn’t confirmed the exact location of the silver mine, but his contribution was still significant. Thus, Xia Chuan gave him the position of Herb Master of Wuyuan’s Logging Division.

Since taking up his post, Yu Bin had performed admirably. Not only did he cooperate fully with Xu Ning, the Garrison Prefect, in his daily work, but after the discovery of Songyang Ridge in June, he personally led a team to survey the area. He discovered more than ten new species, including Golden Pine Nuts, White Jade Hazelnuts, and Blue Mulberry Trees, earning him considerable merit.

Furthermore, his usual words and actions showed his deepening respect for the Lord, Xia Hong. He was indeed integrating into the Great Xia at a rapid pace.

“My lord, we’ve arrived at Songyang Ridge!”

Xu Ning’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a voice from behind. He looked up and saw that the team had already emerged from the snowy forest and arrived at the southern end of a mountain ridge.

The name Songyang Ridge, of course, was not coined by Xu Ning. He had only learned of it after leading a team through the snowy forest in May and making contact with the locals.

It was called Songyang Ridge, firstly because the terrain was relatively high, and secondly because the most common vegetation on the ridge was a tree called Jade Pine.

This Jade Pine had a peculiar growth pattern. Its main trunk grew upwards in a twisted, crooked manner, reaching a maximum height of only about twenty meters. It looked malnourished, yet the leaves on its branches were extremely lush.

Moreover, its leaves were transparent and incredibly smooth, like clear glass. Because snow didn’t linger on them, the entire ridge would reflect intense light when the sun shone during the day, making it impossible to look at directly.

Of course, it was nighttime now, so this unique spectacle was not visible.

“My lord, they’re coming over!”

At his brother Xu An’s reminder, Xu Ning nodded slightly. He could already see about a dozen people approaching from a half-kilometer to the west.

There were sixteen people in the approaching group. When they detected more than twenty powerful auras from the Great Xia’s side, as well as three hundred men clad in golden armor and carrying strongbows, their pace clearly slowed. But led by a middle-aged man, they still walked over slowly.

“Sixteen people, only two at the Earthforger realm. It seems all the Frostwarden realm experts from the seven houses are here. We’ll get a result tonight.”

“Those two Earthforger realm experts are women, and so young! Don’t tell me they want to…”

…

As the other party observed them, Xu Ning and his men naturally observed back.

Xu Ning had discovered Songyang Ridge back in May. Over the past three months, he had secretly sent people to thoroughly investigate the situation of the seven houses on the ridge. He knew very well that each house had only two Frostwarden realm experts. It was clear that all of them had come today.

Yu Bin, old and shrewd, saw the two young women who were only at the Earthforger realm and instantly understood, a smile spreading across his face.

Although he didn’t finish his sentence, the others immediately caught on, and faint smiles appeared on their faces.

Only Xu Shicheng, the Provost of the Judicial Division, did not smile. Instead, he furrowed his brow, and his gaze on the sixteen people opposite them grew much colder.

…

Soon, the sixteen people from the west arrived before Xu Ning.

It was clear that their eyes were filled with profound shock. As their gazes lingered on the three hundred fully armed men behind Xu Ning, several audible gulps could be heard.

“Ji Yang of Wanlong, leading the six houses of Songyang Ridge, pays his respects to Lord Xu!”

Although he had dealt with Xu Ning many times over the past three months, Ji Yang couldn’t help but feel a surge of dread as he carefully assessed the three-hundred-plus men Xu Ning had brought tonight.

Twenty-seven Frostwarden realm experts, and the remaining two hundred-plus were all at the Earthforger limit. One look was enough to tell they had begun reshaping their Hides, and the unstable auras of several dozen of them indicated they were on the verge of a breakthrough.

Was the Great Xia truly so powerful?

Xu Ning had previously given him many fine goods from the Great Xia—high-quality cotton cloth, refined salt, Beast Spirit Pills, Blood Origin Pills… From those items, Ji Yang had already sensed the Great Xia’s might. This was also why he had strongly advocated for the other six houses of Songyang Ridge to join the Great Xia along with Wanlong Camp.

“As Xu Ning said, Wuyuan is just an external outpost of the Great Xia. His position as Wuyuan’s Garrison Prefect is a fourth-rank official post, the second-lowest in the Great Xia. Even so, he can casually summon over twenty Frostwarden realm experts and three hundred at the Earthforger limit. Then the third, second, and first-rank officials above him must be…”

Thinking of the bits of information he had learned about the Great Xia, Ji Yang felt his mind go numb.

Power on this level was far beyond his comprehension.

“Brother Ji, aren’t you going to introduce these gentlemen?”

Hearing Xu Ning’s voice in his daze, Ji Yang immediately came to his senses and hastily spoke to the six people beside him, “Lord Xu is the Garrison Prefect of the Great Xia’s Wuyuan outpost. Since this is the first time you are all meeting, please introduce yourselves. I won’t say more!”

The six people immediately nodded and stepped forward, successively bowing to Xu Ning and speaking:

“Wang He of Songhu, pays his respects to Lord Xu.”

“Nie Zichuan of Zhaolu, pays his respects to Lord Xu.”

“He Qing of Songbei, pays his respects to Lord Xu.”

“Zhu Ziyang of Tiegu, pays his respects to Lord Xu.”

“Wei Dong of Binhe, pays his respects to Lord Xu.”

“Chai Biao of Qingsong, pays his respects to Lord Xu.”

Songyang Ridge was indeed not very strong. Among the seven Frostwarden realm leaders, the strongest, Ji Yang and Nie Zichuan, had a base strength of just over Six Mane. Judging by the state of their Hides, they were still in the late-Frostwarden realm, so their talent was clearly lacking. The other five leaders were even weaker, between Three and Five Mane.

The remaining seven Frostwarden realm experts were weaker still, only between One and Three Mane.

Xu Ning scanned the six of them, nodded slightly, and smiled. “None of you have joined the Great Xia yet, so technically, addressing me as ‘Lord’ is an honor. You are too kind!”

Hearing Xu Ning mention that they had not yet joined the Great Xia, the expressions of Ji Yang and the other six changed slightly, a flicker of uncertainty in their hearts.

Xu Ning clearly caught the subtle change in their expressions. A peculiar light entered his eyes as he said, “Although this is the first time I am meeting you six, I trust Brother Ji has already relayed the Great Xia’s intentions. Since you have all come today, you must have an answer in your hearts. Please, speak directly!”

Ji Yang clearly hadn’t expected Xu Ning to be so direct. He turned and exchanged glances with the six leaders beside him for a moment before finally stepping forward himself, clasping his hands with some apprehension. “Since the Great Xia intends to take us in, we certainly won’t be unappreciative. But Lord Xu, please forgive me for being blunt. The seven houses of Songyang Ridge have a total population of over one hundred fourteen thousand, which is not a small number. If the Great Xia is unwilling to offer any terms, we…”

“It seems you all came prepared today. Please speak frankly, Brother Ji. As I’ve said before, feel free to state any demands. As long as they are within my authority and do not violate the current regulations of the Great Xia, I can agree to them!”

Xu Ning’s forthright attitude made Ji Yang even more uneasy. He exchanged another round of glances with the six men beside him before slowly speaking, proposing a total of five conditions.

“First, we will take out all the supplies our seven houses have stored and distribute them among everyone. The Great Xia must guarantee these assets will remain untouched.

“Second, we seven hope to sell our privately owned iron and coal mines to the Great Xia in exchange for the contribution points Lord Xu mentioned. Of course, we will also distribute these contribution points among our people, so they have time to adapt after joining the Great Xia.

“Third, for the fourteen of us at the Frostwarden realm, ten Yang Core Pills each. For the one hundred twenty-nine at the Earthforger limit, one hundred catties of Beast Blood each.

“Fourth, since the fourteen of us have chosen to join, we naturally hope to make a name for ourselves in the Great Xia. Therefore, we implore the Lord to grant the seven of us some official positions within the camp. Of course, we wouldn’t dare to dream of high and powerful positions like yours, Lord Xu. Lower-ranking posts will suffice.

“As for the fifth condition, it is…”

As he reached the fifth point, Ji Yang suddenly stopped.

It wasn’t because of any reaction from the Great Xia’s side; Xu Ning and the others had been listening quietly, their expressions unchanging from start to finish.

“Ji Yun, Nie Rou, come forward!”

The two young women at the Earthforger realm slowly walked to the front.

They were both about fifteen or sixteen years old and quite comely. It was apparent they had made an effort to dress up, but the conditions on Songyang Ridge were limited. A light red cotton tunic with a snow-white beast-fur vest was flattering on account of their youth. They seemed to have applied something to their faces, making their skin less dull than that of an ordinary person, which indeed made the eyes of Xu Ning and his entourage brighten for a moment.

“This is my humble daughter, Ji Yun, and Leader Nie’s daughter, Nie Rou. I make bold to propose a match for the two of them, to have them marry the Lor—”

“Insolence!”

Before Ji Yang could finish, he was cut off by a sharp rebuke from Xu Shicheng on Xu Ning’s left.

Xu Shicheng was clearly furious. He was at the late-Frostwarden realm with a base strength as high as Eight Mane. When his aura erupted fully, all the Frostwarden experts from Songyang Ridge were startled. The two young women turned deathly pale, their bodies trembling slightly.

Ji Yang didn’t understand why Xu Shicheng was so angry. But seeing that Xu Ning remained silent, he realized Xu Shicheng’s status was also not simple. His heart sank, and he began to feel a tinge of regret.

Of course, he was more confused than anything.

The first four conditions were all requests for things. Only this last one was an offer to the Great Xia, a pledge of allegiance. Why would this man have such a strong reaction?

“Lord Xu, the Great Xia’s expansion and annexation does not rely on marriage alliances. A personage like the Lord will surely have more and more camps trying to send him women in the future. If he accepts every single one, the peace of his household will be difficult to maintain, and Madam will likely be unhappy. I believe this fifth condition should be waived!”

…

This Xu Shicheng must be one of the Lord’s wife’s people.

Ji Yang understood instantly. But after exchanging a look with Nie Zichuan beside him, he gritted his teeth and continued to address Xu Ning:

“Garrison Prefect Xu, though the Great Xia is powerful, our seven houses on Songyang Ridge were not living poorly here. If you are unwilling to agree to these five conditions, we will not join the Great Xia…”

“Heh!”

Shing…

Xu Shicheng let out two cold sneers. The two people standing behind him, along with more than forty elites from the Qingmang Hunting Team, instantly drew their weapons, staring menacingly at Ji Yang and the other thirteen.

“Perfect if you don’t agree. We’ll just take care of all of you right now and save a large batch of cultivation resources!”

“Lord Xu, please calm down!”

Just as looks of shock and anger filled the faces of Ji Yang and his people, Xu Ning finally spoke.

He first signaled for Xu Shicheng to calm down, then turned his head to glance at the two young women before finally looking at Ji Yang and saying in a deep voice, “Brother Ji, we’ve known each other for three months. Songyang Ridge cannot delay any longer. I won’t hide it from you. We came here tonight, and no matter what your seven houses think, there is only one path for you to take: to join the Great Xia!”

Hearing this, the expressions of Ji Yang and the others darkened slightly.

They had already had a premonition when they saw the three hundred fully armed men from the Great Xia, but hearing Xu Ning say it so bluntly still made their hearts sink.

“You’ve just proposed five conditions. I can agree to the first three. The fourth is definitely not possible. To hold a position in the Great Xia, one must either make contributions to the camp and accumulate merits, or be strong enough to earn the esteem of the Lord and the Director. Unfortunately, you fourteen from Songyang Ridge meet neither of these criteria. So giving you positions is impossible.

“As for this fifth one!”

Xu Ning paused, then turned to look at Xu Shicheng, whose face was still grim. After a quick thought, he continued:

“Lord Xu was right just now. If anyone can send people to the Lord’s side, we will be hard-pressed to escape blame if anything goes wrong. How about this? I can send them to Madam for her to see. Whether they can stay and serve by the Lord’s side will be entirely up to Madam. It’s up to you whether you agree or not!”

Marrying the Lord and staying to serve by his side were two completely different things. How could Ji Yang not understand Xu Ning’s meaning?

He and Nie Zichuan exchanged a look, a hint of conflict in their eyes, but in the end, they nodded helplessly.

“Ji Yang thanks Lord Xu!”

Xu Ning had already spoken so bluntly. If they still disagreed, they would truly be unappreciative.

What Xu Shicheng had said earlier was no bluff. The three hundred men the Great Xia had brought tonight could take them down without any problem.

“Good, Brother Ji is indeed straightforward. Then let’s not delay. The seven houses can return now to count your people and pack your things. Also, please have each of the seven of you form a temporary guard escort. I will station my men at Wanlong Camp tonight, and tomorrow night, together with your escorts, we will begin escorting your migration!”

After negotiating with the seven houses of Songyang Ridge for over three months, he had finally secured them.

Xu Ning was incredibly excited, his face beaming with joy.

For any annexation or expansion, whether through war or not, the headquarters would award military merit and contribution points. Crucially, the Director placed great importance on minimizing casualties; the lower the losses, the greater the rewards. Thus, for them, achieving annexation without fighting would naturally maximize their benefits.

This was the reason for Xu Ning’s excitement.

Of course, it wasn’t just Xu Ning. Lin Kai, Zhao Bao, Yu Bin, and even the recently furious Xu Shicheng couldn’t help but show joy on their faces. The elite hunting team members behind them were even more elated.

In contrast, Ji Yang, Nie Zichuan, and the others from Songyang Ridge looked somewhat dejected and bewildered, lost in the uncertainty of their future.

Xu Ning saw this but didn’t offer any words of comfort. He knew that their present gloom and confusion would soon vanish like smoke into thin air once they reached Xiacheng and saw all that the Great Xia had to offer.

…

Year Three of the Great Xia, the twelfth day of the eighth month.

Just as Xu Ning had thought, the moment Ji Yang, Nie Zichuan, Wang He, and the other fourteen, leading the first batch of migrants from Songyang Ridge, arrived at Xiacheng, their expressions instantly went blank.

They hadn’t even entered the city yet. Just the sight of the magnificent city wall, spanning four kilometers, was enough to fill their eyes with unconcealable shock.

“Old Ji, look at that group of people by the city gate.”

At Nie Zichuan’s prompt, Ji Yang quickly looked toward the gate. What he saw added several shades of horror to his already shocked expression.

There were over a hundred men at the city gate, clearly the soldiers guarding it. The problem was that the attire of these hundred-plus men was identical to that of the three hundred elites Xu Ning had brought to Songyang Ridge.

Hundred-forged armor, Hundred-forged grade weapons, and all of them at the Earthforger limit.

It turned out that the three hundred men Xu Ning had brought to Songyang Ridge four days ago were not elites at all. In the Great Xia, even the city gate guards possessed the cultivation of the Earthforger limit.

“Hey, Xu Ning is back from Wuyuan!”

By coincidence, another group of people walked out from the city.

The man in the lead wore the same crimson regular attire as Xu Ning. Seeing Xu Ning from afar, he immediately walked over with more than forty people behind him, smiling. He raised an eyebrow at Ji Yang and the others and asked Xu Ning:

“Are these the people from Songyang Ridge?”

“Xu Ning pays his respects to the Vice-Prefect!”

The man was Luo Yuan. Xu Ning first clasped his hands in salute, then nodded. He pointed at Luo Yuan and introduced him to Ji Yang and the others, “This is Lord Luo Yuan, the Vice-Prefect of our Great Xia’s Hunting Department.”

Behind Xu Ning, Ji Yang, Nie Zichuan, and the other fourteen were already wide-eyed with astonishment. They couldn’t sense Luo Yuan’s strength at all, but the problem was that among the fifty people behind him, there were thirteen Frostwarden realm auras.

Just how many Frostwarden realm experts did the Great Xia have?

Ji Yang and the others were so horrified that they forgot to greet Luo Yuan.

Luo Yuan didn’t mind. Looking at Ji Yang’s group, he suddenly remembered something, chuckled, and teased Xu Ning:

“So they’re the ones who wanted to send women to the Lord, right? I heard Xu Shicheng sent someone back two days ago to tattle to Madam. Xu Ning, you’re in for a scolding this time!”

Xu Ning let out a bitter smile at his words. He had guessed that Xu Shicheng would report back, but he hadn’t expected it to be so fast.

“I didn’t agree! I only promised to send the two of them to Madam’s side. If Madam doesn’t like them, she can just send them back.”

“Hahaha, quite clever. But you’ve already sent them over, can Madam refuse? The way I see it, Madam must hate you now. No matter how you handle this kind of thing, you’ll offend someone. Listen to me, if you encounter this again in the future, just turn it down directly. You can’t go wrong.”

Hearing Luo Yuan say that Madam already hated him, Xu Ning’s expression turned apprehensive. The excellent mood from returning to Xiacheng with great merit faded considerably.

“Alright, I won’t scare you anymore. Haha, I’m heading out to hunt. See you later!”

Luo Yuan waved his hand and left with his men, leaving the anxious Xu Ning standing in place.

“Lord Xu, my apologies. We’ve caused you trouble!”

Ji Yang had been listening for a while, and he was even more anxious than Xu Ning. As soon as Luo Yuan left, he and Nie Zichuan immediately came forward to apologize.

“It’s nothing. Let’s enter the city first. It’ll just be a few harsh words at most!”

Xu Ning shook his head. Since he had done it, he wouldn’t regret it. Besides, he hadn’t done anything too excessive. Li Xuanling probably wouldn’t blame him too much.

The first group of migrants tonight consisted of the core members of the seven houses of Songyang Ridge, totaling over five hundred people. After passing the Gate Commander’s screening, they followed Xu Ning into the city.

The wide and spacious main road, the various precious trees transplanted along the streets, the detached buildings on both sides constructed from a mix of wood, iron, and stone, and the occasional Frostwarden realm auras detectable among the passing pedestrians…

The sights within the city naturally left Ji Yang and the others dazzled and endlessly amazed.

“Xiacheng seems quite crowded. It probably won’t be long before it needs to be expanded!”

Xu Ning frowned as he looked at the slightly crowded houses in the Western District. After a soft sigh, he led Ji Yang and the others onward. After about three hundred meters, they soon saw a tall building.

“The Outer City is divided into four districts: east, south, west, and north. You five hundred will probably be split up and assigned to different districts according to your household registration. This tall building is the Western District’s Division Office. I’ve already sent someone ahead to inform them, and someone will be out to receive you shortly. You can go to whichever district you’re assigned to then.

“Since you’ve just arrived, after being assigned to your respective districts, you will likely be settled in temporary communal wooden houses. If you want to live in single-family wooden houses like everyone else, you’ll have to earn contribution points on your own, buy a plot of land from the Logistics Division, and then build your own house.”

Seeing Ji Yang and the others staring at the detached houses along the street, Xu Ning knew exactly what they were thinking.

“May I ask, Lord Xu, how many contribution points does a plot of land in this Western District cost?”

The two hundred thousand people from Longyou had been in Xiacheng for less than a year, and there were already many houses under construction in the city. Ji Yang and the others had seen them when they entered, so they immediately asked about the price of land.

Xu Ning’s home was Number 15 in the Inner City, so he was obviously not familiar with the Outer City. He answered based on his impression, “I don’t remember clearly. It should be around seven thousand to ten thousand points. Artisans are divided into high, middle, and low grades, with corresponding prices of nine hundred, six hundred, and three hundred. The cost of materials has a high ceiling. If you only use wood, it might not even be two hundred points. But now, there are basically no pure wooden houses in Xiacheng. They all have some molten iron poured in. Higher-grade ones use bluestone from the Beilang Mountains with molten iron. A fine house could cost over ten thousand contribution points…”

“What Lord Xu said is old news. The price of land here in the Western District has already risen to over fifteen thousand!”

Xu Ning was suddenly interrupted. He turned to see who had walked out of the tall building and a smile broke out on his face.

The newcomer was Tong Xinglong, now the Civil Magistrate of the Civil Affairs Division for the Outer City’s Western District. Xu Ning had just said he had made arrangements in advance; it was Tong Xinglong he had contacted.

Xu Ning was the Garrison Prefect of Wuyuan. The position of Garrison Prefect was subordinate to the Garrison Department and, according to Great Xia’s ranking system, was a fourth-rank post, making him equal in rank to the Herb Master, Hunt Master, Armament Master, Provost, Chief Artisan, and Civil Magistrate—the heads of the other six divisions.

However, when Yue Feng had proposed creating the position of Garrison Prefect, he had stated that in times of war, the Garrison Division had the authority to command the other six divisions. Therefore, in reality, the Garrison Prefect’s power was slightly greater than that of the other six division heads.

Tong Xinglong was clearly aware of this, so he immediately bowed to Xu Ning upon his arrival.

Xu Ning, of course, would not act pompously and quickly returned the bow. Recalling what Tong Xinglong had just said about the land prices in the Western District exceeding fifteen thousand, he asked with great curiosity, “The Western District is closest to the city gate. Why is it so expensive?”

Xiacheng was built against the western cliffs of Double Dragon Mountain, so the city gate was naturally on the west side. This made the Western District closest to the gate. By nature, everyone felt that the further inside one was, the safer it was. Therefore, the Eastern District, closest to the Inner City, had the most expensive land, while the Western District was relatively cheaper.

A worried look appeared on Tong Xinglong’s face as he shook his head. “There’s no other way. Xiacheng’s population is just too large. When those eighty thousand-plus people from Beiyuan moved in last month, the city was clearly struggling to cope. Without adjusting land prices, we simply can’t meet the demand for housing. Now you’ve brought another one hundred and ten thousand people. We in the Western District will definitely have to raise land prices again. If that many people all build houses, there simply isn’t enough space in the city.”

So that was it!

Recalling the overcrowded scene upon entering the city, Xu Ning immediately understood. Before Beiyuan’s annexation in July, Xiacheng had a population of four hundred twenty thousand. Afterward, it immediately surpassed half a million. Now that he had brought back one hundred ten thousand people from Songyang Ridge, Xiacheng’s current total population was over six hundred thousand.

“Xiacheng should be expanded. The Lord will probably find a way!”

Tong Xinglong, who had been in Xiacheng all this time, was obviously better informed than Xu Ning. Hearing his words, he immediately smiled. “There’s already a plan. I heard the Director say last time that the Lord wants to start expanding the city by the end of the year at the latest. I just don’t know how big the expansion will be.”

How big…

Xu Ning smiled. “If you ask me, expanding it tenfold wouldn’t be excessive. Xiacheng’s population could break a million, or even several million, in the future. Better to make it bigger all at once to save trouble later.”

Tong Xinglong smiled and nodded, his eyes full of agreement.

Ji Yang and the other people from Songyang Ridge were already numb from hearing their conversation. A million people, several million—these figures were far too advanced for them to comprehend.

“Alright, you all follow me…”

“The Cloud Serpent Army is returning to camp! Everyone, clear a path! Quickly, quickly!”

“The Cloud Serpent Army is returning to camp! Everyone, clear a path! Quickly, quickly!”

…

Just as Tong Xinglong was about to lead Ji Yang and the others into the Civil Affairs Division to register, he was cut off by shouts from the main road.

As the shouts continued, the pedestrians on the street quickly moved to the sides, clearing the main road.

The Western District’s Division Office was located just to the left of the main road, so Ji Yang and his group of over five hundred people were currently standing on it.

“Everyone, move to the side! Clear the main road for the army to pass! Don’t just stand there!”

“Brother Ji, quickly lead them away! The army is coming!”

Hearing the commotion, Tong Xinglong and Xu Ning quickly spoke to the people of Songyang Ridge.

Ji Yang and the others were somewhat at a loss, but they quickly led their five hundred people to the sides of the street, then looked curiously toward the western city gate.

What they saw made the pupils of all five hundred people from Songyang Ridge constrict in shock.

Thump, thump, thump…

A fully armed army of a thousand men marched over from the western gate with heavy, uniform steps.

Like the soldiers Ji Yang and his group had seen at the gate, these thousand men were also clad in pale gold Hundred-forged grade armor. But there was a clear difference. A thick, baleful aura radiated from every one of them, so dense that it almost condensed into a cloud around them.

Their armor and weapons were stained with large patches of dark green or bright red blood, clearly from the bodies of Frost Beasts.

“They’re all… all at the Earthforger limit!”

“What Earthforger limit? Look at the hundred at the front, the ones with different weapons! One, two, three… thirty-nine, forty… Gulp…”

“Forty Frostwarden realm experts! This… this… how is this possible!”

“Almost all of them have started reshaping their Hides… This…”

“Look behind them! What are they carrying?”

“Gnawing Rodents! Those are Gnawing Rodents! High-level Gnawing Rodents, a full eighteen of them!”

“There are a lot of mid-level Gnawing Rodents too, more than a hundred of them.”

“Look at the large cart in the middle! What’s loaded on it? Such a bright silver gleam… it’s not iron ore, it’s…”

“Silver! It’s silver! That whole cart is full of silver!”

…

The first batch of migrants to Xiacheng tonight were mostly the core members of the seven houses of Songyang Ridge. Compared to ordinary people, they were more knowledgeable. Not only did they recognize the high-level Gnawing Rodents, but someone even identified the cargo on the Cloud Serpent Army’s cart as silver.

The voices of Ji Yang and the other Frostwarden realm experts were trembling.

What followed, an exchange between Xu Ning and Tong Xinglong, sent a violent shiver through their bodies.

“Silver? The Director led the army to find the silver mine, and they’ve already started mining?”

“No, it was Chen Ying who found it on the Northern Slope of the Cliffs seven days ago. He’s really lucky. That silver mine was only occupied by a single clan of Gnawing Rodents. The Lord was ecstatic when he found out. He immediately recalled Director Yuwen’s Dragon Martial Army from Longshan. Along with the Director’s Cloud Serpent Army and Director Yuan’s Dragon Slaying Army, the three armies went to clear out those Gnawing Rodents on the sixth. They probably finished clearing them out a few days ago. This should be the first batch of mined silver, brought back by the Cloud Serpent Army first. The Dragon Martial Army and Dragon Slaying Army are still there.”

The Great Xia had two more armies like this one…

“Alright, Brother Ji, you can follow Lord Tong inside. I need to go to the Main Building to report to the Director. Lord Tong, I’ll see you later.”

“Of course. See you!”

Long after the army had passed, Ji Yang and the other five hundred people had still not recovered from their shock. It was Xu Ning’s farewell that finally pulled them back to their senses.

“You must be Leader Ji, correct? Follow me inside!”

“Lord Tong, please don’t call me that. Just call me Ji Yang.”

Ji Yang had now completely let go of his inner conflict. Hearing Tong Xinglong’s form of address, he was so frightened that he repeatedly waved his hands, adopting a posture of utmost humility.

Nie Zichuan and the Frostwarden realm experts from the other five camps were even more so.

Chapter 339: Cultivation, the Enlightenment Lotus Platform, and a Major Building Upgrade

Year Three of the Great Xia, the twelfth of August.

Deep within the Inner City, in the Stargazer Hall behind the Main Building.

The Stargazer Hall was only a little over thirty meters wide, at most a third of the Main Building in front of it. However, it was just as tall, and it was built more than thirty meters higher, looming over the Main Building. Because of its smaller area, the coal stoves were arranged more densely, providing more light. As a result, it appeared even more domineering and luxurious than the Main Building.

This was especially true after Li Xuanling successfully gave birth seven days ago. Xia Hong had moved the Sacred Cauldron from her room and placed it on the open-air high platform at the very top, which undoubtedly added a divine aura to the entire Stargazer Hall.

On the Stargazer Platform, Xia Hong sat cross-legged before the Frigid Ruins Cauldron, his brow furrowed as he stared down at the Yang Core Pill in his hand.

“Fifty-two Mane. It took eight months to advance by just four Mane. As expected, the further I go, the slower my cultivation becomes. My rapid breakthroughs over the past three years made me too optimistic. At this rate, it might take more than four or five years!”

He had been in this world for less than five years in total. The thought that it would take so long just to reach the peak-Frostwarden realm filled Xia Hong’s face with worry.

In the Frostwarden realm, strength was measured in Mane, which sounded impressive. But in the end, it was merely the basic qualification to glimpse the Ice Abyss World during the day. It might be respectable here on the Pingxi Plain, but in a larger region, it would surely be nothing special. Across the entire Ice Abyss World, it was utterly insignificant.

To say nothing of anything else, the so-called Nine Towns of Mo’ao Mountain surely had many Frostwarden realm experts, and most likely even stronger individuals above that realm.

“Four or five years just to reach the peak-Frostwarden realm. After that, I’ll complete the third round of blood and flesh reconstruction and begin to aim for the Sun-Manifestation realm. According to Li Tiancheng and Hou Jing, that process involves using medicinal power to temper bones and produce marrow, which is a hundred times slower, if not more. I can’t wait until I’m fifty or sixty to break through, can I?”

With two peak-Frostwarden realm experts like Hou Jing and Li Tiancheng around, Xia Hong had been fortunate enough to learn some information about the Sun-Manifestation realm ahead of time. It was mainly from Li Tiancheng, who had heard about using medicinal power to temper bones and produce marrow from his elder brother, Li Tianhua.

When Li Tiancheng described it, he was clearly somewhat vague.

It made sense. When Li Tianhua left Longshan four years ago, he hadn’t broken through to the Sun-Manifestation realm either. How much could Li Tiancheng have possibly learned from him?

“No wonder Li Tianhua still hasn’t reached the Sun-Manifestation realm at over ninety years old. My innate talent is superior to his, but it’s still taking me this long to reach the peak-Frostwarden realm. If I can’t find another way, I’ll probably also be fifty or sixty before I break through. Tsk tsk…”

Xia Hong turned his head to look at the Frigid Ruins Cauldron behind him and sighed softly.

He was cultivating within the cauldron’s radiating influence, which came with a threefold cultivation boost from the Martial Arts Hall. On top of that, he had an unlimited supply of Yang Core Pills. If his progress was this slow even under such conditions, one could only imagine how it was for others.

And the other way he was thinking of, of course, referred to the camp system.

“It’s the seventh day. The first batch of silver ore should be on its way back soon. An Earthforger limit expert can mine about one hundred catties a day. Over four days, that should come to about one million two hundred thousand catties. Converted into the system, that’s a full two hundred forty thousand points of silver resource. I can upgrade all seven buildings, and the Small Wooden Table can finally be unlocked. My cultivation speed should get a little faster.”

Although he had given full authority over the silver mine to Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and Yuan Cheng, Xia Hong still felt a little uneasy and had gone to supervise in person on the second day. Thus, he was already well aware of the situation at the mine.

Mining silver was much more difficult than mining iron. First were the tools; it required mid-level Gnawing Rodent chisels. Then there were the miners themselves. Since silver’s toughness and strength were far greater than iron’s, a base strength of over twenty thousand catties was required just to have the basic qualification to excavate it.

Xia Chuan had already tested it. With a base strength of twenty thousand catties, one could mine a single piece—about thirty-odd catties—at most per day. Only an Earthforger limit expert could manage to mine close to one hundred catties.

At the same time, silver ore was extremely attractive to Frost Beasts. They would come to harass the miners from time to time, and they didn’t act alone. Therefore, during excavation, men had to be stationed nearby to guard against sudden attacks from Frost Beast packs.

“The Frigid Ruins Cauldron can be used to deter and kill anomalies, and so can silver. Both are also extremely attractive to Frost Beasts. There must be some connection between them!”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, then walked over to a storage compartment behind the Stargazer Platform and took out the corpse of a special Frost Wolf.

The Frost Wolf was over a meter long. Its smooth fur shimmered with a silvery-white brilliance like moonlight in the night. The ring of barbs on its neck also gleamed with a bright silver light. Though its eyes were lifeless, one could still vaguely make out that its pupils had once been black.

“This Frost Wolf’s Beast King realm cultivation was likely forced upon it by the White Dew Aberration. Aside from the abnormal protrusion on its brow bone and the layer of silver crystals condensed on the outer layer of its bones, the rest of its body isn’t that different from a high-level Frost Wolf. What a pity. If we could have truly captured a Beast King-level Frost Wolf, we might have discovered much more!”

Xia Hong shook his head slightly, knowing his thoughts were a bit unrealistic.

If this Frost Wolf King had possessed true Beast King-level cultivation, the outcome of that night in Yanglu would have been far from certain.

In the eight months since the end of last year, Xia Hong had more or less finished studying this quasi-Beast King-level Frost Wolf.

“The protrusion on the brow bone is clearly an unformed, spherical bone core. Combined with the silver crystals encasing its bones, it’s highly likely that high-level Frost Beasts also need to temper their bones to break through to the Beast King realm. But unlike humans, their method is to consume silver. That must be why Frost Beast packs like to occupy silver mines!”

This wasn’t baseless speculation. The Gnawing Rodents in the silver mine on the Northern Slope of the Cliffs had been dealt with by Xia Chuan and his army. Five days ago, Xia Hong had been there and personally slit open the abdomen of a high-level Gnawing Rodent, where he saw undigested silver with his own eyes.

“If that’s the case, it means that any silver mine occupied by a Frost Beast pack has a very high chance of producing a Beast King. Those that already have one might produce even more. In that sense, the two new silver mines that Li Tiancheng and Hou Jing discovered this year, plus the two that Longshan originally had, are four ticking time bombs. If we don’t deal with them in time, once the Frost Beasts grow in power…”

At this thought, Xia Hong’s brows knitted together, and a renewed sense of urgency washed over him.

Just then, the voice of the maid Hanyue came from below.

“Lord, the Lord Prefect has returned. He is waiting for you in the Council Hall.”

“He’s finally back!”

A look of joy appeared in Xia Hong’s eyes. He quickly stood up, descended from the Stargazer Platform, and hurried toward the Main Building.

“Big Brother, the first batch of silver is all here, totaling one million, ninety-six thousand, two hundred and forty-seven catties!”

Upon entering the Council Hall of the Main Building, Xia Hong was immediately captivated by the eleven chests of gleaming silver ore in the center of the hall. He barely registered Xia Chuan’s words as he strode forward and picked up a piece of silver about half the size of an adult’s fist, his expression stirring with excitement.

During the Longyou war, the Great Xia had traded Congealing Fire Salve with Zhaoyang and Longshan for four hundred catties of silver, so Xia Hong was not completely unfamiliar with it.

For the same volume, silver was about four times heavier than iron ore. This half-fist-sized piece weighed more than eighty catties.

“Small in volume, heavy in mass, and with super toughness and hardness. Silver is clearly more suitable than iron ore for forging weapons, especially for Frostwarden realm experts whose strength exceeds one Mane.”

Xia Chuan’s expression was also thrilled; he clearly understood the value of this batch of silver ore.

“Forging weapons?”

Xia Hong raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, “I’m afraid that’s not possible for now. By the way, what did Mu Dong estimate the total yield to be?”

The Great Xia had now mined dozens of iron deposits, and Mu Dong had long since developed a method for estimating a vein’s yield that was usually eighty to ninety percent accurate. Five days ago, as soon as they secured the silver mine, Xia Hong immediately sent Mu Dong to calculate its total yield.

Hearing this, Xia Chuan’s expression immediately fell. He said in a low voice:

“The yield is estimated to be between fifty thousand and seventy thousand tons. It’s a micro silver mine!”

The Artisan Department classified veins based on their estimated yield. Below one hundred thousand tons was considered “micro”; one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand tons was “small”; five hundred thousand to three million was “medium”; three million to ten million was “large”; and anything over ten million tons was a “giant” mine vein.

Currently, no giant mine veins had been discovered within the Great Xia’s territory. The three large iron mines with the highest estimated yields were two in Longshan and one at Redwood Ridge.

Xia Hong showed no surprise at hearing it was a micro mine vein. He had a premonition when he saw the mine seven days ago.

In any case, this silver mine was an unexpected gift from the heavens. He was lucky to have it at all and was in no position to be picky.

Besides, fifty thousand tons was one hundred million catties. If all of it could be converted into the system’s silver resource, it would be twenty million points. Could that be called a small amount?

What’s more, an Earthforger limit expert could only mine about one hundred catties a day. The Great Xia currently had over four thousand individuals at the Earthforger limit. Even if all of them were sent to mine, that would only be four hundred thousand catties a day. It would take eight or nine months to exhaust over fifty thousand tons.

The Earthforger limit experts were the current backbone of the Great Xia. Sending them all to mine was naturally unrealistic. Therefore, based on the camp’s current development trajectory, Xia Hong estimated this silver mine would last for at least three to five years.

“It’s enough. Forging weapons will have to wait. Your three armies can’t all stay there mining. How about this: leave one army there. Also, inform Qiu Peng to have the Logistics Department change the monthly iron ore quotas for those at the Earthforger limit and those with a base strength over twenty thousand catties to a smaller proportion of silver ore to encourage them to mine it.”

“Understood, Big Brother!”

After Xia Hong finished speaking, he directly placed his hand into the first wooden chest. The chest, containing roughly one hundred thousand catties of silver ore, instantly vanished.

“Big Brother, are you about to perform another miracle?”

Seeing this, Xia Chuan showed no surprise at all. In fact, his face held a hint of anticipation. It was no longer a secret in the camp that Xia Hong could absorb all sorts of resources to upgrade the special buildings within Xiacheng.

It wasn’t just Xia Chuan; all the people of Great Xia who had personally witnessed a building upgrade before called it a divine miracle—a miracle performed by Lord Xia Hong himself.

The Martial Arts Hall that could increase cultivation speed; the Alchemy Workshop that could identify medicines and automatically refine pills; the Weaponry Workshop that could forge weapons with the Beast-quelling attribute; the tough black wall that appeared out of thin air; the Yellowearth Land that increased transplant success rates; the Spirit Tablet that could monitor the territory… and of course, most importantly, the Sacred Cauldron!

If these couldn’t be called miracles, then what could?

These miracles were the reason for the fervent devotion that everyone in the Great Xia today, including Xia Chuan, felt for their lord, Xia Hong.

Setting aside Xia Chuan’s thoughts, Xia Hong stared at his brand-new resource panel, his eyes shining brightly and his expression one of extreme excitement.

【Resources: Wood 197,240,000 | Coal 127,620,000 | Iron 14,210,000 | Silver 200,000】

Finally, in his fifth year in this world, Xia Hong had achieved a preliminary level of silver independence. The only resource he had yet to see was gold.

【Unlocked Buildings (7): Frigid Ruins Cauldron (Lv. 4), Martial Arts Hall (Lv. 3), Alchemy Workshop (Lv. 3), Weaponry Workshop (Lv. 3), Blackearth Wall (Lv. 2), Spirit Tablet (Lv. 3), Yellowearth Land (Lv. 1)】

【Locked Buildings (2): Small Wooden Table, Thick Iron Chain】

Xia Hong didn’t rush to upgrade the seven buildings he had already unlocked. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the last two that were still locked.

【Small Wooden Table, Unlocking Conditions: Iron 10,000, Silver 3,000】

With a thought, the system’s resources immediately decreased. Just like the first time he unlocked a building, a white light appeared before him.

A long moment later, the white light vanished, and a square, black desk materialized out of thin air.

Small Wooden Table (Lv. 1): Cultivation Assistance Tool

Special Function: Increases the user’s cultivation speed by onefold.

Consumption: 20 Silver/day

Upgrade Conditions: Iron 100,000, Silver 20,000

Seeing the Small Wooden Table’s simple description, Xia Hong was momentarily stunned. Then, remembering the initial descriptions of the other eight buildings, he immediately understood and proceeded to upgrade it continuously without hesitation.

The Small Wooden Table flashed with three successive bursts of white light. When it settled, what appeared before him was a five-meter-tall, twelve-petaled silver lotus platform.

Enlightenment Lotus Platform (Lv. 4): Cultivation Assistance Tool

Special Function 1: Can increase the user’s cultivation speed fivefold.

Consumption: 50 Silver/day

Special Function 2: Can enter a state of epiphany, greatly enhancing comprehension. Usable once per month. Requires 50,000 points of silver resource.

Special Function 3: Can enter the Lotus Platform’s space to deduce techniques and martial arts. Costs 5,000 points of silver per use, with no limit on the number of uses.

Special Function 4: Can perform skill transcendence. Usable once per year. Requires 100,000 points of silver. Success rate can reach a maximum of twenty percent, depending on the user’s skill level.

Upgrade Cost: Silver 150,000, Gold 8,000

………………

After reading the description of the Enlightenment Lotus Platform, Xia Hong took a slow breath, his eyes filled with ecstasy and profound emotion.

Although he didn’t quite understand the fourth function, and the terrifying cost of one hundred thousand silver points for a mere twenty percent success rate almost immediately extinguished any thought of using it in the short term, the descriptions of the first three functions still made his heart pound.

A fivefold increase in cultivation speed; a once-a-month epiphany; and the ability to enter a space to deduce techniques and martial arts. These three functions perfectly addressed all of his cultivation problems. They had come at the most opportune time.

“The Small Wooden Table… I guessed it would have a function related to cultivation and instruction, and I was right. Going by the rule that the greater the building’s cost, the more powerful its function, the strongest ability of the Enlightenment Lotus Platform should be the fourth one, skill transcendence. Could it be what I think it is?”

An idea clearly formed in Xia Hong’s mind, and a flicker of longing appeared in his eyes. But seeing the terrifying cost of one hundred thousand silver per attempt and the startlingly low twenty percent success rate, he quickly forced himself to calm down.

“No, no. I can’t afford to be so extravagant for now. I’ll have to wait until the silver mine has been excavated for a while. I’ll wait, I’ll wait…”

【Resources: Wood 197,240,000 | Coal 127,620,000 | Iron 12,500,000 | Silver 27,000】

Upgrading from the Level one Small Wooden Table to the Level four Enlightenment Lotus Platform had consumed a total of one hundred seventy-three thousand silver points, and an even more terrifying one million seven hundred ten thousand iron resources.

Fortunately, the remaining five of the other seven buildings—excluding the Blackearth Wall and Yellowearth Land—did not require much silver to upgrade from Level three to Level four.

However, Xia Hong did not rush to upgrade them. Instead, he turned to Xia Chuan and instructed in a solemn tone, “I need silver. A large amount of silver. Take the Cloud Serpent Army back to the mine, join the Dragon Martial and Dragon Slaying armies, and continue mining at full capacity for one month. After one month, you can return to the normal mining rate.”

“Understood, Big Brother!”

Seeing Xia Hong’s grave expression, Xia Chuan nodded vigorously.

“Right, the people from Songyang Ridge have agreed to join us. I heard there are one hundred ten thousand of them in total. Xiacheng must be getting too crowded, right?”

While checking the system just now, Xia Hong had noticed the population figure had reached five hundred ten thousand, prompting his question.

Xia Chuan immediately nodded and replied, “The four districts of the Outer City are already full. We’ve had to raise land prices to try and reduce land use and encourage more people to live together, but that method is no longer working. Once the one hundred ten thousand people from Songyang Ridge arrive, I’m afraid even our temporary wooden houses won’t be enough.”

“It’s time for another round of expansion. The city walls are also about due for a replacement. I have a plan. You can go attend to your own business first.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xia Chuan cupped his hands and departed, leaving Xia Hong standing alone in the Council Hall. He looked toward the Alchemy Workshop, Weaponry Workshop, and Martial Arts Academy behind the Main Building, his gaze gradually growing fervent.

Chapter 340: Xiacheng’s Major Changes, the Richest Person in All of Great Xia

Third Year of the Great Xia, the fifth day of the ninth month.

“Hiss… This must be the Lord’s handiwork, right?”

Lu Yang, dusty from his journey back from Hanqiong, brushed the snowflakes from the brim of his hat. He looked up at the magnificent city gate, over thirty meters tall, then turned to gaze at the black iron walls stretching north and south as far as the eye could see. He couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. Immediately, he realized that such a change could only have come from the Lord himself.

He had been back to Xiacheng once at the beginning of the seventh month, and it hadn’t looked like this then.

He’d already tested the wall on the northern side. With his base strength of over Eight Manes, he could only leave slight dents on its surface. It was impossible for Xiacheng to have accomplished this in just two short months with its current manpower. There was only one explanation: Xia Hong had once again displayed his miraculous abilities.

Other than that, Lu Yang could think of no other possibility.

As he suspected, Hong Yu, the Gate Commander on duty that night, nodded upon hearing his words. “It could only be the Lord’s work. On the tenth of last month, the Director announced the Xiacheng expansion plan. The very next day, on the eleventh, we came out at night and saw the changes to the walls. We old-timers were fine, but the two batches of newcomers—the ones from Longyou last year and the ones who just arrived from Songyang Ridge—thought it was a divine miracle and dropped to their knees in worship!”

Mentioning the night of the eleventh, an undeniable shock still lingered in the depths of Hong Yu’s eyes. It was clear that his own psychological turmoil at the time hadn’t been much less than that of the newcomers from Longyou and Songyang Ridge.

“The western wall runs twenty kilometers from north to south. The northern and southern walls are each fifteen kilometers long. It already extends ten kilometers into Redwood Ridge. The southern wall is only three kilometers from the Xing River, and the northern wall directly encompasses part of the Arrow Bamboo Forest. The expanded Xiacheng is incredibly majestic. I estimate that even the legendary Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao can’t compare to it!”

When Lu Yang returned from the Hanqiong outpost in the north, he had seen the city wall before he was even out of the Arrow Bamboo Forest, so he already had an idea of its scale. He wasn’t surprised by Hong Yu’s explanation now.

However, hearing Hong Yu’s last sentence, he raised an eyebrow, a hint of excitement on his face. “No need to estimate. The city walls of the Nine Towns of Mo’ao Mountain are definitely not as grand as our Xiacheng’s!”

Hearing Lu Yang’s certainty, Hong Yu’s face showed a trace of confusion.

But Lu Yang clearly didn’t intend to elaborate. He glanced up at the newly added tower atop the wall, then at the hundred or so Golden Armored Soldiers at the gate, and said to Hong Yu with a smile, “You, the Gate Commander, are even more impressive than a High-level Hunting Team captain now. I heard that next year, the position of Gate Commander will be given an official rank. I reckon it’ll be at least a sixth rank, maybe even higher!”

“Lord Lu, is what you’re saying true?”

Hong Yu was clearly unaware of this news, his expression frozen in surprise.

Lu Yang smiled and nodded. “It’s no great secret. Just go home and ask your father, and you’ll know. The Director mentioned it during the June Martial Arts Tournament. They’re going to add another batch of positions to the ranking system. Xiacheng has over five hundred thousand people now, and the Gate Commander’s responsibilities are increasingly important. There’s no doubt it will be ranked…”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “Strictly speaking, you who guard the city are also part of the military. The position of Gate Commander will probably be placed under the newly established Department of Military Affairs.”

The Lord had once said that the Department of Military Affairs would only be formally established when Great Xia had five thousand-man armies. Currently, they had the Cloud Serpent, Dragon Martial, and Dragon Slaying armies, so they were only two short. Given Great Xia’s current rate of development, establishing the department next year was likely a certainty.

Therefore, placing the Gate Commander under the Department of Military Affairs and including it in the Great Xia official ranking system shouldn’t be a problem.

“That’s wonderful!”

Receiving Lu Yang’s personal confirmation, Hong Yu’s expression was instantly filled with excitement.

Seeing Hong Yu’s elation, Lu Yang smiled faintly, his face full of understanding.

For everyone in Great Xia, there were three things of utmost importance: cultivation, obtaining an official rank, and being ennobled.

Cultivation was a given; in the Ice Abyss, strength was fundamental.

Obtaining an official rank meant becoming part of Great Xia’s true management.

As for ennoblement, that meant ascending to the highest echelons of Great Xia society. The attire, accessories, manner of travel, residence, and even household staff of the nobility were entirely different from those of commoners. They even received an invitation from the Lord to bring their entire family to a banquet at the Council Hall during the annual Frigid Origin Festival. This honor alone was enough to make everyone strive for it.

Unfortunately, the difficulty of these three things increased with each step.

Take ennoblement, the hardest of them all. In times of peace, the chances of performing meritorious deeds sufficient for a title were extremely slim. The fact that only three new titles had been granted so far this year was proof enough.

Finding a silver mine, locating a Frost Apple Tree, or annexing other settlements—these three tasks sounded simple, but only by doing them could one know how difficult they truly were.

At the beginning of the year, Yu Bin’s Lingyuan Squad had sacrificed one Frostwarden realm expert and four at the Earthforger limit, but they still failed to confirm the location of the silver mine. In the end, it was Hou Jing who led the Beizhao Squad to finally find it at great risk. This was a testament to the difficulty.

Obtaining an official rank was similarly not easy.

The number of ranked individuals in Great Xia could be counted.

There was Director Xia Chuan; the Prefects and Vice-Prefects of the seven departments; the Prefects and Vice-Prefects of the seven major outposts in the four districts of the Outer City, Longshan, Hanqiong, and Wuyuan; the Garrison Commanders of the ten smaller outposts like Jing Valley and the Hive; and finally, the military ranks of the three armies—Cloud Serpent, Dragon Martial, and Dragon Slaying—which were the fourth-rank Commandants and fifth-rank Commanders.

Excluding those who held overlapping positions, the total number was one hundred and fifty-three.

One had to remember that the number of Frostwarden realm experts in Great Xia had long surpassed three hundred. This meant that half of them were not yet part of the ranking system.

Therefore, it was no wonder that Hong Yu, who was currently at the Earthforger limit, would be so excited to hear that his position as Gate Commander was to be ranked.

“By the way, aren’t there two Gate Commanders? Why don’t I see Zhu Kang?”

Great Xia currently had ten Gate Commanders, working in pairs. Lu Yang was more familiar with Hong Yu and Zhu Kang’s pair. After scanning the gate area and not seeing Zhu Kang, he asked out of curiosity.

At the mention of Zhu Kang, Hong Yu’s expression darkened slightly. “He’s been on leave for seven consecutive days, locking himself in the Martial Arts Pavilion to cultivate. He’s probably desperate for a breakthrough. Even his Second Uncle can’t get him to come out.”

Hearing this, Lu Yang’s face also grew somber, and he shook his head gently.

Zhu Kang’s father, Zhu Ling, was one of the three Frostwarden realm experts who had died in the battle to defend the Hive last year. Although he was posthumously granted the title of Ninth-Rank Dark-Feather Viscount, it wouldn’t be simple for Zhu Kang to successfully inherit his father’s title.

To earn one-third of the required military merit, he would need to kill one hundred and sixty-six enemies. Not one hundred and sixty-six ordinary people, but one hundred and sixty-six true soldiers at the Earthforger limit.

Not only was Great Xia currently at peace, but even if there were a war, it would be nearly impossible for Zhu Kang to accumulate that much military merit in a short time with his current cultivation at the Earthforger limit.

Of course, if the path of military merit was blocked, he could still search for a silver mine, find a Frost Apple Tree, or go annex another settlement. Unfortunately, with Zhu Kang’s current cultivation, accomplishing any of these three tasks was as difficult as reaching for the heavens.

Zhu Kang was clearly desperate to increase his strength and inherit his father’s Ninth-Rank Dark-Feather title as soon as possible, otherwise he wouldn’t have spent seven consecutive days…

Lu Yang suddenly noticed a flaw in Hong Yu’s statement and immediately asked, “Wait, how can Zhu Kang cultivate in the Martial Arts Academy for seven days straight? Does he have that many slots to use? Won’t others have a problem with that?”

The Martial Arts Academy had a quota, accommodating a maximum of two hundred people per day. It was one of Great Xia’s most precious cultivation resources. Even though the Logistics Department had raised the usage price several times, people were still fighting for a spot. Except for certain special periods, Lu Yang had never heard of anyone being able to cultivate inside for seven consecutive days.

“Lord Lu, not the Martial Arts Academy, the Martial Arts Pavilion…”

Hong Yu first corrected Lu Yang’s mistake, then said with a smile, “It’s no wonder. You haven’t been back for over two months, so it’s normal that you don’t know. The recent changes in Xiacheng aren’t limited to just this wall.”

He seemed to be looking forward to Lu Yang’s reaction upon entering the city. He cupped his hands and said, “It just so happens I need to return to the Inner City. Let me show you the changes in the city!”

Lu Yang nodded and followed Hong Yu through the gate, his eyes full of anticipation.

Upon entering the gate, what greeted him was a twenty-meter-wide main road. On both sides of the road were snow-covered forests. Lu Yang recognized it at a glance as the scenery from within the original Redwood Ridge. Recalling that the northern and southern walls both extended fifteen kilometers to the west, he understood immediately.

“This main road was just cleared out temporarily for convenience. The wall was expanded in a hurry, so large areas within the Outer City haven’t been cleared yet. Look, Lord Lu, there are many people logging in the snow forests on both sides. A few scattered Frost Beasts even appeared a few days ago. Of course, they didn’t cause any major trouble. Based on the progress I’ve seen these past few days, the entire Outer City area should be completely cleared by the end of this month at the latest.”

Lu Yang heard the sounds coming from the snow forests on either side, nodded, and continued walking east with Hong Yu. After about ten kilometers, he saw a large cluster of buildings in the distance—the familiar sight of the Outer City he remembered.

The two continued east for a while and soon arrived at the tall building that was the former administrative office of the Western District of the Outer City. But unlike before, the four characters for “Western District Administrative Office” on the building’s plaque had been replaced with the five large characters for “East Fourth District Administrative Office.”

“The expanded Xiacheng is still divided into four districts—east, south, west, and north—just like before. The four original districts of the Outer City have all been incorporated into the Eastern District. However, the four original administrative offices within the districts remain, they’ve just been numbered. I heard from my father that the Director plans to divide the Eastern District into eighteen districts, each capable of housing around a hundred thousand people. In that case, the Eastern District alone could accommodate nearly two million people. The total population capacity of the entire Xiacheng will be incredible.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang had a look of surprise on his face, but after a moment’s calculation, he immediately understood.

The original four districts of the Outer City were planned to have a population capacity of four hundred thousand, perfectly divided among the four administrative areas. Now, the expanded Xiacheng was twenty-five times its original size. Its population capacity should theoretically be in the tens of millions. Xia Chuan’s current plan for over seven million was quite reasonable.

Lu Yang noticed that Hong Yu’s expression was even more excited than his own. He was puzzled at first, but quickly realized: “Eighteen districts means fourteen new sets of administrative offices will be needed. No wonder this kid is so excited!”

Last year, when Xia Chuan implemented the reforms, he had said that as long as a district’s population reached one hundred thousand, it would be eligible to establish a seven-department administrative office. Therefore, in the future, as long as the population requirement was met, all of Xiacheng’s many districts would have their own administrative offices.

This meant that as Xiacheng’s population grew, a constant stream of new ranked official positions would become available. For young people like Hong Yu who currently held unranked positions, this was indeed the best possible news.

“Why are there so many people crowded inside the administrative office?”

Lu Yang continued walking east along the main road. As he passed the entrance of the East Fourth District’s administrative building, he saw over a thousand people packed inside and asked curiously.

“They’re all scrambling to buy land to build houses!”

Hearing this answer, Lu Yang immediately smiled and nodded.

He was aware of this situation. When the Outer City became overcrowded, the land supply was insufficient. The Logistics Divisions of the four districts had raised land prices to reduce land use. Now that Xiacheng had expanded, the land prices would naturally fall, and more people would be able to afford it.

Soon, the two passed through the East Fourth District and saw the Great Xia Barracks, which was originally located in the center of the Outer City.

“There’s no one in the Barracks?”

“You probably don’t know yet, Lord Lu. Chen Ying discovered a silver mine last month. The mine was only occupied by a colony of about two thousand Gnawing Rodents. The Cloud Serpent, Dragon Martial, and Dragon Slaying armies went directly to wipe them out. They are all still there mining silver now!”

Lu Yang indeed didn’t know about this. Surprise flashed across his face, but then he recalled how Xia Hong had made them frantically mine resources in the past. He instantly understood that the recent changes in Xiacheng were likely related to this silver mine.

“Chen Ying? The one from Chen Ye’s camp in Redwood Ridge? I remember he accumulated a lot of military merit in Longyou last year. He must have been ennobled this time, right?”

Lu Yang immediately remembered who Chen Ying was. To discover a silver mine, and one so easy to exploit—his luck was simply too good.

Hong Yu’s face was filled with envy as he said, “He was ennobled in the middle of last month. I heard the Lord personally presented him with the writ of investiture. It was a much grander affair than for Elder Li, Elder Hou, and Zhou Yuan!”

Hearing that Xia Hong had personally appeared, Lu Yang’s face also showed surprise.

Li Tiancheng, Hou Jing, and Zhou Yuan were special figures in Great Xia, yet their ennoblement ceremonies in the first half of the year had only been presided over by Director Xia Chuan.

For Xia Hong to personally attend underscored the significance of that silver mine!

The two walked around the Barracks and soon arrived at the East First District.

“The East First District is the original Eastern District of the Outer City. Its land was already the most expensive. After the recent wall expansion, many people realized that the East First District will inevitably become the best location in the Outer City in the future, so they all scrambled to buy land here. To deal with the rush, Prefect Ying Yi of the East First District raised the land price to eighteen thousand, but it was still all sold out within ten days.”

Hearing this amusing story, Lu Yang shook his head with a light chuckle, but a sense of pride couldn’t help but well up in his heart.

It was no secret that the people of Xiacheng wanted their residences to be close to the Inner City. The closer to the center of power, the more secure one would be—it was common sense.

As an old member of Great Xia, Lu Yang’s residence was at number 18 in the Inner City, just over three hundred meters from the Main Building. He certainly had the capital to feel proud.

Soon, the two passed through the East First District and entered the Inner City through its gate.

“Lord Lu is back!”

“Greetings, Lord Lu.”

“Isn’t Lord Lu serving at the Hanqiong outpost? What brings you back?”

…

As soon as he entered the main road of the Inner City, familiar faces became more numerous. People greeted him with salutes everywhere. Lu Yang responded with cupped hands, but after only a few words, he would state that he had urgent business and hurry towards the Main Building.

But the further he walked, the stranger the expression on his face became.

Finally, after walking for about half a kilometer, just as the Main Building was about to come into view, he couldn’t help but ask Hong Yu beside him, “Have there been too many people breaking through recently?”

Lu Yang was currently at the mid-Frostwarden realm. The people on the street whose auras were slightly chaotic were clearly those who had just broken through in their cultivation. They couldn’t hide it from his eyes.

The key was, there were simply too many of them.

In just this short distance, he had seen at least three or four hundred of them, including a dozen or so at the Frostwarden realm. This was far too astonishing.

“I was just about to mention it. Lord Lu, look up ahead!”

At Hong Yu’s suggestion, Lu Yang quickly looked up, his expression freezing in shock.

Behind the Main Building, there were a total of four structures. The most striking, of course, was the Lord’s residence, Stargazer Hall, which seemed to be suspended in mid-air. The remaining three were the Alchemy Workshop, the Weaponry Workshop, and the Martial Arts Academy.

Because the latter three buildings were not tall, they were usually obscured by the Main Building and couldn’t be seen from the western side.

But now when he looked up, the three buildings were taller than the Main Building. The plaques on top—“Martial Arts Pavilion,” “Alchemy Pavilion,” and “Weaponry Pavilion”—were clearly visible at a glance.

“The Martial Arts Pavilion can now accommodate a thousand people cultivating simultaneously. It also has fifty Frost Beast training posts, all capable of simulating quasi-Beast King level Frost Beasts. I heard it will be expanded again after some time. Lord Lu, do you now understand why there are so many people on the street who have just broken through?”

A thousand people.

And it was going to be expanded again!

Lu Yang’s face was now filled with sheer astonishment, which was followed by a wave of ecstatic joy.

He was also a frequent user of the Martial Arts Academy, so he knew exactly how powerful its functions were. The capacity of the Martial Arts Pavilion increasing from two hundred to a thousand—he understood what this meant for Great Xia far better than Hong Yu beside him.

“The Alchemy Pavilion has also changed a lot. I went there a few days ago. Behind the pavilion is a large, five-hundred-meter medicinal field. Prefect Cheng has been leading people to transplant all kinds of precious medicinal herbs. I heard he even sent people from the Harvesting Department to Longshan to try transplanting that nearly withered Frost Apple Tree.

“New pills are being produced in the Alchemy Pavilion every day. Vice-Prefect Bai has divided all the pills into six grades and created a corresponding six-level alchemist system. I heard they’re going to implement an alchemist examination in the future.

“And the Weaponry Pavilion! Dozens of thousand-forged weapons are made every day, and the production of ten-thousand-forged grade weapons is also increasing. I heard Prefect Mu is currently leading the artisans to forge a one-hundred-thousand-forged grade weapon for the Lord. It will consume tens of thousands of catties of silver alone, tsk tsk…”

Listening to Hong Yu’s explanations all the way, Lu Yang had arrived at the base of the Main Building.

After learning about the many major changes within Xiacheng, Lu Yang’s face was naturally filled with undisguisable shock. However, all this shock slowly dissipated the moment he saw the Main Building.

An unmistakable excitement rose in his eyes, clearly showing his anticipation for what he was about to do.

Hong Yu could see the excitement on Lu Yang’s face and asked curiously:

“By the way, Lord Lu, is there some urgent matter that brought you back from Hanqiong this time?”

“It is a matter of great importance. It’s not convenient for me to say more. I hope Brother Hong will forgive me!”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing! In that case, Lord Lu, you should hurry to see the Director!”

Upon hearing this, Hong Yu waved his hands in fright.

If his father, Hong Tian, heard him being called “Brother Hong,” he would probably get a scolding.

Although Lu Yang was only about five years older than him, he surpassed him in identity, status, and strength by a huge margin. He was clearly a figure on the same level as his father, Hong Tian. Being able to walk with him from the city gate and talk all the way was already an honor.

Hong Yu had clearly seen the envious gazes many people on the main road had cast his way.

Besides, since Lu Yang said it was a matter of great importance, it was definitely something he wasn’t qualified to hear. Prying rashly, if it broke some taboo, would certainly bring more harm than good.

Lu Yang smiled and cupped his hands, then strode quickly towards the top floor of the Main Building.

…

In the residence directly behind Stargazer Hall, inside Li Xuanling’s room.

Yu Yao and Yu Sheng were lying in small rocking cradles, sleeping soundly. Li Xuanling sat between them, looking at one and then the other, her face filled with love.

She held a bone fan in her left hand, gently fanning Yu Sheng, while her right hand would occasionally adjust Yu Yao’s little blanket, afraid she would get cold.

“Madam, you’ve been fanning for so long. Let me do it. I’ve finished collecting the jade dew from besides the Eldest Highness’s bed. I’m free now.”

Hanshuang, who had just finished collecting a batch of jade dew, took the fan from Li Xuanling and continued to fan Yu Sheng. Looking at the fifteen drops of Hanping Jade Dew in her hand, she couldn’t help but sigh, “I heard that a single drop of this Hanping Jade Dew can be exchanged for five thousand contribution points at the Logistics Department. The Eldest Highness produces fifteen drops every time she sleeps. I doubt you could find anyone richer in the entire settlement.”

Finding her words amusing, Li Xuanling burst into laughter.

Hanping Jade Dew was the main ingredient for refining Yang Core Pills. One drop could produce nine pills. Although it required other medicinal ingredients, it was still considered precious. The Logistics Department’s price of 5,000 points was quite reasonable.

According to Hanshuang’s logic, her eldest daughter, Yu Yao, could indeed be considered the richest person in the entire settlement. It was likely that even Xia Hong couldn’t earn that much through sheer effort.

“The Second Highness is special too! Standing next to him, you don’t feel cold at all, just like a natural furnace. I love holding him the most.”

Nongying, by the cradles, didn’t forget to praise Yu Sheng as well.

Li Xuanling smiled and nodded. “Indeed. Compared to Yao’er, Sheng’er’s constitution seems better suited for survival in the Ice Abyss. And he hasn’t even started cultivating yet. When he does, his constitution is bound to undergo other changes.”

“Once the two Highnesses begin their cultivation,” Hanshuang estimated, “all the geniuses in Great Xia will be completely outshone.”

“All of Great Xia?”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling raised an eyebrow slightly, then a look of pride appeared on her face. She clearly wanted to say something more but held herself back.

“Mingyue pays her respects to Madam and the two Highnesses!”

Suddenly, Mingyue walked in quickly from outside. She first paid her respects to Li Xuanling and the two children before walking to Hanshuang’s side and saying softly:

“Sister Hanshuang, the Director said there’s an urgent matter and asked me to inform the Lord. I couldn’t find Sister Hanyue just now, so I had to come and find you.”

Although Mingyue was a maid of Stargazer Hall, she often went to the Council Hall. If someone urgently needed to see the Lord, she would be sent to announce them.

Only Hanyue and Hanshuang were qualified to go to the Stargazer Platform where Xia Hong stayed in seclusion. Hanyue was clearly away on some matter, which was why Mingyue had come to find Hanshuang.

“Understood, I’ll go right away.”

“Go and inform him. Don’t worry about me.”

Li Xuanling gestured for Hanshuang to go and inform Xia Hong. After watching her leave, she turned to Mingyue and asked, “What is it, do you know?”

“It seems that Lu Yang, the Prefect of Hanqiong, has brought back some important news!”

Li Xuanling’s brow furrowed slightly, then she said softly, “Go to the Council Hall now and listen to what the news is. Come back and tell me.”

Mingyue was taken aback for a moment but quickly nodded and walked in that direction.

She wasn’t being asked to eavesdrop. Besides, she didn’t have the ability to do so. With Madam’s order, even if the Lord found out, he wouldn’t blame her.

Chapter 341: Leaps and Bounds, Martial Arts Techniques, a Two-Pronged Push East, and a Period of Dormancy

“Fifty-four Mane… It hasn’t even been a month. Twenty-three days, and I spent three of those deducing techniques and martial arts. The actual time I spent cultivating was probably only twenty days. In twenty days, I’ve increased my strength by almost two Mane. This cultivation speed is…”

On the Stargazer Platform, Xia Hong, who was sitting cross-legged on the twelve-petaled silver Enlightenment Lotus Platform, suddenly opened his eyes, his face filled with delight and emotion.

He already had the three-fold cultivation boost from the Martial Arts Pavilion. Stacking another five-fold increase on top of that brought the total to eight-fold.

Crucially, the amplification effect of the Enlightenment Lotus Platform was simply too powerful.

Cultivation in the Frostwarden realm revolved around the flesh and blood within the body. The specific method was to use external forces to stimulate and break down the existing tissues, forcing them to constantly restructure and grow.

At present, there seemed to be only two such external forces. One was the frigid light from the outside world during the day; the other was medicine, like the Jade Bone Elixir and Yang Core Pills.

Of course, the efficiency of the former was astonishingly slow. Although Xia Hong had ordered the construction of the roofless Stargazer Platform, he mainly relied on Yang Core Pills.

“The Enlightenment Lotus Platform not only increases the efficiency with which I absorb Yang Core Pills, but it also helps me identify and patch up any overlooked parts of my flesh and blood, optimizing my cultivation method at this stage. It even helps me deduce the cultivation paths that lie ahead. It has essentially solved all my worries at once. And, of course, there’s also…”

Xia Hong looked down at the ground in front of the platform, the joy on his face deepening.

On the ground lay forty-five bound martial arts manuals, all covered in high-quality beast hide. Even the characters on the covers were written in shimmering gold ink.

“Forty-five techniques, covering twelve types of weapons: saber, spear, sword, halberd, axe, lance, whip, mace, hammer, staff, pike, and fan. I’ve also integrated the four power-generation routines of Long Fist into them. When practiced to the highest level, each can unleash a fifty-percent boost in power. Combined with weapon forms, their lethality will be even greater. The combat strength of the people of Great Xia will surge once again!”

This was the power of the Enlightenment Lotus Platform.

His background as a scion of a martial arts family in his previous life allowed Xia Hong to master almost every type of weapon. He had chosen to focus on the Patriarch’s Long Fist and popularize it throughout Great Xia because its routines were the most practical and provided the greatest power amplification, up to thirty percent.

But after spending three days using the Enlightenment Lotus Platform’s deduction function, he learned that thirty percent was not the limit.

By combining the Mastery-level Long Fist power generation routines with these martial arts forms, one could achieve up to a fifty-percent boost in explosive power when practiced to the highest level. And even that might not be the limit; further deductions with the Enlightenment Lotus Platform could potentially increase it even more.

Of course, there were two difficulties.

One was achieving the Mastery level in the Long Fist routines. Xia Hong had his experience from a past life, but others did not. Currently, there were perhaps only ten people in Great Xia who had mastered Long Fist. Regardless of their cultivation realms, these ten were undoubtedly martial arts geniuses.

The second was the weapon forms themselves. One couldn’t become proficient with a weapon just by picking it up; it naturally required long-term practice.

“Xia Chuan’s talent with weapons seems average; his specialty is manipulating puppets. The people I’ve seen in Great Xia with high weapon talent are Xuan Ling with her sword, Yuwen Tao with his broadsword, Yuan Cheng with his double-bladed axe, Hou Jing with his staff, Lu Yang with his sword… Oh, right, and that Luo Cheng from last year with his long spear!”

Deducing a martial art once with the Enlightenment Lotus Platform cost five thousand silver resources, equivalent to twenty-five thousand catties of silver. Xia Hong wouldn’t act rashly. The twelve weapon arts he had deduced in advance were all for weapons currently in use within Great Xia.

Xiacheng’s population had now surpassed six hundred thousand. Xia Hong certainly didn’t have the time to check every individual’s talent, so he could only start with those he knew.

For now, these forty-five techniques were definitely enough!

“Not only has my personal cultivation issue been resolved, but all the buildings have also been upgraded by at least one level. The growth brought by the upgraded Martial Arts Pavilion, Weaponry Pavilion, and Alchemy Workshop is already beginning to show. Now, with a bit more time, Xiacheng’s strength is bound to grow exponentially. The only drawback is the rate of silver consumption—it’s just too staggering!”

Xia Hong mused for a moment and checked the camp system’s panel:

【Camp: Great Xia (Level 0)】

【Lord: Xia Hong】

【Cultivation: late-Frostwarden realm (Fifty-four Mane)】

【Territory Population: 627,642】

【Resources: Wood 5,210,000 | Coal 2,820,000 | Iron 1,040,000 | Silver 280,000 | Gold 0】

【Unlocked Buildings (8): Yang Ruins Cauldron (Level 5), Martial Arts Pavilion (Level 4), Alchemy Pavilion (Level 4), Weaponry Pavilion (Level 4), Iron Wall (Level 3), Spirit Tablet (Level 4), Black Soil (Level 3), Enlightenment Lotus Platform (Level 4)】

【Locked Buildings (1): Thick Iron Chain】

Seeing that Great Xia’s population was approaching 630,000, Xia Hong felt a slight surge of excitement.

The one hundred and ten thousand people from Songyang Ridge had all been relocated to Xiacheng. For his merit in bringing this population in, Xu Ning had been successfully promoted to Great Xia’s third Eighth-Rank Crimson-Firmament Viscount at the beginning of the month.

However, this excitement quickly dissipated due to the scarcity of system resources. Seeing that only 150,000 silver points remained, Xia Hong couldn’t help but shake his head.

Over the past twenty-three days, the three-thousand-strong army had mined over 6.5 million catties of silver, which converted to 1.3 million points in system resources. Adding the initial 240,000 points brought back, the total was 1.54 million points. Aside from the Enlightenment Lotus Platform, most buildings didn’t require much silver to upgrade from level three to level four, generally between three thousand and twenty thousand points. Logically, it shouldn’t have been consumed so quickly.

But the reality was completely different.

First, after the Level 4 Frigid Ruins Cauldron was upgraded to the Level 5 Yang Ruins Cauldron, its effective radius expanded to twenty kilometers, which became the basis for Xiacheng’s current expansion. Crucially, not only did its fuel consumption increase, but it also gained a new fuel type:

Silver!

That’s right, silver could now fuel the Yang Ruins Cauldron.

【Yang Ruins Cauldron (Level 5): Can burn wood, coal, and silver to significantly raise the temperature within a twenty-kilometer radius. Can suppress and kill advanced anomalies. Has a powerful attraction to Frost Beasts. Can be used to smelt iron and silver weapons.】

【Special Ability 1: Burning 100 units of wood resources produces one little torch. Can kill advanced anomalies. Burning duration: one hour.】

【Special Ability 2: Burning 200 units of coal produces one portion of Congealing Fire Salve. This salve is harmless to humans but ignites upon contact with anomalies, possessing extreme lethality against them.】

【Special Ability 3: Burning 500 units of silver produces one Anomaly-warding Jade. Anomalies cannot approach the wearer.】

【Special Ability 4: All personnel in the camp can be transformed by this cauldron, acquiring a latent Great Xia Sacred Sigil bloodline. The host is the progenitor of the bloodline.】

【Upgrade Requirements: Coal 100,000,000 | Iron 300,000,000 | Silver 1,000,000 | Gold 10,000】

【Daily Consumption: Wood 1000, Coal 100, Silver 10. The host can freely adjust the cauldron’s heat radius. Burning a single fuel type will produce the same heating effect, but the anomaly-suppressing ability will be greatly reduced. Downward conversion ratio for fuel is 1 to 100.】

The upgraded Yang Ruins Cauldron was significantly more powerful. The previous description for advanced anomalies was “deter,” but now it was “suppress and kill.” The little torches were also much stronger, and there was a new item: the Anomaly-warding Jade.

From the final consumption description, it was clear that fueling it with all three resources was necessary to maximize its power. Therefore, silver, like wood, coal, and iron, would become an essential resource for the camp.

“And that’s just the Yang Ruins Cauldron. There’s also the Alchemy Pavilion’s Medicinal Fields, the Weaponry Pavilion’s silver furnace, the activation of the Martial Arts Pavilion itself, and the addition of fifty Frost Beast training posts. To get the best effects now, they all require silver. This camp system is clearly a massive resource devourer!”

Xia Hong sighed faintly. Though he was complaining, he understood it in his heart.

The functions provided by the system buildings didn’t come from nowhere. To achieve the best results, the resource requirements were naturally higher. This was normal.

And in all that silver consumption just now, he hadn’t even factored in the Enlightenment Lotus Platform.

Cultivation alone cost fifty points a day; deducing a martial art cost five thousand points; an epiphany cost fifty thousand points. And then there was the final function, skill transcendence, which cost one hundred thousand silver points, could only be used once a year, and had a mere twenty percent success rate. He didn’t dare even touch it at the moment.

“In any case, the cultivation problem has been solved. At my cultivation speed over the past twenty days, even if it slows down later, it will take less than a year to raise my base strength to seventy-two Mane. And by using the monthly opportunity for an epiphany, I can shorten that time even further.”

“Besides the silver mine currently being excavated on the Northern Slope of the Cliffs, there are three confirmed mines in Longshan and one in the Beilang Mountains. Four silver mines are just sitting there, not going anywhere. It all depends on whether Great Xia is strong enough!”

“The capacity of the Martial Arts Pavilion has increased to one thousand people. Once we have more silver from mining, we can upgrade it again, allowing more people to cultivate simultaneously and accelerating the camp’s growth in strength.”

“The Alchemy Pavilion is developing new pills, and the Weaponry Pavilion is forging new weapons and armor. All our capabilities are advancing rapidly. All we need to do is wait for the next explosion in strength, and then we can make a move on those four silver mines!”

Xia Hong let out a soft breath and picked up all forty-five martial arts manuals from the ground. Then, he looked up toward the entrance and called out softly, “Hanyue?”

Almost as soon as he spoke, hurried footsteps came from outside.

Having been in seclusion, he wouldn’t have emerged for no reason. He had only come out because he heard someone rushing toward the Stargazer Platform.

“Hanshuang greets the Lord. Mingyue just came to report that the Director has an urgent matter to discuss with you. It seems that Lord Lu Yang, the Prefect of Hanqiong, has brought back some important news.”

Xia Hong then remembered that he had indeed sent Hanyue to the Weaponry Pavilion on an errand today. Hearing that Lu Yang had returned from Hanqiong, he immediately realized something. A glint appeared in his eyes, and he stood up at once.

“It must be news about the hidden tunnel!”

………………

Main Building, Council Hall.

“Greetings, Lord!”

“No need for formalities. It’s the hidden tunnel, isn’t it? Is there news?”

Xia Hong, who had hurried over, asked Lu Yang directly.

“Your foresight is incredible, my Lord. This subordinate is in awe!”

After governing Hanqiong, Lu Yang had clearly grown much more tactful. He first flattered Xia Hong with a smile before continuing with an excited expression:

“We spent over seven months on it, and finally, on the night of the sixth day of the eighth month, we managed to clear out the section that Han Feng had collapsed. Just as you predicted, my Lord, the hidden tunnel does indeed lead to the area above Double Dragon Mountain. It’s forty-five kilometers long, and the final exit is in an area called Beining Mountain.”

The tunnel was cleared on the sixth of the eighth month, and today was the fifth of the ninth month. Taking a full month to return to Xiacheng to report meant that Lu Yang had already gathered a considerable amount of information about Beining Mountain.

“Sit and speak slowly!”

Xia Hong’s eyes lit up. He sat down in the main seat and motioned for Xia Chuan and Lu Yang to sit as well.

Lu Yang nodded and, after sitting down, continued:

“Beining Mountain is located in the northern section of the Double Dragon Mountain Range, right above us. It stretches about two hundred kilometers east to west and over one hundred and fifty kilometers north to south. You were right before, my Lord. The area directly above our valley is the deepest part of Beining Mountain. The clifftops and cliff faces are home to a large number of troublesome avian Frost Beasts. Though I didn’t see them myself, I could clearly sense that the humans in the camps around Beining Mountain are extremely wary, even terrified, of them.”

The Double Dragon Mountain Range!

Hearing these words, Xia Hong immediately understood. The entire Double Dragon Mountain was much larger than he had originally imagined. After all, according to Lu Yang, Beining Mountain above them was only the northern section of the range.

As for the troublesome nature of avian Frost Beasts, it was easy to understand.

Regardless of a Frost Beast’s level, once it could fly, it had a huge advantage over humans. The range of bows and arrows was limited. Unless the Frost Beast made a suicidal dive, there was nothing you could do but watch helplessly.

Speaking of which, one had to mention Great Xia’s unique geographical advantage.

Living in the valley world on the west side of Double Dragon Mountain, Great Xia had only ever been attacked by avian Frost Beasts once. If Xia Hong recalled correctly, it was on the thirtieth of December in the first year. In the end, it was Yuwen Tao, who had just broken through to the Frostwarden realm, who personally took care of it.

Leaving Xia Hong’s thoughts aside, Lu Yang continued his report:

“The exit of the hidden tunnel from the Hanqiong outpost is on the northern periphery of Beining Mountain, about fifteen kilometers deep into the area. If you continue north for another ten or so kilometers, you pass through a snowy forest, and then another five kilometers east will take you to Gaoyang Ridge.”

“On this Gaoyang Ridge, there is a village-level camp called Zhu Ling, with a population of over sixty thousand. By the way, my Lord, you might not know how the outside world defines whether a camp has reached the village level.”

This piqued Xia Hong’s interest, and he nodded slightly.

The population standard for a village-level camp was twenty thousand. By that measure, almost all of the twelve camps in Longyou had met the requirement. Yet, they had always referred to themselves as large camps, as had Longshan even after its population exceeded one hundred thousand.

There was nothing to be done about it. Information was scarce on the Pingxi Plain. If even Longshan, the most populous camp at the time, didn’t know, how could the others?

Xia Hong had his own suspicions, but without contact with the outside world, he couldn’t be certain. Since Lu Yang had found out, he was naturally interested in learning more.

“From what I’ve gathered, for a camp to be considered village-level, its population must exceed twenty thousand, and it must possess an artifact capable of deterring anomalies!”

“A silver artifact?” Xia Hong immediately guessed.

Lu Yang nodded with a smile. “The rule in Beining Mountain is that it must be a silver artifact weighing one thousand catties. My Lord, would you care to guess who made this rule?”

Seeing Lu Yang being playful, Xia Hong smiled but played along, lowering his head in thought. His brow furrowed slightly, and he quickly arrived at an answer.

“Beishuo?”

Upon hearing these two words, Xia Chuan, sitting in front of Lu Yang, visibly flinched and immediately turned to look at Lu Yang. It was clear he hadn’t heard this information from Lu Yang before.

Xia Chuan’s emotional reaction did not escape Xia Hong’s eyes, and he understood the reason. Clearly, Xia Chuan still held a grudge over the kick from Li Hu four years ago.

It was understandable. Four years wasn’t a long time, and besides, Li Hu’s kick had nearly cost him his life.

“You are truly brilliant, my Lord! You guessed it right away!”

With Lu Yang’s personal confirmation, it wasn’t just Xia Chuan; even Xia Hong felt a tremor in his heart.

After more than four years, there was finally news of Beishuo Town.

Crucially, if there was news of Beishuo, then the other eight garrisons, including the Mo’ao Mountain that Yang and Li had mentioned back then, should also…

“Mo’ao Mountain is to the northeast of Beining Mountain. I don’t know the exact distance, but its height and grandeur surpass Double Dragon Mountain by ten, even dozens of times. When Zhao Hu and I first saw it, we were completely stunned!”

Xia Hong shot up from his chair. Realizing his reaction, he quickly calmed himself and asked Lu Yang, “What is the strength of the seven camps on Beining Mountain? Have you learned anything about Beishuo Town? And its specific location? Tell me everything you know.”

Seeing Xia Hong’s strong reaction, Lu Yang didn’t dare to be playful anymore. He soberly replied, “Besides Zhu Ling, the other six camps in Beining Mountain are Yanggu, Hongyuan, Baiyuan, Wanxing, Longhe, and Ziqiang. Their populations are all between thirty and fifty thousand. From what I’ve gathered, although the seven camps of Beining Mountain have populations comparable to the former large camps of Longyou, they are clearly stronger. Each has at least five Frostwarden-realm individuals, and Zhu Ling even has over a dozen.”

“The other six camps, along with a dozen other large and medium camps along the northern periphery of Beining Mountain within a fifty-kilometer range, all revere Zhu Ling. They must pay a monthly tribute of coal, iron, and beast meat to Zhu Ling. Zhu Ling, in turn, is under the jurisdiction of Beishuo Town and must pay tribute to Beishuo once every six months. Each time, the leaders of the seven camps lead the tribute party together.”

“As for Beishuo Town’s location, I couldn’t get a clear picture. I only know that you have to travel east along the edge of Beining Mountain for a distance of over three hundred kilometers.”

Lu Yang recounted everything he knew in one breath. Seeing Xia Hong frowning in silence above him, he thought he hadn’t provided enough information and said anxiously:

“Forgive me, my Lord. In just one month, Zhao Hu and I had no proper identities up there, and we were afraid of exposing ourselves and being discovered. We could only secretly inquire at a few large camps. This is all the information we have managed to gather so far!”

“No, you’ve done an excellent job. Caution is paramount!”

Xia Hong spoke immediately, a glint in his eyes. He continued, “We know nothing about the situation with Beishuo and the other eight garrisons. Being able to take the first step out of the Pingxi Plain and get a glimpse of their true strength is the best possible outcome for us. Until we understand their full strength, we must maintain this state of caution.”

The law of survival in the Ice Abyss World was already set: there were only two modes of interaction between camps—the strong devouring the weak, or hostile competition.

Beishuo Town was unaware of Great Xia’s existence, but Great Xia had already figured out their general location. This situation, where the enemy was in the open while they were in the shadows, was perfect for Great Xia, which had just unified the lands of Longyou and needed a great deal of time to grow.

“If I’m not mistaken, four years ago, Yang and Li said they were both scouts from Beishuo Town’s Garrison Guards, and they came to Redwood Ridge to map the area around Beishuo. They most likely traveled west along the north bank of the Xing River from the east side of Double Dragon Mountain to reach Redwood Ridge. So it’s not just Beining Mountain; the areas on the eastern side of the Xing River’s north bank could also be within Beishuo Town’s sphere of influence!” Xia Chuan couldn’t help but add.

Xia Hong nodded slightly. The identities of Yang and Li as scouts for the Garrison Guards had been personally confirmed to him by Luo Ming, Shi Qing, Hong Gang, Huang Yong, and Lu He—the leaders of Redwood Ridge back then. So it was certain.

“No, that’s not right!”

But after a moment’s thought, Xia Hong quickly dismissed Xia Chuan’s speculation.

“If the area east of the Xing River’s north bank was Beishuo’s sphere of influence, then Yang and Li would have mapped it out four years ago. Why haven’t we seen anyone from Beishuo Town come here in the four years since? The resource-rich area of Redwood Ridge alone should have been attractive enough!”

Xia Chuan also realized the flaw in his argument and fell into thought.

Lu Yang interjected, “Could it be that Yang and Li were unlucky and met with disaster on their way back, before they could report back to Beishuo Town?”

Xia Hong and Xia Chuan looked up at the same time, their expressions a little strange.

It was entirely possible!

“We can’t rule out that possibility, but we should prepare in advance. Continuing to explore east along the north bank of the Xing River carries a high probability of encountering people from Beishuo Town or the other eight garrisons. It’s even possible that they are currently exploring from east to west along the north bank, but were blocked by something, which is why they haven’t penetrated deep into the western side.”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, Xia Hong immediately turned to look at the map of Great Xia’s territory hanging behind the high platform. His gaze settled on the north bank of the Xing River, at Songyang Ridge, the farthest point Great Xia had explored so far.

“Since Beining Mountain’s east-west depth is over two hundred kilometers, the east-west span of the Xing River’s north bank should be at least that long. Let’s tentatively set this distance at two hundred kilometers. How far is it from the southern cliffs to the northernmost part of Songyang Ridge, which is the area Great Xia has currently explored? Did Xu Ning mention it?”

When Xu Ning returned from Wuyuan last month, Xia Hong hadn’t met with him personally.

But Xia Chuan had, so he immediately replied, “It’s fifteen kilometers from the southern cliffs to the easternmost part of Five Ape Mountain. Xu Ning explored twenty-five kilometers north to find Songyang Ridge. Songyang Ridge is about twenty-five kilometers wide. All in all, the northern bank area we’ve explored should be nearly seventy kilometers. According to your estimate of over two hundred kilometers, we’ve explored about a third of it.”

“My Lord, Director, what are we waiting for? Let’s notify Xu Ning to accelerate the eastward annexation and expansion, and take control of the entire north bank of the Xing River as soon as possible. If Beishuo or the other eight garrisons control it, it will be much harder for Great Xia to push east in the future!”

Lu Yang’s words articulated what Xia Hong and Xia Chuan were both thinking.

Xia Hong had named the Xing River on the seventh day of the third month in the first year. Along with that name came another: Xinggu Pass.

Why call it a pass?

Because the north and south banks of this river valley were the largest gateways between the Pingxi Plain and the outside world of Double Dragon Mountain. Great Xia currently lacked the ability to cross bodies of water, so they couldn’t control the south bank, but the north bank was perfectly manageable. For Great Xia to step out of the Pingxi Plain, the north bank was the only way.

Pushing east!

These two words were clearly magical. At this moment, not only Xia Hong, but Xia Chuan and Lu Yang also stared intently at the north bank of the Xing River, their eyes gleaming with strange light.

“No. We don’t know the true strength of the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao. Rashly telling Xu Ning to speed up exploration and encountering them prematurely would definitely be a disaster, not a blessing. Even if the Nine Garrisons’ strength is comparable to or even slightly weaker than ours, once they sense Great Xia’s intention to push east, they will surely unite to block off the entire Xinggu Pass, preventing us from leaving. They might even raise an army to attack us!”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, Lu Yang was taken aback. He lowered his head in thought for a moment and quickly understood, looking up at Xia Chuan with admiration in his eyes. “The Director is indeed farsighted. This subordinate is impressed!”

In the main seat, Xia Hong looked at Xia Chuan with even greater appreciation.

After four years in governance, Xia Chuan’s vision and strategic thinking had improved immensely compared to his time on the small hill. He had already surprised Xia Hong by proposing a reform of the Six Departments. His words now proved that the reform was not a flash of inspiration, but the result of long years of accumulated experience in governance.

Looking back, appointing Xia Chuan as the camp’s administrator was definitely one of the best decisions Xia Hong had ever made.

“Lu Yang, how far is it from Hanqiong to the north bank of the Xing River, do you know?”

“It’s twenty-seven kilometers south from Hanqiong to the Hive; twenty-nine kilometers from the Hive to Jing Valley; thirty-one kilometers from Jing Valley to Xiacheng, and another seventeen kilometers from Xiacheng to the north bank of the Xing River. The total length is one hundred and four kilometers.”

Lu Yang immediately gave the answer, then looked up at the map of Great Xia’s territory behind Xia Hong. He instantly realized something, and his expression froze in shock.

“Do you understand now? Great Xia has more than one path to push east. The hidden tunnel you just cleared in Hanqiong is not as convenient as Xinggu Pass, and it’s very easy to destroy. But if it can be protected and utilized properly, it will be an excellent secret passage for our eastward push. We could even extend Great Xia’s reach over there without the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao even noticing.”

“I understand, my Lord!”

Xia Chuan had clearly grasped Xia Hong’s meaning before Lu Yang. He didn’t answer but said in a deep voice, “Then the Hanqiong outpost becomes extremely important. And the exit of that hidden tunnel, and even the people of those seven large camps on the northern periphery of Beining Mountain—we must keep a close eye on all of them and make sure they don’t suspect anything.”

Hearing these words, Lu Yang, now understanding the importance of the Hanqiong outpost, showed a conflicted expression of both joy and apprehension.

He was the one governing the Hanqiong outpost. Now that its status had become so important, it would certainly receive more attention from the Lord and the Director, which was a good thing.

The problem was, it was too important. It was now directly linked to the grand future of Great Xia’s eastward expansion. His own strength wasn’t particularly high, so he was naturally worried that a single mistake on his part could jeopardize the Lord’s grand plan.

Xia Hong paid no mind to Lu Yang’s inner turmoil. He furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, then asked Xia Chuan, “Regarding Wuyuan on the north bank of the Xing River, Xia Chuan, what are your thoughts? What do you think we should do?”

Big Brother was obviously testing him, and Xia Chuan knew it. He didn’t rush to answer, but thought it over carefully before clasping his hands and saying:

“This subordinate believes we can let Xu Ning continue exploring, but we should slow down the pace of annexation and expansion to delay contact with the Nine Garrisons as much as possible. Once we do make contact, we must immediately halt all expansion. We cannot let the Nine Garrisons discover Great Xia’s intention to push east. At the very least, we must do this until we have a clear understanding of their true strength.”

“Well said!”

Xia Hong praised him directly, then continued in a deep voice, “We will do as you say. Great Xia will push east on two fronts. I will put you in charge of the Xinggu Pass front. You are to personally oversee Wuyuan’s actions from now on. If any problems arise, I will hold you responsible.”

“Rest assured, my Lord. This subordinate will handle it well!”

“Lu Yang, isn’t your Hanqiong outpost lacking in resources? As it happens, starting today, Hanqiong will be downgraded to a regular outpost, staffed only by a Garrison Guard.”

“Ah?”

Hearing this decision, Lu Yang’s expression went blank.

Why was it being dismantled? Was he going to be demoted to a Garrison Guard?

“Hahaha, don’t be so anxious. I’m not finished!”

Seeing his dumbfounded face, Xia Hong laughed heartily, then a glint flashed in his eyes as he continued in a serious tone, “You will take Zhao Hu, Zhu Shun, He Xing, He Ning, Lin Fan, and Wang Tao, and select five hundred elite soldiers from Xiacheng. Go to the tunnel exit at Beining Mountain and establish a new outpost. Of course, that’s the internal name. To the outside world, your outpost will be a new camp, with a leader, a hunting team, a lumberjack team, and ordinary people.”

Lu Yang understood at once, and his eyes lit up.

Clearly, Xia Hong wanted him to establish a foothold in Beining Mountain, officially make contact with the seven northern camps, and then look for opportunities to gather intelligence on the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao.

Of course, the most important task was to guard the hidden tunnel and prevent anyone else from discovering it.

But after thinking it over, a troubled look appeared on his face.

“My Lord, suddenly creating a new camp, and one filled with elites at that… it would be impossible not to arouse the suspicion of the seven camps and Beishuo Town. But if we bring ordinary people over, I’m afraid no one in Xiacheng would be willing to go right now. This…”

Xia Hong shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, Xia Chuan beside him spoke first, helping to enlighten Lu Yang with a smile:

“Who said you have to bring ordinary people? You only need to pick elites. Didn’t you spend the last month making contact with several large camps over there? With you and six other Frostwarden-realm individuals, plus five hundred elites, it would be easy to find a way to annex them. If that’s not enough, Xiacheng can send people to help. What are you afraid of?”

Lu Yang’s mind cleared instantly. He cursed himself for being foolish, then quickly cupped his hands to Xia Chuan and Xia Hong. “This subordinate understands!”

If they just took six Frostwarden-realm individuals and five hundred elites at the Earthforger limit to disguise themselves as a new camp, they would never fool anyone. But if they fabricated a reason to annex a few large camps, they would have ordinary people, Lumberjack-realm members, and Earthforger-realm members. Then they would naturally look like a normal large camp.

At that point, they would only need to keep the hidden tunnel a secret and use the opportunity of normal interactions with the seven camps to gather information about the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao. It would all fall into place.

“Lu Yang, I remember you practice with a sword, correct?”

Weapons were not allowed in the Council Hall. Seeing that Lu Yang was not carrying a sword, Xia Hong asked just to be sure he hadn’t misremembered.

Lu Yang clearly didn’t understand why Xia Hong was asking this, and he nodded with a puzzled expression.

Xia Hong suddenly turned to the back and commanded, “Mingyue, go to the Stargazer Platform and bring me the sword on the far left of the weapon rack.”

“Yes, my Lord!”

Mingyue’s voice came from behind the high platform. Neither Xia Chuan nor Lu Yang showed any surprise; they clearly knew she had been standing there all along.

Listening to Mingyue depart, Xia Hong shook his head slightly.

He wasn’t sure if it was a thirst for power or truly for her two children, but since successfully giving birth, Li Xuanling’s subtle actions had become more and more frequent. Mingyue and the other four maids had practically become her little spies.

Down below the platform, Lu Yang’s expression was already growing excited.

First, he was asked if he used a sword, and then Mingyue was immediately sent to fetch a sword.

It was obvious what Xia Hong intended to do.

“This time, by clearing the hidden tunnel, you not only discovered the seven camps of Beining Mountain but also found Mo’ao Mountain and gathered news about the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao. While it may not compare to Xu Ning bringing back one hundred and ten thousand people, it is still a great merit.”

Xia Hong paused for a moment, then turned to Xia Chuan. “Record three hundred military merit points for Lu Yang.”

“Yes, my Lord!”

300 military merit!

Lu Yang was stunned for a moment, then he bowed deeply to Xia Hong, his voice filled with overwhelming excitement. “This subordinate thanks the Lord! May the Lord live for ten thousand years, and may Great Xia last for ten thousand years!”

Three hundred military merit points, on the battlefield, would require killing three Frostwarden-realm individuals or three hundred soldiers at the Earthforger limit. In the current absence of war, it was basically impossible to obtain.

Crucially, aside from accumulation, military merit could also be exchanged.

The current exchange rate at the Logistics Department was one military merit point to one hundred contribution points. Three hundred military merit points was thirty thousand contribution points. Even for Lu Dong, this was no small sum.

“According to you, the seven village-level camps of Beining Mountain, plus over a dozen large and medium camps, have a total population well over four hundred thousand. It’s naturally impossible to annex them all in a short time. But if you manage things well, you can certainly earn enough military merit to be ennobled. I’ll be watching. We’ll see if you become Great Xia’s fourth Eighth-Rank Crimson-Firmament Viscount.”

“This subordinate will do his utmost not to disappoint you, my Lord!”

Xia Hong smiled and waved his hand. Just then, Mingyue arrived from the Stargazer Hall.

She carried a longsword in both hands, her expression strained, but she persevered, walked up to the high platform, and presented it to Xia Hong.

Swish…

In contrast to Mingyue’s struggle, the sword felt weightless in Xia Hong’s hand. He drew the blade, and a flash of silver light reflected in the eyes of the three people in the hall.

“This Frost Wing Sword was forged by Mu Dong last month. Its core is ten-thousand-forged grade iron, and the outer layer is coated with two thousand catties of silver. It’s one of the finest weapons the Weaponry Pavilion has produced so far. Very few people in Great Xia have had the chance to use one.”

Lu Yang’s eyes were already fixed on the blade, seemingly oblivious to Xia Hong’s words. The word “want” was practically written on his forehead.

“Haha, it’s yours!”

Xia Hong sheathed the sword and tossed the Frost Wing Sword to him.

“Thank you…”

“Wait, there’s also this Feather Light Sword Technique. You can read it here in the hall. Memorize it and then give it to Xia Chuan.”

Lu Yang paused for a second, took the martial arts manual Xia Hong tossed him, and quickly began to flip through it. After reading for a while, his expression immediately turned to one of excitement.

“Fifty percent! It’s an even bigger boost than the Long Fist routines! My Lord, this technique…”

“It’s a new sword technique I created. And these forty-four others—Xia Chuan, take all of these to the top floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion later. Have the Logistics Department set corresponding borrowing prices. In the future, anyone in the camp can spend contribution points to exchange for the right to borrow them. Of course, you must stipulate that they can only practice it themselves and are forbidden from teaching it to others. If anyone is discovered doing so, their access to the Martial Arts Pavilion will be revoked for life.”

Xia Chuan took the techniques, and after flipping through just a few, his expression also turned to one of excitement. He quickly bowed. “This subordinate obeys.”

After he finished speaking, Xia Hong stood up and looked at Lu Yang, his expression serious.

“You must have seen the changes in Xiacheng on your way back. The developmental benefits from the Martial Arts, Weaponry, and Alchemy Pavilions have not yet fully manifested. What our Great Xia needs now is time.”

“So when you go to the new outpost, you must be vigilant against external prying. If you fail to gather intelligence and instead lead others back to our doorstep, you and the other six will be disgraced. At that point, even if I don’t punish you, the seven of you probably won’t be able to hold your heads up in Xiacheng. Do you understand what I mean?”

Hearing Xia Hong’s earnest and heartfelt admonition, Lu Yang’s expression became solemn. He nodded heavily. “Rest assured, my Lord. This subordinate will begin carefully selecting elites tonight. After arriving at Beining Mountain, I will act with caution, prevent anyone from getting near the hidden tunnel, and absolutely will not let anyone learn a single thing about Great Xia.”

“Good. I will have Yuwen Tao keep an eye on the new outpost. If you run into any difficulties, you can ask him for help at any time.”

“Thank you for your concern, my Lord. This subordinate understands.”

“Alright, you may all go about your duties!”

Xia Chuan and Lu Yang bowed and accepted their orders, exiting the Council Hall together.

Xia Hong stood alone on the high platform. He slowly turned to face the map of Great Xia’s territory, his gaze lingering on the area above and to the east of the Hanqiong outpost.

“Ten, even dozens of times grander than Double Dragon Mountain… to think Mo’ao Mountain is so magnificent. It seems I’ll have to find some time to go and see it with my own eyes!”

Chapter 342: Li Hu and Yang Zhong’s Changes, The Hou Family’s Opportunity, Offering Advice

Great Xia, Year Three, Ninth day of the ninth month.

In the former South District of the Outer City, now known as East District Two, Residence 188.

Whoosh… Clang…

On the training ground on the first floor of the residence, Li Hu and Yang Zhong were sparring, each wielding a glaive over ten feet long. Their cultivation levels were clearly evenly matched; their reactions to the clash of blades, fists, feet, and bodies were almost identical.

However, a closer look revealed that as the fight wore on, Yang Zhong’s breathing was growing noticeably faster.

Clang…

Finally, Yang Zhong was a fraction of a second too slow in raising his weapon. Li Hu seized the opportunity, his glaive swinging in a horizontal slash. The large blade flew from Yang Zhong’s grasp, and he was sent flying back three or four meters.

“Something’s not right, Tiger. I feel like the difference in our base strength is more than one thousand two hundred catty. Have you advanced your cultivation again?”

Yang Zhong got up, retrieved his glaive, and turned to Li Hu, his face filled with astonishment.

They had tested their strength together just three days ago. Li Hu’s base strength was forty-three thousand nine hundred catty, while his was forty-two thousand seven hundred. During their bout just now, he could clearly feel that the force Li Hu exerted was greater than a mere one-thousand-two-hundred-catty difference. The only explanation was that Li Hu’s base strength had improved again in the last three days.

But his guess was wrong.

Li Hu placed his glaive on the weapon rack and turned with a smile. “How much could my cultivation improve in three days? It’s my martial arts. My Long Fist’s Great Battle Form has broken through to initial mastery.”

Yang Zhong finally understood, but a look of envy still graced his face.

The Four Forms of Long Fist was a martial art practiced by everyone in Great Xia. The two of them had encountered it as soon as they arrived in Xiacheng last October.

Long Fist was divided into four forms: Minor Battle, Great Battle, Free Hand, and Combined Battle. The final form, Combined Battle, was suited for group sieges and was currently only available for Great Xia soldiers to practice. Everyone else could only choose from the first three.

Like most people in the encampment, both Li Hu and he practiced the primarily offensive Great Battle Form. In the same amount of time, he had only reached the entry-level two months ago, while Li Hu had already achieved initial mastery. This clearly proved that Li Hu’s martial arts talent was far superior to his own.

“Qingyuan Vigor can only increase explosive power by ten percent at most, but mastering the Long Fist’s Great Battle Form provides a thirty percent boost. Setting aside combat talent, the twenty percent difference in explosive power alone is enough for us to crush others at the same level. For Great Xia to be willing to make such a precious technique available to everyone… with such magnanimity, it’s no wonder they were able to unify Longyou in the end!”

The body’s base strength was not the same as its explosive power. Exerting force required technique and constant practice. For someone without the inheritance of a martial technique, it was already considered quite impressive to be able to raise their explosive power to one hundred percent of their base strength through long-term trial and error.

Qingyuan Vigor, created by the previous leader of Longshan, Li Tianhua, was considered Longshan’s only martial technique. Longshan had previously stipulated that only those at the Earthforger limit were qualified to practice it. Although Li Hu and Yang Zhong had grown up in Longshan, they had only come into contact with it after breaking through to the Earthforger limit last year.

For Qingyuan Vigor, which only offered a ten percent boost in explosive power, Longshan had set such a high barrier to entry. Yet for the Four Forms of Long Fist, which offered a thirty percent boost, Great Xia had set no restrictions at all. It could be exchanged for a mere ten contribution points at the Logistics Division, making it accessible to virtually everyone in the encampment.

Thinking back now, when the Longshan garrison was breached last year, so many people were utterly powerless against the Cloud Serpent Army, even those at the Earthforger limit with a similar cultivation level. It all made sense now.

“Those people from the Li family thought Qingyuan Vigor was a treasure and set the threshold for practicing it so high. In the end, it was to their own detriment. It just goes to show that working in isolation is self-destructive. Only by being open-minded like Great Xia, removing restrictions and improving everyone’s strength, can the foundation be continuously strengthened and the encampment’s overall power be enhanced. This is the only way to grow stronger and faster!”

Yang Zhong clearly hadn’t thought as deeply as Li Hu. Hearing this, he just nodded with a light smile. “It’s not just Qingyuan Vigor. Great Xia’s cultivation resources are far more abundant than Longshan’s. Beast Origin Pills, Beast Spirit Pills, Blood Spirit Pills, and the Yang Core Pills that we haven’t seen yet. Then there are the Bloodrage Pills for boosting strength, Blood Sore Pills for healing, Verdant Saliva Pills for detoxification, Warming Wind Pills for warding off cold… there must be dozens of types of pills alone.

“And then there are divine items like refined salt and fine wine, which not only speed up cultivation but are also a feast for the palate. Paired with beast meat and beast blood at such low prices, cultivating in Xiacheng is a completely different concept from cultivating in Longshan. There’s simply no comparison.”

“And that miraculous Martial Arts Pavilion! It’s not just about cultivation; the quality of life is like the difference between heaven and earth. Compared to Great Xia, Longshan and the other eleven giant encampments in Longyou seem almost uncivilized.”

Yang Zhong glanced around the room’s furnishings, his face full of agreement.

They had been in Xiacheng for almost a year and were now very familiar with everything in the city. Thanks to the great merits they had earned last year, they had been rewarded with a large number of contribution points. Not only had their cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds with the help of the Logistics Department’s resources, but they had each also purchased a plot of land in East District Two and built their own independent residences.

Residence 188 was Li Hu’s home; his was at number 194, not far away.

“By the way, how many contribution points do you have left?”

At the mention of contribution points, Yang Zhong shook his head and sighed. “Just over three thousand eight hundred. What about you?”

“A little over five thousand two hundred, not much more than you.”

They looked at each other, a trace of helplessness on their faces.

Ordinarily, their contribution point balances weren’t low, but considering they had been rewarded with fifty thousand points at once by the Lord Prefect last October, plus another thirty thousand from converting three hundred military merit points, their drop from eighty thousand to just a few thousand was truly an astonishing rate of consumption.

Crucially, neither of them was the type to sit around and squander their savings. They had formed the Zhaoyuan Squad in Longshan last July and frequently went out hunting, gathering, and prospecting—they didn’t miss a single activity.

Even so, their contribution points had been depleted at an incredible speed.

“What can we do? Buying land and building a house cost over ten thousand. High-level beast meat, high-level beast blood, Blood Spirit Pills, a Hundred-forged Glaive, Hundred-forged Thunder Kui Golden Armor, refined salt, aged liquor, healing pills, a thirty-Stone heavy bow… and of course, we spent a fortune to bid for two extra days of training in the Martial Arts Pavilion. That alone cost over six thousand points. No matter how many contribution points we had, they couldn’t withstand our spending.”

Hearing Yang Zhong’s words, Li Hu smiled and nodded.

Simply living in Xiacheng wouldn’t have cost so many contribution points, but neither of them was content with mediocrity. How could they resist all the cultivation resources available at the Logistics Department?

For the past eleven months, they had gone to the Logistics Division almost every month and bought the maximum allowable amount of every cultivation resource they could. They used high-level beast meat and beast blood. At the Earthforger limit, the monthly cap for Blood Spirit Pills was ten, and they never missed a month. Refined salt, aged liquor, healing pills… they bought almost everything they could.

Not to mention the weapons, armor, and heavy bows Yang Zhong had just listed, along with the essential pills for their excursions. In particular, at the end of last year, after they secured a slot for the first time and trained in the Martial Arts Hall, they could never forget the feeling of rapid improvement.

Last month, the Lord performed a divine feat, upgrading the Martial Arts Hall into the Martial Arts Pavilion, increasing its capacity to one thousand. To meet the demands of Xiacheng’s residents, the Logistics Department put one hundred slots up for auction every day. The two of them couldn’t resist and bid twice, spending over six thousand points in an instant.

No amount of contribution points could sustain such spending!

“We spent a lot, but the improvements have been huge. In just one short year, my base strength has gone from the thirty thousand catty limit to almost forty-four thousand catty now. If we were still in Longshan, our cultivation speed could never have been this fast.”

Yang Zhong’s expression brightened at these words, and he nodded heavily. Then, as if remembering something, he asked in a low voice, “Tiger, what’s your progress on hide reforging? With your high martial arts talent, you must have a battle physique aptitude, right?”

The Xia Code of Rites - Chapter of Cultivation Regulations stated that when breaking through from the Earthforger limit to the Frostwarden realm, there was a distinction between having a battle physique and not. The determining factor was the upper limit of one’s base strength during the hide reforging stage.

During the hide reforging stage, those whose base strength could increase to between one hundred thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand catty possessed a superior combat physique. Those above eighty thousand catty had an intermediate one, and sixty thousand catty was for an inferior one. Those without a battle physique simply followed the standard progression to a fifty-thousand-catty limit.

Of course, there were also supreme-grade battle physiques with over one hundred and fifty thousand catty.

After breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, base strength would double. So, by this calculation, even an inferior combat physique would have a base strength of at least 1.2 Mane upon breakthrough, twenty thousand catty higher than a Frostwarden realm cultivator without a battle physique.

A twenty-thousand-catty difference in base strength was basically enough to decide matters of life and death, not to mention that the gap between the two would only continue to widen.

There were quite a few people in the Frostwarden realm in Xiacheng now, and every so often, you would hear about someone new breaking through. While others only paid attention to the breakthrough itself, those in the circle of Earthforger limit cultivators were focused on the cultivator’s battle physique aptitude.

Since they were both in this circle, they naturally cared about it as well.

Li Hu was, of course, very familiar with the contents of the Four Rites of Xia, especially regarding battle physiques. He was currently in this stage and had clearly learned a lot about it. He answered in a deep voice, “I feel like I’m only about twenty percent through the hide reforging stage.”

Hearing Li Hu’s answer, Yang Zhong’s expression froze for a moment, then turned into one of immense joy. “A fourteen-thousand-catty increase at just twenty percent? Doesn’t that mean you still have an upper growth limit of fifty-six thousand catty? One hundred thousand catty! You have a superior combat physique!”

Li Hu’s expression also showed a hint of excitement, but his composed nature quickly took over, and he calmed down. He shook his head. “The Chapter of Cultivation Regulations makes it clear that one’s perception during the hide reforging stage isn’t one hundred percent accurate. The reforging gets harder the further you go. Some people can’t bear the pain and just break through prematurely. We’ll only know if it’s a superior combat physique when the time comes to break through.”

Yang Zhong was much more optimistic. “If you have a feeling, then it must be true. This is great! A superior combat physique! I heard that we don’t have many superior combat physiques in Great Xia right now. Prefect Yuan, Prefect Qiu, Vice-Prefect Luo, Lin Kai, Lu Yang, Xu Ning, Yue Feng, Zhao Long, Zhao Hu… all together, there are only about fifty or so.”

Compared to Xiacheng’s current population of over six hundred thousand, fifty-odd was indeed extremely rare. Although Yang Zhong didn’t know the exact number of Frostwarden realm cultivators in Great Xia, he was certain that superior combat physiques were a tiny fraction of them.

His good brother Li Hu being one of them naturally made him overjoyed.

However, Li Hu’s perspective was clearly much broader than his. He shook his head. “I’ve heard that when Prefect Yuan, Prefect Qiu, and the others you just mentioned broke through, their strength was over 2.5 Mane. That means their base strength during the hide reforging stage was over one hundred and twenty-five thousand catty. I can’t compare to them at all, not to mention there are even more formidable people above them…”

At this point, Li Hu paused, a look of horror appearing in his eyes. “Last time I was at the Logistics Division turning in my hunt, I heard that when Prefect Yuwen broke through, his base strength was over Five Mane, approaching Six Mane, enough to crush ordinary late-Frostwarden realm masters. And the Lord Prefect is even more terrifying; his base strength was over Six Mane right after his breakthrough. We could train ourselves to death and probably still not compare.”

Yang Zhong’s face froze upon hearing this, and then he too shook his head with a bitter smile.

If that was the case, Li Hu’s aptitude really didn’t count for much in Xiacheng.

He suddenly thought of something and whispered to Li Hu, “Tiger, what do you think our Lord’s base strength was when he broke through to the Frostwarden realm?”

Hearing this question, Li Hu’s brow furrowed. He recalled the god-like sight of Xia Hong bending the Iron Stake Wall with a single kick on the night Longshan was breached, and his eyes still filled with irrepressible awe.

“I don’t know, but it’s definitely beyond our imagination!”

Both fell silent for a moment before tacitly moving past the topic.

Li Hu thought of something and suddenly asked, “Right, we’re leaving for the Eastern Ridge tomorrow night. You’ve notified all the team members, haven’t you?”

“All eighteen members have been notified.”

After replying, a hint of curiosity rose on Yang Zhong’s face. “Hanqiong was suddenly demoted to a regular outpost, and the original seven divisions are all moving to the Eastern Ridge. Why didn’t Lord Lu bring people directly from Hanqiong, instead of coming all the way back to Xiacheng to pick five hundred? Tiger, have you heard anything about the reason?”

Li Hu frowned slightly, his face also filled with confusion, but he soon shook his head with a smile. “Whatever the reason, it’s definitely a good thing for our Zhaoyuan Squad to follow Lord Lu to the new outpost. I saw the list when I went to the Logistics Division to receive the notice three days ago. Of the five hundred people going, our Zhaoyuan is the only Low-level Squad. Of the remaining four hundred and eighty, eighty are members of the two high-level squads, Dongyang and Steel Mane. The other four hundred are from eight full-strength Intermediate Hunting Teams.

“Moreover, I heard from Lord Hong Tian that this opportunity to go to the Eastern Ridge is extremely rare, with a high chance of earning military merit. Many intermediate squads here in East District Two were fighting tooth and nail for a spot but were all rejected by Lord Lu. Instead, he specifically named our Zhaoyuan Squad.”

Hong Tian was the Prefect of East District Two and was in charge of the recruitment this time.

Hearing this, Yang Zhong was taken aback, a look of astonishment appearing on his face.

An opportunity to earn military merit would indeed make many people fight tooth and nail for it.

After all, that was the only path to ennoblement.

Being ennobled granted one the qualification to have an audience with the Lord in his court, along with various benefits corresponding to the title. Not to mention the transcendent status that came with it, the annual noble’s stipend alone was enough to drive everyone in Xiacheng into a frenzy.

The two of them were, of course, no exception!

But out of five hundred people, they were the only low-level squad.

And many intermediate squads had been rejected, while the Zhaoyuan Squad had been specifically chosen.

Why?

Yang Zhong pondered for a long time but couldn’t figure it out. He could only continue, “I’ve never heard of a place called the Eastern Ridge, and it’s not marked on the map of Great Xia’s territory hanging in the Logistics Division. It must be a newly discovered region where we can come into contact with other encampments, which is why there’s a chance to earn military merit!”

Li Hu nodded heavily, his expression excited. “The two of us have currently accumulated three hundred military merit points. If we can earn another two hundred on this assignment to the Eastern Ridge, we can be ennobled and granted an audience with the Lord!”

Ennobled and granted an audience with the Lord!

Hearing these words, Yang Zhong’s face was filled with shock.

This time, however, he was uncharacteristically clearer-headed than Li Hu.

“How could such a precious opportunity fall to us? Even if Lord Lu really needed a low-level hunting team, there are at least a dozen low-level squads in East District Two that are stronger than us!”

A flicker of speculation crossed Li Hu’s eyes, but he didn’t voice it.

“Could it be…”

Yang Zhong was catching on, but before he could finish, an aged voice interrupted him.

“What else could it be? This newly discovered Eastern Ridge outpost has immense strategic value. Any discerning person can see that going there means a chance at military merit. It’s not just your people in East District Two who are fighting for a spot; many in the Inner City have also approached Lu Yang. If Lu Yang hadn’t specified beforehand that besides himself and Zhao Hu, he wasn’t taking any other high-level squads, I’m afraid his doorstep would have been worn down.

“Madam gave instructions in advance, and I shamelessly asked him for a favor. That’s how I secured this opportunity for your Zhaoyuan Squad!”

As the voice fell, Li Tiancheng, dressed in white robes, appeared before them. He was clearly in a good mood recently. Even as his grandson and grandnephew glared at him, he showed no sign of annoyance, maintaining a faint smile as he looked at them.

The hot-tempered Yang Zhong stepped forward directly, showing no regard for Li Tiancheng as his maternal grandfather. “Article Eighteen of the Xia Law stipulates that no one may trespass in a private residence within the city. You…”

“Article Nineteen of the Xia Law stipulates that when the Department of Justice is investigating a case, it has the right to temporarily enter any private residence within Xiacheng. Since you’re so familiar with the Xia Law, you must also be quite familiar with the Xia Code of Rites.

“The Xia Code of Rites - Chapter of Rites and Regulations also states that any commoner must perform a subordinate’s salute upon meeting a person with a title of nobility. The section on filial piety in the same chapter also dictates that one must perform a bow when meeting a blood elder. Since you revere the Xia Law and the Xia Code of Rites so much, I presume you wouldn’t defy these regulations. Go on! I am waiting for your salute.”

Unfortunately, before he could finish, Li Tiancheng cut him off.

Li Tiancheng’s subsequent words made his expression freeze instantly.

Only then did Yang Zhong remember that the man before him, Li Tiancheng, was now the Prefect of the Department of Justice, one of Great Xia’s seven departments. Li Tiancheng himself had even participated in the drafting and establishment of the Xia Law.

How could he possibly win an argument about the Xia Law against Li Tiancheng!

It was even more impossible with the Xia Code of Rites. He was Li Tiancheng’s grandson, and Li Hu was his grandnephew. They were naturally in a junior position.

Their expressions immediately became somewhat complicated.

They were both aware of Li Tiancheng’s age.

“You’ve been in Xiacheng for almost a year and haven’t once come to see me or Madam. This shows you have some backbone. The Longshan Li family is a thing of the past. If there is a Li family today, it can only be the East City Li family, or the East City Yang family.

“If you still harbor resentment for what the Li family did, then you should strive to become strong as soon as possible, so that the new Li or Yang family of the future does not repeat Longshan’s mistakes. This opportunity to go to the Eastern Ridge was single-handedly arranged by Madam. I don’t have many years left to live. In the future, only Madam will be able to help you. Xiacheng is large, and it’s not easy to live here. It’s not so simple to make a name for yourself. Without a backer, you won’t even be able to enter the Inner City, let alone be ennobled and granted an audience with the Lord.”

After hearing this speech, Li Hu and Yang Zhong fell silent.

They weren’t fools; how could they not understand the meaning behind Li Tiancheng’s words?

By blood, Li Xuanling was Li Hu’s paternal aunt and Yang Zhong’s paternal cousin-aunt. Whether they liked it or not, they would naturally be classified as part of her faction, and thus tied to the Longshan faction.

Having been in Xiacheng for so long, Li Hu and Yang Zhong had seen and heard a lot, so they instantly understood what Li Tiancheng meant.

“Of the five hundred people Lu Yang is taking to the new outpost this time, nearly seventy percent are old-timers from the Redwood Ridge faction, and twenty percent are from the Jing Valley faction. Besides your Zhaoyuan Squad, the only other one is the Jinhan Squad, led by Hou Jing’s son, Hou Bing. You can tell from the personnel composition that this Eastern Ridge outpost is of great importance. Therefore, not only must you seize this opportunity and perform meritorious service for Great Xia, but you must also keep a close watch on the developments at the new outpost. If anything important happens, you must return and report to the Lord and Madam immediately.”

Seeing their expressions shift from initial resistance to their current hesitation, a hint of a smile flashed in Li Tiancheng’s eyes. He didn’t tease them further, simply turning to walk away, leaving a final sentence behind.

“The new Garrison Commander of Hanqiong is Lord Zhang Jiuling, whom you know. If there is important news from the Eastern Ridge outpost and you cannot leave, you can ask him to bring the message back to Xiacheng. I have said my piece. If you really do not want this opportunity, you can go to the Logistics Division in East District Two and turn it down.”

Li Tiancheng left, leaving Li Hu and Yang Zhong standing where they were. They looked at each other, and both saw the conflict and inclination in the other’s eyes.

“We have no choice!”

“As long as we live in Xiacheng, we can’t erase the mark of the Longshan faction. If we continue to be this defiant, people will just badmouth us behind our backs.”

“He’s right. The Longshan Li family is a thing of the past. Our next goal is to keep getting stronger and then establish our own Li and Yang families.”

“Then…”

“I don’t want to miss such a good opportunity.”

“Then let’s go to the Eastern Ridge together!”

…

Inner City, in an area far from the Main Building, inside a two-hundred-square-meter residence.

Hou Jing and his son Hou Bing sat facing each other.

Unlike Hou Jing, who was leisurely sipping wine with his eyes closed, Hou Bing’s face was filled with anxiety.

“Father, never mind that Yu Bin, Dong Zhong, and Wu Ningyuan have joined the Longshan faction, but now even Zhang Qingyuan, Lu Yin, Wang Lie, and Lin Ye—the Frostwarden realm experts from our Zhaoyang—have all flocked to suck up to Li Tiancheng!”

Hou Jing opened his eyes, saw his son’s anxious face, and shook his head with a chuckle. “As one of the seven department prefects, and also half father-in-law to the Lord, it’s only natural for these people to do so for their careers. What’s there for you to be anxious about?”

Hou Bing’s expression froze. He looked up at Hou Jing, his face full of confusion. He couldn’t believe his father didn’t understand his underlying meaning.

But since Hou Jing didn’t say anything more, he could only grit his teeth and speak plainly. “Of the three factions that merged from Longyou, the Longshan faction already had the most people and the greatest power. Although the Hive faction has fewer people, they had the advantage of submitting early and are clearly more trusted by the Lord than we are. Our Longbei faction was small to begin with, and now that Yu Bin, Dong Zhong, Wu Ningyuan, and the others have switched allegiances, even the four non-family Frostwarden realm experts from Zhaoyang have gone over to the Longshan faction. If this continues, our Longbei faction will truly fall apart and be slowly marginalized.”

“What Longbei faction? You and I have only one identity now: people of Great Xia. Longshan faction, Hive faction… do you think Li Tiancheng, Chen Yingyuan, or Peng Bo would dare to say these things openly in Xiacheng? You’re actually taking the idle gossip of bored people seriously. Foolish!”

Hearing his father’s reprimand, Hou Bing was stunned. He wasn’t scared, mainly because he didn’t understand why his father was putting on such an act.

The existence of the three Longyou factions in Xiacheng was an open secret. He refused to believe that his father hadn’t previously thought of uniting the Longbei faction to rise to the top echelon of Great Xia.

Something must have happened to cause such a drastic change in his father.

Hou Jing clearly read his son’s thoughts and shook his head slightly.

“Don’t think about fighting with Li Tiancheng. With Madam Li Xuanling, the Lord’s wife, around, whether the Longshan faction exists or not, Yu Bin, Dong Zhong, and the others would never have continued to follow us. Forget Zhang Qingyuan, Lu Yin, and Lin Ye—even Hou Ming, Hou Quan, Hou Ying, Hou Tong, and Hou Ming will probably start seeking out Li Tiancheng sooner or later. Don’t mention the words ‘Longbei faction’ ever again. Just be a citizen of Great Xia, cultivate, and grow stronger. As long as you have strength, you will have your day in the sun!”

Hou Bing fell silent upon hearing this.

Hou Jing knew his son was still unwilling to accept it and sighed softly.

If Longbei truly could have formed a cohesive faction, would he have ignored it? Unfortunately, the foundation of the Longbei faction was simply too weak. Forget comparing it to the Longshan faction; it was far behind even the Hive faction.

The Longbei faction might have seemed to have more people than the Hive faction, but he had, after all, defected from Zhaoyang to join Great Xia. He was naturally less favored by Xia Hong than Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo were. That was secondary. The crucial issue was that his five nephews—Hou Ming, Hou Quan, and the others—clearly held objections to his rebellion. If his own family was like this, what could he expect from outsiders like Zhang Qingyuan and Lin Ye?

The Longbei faction lacked a foundation of unity from the very beginning. Its disintegration was inevitable.

Fortunately, he was older now, and his desire for power was not as strong. In his year or so in Great Xia, he had encountered so many new and fascinating things, enough to let him live out his remaining years in peace.

He knew his son was ambitious, but he was even more aware of his son’s capabilities. With an inferior combat physique and his cultivation nearing the late-Frostwarden realm, his base strength was just over Five Mane. Setting aside his cunning and methods, with just that level of strength, even if he were forcibly pushed into a high position, it would likely end badly.

Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Luo Yuan, Lin Kai, Yue Feng, the three Zhao brothers… there were too many outstanding people in Xiacheng!

Of course, since his son was ambitious, he wouldn’t just leave him to his own devices.

“I’ve arranged an assignment for you to the Eastern Ridge. Prepare yourself. If you truly want to climb the ladder, you must seize this opportunity. There might not be such a good chance in the future!”

An assignment to the Eastern Ridge?

Hou Bing looked startled and asked in confusion, “Isn’t it just going to a new outpost? What kind of good opportunity could it be?”

Hou Jing shook his head and explained, “Didn’t I give you the list of people going this time? Did you not notice that ninety percent of the five hundred people Lu Yang is taking are old-timers of Great Xia?”

“I noticed. What does that prove?”

“It proves that he only wants people he can trust. He doesn’t trust those who merged from Longyou last year. This means the Eastern Ridge outpost is extremely important. It was only when I heard that Li Tiancheng had squeezed his grandson and grandnephew’s low-level squad, Zhaoyuan, into the group that I shamelessly went to the Lord Prefect to secure fifty spots for your Jinhan Squad as well.

“The Lord Prefect only allowed the Zhaoyuan and your Jinhan squads to join, which is a sign of trust. He trusts that your two squads can be like the other Great Xia old-timers. So, when you get to the Eastern Ridge, you must perform well. As long as you can achieve merit, you will have caught the Lord Prefect’s eye. With that, do you still need to worry about your future?”

After listening to his father’s explanation, Hou Bing finally understood, and his eyes gradually lit up.

He hadn’t considered things so deeply before. Now, after hearing his father’s words, he realized this was an opportunity for their Hou family—a golden opportunity to gain the trust of the Lord Prefect, and perhaps even the Lord himself.

If they could gain the trust of the Lord Prefect and the Lord, then whether the Longbei faction existed or not truly wouldn’t matter.

“Father, I understand. I will definitely perform well on this trip to the Eastern Ridge!”

Hearing his son’s words, Hou Jing finally nodded in satisfaction.

…

Inner City, second floor of the Main Building. Lu Yang was currently being boisterously ushered to his seat by Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Yue Feng, and others.

“The Lord even bestowed the Frost Wing Sword upon you?”

“The Frost Wing Sword was specially forged for the Lord by Mu Dong back in May. Ten thousand-forged refined iron, coated with two thousand catty of silver… tsk, tsk… you couldn’t find many of these in all of Great Xia!”

“You rascal, you’re even more impressive than Xu Ning!”

“Well, what can you do? That’s the Eastern Ridge. Over four hundred thousand people on Beining Mountain, plus the discovery of Mo’ao Mountain and Beishuo Town… the other eight towns will probably be found soon by following the trail. This merit is indeed immense.”

“Hahahaha…”

Looking at the envious gazes of the crowd, Lu Yang was naturally full of pride. Everyone present was an old-timer from the early days of Great Xia, and their relationships were unshakable. He could laugh heartily and openly among them.

Everyone knew he was leaving tomorrow. Yuan Cheng had specially rushed back from the North Slope Silver Mine, while Yue Feng had just happened to return from Longshan to report on his duties. As for Qiu Peng and the others, they had been at the garrison all along.

They had all learned about the Eastern Ridge from Xia Chuan, so they understood the magnitude of Lu Yang’s achievement and were congratulating him incessantly during the feast.

However, after three rounds of drinks, a hint of trouble appeared on Lu Yang’s face.

Qiu Peng, sitting next to him, noticed his expression and immediately teased, “What? Already worrying about what rank of nobility you’ll be promoted to?”

“Hahahaha…”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Lu Yang laughed along but shook his head. “I’m just thinking, once I arrive at the Eastern Ridge with my five hundred men, how should I go about annexing the other large encampments? A direct attack probably isn’t a good idea, and it would cause trouble later. But approaching them to talk seems too abrupt, and they probably wouldn’t agree…”

“Hah, is that all you’re worried about?”

Yue Feng shook his head repeatedly. Seeing Lu Yang look at him, he smiled and offered a suggestion. “We have so many Frostwarden realm experts in Xiacheng. Just find a few people to play the villain. Annexing a few large encampments should be a piece of cake then, shouldn’t it?”

Lu Yang’s eyes lit up instantly. He raised his wine cup towards Yue Feng and said gratefully, “Thank you, Brother Feng, for the advice. Lu Yang is endlessly grateful. It’s all in the wine. Come, come, drink! Tonight’s aged liquor is on me!”

“Generous!”

“Yang is a good man.”

“In that case, I’ll have to make him drink at least two catty.”

“Hahahaha, Yang’s struck it rich! We have to drink him dry.”

…

Chapter 343: Seclusion, The Growing Yu Generation, Family Banquet, Rapid Development

As night fell on the tenth day of the ninth month, Lu Yang set out for the Eastern Ridge with five hundred men, while Xu Ning remained to oversee Wuyuan. Thus, the preparations for Great Xia’s two-pronged eastward advance began in an orderly fashion.

Both Lu Yang and Xu Ning possessed superior combat physique aptitude. When they broke through, their base strength was close to the Third Mane level. Now at the mid-Frostwarden realm, both wielded the strength of the Eight Mane.

The eastward advance was crucial to Great Xia’s future grand strategy, so Xia Hong was understandably uneasy about giving Lu Yang and Xu Ning full authority. That was why he had Xia Chuan personally oversee Wuyuan and sent Yuwen Tao to keep an eye on the Eastern Ridge.

One was the Director, the other was the strongest Department Head; they were among Xiacheng’s top experts. Moreover, with the Cloud Serpent Army and Dragon Martial Army under their respective commands, they should be more than capable of handling any emergency that might arise.

The orders for Wuyuan were to focus on reconnaissance and avoid expansion, to secretly map out the entire north bank of the Xing River and determine if the area beyond it fell within Beishuo Town’s sphere of influence.

The orders for the Eastern Ridge were to establish a foothold in the Beining Mountain area as a new camp, coexist with the seven other village-level camps there, and use the opportunity for exchange to gather more information about Beishuo and the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao.

Ultimately, both sets of orders pointed to the same strategy: lie low for now. The current priority was to gather intelligence on the Nine Garrisons and buy more time for Xiacheng to fully convert the benefits from the recent wave of collective building upgrades into actual strength.

The Martial Arts Pavilion’s capacity had just increased from two hundred to one thousand.

The Alchemy Pavilion’s Medicinal Field had only transplanted a dozen or so precious spirit plants like the Crimson Sun Fruit, Frosty Whisker Grass, and Dual-Colored Liquid Spirit Fruit. Cheng Feng was attempting to transplant the dying Frost Apple Tree from Longshan, with its survival still uncertain.

The Weaponry Pavilion was still trying to forge one-hundred-thousand-forged weapons. The production of Thousand-forged blades remained low, and the Thousand-forged Thunder Kui battle armor was only in the research and development phase. Although the production rate of Beast-quelling blades was slowly increasing, most were still Hundred-forged.

There were only forty-five martial arts manuals in total, which was clearly too few for Great Xia’s population of over six hundred thousand.

Many precious fruit plants had been transplanted to the level-three black soil, and the increase in production capacity for refined salt, spirit liquor, pills, and other resources had only just begun.

………………

This conversion required time!

Of course, the most important thing was Xia Hong’s own cultivation.

“From the information Yang and Li revealed back then, the Frostwarden realm is definitely not the peak of power in Beishuo Town. The same must be true for the other eight garrisons. If Great Xia wants to advance east to the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain and contend with the Nine Garrisons, breaking through to the Sun-Manifestation realm is the bare minimum, and even that might not be enough to guarantee our safety. Therefore, my own cultivation is the absolute priority!”

On the Stargazer Platform, Xia Hong sat alone, cross-legged upon the Enlightenment Lotus Platform, his expression solemn.

Xu Ning and Lu Yang weren’t exceedingly powerful, but their strength lay in their steady temperaments, and they always executed his orders without compromise. With Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao keeping watch, he could set his mind at ease about Wuyuan and the Eastern Ridge for the time being.

“Now, I must cultivate with all my heart. First, I’ll raise my base strength to the seventy-two Mane level and complete the third round of blood and flesh reconstruction. Then I can use medicinal power to temper my bones and generate marrow, and break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm!”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, then opened a medicine bottle before him. He poured out a Yang Core Pill, swallowed it, and began to cultivate.

Although those in the Frostwarden realm couldn’t abstain from food entirely, they could store reserves of flesh and blood energy in their bodies by eating large amounts. This ability could be continuously improved. Xia Hong could now go three days without a meal. He had already informed Hanyue to bring food to the Stargazer Platform once every three days. For the duration of his seclusion, no one would disturb him.

When he had last emerged from seclusion on the fifth of the ninth month, his base strength was already at the fifty-four Mane level. He had calculated then that it would take him less than a year to reach the seventy-two Mane mark. At that point, using medicinal power to temper his bones and generate marrow to break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm would be a natural progression.

At this stage, as long as the camp’s activities were confined to the Pingxi Plain, Great Xia was unlikely to encounter any threatening enemies. With Xia Chuan and the Seven Departments managing affairs, he had no need to worry about Xiacheng.

Driven by his desire to break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, Xia Hong began his first-ever wholehearted period of secluded cultivation since arriving in the Ice Abyss World.

And while he was in seclusion, the camp was rapidly improving its overall strength, capitalizing on the various benefits brought by the latest round of building upgrades.

………………

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. Soon, it was the fourth year of Great Xia.

The fifth day of the eighth month, just before nightfall.

The light of the cold sun in the sky was gradually weakening, but it continued to relentlessly pour cold air down upon the land. Despite the many light sources within the Outer City, most of its inhabitants were already asleep. Only a few diligent captains of mid and high-level hunting squads, along with personnel from the Seven Departments and their seven divisions, were waking up to begin their pre-night preparations.

In contrast to the Outer City, the smaller Inner City had noticeably more people braving the cold light on its streets. They would greet acquaintances, stopping to chat for a few moments. Their voices, though not loud, added a touch of life to the surroundings.

The area around the Main Building was much quieter than the rest of the Inner City. The Stargazer Hall, floating in the sky behind the Main Building, was especially so. Despite being brightly lit, the fire in the Sacred Cauldron at its very top clearly visible, and the occasional silhouette of a maid passing through a corridor, the entire structure was silent and solemn.

After all, it was the Lord’s residence, the most important and mysterious place in Xiacheng. Anyone who looked up at the Stargazer Hall from below would feel a sense of solemnity and be overcome with reverence—and, of course, a fervent passion.

But no one would have imagined that at this very moment, inside the Stargazer Hall that seemed so solemn and majestic to them, two childish voices suddenly rang out.

“Eee… Daddy… find… play…”

“Star… Platform… find Daddy… play…”

The childish voices came from directly below the Stargazer Platform. One could tell the two children were still at the age of learning to talk; although their words weren’t perfectly clear, their meaning was.

“Your Highnesses, you can’t go in there. The Lord is in secluded cultivation!”

“Go… want… Daddy…”

“Go… me too…”

“Sister Hanyue, we’re having a family banquet tonight to celebrate the birthdays of Their Highnesses and Second Young Master Yuning. Shouldn’t the Lord be coming out of seclusion soon?”

“Even so, we can’t disturb him now. It’s not even dark yet! The Stargazer Platform doesn’t have a roof; Their Highnesses cannot go there.”

“Oh, right! That was close, I almost forgot.”

“Hurry and carry Their Highnesses back! It’s almost nighttime, they should be resting.”

“Understood.”

“Waaah…”

…………

Clearly, the negotiation had failed.

Directly below the Stargazer Platform was the main hall of the palace. Two toddlers, who had just learned to walk, were struggling in the arms of Hanyue and Hanshuang, their chubby little hands reaching relentlessly for the staircase leading up to the platform.

The one on the left wore a little white dress embroidered with two exquisite red luan birds at the hem. The water-blue sacred sigil on her forehead shimmered in the firelight. The one on the right was dressed in a small black and gold robe of remarkable texture, clearly made from the same material as Xia Hong’s own. His sacred sigil was golden-red, and under the light, it looked as if lava was flowing within it, a truly mystical sight.

The toddlers had just turned one. They were already as fair and adorable as jade carvings, and dressed in such noble attire, always kept immaculate by Hanshuang and the other maids, anyone who saw them couldn’t help but be charmed.

Especially now, as they both yearned for their father and refused to be carried away by the maids, reaching their chubby little hands toward the entrance of the Stargazer Platform and crying their eyes out, they were all the more endearing.

But even so, Hanyue and Hanshuang couldn’t possibly let them go. They could only grit their teeth and carry the two toward the palace exit.

However, one could see that the two toddlers’ constant struggling and crying actually caused Hanyue and Hanshuang to stagger slightly.

“The Eldest Highness’s strength is getting greater and greater. My base strength is already close to twenty-eight thousand, yet sometimes, if I’m caught off guard, she can actually break free.”

Hanshuang, who was holding Xia Yusheng, heard her sister’s words and replied with a wry smile, “We’re still the lucky ones. Last time, Nongying was holding the Second Highness and wasn’t paying attention for a moment. He broke free and fell right on the ground. Madam was so furious, she almost banished her from the Stargazer Hall.”

Hanyue obviously knew about this incident. A flicker of fear crossed her face as she looked at Xia Yuyao, still wailing in her arms, and said with a bitter smile, “Their Highnesses haven’t even started cultivating yet. Madam only just weaned them two months ago, and they’ve only had some supplementary food made from beast meat and Red Crystal Fruit, but their strength has already increased by over fifty kilograms. At this rate, they’ll probably break through to the Earthforger realm before they even start cultivating at age six.”

Hearing this, Hanshuang and the other maids all nodded slightly. As they looked at the crying Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng, their faces showed a mixture of shock and envy.

Although Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng had turned one, according to what the Lord himself had said when they were born, they would have to rely on their own strength to leave the Stargazer Hall. Right now, they were even afraid of the high edges of the corridors, let alone the thirty-meter suspended staircase connecting the Stargazer Hall to the Main Building. They didn’t even dare to go near it.

So, to this day, neither of them had taken a single step out of the Stargazer Hall.

Since they had never been outside, they hadn’t come into contact with anyone from the camp. Therefore, besides the Lord, Madam, the Director’s family, and their maternal grandfather Li Tiancheng, these dozen or so maids were likely the only ones in all of Great Xia who knew of the children’s special qualities.

Putting aside their other mystical traits, just the fact that they were born with a base strength of two thousand five hundred kilograms was enough to crush all the geniuses in Great Xia. Two months ago, when they started eating supplementary food, their strength began to increase automatically without any cultivation. If word of this got out, the geniuses in the Martial Arts Pavilion who spent their days trying to break records would probably go insane.

“The Lord and Madam are no ordinary people. As their children, Their Highnesses’ talent is naturally far beyond that of normal people. Besides, Great Xia today is not what it used to be. Their Highnesses have an increasingly high starting point. In the future…”

“Huh? Why have Their Highnesses stopped crying?”

Hanyue’s train of thought was suddenly interrupted by her sister. She looked down and realized that Xia Yuyao in her arms, and Xia Yusheng in her sister’s, had both suddenly stopped crying and fallen silent.

“Giggle…”

“Daddy… Dad… is here…”

Not only had they fallen silent, but Xia Yusheng was even giggling. Then, a sentence from Xia Yuyao made all the maids turn to look behind them.

“Greetings, Lord!”

It turned out that, preoccupied with holding Their Highnesses, they had unknowingly reached the entrance of the main hall. The entrance to the Stargazer Platform behind them had silently opened at some point. Xia Hong now stood in the middle of the main hall, making faces at the two little ones who were facing him.

“Rise. The family banquet will be held here in the main hall. You can go and prepare now. After nightfall, go and inform Xia Chuan to come over.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Hanyue nodded and cupped her hands. As she was about to exit the hall, she realized she was still holding Xia Yuyao. After receiving a look from Xia Hong, she and her sister let go of the children.

“Daddy…”

“Dad…”

Freed from their restraints, the two little ones immediately rushed toward Xia Hong. Of course, since they were still unsteady on their feet, it was less of a rush and more of a stumbling, crawling journey.

“It’s fine, you can all go about your business. I’ll watch them!”

Seeing the nervous looks on Hanyue and the others, Xia Hong waved his hand to dismiss their concerns before clapping his hands at his children, encouraging them to continue walking toward him.

Perhaps because girls are naturally weaker physically, Xia Yuyao, despite her best efforts, was overtaken by her younger brother. In just a short while, he had pulled three or four meters ahead of her.

“Wooo wooo…”

Seeing that her brother was about to reach their father’s arms first, Xia Yuyao plopped down on the floor, threw her head back, and began to wail.

Xia Yusheng had been continuing forward, but he was immediately drawn by the sound of crying behind him. He first turned to look at his sister, took a few more steps toward Xia Hong, but then, after some thought, he actually stopped.

“Sis… you… come… wait…”

Hearing the words that slowly came from Xia Yusheng’s mouth, a look of surprise flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

He already knew to yield to his sister at such a young age.

However, it looked like the little guy was about to be taken advantage of!

Xia Yuyao seemed to understand her brother’s words. After getting up, she tentatively took a few steps forward. Seeing that her brother wasn’t moving, she immediately quickened her pace, trotted toward Xia Hong, passed her brother, and threw herself directly into Xia Hong’s arms.

“Giggle giggle…”

Xia Yuyao, who had been crying her heart out just a moment ago, immediately started giggling the moment she was in Xia Hong’s arms. She even turned her head to point at her brother, her little face full of triumphant pride.

“Waaah…”

“Hahahahaha!”

Seeing his son realize he had been tricked, stand stunned for a moment, and then also start to wail, Xia Hong couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Silly boy, what’s there to cry about just because your sister tricked you a little!”

He held Xia Yuyao in his left arm, stepped forward to pick up his son with his right, and comforted him softly. Then he turned to look at his eldest daughter, his eyes filled with amusement.

“They say you can tell a person’s future at age three, but one can already see the signs in you at age one. Already so mischievous at this age, you’re not going to be an easy one to handle when you grow up.”

“Easy… lamp… oil lamp, oil lamp…”

“Hahahaha, alright, alright, you’re an easy lamp, an oil lamp.”

Xia Yuyao was already starting to mimic adult speech. Unable to catch the whole sentence, she latched onto the last few words, repeating ‘oil lamp’ over and over. This adorable, naive display naturally sent Xia Hong into another fit of laughter.

Xia Hong sat down at the head of the round table in the main hall, teasing his children and enjoying this domestic bliss. At the same time, he began to review the arduous eleven-month cultivation session in his mind.

“It was about what I expected last year. It took less than a year. By the end of the seventh month, my base strength broke through the seventy-two Mane limit, and I completed the third round of blood and flesh reconstruction. However, I’ve spent the last few days studying the changes in my flesh and blood after the third reconstruction and haven’t started to temper my bones and generate marrow yet. It seems a year isn’t quite enough!”

If an expert were present, they would have noticed that Xia Hong’s mouth and nose were not moving at all. His breathing originated from the flesh and blood within his body and was being conducted through the pores of his skin.

“After the third reconstruction, setting aside the strength of my flesh and blood, my control over my internal organs and flesh has reached the same level as my control over my skin. Not only can I shift my internal organs, but I can also freely control the muscles all over my body, and even change the density of my flesh and blood. I can even hover in the air for short periods. By the same logic…”

A glint flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes. After three rounds of blood and flesh reconstruction, the next step was to temper his bones and generate marrow. If he could subsequently raise his control over his bones to the same level as his control over his skin and flesh, would that mean he could also change his bone density?

The one thing the Ice Abyss World had no shortage of was cold wind. If he could truly control his body’s density at will, then flying through the air by riding the wind would be a logical next step.

“Frost Beasts can fly once they reach the Beast King realm. There are some clues in their skeletal structure, and also in that bone core between their brows. Although humans and Frost Beasts are not the same, our cultivation paths have some convergences, so I can use them as a reference!”

Since he had yet to temper his bones and generate marrow, Xia Hong only had a partial understanding of the Sun-Manifestation realm. However, the insights he had deduced using the Enlightenment Lotus Platform were enough to support his subsequent cultivation.

“After the third round of blood and flesh reconstruction, I’ve compared my physical body to that of the Frost Wolf King. My flesh and blood are now as strong as a quasi-Beast King-level Frost Beast. This means that unless a true Beast King attacks, no Frost Beast can even break through my defense. And even if they could, I can shift my internal organs and mobilize my flesh and blood to minimize the damage. This puts me in a virtually invincible position!”

In other words, he was now—

Invincible below the Beast King realm!

As he silently recited those words in his mind, Xia Hong’s expression became one of extreme excitement.

He thought back to five years ago, when he could only rely on his little torches to scavenge for Frost Beast carcasses on the outskirts of Redwood Ridge. Back then, he never would have imagined that he would be able to utter such words today.

Xia Hong turned his head toward Longshan to the northwest. A flicker of temptation appeared in his eyes, but after a moment’s thought, he quickly suppressed it.

“I should still play it safe. That small Silver Mine on the northern slope will last for at least another two years. There’s no crisis at the moment, nor any urgent need. There’s no reason to take such a huge risk. It’s better to continue cultivating and strive to break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm as soon as possible. Only then will I be completely safe.”

Having made up his mind, Xia Hong withdrew his gaze and looked out through the gates of the Stargazer Hall at Xiacheng, which was now shrouded in night.

He had barely left the Stargazer Hall this past year, mostly only seeing Li Xuanling and their children. He had seen even less of Xia Chuan. Tonight’s family banquet was not only to celebrate the birthdays of Yu Yao, Yu Sheng, and Yuning, but also to get an update on Great Xia’s current situation from Xia Chuan.

“While in seclusion in the Stargazer Hall, I’ve sensed quite a few people breaking through, but I don’t know the specifics. When Xia Chuan arrives, I’ll have to ask him in detail!”

He lowered his head and continued to play with his children, quietly waiting for Xia Chuan’s family to arrive.

Xia Chuan’s family had yet to arrive, but Hanyue and the other maids quickly set up the family banquet.

Aged-Spice Fried Gnawer Tips, Stir-fried Mane Meat with Snow Bamboo Shoots, Qingxian-Braised White Bear Paws, Aged-Fruit Roasted Lamb Chops, Crystal-Branch Stewed Kui Ribs, Fragrant Frost-Fruit Tiger Stew…

As one delicious dish after another was served on the round table, the main hall was instantly filled with a rich aroma. It made the two little ones, Yu Yao and Yu Sheng, sniffle uncontrollably, their chubby little hands constantly reaching for the table as if they wanted a taste.

“You two can’t eat this. Hanyue, go get some of their supplementary food.”

“Yes, Lord!”

After giving Hanyue the order, Xia Hong held the two little ones tightly in his arms. Pinned and unable to move, they immediately started struggling against him. But even after their faces turned red with effort, they couldn’t pry open even one of his fingers. Realizing they couldn’t break free, both of them puffed out their cheeks in a sulk.

“Huh, this isn’t Qingyang Liquor. Has the Artisan Department come out with a new brew recently?”

As Hanshuang brought over two jugs of liquor, Xia Hong caught a scent different from the usual and asked curiously.

As Great Xia’s territory continued to expand, more areas were explored, more new species were discovered, and productivity naturally grew day by day.

Xia Liquor now included more than just Bloodchill and the aged liquor. Over the past year, Mu Dong’s Artisan Department had successively brewed more than ten new types of fine liquor, with Qingyang being the one that left the deepest impression on Xia Hong.

What was brought this time was clearly another new product.

“This one is called Fengyang Drunk. I heard it was brewed from a new type of fruit sent back from the Eastern Ridge last month.”

The Eastern Ridge was starting to send things back?

Xia Hong’s eyes flickered slightly. He took the jug and poured himself a full cup.

The pure cyan liquor began to slowly vaporize the moment it left the spout, forming wisps of white smoke that drifted upward. It was clearly very potent.

Xia Hong raised the cup and downed it in one go. A flush of red immediately spread across his cheeks.

“The liquor is scorching like molten metal, cuts like a knife going down the throat, and pours into the stomach like a torrent. It’s about twice as strong as Qingyang Liquor. Anyone below the Frostwarden realm couldn’t drink this. Good liquor, good liquor!”

His eyes sparkling, Xia Hong immediately poured himself another cup.

Hanyue, Hanshuang, and the others covered their mouths and giggled.

They all knew the Lord was fond of his drink.

“Greetings, Lord!”

Xia Chuan’s family had finally arrived.

Xia Hong looked up at Xia Chuan’s family at the door, his gaze landing directly on the child in Xiao Ning’s arms at the back. His face was wreathed in smiles.

The child, who looked to be just under two years old, met his gaze and immediately broke into a smile, stretching out his hands and shouting, “First Uncle, First Uncle, First Uncle, hold, hold, hold!”

“Yuzong, you’re being disobedient again…”

“Get up, get up. It’s a family banquet today, no need for so many formalities!”

Xia Hong interrupted Xiao Ning and waved for Xia Chuan to rise. He then looked down at Xia Yuzong, clapped his hands, and called out, “Yuzong can walk now, can’t he? Come on, walk to First Uncle.”

“I can walk!”

Compared to Yu Yao and Yu Sheng, who were just over one and still toddling, the nearly two-year-old Xia Yuzong walked far more steadily. The moment Xiao Ning let him go, he trotted all the way to Xia Hong.

“Waaah…”

However, he had barely thrown himself into Xia Hong’s arms when his little niece, Yuning, who was being held by Xiao Yu, became unhappy and immediately burst into tears.

“Hahaha, come, come, I’ll hold all of you!”

Xia Hong was already holding three children. Seeing his niece crying, he naturally couldn’t show favoritism. He laughed heartily and stepped forward to take her into his arms as well.

The sight of him holding four children by himself was rather comical. Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu, and all the maids couldn’t help but cover their faces to stifle their laughter.

Xia Chuan shook his head and was about to ask Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu to take the children back, but just then, Li Xuanling happened to walk in.

“Yao’er, Sheng’er, come to Mother!”

Yu Yao and Yu Sheng, who had been full of life just a moment ago, immediately became impeccably behaved upon hearing Li Xuanling’s voice. They actually wriggled out of Xia Hong’s arms and walked obediently to her side.

“They only dare to act unruly in front of me.”

Most children fear their father more than their mother, but Xia Hong had long since discovered that his two were the exact opposite. They weren’t afraid of him in the slightest, acting unruly and playing tricks, each more audacious than the last. But in front of their mother, Li Xuanling, they were like mice before a cat, a picture of obedience.

It couldn’t be helped. Li Xuanling went into seclusion less frequently than he did, so she was usually the one looking after the children. Her personality was also stricter, so it was normal for the children to be afraid of her.

Xia Hong didn’t mind this. In his view, as long as one parent could keep the children in line, there wouldn’t be any problems. What he feared was raising them to have a personality that feared nothing in heaven or on earth; that would be troublesome.

“Sit, sit. It’s a family banquet today, no need to be so formal.”

As Xia Hong said this for the second time, Xia Chuan’s family naturally relaxed. The two families sat around the table, and the banquet began in a joyous and harmonious atmosphere.

“I haven’t paid attention to the camp’s situation for a year. I’ve called you here today for the family banquet, but also for business. Tell me about Xiacheng’s current status!”

After three rounds of drinks, Xia Hong finally got down to business.

Xia Chuan was clearly prepared and had been waiting for this question. He immediately replied with a serious expression, “I won’t go over the population figures, since Big Brother has been keeping track. I’ll focus on the state of cultivation and the Seven Departments.”

[Population: 669,274]

Xia Hong nodded. Xia Chuan indeed didn’t need to report Great Xia’s population, as he could always see it. What he really wanted to know about was the current cultivation levels of the populace and the situation with the Seven Departments.

“As of the beginning of this month, Great Xia has a total of one thousand seventy-four people at the Frostwarden realm; six thousand nine hundred twenty at the Earthforger limit; one hundred twenty-three thousand nine hundred seventy-eight at the Earthforger realm; and two hundred ninety-four thousand seventy-two at the Lumberjack realm.

“The Hunting Department currently oversees a total of three thousand seven hundred twenty-six squads: one hundred eighty-two high-level squads, nine hundred seventy-six mid-level squads, and the rest are low-level. We are still following the reforms from two years ago, so headquarters only directly manages the one hundred eighty-two high-level squads and a small number of mid-level squads from the Inner City. The remaining hunting teams are all managed by the seven divisions in the Outer City and other garrisons.”

“Then there is Luo Yuan’s Tiger Leopard Army, which was formally established at the beginning of this year. Recently, I have begun preparations for the creation of a fifth army, and it should be successfully formed by the end of the year.”

“Big Brother also inspects the Alchemy Pavilion, Martial Arts Pavilion, and Weaponry Pavilion on occasion, so I won’t go into detail about the changes in the remaining six departments.”

“Of Great Xia’s four outer cities, the population is concentrated in the East City. The East City has been divided into seven sectors, from the East First District to the East Seventh District. Only about a tenth of the total area is currently in use, leaving a large amount of space in reserve.”

“Finally, there are Wuyuan and the Eastern Ridge.

Over the past year, Xu Ning has not been hasty. He has slowly scouted another thirty kilometers to the east, which should put him in the middle of the Xing River’s north bank. So far, he has not discovered any information about the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao.

Lu Yang sends a message back once a month. His last message said that Beishuo has already sent people to inspect the Eastern Ridge. He has kept a very low profile, agreeing to pay tribute every six months along with the other seven camps on Beining Mountain. He also gave an extra ‘gift’ to the inspector from Beishuo, so there shouldn’t be any problems. He is just waiting for the next trip to Beishuo Town with the leaders of the other seven camps. That will be when he can finally get a real look at Beishuo Town’s true strength.”

Xia Hong nodded continuously as he listened. His eyes lit up, especially when he heard the news from the Eastern Ridge that Lu Yang would soon be able to ascertain Beishuo Town’s true situation.

“Big Brother, are you planning to come out of seclusion?”

After neglecting the camp’s situation for so long, this sudden inquiry naturally made Xia Chuan think that Xia Hong was planning to end his seclusion.

And if he was coming out of seclusion, it must mean that his cultivation…

“No, no, I’m going to continue my seclusion. This time, it might be for even longer. That’s why I wanted to see you beforehand, to let you know. You can send someone to inform me before the Silver Mine on the northern slope is depleted. Aside from that, you can handle all other matters yourself. Of course, if you run into any difficulties you truly can’t resolve, you can come and get me.”

“Understood, Big Brother!”

Hearing that Xia Hong would continue his seclusion, a flicker of disappointment crossed Xia Chuan’s face, but he quickly composed himself and answered with a firm nod.

“The fifth army will be formed soon, which means the Department of Military Affairs will be almost complete. This time, you can appoint the Department Head of Military Affairs. I won’t interfere!”

Xia Chuan was stunned for a moment, then nodded, his expression moved. “Thank you for your trust, Big Brother! I will be sure to handle it well!”

The Department Heads of the Seven Departments had always been personally appointed by Xia Hong. To suddenly hand over the right to appoint a Department Head—and for the Department of Military Affairs, which was arguably the most important one at the moment—showed Xia Hong’s immense trust in him. How could he not be moved.

Chapter 344: The Nine Towns of Mo’ao Mountain, the Inspectorate System and Town Decrees, Li Hu and Hong Yuru

The entire Mo’ao Mountain range ran from northwest to southeast. To say it was located to the northeast of Beining Mountain was because, from Beining Mountain’s perspective, the highest point of the range was north by east.

Compared to the vastness of the Mo’ao Mountain range, Beining Mountain was far too small—so small that even from its highest peak, one could not glimpse the full breadth of Mo’ao Mountain. One could only judge their position to be on its southern foothills by the trend of the mountains.

It was rumored that the highest peak of Mo’ao Mountain exceeded seventy thousand meters, with an average elevation of over thirty thousand meters. How deep did the mountains run? Where did they begin in the northwest, and where did they end in the southeast? No one knew. Even the lords of the Nine Towns had never figured out these questions.

“The so-called Nine Towns of Mo’ao Mountain only control the five-hundred-kilometer stretch along the southern foothills. They’ve barely surveyed the vast regions extending to the northwest and southeast.”

Mo’ao Calendar, year 128, the ninth day of the eighth month, at dawn.

On the snowy plains of Mo’ao Mountain’s southern foothills, Lu Yang stood by the window in a top-floor guest room of Hongshan Village. He gazed at the distant Mo’ao Mountain and sighed softly.

He had been in Beining for a full year. As the Eastern Ridge outpost gradually got on track, he had learned a great deal not only about the Mo’ao Mountain range but also about the Nine Towns below.

His trip to Beishuo City, in particular, had allowed him to gain a wealth of valuable information about the Nine Towns—a huge harvest, indeed.

Of course, he wasn’t the only one. Zhao Hu, Zhu Shun, and Wang Tao had also been in Eastern Ridge for a year and had accompanied him on this journey.

Hearing his sigh, the three men at the table nodded and spoke up:

“The northwest is manageable. I heard there are no major obstacles, so the three towns of Beishuo, Jinshan, and Wuchuan have been actively expanding north. The southeast, however, is a different story. The Xing River flows down from Mo’ao Mountain, cutting off the path. The two towns along the river, Jiangxia and Bashang, have no room to expand at all. No wonder their populations have barely changed.”

“It’s not just the two towns along the river. The four central towns of Longgu, Muyin, Yangqu, and Chuishan are sandwiched between the northern and southern towns, and their situations are similar. Their camps are over a century old, yet their populations are just over five hundred thousand.”

“Geography dictates their limits. They’re cut off by the Xing River to the south. To the west, the area along the Double Dragon Mountain is filled with dangerous zones—even Beining Mountain is impassable, let alone our Pingxi Plain below the cliffs. To the north, the three strongest towns have them pinned down. Even if they wanted to expand, there’s nowhere to go. Their only option is to desperately extract resources from Mo’ao Mountain and continuously increase their strength to avoid being annexed.”

“But that just leads to a higher death rate in the camps, and the population growth naturally stagnates. It’s a vicious cycle.”

“The three northern towns are too powerful. Although their main cities each have populations of over eight hundred thousand, if you count everyone in their jurisdictions, it’s at least two million per town. If the six central and southern towns were smart, they’d form an alliance to prevent being annexed.”

“I don’t think they need an alliance. Who among the three northern towns wouldn’t be drooling over six large pieces of prime meat? Let alone annexing all six, even swallowing one or two would be enough to shatter the existing balance of power between the three. In that case, the six central and southern towns don’t need to form an alliance at all; they can just sit back and watch the three northern towns fight amongst themselves.”

“That’s right! That makes sense. None of the three northern towns wants to see the others grow stronger. Whichever one dares to make a move on the six central and southern towns will surely arouse the suspicion of the other two. They might even have to pay a hefty price to appease and win over the six towns, fearing they might side with a rival at any moment.”

“No wonder that despite constant minor skirmishes over the years, a major war has never broken out among the Nine Towns. So there’s such a delicate balance of power.”

“Lord Wang’s astute analysis is truly worthy of someone from Longshan. I, Zhao Hu, am deeply impressed!”

“You flatter me, Lord Zhao.”

…

Being from Longshan, Wang Tao had witnessed firsthand how the twelve camps of Longyou schemed against each other in his early years, so he was able to quickly grasp the general situation of the Nine Towns of Mo’ao.

Lu Yang also nodded in agreement. He turned, walked to the table, and sat down. From his robes, he took out a slightly messy beast hide sketch and spread it before the three men.

The sketch was crudely drawn with a charcoal pencil. The whole map only marked the names of the Nine Towns and the general outlines of their territories. It was clearly something Lu Yang had pieced together based on the information he had gathered.

The Mo’ao Mountain range occupied the upper-right half of the map. Below it, the Nine Towns were arranged, starting with Beishuo, Wuchuan, and Jinshan at the top; the central section contained the four towns of Longgu, Muyin, Yangqu, and Chuishan; at the very bottom were two more towns, situated on the east bank of the Xing River.

The Xing River flowed east to west, so an east bank shouldn’t have existed. But Lu Yang’s sketch showed that the river originated on the southeastern side of Mo’ao Mountain and initially flowed southwest. However, a section of it abruptly changed course to the northwest before passing through the Double Dragon Mountain area, where the terrain caused it to resume its original direction.

Two of the Nine Towns, Jiangxia and Bashang, were located right in this area where the river bent northwest, which was why they were said to be on the east bank of the Xing River.

Although most areas on the crude map lacked distance markers, Lu Yang’s face was still filled with joy. After all, determining the general layout of all Nine Towns in one go was no simple feat. Sending it back to Xiacheng for the Lord to see would definitely be a great merit.

However, he hadn’t forgotten Wang Tao’s earlier words. Glancing at the six central and southern towns on the map, his expression grew serious as he slowly said:

“Lord Wang is right, but not entirely. The Nine Towns all employ the Inspectorate System first created by Yang Zun. While the three northern towns are formidable, the strength of the six central and southern towns should not be underestimated. The smallest of the six, Longgu, has a territory of over seven thousand square kilometers, more than half the size of Longyou. Though Longgu Town itself has a population of just over five hundred thousand, if you include the thirty-plus village-level camps under its jurisdiction, the total population is at least over one million.

“By that calculation, even though the three northern towns are strong, they don’t have a crushing advantage over any single one of the central and southern towns. Over the past century, the Nine Towns have engaged in trade, marriage alliances, pacts, and treaties. Their internal relationships are extremely complex and intertwined. To speak lightly of destroying a town would surely invite a joint attack from the other eight.

“For instance, we heard last night outside Beishuo City that Wuchuan has been eyeing Muyin recently. Aren’t the other seven towns jointly pressuring them right now?”

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately nodded in agreement.

Wang Tao nodded repeatedly, his face showing his approval. “Indeed. The reason the six towns haven’t formed a coalition is partly due to the infighting among the three northern towns, but the main reason is that they are strong enough on their own. Currently, no single town can break the balance among the Nine. That is the key!”

Lu Yang nodded. Looking at the map on the table, a look of excitement appeared on his face, followed by a slight sigh. “The biggest regret of this trip is that we couldn’t enter Beishuo City. If we could have gone in for a look, we’d know the true strength of Beishuo Town!”

The other three also nodded regretfully at his words.

Speaking of this, one had to mention the troubles Lu Yang had stirred up in Eastern Ridge over the past year. Just as he had told Xia Hong, suddenly establishing a new camp in Beining Mountain with so many people was no simple process.

Last year, as soon as he arrived in Eastern Ridge with his men, he followed Yue Feng’s advice and had five Frostwarden realm experts from Great Xia play the villains, targeting a giant camp named Baisong.

That camp’s total population had just surpassed ten thousand, and its strongest expert was a Third Mane Frostwarden practitioner, their leader Bai Pingshan. The five Frostwarden experts from Great Xia captured him alive while he was out on a hunt, then staged a play where they threatened the entire camp with their leader’s life to force their submission and usurped their home.

In the end, it was Lu Yang and his men who appeared like saviors from the heavens, drove off the five “villains,” and successfully rescued Baisong Camp.

Lu Yang fabricated a backstory, claiming that his group of over five hundred people were the sole survivors of their original camp, which had been destroyed by an anomaly, and that they had traveled south until they reached Beining Mountain.

Bai Pingshan was sensible and grateful. Overwhelmed with emotion at being saved, he didn’t ask many questions. After learning of Lu Yang’s intention to merge and seeing his five hundred elite warriors, he readily agreed. A few days later, the entire Baisong Camp of over ten thousand people successfully relocated to a steep slope fifteen kilometers deep on the north side of Beining Mountain, where the Eastern Ridge outpost was located.

Lu Yang’s most important mission in establishing the Eastern Ridge outpost was to guard the secret passage to the Hanqiong outpost, so the base naturally had to be built at the passage’s location.

He had originally thought that after annexing Baisong and using the name of Eastern Ridge Camp to naturally make contact with the seven other camps in Beining Mountain, he could then take the opportunity to probe Beishuo’s strength. Everything should have fallen into place.

But he never expected that the annexation was just the beginning of his troubles!

The trouble stemmed from the Inspectorate System that was currently enforced in all Nine Towns of Mo’ao.

The Nine Towns didn’t control their territories by setting up outposts and stationing troops like Great Xia. Instead, they appointed Inspectors to manage all the village-level camps within their borders, and then through those village-level camps, they controlled all the large and giant camps below them.

Under the restrictions of the Inspectorate System, no camps within Beishuo’s territory were allowed to merge with each other unless they had a Town Decree from an Inspector. Unauthorized mergers were a violation of Beishuo law. For a minor offense, the leader would be executed. For serious cases, not only would the leader die, but all Frostwarden and Earthforger realm experts in the entire camp would be sent to be mine slaves.

It was only then that Lu Yang realized he had been played by Bai Pingshan!

Bai Pingshan definitely knew about this rule; he had obviously set him up intentionally.

It wasn’t until three months ago, when the other seven camps in Beining Mountain found out and the Beishuo Town Inspector, who lived long-term in Zhuling Camp, came knocking, that Lu Yang realized he was in trouble.

Perhaps because Beining Mountain was on the western edge of Beishuo Town’s territory and the surrounding resources were not abundant, the camps there were generally not very strong. The Beishuo Town Inspector, a man named He Wuyang, was not particularly powerful either, only a Twelve Mane.

The power of a Twelve Mane was, in fact, enough to dominate the entire Beining Mountain.

But the five hundred men Lu Yang had brought with him this time were not weak in the slightest.

His Dongyang Squad, including himself, had five Frostwarden realm experts; Zhao Hu’s Steel Mane Squad had six. Add the five Department Heads and the captains of the eight Intermediate Hunting Teams, and that made a total of twenty-four Frostwarden experts.

Putting aside numbers, while he himself was only a mid-Frostwarden realm with Eight Mane strength, Zhao Hu was already a late-Frostwarden realm expert with the full strength of a Fourteen Mane.

Although He Wuyang could see that Eastern Ridge was powerful, his arrogant demeanor didn’t change at all. He even leveraged the presence of the seven camps from Zhu Ling to arrogantly demand that Lu Yang bind himself and go to Beishuo Town to face punishment.

At that moment, Lu Yang considered simply killing He Wuyang. But thinking of Xia Hong’s instructions and the critical importance of the Eastern Ridge outpost, he suppressed his anger, lowered his posture to the extreme, and put on the act of a flustered and anxious outsider who had just arrived and knew nothing of Beishuo’s rules.

Of course, that alone was not enough to handle He Wuyang.

The bribe was his next move!

With their formidable strength as a backdrop and their extremely submissive posture, when Lu Yang finally gritted his teeth and produced ten thousand liang of silver, he saw the look in He Wuyang’s eyes change instantly. He knew he had done the right thing.

Village-level camps were required to possess a thousand catty of silver artifacts. This rule from Beishuo Town alone indicated that silver was certainly important to them.

In the Ice Abyss, ten liang equaled one catty, so ten thousand liang of silver was a thousand catty.

At that moment, Lu Yang felt incredibly fortunate. If he hadn’t exchanged for five thousand catty of silver from the Logistics Department in advance, he might have had to hand over the Frost Wing Sword gifted to him by the Lord.

After accepting the silver, He Wuyang immediately became much more agreeable. Not only did he understand their ignorance of the rules as newcomers, but he even offered to go back to Beishuo and speak on behalf of Eastern Ridge Camp.

Lu Yang, of course, was extremely cooperative. He declared that if they were given a way to survive, Eastern Ridge would henceforth pledge allegiance to Beishuo, accept He Wuyang’s supervision in Beining Mountain, and, like the other seven camps, present tribute to Beishuo every six months…

He Wuyang naturally took the opportunity to state his own demands. He knew that silver was hard to come by, and after failing to extort more, he realized Eastern Ridge Camp was likely out of it. So, he changed his demand to Jade Bone and Beast Blood instead.

In order to establish a firm foothold in Beining Mountain, Lu Yang complied with everything.

And so, the matter concluded in this dramatic fashion.

Lu Yang recalled the events of the past two months and shook his head with a slight smile. He then took out a document made of golden beast hide from his robes, opened it on the table, and said with a laugh, “Although He Wuyang is an Inspector, his status in Beishuo Town probably isn’t high. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be in such a hurry to rush us here to get this Town Decree under the guise of paying tribute.”

Zhu Shun nodded, a smile also gracing his lips. “Zhu Tong, the leader of Zhuling Camp, must have some connections in Beishuo City. He Wuyang is afraid Zhu Tong will report him to the higher-ups. By having us get the Town Decree first, even if an investigation happens later, the situation will be too muddled to sort out. The man is greedy, but he’s not stupid.”

Lu Yang chuckled softly at that.

Since Eastern Ridge was newly established, their first tribute was originally scheduled for the end of the year, along with the other seven camps from Zhu Ling. The reason they came now was because of Zhu Tong.

Zhuling Camp was the most displeased about Eastern Ridge taking root in Beining Mountain.

There was no helping it. Not only was the Eastern Ridge outpost located right in Zhu Ling’s sphere of influence, creating a natural conflict, but the strength Eastern Ridge had displayed was also enough to make them worry.

Before Eastern Ridge’s arrival, Zhu Ling had been the leader of the seven camps in Beining Mountain. Although Lu Yang had stated that they would continue to acknowledge Zhu Ling’s leadership, Eastern Ridge’s power was undeniable. Leaving aside the newly annexed Baisong Camp, the twenty-four Frostwarden realm experts and over four hundred Earthforger limit warriors alone were enough to give Zhu Tong sleepless nights.

The reason He Wuyang had come to trouble Eastern Ridge was that Zhu Tong had reported them.

But the final outcome was completely different from what he had expected. Zhu Tong was naturally unwilling to let it go. Although he was nominally under He Wuyang’s supervision, he clearly had other connections in Beishuo City. He Wuyang understood this and, fearing that his acceptance of a bribe would be exposed, had Lu Yang come to Beishuo City early, using the tribute as a pretext to obtain the Town Decree for the Baisong Camp merger, essentially making the situation irreversible.

That was what had led to their current trip to Beishuo.

However, the trip had not been entirely satisfactory.

The short-tempered Zhao Hu spoke with a hint of anger, “We handed over a full thirty catty of Jade Bone, five hundred catty of Beast Blood, eight million catty of iron ore, and ten million catty of coal last night, and we didn’t even get to set foot inside Beishuo City’s gates. What a ripoff.”

Lu Yang and the others’ expressions darkened slightly at his words, clearly also displeased.

After annexing Baisong, Eastern Ridge Camp’s population was only just over ten thousand, but its strength was calculated at the village level, so its tribute was also at the village level. The supplies Zhao Hu mentioned were what they had surrendered last night.

Such a large amount of resources would have been worth a huge number of contribution points in Great Xia, yet now it was given away for nothing. The key was that according to Beishuo’s rules, they weren’t even allowed to enter Beishuo City. The entire tribute process was conducted outside the city walls.

“We’ve been in Eastern Ridge for almost a year, and we’ve only found coal mines. We spent a full one hundred sixty thousand catty of beast meat to buy those eight million catty of iron ore from Hongyuan Camp. One hundred sixty thousand catty of beast meat… it hurts just thinking about it!”

Hearing Zhao Hu, Wang Tao sighed, “There’s no other way. Beining Mountain is only so big, and the territory we got in Eastern Ridge used to belong to Zhuling Camp. If there were any iron mines, they would have dug them out long ago. It would never be our turn. To find more iron ore, we’ll have to go deeper into Beining Mountain.”

He paused slightly before continuing, “But this isn’t an unsolvable problem. At worst, we can have Hanqiong send some over. It just can’t be in large batches, in case someone notices something is wrong.”

Lu Yang let out a soft breath and nodded grimly. “The iron ore isn’t a huge problem. It just means letting Hongyuan Camp earn some beast meat from us. Our mission is to continue establishing ourselves in Beining Mountain and to probe Beishuo’s strength.

“Though we didn’t get into Beishuo City this time, we can get a rough idea from their conversations and the hunting teams leaving the city at night. I estimate Beishuo has several hundred high-level hunting teams. From that, we can extrapolate that they have at least two thousand Frostwarden realm experts. And their Town Guard Army… I saw three companies, but there must be more…”

After giving a rough summary of his observations, Lu Yang’s brows knitted slightly.

Every figure was vague, making it difficult to report back to Xiacheng.

But as he looked down at the Town Decree on the table, the gloom in his heart quickly dissipated. He said softly to the three, “This is just the beginning. In the past few days, we’ve not only figured out the route from Beining Mountain to Beishuo, but we’ve also seen Beishuo City with our own eyes. That’s enough for now.

“With this Town Decree, we are officially established in Beining Mountain. Will we lack opportunities to make contact with Beishuo in the future?

“Zhu Tong sees us as a thorn in his side now that Eastern Ridge has suddenly appeared in Beining Mountain. He Wuyang was already at odds with him, and now that he’s taken our bribe, he’ll have no choice but to keep helping us. We’ll return the favor by helping him deal with Zhu Tong. The best outcome would be to help him increase his influence in Beishuo City. That would make it even easier for us to gather intelligence on Beishuo.”

Zhao Hu and the others nodded in agreement.

Wang Tao thought of something and said with a smile, “That Zhu Tong seems to treat all of Beining Mountain as his private property. He not only uses the annual martial competition to force the other six camps to share the burden of his tribute but also loves to meddle in their internal affairs. He’s even planted his own people in all the giant and large camps in the area. It’s normal that He Wuyang can’t stand him. I just wonder what kind of connections Zhu Tong has in Beishuo Town to be so bold.”

“That’s not hard to find out. We can just ask the person in the next room!”

As soon as Zhu Shun spoke, Lu Yang and the others burst into laughter.

“Indeed, Hong Fan would surely be happy to tell us.”

“Of the seven camps in Beining, four—Yanggu, Baiyuan, Wanxing, and Longhe—all follow Zhu Ling’s lead and are clearly in cahoots with Zhu Tong. Ziqiang is neutral, showing no clear allegiance. Right now, Hongyuan is the most defiant towards Zhuling Camp, and their hostility is the greatest. When they learned we needed to gather tribute recently, the other five camps refused to sell us iron ore. Only Hong Fan’s camp was willing.”

A glimmer flashed in Lu Yang’s eyes as he said with a smile, “I heard a little something outside the city last night. It seems Hong Fan also has an acquaintance in Beishuo City, but his connection probably isn’t as strong as Zhu Tong’s. I heard he came on this special trip to arrange a marriage for his daughter. His expression was terrible when he left the city last night, and he didn’t speak a word to us on the way back. I’d say that marriage has fallen through, nine times out of ten!”

The reason the four of them brought up Hong Fan was that he had been their guide on this trip to Beishuo.

None of them had been to Beishuo before, and they couldn’t possibly have He Wuyang personally lead them. Coincidentally, Hong Fan learned of their trip and, as he also needed to go to Beishuo, he readily agreed to guide them and travel with Lu Yang’s Transport Team.

Of course, Hong Fan was willing to be their guide mostly because he knew Lu Yang was coming to get the Town Decree. Hongyuan was already struggling to stand alone in Beining Mountain. Now that a camp that was at odds with Zhu Ling—and a powerful one at that—had arrived, he was naturally willing to lend a hand.

At the mention of the failed marriage, Lu Yang and Zhao Hu immediately exchanged a look. On the sixth day of the eighth month last year, when they first stepped out of the secret passage into Beining Mountain, they had heard about this matter from the Youngest Lord of Zhuling Camp.

Combined with what they knew now, that someone would go so far as to sabotage the marriage of a junior, it was clear the conflict between Hongyuan and Zhu Ling had reached an irreconcilable point.

“Hongyuan Camp is our breakthrough point for the situation in Beining Mountain. Zhu Tong wants to be the leader and suppress He Wuyang, doesn’t he? We’ll join forces with Hong Fan and stand with He Wuyang, opposing Zhu Ling. Let’s see if Zhu Tong brings down He Wuyang first, or if we and He Wuyang bring down Zhu Tong first!”

Hearing Lu Yang’s words, a look of pride appeared on the faces of Zhao Hu, Zhu Shun, and Wang Tao. The answer was already clear in their hearts.

Let alone Zhuling Camp being just a few small fry, even if it were ten times stronger, it could never win.

Because behind them stood the Great Xia!

“When we return to Eastern Ridge, we can only prioritize sending a general report on the Nine Towns of Mo’ao back to Xiacheng. We have to make it clear to the Lord and the Director that we need more time. We need to figure out the situation not just in Beishuo, but in all the other eight towns as well. The Director said it: know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat. If we can report the full situation of the Nine Towns back to Xiacheng, our eastward expansion will already be more than halfway to success…”

Lu Yang pondered silently, looking down at the map on the table. Realizing the importance of his current work to Great Xia, his eyes filled with excitement and fervor.

“There’s something I’d like to ask you all!”

Suddenly, Wang Tao, who had been studying the sketch of the Nine Towns for a long time, seemed to have discovered something new. He pointed to the section of the map where the Xing River changed course to the north.

“After the Xing River changes course and flows west again, it should become the southernmost river in our Great Xia. According to this map, the east entrance on the north bank of the river is flanked by the towns of Chuishan and Jiangxia. This means the east entrance is most likely controlled by these two towns, correct?”

The sketch was drawn by Lu Yang based on what he had heard. Although most of the distances were unclear, the basic positions should be more or less correct.

Hearing Wang Tao’s question, Lu Yang and the other two immediately looked at the location of the east entrance on the north bank of the Xing River, lost in thought.

“That’s right. Why do you ask?” Zhao Hu thought for a long time but still asked in confusion.

Before Wang Tao could answer, Lu Yang’s expression changed drastically.

“That’s it! If the east entrance belongs to Chuishan and Jiangxia, then why was it Yang Ning and Li Hu who came to Redwood Ridge five years ago to draw a map?”

Lu Yang’s words hit the mark. Zhao Hu and Zhu Shun instantly understood as well.

Yang Ning and Li Hu were both from Beishuo Town.

Beishuo was at the northernmost end of the map, miles away from Chuishan and Jiangxia.

Seeing that the three understood his meaning, Wang Tao nodded and continued, “Either Beishuo had its eyes on one of them five years ago, or…”

“One of these two towns has long been taking orders from Beishuo!”

Lu Yang finished Wang Tao’s sentence. A look of horror rose in his eyes, and his heart pounded.

His and Wang Tao’s speculation was not without reason.

Five years ago, Yang and Li were only at the Earthforger realm. Without a familiar guide, it would have been nearly impossible for them to enter from the east entrance and travel west along the north bank all the way to Redwood Ridge on their own.

Furthermore, with Chuishan and Jiangxia controlling the east entrance on both sides, wouldn’t they know that the only path for expansion was westward along the north bank?

Since they knew, they would be even less likely to allow outsiders to come in and draw maps.

Therefore, the intrusion of Yang and Li five years ago was no accident.

“No, no, no. No matter how much we discuss here, it’s all just speculation. The priority is to send the sketch back to Xiacheng for the Lord and the Director to see!”

Lu Yang pushed the thoughts from his mind and looked up at the three men with a serious expression. “Eastern Ridge’s mission is to probe the strength of the Nine Towns and do our best to map out their entire territory. We will not concern ourselves with anything else.”

“Understood, my lord!”

Hearing Lu Yang’s serious tone, Zhao Hu and the others immediately nodded.

“After we set out tonight, I’ll go find Hong Fan immediately. He’s probably eager for us to clash with Zhu Ling and will surely provide some useful information.”

The four conferred for a while longer before returning to their own rooms to rest.

The total distance from Beining Mountain to Beishuo City was over two hundred kilometers. Although Beishuo’s territory didn’t have straight roads like Great Xia, they had put in great effort to pave a road with stones. This road connected dozens of important village-level camps along the way and was maintained by people sent from these camps, greatly increasing travel efficiency.

Even so, the two-hundred-plus kilometer journey took the Transport Team ten days, so they had to seek lodging in some of the village-level camps along the way. Hongshan Village, where they were currently staying, was their first stop on the return journey from Beishuo.

Lodging was not free. Coal, iron ore, beast meat, Beast Blood, and even elixirs or Jade Bone could be used for payment.

Of course, if one had silver, the hosts would be even happier.

The team responsible for escorting the transport this time was Eastern Ridge’s only low-level hunting team, the Zhaoyuan Squad, along with about twenty Earthforger realm practitioners from Baisong.

There was no other choice. The other Intermediate Hunting Teams were busy with hunting and exploration. Since the Zhaoyuan Squad was a bit weaker, tasks like this naturally fell to them.

…

The guest house in Hongshan Village had seven floors. Since it was daytime, the verandas were sealed with lowered wooden planks. Coal stoves were lit every few meters along the corridors, making them both warm and bright.

In a room on the second floor near the veranda, Li Hu was resting with his eyes closed.

“Sob… sob…”

A faint sound of sobbing suddenly came from outside the door. Li Hu’s eyes shot open, a flash of anger on his face. He got up, put on his clothes, and pushed the door open to step outside.

Leaving the veranda and walking a few steps toward a corner, he found a young girl of about sixteen or seventeen squatting there, wiping her tears.

Li Hu’s brow furrowed. He took out a silver plaque from his robes and walked up behind the girl. Seeing that the plaque showed no reaction, he breathed a small sigh of relief and snapped:

“It’s the middle of the day. Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping? Are you trying to scare people by acting like an anomaly?”

The girl was so engrossed in her crying that she clearly didn’t expect someone to be behind her. The harsh words startled her, and she jumped to her feet and turned around.

Tears still stained the young girl’s pretty and delicate face. Her tear-streaked beauty made Li Hu pause for a moment.

“I’m crying my own tears. What’s it to you? How dare you yell at me?”

“You’re… Leader Hong’s daughter, aren’t you? Aren’t you staying on the top floor? Why did you come down to the second floor to cry?”

Li Hu’s brief pause was partly due to Hong Yuru’s appearance, but mostly because he recognized her as the young girl that Leader Hong, who had traveled with them to Beishuo Town, had kept by his side.

After traveling together for over ten days, Li Hu naturally knew her identity and had even heard her name. It should be… Hong Yuru.

The rooms in Hongshan Camp’s guesthouse were priced by floor, with the top floor being the most expensive. As Hong Fan’s daughter, Hong Yuru could naturally afford it.

She had probably come down to the second floor to avoid having her father hear her crying.

“I’m crying my own tears. What concern is it of yours?”

Hong Yuru was clearly feeling very wronged. Although she was a bit embarrassed at being recognized, she stood up and continued to talk back to Li Hu. But as she got closer and saw his face clearly, her expression also changed slightly.

“You’re the captain of Eastern Ridge Camp’s Zhaoyuan Squad, Li Hu, right?”

Hong Yuru recognized Li Hu because her father, Hong Fan, had mentioned him on the road a few days ago. She remembered clearly that her father had said Li Hu looked to be only in his early twenties but had already begun to reforge his hide, on the verge of breaking through to the Frostwarden realm. It had been a long time since such an outstanding young person had appeared in the vicinity of Beining Mountain.

“That’s right, I am Li Hu. Miss Hong, it is daytime now, the time for sleeping. We have to continue our journey after nightfall. You should go back to your room and rest. This isn’t Beining Mountain. It would be bad if you ran into any unsavory characters!”

Li Hu’s brow was slightly furrowed. After saying this, he paid her no further mind and turned to walk back to his room.

Hong Yuru had clearly rarely been treated this way. Seeing Li Hu turn and leave without any concern for why she was crying, her chest heaved with anger. She shouted:

“Mind your own business! I won’t leave. I’ll cry right here and bother you to death!”

Thump…

The only response she received was the soft sound of a closing door.

This made Hong Yuru even angrier. She stared at Li Hu’s door for a long time. Finally, as if thinking of something, her lips trembled with grievance, and she began to sob softly again.

Chapter 345: Establishing a Clan, Childhood Sweethearts, Stargazer Hall is on Fire?

The seventh year of Great Xia, the ninth day of the ninth month.

Time flew by, and in a flash, another three years had passed.

Great Xia Inner City, Residence No. 8 near the Main Building.

Shortly after nightfall, the mistress of the house, Cheng Fang, had just changed into her Ninth-Rank Madam’s Ceremonial Robe of Mandate. As she stepped outside, she saw her husband, Hong Gang, already waiting by the courtyard gate and immediately turned to shout back into the house:

“Ah Ye, hurry and bring the offerings. We’re leaving.”

“Coming, Mother!”

A moment after the reply rang out, a sturdy young man ran out from the house.

The young man was about sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in a well-tailored black Xia uniform with a rich texture. Embroidered on his back was a lifelike pattern of a young Snow Mane. He wore a pale red hair-binding crown, a silver ring with a diameter of about three centimeters around his neck, and an exquisitely carved bone jade waist pendant hanging from his waist. His already dignified and luxurious attire, coupled with the confident smile in his eyes, gave him a spirited and extraordinary aura.

This young man was, naturally, Hong Gang’s younger son, Hong Ye.

Hong Ye carried a large wooden frame containing three pieces of high-level beast meat that gleamed with a dark luster, two yellow candles as thick as a baby’s arm, a pot of Qingyang Liquor, and three exquisite small porcelain cups.

Seeing his parents waiting for him at the courtyard gate, he quickly trotted over.

As Hong Ye approached, Cheng Fang suddenly realized that her younger son was now a head taller than her. She recalled the troublemaker who used to anger her and Hong Gang all day long six years ago. In the blink of an eye, he had grown so much. A sense of wonder flickered in her eyes.

Of course, seeing her younger son’s remarkable bearing, she was filled more with satisfaction, and the wonder in her eyes quickly turned into deep pride.

“Hmm, not bad. Everything’s prepared. You’ve finally matured a bit!”

Hong Gang looked down at the wooden frame in Hong Ye’s hands. Seeing that none of the sacrificial items were missing, he offered a rare word of praise.

Hong Ye, who was seldom praised by his father, immediately smiled faintly upon hearing this. “It’s our second time going to the Ancestral Temple. Father, you can rest easy!”

Seeing his younger son’s composed demeanor now, Hong Gang, just like Cheng Fang, felt a slight sense of wonder. But he quickly composed himself and turned to walk out the gate first. “Let’s go. It’s Ancestral Worship Day, so the streets are already crowded. We should head over.”

Cheng Fang left first. After locking the door, Hong Ye hurried after them.

“Dad, isn’t Big Brother coming back for the ancestral worship this year?”

This was a question with an obvious answer. They were already on their way to the ceremony; for Hong Ye to ask now clearly meant he wanted to know about his older brother, Hong Mu’s, situation.

Hong Gang naturally saw through his younger son’s intentions. Considering the deep bond between the brothers and that they hadn’t seen each other for nearly half a year, it was normal for Hong Ye to inquire about his brother’s recent status. Not only did any thought of reprimand vanish, but a hint of gratification appeared on his face.

Seeing his wife Cheng Fang also looking at him, he knew she was worried about their eldest son as well. He spoke slowly, “The Longyuan Army has gone to Songyang Ridge for a garrison rotation. They definitely won’t be back in Xiacheng for a while. The rotation lasts for six months. Mu’er last came back in June, so he’ll probably return around the Frigid Origin Festival at the beginning of next year.”

Hearing that her eldest son would only be back at the end of the year, Cheng Fang’s expression immediately filled with concern.

Hong Ye, on the other hand, seemed much more excited and quickly continued asking, “Wasn’t Songyang Ridge garrisoned by the Cloud Serpent Army before? The Longyuan Army is rotating in? They were only formed less than a year ago, their combat strength can’t be that good yet, right?”

“Is it your place to be gossiping? I just praised you for being more mature, and now you’re spouting nonsense again.”

Chided by his father, Hong Ye shrank back slightly but wasn’t afraid. He continued in a low voice, “I’m not wrong. Everyone knows the qualification to form the Seventh Army originally belonged to Lord Zhao Long, not the Longyuan Squad. It was only after Madam had a huge argument with the Lord that the Longyuan Army came to be. Marshal Zhou Yuan of the Longyuan Army was originally a Captain in the Dragon Martial Army’s Scout Battalion. Madam personally went to Department Head Yuwen to ask for him.”

Hong Gang’s expression froze. He thought about how his son lived in the Inner City, so close to the Main Building; it wasn’t surprising he’d hear such gossip. But after a moment’s thought, he still shook his head and said sternly, “From now on, you are not to gossip about any rumors concerning the Lord and Madam. If I catch you one more time, I’ll administer the family punishment directly!”

“I know, Dad. I’ll never do it again.”

Hearing about family punishment, Hong Ye quickly nodded in agreement.

“Then Dad, do you know why the Longyuan Army has to go garrison Songyang Ridge?”

“I heard it’s to deal with the Beast Tide from the Arrow Bamboo Forest side. The six armies—Cloud Serpent, Dragon Martial, Dragon Slaying, Tiger Leopard, Xuanwu, and Shenwu—have all been dispatched to Jing Valley. The Longyuan Army is a bit weaker, so they were ordered to garrison Songyang Ridge.”

Hearing this answer, a smug look appeared on Hong Ye’s face.

Indeed, he hadn’t been wrong just now.

The Seventh Army, Longyuan, was only established last November. Its combat strength was naturally inferior to the previous six armies. Being sent to Songyang Ridge for a garrison rotation meant that the Cloud Serpent Army, which had been stationed there, definitely had a more important mission.

“The ninth day of the ninth month… Right, the Beast Tide in the Arrow Bamboo Forest happens every four months, which is right around now. No wonder the northern entrance to Redwood Ridge has been sealed since the end of last month. Last time, Company Three said they were going hunting in the north, but they saw the Hunting Ban Stele set up by the Hunting Department before they could even get in.”

Hearing his son mention hunting, Hong Gang’s interest was piqued. He turned to look at Hong Ye for a moment and smiled. “I heard from Han Yang that you’re doing pretty well in Company Three. Last time, you hunted a low-level Thunder Kui all by yourself. Is that true?”

Hong Gang’s Azure Wolf hunting team had long since been upgraded to a high-level squad. After the upgrade, they had adopted the practice of other high-level squads and divided the team into three groups to target different levels of prey.

Because he was serving as the Armament Master for East District Two, Hong Gang was too busy to manage everything and had handed over most of the hunting team’s affairs to his vice-captain. The Han Yang he mentioned was the vice-captain of the Azure Wolf Squad.

As his father brought this up, a look of pride appeared on Hong Ye’s face, and he nodded firmly. “It’s true. My base strength is now twenty-one thousand catties. Hunting a low-level Frost Beast alone is basically no problem anymore.”

Hong Gang, being in the late-Frostwarden realm, had naturally seen through his younger son’s base strength long ago. Seeing his proud expression, he still offered a word of caution, “It’s true that it’s not a big problem, but Frost Beasts are cunning, and their vitality far exceeds that of humans. You still need to be cautious in the future. Try to operate in groups and avoid hunting alone.”

“I know, Dad!”

Hong Ye was of course aware of these rules and quickly nodded to show he understood.

The three of them walked along the street for a while and soon reached the Main Building. They entered the first floor and continued through the open central passage, quickly passing through the Main Building and exiting from the back door.

As soon as he stepped out of the Main Building’s back door, Hong Ye looked up at the brightly lit Stargazer Hall above and couldn’t help but sigh in a low voice, “The Lord has been in seclusion for nearly four years. I heard he hasn’t stepped out of Stargazer Hall once in all that time. Just that perseverance alone is unmatched in all of Xiacheng. No wonder he’s so powerful!”

Hong Gang nodded in agreement, a look of awe also rising on his face. He was aware of Xia Hong’s seclusion, but his focus was different from his son’s. What he was thinking about now was how powerful Xia Hong would be when he emerged from this seclusion.

Hong Ye had only heard stories of Lord Xia Hong’s power.

But he was different; he had seen it with his own eyes. The most recent time Xia Hong had taken action was during the Yanglu Beast Tide at the end of the second year of Great Xia.

The image of Xia Hong, wielding his Cold Blood Saber and slaughtering high-level Frost Beasts as if he were cutting melons and vegetables, was still vivid in his mind. Even today, Hong Gang was certain that no one in all of Xiacheng could do what Xia Hong had done.

And five years had passed since that display of power.

After five years of seclusion, how strong would Xia Hong be when he emerged?

This question arose in Hong Gang’s mind, and his eyes filled with anticipation.

Behind the Main Building, with Stargazer Hall above, were Great Xia’s three most important pavilions: Martial Arts, Alchemy, and Refining. Behind the Alchemy Pavilion to the right, a large, five-hundred-meter medicinal field had been added. The space for that field had actually been painstakingly carved out of the southern mountain wall.

The three of them walked along the edge of the medicinal field for another hundred meters.

“We’re at the Ancestral Temple!”

Alerted by Hong Ye’s soft exclamation, Hong Gang quickly looked up ahead, his expression immediately becoming reverent. Hong Ye, who had just called out, and his wife, Cheng Fang, also adopted the same solemn expressions.

In the deepest part of the valley, a square hall over fifty meters tall had been built at some unknown time. The hall was over thirty meters wide and constructed almost entirely of iron. Both the inner and outer walls, as well as the floor, were coated with shimmering gold paint. Who knew how many coal-fueled lamps were inside, but under the reflection of the firelight, the entire hall emanated a dazzling golden glow, full of divinity, inspiring spontaneous reverence.

The hall was divided into three floors. The top floor was completely open to the sky, with a golden high platform upon which ten glowing spirit tablets could be vaguely seen, arranged in an orderly fashion.

“Upon entering the Ancestral Temple, first bow to the Patriarch, then worship our own clan!”

Hong Gang spoke in a low voice, then led his wife and son in a respectful and devout bow towards the high platform.

After bowing, the family of three slowly walked toward the main entrance of the Ancestral Temple.

Hong Gang thought his family had arrived early, but upon entering, he discovered several hundred people were already on the first floor.

In the center of the first floor of the Ancestral Temple was a cylindrical platform fifteen meters wide that occupied half of the entire hall. From top to bottom, thousands of spirit tablets were placed on it, with many empty spots remaining. From the inscriptions on the tablets, one could tell that these were the ancestral tablets of the people of Xia.

“Let’s go to the second floor!”

Hong Gang whispered to his wife and son, immediately drawing the incomparably envious gazes of almost everyone who was currently worshiping in the hall.

“Isn’t that Lord Hong’s family?”

“It is. Lord Hong was ennobled in the second year of Great Xia and was promoted to Eighth-Rank Crimson-Firmament Viscount two years ago. As soon as the Ancestral Temple opened last September, the Hong clan was one of the first families to qualify to establish a clan, so of course they can go up to the Clan Hall to worship.”

“I heard that establishing a clan can even boost one’s cultivation. Is that true?”

“The Director said it himself, how could it be false? Haven’t you noticed that the disciples of those families that established clans all cultivate at an extremely fast pace?”

“To be ennobled and establish a clan is truly a blessing for countless future generations!”

“Who in the entire settlement doesn’t want to be ennobled? But military merit is hard to come by!”

…

Hearing the whispers in the hall, Hong Ye unconsciously puffed out his chest and followed his father up to the second floor.

The first floor was the Ancestral Hall, while the second was the Clan Hall. The layout of the Clan Hall was completely different from the Ancestral Hall. All four walls of the Clan Hall were hollowed out, with tens of thousands of shrines set within. A circular staircase was built along the walls, leading up to each shrine.

Although there were many shrines in the Clan Hall, only about a hundred at the very top held spirit tablets; over ninety percent were still empty.

Hong Gang led his wife and son up the circular staircase. When they reached the top, they quickly found their family’s shrine.

A total of seven spirit tablets were placed inside the shrine. Two of them were dim and without luster:

One was inscribed, “Spirit Tablet of the Deceased Father, Hong Qu.”

The other was inscribed, “Spirit Tablet of the Deceased Ancestor, Hong Shen.”

The remaining five spirit tablets were inscribed with the names of the family head Hong Gang, the matriarch Cheng Fang, the eldest son Hong Mu, the eldest son’s wife Meng Qiuning, and the second son Hong Ye.

Unlike the two dim spirit tablets, these five tablets of the living all emitted a faint, fluorescent glow. It was clear at a glance that this light came not from the coal-fueled lamps around the shrine, but from the tablets themselves.

If one looked even more closely, one would discover that the light emitted by these five spirit tablets was directional—each tablet’s light pointed directly at the person it represented.

The light from the tablets of the eldest son Hong Mu and the eldest son’s wife Meng Qiuning shone towards the southeast of Xiacheng.

And the southeast was precisely the direction of Songyang Ridge.

“For established clans, all who have a spirit tablet established can receive a one-fold boost to their cultivation speed. All we need to do is maintain the shrine’s flame with coal stone and make offerings once a year on the ninth day of the ninth month. And we can even determine one’s location and life-or-death status through the spirit tablet. Dad, do you think our Lord might be the reincarnation of a heavenly god? To be able to create such a divine object!”

Hong Gang first nodded in agreement, then his mind drifted back to the first time he met Xia Hong. Recalling the journey Great Xia had taken over the past eight years, he took a deep breath and said, “Reincarnation of a heavenly god? I say he is a living heavenly god. Without the Lord, it’s questionable whether your father would even be alive today, let alone have this level of strength. Everything we eat, wear, and use—which of these things was not brought by the Lord? To the more than eight hundred thousand of us in Great Xia, what is the difference between the Lord and a heavenly god?”

Hearing these words, Hong Ye immediately nodded with a look of reverence. Even his mother, Cheng Fang, standing beside them, nodded, her face full of piety.

While the father and son were chatting, Cheng Fang had already arranged the offerings.

Hong Gang picked up two yellow candles, lit them with a nearby coal lamp, and placed them reverently on either side of the shrine.

As the two yellow candles burned, they quickly released wisps of green smoke. The smoke, surprisingly, did not drift out of the shrine but gradually flowed into the five spirit tablets. As the smoke poured in, the light from the tablets grew even more brilliant.

“These yellow candles cost one thousand contribution points each at the Logistics Department. I heard that when lit, even advanced anomalies can’t get close. Isn’t it a bit too wasteful for us to use them as offerings?”

Hearing his wife Cheng Fang’s words, Hong Gang immediately reprimanded her in a low voice, “You’re a woman, what do you know? The ancestral worship is only once a year. What’s wasteful about it?”

Although he said that, his tightly furrowed brow revealed that two thousand contribution points was indeed no small sum.

“The Director only mentioned before that the incense from these yellow candles can continuously nourish the spirituality of the tablets, and they will have endless miraculous uses in the future. I just don’t know what those uses are, or to what extent they need to be nourished before a change occurs.”

Hong Gang pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly, cursing himself for overthinking.

These yellow candles were clearly something the Lord had produced; what was there for him to doubt? Besides, all the major figures like Department Head Yuwen, Department Head Yuan, and Department Head Qiu were also exchanging for yellow candles for their offerings. All he had to do was follow their lead. What was there to think about?

He had heard that the department heads of the eight departments and many other major figures in the settlement offered two yellow candles once every three months. He was only doing it once a year. How many contribution points was that? He was being too petty.

“Lord Hong, what a coincidence!”

After Hong Gang’s family finished their worship and were packing up to go downstairs, a soft call suddenly came from above them on the circular staircase.

Hong Gang turned his head and a smile immediately appeared on his face. He cupped his hands and said, “Lord Zhao, your procession for the ancestral worship is so grand! With so many talented young people, the Zhao clan’s lineage is flourishing. It makes me quite envious.”

The person who had called out to him was Zhao Long, who had also come to the Ancestral Temple to worship his ancestors today.

Compared to Hong Gang’s family, the Zhao clan’s procession was indeed massive, with a total of twenty-seven people, mostly youths. Aside from three women and two infants being held, the rest were mostly young people between fifteen and their early twenties.

And that didn’t even include Zhao Hu and Zhao Bao, who were serving in Eastern Ridge and Wuyuan respectively. Hong Gang recalled hearing a colleague mention a few days ago that among the ennobled families that had established clans in the settlement, the Zhao and Xiao clans were the most populous. He hadn’t thought much of it then, but seeing it with his own eyes now, he realized it was true.

“Hahaha, Lord Hong, you flatter me. We have three brothers, after all, so it’s normal for our procession to be a bit larger.”

Zhao Long was clearly pleased with the compliment about his flourishing lineage. He quickly walked forward to stand beside Hong Gang and pulled him along down the stairs.

“Since the worship is done, Brother Hong, how about joining me for a couple of drinks?”

“I couldn’t ask for more. Let’s go, let’s go.”

At the mention of drinking, Hong Gang’s eyes immediately lit up. He left Cheng Fang and Hong Ye behind and hurried downstairs with Zhao Long.

“These men, the moment they hear about drinking, it’s like they’re possessed. Madam Hong, why don’t you return with us?”

Cheng Fang shot her husband a glare. Fortunately, Zhao Long’s wife and two sisters-in-law came over to talk to her, which improved her mood.

Hong Ye, naturally, mixed right in with the group of Zhao youths.

He was closest in age to Zhao Yuanwu and had the best relationship with him, so he went straight to his side and asked, “Yuanwu, why didn’t your sister come to the ancestral worship?”

Zhao Yuanwu was Zhao Long’s eldest son. He had a younger sister and a younger brother. His sister was named Zhao Yuanshan, not yet fifteen this year, and his younger brother was named Zhao Yuancheng, only a little over five years old, currently being held by their cousin Zhao Yuanwu.

“What my sister does or doesn’t do is none of your business. Is it your place to be concerned?”

Seeing Hong Ye asking about his sister, Zhao Yuanwu was clearly on guard. As they were also good friends, he immediately began to curse at him.

“There are so many of us here, yet Ah Ye could tell at a glance that Yuanshan was missing. Isn’t your mind just filled with thoughts of Yuanshan all day?”

They all lived in the Inner City, and their fathers were well-acquainted, so all the Zhao youths knew Hong Ye. Zhao Yuanwu, who was holding her young cousin, teased Hong Ye, which immediately caused the others to burst into laughter and join in.

“Hahahaha, for sure. When he was training with Yuanshan at the Martial Arts Pavilion, his eyeballs were about to pop out.”

“Hong Ye used to love running over to First Uncle’s house all the time when he was a kid. He probably had his eyes on Yuanshan back then, hahahaha.”

“Hong Ye, you’d better step up your game. Someone came to our house to propose a match for Yuanshan just a while ago. If you don’t hurry up, the beauty will be gone.”

…

Hong Ye wasn’t that thick-skinned. Being teased like this by everyone, he naturally stammered, unable to speak. However, when he heard that someone was proposing a match for Zhao Yuanshan, his expression immediately became tense, and he asked anxiously:

“Who proposed a match? Did Yuanshan agree?”

“Hahahahaha…”

Several of the Zhao girls laughed so hard they bent over.

In the end, it was Zhao Yuanwu who, seeing Hong Ye’s pitiful look, smiled and patted his shoulder. “Silly boy, we’ll stop teasing you. Who doesn’t know you and Yuanshan are childhood sweethearts? Proposing a match would just be foolish.

“Recently, Lord Lu from Eastern Ridge sent a message back asking the settlement to send five Earthforger realm practitioners under the age of fifteen. Yuanshan happened to meet the conditions, so she went.”

Only then did Hong Ye show a look of relief, followed by curiosity. “Lord Lu from Eastern Ridge? Why does he need Earthforger realm practitioners under fifteen? Did they have to send Yuanshan? There’s a ton of them in the settlement now, aren’t there?”

“I heard it’s for a martial arts competition. They can’t be too young, and their cultivation has to be decent. I’m not sure about the specifics. I don’t even know where Eastern Ridge is!”

Hong Ye nodded. He didn’t know where Eastern Ridge was either. The settlement had not yet disclosed its specific location, nor was anyone allowed to casually inquire about it.

Bang…

Just as he was about to speak, a loud bang suddenly came from above his head.

“Is that a fire?”

“Isn’t that Stargazer Hall up there?”

“The temperature just shot up! It’s Stargazer Hall! Is Stargazer Hall on fire?”

“Are you kidding? The Sacred Cauldron is on Stargazer Hall. How could it catch fire?”

“Look, it’s the Stargazer Platform, where the Lord is in seclusion.”

“That… that fireball, what is it? Did the Sacred Cauldron explode?”

“The Sacred Cauldron is in the back. Look, it seems like the Lord is in the fire.”

…

Chapter 346: Five Rounds of Bone Tempering, the Sun Manifestation Realm of a Thousand-Mane Burning Bone

Hong Ye and the members of the Zhao clan happened to be walking just below the Stargazer Hall when the tremendous boom from above caught their attention. Cheng Fang and the three Zhao clan madams were not far from them and naturally heard it as well.

Walking at the very front, Zhao Long and Hong Gang, who had just been about to go for a drink, had also paused in their tracks. They stared up at the Stargazer Hall, their faces filled with shock and bewilderment.

But they weren’t the only ones beneath the Stargazer Hall.

Today was Ancestral Worship Day. Many people were either like the Zhao and Hong families, having just returned from the Ancestral Temple, or were on their way to pay their respects. As a result, there were at least several thousand people below the Stargazer Platform.

The sound was so loud that people from the Martial, Refining, and Alchemy Pavilions had also been drawn out long ago. Everyone’s gaze was now focused on the Stargazer Platform high above, on the blazing, intense ball of fire, three or four meters in diameter.

To be precise, they were focused on Xia Hong, who sat cross-legged within that fireball.

Compared to the younger generation like Hong Ye, Zhao Yuankong, and Zhao Yuanwu, the eyesight of Zhao Long, Hong Gang, and the many other Frostwarden realm experts below was clearly far superior.

As they got a clearer look at Xia Hong’s condition inside the fireball, their expressions shifted from initial shock and doubt to immense, pleasant surprise and anticipation.

“It’s the Lord inside!”

“His clothes aren’t even damaged. This isn’t a case of being on fire, is it?”

“I think I can see the Lord’s bones.”

“I see them too! The Lord’s bones seem different from a normal person’s…”

“They’re different. Normal bones are white, but the Lord’s are dark red. There’s also some kind of bright golden fluid-like substance inside, like flowing magma!”

“That flame… it seems to be coming from his bones.”

“The Lord’s eyes are closed, he looks like he’s cultivating! How is he floating in mid-air?”

“A breakthrough! It must be a breakthrough.”

“It has to be. I can feel the temperature within a five-hundred-meter radius rising sharply, even on top of the heat from the Sacred Cauldron’s flame!”

“The Sun-Manifestation realm?”

“Nonsense. The Lord was in seclusion for a full five years. Would he come out without breaking through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, and cause such a huge commotion?”

“This is wonderful!”

“The Lord’s strength must have undergone a world-shaking transformation!”

…

Unlike the joy and anticipation filling the hearts of the crowd below, Xia Hong, suspended in mid-air with his eyes tightly shut, was actually feeling apprehensive, and even a little shaken.

He was looking inward, observing his own dark red bones. He didn’t yet know what to make of these bones, which had been tempered five times.

“It’s just as I expected. Like the process of reforging the Hide when breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, tempering bones to produce marrow also has different levels. By May of last year, I had already completed one full round of tempering all the bones in my body. After that first round, my bones turned pure black, and the marrow produced was also black. Thinking back, describing them as Iron Bone would be accurate.”

Xia Hong’s eyes glinted. He was a man who pursued the absolute peak. With his powerful innate talent as a foundation, plus the assistance of the Enlightenment Lotus Platform, there was no reason for him not to strive for a perfect breakthrough.

Thus, he did not rush to break through, but boldly attempted a second round of bone tempering.

This attempt did indeed yield new discoveries.

Four months later, after the second round of tempering, the black Iron Bones had turned silver, and the new marrow produced within them also became silver. Even more astonishingly, the bones’ strength and self-healing capabilities had increased by about threefold.

If Silver Bone existed, then Gold Bone must exist too!

Any normal person would think so, and Xia Hong was no exception. But despite the strong conviction in his mind, he wasn’t very confident. Setting aside the agony of the tempering process, the terrifying consumption of Yang Core Pills alone was enough to make his heart ache.

Left with no other choice, he could only look for a solution among his system buildings.

Over the previous four-plus years, his silver resources had become plentiful.

At the time, his choices were limited. Upgrading the Yang Ruins Cauldron and the Enlightenment Lotus Platform required gold. While he had enough resources to upgrade the three pavilions, he gave up on that considering the subsequent upkeep. As for the remaining Iron Bastion and Blacksoil Fields, they were of little help in solving his cultivation problems.

After weighing his options, only the Spirit Monument was left!

After spending two million silver, twenty million iron, and fifty million wood, he selected the level 4 Spirit Monument and upgraded it to level 5.

[Ancestral Spirit Monument (Level 5): Mother Monument, a territory and worship structure, maximum range of one hundred li (50 kilometers)]

[Special Function 1: Four subsidiary monuments can be exchanged for. Connecting them with the Mother Monument forms a settlement area. Subsidiary monument exchange price: 200,000 silver, 10 million iron.]

[Special Function 2: Within the settlement area defined by the subsidiary monuments, the movements of any external lifeforms will be detected and reported to the Mother Monument.]

[Special Function 3: Minor Clan Spirit Tablets can be exchanged for, quantity unlimited. Those whose names are recorded on a spirit tablet can enjoy the benefits of worship. The living will have their cultivation speed doubled; their life, death, and location can be confirmed through the spirit tablet. After death, with continuous worship, their heroic spirits will persist and can protect their descendants. 1 Clan Spirit Tablet / 500 silver.]

[Special Function 4: Yellow candles can be exchanged for. When lit, any anomalous abilities within their range of illumination will be nullified. Yellow candles can be used in worship to enhance the divinity of the spirit tablets.]

[Special Function 5: The host is the sole Major Clan and can enjoy one cultivation boost from the Minor Clans’ worship annually. The effect of the boost is related to the number of worshipers and their piety.]

The level 5 Ancestral Spirit Monument brought a huge surprise.

First, Great Xia’s safe zone was directly expanded to a hundred-li radius. Not only did this cover the entire Xiacheng, but it also extended a full thirty kilometers outward, enclosing the eastern periphery of Redwood Ridge and the southern periphery of the Arrow Bamboo Forest.

Second was the Minor Clan Spirit Tablet. Not only did it provide a new way to enhance the overall strength of the camp, but it also allowed him to smoothly establish a system to establish a clan and perform ancestral rites in Great Xia.

Taking the opportunity to add the regulations for establishing clans to the Xia Code of Rites, Xia Hong had already established a complete Zongfa system in Great Xia. Major and minor clans, main and branch clans—from the succession of the Lord’s seat, to the continuation of clans, down to father-son inheritance and seniority, almost everything was clearly stipulated. It was, in effect, a more complete version of the Longshan system of eldest heir succession.

Of course, the most important part of the level 5 Ancestral Spirit Monument was the final function.

One cultivation boost from worship!

As soon as the Spirit Monument reached level 5 last year, Xia Hong immediately announced the regulations for establishing clans. He then gathered everyone in the camp to begin the first ritual of worship. Using this opportunity, he directly experienced the cultivation boost from the worship.

The terrifying boost to his cultivation speed immediately showed Xia Hong the possibility of continuing to temper his Silver Bones.

It took him three months. In January of this year, he successfully tempered his Silver Bones to the level of Gold Bone. This time, the increase in strength was even more exaggerated—a full fivefold.

Was Gold Bone the limit?

Still unsatisfied, Xia Hong chose to continue his seclusion.

It took five months. In June, Xia Hong completed the fourth round of bone tempering.

By this point, his bones had turned a translucent, cyan-jade color, bearing a seventy-to-eighty percent resemblance to the bones of a high-level Frost Beast.

This time, the strength increase was another fivefold!

“I must be insane. After four rounds of tempering, the cumulative strength of my bones is already thirteen times that of normal Iron Bone, yet I still wasn’t satisfied. I was somehow bewitched into doing a fifth round. What in the world is going on with my bones now!”

Xia Hong returned to the present, inwardly staring at the dark red bones inside his body. Seeing the bright golden marrow seeping out of them, his expression was filled with bewilderment.

At the end of July, during the final stage of the fifth round of bone tempering, he discovered that his originally indestructible Jade Bones had all started to crack.

When he saw this, he naturally assumed that after turning the color of cyan-jade, his bones had reached their absolute limit and could no longer be tempered, cracking under the strain of the medicinal power.

Terrified, he immediately stopped the medicinal tempering and chose to break through directly.

But to his utter surprise, it was already too late!

The cracked bones were already out of his control and were even transmitting an intent to his mind, demanding more medicinal power. Helpless, Xia Hong could only continue to consume Yang Core Pills nonstop to maintain the medicinal power the cracking bones required.

In two months, he had consumed a full two thousand Yang Core Pills. The immense medicinal power nearly burst his physical body, but it was all absorbed, bit by bit, by his bones.

As the cracks multiplied, Xia Hong gradually realized that if he continued to supply medicinal power like this, even if his bones didn’t explode, his physical body would burst from the strain.

When dawn broke today, he realized that this was his chance.

The ninth day of the ninth month, Ancestral Worship Day. Everyone in the camp would go to the Ancestral Temple to pay their respects. His once-a-year opportunity to use the power of worship to boost his cultivation had arrived.

If he didn’t break through now, he would surely die!

The key to breaking through to the Sun-Manifestation realm lay in four words: tempering bones to produce marrow.

The final step of this process was to mobilize the newly produced marrow and use it to flush through all the bones in the body.

After using the newly-formed, bright golden marrow to flush his bones, Xia Hong did indeed break through successfully. However, his bones had turned dark red. The marrow, contrary to what Li Tiancheng had described, was not fully absorbed by the bones. Instead, it coated their outer layer, forming the current appearance that resembled solidified magma.

“My strength has definitely increased. At the Iron Bone stage, when I released my energy at full power, I could only significantly raise the temperature in a ten-meter radius. At the Silver Bone stage, it was thirty meters. Gold Bone, eighty meters. Jade Bone, one hundred and thirty meters. And now, it has reached an astonishing five hundred meters—a one-li radius!”

Xia Hong’s eyes flashed. Though his face still held a look of bewilderment, his pupils also held a clear trace of excitement.

The moment he completed the bone tempering, he finally understood the true meaning of the words “Sun Manifestation.”

He used to think that the Sun-Manifestation realm meant that a cultivator who reached this level would no longer fear the cold light and could expose themselves to the cold sun without restraint.

Now he knew. The so-called Sun Manifestation meant that the person themselves became a blazing sun. With just a slight release of the energy from their bones, they could rapidly disperse vast swathes of cold energy and abruptly raise the surrounding temperature.

“Raising the temperature is secondary. The key is strength. My base strength increased by more than threefold at the Iron Bone stage, totaling just under three hundred Mane. At the Silver Bone stage, it increased by another one hundred Mane. Gold Bone, another one hundred. Jade Bone, another two hundred. And now…”

Having completed the fifth round of bone tempering, Xia Hong still hadn’t tested his strength. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but that he didn’t dare. He was afraid that if he struck with his full power, his already cracked bones wouldn’t be able to withstand it and would collapse.

“It should be fine. I can clearly feel that these cracks aren’t some fatal injury. On the contrary, they’re a bit like the sacred sigil on my brow. They seem to even enhance the stability of my bones. I should be fine if I try!”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, then raised his hand and punched abruptly toward the sky.

Boom…

A violent sonic boom erupted. In the sky above the Stargazer Hall, for five li in all directions, the vast expanse of drifting snowflakes was instantly shattered. They first turned into a sky full of snow mist, and then the mist, along with the cold air, was directly blasted away by the shockwave from his punch.

The entire sky above the Stargazer Hall seemed to form a vacuum, as if a nuclear bomb had gone off.

“Over a thousand Mane. No, that’s not right. The punch I threw carried a scorching heat capable of melting anything. Its nature is completely different from my previous power. ‘Mane’ is no longer sufficient to describe it. And also…”

As Xia Hong finished testing his strength, he saw that his bones hadn’t shattered. In fact, the cracks covering their surface hadn’t even shown the slightest tremor. His face was immediately filled with delighted surprise.

“Just as I thought! These probably aren’t cracks, but a form of bone that is a higher level than Jade Bone. There’s no problem with my bone strength at all. By my current rough estimate, they’re at least twenty times stronger than normal Iron Bone. The self-healing ability remains to be verified, but my control over my bones…”

Xia Hong’s eyes suddenly flew open. He was already suspended in mid-air. With a slight push of his legs, he flickered and reappeared over a hundred meters above the Stargazer Platform.

“I knew it. The secret to aerial flight in the Sun-Manifestation realm is to control the overall weight of one’s bones and flesh in an extremely short amount of time, then leverage air currents and instantaneous explosive force. In that case, the stronger one’s control over flesh and bone, the stronger their flight ability and the faster their speed.”

That flicker just now had taken him one breath of time.

One breath was a little over two seconds; let’s call it three. A hundred meters in three seconds. That meant at full speed, he could achieve an aerial flight speed of over thirty meters per second.

This speed could already crush any Frostwarden realm expert on the ground.

“That makes sense. Even without the last four rounds of bone tempering, just with my strength from the Iron Bone stage, I would have been able to crush any Frostwarden expert. Even my peak-Frostwarden self would have been powerless against my Iron Bone self, let alone other Frostwarden experts. The Sun-Manifestation realm… so this is the Sun-Manifestation realm!”

Xia Hong floated in mid-air and clenched his fist slightly, his eyes filled with joy.

A realm that was originally supposed to take decades to break through, he had achieved in just five years.

Moreover, his breakthrough was anything but ordinary. A normal Sun-Manifestation expert probably couldn’t even touch his shadow.

“Since my bones are fine, it proves that there is indeed a higher level of bone structure above Jade Bone. Dark red in color, with patterns like molten lava, and capable of forming flames outside the body when unleashed at full power. I’ll name it… Burning Bone. In the future, we’ll see if anyone else in Great Xia can reach this step!”

Xia Hong took a deep breath. Seeing the flames around his body still burning intensely and feeling the immense power within his bones crying out for release, his expression grew slightly serious.

“I’ve just broken through and my power hasn’t stabilized yet. I need to find a place to let it all out. I also need to learn how to control it at will, otherwise, I’ll be as conspicuous as a furnace wherever I go. That would be a disaster!”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, then turned his head to look north of Xiacheng.

“The Beast Tide in the Arrow Bamboo Forest is happening right around now. Xia Chuan and the Six Armies are over there. Perfect, I’ll go have a look!”

Swoosh…

The ball of fire above the Stargazer Platform shot northward with a whoosh.

Below, Zhao Long, Hong Gang, the disciples of the Zhao clan, Hong Ye, and countless other people of Great Xia all stared blankly at the fireball, unable to snap back to their senses for a long time.

“What happened to all the snowflakes in the sky just now?”

“That shockwave… did the Lord create that?”

“I saw all the cold air above the Inner City get dispersed!”

“That couldn’t have been a punch, right? Can a person really create a shockwave like that?”

“We must have seen it wrong. The Lord must have used some kind of special technique.”

“The shockwave probably wasn’t from the Lord, but his aerial flight just now was real! The Lord can fly?”

“Not only can he fly, but his speed is astonishing!”

“The Lord has definitely broken through!”

“One hundred percent. He’s at the Sun-Manifestation realm.”

…

Xia Hong had been floating in the sky the entire time.

The younger generation and the weaker Earthforger realm experts couldn’t see him clearly at all, let alone his punching motion. They could only guess, and the vast majority of them simply didn’t believe that the commotion just now was man-made.

They only judged from Xia Hong’s final act of flying through the air that his cultivation had broken through, and their faces were filled with envy and excitement.

Unlike them, Zhao Long, Hong Gang, and all the other Frostwarden realm experts had all fallen into a deep silence.

Having seen everything clearly, their pupils were now filled with utter horror and shock.

Chapter 347: Jing Valley’s Garrison Commander Luo Ming, the Beast Tide, and the Six Armies of Great Xia

The seventh year of Great Xia, the ninth day of the ninth month, in the latter half of the night.

The disturbance caused by Xia Hong’s breakthrough in the Inner City during the first half of the night was one thing, but for the people in the Outer City and all of Great Xia’s garrisons, the early days of the ninth month were an exceptional time.

This was because early September marked the second maturation period of the Frostwood Trees each year, when their branches would be heavy with crystal fruits.

These crystal fruits, which could only provide basic sustenance and offered no benefits for cultivation, were no longer considered precious resources in Great Xia. Nevertheless, the Harvesting Department still classified them as a key strategic reserve.

The reason was simple. First, mashed crystal fruit mixed with water and beast meat powder could be made into baby food, which significantly improved a child’s constitution. Second, not only could crystal fruit serve as a staple food, but when ground into a powder, it also acted as a fragrant seasoning that greatly enhanced the aroma of food.

Since the crystal fruit was a key strategic reserve, the Frostwood Trees that bore them were naturally a primary focus for the Harvesting Department.

The most commonly transplanted trees along the main roads of Great Xia’s Outer City were indeed Frostwood Trees. Someone with too much time on their hands had once counted them, totaling 582. And as the Hunting Department continued to make new progress in exploring the three major resource sites, this number was still increasing rapidly.

Compared to the early days of Great Xia, when one had to risk their life just to find a few Frostwood Trees, the 582 trees now within Xiacheng was an astonishing number. Many believed that Great Xia had transplanted every single Frostwood Tree from Redwood Ridge, the Arrow Bamboo Forest, and Longshan into Xiacheng.

“They must have transplanted all of them. Back in the day, our Rogge Camp only found a total of twenty-one Frostwood Trees in the outskirts of Redwood Ridge. Even counting what the other camps found, the total was probably less than fifty. Five hundred and eighty-two is just too many.”

“How could they possibly transplant all of them back to Xiacheng? The various garrisons need to survive too. If they didn’t leave a single Frostwood Tree, they can’t just use beast meat as a staple food. That’s a cultivation resource, after all, and with over eight hundred thousand people in Xiacheng now, there’s still a shortage!”

At the southern entrance of the Jing Valley garrison, a group of about twenty people had gathered.

Hearing Xu Kang’s words from behind him, Li Baihe immediately refuted him, then said with a smile, “How big was our Rogge Camp’s range of activity back then? Just one kilometer around the eastern outskirts of Redwood Ridge. It’s perfectly normal that we only found twenty-one trees. Now, forget that one kilometer; the entire ten-kilometer-plus area on the eastern outskirts of Redwood Ridge is already a part of Xiacheng. With such a vast increase in our range, the total number of Frostwood Trees we’ve found is naturally incomparable to what it was back then.”

After saying this, he paused before continuing, “Xiacheng transplanted a total of five hundred and eighty-two Frostwood Trees, not because that’s all the hunting teams could find, but because that’s all that’s needed. Xiacheng isn’t just transplanting this one type of tree. There’s Aged Fragrance, Greenwater, Blue Jade, Azure Sap, Fragrant Chill, White Iris, Jade Bone, Frosty Red… there are at least dozens of other precious tree species that need space for transplanting. The Frostwood Tree only got this much space because it can be used as a staple food. Otherwise, the city wouldn’t have set aside so much room for it.”

Xu Kang finally understood upon hearing this and nodded lightly.

“Alright, I brought you all here tonight specially to observe the might of the grand army. Why are you chatting about Frostwood Trees?”

At the very front of the group, Luo Ming, the Garrison Guard of Jing Valley, turned his head and interrupted the two, who seemed ready to continue their discussion.

Although Luo Ming was the Garrison Commander of Jing Valley, Li Baihe and Xu Kang were his sworn brothers who had been through life and death with him, so they weren’t intimidated.

Li Baihe smiled and nodded. “Weren’t we just using the Frostwood Trees to talk about affairs at the garrison? Big Brother, since you came here last July to serve as Garrison Guard, Jing Valley’s Creation Value has been between 300,000 and 350,000 every month, always ranking in the top five. It’s hard to say for sure last year since it wasn’t a full year, but this year is different. In the first eight months, the figures were impressive for six of them. If it weren’t for the Beast Tides in January and May, how could our Jing Valley’s cumulative Creation Value be ranked only eighth right now?

The grand army has finally arrived. If they can solve this Beast Tide that happens once every four months in one fell swoop, then forget this year—next year, it will definitely be no problem for our Jing Valley to vie for the top three!”

Hearing Li Baihe’s words, everyone, including their leader Luo Ming, Xu Kang, Shang Ping, and the twenty-odd members of the Luoyang Team, showed expressions of agreement.

Luo Ming, in particular, nodded heavily when he heard Li Baihe’s last sentence about vying for the top three next year, his face filled with conviction.

It had been five years since they had returned to Great Xia. Luo Ming, Li Baihe, and the other old comrades from Rogge Camp had long since emerged from that unbalanced state of resentment.

The psychological imbalance stemmed from the huge disparity in their status. Now, they all clearly understood that the core reason for this disparity was never their identity or their past actions, but their strength.

Once he clearly recognized this, Luo Ming completely let go of his former identity as the leader of Rogge Camp, fully considering himself an ordinary member of Great Xia.

With this realization, his growth rate became somewhat astonishing.

Upon returning to Xiacheng five years ago, Luo Ming immediately gathered his old brothers like Li Baihe and established the Luoyang Team. Since his own cultivation had already reached the thirty-thousand-catty limit back in the Hive, and Li Baihe and the others weren’t far behind, the team was quite strong from its inception. It was quickly promoted to an Intermediate Hunting Team in its second year.

In the fifth year of Great Xia, which was November of the year before last, Luo Ming successfully broke through, becoming the team’s first Frostwarden realm expert. In the first half of last year, Li Baihe, Xu Kang, and Shang Ping also broke through one after another. With four Frostwarden realm experts, the Luoyang Team naturally set its sights on becoming a high-level team.

Last June, Luo Ming led the team to successfully hunt a high-level White Bear in the Arrow Bamboo Forest. It was the third type of high-level Frost Beast they had hunted. After turning the White Bear over to the Logistics Department in the Inner City’s Main Building, the Luoyang Team was successfully promoted to the 508th High-level Hunting Team under the Hunting Department.

The 508th High-level Hunting Team. When he heard that number, a bitter smile appeared on Luo Ming’s face. He had thought that with the Luoyang Team’s promotion to high-level, he, as its leader, would finally have a place in Great Xia. If not catching the eye of Lord Xia Hong, he thought at least Director Xia Chuan and the Head of the Hunting Department would take some notice.

Evidently, he had been thinking too much.

Deep down, Luo Ming harbored some resentment. After all, he was once a man who could stand on equal footing with Xia Hong. The current chasm between their statuses was one thing, but now even Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, and his former subordinates Luo Yuan and Zhao Long held positions far above his. It was naturally hard for him to let go of this feeling.

So, when he realized that even breaking through to the Frostwarden realm and leading the Luoyang Team to become a High-level Hunting Team couldn’t close the status gap, he started to have other ideas.

At the end of last June, just as the Luoyang Team had been promoted, Great Xia established the new Eighth District of East City. The original Garrison Commander of Jing Valley, Li Longkai, was promoted to Vice-Armament Master of the Logistics Division in the East Eighth District, leaving the position of Jing Valley’s Garrison Commander vacant.

Upon hearing this news, Luo Ming immediately went to the Garrison Department to apply for the position.

All official positions in Great Xia were currently divided into six ranks. The Director was first-rank; the eight Department Heads were second-rank; Vice-Prefects were third-rank; the eight Department Head positions in the eight districts of the Outer City and major garrisons like Longshan, Wuyuan, and Eastern Ridge were fourth-rank, and their deputies were fifth-rank; Garrison Commanders of minor garrisons like the Hive, Xiling, Zhaoyang, and Baiyuan were sixth-rank.

Of course, Great Xia had more official positions than just these, but these were generally used as benchmarks for the ranks.

Jing Valley was also a minor garrison, so its Garrison Commander was a sixth-rank official.

Although it was the lowest-ranked official position, the competition was still fierce. Especially with so many Frostwarden realm experts in Great Xia now, demand far outstripped supply, so Luo Ming’s appointment was not a smooth process.

The Garrison Department had three criteria for selecting a Garrison Guard: personal strength, the overall strength of one’s hunting team, and management ability. Fortunately, Luo Ming was not weak in any of these three areas, so he stood out among the contenders and successfully became the Garrison Commander of Jing Valley.

After becoming Garrison Commander and learning about the concept of Creation Value, Luo Ming realized that strength alone was not enough. The garrison’s Creation Value was the only path for him to continue climbing toward the top of Great Xia’s hierarchy, so he naturally focused all his efforts on it.

Jing Valley was located just north of the Arrow Bamboo Forest, with no other garrisons nearby. Its resource endowment was actually quite good. However, after the northern city wall of Xiacheng was extended to the south of the Arrow Bamboo Forest in the third year of Great Xia, the situation took a strange turn.

With the northern wall right next to the Arrow Bamboo Forest, Xiacheng naturally diverted some of its hunting teams to hunt and gather there. As a result, Jing Valley’s exclusive access to the Arrow Bamboo Forest was broken.

After taking office in Jing Valley, Luo Ming put in a great deal of effort. He recruited a large number of low and mid-level hunting teams from Xiacheng; he invited a large group of professionals from the eight Logging Divisions in the Outer City to teach the people at the garrison how to identify plants and imparted gathering skills; finally, he personally spared no effort in supervising the people at the garrison in their hunting, gathering, and exploration. As a result, in the first two months of his tenure, just as Li Baihe had said, Jing Valley’s Creation Value repeatedly broke new records, hovering between 300,000 and 350,000, ranking in the top three among all minor garrisons. The performance was indeed excellent.

Until early September last year, when the Arrow Bamboo Forest’s once-every-four-months Beast Tide arrived. For that entire month, Jing Valley’s Creation Value didn’t even reach 50,000. Luo Ming was completely stunned.

Only then did he remember the matter of the Beast Tide in the Arrow Bamboo Forest. At the same time, he instantly understood why he had so easily become the Garrison Commander of Jing Valley. Everyone knew about the Beast Tide and that being the Garrison Commander was a thankless job. It was extremely difficult to make progress with the Creation Value; once appointed, it was just a matter of enduring. That was why the people who had competed with him for the position were all of average strength.

He later inquired and found out that after Jing Valley’s first Garrison Commander, Yue Feng, was promoted to Prefect of Longshan, his successor, Li Pingkai, had endured the position of Jing Valley’s Garrison Commander for a full four years before being promoted to Vice-Armament Master of the East Eighth District. This further confirmed his suspicions.

Subsequent events unfolded as he had expected. Although he could maintain Jing Valley’s Creation Value within the top three of all minor garrisons during normal months, the figures would plummet every month a Beast Tide occurred, causing its ranking to drop significantly.

“The total Creation Value for the six normal months was 1.89 million, but the two months disrupted by the Beast Tide only added up to just over 70,000. That means the total for the first eight months of this year is 1.96 million. This September is a wash again. Even if we hit 350,000 for each of the last three months of the year, Jing Valley’s total Creation Value for the year will only be 3.01 million. Forget eighth place, we probably won’t even be able to hold onto the top twenty!”

After a quick calculation, Luo Ming’s brow furrowed, his expression dark.

In the past five years, Great Xia’s overall territory hadn’t expanded much, but just by clearing and exploring the lands of Longyou, many new garrisons had been established. Not counting the eight districts within Xiacheng, there were now as many as twenty-six external garrisons.

Excluding the three major garrisons of Longshan, Eastern Ridge, and Wuyuan, the remaining twenty-three minor garrisons competed based on Creation Value. Who didn’t want to climb higher? All twenty-three Garrison Guards wracked their brains to increase their garrison’s Creation Value. The data gap between them was never large; sometimes the difference between one rank and the next was less than a thousand.

For a place like Jing Valley, where the Creation Value dropped to a tenth of its usual level for three months out of the year, even if it didn’t end up at the bottom of the list by year’s end, it would likely be in the bottom five.

In that case, forget climbing higher; he might even be ridiculed and reprimanded by the Department Head when he returned to the Garrison Department for his year-end report.

Fortunately, a turning point appeared this very month!

Director Xia Chuan had suddenly taken an interest in the Arrow Bamboo Forest’s Beast Tide. At the beginning of the month, he had even assembled the six elite armies of Great Xia to station themselves at Jing Valley. It seemed he intended to completely resolve the issue of the Beast Tide that occurred every four months.

As long as there were no more Beast Tides in the Arrow Bamboo Forest, Luo Ming was absolutely confident that he could raise Jing Valley’s total annual Creation Value into the top three.

“Big Brother, do you think Jing Valley’s Creation Value was so low that even the Director couldn’t stand it anymore, which is why he came with the grand army to solve this?”

Hearing Li Baihe’s question, Luo Ming lowered his head in thought for a moment, then immediately shook it.

“Jing Valley’s Creation Value alone is not enough to warrant such attention from the Director. I suspect the Beast Tide has grown so large that it’s beginning to affect Xiacheng. If it’s not dealt with, sooner or later the Frost Beasts will start to attack the city walls. That would be bad for everyone.”

Li Baihe and the others all nodded in agreement.

As expected of someone who had once been a leader, Luo Ming had immediately deduced the true reason Xia Chuan had summoned the six armies.

In the third year of Great Xia, after that major expansion of Xiacheng, the northern city wall already extended to the southern outskirts of the Arrow Bamboo Forest. At that time, the northern wall was already affected by the quarterly Beast Tide, but hardly anyone was active in the northern part of the city. The entire city was busy planning the eighteen districts of East City. The north was just cleared land, without even roads or construction zones planned out.

But things were different now. Although Xiacheng’s current eight hundred thousand residents were still concentrated in East City, five years had passed, and plans were now on the agenda. Roads were being laid in the northern city, and other supporting infrastructure projects had begun. Not only had a large number of precious trees been transplanted there, but people were
also regularly coming and going through the north gate, and members of the Artisan Department were working there long-term. To continue ignoring the Beast Tide was clearly no longer an option.

“Loose!”

“That’s the Director! He’s given the order.”

“The army is starting!”

“Look, it’s begun.”

…

Luo Ming’s thoughts were broken by a voice. He hastily looked up, along with the twenty or so people beside him, toward the outskirts of the Arrow Bamboo Forest to the south.

Whoosh… whoosh…

A kilometer south of the Luoyang Team, right on the northern edge of the Arrow Bamboo Forest, stood an immense army.

The army was divided into six groups. Since all the soldiers were clad in pale gold armor, the only way to distinguish the different groups was by their weapons.

“The central group in the front row—six Saber Battalions, three Glaive Battalions, and an elite Scout Battalion of one hundred Frostwarden realm experts. That’s the Cloud Serpent Army, personally commanded by Lord Director, hailed as the strongest in Great Xia!”

“The group on the left in the front row—six Longspear Battalions, three Saber Battalions, andこちらも an elite Scout Battalion of one hundred Frostwarden realm experts. That’s the Dragon Martial Army, led by Lord Yuwen Tao, Head of the Department of Military Affairs. I hear the Dragon Martial Army has over four hundred Frostwarden realm experts, even more than the Cloud Serpent Army. They might not be any weaker.”

“The group on the right—six Halberd Battalions, three Greataxe Battalions, plus the same elite Scout Battalion. That’s the Dragon Slaying Army of Lord Yuan, Head of the Garrison Department.”

“The two groups in the back row, left and right, are the Shenwu and Xuanwu Armies of Lords Hong Guang and Hong Tian. These two armies were formed later than the others, but even so, their number of Frostwarden realm experts has surpassed two hundred each. It’s terrifying.”

“The one in the center of the back row is…”

The members of the Luoyang Team had called out the designations and marshals’ names of five of the armies, but when they got to the group in the center of the back row, they suddenly stopped.

Li Baihe, Xu Kang, and Shang Ping all wore very complicated expressions.

As for Luo Ming, his face was filled with desolation as he looked at the man standing at the forefront of that army.

That was the Tiger Leopard Army, and its Marshal was Luo Yuan.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh…

Setting aside the complex feelings in the hearts of Luo Ming and the members of the Luoyang Team for a moment.

At Xia Chuan’s command, the six thousand soldiers of the six armies were now drawing their bows and nocking their arrows with incredible speed, loosing a furious volley at the Beast Tide stampeding eastward within the Arrow Bamboo Forest.

One could clearly see a difference in the iron arrows fired by the six thousand men. The faster-flying arrows appeared almost silver due to the thousands of forging lines on their surface, while the slower ones still showed a hint of black light, clearly Hundred-forged grade iron arrows.

“The Divine Arm Bows equipped by Frostwarden realm experts have a draw weight of at least one Mane. Ordinary Hundred-forged iron arrows can’t unleash their maximum impact force, so they must be paired with Thousand-forged iron arrows.”

“Look at the Director and the Department Heads, as well as Luo Yuan and the other four lords. The Divine Arm Bows in their hands are all silver.”

“That’s not a Divine Arm Bow. It’s called a Silver Wing Bow. It’s not standard issue; it’s custom-made by the Artisan Department according to the user’s strength. Never mind the materials, I heard the customization fee alone is as high as thirty thousand contribution points.”

“The customization fee is that high? The cost of the materials must be astronomical.”

…

ROAR!

After a dozen rounds of arrow rain from the six-thousand-strong army, much of the snow mist kicked up by the Beast Tide in the Arrow Bamboo Forest had already dissipated, and numerous beast roars could be from within.

But when Xia Chuan and the other five Marshals released their arrows, the furious roars that erupted from within almost instantly drowned out all the previous cries.

Evidently, the targets hit by Xia Chuan and the others were far stronger than the Frost Beasts struck by the six armies.

“Faster! Empty your quivers within ten breaths! These wretched creatures are breaking through!”

As Xia Chuan gave the command, he didn’t forget to continue shooting. His hands moved ceaselessly, drawing his bow and nocking arrows. Later, feeling he wasn’t fast enough, he started nocking three silver arrows at once and firing them simultaneously.

Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Hong Guang, Hong Tian, and the six thousand soldiers below had clearly reached a state of perfect discipline. Hearing his order, they too increased their rate of fire. In less than ten breaths, they had completely emptied their quivers.

BOOM…

At the same time, the Beast Tide within the Arrow Bamboo Forest finally changed its course and charged toward the army!

Tens of thousands of Frost Beasts stampeded forward at once. The earth was no longer just trembling; it was clearly collapsing. The ground caved in, and the Frost Beasts charged over one another in a crushing wave.

ROAR…

Their roars and bellows filled the entire world, not only scattering the snowflakes in the sky above but also stirring the airflow for several kilometers around, which blasted toward the army in a savage gale.

“This… did they just draw the entire Beast Tide to them?”

“Can they fight this? Isn’t the Director being a bit too arrogant!”

“Six thousand soldiers, can they handle so many Frost Beasts?”

“There must be seven or eight thousand of them, right? How is this possible!”

“Look at the back! In the back, they’re all high-level Frost Beasts! There must be hundreds of them!”

…

At the southern exit of the Jing Valley garrison, Luo Ming and the members of the Luoyang Team stared at the massive Beast Tide stampeding toward them from the south. Their faces turned deathly pale, their pupils filled with terror and panic.

They had clearly never expected the Beast Tide in the Arrow Bamboo Forest to be this massive!

Involuntarily, worry and doubt about Xia Chuan and the six armies arose in their hearts.

“Drop bows! Engage the enemy!”

Their answer was four exceptionally calm and measured words from Xia Chuan.

“Kill!”

Chapter 348: A Powerful Army, One Against Three, and the Reason for the Beast Tide

“Charge!”

As Xia Chuan’s voice fell, the six thousand soldiers, who had already abandoned their bows, roared in unison and surged like a tide toward the oncoming beast horde.

On a battlefield, roaring is meant to boost morale, but for individual soldiers, the reasons vary. Some shout to dispel the fear in their hearts and embolden themselves; others do so out of soaring killing intent, driven by emotion.

The state of the six thousand Great Xia soldiers at this moment clearly fell into the latter category.

As they looked at the overwhelming Beast Tide before them, not a single face showed a trace of fear. Their faces were flushed, ecstatic to the extreme, their eyes filled with a thick, bloodthirsty desire, as if the beasts before them were some kind of delectable prize.

Crack…

In the Ice Abyss World, the strong were revered. No matter how fast the soldiers charged, they could not match the speed of their powerful commanders. Thus, the first to make contact with the Beast Tide were inevitably the marshals of the six armies.

Two mid-level Thunder Kui were decapitated by Xia Chuan in a single pass.

Clang…

He raised the black saber in his hand, about to charge forward again, but was stopped by a golden horn that suddenly rammed him from behind the Thunder Kui corpses. The immense force carried by the horn not only tore open the web of his hand but also pinned his black saber, rendering it immobile. His forward momentum was instantly halted.

Xia Chuan’s gaze swept over the attacker. Behind the horn was a Golden-eyed Demonic Ram, only two meters tall, its body covered with over a thousand eyes. His pupils constricted slightly.

“A thousand-eyed grade Demonic Ram. Its strength must be at least twenty Mane!”

At the southern exit of Jing Valley, Li Baihe’s exclamation instantly made Luo Ming and the others’ hearts leap into their throats, their eyes filled with shock.

The Luoyang Team was a high-level hunting team, so they naturally understood what a thousand-eyed grade Demonic Ram represented. Even if Xia Chuan was strong, facing this demonic ram alone with just a saber… it should be…

“Ah—”

Bang!

The next second, the worry on their faces froze.

With a roar, Xia Chuan gathered his strength, his muscles bulging. He forcefully pressed his black saber forward, shockingly forcing the demonic ram’s horn down to the ground with a tremendous crash.

The moment the demonic ram felt Xia Chuan’s strength, it had already entered its combat form, its body growing to over thirty meters long. But even so, it could not stop its head from being slammed into the ground. As its head hit the earth, its unbalanced body collapsed with a deafening thud.

“Roar… Roar… Roar…”

Flustered after being toppled, the demonic ram struggled wildly with its limbs. The countless eyes on its back opened simultaneously, their pupils turning to stare at Xia Chuan before its head, and abruptly shot out a thousand golden beams.

Swish, swish, swish…

Xia Chuan wore no armor at the moment, only the crimson everyday attire of a Viscount. Coincidentally, his clothes were embroidered with a roaring, golden demonic ram.

Clang… Clang…

As a thousand golden beams assailed him at once, Xia Chuan did not arrogantly try to block them all. Instead, he drew back his saber and retreated to dodge.

However, a careful observer would notice that he had quietly switched from a two-handed grip to a single hand. With the backward movement, he used his free left hand to give a sudden, powerful pull.

Freed from the pressure of the black saber, the demonic ram immediately felt it. It scrambled to its feet, its body standing tall once more. It was just about to raise its head to charge Xia Chuan again when—

Pshht!

Two three-meter-long silver greatsabers suddenly erupted from the ground. Like a guillotine, they crossed from left and right, striking the demonic ram’s neck.

The sharpness and power of the two silver greatsabers were clearly beyond anyone’s imagination. The demonic ram’s massive head was severed in an instant.

The blades were so fast that the blood within the demonic ram’s body didn’t even have time to react. The severed jade-green bones and black flesh at its neck were clearly visible to the naked eye.

Sploosh…

Of course, this lasted only for a moment.

Blood instantly gushed from the demonic ram’s neck, spraying two or three hundred meters northward. At the southern exit of Jing Valley, Luo Ming and his twenty-odd team members were immediately hit by the thick, metallic stench.

But they had no time to be bothered by the smell.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the two silver greatsabers.

Or more accurately, on the crimson-silver giant that was slowly rising from the ground beneath them.

The giant was estimated to be ten meters tall. The two silver greatsabers that had just emerged from the ground were its arms. Its lower limbs were two conical blades, sharpened on all four sides. Its neck, chest, back, waist, and even the main sections of its limbs were covered from top to bottom with gleaming silver spikes. Reflecting the snowy light, they emanated a chilling aura, like a dense thicket of sharp thorns—utterly terrifying.

“That’s the saber puppet the Lord Prefect commissioned last year. I heard it consumed eighty thousand catties of silver alone. At the Logistics Department’s current exchange rate, eighty thousand catties of silver would be worth eight million contribution points!”

“Silver isn’t something everyone can redeem right now. The annual limit for Frostwarden realm cultivators is a thousand catties, and it can only be used for forging weapons. For officials from the fourth to sixth rank, the annual limit is eight thousand catties. Third rank is ten thousand, second rank is twenty thousand, and even a first-rank official only gets thirty thousand catties a year. Does that mean the Prefect used nearly three years of his silver exchange quota to forge this saber puppet?”

“Eight million contribution points… Does the Lord Prefect have that much?”

“The Prefect has governed for many years, and he’s largely responsible for the camp’s prosperity today. How could the Lord not reward him? I heard that just from the annual year-end evaluation, he earns over five million contribution points. His wealth is beyond anything we can imagine.”

“Gulp… Five million!”

“Silver is just one of the main materials for the saber puppet. There’s also the high-grade vermilion wood, the thousand-forged main body, and the ten-thousand-forged grade spikes all over it. Even without counting these vast quantities of precious materials, the manpower cost from the Artisan Department must have been terrifying. I heard in Xiacheng last year that the final cost of this saber puppet was conservatively estimated to be over thirty million. In the entire camp, maybe four people at most could afford that.”

“Besides the Prefect, who else could?”

“Lord Yuwen Tao should be able to. Before the Department of Military Affairs was established, he was the Department Head of the most important of the Seven Departments, the Hunting Department. Three years ago, as soon as the Department of Military Affairs was founded, he immediately transferred to become its Department Head. He has led the two most important departments in Great Xia. With such high status and authority, his wealth is naturally immense.”

“Who are the other two?”

“Department Head Yuan of the Garrison Department and Prefect Qiu of the Logistics Department!”

“Thirty million contribution points! That’s terrifying! It’s enough for us to live a carefree life in Xiacheng, isn’t it?”

“It’s enough for three lifetimes!”

“And he spent it all on forging this saber puppet. The Lord Prefect is a bit too extravagant.”

“Extravagant? Watch the saber puppet’s combat power before you say that!”

Without needing Li Baihe’s reminder, everyone’s gaze was already fixed on the saber puppet, so they saw its performance with perfect clarity.

While they had been watching Xia Chuan, all the soldiers of the six armies had already begun their head-on confrontation with the Beast Tide.

With such a large-scale clash between an army and a beast horde, it was naturally impossible for them to become completely entangled at once. The main conflict was at the front lines.

Although the Beast Tide was enormous, it lacked unified command and coordination, so its overall combat effectiveness was far inferior to a group of frost beasts of a single species of the same number.

For instance, at this moment, the Beast Tide’s side only knew how to charge forward recklessly. Many frost beasts even trampled over their own kind to pounce on the army. Frost beasts had vigorous life force, so they wouldn’t die from being trampled, but the problem was that this kind of headless-chicken charge was incredibly inefficient.

In contrast to the frost beasts, the human side’s response was far more methodical.

The first to charge from the six armies were the strongest Scout Battalions. Six hundred elite Frostwarden realm experts, wielding various weapons, instantly tore over a hundred gaps in the front ranks of the Beast Tide.

The subsequent five thousand-plus soldiers, organized by battalion, quickly occupied these gaps. While slaughtering the frost beasts, they rapidly advanced and interspersed, and in less than a hundred breaths, they had managed to slice the Beast Tide into dozens of smaller battlefields.

Xia Chuan, with his black saber in his right hand and controlling threads in his left, weaved through the Beast Tide. He opened up breakthroughs for the obstructed army while maneuvering the saber puppet to continue its charge toward the horde’s core.

Crunch…

A ten-meter-tall saber puppet would normally be considered small compared to high-level frost beasts in their combat forms. But the immense inertia from its own weight, combined with the power transmitted through Xia Chuan’s threads, allowed it to unleash a force that crushed all the frost beasts.

Moreover, since the saber puppet was covered in spikes, even if a frost beast occasionally managed to ram it and knock it over, it couldn’t inflict any substantial damage. Instead, the beast would be left with countless bloody holes in its own body.

Fearless of pain, possessing strength that could overwhelm nearly any frost beast, and enhanced by the sharpness of its silver greatsabers, the saber puppet was invincible on the battlefield. While ferociously slaughtering countless low and mid-level frost beasts, it could also repel or even severely injure some high-level ones. As time went on, wherever the saber puppet went, the frost beasts in that direction would scatter and flee, not daring to face its edge.

“The army will press forward! The Beast Tide is already starting to break! Strike fear into them! Make these wretched creatures never dare to cross the Arrow Bamboo Forest again!”

Xia Chuan had already charged deep into the Beast Tide. His enraged roar, amplified by his energy, instantly spread across the entire battlefield.

Receiving the order, the marshals of the five other armies commanded their troops:

“Dragon Martial Army Scout Battalion, assemble on the left flank and follow me!”

“Dragon Slaying Army Scout Battalion, charge forward on the right! Greataxe Battalion, clear a path for the Halberd Battalions! Keep charging!”

“Tiger Leopard Army Scout Battalion, attack from the sides! Don’t let the Beast Tide regroup.”

“Xuanwu Army Scout Battalion, charge in with the main force! The remaining nine battalions will cover our rear! Don’t let a single frost beast turn back!”

“Shenwu Army Scout Battalion, charge in! Battalions One to Five will secure the west flank, Battalions Six to Nine will block the Beast Tide on the east! Split them completely apart.”

With the orders given, all the soldiers launched an even more ferocious assault.

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

The army had actually managed to push the Beast Tide back into the Arrow Bamboo Forest to the south.

No, it wasn’t just pushing them back. The frost beast carcasses littering the ground numbered at least two thousand. Mid-level beasts accounted for about thirty percent of them, and there were even dozens of high-level ones.

At the southern exit of Jing Valley, Luo Ming and the others stared at the field of frost beast corpses, their pupils filled with awe and shock. It wasn’t until the army had charged into the Arrow Bamboo Forest and their vision was obscured that someone finally spoke.

“The six armies’ combat strength… has become so formidable!”

“This was a Beast Tide of nearly ten thousand, and they managed to fight it back?”

“Nearly ten thousand? It definitely exceeded ten thousand, did you forget? Before the Beast Tide even charged out, the soldiers had already emptied their quivers into the Arrow Bamboo Forest. The number of frost beasts that died earlier must have been considerable.”

“The number of Frostwarden realm experts in the six armies is close to two thousand, almost half of the entire camp’s total. It’s not surprising they have such combat power!”

“Any one of these six armies today, if sent back five years, would have been enough to sweep across all the camps in Longyou, right?”

“Nonsense, do you even need to say that?”

“Every time our Luoyang Team hunts a high-level frost beast, we have to prepare for at least two or three days. Divine Arm Bows, beast-binding ropes, giant beast traps, antidote pills, Blood Sore Pills, Bloodrage Pills… Before we even start the hunt, we’ve already spent over a thousand contribution points. Compared to the six armies’ hunting efficiency, it’s just…”

“There’s no comparison. They are a proper army, after all. Setting aside the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Armies, I bet if you took any hundred-man battalion from the four newer armies, it could sweep through any fully-staffed high-level hunting team in the entire camp.”

“The Prefect’s saber puppet is just too strong. I feel like the force behind its swings is at least forty Mane. Could the Prefect have already broken through to the peak-Frostwarden realm?”

“Impossible. I heard the Prefect broke through to the late-Frostwarden realm in June this year. It’s only early September now. How could he reach the peak in just three months?!”

“Then how can the saber puppet unleash such terrifying power?”

“The puppet itself is incredibly heavy. It’s probably the inertia from its swings that gives the Prefect’s power such a strong boost.”

“So that’s how it is!”

…

Luo Ming could no longer hear the discussions of his team members behind him. His mind was filled with the valiant image of the six armies’ soldiers and the effortless grace of their marshals, moving freely within the Beast Tide, commanding with authority.

Was Xia Chuan the only powerful one?

He had seen it clearly. On the flank, Yuwen Tao’s broadsword had sent several high-level frost beasts flying; his strength was definitely above twenty Mane.

Yuan Cheng’s rapidly swinging double-bladed great axe kept even some high-level frost beasts from getting close; his strength, if not twenty Mane, wasn’t far off.

The remaining three, Luo Yuan, Hong Guang, and Hong Tian, were slightly weaker, but their base strength was at least above twelve Mane.

Not to mention the six elite Scout Battalions composed entirely of Frostwarden realm experts; the captains and their seconds in each of the six armies’ nine other battalions were also all Frostwarden realm cultivators. Even the ordinary soldiers had a strength of at least fifty thousand catties. Disregarding their battle physique aptitude, almost all of them were on the verge of a breakthrough.

Describing the entire six armies as having ‘strong soldiers and brave generals’ was no exaggeration at all.

“I’ve made inquiries. Luo Yuan hasn’t broken through to the peak-Frostwarden realm yet, he’s only at the late-Frostwarden realm. That means he possesses a superior combat physique!”

Realizing this, Luo Ming’s eyes filled with envy.

The Xia Code of Rites - Chapter of Cultivation Regulations made the distinctions between combat physiques very clear. The higher the grade of the physique, the higher the strength growth ceiling during the Frostwarden realm stage. Of course, the corresponding downside was a slower cultivation speed.

Therefore, the competition among Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm cultivators was now about who could break through slower, not faster. After all, with the same resources, a slower breakthrough meant a higher growth ceiling.

Luo Ming had broken through to the Frostwarden realm in November of the year before last. Unfortunately, his base strength after the breakthrough was only 1.7 Mane, which qualified as a medium combat physique.

In truth, a medium combat physique was already quite good among Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm experts, but compared to the top tier, it was naturally lacking.

“I’m definitely out of the running, but Cheng’er still has a chance! Even the Lord has praised his aptitude. His starting point is higher than mine, and his future combat physique will surely be stronger than mine. When he breaks through to the Frostwarden realm, he will surely catch the Lord’s eye!”

Thinking of his son, Luo Ming turned to look north, his face full of hope.

…

“Roar!”

Deep in the western part of the Arrow Bamboo Forest, Xia Chuan brought his saber down, decapitating a high-level Frost Wolf. He then turned to survey the battlefield in the bamboo forest, his eyes filled with killing intent.

The six thousand soldiers had already dispersed into battalions throughout the forest, and the slaughter of the Beast Tide was nearing its end.

Besides the saber puppet he controlled, by his side were Liu Yuan and a hundred elites from the Cloud Serpent Army’s Scout Battalion. The ground was now littered not just with low and mid-level frost beasts, but also a considerable number of high-level ones.

“After more than five years as an army, the Cloud Serpent Army’s combat strength is finally presentable!”

Of course, it wasn’t just his own Cloud Serpent Army.

Xia Chuan turned his head to look at the Dragon Martial Army’s Scout Battalion half a li to the east, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The Cloud Serpent Scout Battalion had the saber puppet to clear the way, but the Dragon Martial Scout Battalion did not. Relying solely on Yuwen Tao’s command, they had managed to penetrate just as deeply. It seemed that, as many in Xiacheng had speculated, the Dragon Martial Army’s strength was truly not necessarily weaker than the Cloud Serpent Army’s.

“Prefect, these wretched creatures seem unafraid of death. They just keep running deeper into the eastern part of the Arrow Bamboo Forest. Almost none are heading back to Redwood Ridge!”

“Is the treasure in the Arrow Bamboo Forest that attractive to them?”

“If they’re not even afraid of being killed, it must be some incredible treasure.”

“The problem is, what treasure could there be? In the past five years, the high-level hunting teams have basically explored the entire Arrow Bamboo Forest and found nothing.”

“That’s right, there are hardly any unfamiliar areas left in the forest. I’ve never heard of any treasure being discovered. What are these frost beasts after?”

…

Hearing the discussion among Liu Yuan and the others, Xia Chuan turned to look at the swarms of frost beasts that were either breaking through or bypassing the army’s blockade, still pushing deeper into the eastern part of the Arrow Bamboo Forest. He frowned slightly.

The Arrow Bamboo Forest ran from east to west. Their current position was on the western edge, the area closest to Redwood Ridge. This area stretched for only about a dozen kilometers from north to south, separating Xiacheng from Jinggu Valley, or on a larger scale, separating Xiacheng from the entire Longyou region.

The Beast Tide in the Arrow Bamboo Forest had been happening for so many years that not only Xia Chuan, but practically anyone in Xiacheng who had ventured out was familiar with it.

The Beast Tide coincided with the maturing period of the crystal fruits, occurring once every four months, three times a year. Each time, the horde numbered over ten thousand, originating from deep within Redwood Ridge. The frost beasts would pour out from inside Redwood Ridge, surge through the narrow path into the Arrow Bamboo Forest, and charge eastward into its depths.

Then, when the Beast Tide ended, about a third of the frost beasts would gradually return.

The reason for the Beast Tide wasn’t hard to guess. It was highly likely that something inside the Arrow Bamboo Forest was attracting them, and whatever it was, it probably matured every four months like a plant; otherwise, the Beast Tide wouldn’t be so regular.

Moreover, Xia Hong had speculated long ago that there must be some massive space within or beyond the eastern side of the Arrow Bamboo Forest. Otherwise, just from the twenty-one Beast Tides of the past seven years, thirteen thousand frost beasts had passed through. Not to mention the Beast Tides that began before the first year of Great Xia, the total number was inestimable.

So many frost beasts couldn’t have all died. Therefore, there had to be some super-large space inside or on the eastern periphery of the Arrow Bamboo Forest.

A priceless treasure capable of triggering a large-scale Beast Tide, along with a massive, uncharted space—there was no need for the Hunting Department to issue orders. In the past five years, every high-level hunting team with any reputation had gone to explore the Arrow Bamboo Forest.

Even Xia Chuan couldn’t resist ordering Liu Yuan to take the Cloud Serpent Squad. Yuwen Tao’s Dragon Martial Squad, Yuan Cheng’s Dragon Slaying Squad, and Luo Yuan’s Tiger-Leopard Squad had all gone. But just like the other teams, they all came back empty-handed.

If Xia Chuan remembered correctly, as of the end of August, the exploration of the Arrow Bamboo Forest was nearing completion. He had heard that only the last dozen or so kilometers remained before they could pass through the forest and reach the eastern periphery.

“It’s almost certain that there is no treasure within the Arrow Bamboo Forest. The only hope now lies in the eastern periphery. Once the six armies have dealt with this wave of the Beast Tide, the number of frost beasts in the forest will plummet for the next four months. We can explore the final dozen kilometers, and then the truth will be revealed.”

After a moment of contemplation, Xia Chuan said to Liu Yuan and the others, “Let the few that get away go. We can’t kill all of them anyway. Just try to pick off the stronger ones.”

Liu Yuan and the others immediately nodded in assent. They then led the Scout Battalion to specifically target injured or more valuable frost beasts on the battlefield.

No matter how strong the six armies were, they couldn’t possibly kill over ten thousand frost beasts. In fact, up to this point, they had only managed to rout the Beast Tide. The number of frost beast deaths was at most about thirty percent.

The elite Scout Battalions of the six armies had charged too quickly. It took more than ten minutes for the soldiers of the other nine battalions to catch up and enter the forest. Their arrival meant that the Beast Tide on the periphery had also been completely scattered.

“This should be enough. This Beast Tide was a preliminary test. Since the six armies can handle it perfectly, the three annual Beast Tides in the Arrow Bamboo Forest will no longer be a concern from now on. We can even treat them as a good opportunity to fill Great Xia’s coffers!”

Looking at the frost beast carcasses littering the ground, a hint of ambition flickered in Xia Chuan’s eyes.

Beast hides, meat, bones, and blood were all essential supplies for the camp. No camp would ever have too much, and Xiacheng was no exception.

In fact, with the continuous growth of Great Xia’s population, the stockpiles of the latter three cultivation resources were already running low. In the past five years, the Logistics Department had adjusted prices almost every year. As of now, the price of beast meat had gone from one contribution point for two catties to three contribution points for one catty.

For a large-scale Beast Tide like the one in the Arrow Bamboo Forest, as long as it was within the army’s capacity to handle, wasn’t it the perfect opportunity to enrich the treasury?

Though his mind was racing with thoughts, Xia Chuan’s hands never stopped moving. Whether it was the saber puppet controlled by his left hand or the black saber in his right, he was constantly seeking out high-level frost beasts on the battlefield, never resting for a moment.

Soon, within a radius of several hundred meters, the frost beasts were either dead or had fled, and it became difficult to find even a few living ones.

“Move east toward the Dragon Martial Army, continue the—”

“Prefect, the Lord! The Lord is in the east!”

Three or four kilometers to the east, a loud shout suddenly interrupted Xia Chuan, who was about to give an order.

He snapped his head eastward and charged over without hesitation.

“The army will continue to charge east! Rendezvous with the Dragon Martial Army first, then merge with the other four armies and push toward the east side.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Liu Yuan and the others had also heard the shout just now. Knowing that Xia Hong was in the east, they were eager to go over, but they obediently followed Xia Chuan’s command and remained where they were, continuing their charge eastward to meet up with the Dragon Martial Army first.

Yuwen Tao had just slain a high-level demonic ram. Hearing the voice, he also turned to look east, his gaze hardening. He turned to his Scout Battalion and ordered:

“Hou Quan, you will temporarily command the army. Merge with the other five armies and then move toward the east.”

The Captain of the Dragon Martial Army’s Scout Battalion was originally Zhou Yuan, but he had been promoted to Marshal of the Longyuan Army when the Seventh Army was established last November. Thus, Hou Quan had become the new captain.

Hou Quan had been captured alive by Xia Hong years ago and had been resentful for a long time. However, ever since Xia Chuan promoted Hou Jing to be the new Vice-Prefect of the Hunting Department three years ago, Hou Quan and the other Zhaoyang disciples of the Hou family had let go of their reservations and become completely loyal to Great Xia.

This was the core reason he could be appointed as the Captain of the Dragon Martial Army’s Scout Battalion.

“This subordinate obeys!”

After acknowledging the order, Hou Quan took command and continued leading the Dragon Martial Army to fight their way west, clearly intending to rendezvous with the Cloud Serpent Army first.

One after the other, Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao quickly covered three or four kilometers eastward, arriving at the area where the shout had come from.

Upon arrival, Xia Chuan realized that the ones fighting frost beasts in this area were Hong Tian’s Shenwu Army. His sharp eyes quickly spotted the Shenwu Army’s marshal, Hong Tian, standing stunned on the eastern periphery, staring up at the sky.

“What is Hong Tian looking at?”

Curiosity flickered on both Xia Chuan’s and Yuwen Tao’s faces. They followed Hong Tian’s gaze and looked up at the sky to the east.

At a single glance, they, too, froze in place, just like Hong Tian.

In the eastern sky, at an altitude of about five hundred meters, a blazing ball of fire was entangled with three streams of frosty aura.

The ball of fire was incredibly fast, covering dozens of meters in an instant. With each flicker, it produced a violent sonic boom. In the area where the booms occurred, the snowy mist not only vaporized, but it seemed as if even the clouds were forcefully shattered, creating a vacuum in the sky above the entire eastern side.

“That… that ball of fire… that’s… the Lord!”

“What are those three streams of frosty aura?”

“They look like frost beasts. One is a Frost Wolf, one is a Snow Mane, and the larger one seems to be a White Bear!”

“Can high-level frost beasts fly?”

“What high-level frost beasts? Those are clearly Beast Kings! All three of them are Beast King level! The Lord is fighting one against three?”

“Gulp… It’s not just one against three. It looks like the Lord is… overwhelming those three Beast Kings!”

…

Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao finally understood why Hong Tian was so stunned.

And it wasn’t just the three of them now. As the number of frost beasts on the battlefield dwindled, many Frostwarden realm experts found themselves free. When they looked up, they too saw Xia Hong in the sky, along with the three ferocious Beast Kings.

After getting a clear look, their pupils instantly filled with horror and shock.

Just as the last person had said, Xia Hong was indeed overwhelming the three Beast Kings.

Roar…

The Frost Wolf King on the left opened its massive maw and spat out a thick white frost. The frost seemed to possess a life of its own, drawing the cold currents in the air to form a fierce, raging hurricane that swept toward Xia Hong.

The Snow Mane King behind it also had its mouth open, but instead of white frost, it spat out over a hundred sharp, icicle-like tongues. These tongues were like transparent pythons, not only incredibly fast but also extremely agile, leaving trails of chilling light as they slithered through the air, a truly unsettling sight.

The White Bear in front, covered in long, snow-white fur, was only two meters tall. Yet, its posture as it stood in mid-air inexplicably gave off a crushing pressure like that of a mountain, making it hard to breathe.

“Chilling aura, techniques, and strength. It seems different types of Beast Kings have their own specialties. I don’t know about other Beast Kings, but the three of you have run into some seriously bad luck meeting me today!”

Looking at the distinct black and white pupils of the three Beast Kings, Xia Hong was almost certain they could understand the contempt in his eyes.

Roar…

The largest of them, the White Bear, was the first to lose its patience.

With a furious roar, it moved ahead of the Frost Wolf King’s chilling aura and was the first to lunge at Xia Hong. Its body abruptly swelled to dozens of times its original size, its two-meter frame transforming into thirty-five zhang in an instant. Like a snow-capped peak crashing down or a mountain range descending from above, it came crushing down on Xia Hong in mid-air.

“You want to compete with me in strength?”

Xia Hong had his Cold Blood Saber hanging at his waist, but seeing the White Bear King pounce at him, he did not draw his weapon. Instead, he took a deep breath, drew back his right fist, gathered his strength, and aimed for the White Bear King’s chest before punching out.

BOOM…

A sonic boom several times more intense than before suddenly erupted. The sky over the entire eastern part of the Arrow Bamboo Forest, in a radius of five li, trembled.

Then, an incredibly horrifying scene unfolded.

Behind Xia Hong, a thousand-zhang-tall, dark-red phantom appeared.

Although the thousand-zhang phantom mirrored his movements exactly, also striking the White Bear’s abdomen with its right fist, the visual effect was a world of difference.

Even in its combat form, the Beast King-level White Bear was only thirty-five zhang long. In front of Xia Hong’s thousand-zhang phantom, it was utterly insignificant.

If one used the thousand-zhang phantom for comparison, it was easy to understand how the White Bear’s body was punched straight through.

As the phantom dissipated and the shockwave gradually spread, the clouds within a radius of several li were forcefully pushed away.

If even the clouds were dispersed, one could only imagine the fate of the Beast King-level White Bear, which was at the epicenter of the shockwave and had taken Xia Hong’s punch head-on.

Its body was not sent flying. It froze in place, but from its back, a column of scorching hot blood, as thick as lava, erupted.

The White Bear stared at Xia Hong before it, its black and white pupils filled with terror and despair. Its once-abundant life force was rapidly draining away. It couldn’t even manage a roar; it only subconsciously wanted to turn and flee.

Puchi…

How could Xia Hong let it escape? He plunged the Cold Blood Saber at his waist straight into the wound his fist had just created.

“When the Lord threw that punch just now, I think I saw a thousand-zhang-tall phantom behind him!”

“I saw it too! It seemed to be dark red, kind of like a skeleton.”

“The phantom’s movements were the same as the Lord’s. It also threw a right punch.”

“The Beast King-level White Bear couldn’t even withstand a single punch from the Lord?”

“The snow has stopped in a five-li radius. That’s enough to change the weather.”

“Look at the clouds in the sky! Do you think if all one thousand of us from the Shenwu Army stood together, we could block that punch?”

“That…”

“He’s broken through! The Lord has definitely broken through to the Sun-Manifestation realm!”

…

“The phantom just now was formed when I released the full power of my bones and hide. What was that?”

The Frostwarden realm cultivators below had all seen the thousand-zhang-tall, dark-red skeletal phantom. How could Xia Hong himself not have seen it?

But this was the first time he had used his full strength since his breakthrough, so he himself was unsure what that phantom was.

“I’m the only Sun-Manifestation realm expert in all of Great Xia. Without a point of comparison, there’s no way to know what it is. It seems I need to find an opponent of the same level to test my skills against soon!”

Xia Hong pondered for only a moment. The Cold Blood Saber’s blood-draining speed was noticeably slower against a Beast King-level frost beast. Unwilling to wait, he kicked the White Bear away and then lunged toward the Snow Mane.

“Roar…”

The White Bear King’s fate was right before their eyes. How could the remaining two Beast Kings possibly have the courage to fight Xia Hong? They had escaped from Redwood Ridge and were intercepted by Xia Hong halfway, forced to team up against him.

Now, realizing Xia Hong’s terrifying power, the two Beast Kings did not hesitate for a second. With a low roar, they turned and fled toward the eastern side of the Arrow Bamboo Forest.

The Frost Wolf managed to escape, but the Snow Mane was not so lucky.

It had flown less than a hundred meters east before it was forced to a halt by the heatwave from Xia Hong’s saber. What greeted it next was an even more ferocious storm of blades.

Xia Hong’s choice of the Snow Mane was not random. He knew it was unrealistic to take care of both of them. The Frost Wolf was faster, so choosing the Snow Mane was clearly the optimal solution.

The Snow Mane’s numerous tongues constantly tried to entangle Xia Hong, but it never gave up the thought of escaping, its body continuously shifting eastward.

Pshh… pshh…

Unfortunately, its tongues couldn’t even break through Xia Hong’s skin. Instead, because they were entangled with him and too close to the Cold Blood Saber, dozens of them were quickly severed.

“Roar…”

Wailing in pain, the Snow Mane tried to retract all its tongues into its mouth, but by the time it reacted, it was already too late.

Xia Hong had long since wrapped its remaining tongues with the Cold Blood Saber. With a sudden, powerful tug, he yanked the eastward-fleeing Snow Mane back toward him. It shot toward his face like a cannonball.

“Get back!”

On the ground, the six thousand soldiers, who had already regrouped, including the six marshals like Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao, were stunned for a moment upon hearing Xia Hong’s voice. Then, realizing that the army was directly beneath the Snow Mane, they immediately understood.

“Everyone, disperse! Quickly!”

The soldiers of the six armies were long accustomed to obeying orders without question. Hearing Xia Chuan’s command, they quickly scattered, soon clearing a large open area five to six hundred meters in diameter.

BANG…

The soldiers had just cleared the space and hadn’t even had time to look up at the sky when a massive explosion rocked the open area.

It was the Snow Mane, kicked down from the sky by Xia Hong.

A violent shockwave spread outwards. The soldiers, who hadn’t had time to reform their ranks, were sent stumbling backward. The several hundred soldiers at the very front couldn’t even keep their footing and fell to the ground in a disheveled mess.

It was worth noting that the soldiers who could stand at the front were mostly from the elite Scout Battalions of the six armies, which meant they were all Frostwarden realm cultivators!

“Gulp…”

“A shockwave from a Beast King being kicked down from a height of five hundred meters is enough to knock us over?”

“If we were any closer, we probably would have been injured, right?”

“Injured? We might have been killed by the shockwave!”

“Knocking us over is nothing! Those were three Beast Kings!”

“The Lord fought one against three and killed two of them.”

“If that Frost Wolf King had been a little slower, it would have been a dead end for it too.”

“So this is the Sun-Manifestation realm. The Lord’s strength is on a completely different level from ours, isn’t it?”

“It’s not just a different level. It’s like we’re from two different worlds.”

…

Xia Hong was generally aware of the reactions of the people on the ground even without looking, but he had no time to concern himself with that now. He turned to look at the retreating back of the Frost Wolf King as it fled east, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“It seems my previous thinking was all wrong. The reason for the Beast Tide isn’t that something in the Arrow Bamboo Forest is attracting them, but rather…”

Xia Hong turned his head to look at Redwood Ridge to the west, his expression turning wary.

“They are afraid of something in Redwood Ridge!”

Xia Hong had arrived when the army began its charge into the Arrow Bamboo Forest. But he wanted to see how much the combat strength of the six armies had grown over the years, so he did not reveal himself or interfere in their battle. Instead, he observed the army while closely monitoring the Beast Tide’s situation.

When he saw the three Beast Kings emerge, he immediately intercepted them.

While fighting them, Xia Hong clearly sensed their desperate desire to escape. The Frost Wolf King’s final choice to continue fleeing east rather than turning back to the closer Redwood Ridge was proof enough of his new theory.

Something happened deep within Redwood Ridge every four months that terrified these frost beasts, causing them to flee eastward in droves into the Arrow Bamboo Forest.

There were not many things that could frighten frost beasts.

And there were even fewer things that could make a Beast King flee at the mere scent of danger.

Xia Hong stared into the depths of Redwood Ridge, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

“The exploration of Redwood Ridge is only halfway complete. Now is not the time to deal with this. Since the Beast Kings are no longer a threat, the priority now is to solve the problem of the silver mine. And, of course, the eastward expansion can also be put on the agenda!”

Xia Hong’s expression sharpened. He withdrew his gaze and looked down at the army below, a smile appearing on his face. Retracting the flames from his body, he slowly descended to the ground.

Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Hong Guang, Hong Tian—the six marshals and all the soldiers now had their eyes fixed on him. Their expressions were incredibly excited, the fervor in their eyes practically overflowing.

“Congratulations, Lord, on achieving mastery in the Sun-Manifestation realm! Long live the Lord! Long live Great Xia!”

Xia Chuan was the first to bow deeply to Xia Hong, congratulating him on his breakthrough to the Sun-Manifestation realm.

Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, and the other six thousand soldiers also reacted, all bowing in unison and shouting with one voice.

“Congratulations, Lord, on achieving mastery in the Sun-Manifestation realm! Long live the Lord! Long live Great Xia!”

After their incredibly excited shouts, they looked up at Xia Hong, the intense fervor and reverence in their eyes showing no signs of diminishing.

This emotion naturally affected Xia Hong as well.

“Hahahaha! I accept your good wishes! I have achieved mastery in the Sun-Manifestation realm, but your six armies have also made great progress in these five years. As long as we work together with one heart and one mind, the words ‘Long live Great Xia’ will one day become a reality!”

As long as we work together with one heart and one mind, ‘Long live Great Xia’ will one day become a reality!

Everyone wore a solemn expression, engraving this sentence firmly in their hearts.

Chapter 349: Council in Jing Valley, Soaring Strength, Dajue Temple, and the Eight Battalions Tournament

As the first stop in Great Xia’s expansion, Jing Valley’s status was by no means low.

It was Great Xia’s first way station for entering Longyou from the north. Anyone heading to any garrison point in Longyou had to pass through here if they took the direct route. Not to mention the constant flow of personnel between Xiacheng and Longyou, any major troop movement towards Longyou was bound to pass through this place.

“Like the other garrison points, the overall layout of Jing Valley hasn’t changed much in recent years. It’s still the same small basin, about five or six li in circumference. However, because it’s frequently used as a transit point for the army, half of the area has been specifically designated as a barracks.”

Not far from the southern exit of Jing Valley, Xia Hong led Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and the marshals of the other four armies as they swiftly moved towards the garrison. Seeing Xia Hong’s gaze fixed on a large cluster of buildings to the left of the settlement, Xia Chuan immediately offered an explanation.

So it’s been turned into a barracks. That explained why everyone in the garrison was gathered on the right side, while the left was completely deserted.

When they were still several hundred meters from the entrance, Xia Hong saw more than twenty figures already waiting there. He smiled and asked, “I remember the Garrison Commander of Jing Valley is Li Longkai, correct?”

Xia Chuan looked momentarily stunned, then remembered that Xia Hong had been in seclusion for the past three years. He smiled and explained, “That’s old news. Last year, Li Longkai was promoted to Vice-Prefect of the Logistics Division in the Eastern Eight Districts. The current Garrison Commander of Jing Valley is Luo Ming!”

By this point, Xia Hong was moving quickly. In fact, before Xia Chuan had even finished speaking, he had already gotten a clear look at the twenty-odd people waiting at the entrance. Naturally, he recognized the man at the front as Luo Ming.

“Luo Ming, Garrison Commander of Jing Valley, along with all members of the Luoyang Team, pay our respects to the Lord, the Director, Department Head Yuwen, and the four Marshals!”

“We pay our respects to the Lord, the Director, Department Head Yuwen, and the four Marshals!”

As Xia Hong approached the entrance, now only five or six meters from Luo Ming, he subconsciously wanted to call out “Brother Luo.” But before he could speak, Luo Ming and his men had already bowed and saluted loudly.

Realizing it wasn’t quite appropriate to call him Brother Luo now, Xia Hong shook his head and said with a light laugh, “Luo Ming, from this day forward, we finally have a way to deal with the beast tides from the Arrow Bamboo Forest. As the Garrison Commander of Jing Valley, you must have something to look forward to now, right?”

Xia Hong was aware that when Li Longkai was the garrison commander, Jing Valley’s annual total Creation Value was always ranked low due to the impact of the three annual beast tides.

The annual ranking of each garrison’s total Creation Value affected the performance evaluation of their leaders, influencing their promotions and compensation. Naturally, these leaders would rack their brains for ways to improve it.

Affected by three beast tides a year, Jing Valley’s Creation Value ranking had always been very low. Li Longkai had suffered no small number of headaches over it during his early years as garrison commander.

Since Luo Ming had taken over last year, he must have been just as troubled by this matter as Li Longkai, which was why Xia Hong was teasing him.

He didn’t notice that when he called out Luo Ming’s name, Luo Ming himself and the twenty-odd people behind him all looked visibly excited.

“Guarding a territory is about sharing the Lord’s burdens. This subordinate only knows to do his best to transport as many supplies as possible to Xiacheng. I dare not speak of things to look forward to!”

Luo Ming clearly hadn’t expected Xia Hong to remember him, and his voice trembled noticeably.

Hearing such an official reply, Xia Hong felt a pang of disappointment. But considering the vast difference in their statuses now, he could understand Luo Ming’s mindset. He was about to continue inside when a thought struck him. He smiled and asked, “I remember you have a son named Luo Cheng, quite talented with the spear. He should be of age by now, right? Is he in Jing Valley?”

Hearing Xia Hong ask about his son, Luo Cheng, Luo Ming became even more emotional, so much so that he momentarily forgot to reply.

“What, is he not here?”

It wasn’t until Xia Hong asked a second time that Luo Ming snapped back to his senses. He hurriedly clasped his hands and replied, “I never thought the Lord would still remember my humble son. This subordinate has lost his composure. I beg the Lord’s forgiveness!”

Seeing Xia Hong wave his hand dismissively, Luo Ming continued, “My son will not turn fifteen until the twelfth month, so he has not yet had his coming-of-age ceremony. Last month, Lord Lu from Eastern Ridge sent a message back asking for five youths under the age of fifteen at the Earthforger realm. My son happened to meet the criteria and was chosen to go.”

Great Xia stipulated that one came of age at fifteen. The so-called coming-of-age ceremony meant one could now wear a hair-binding crown, and it was usually held by the family.

“Eastern Ridge? What does Lu Yang want with Earthforger realm youths under fifteen?”

Hearing news of Eastern Ridge so suddenly, Xia Hong immediately turned to look at Xia Chuan. Seeing him nod to indicate he also knew about this, Xia Hong waved his hand and said, “Let’s not stand here, we’ll end up alarming everyone in the garrison. Let’s head to the barracks first!”

There were still several thousand people in the Jing Valley garrison. If they found out he was here, they would probably all come running out to pay their respects.

Xia Chuan nodded in agreement and immediately led Yuwen Tao and the other four behind Xia Hong towards the barracks on the left side of the garrison. But after a couple of steps, a thought occurred to him, and he turned back to order Luo Ming:

“Luo Ming, it’ll be dawn soon. The army should have finished processing their kills by now and will be back shortly. You can notify the people in the garrison to start the cooking fires so the army can eat as soon as they return. You will then take charge of the spoils they bring back and transport them to Xiacheng.”

“This subordinate has already made the preparations!”

The Department of Military Affairs had a rule: whichever garrison the army was stationed at was responsible for the army’s meals and logistics. Luo Ming was naturally aware of this. After replying, he immediately led his men back to the entrance to welcome the army.

In the main barracks of Jing Valley, inside the council hall.

Xia Hong walked into the hall and sat directly in the main seat. He gestured for Xia Chuan and the other six to sit as well before speaking with a smile, “I’ve been in seclusion for three years and have only come out a handful of times. I haven’t had a chance to catch up on the situation in Xiacheng. Since you’re all here, I assume things have changed quite a bit, haven’t they?”

In the past three years, Xia Hong hadn’t come out a mere “handful of times.” Aside from establishing the rules for establishing a clan and performing ancestral rites in September of last year, he had only been out once in between. Therefore, his overall impression of Xiacheng was still stuck in the fourth year of Great Xia.

Xia Chuan understood this perfectly. He also knew what Xia Hong wanted to know most, so he stood up and spoke directly:

“This subordinate will start with the situation of the Eight Departments! Three years ago, after the establishment of the Fifth Army, the Xuanwu Army, the eighth department, the Department of Military Affairs, was also created. I transferred Yuwen Tao to be the Department Head of Military Affairs, leaving the Vice-Prefect position temporarily vacant. Luo Yuan was promoted to Department Head of the Hunting Department, and Hou Jing was appointed as the Vice-Prefect of the Hunting Department. Besides these two departments, there have been no other changes in personnel in the other six departments.”

Xia Hong nodded in acknowledgment. Promoting Hou Jing was the right move. Including the previously captured prisoners, the former Zhaoyang had a considerable number of Frostwarden realm experts. To help these people integrate into Great Xia more quickly, it was only right to share some power with them.

He had just witnessed Hou Quan’s performance on the battlefield. Setting others aside for a moment, judging from Hou Quan’s transformation, Xia Chuan’s decision to promote Hou Jing was clearly a good one.

“Next is the overall population and cultivation levels. As of the beginning of this month, the total population of Great Xia is 821,746. Among them are 5,054 at the Frostwarden realm, 14,547 at the Earthforger limit, 189,245 at the Earthforger realm, and 425,827 at the Lumberjack realm.”

The moment Xia Chuan announced these five numbers, not only Xia Hong, but even Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, and the others showed looks of utter shock.

Evidently, although they hadn’t been in long-term seclusion like Xia Hong, they were also not fully aware of the overall cultivation situation in Great Xia.

Over five thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators, and fourteen thousand five hundred at the Earthforger limit!

Xia Hong silently repeated these two figures in his mind. Although a few flashes of excitement appeared on his face, after a moment of thought, he only gave a slight nod.

This growth wasn’t actually that exaggerated.

At the end of the second year of Great Xia, when they dealt with the Yanglu realm beast tide, the camp had a total of 214 Frostwarden realm cultivators, which was not many at the time.

But after dealing with the White Dew Aberration, the overall environment stabilized. Coupled with the gradual digestion of the vast resource-rich lands of Longshan they had acquired, the supply of beast blood, Blood Spirit Pills, Jade Bones, and other materials became abundant. The number of breakthroughs immediately began to skyrocket. By the third year of Great Xia, when Xiacheng was expanded and its buildings upgraded, the number of Frostwarden realm cultivators had more than doubled to nearly 500.

Then, in the third year, the birth of his eldest daughter, Yu Yao, solved the shortage of Hanping Jade Dew in one fell swoop. The camp’s existing Frostwarden realm cultivators now had an ample supply of Yang Core Pills, and their strength began to soar. The number of high-level hunting teams grew, accelerating the development of the three major resource areas. This ultimately reflected in the Logistics Department as a surge in beast blood reserves. Combined with the increase of slots in the Martial Arts Pavilion to 1,000, the speed of cultivation naturally increased. In just one year, by the fourth year of Great Xia—when Xia Hong held his family banquet—the number of Frostwarden realm cultivators had doubled again, exceeding one thousand.

Compared to the growth rate of the first two years, the growth from the fourth to the seventh year had clearly slowed. But this was understandable. It meant that Great Xia had fully absorbed the benefits of the building upgrades, and the development progress of the three resource areas was also beginning to level off. Therefore, the growth in the number of Frostwarden realm cultivators was returning to a normal pace.

“Since Yuwen Tao and Luo Yuan are both here, let them report to the Lord on the current situations of the Department of Military Affairs and the Hunting Department!”

Xia Chuan pondered for a moment before turning to Yuwen Tao and Luo Yuan. As the Department Heads of their respective departments, it was only right for them to speak.

Yuwen Tao nodded and was the first to rise and clasp his hands. “Reporting to the Lord, the Department of Military Affairs currently has seven armies under its command. In order of their establishment, they are the Cloud Serpent, Dragon Martial, Dragon Slaying, Tiger Leopard, Xuanwu, Shenwu, and Longyuan armies. For this operation against the Arrow Bamboo Forest beast tide, six armies have come to the Jing Valley barracks. Only the Longyuan Army, established last year, is stationed at Songyang Ridge.”

“With over fourteen thousand at the Earthforger limit, why have you only formed seven armies?”

Xia Hong asked curiously. The current selection criterion for soldiers in Great Xia was simply reaching the Earthforger limit. Of course, not all fourteen thousand of them could be drafted as soldiers; a portion needed to remain in the hunting teams and serve in the eight departments. But even if thirty percent were left out, that still left over ten thousand men. It shouldn’t be just seven armies.

Hearing this question, Yuwen Tao immediately turned to look at Xia Chuan.

Xia Chuan quickly stood up and said, “Lord, this was my decision. Great Xia is currently not engaged in any external wars, and the situation within our territory is largely stable. Seven armies are already a bit excessive. Rather than enlisting them into the army, it’s better to leave them in the hunting teams. They can mentor the younger generations and continue to gather various resources for the camp.”

Xia Hong’s brows twitched slightly as he instantly understood Xia Chuan’s meaning.

The finances were a bit tight!

Great Xia practiced a Soldier-Hunter Integration system.

According to the original regulations established for the Cloud Serpent Army: soldiers were not required to meet ore submission quotas; they only had to turn in half of their hunting spoils; their weapons, armor, and healing pills were all provided by the Logistics Department; and each soldier also received a military stipend of 1,000 contribution points, 3 Blood Origin Pills, and 50 catties of beast blood per month…

Every new army established in the camp meant a huge investment of precious resources, with a continuous drain afterward.

Of course, an army was more efficient at killing frost beasts than a hunting team, but considering they only had to turn in half of their gains, it was something of a loss.

Besides, there weren’t that many beast tides within their territory for the armies to fight!

Artificially creating beast tides with little torches was for training, not for harvesting spoils. Moreover, every training exercise incurred losses in personnel and equipment; it wasn’t a guaranteed profit. For safety reasons, it was not a practice they could rely on.

Therefore, under the current circumstances of no wars and no expansion, endlessly creating new armies would indeed place a huge burden on their resources. Especially now that the population had exceeded eight hundred thousand, even setting aside precious cultivation resources like beast blood and Jade Bones, the supply of beast meat was gradually becoming strained.

“The beast tide from the Arrow Bamboo Forest will still come once every four months. Judging from your performance today, this beast tide might not be a bad thing. It could help alleviate the camp’s resource problems.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and the others all looked stunned.

The beast tide was so thoroughly defeated today, yet it would still come?

Remembering that the six of them didn’t know the cause of the beast tides, Xia Hong quickly explained.

The beast tides weren’t attracted by something in the Arrow Bamboo Forest, but rather frightened out by something in Redwood Ridge. Hearing Xia Hong’s explanation, the expressions of Xia Chuan and the others froze.

To be able to continuously frighten out such a large-scale beast tide, one that even included Beast Kings… just how terrifying was the thing in Redwood Ridge?

Seeing their expressions, Xia Hong waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry. This beast tide has been going on for so many years without anything emerging, which means it has nothing to do with us for the time being. Who knows, it might be some kind of plant that counters frost beasts and matures every four months? Since it poses no actual threat to us, there’s no need to worry.

“Now that the army is strong enough to handle the beast tides, these quarterly events are a good opportunity for us to fill our coffers. This could be considered turning a bad thing into a good thing through increased strength!”

Hearing this, the six men’s expressions gradually relaxed.

Xia Chuan, in particular, nodded vigorously. What Xia Hong was saying now was perfectly in line with what he had been thinking while leading the army to slaughter the frost beasts in the Arrow Bamboo Forest.

“Furthermore, I’m out of seclusion now. Since we’ve more or less digested the improvements from the three pavilions and the development of the three resource areas has stabilized, it’s time to start thinking about expanding outwards…”

At this point, Xia Hong paused for a moment in thought.

Below him, the six men’s faces lit up with excitement.

“Xia Chuan, when you return to Xiacheng, you can begin expanding the army. Add three more armies to bring the total to ten thousand soldiers.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xia Chuan immediately clasped his hands and accepted the order, his expression filled with excitement.

“By the way, have you found any new silver mines in the past three years?”

When Xia Hong asked about silver mines, Xia Chuan’s face first showed a hint of worry, but he quickly reacted, his expression turning from concern to joy. “In the past three years, we’ve successively discovered three more silver mines: one in the Beilang Mountains and two in Longshan.”

The silver mine on the Northern Slope of the Cliffs was completely depleted in February of last year.

Of course, “depleted” didn’t mean the camp had no silver left.

The total amount of silver extracted from the Northern Slope mine was 63,500 tons, which converted to 25.4 million points of silver resource in the system. Xia Hong had already used a considerable amount for upgrading buildings in previous years. Adding daily consumption and the normal expenditure of the Artisan Department and the camp, there really wasn’t much left.

“As of last month, the Logistics Department’s total silver inventory is 8,920 tons. To reduce consumption, Qiu Peng raised the price of silver to 120 contribution points per catty last year. But even so, at the beginning of each year, all Frostwarden realm cultivators still buy out their quotas. If we don’t find new silver mines, I estimate what’s left will only last for a little over two years, possibly not even that long.”

【Resources: Wood 189,260,000 | Coal 486,220,000 | Iron 276,250,000 | Silver 2,310,000】

After hearing Xia Chuan’s report, Xia Hong glanced at his system’s silver resources and shook his head.

The 2.31 million points of silver he had were already converted, so they weren’t included in the Logistics Department’s inventory numbers.

63,500 tons of silver ore sounded like a lot, but it was far from enough.

Silver could be used to forge weapons and in medicine, but most importantly, it could be used to defend against anomalies. Because of this property, it was practically a universal currency in all camps in the Ice Abyss. As Great Xia’s reach expanded and they explored more territories, many Frostwarden realm cultivators needed to carry some with them.

Setting aside the system’s building upgrades and daily consumption, just the regular usage by Great Xia’s Frostwarden realm cultivators was terrifying.

The Logistics Department currently stipulated an annual exchange limit of one thousand catties for Frostwarden realm cultivators. Great Xia now had over five thousand of them. Not even counting the higher exchange limits for ranked officials, if each person took one thousand catties, that would be five million catties a year, which translated to 2,500 tons.

Adding in the consumption from research and development in the Alchemy Pavilion and Weaponry Pavilion, 8,920 tons really wouldn’t last three years. If the wear and tear on buildings were also included, the time would be even shorter.

“No matter!”

Xia Hong swept away his gloomy expression and waved his hand. “With the three newly discovered mines, plus the previous four, we now know the exact locations of seven silver mines. Now that I am out of seclusion, silver mines will no longer be a problem.”

Hearing this, the six men’s spirits rose as they recalled Xia Hong’s terrifying strength in the sky just now, fighting one against three and killing two Beast Kings. They all nodded heavily.

The reason they had been unable to mine the discovered silver mines before was because of the Beast Kings.

Now that Xia Hong could crush Beast Kings, with the army’s cooperation, mining the seven silver mines would not be a problem.

“By the way, when I came out of seclusion last year, you mentioned that Xu Ning had gathered some news about the Nine Garrisons over in Wuyuan, right?”

Last year, Xia Hong had emerged from seclusion to upgrade the Spirit Monument to an Ancestral Spirit Monument and announce the establishment of clan rites, all for the sake of his cultivation. At the time, he was completely immersed in the process of Bone Tempering, so he hadn’t paid much attention when Xia Chuan reported the news from Wuyuan. Now that he was out, he naturally had to get a proper understanding of the situation.

Xia Chuan nodded and said, “Last year, Xu Ning explored another 50 kilometers east from his previous position and discovered a place called Qinghepu. There, he made contact with three village-level camps. All three are affiliated with an organization called Dajue Temple. One of the villages, Hexia Village, seems to have had contact with Jiangxia Town, one of the Nine Garrisons. For the past year, Xu Ning has been secretly investigating Hexia Village and Dajue Temple.”

In the fourth year of Great Xia, Xu Ning had explored a 100-kilometer area along the north bank of the Xing River from west to east. Building on that, he had explored another 50 kilometers east. Based on the initial estimate that the entire north bank was 200 kilometers long, he was now only 50 kilometers from the eastern exit.

Three years ago, Lu Yang had sent back a rough map of the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao, which indicated that the eastern exit on the north bank of the Xing River was right between Chuishan and Jiangxia. If that was the case, then it made sense that Hexia Village had been in contact with Jiangxia Town.

That’s right, Dajue Temple!

Xia Hong suddenly remembered. Last year, when he upgraded the rank-4 Spirit Monument to the rank-5 Ancestral Spirit Monument, he hadn’t initially connected it to establishing clan rites. It was only after hearing the name Dajue Temple that the word “temple” led him to think about sacrificial rituals.

“So, what has Xu Ning found after a year of investigation? He must have made some discoveries, right?”

Xia Chuan nodded, his expression grave. “It’s just as the Lord suspected. That Dajue Temple is indeed an extremely bizarre organization. The entire temple is almost completely sealed off most of the time. The people inside rarely come out, and when they do, it’s only to recruit people from other camps. They only take six-year-old boys.”

“Are the people who come out all bald monks?”

“Big Brother, how did you know?”

Xia Chuan looked stunned, clearly not expecting Xia Hong to have guessed even that.

Xia Hong smiled and waved his hand, a hint of solemnity gradually appearing in the depths of his eyes.

The name “Dajue Temple” would be unfamiliar to most in the Ice Abyss, but in his previous life, it was a perfectly normal name for a Buddhist temple. He naturally could guess the general situation just by hearing it.

In the Ice Abyss World, where civilization had completely fallen, how could a temple just pop up out of nowhere? And one that was recruiting six-year-old boys on a large scale at that. Xia Hong didn’t even need to see it to guess what was going on.

It was bound to be an anomaly from the Ancient Abyss Era.

Another special anomaly had appeared!

“Xu Ning investigated and found that Dajue Temple suddenly appeared in the Qinghepu area seven years ago. When it first appeared, there was nothing unusual about it. The leaders were five old, bald monks in yellow robes, leading a group of young novice monks in their teens. Later, as they recruited more and more boys, the temple began to expand.

“But strangely, they never annex other camps; they only recruit six-year-old boys from them. Some camps refused in the past, but not long after, these camps were either attacked by beast tides or suffered from some unknown natural disasters and vanished completely.

“Now, throughout Qinghepu, the three village-level camps and eighteen large-scale camps all follow Dajue Temple’s lead. It’s fortunate that Xu Ning was cautious. He took a few men and infiltrated Hexia Village under assumed names. If he had approached them directly as a representative of Great Xia, Dajue Temple would have likely detected him long ago.”

That solves it!

Dajue Temple appeared seven years ago. No wonder the Nine Garrisons had never been able to enter the Pingxi Plain from the north bank of the Xing River. If the anomaly in Dajue Temple was powerful, its presence as a roadblock would explain everything.

“Have Xu Ning and his men return. This Dajue Temple is probably very dangerous. Don’t let them stay in Qinghepu. I will go there personally after I’ve dealt with the silver mines.”

“Alright. I’ll send someone to notify him as soon as I get back to Xiacheng.”

The Great Stone, Logue, Jing Xian, Yanglu, Longshan… anything related to an anomaly could not be treated lightly. One had to be cautious, extremely cautious. Every previous encounter had ended in a river of blood.

Xia Hong had no intention of letting the Xiacheng he had painstakingly built suffer the same fate.

There were two routes eastward. With Dajue Temple blocking the north bank of the Xing River, it wasn’t a major problem. Since its strength was unknown, they would just have to find a way through Eastern Ridge for now.

Thinking of Eastern Ridge, Xia Hong asked, “By the way, what Luo Ming just said… why does Lu Yang want Earthforger realm youths under fifteen to go to Eastern Ridge?”

Xia Chuan had been about to explain outside. Hearing Xia Hong ask now, he immediately elaborated, “In the Beining Mountain area where Eastern Ridge is located, there’s an Eight Battalions Tournament started by Zhu Ling Village. I heard that in previous years, it was just a way to bully other camps, so Lu Yang didn’t pay it much mind.

“This year, the situation is a bit different. Rumor has it that a big shot from Beishuo is looking to take a disciple. The winner will have a chance to go to the core area of Beishuo City. Lu Yang felt this was a good opportunity, so he sent a message back to Xiacheng requesting people. I agreed and sent him five talented youngsters, one of whom happens to be Luo Ming’s son.”

Xia Hong’s eyes lit up slightly at his words.

In the past three years, Lu Yang had accomplished quite a lot in Eastern Ridge. Not only had he personally entered Beishuo City several times, but he had also gathered a lot of information about the other eight garrisons.

Great Xia now had a decent understanding of the strength of the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao.

The winner of the Eight Battalions Tournament could not only enter the core area of Beishuo City but also have a chance to meet a major figure from Beishuo.

A person with enough influence to make all the surrounding villages select disciples for them must carry significant weight in Beishuo Town. If they could make contact, the rewards would surely be substantial.

“Lu Yang has done well these past few years. He should be an eighth-rank noble by now, right?”

Xia Chuan immediately smiled. “He was promoted to eighth rank two years ago. His military merit has increased a lot. I estimate he’ll have enough to be promoted to seventh rank by the end of this year. Right now, he and Xu Ning are the fastest-rising individuals in the camp. They’re almost catching up to Department Head Yuwen and me!”

Ninth-rank Snow Mane, eighth-rank Frost Wolf, seventh-rank Demonic Sheep…

The crimson formal attire worn by Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao was embroidered with a Golden-eyed Demonic Ram, which naturally represented their promotion to seventh-rank Azure-Abyss Viscounts.

Xia Hong had personally conferred their titles, so he was well aware.

Lu Yang was in charge of Eastern Ridge, and Xu Ning was in charge of Wuyuan—both were important eastward corridors for Great Xia. It was natural that they had more opportunities to earn merit and that their noble ranks were rising quickly.

“Alright, I have a general understanding of the situation. Xia Chuan, you will return to Xiacheng to handle matters. The six armies will rest here at the Jing Valley barracks for five days. After five days, Yuwen Tao will lead the troops to Longshan. I will be waiting for you there ahead of time.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao bowed in unison.

Hearing this, the other four marshals also looked invigorated.

Xia Hong had just asked about the silver mines. Now, he was ordering the army to Longshan. The objective was clearly to solve the camp’s current silver shortage.

“Since the way through Wuyuan is temporarily blocked, we can only look for opportunities in Eastern Ridge. I haven’t been outside Xiacheng in a long time. I’ll take this chance to go to Eastern Ridge and brief Lu Yang, and while I’m at it, I’ll see the legendary Mo’ao Mountain and… Beishuo Town with my own eyes!”

Xia Hong watched the six men leave. After sitting in contemplation for a moment, he also rose and walked out of the council hall, transforming into a streak of fire and flying away to the north.

Chapter 350: Zhu Ling’s Dire Straits, the Eight Battalions Tournament, a Five-Year Bet, Eastern Ridge is Done For!

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, September 15th

Beining Mountain, Zhu Ling Village

Zhu Ling had always considered itself the foremost of the eight villages of Beining Mountain, and not without reason.

Beining Mountain was situated along the western cliffs of Double Dragon Mountain, so there were no camps further west. Its southernmost point was also sheer cliffs, impassable. To its east lay the uncrowned king of the region, Beishuo Town.

Thus, it seemed the only area near Beining Mountain where a camp could survive was to the north.

And this was indeed the case. While there were many camps along the Beining Mountain range, only eight had reached the village level, all clustered on the northern periphery. And of these eight, Zhu Ling Village was the oldest.

Rumor had it that an ancestor of Zhu Tong had once held a high position in Beishuo Town. But as he grew older and his cultivation stagnated, his status gradually declined, and the Zhu clan fell with him.

Zhu Tong’s branch was merely a side lineage. More than eighty years ago, they were sent out by the family to expand Beishuo’s territory and achieve meritorious deeds. However, due to their initial weakness, they never accomplished much of anything.

It wasn’t until the generation of Zhu Tong’s grandfather, Zhu Ting, that things finally started to look up.

Zhu Ting was highly talented, breaking through to the Frostwarden realm in his thirties. He led Zhu Ling’s development from a large camp all the way to a giant camp and occupied the best piece of land on the north side of Beining Mountain, laying the foundation for Zhu Ling to become a village.

Zhu Tong’s father, Zhu Hong, more or less inherited a ready-made situation. When he took over, the camp was already nearly at village level. A few years into his leadership, Beishuo issued a Town Decree, bestowing upon them the artifacts of a town-affiliated village. Zhu Ling was smoothly promoted to a village-level camp.

Then, more than twenty years ago, when Zhu Tong took over as Lord, Zhu Ling Village became even more glorious. In terms of both strength and reputation, it became the undisputed leader of the other seven villages.

Within Beishuo Town’s jurisdiction, village-level was the peak. It was impossible to establish another town. The Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao had clear laws stating that no village-level camp could exceed a population of one hundred thousand. Once this limit was breached, one-third of the population had to be relocated to the main town.

And Beishuo was not careless in choosing this one-third.

One-third of one hundred thousand people was about thirty thousand. This number included two-thirds of the camp’s Frostwarden realm experts and half of its Earthforger realm experts, along with their families. Any remaining spots were filled by those with the highest talent.

By this method, the moment any camp reached the one-hundred-thousand population limit, Beishuo would instantly drain it of the vast majority of its elite.

Under this law, the village-level camps had rather complicated feelings about their population exceeding one hundred thousand.

On one hand, they certainly wanted to move to Beishuo City for a better life.

But on the other hand, once they were taken, they could no longer lord over their original camps. Everyone understood the principle of “better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.”

Therefore, for Zhu Ling Camp, having a population of sixty to seventy thousand and a strength that surpassed the entire Beining Mountain region was an ideal state. Not only did they suppress the other six camps of the same level, but they could also meddle in the internal affairs of all the smaller camps in the area. This situation was simply perfect.

As the current Leader of Zhu Ling Village, Zhu Tong had spared no effort in maintaining this status quo, and he had done a decent job over the years. With the exception of Hongyuan Village, almost every surrounding camp revered Zhu Ling.

However, in the last four years, the situation had taken a sharp downturn!

Four years ago, in the Mo’ao year 127, a camp called Eastern Ridge suddenly appeared fifteen kilometers into the periphery of Beining Mountain.

The Eastern Ridge Leader, Lu Yang, claimed to be from the north, saying his camp had been destroyed by an anomaly disaster and that he had escaped with only five hundred elites.

Although they were refugees, their strength was absurdly high. They had over twenty Frostwarden realm experts, and the remaining nearly five hundred were all at the Earthforger limit. This deeply shocked the other Beining Mountain camps and filled them with unease.

If the survivors of an anomaly disaster were this strong, how powerful must Lu Yang’s original camp have been? More importantly, if such a powerful camp was annihilated, wasn’t the anomaly that did it even more terrifying?

These questions, at most, made the people of Beining Mountain more wary of Eastern Ridge, but it wasn’t enough to make them afraid. After all, they had the even mightier Beishuo Town standing behind them.

Lu Yang was a newcomer, a tree without roots. He had annexed Baisong Camp without a Town Decree. Upon discovering this, Zhu Tong had eagerly reported the situation to Beishuo’s Inspector, He Wuyang.

And it was from this point on that the long-standing status quo of Zhu Ling Village’s supremacy in Beining Mountain began to change.

Annexing another camp without a Town Decree was a serious crime under Beishuo law. The lightest punishment was the execution of the leader; the heaviest was the disbandment of the entire camp, with all Frostwarden and Earthforger realm experts forced to become mine slaves.

Zhu Tong had been delighted because he thought he could use this incident to get rid of Eastern Ridge. Not only was Eastern Ridge itself very strong, but the location where they had settled was right in Zhu Ling Village’s hunting grounds, creating a natural conflict between them.

But no one could have predicted what happened next. Inspector He Wuyang actually accepted a bribe from Lu Yang. He not only helped Eastern Ridge cover up its crime but also personally maneuvered to get Lu Yang a Beishuo Town Decree to establish a village. At the same time, he spoke glowingly of Eastern Ridge in the Beishuo Inspectorate. With this three-pronged approach, not only did Eastern Ridge go unpunished for its crimes, but it successfully put down roots in Beining Mountain.

What was worse, Inspector He Wuyang had been in cahoots with Eastern Ridge Camp ever since, acting like partners in crime. With him as a backer, Eastern Ridge was no longer a tree without roots. Relying on its great strength, Lu Yang opposed Zhu Ling at every turn. In just three short years, he had begun to show signs of replacing Zhu Ling as the leader of Beining Mountain.

Crack…

“For the past three years, Eastern Ridge’s hunting teams have been constantly encroaching on our hunting grounds. The new iron mine we discovered at the beginning of the year was clearly within Zhu Ling’s sphere of influence, yet Lu Yang just took it without so much as a word!”

“As an Inspector, He Wuyang just sits back and watches, letting Lu Yang act so recklessly. If that wasn’t bad enough, he even covers for Eastern Ridge in Beishuo City, claiming that our Zhu Ling is too weak. He says that instead of occupying such a large territory, we should cede part of it to Eastern Ridge so they can contribute more resources to Beishuo.”

“I don’t know what kind of poison Lu Yang fed He Wuyang for him to be so biased towards Eastern Ridge. To be so blind is truly rare!”

“We’ve been working on this for so long, but the Inspectorate refuses to replace He Wuyang and ignores all evidence of his crimes. What else can we do?”

…

Inside Zhu Ling Village’s assembly hall, Zhu Da, Zhu Mai, and a dozen other high-ranking Frostwarden realm members of the village were gathered, furiously denouncing Eastern Ridge’s crimes over the past three years. But after speaking for a long time, they saw no reaction from their leader, Zhu Tong, who sat at the head of the hall. Their voices gradually died down.

Zhu Tong’s eyes were currently filled with a dark gloom. When it came to grievances against Eastern Ridge, none of the men below him felt it more keenly than he did. But as their leader, his greatest responsibility was to devise a strategy, not to vent his emotions carelessly.

“For the last three years, Lu Yang has pushed us too far. Relying on Eastern Ridge’s strength, he has not only encroached on our territory but has also roped in Hongyuan and Ziqiang to openly defy us. Now, even Yanggu and Wanxing are wavering. If this continues, we will truly have to hand over our position as the head of the villages to Eastern Ridge!”

After speaking in a low voice, Zhu Tong paused slightly, glanced outside the hall, and saw that night was about to fall. He continued with a cold smile, “The year before last and last year, Eastern Ridge convinced Hongyuan and Ziqiang not to participate in the Eight Battalions Tournament. This year, as soon as they heard that a major figure from Beishuo City was looking to take on a disciple, they immediately sent people over. This is the perfect opportunity for me to teach them a lesson!”

The Eight Battalions Tournament, held every year on September 15th, was Zhu Tong’s own creation. Of course, before Eastern Ridge arrived, it was the Seven Battalions Tournament.

There were three purposes for holding this tournament.

First, to display Zhu Ling’s strength, as Zhu Ling had won the championship every year in the past.

Second, to reduce Zhu Ling’s tribute burden to Beishuo City. The amount of supplies village-level camps had to offer Beishuo Town was fixed, paid twice a year. Each payment consisted of 60 catties of Jade Bone, 1,000 catties of Beast Blood, 10 million catties of iron ore, and 15 million catties of coal stone.

When Zhu Tong first established the tournament, he had stipulated that based on the rankings, the champion’s entire annual tribute would be reduced by seventy percent. This amount would be divided among the bottom six. The second-place camp would cover five percent, the third and fourth would each cover ten percent, the fifth would cover fifteen percent, and the last-place camp would bear the most, at thirty percent.

As for the third purpose, it was fairly obvious from the second: it was Zhu Ling’s way of conducting a subservience test on the other six camps.

Sixty percent of the annual tribute was a considerable amount: 72 catties of Jade Bone, 1,200 catties of Beast Blood, 12 million catties of iron ore, and 18 million catties of iron ore. Taking on thirty percent of that was quite painful. But the five or even ten percent assigned to the second and third place camps was more of an annoyance than a real burden. It was still unpleasant to pay, but it was within an acceptable range.

In the early years, some were naturally dissatisfied and complained to Beishuo Town, accusing Zhu Ling Camp of bullying. But through Zhu Tong’s maneuvering, Beishuo Town did not pursue the matter and even expressed approval in the end, believing that it would foster competition among the village-level camps.

Thinking about it, it made sense. These village-level camps might be strong in the surrounding area, but they were nothing to Beishuo Town. Even the tribute they provided was likely a drop in the ocean for Beishuo. As long as they handed it over obediently each year, Beishuo couldn’t be bothered with the rest.

To put it plainly, Beishuo acknowledged Zhu Ling’s status as the leading village.

And so, what followed was simple.

Since it was a tournament, there were rules. And Zhu Ling, as the host, was naturally the rule-maker. In most cases, they could use their strength, which far surpassed the other six camps, to manipulate the final rankings.

Through the annual tournament, Zhu Ling not only saved a large amount of resources to enhance its own strength and widen the gap with the other six, but it could also suppress the other camps and make them obedient.

The disobedient Hongyuan and Ziqiang, who finished last or second to last every year, were bloody examples.

Yet, the two camps had neither the strength nor the courage to refuse. After all, refusal would lead to even more intense suppression from Zhu Ling and the other four camps.

This situation continued until three years ago, when Eastern Ridge established its village.

In its first year, Eastern Ridge declined the invitation to the tournament. The following year, it even convinced Hongyuan and Ziqiang to refuse as well.

Zhu Tong was furious. He led the other four camps in a campaign of overt and covert suppression against the three camps of Eastern Ridge, but every attempt ended in failure.

There was no helping it; Eastern Ridge’s strength was simply too formidable. When they first established their village, they had twenty-four Frostwarden realm experts. In the three years since, that number had only grown. During the conflict over the iron mine at the beginning of the year, Lu Yang had brought a staggering twenty-nine Frostwarden realm experts.

As Zhu Tong had just said, if they didn’t find a way to suppress them, it would only be a matter of a year or two before Zhu Ling’s position as the head village was usurped.

Today’s Eight Battalions Tournament was the perfect opportunity to strike back!

Zhu Tong clenched his fists tightly, a cold glint in his eyes.

Everyone in the hall was clearly aware of this. Zhu Tong’s second brother, Zhu Da, even let out a couple of cold laughs. “That Lu Yang has gotten used to being arrogant these past few years. All it took was me saying that Eastern Ridge had no one and didn’t dare to compete, and he actually fell for it.”

His third brother, Zhu Mai, also added with a sneer, “It wasn’t just your taunt. I’m sure He Wuyang told Lu Yang about Head of the Academy Huang taking a disciple. The winner of this tournament gets to go to Beishuo City to compete with geniuses from other villages for a spot as Head of the Academy Huang’s disciple. Lu Yang has been trying desperately to curry favor with the big shots in Beishuo City for years. How could he possibly pass up such an opportunity?”

He paused, then continued smugly, “This was a baited hook. If he wanted to participate in the tournament, he had to accept the Leader’s conditions and join the other four in shouldering the entire tribute of the top three camps for the next three years. He’s got some real nerve, daring to agree to even that!”

“Hahaha, we already have our people in Baisong Camp. He probably doesn’t even know that we have a clear picture of everyone in Eastern Ridge under the age of fifteen. Relying on that bunch of trash to compete for a spot as the Head of the Academy’s disciple? In his dreams!”

Hearing his two brothers, a look of satisfaction also appeared in Zhu Tong’s eyes. He said with a cold smile, “We’ve suffered so many losses at Eastern Ridge’s hands these past three years. It’s time we collected some interest. Three years’ worth of tribute is no small sum. That small iron mine Eastern Ridge snatched at the beginning of the year—we’ll make them cough it all up in one go. Let’s see if Lu Yang feels the pain then!”

At this, everyone in the hall burst into cold laughter.

The total output of a small iron mine was at most one hundred thousand tons. The one from the beginning of the year wasn’t large; they estimated its total reserves were at most fifty or sixty thousand tons. The annual tribute for a village-level camp to Beishuo included, among other things, 10,000 tons of iron ore. Over three years, that would be 30,000 tons.

This time, having the bottom five shoulder the tribute of the top three for the next three years meant that even with an even split, the value of the resources would be far greater than that of the iron mine.

Would Lu Yang feel the pain? The answer was obvious!

“With this multiplied burden of resources, Eastern Ridge’s development will surely slow down over the next three years. As for us, by being exempt from three years of tribute, we can seize the opportunity to develop rapidly. After three years, Eastern Ridge will be no match for us. We’ll see how Lu Yang can act so arrogant in front of Zhu Ling then!”

Hearing Zhu Tong’s words, Zhu Da immediately nodded and added, “Yanggu and Wanxing, those two fence-sitters, are truly detestable. We must use this tournament to give them a harsh lesson. Let Yang Quan and Wan Tianhe see clearly who really calls the shots among the eight villages of Beining Mountain!”

Originally, the wager for the Seven Battalions Tournament was that the bottom six would cover seventy percent of the champion’s tribute for one year. This time, the stakes were not only raised to all the tribute for the next three years, but the rules were also changed so that the bottom five would cover for the top three.

This change was clearly made specifically for Eastern Ridge, Hongyuan, Ziqiang, Yanggu, and Wanxing.

“Zhu Ling’s spies are spread throughout every camp on the north side of Beining Mountain. I am fully aware of which geniuses under the age of fifteen the other seven camps have and what their general strength is. Even if Eastern Ridge turns the heavens upside down, it’s impossible for them to get into the top five. In fact, based on their strength on paper, they’ll be at the very bottom!”

Zhu Tong’s eyes darkened. Recalling the reports from his spies about Eastern Ridge, he let out a few cold laughs.

Eastern Ridge was indeed strong, but their strength was concentrated at the top—the Frostwarden realm and Earthforger limit experts. There were talented young people among them, but they were almost all over twenty.

Eastern Ridge only had two geniuses under the age of fifteen, and they were originally from Baisong Camp. Their base strength was only eighteen thousand catties.

With that level of strength, they couldn’t even compare to Zhu Ling, let alone the other six camps.

Thinking of this, Zhu Tong looked at his second brother, Zhu Da, and said in a low voice, “Tell Baixu and the other four to be fully prepared. Eastern Ridge is no threat, but the other camps have a few good seedlings. Be careful not to mess up an easy win.”

Zhu Da nodded immediately. “Leader, you worry too much. I don’t think Baixu will even need to act. Liu Yan, the weakest of the five, has a base strength of twenty-one thousand catties. He won’t even need combat techniques; his strength alone is enough to crush the other seven camps!”

“Don’t be careless. Caution is the parent of safety. Hong Fan’s youngest son, Hong Yang, is quite good. Baiyuan and Longhe each have two decent prospects as well. If possible, I want the other seven camps to not win a single match.”

Hearing Zhu Tong’s final sentence, Zhu Da was stunned for a moment. He quickly realized his older brother wanted to use this tournament to intimidate the other seven camps. He nodded heavily and said, “In that case, I’ll give Baixu and the others five Blood Qi Pills each and give them a stern warning. It should be doable!”

The Eight Battalions Martial Arts Tournament used an arena system. Each camp sent five people. There were three arenas. Three arena masters were chosen randomly by drawing lots. Everyone else had two chances to challenge the masters. Once the initial three masters were defeated and left the arena, they only had one chance to challenge again. Contestants who used up all their challenge opportunities were eliminated.

Successfully defending or challenging the arena earned one point. The final ranking of the eight villages was determined by the total score accumulated by their five contestants.

With these rules, battles of attrition were inevitable.

Under normal circumstances, it would be almost impossible to prevent the other seven camps from winning a single match. But with the aid of Blood Qi Pills, a sacred healing item from Beishuo, and if Zhu Baixu and the other four were cautious, it was possible.

“Alright, it’s almost dark. Zhu Da, go inform Baixu and the other four to get ready by the arenas. Zhu Mai, go and inform He Wuyang to come over. The rest of you, follow me to the entrance of the encampment. The other seven camps should be arriving soon!”

Everyone in the hall rose and went about their tasks as commanded by Zhu Tong.

…

The eight villages of Beining Mountain were not far from each other. They were all under Beishuo’s jurisdiction. Although there was friction, there was no fear of being annexed, so the exact locations of their encampments were known to one another.

After nightfall, Zhu Tong had only waited at the entrance for less than half an hour when Bai Bo, the leader of Baiyuan, and Nie Ying, the leader of Longhe, arrived, each with a small contingent.

After all, they were entering another’s territory. Even though both had good relations with Zhu Tong and their camps had clearly sworn allegiance to Zhu Ling, they each brought four Frostwarden realm experts in addition to their five contestants, clearly for security reasons.

Zhu Tong didn’t say anything, merely glancing at the five young people behind them with a smile on his face. He extended a hand and said with a chuckle, “There are still five camps that haven’t arrived. How about you two leaders wait here with me for a moment?”

“Yanggu and Wanxing are closer than we are. How come they haven’t arrived yet?”

As soon as Bai Bo spoke, he saw Zhu Tong’s face darken and immediately realized he had touched a sore spot. He quickly shut his mouth.

“To bet three years of tribute in one go, it seems Brother Zhu is determined to win this time. That Lu Yang has been too arrogant these past three years, relying on Lord He’s protection. If we don’t deal with him, I fear he’ll cause a huge mess.”

Nie Ying was clearly much more diplomatic. After he spoke, Zhu Tong’s dark expression eased considerably. Just as he was about to speak, his gaze suddenly lifted towards the area outside the encampment. He saw something, and a flash of anger appeared in his pupils.

“It’s Yang Quan and Wan Tianhe…”

“Not just them. Don’t you see that large group?”

“Hong Fan and Zi Jing are there too. The one in the lead… it’s Lu Yang!”

“Coming over with Lu Yang, are Yanggu and Wanxing done pretending?”

…

The words of Nie Ying, Bai Bo, and the others undoubtedly fanned the flames of Zhu Tong’s anger even higher. But after a moment’s thought, he forcefully suppressed his rage, and his expression gradually calmed.

When Lu Yang drew near, he finally took a step or two forward with a smile, his tone laced with sarcasm. “Leader Lu has only been in Beining Mountain for three years, and already he moves with such a large entourage, followers flocking to him. It truly makes me envious!”

As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on Yang Quan and Wan Tianhe.

The two of them knew exactly what Zhu Tong was mocking them for, but they were men in their fifties and sixties. They wouldn’t lose their composure over such a small taunt. They simply ignored Zhu Tong, acting as if they hadn’t heard him.

This undoubtedly made Zhu Tong even angrier.

But the things that angered him were not yet over.

“After three years, I still haven’t earned Brother Zhu’s respect. We even came to blows over an iron mine at the beginning of the year. I am ashamed. Real skill would be when Brother Zhu is part of this entourage of mine.”

“Lu Yang, you insolent fool!”

“Lu Yang, how dare you insult our Leader like that.”

Too arrogant!

Lu Yang’s attitude—completely dismissive of Zhu Tong, an air of invincibility—was far too arrogant. Combined with the suppression he had inflicted on Zhu Ling over the past three years, Zhu Tong himself had yet to react, but the Frostwarden realm experts behind him couldn’t hold back and began to shout in anger.

Screech…

“What, aren’t the juniors competing today? Are we going to have a go first?”

Before Lu Yang could speak, the hot-tempered Zhao Hu behind him had already drawn the saber from his waist. His blood and qi surged, and the cold gleam from the unsheathed blade alone made several of Zhu Ling’s Frostwarden realm experts take a few steps back.

Everyone, including Zhu Tong and the two leaders Nie Ying and Bai Bo, a total of over twenty Frostwarden realm experts from the three camps, looked at Zhao Hu with deep apprehension on their faces.

“Zhao Hu!”

“He’s Eastern Ridge Village’s Hunt Master, Zhao Hu. He commands the hunting teams. Rumor has it he’s the strongest Frostwarden realm expert in all of Beining Mountain.”

“The Fierce Tiger of Eastern Ridge, that must be him, right?”

…

Hearing the low whispers, a faint smile appeared on Lu Yang’s face.

Three years ago, Zhao Hu was already in the late-Frostwarden realm, with a strength of Fourteen Mane. Now, he was just a step away from the peak-Frostwarden realm, with a base strength as high as nineteen Mane. To say he was the strongest Frostwarden realm expert in Beining Mountain was no exaggeration.

For the past three years, Eastern Ridge’s main objective had been to seize hunting grounds. As the Hunt Master in charge of the Hunting Division, Zhao Hu had naturally been the one to fight the most. With frequency came fame, and the local gossips had given him the title “Fierce Tiger of Eastern Ridge.” When they first heard it, they had teased Zhao Hu mercilessly with those words.

“Calm down. Leader Lu is as straightforward as ever. Today is for the juniors to compete. We old folks won’t join the fun. It’s just that, Leader Lu…”

Zhu Tong was clearly also very wary of Zhao Hu. He first placated his men, then prepared to change the subject. But when his gaze fell upon the five young people in black robes behind Lu Yang, his brow furrowed sharply.

From their postures, it was easy to tell they were young people. The problem was that he couldn’t sense the slightest stir of their vital energy.

A Frostwarden realm expert judged an Earthforger realm’s base strength by observing the fluctuations of their vital energy. If he couldn’t perceive it, he naturally couldn’t determine the base strength of these five.

The black robes they wore were no ordinary items!

This thought flashed through Zhu Tong’s mind, and his heart skipped a beat, but he continued, “It’s just that Leader Lu should know that the age limit for today’s competition is under fifteen. The five you brought shouldn’t be…”

“Don’t worry! Their bone age will be tested in a moment. I can’t tamper with that. Where are the arenas? Let’s just go straight there!”

Lu Yang’s current demeanor was clearly an imitation of Xia Hong. He waved his hand and led Zhao Hu and the others directly into the encampment.

As the people from Eastern Ridge entered, the people from Hongyuan, Ziqiang, Yanggu, and Wanxing naturally followed.

“So conceited, how utterly conceited.”

“Too outrageous, Leader!”

“This Eastern Ridge Camp is really going too far.”

…

Lu Yang’s arrogant posture naturally infuriated everyone.

However, while the men muttered and cursed under their breath, Zhu Tong remained silent, his dark gaze fixed on the five black-robed figures, his expression growing increasingly uncertain.

Zhu Tong couldn’t see through the vital energy of the five black-robed youths, and neither could the other Frostwarden realm experts. So when they saw Zhu Tong’s expression, they immediately knew what he was worried about.

Two of Zhu Ling’s Frostwarden realm experts, their eyes darting, figured something out. They immediately sidled up to Zhu Tong and spoke one after the other:

“Leader, it’s just a bluff. We know Eastern Ridge’s situation inside and out. The fact that they’re covered in black robes proves that Lu Yang couldn’t find anyone decent, which is why he’s resorting to such a clumsy trick.”

“That’s right. I suspect Lu Yang never intended to compete at all. Putting on such an arrogant display is clearly to provoke us into acting first. That way, he’ll have an excuse to back out of the competition.”

…

Hearing their speculation, Zhu Tong’s expression brightened slightly, but he still felt something was off. He shook his head slightly, “Follow me inside first. Let’s see what kind of trick Lu Yang is trying to pull!”

Zhu Ling had clearly put some effort into this annual tournament. Three square arenas, each twenty meters wide and made of pure iron, stood in front of the encampment’s Main Building.

“Leader Hong, what’s the deal with those five?”

Zi Jing, the leader of Ziqiang Camp, finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked Hong Fan in a low voice.

Like Zhu Tong and the others, he couldn’t see through Eastern Ridge’s five contestants. Recalling that Hong Fan had met up with Lu Yang’s group before he had, he thought he might know something, so he asked.

Unfortunately, Hong Fan didn’t know either. His eyes were filled with worry as he said in a low voice, “I don’t know either. But since Leader Lu brought us into this competition, he must have come prepared. The robes on those five can block our perception; maybe they are some new geniuses that have recently emerged in Eastern Ridge.”

Zi Jing’s face froze at his words, and a look of worry appeared in his eyes as well.

Beining Mountain was only so big. When hunting and gathering, the eight camps often crossed paths. If any camp produced a genius, word would spread quickly. There were few secrets.

Eastern Ridge had only been established for three years. Their strong members were basically the five hundred or so people Lu Yang had brought with him. The rest were all from Baisong Camp. Did they have any geniuses among them? How could they not know?

Geniuses didn’t just pop up out of nowhere.

This competition was looking more and more ominous.

It wasn’t just the two leaders, Zi Jing and Hong Fan. Even Yang Quan and Wan Tianhe, who had just decided to side with Eastern Ridge, now looked uneasy.

The wager for this competition was three years’ worth of tribute. With He Wuyang as a witness and the connection to Head of the Academy Huang from Beishuo Town taking a disciple, it would be difficult to go back on their word afterward.

If they lost, the consequences would be absolutely tragic.

“All eight camps have arrived, so I won’t waste any more words. This competition will follow the rules of previous years, with three arenas operating simultaneously. As we agreed last month, today we are betting all the tribute owed to Beishuo Town for the next three years. The tribute required of the top three camps will be shouldered by the bottom five. Does anyone have any objections?”

As Zhu Tong spoke these words, his gaze remained fixed on Lu Yang, trying to read his thoughts through any change in his expression.

Unfortunately, Lu Yang’s eyes remained downcast. The three beside him, Zhao Hu, Lin Fan, and Wang Tao, were also expressionless, offering no clues.

“This…”

“Three years, isn’t that a bit too much?”

Surprisingly, it was Zi Jing and Hong Fan who were the first to show signs of backing down.

This immediately energized Zhu Tong, Nie Ying, and Bai Bo.

It was worth noting that for the past three years, with Eastern Ridge as their backer, Zi Jing and Hong Fan had become increasingly arrogant, though not quite matching Lu Yang.

Crucially, their hesitation now meant that even they had little confidence in Lu Yang. This at least proved that Lu Yang hadn’t given them any reassurances.

In other words, it was highly likely that these five black-robed youths were indeed a bluff!

As clarity dawned on Zhu Tong, a brilliant light erupted in his eyes.

“Since it was decided last month, you can’t go back on it.”

“That’s right, it’s only three years. Since you agreed, you can’t renege!”

Nie Ying and Bai Bo chimed in to support him.

“Still putting on a show. Ridiculous!”

Seeing Lu Yang, Zhao Hu, and the others still standing silently, Zhu Tong sneered inwardly. He was about to speak, but to his surprise, Lu Yang spoke first.

“No, no, no, three years is still too little. If we’re going to bet, let’s bet big. I think five years at a minimum. Ten years isn’t out of the question either. What do you say, Leader Zhu?”

“Good! Leader Lu is truly magnanimous. We’ll do as you say. A five-year bet it is!”

At this moment, Zhu Tong was almost certain that Lu Yang was bluffing.

He was just trying to use those five black-robed figures to scare him off.

If his guess was correct, Lu Yang would most likely try to back out of the bet soon.

Too late to back out now!

A cold smile appeared on Zhu Tong’s face. He could already picture the panicky expression that would soon be on Lu Yang’s face. He stood up and spoke quickly:

“I forgot to inform you all. Witnessing this bet today is not just Inspector He, but also Lord Zhu Yang, one of the seven Head Officials of the Inspectorate.”

As Zhu Tong’s voice fell, an old man in white robes leaped down from the roof of the Main Building behind him, landing in front of everyone.

At the same time, He Wuyang slowly walked out from the Main Building, but his expression was exceptionally ugly. As he approached the side of the arena, he didn’t dare to look up at the group from Eastern Ridge below.

“Greetings, Head Official Zhu!”

On this side, Zhu Tong was already leading his people in bowing to Zhu Yang.

Nie Ying, Bai Bo, Yang Quan, Wan Tianhe, and even Hong Fan and Zi Jing—the six leaders and the contingent of Frostwarden realm experts behind them—all lowered their heads and bowed to the white-robed elder.

Only Lu Yang and the people from Eastern Ridge behind him, including Zhao Hu, looked as if their souls had been ripped from their bodies. Their expressions were dazed, and they didn’t even move.

The white-robed elder, Zhu Yang, saw the expressions on Lu Yang and his men and a cold smile appeared on his face. He didn’t pursue their lack of etiquette and simply waved his hand at Zhu Tong, giving an order, “You just said five years, so five years it is. Since everyone is here, let’s begin.”

“Zhu Tong obeys!”

Zhu Tong was practically bursting with pride at this moment. When he turned his head and saw the Eastern Ridge group looking completely lost, his spirits soared even higher.

“The eight camps will now announce the names of their contestants. Let’s first draw lots for the three arena masters. Everyone, if you please!”

That last “if you please,” Zhu Tong delivered almost directly to Lu Yang.

Hong Fan and Zi Jing had already lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

Yang Quan and Wan Tianhe’s faces were filled with regret, and they dared not look at Zhu Tong.

Nie Ying and Bai Bo’s expressions, however, were similar to Zhu Tong’s, full of smug satisfaction.

Zhu Yang, one of the seven Head Officials of the Beishuo Inspectorate.

The old man’s name already said more than enough.

This time, Eastern Ridge was surely done for!

Chapter 351: Scheming and Being Schemed Against, The Five from Eastern Ridge, Zhu Yang’s Threat, The Dust Settles

“Leader Zhu, what a brilliant move!”

Lu Yang seemed to have finally come to his senses. The words were squeezed from between his teeth, heavy with the regret and fury of a man who realized he had been played by Zhu Tong.

“I don’t understand what Leader Lu is saying. Only your five from Eastern Ridge are left. Please, Leader Lu, don’t waste Head Official Zhu’s time!”

Zhu Tong was feeling refreshed and invigorated. He and the Frostwarden realm experts beside him, like Zhu Da and Zhu Mai, looked at the group from Eastern Ridge with expressions that might as well have had the word “smug” written across them.

Lu Yang’s expression was conflicted for a moment. He finally looked up at Zhu Yang, who had already taken his seat above, clasped his hands, and asked in a low voice, “I must trouble Head Official Zhu for coming all the way from Beishuo just to witness this tournament. As this concerns Head of the Academy Huang taking on a disciple, I must be so bold as to ask: is Head Official Zhu acting in a personal capacity, or are you representing the Inspectorate?”

Zhu Yang looked to be at least ninety years old, with an air of twilight about him, yet no one dared to underestimate his strength. The two silver characters for “Inspectorate” embroidered on the left breast of his white robes made everyone present lower their gaze.

The two characters on He Wuyang’s chest were black.

After four years in the Beining Mountains, Lu Yang had a rough understanding of how Beishuo operated.

The Inspectorate was the organization in Beishuo Town that governed all the camps within its territory. It was divided into three ranks: Head of the Academy, Head Official, and Inspector. There were at least a hundred black-insignia Inspectors like He Wuyang, but only seven silver-insignia Head Officials like Zhu Yang. As for the Heads of the Academy above them, there were only three—one chief and two deputies. Head of the Academy Huang Tianxing, who was taking on a disciple this time, was one of the deputy heads.

The Beishuo Inspectorate roughly divided its domain into seven jurisdictions, with each of the seven Head Officials managing one. The area encompassing the Beining Mountains belonged to a jurisdiction managed by another Head Official named Gu Tianxiong, not the man before him, Zhu Yang. That was why he asked whether Zhu Yang was here in a personal capacity or on behalf of the Inspectorate.

As Lu Yang asked, his gaze inadvertently swept over to He Wuyang, who was seated below Zhu Yang, his eyes filled with inquiry.

Gu Tianxiong was He Wuyang’s superior and the person Lu Yang had been trying his utmost to curry favor with. The reason Lu Yang had been able to suppress the camps of Zhuling and the others over the past three years without being punished by Beishuo was due to Gu Tianxiong’s protection.

The inquiry in his eyes was asking He Wuyang why Zhu Yang was here instead of Gu Tianxiong.

It was a long train of thought, but it passed through Lu Yang’s mind in an instant.

Hearing Lu Yang’s question, a trace of impatience appeared in Zhu Yang’s eyes. He was clearly not inclined to answer properly. Just as he was about to speak, He Wuyang, who was behind him, spoke first.

“Five days ago, Head Official Gu was transferred to the Baimu Jurisdiction. The entire Jingxi Jurisdiction is now under Head Official Zhu’s management.”

Beishuo’s seven major jurisdictions were Zhongyang, Dongchuan, Baimu, Kuling, Hegu, Linyai, and Jingxi. The eight families of the Beining Mountains belonged to the Jingxi Jurisdiction.

Gu Tianxiong had been transferred, and the entire Jingxi Jurisdiction was now under Zhu Yang’s control.

Hearing He Wuyang’s words, Lu Yang’s face showed little surprise. Instead, he suddenly smiled and continued to look at Zhu Yang, clearly still waiting for his answer.

Zhu Yang obviously hadn’t expected Lu Yang to be so tactless. He Wuyang had already explained it to him, yet he still waited for a personal response. At this thought, the impatience on his face intensified. He waved his hand and said angrily, “I am here to oversee Jingxi on behalf of Beishuo. My every word and action naturally represents the Inspectorate. Lu Yang, stop wasting time. Begin at once.”

“Very well!”

As Lu Yang said the words, his expression suddenly shifted.

“Head Official Zhu hails from Beishuo, so you must be a man whose word is his bond, one who would not tarnish Beishuo’s reputation. With your assurance, I am relieved.”

“In that case, let the five talents from Eastern Ridge come up!”

Zhu Tong had noticed the change in Lu Yang’s expression, but he still believed Lu Yang was bluffing and stubbornly refusing to admit defeat. Impatiently, he urged the five from Eastern Ridge to get on the platforms and draw lots.

But to his shock, Lu Yang’s response left him stunned.

“There’s no need to draw lots. The platform holders for this first round will all be from my Eastern Ridge!”

…

Night had fallen, and the area around the fighting platforms was filled not only with the leaders and participants from the eight camps but also many spectators from within Zhuling Camp itself.

Lu Yang’s words silenced the once-lively venue in an instant.

Hong Fan, Zi Jing, and the other leaders all stared at Lu Yang as if he were a fool.

Since it was a contest of challenging and defending, a gauntlet was inevitable. The first to hold a platform would be at a great disadvantage unless they could win many consecutive victories.

And Lu Yang had just said that all three platform holders for the first round would be from Eastern Ridge.

Has this man gone mad?

The same question popped into everyone’s mind. But then, someone even madder than Lu Yang appeared. Of the five black-robed figures beside Lu Yang, three walked out and ascended the three platforms respectively.

“Eastern Ridge, Luo Cheng. I await your instruction!”

“Eastern Ridge, Xiao Yan. I welcome all challengers to my platform!”

The five people Lu Yang had brought tonight had remained cloaked in black robes, their faces hidden from view. So as they spoke, it was the first time the crowd had heard their voices.

On platform one, Luo Cheng, holding a long spear, had a cold and detached voice, clearly a serious youth. On platform two, Xiao Yan, with a saber at his waist, sounded calm, but the profound confidence in his words was unmistakable.

“Eastern Ridge, Zhao Yuanshan. I await your instruction!”

As a soft, female voice rose from the third platform, the crowd’s expressions went blank.

Eastern Ridge had actually sent a woman?

“Hahahaha, Eastern Ridge has truly run out of people, sending a little girl to compete. Hahahaha…”

Zhu Da could no longer hold back his laughter. He had long been annoyed by Lu Yang’s bluffing, and his voice was now filled with mockery.

The surrounding spectators were all from Zhuling Camp, and they naturally joined in the laughter. Nie Ying and Bai Bo also had smiles on their faces, while Yang Quan and Wan Tianhe looked even more regretful.

Even Zi Jing and Hong Fan couldn’t help but shake their heads, looking speechless.

It wasn’t that they looked down on women—Hong Fan’s eldest daughter, Hong Yuru, was quite gifted. The problem was that the harsh, brutal environment of the Ice Abyss dictated that the main force of any camp was inevitably male. It wasn’t easy for a female genius to emerge.

“This lord is laughing so heartily. You must have some fine talents in your family. Why not call one up and let this young lady see just how capable the men of Zhuling are?”

Zhu Da, who had been roaring with laughter, suddenly froze. He turned to look at Zhao Yuanshan on the third platform, his face instantly flushing with anger.

The crowd below instantly fell silent.

It was understandable for a young girl to have pride, but to openly retort to a Frostwarden realm expert—and one as high-ranking in Zhuling Camp as Zhu Da—in front of so many people was a bit inappropriate.

The spectators from Zhuling all saw the fury on Zhu Da’s face.

A few young men in their twenties exchanged glances, then immediately began to jeer at the third platform, making lewd jokes with wicked smiles:

“How capable the men of Zhuling are? You’ll have to find that out at night!”

“Take off that hood first, little girl, so we can see what you look like. If you’re too ugly, we really might not have any ‘capability.’”

“Hehehe, that’s right. Your voice is nice, but what about your face…”

Whoosh…

No one expected that Zhao Hu, who had been sitting behind Lu Yang, would suddenly shoot up before the last person could finish his joke. He drew his saber and, with pinpoint accuracy, found the three who had just spoken in the crowd.

Shhhk… Shhhk… Shhhk…

In a flash, before anyone else could react, Zhao Hu had already struck, severing an arm from each of the three men.

“Ah!”

Three jets of blood sprayed out. The three men screamed in agony, instantly scattering the surrounding crowd in a panic of terrified shrieks.

At that moment, Zhu Tong, Zhu Da, and the others above finally reacted.

“Zhao Hu, you dare to injure our people!”

“Zhao Hu, you have some nerve.”

“How dare you be so arrogant and insolent in front of Head Official Zhu!”

…

Zhu Yang also stood up, glaring down at Zhao Hu with a very unfriendly expression.

“My Eastern Ridge was invited here today to compete. If anyone dares to speak disrespectfully to my niece again, it won’t just be an arm next time.”

Zhao Hu acted as if he hadn’t seen Zhu Yang stand up. He sheathed his saber, spoke these words matter-of-factly to the crowd, and then retreated behind Lu Yang.

“Zhao Hu’s niece?”

“That woman… the young lady called herself Zhao Yuanshan. She does have the same surname as Zhao Hu.”

“So she’s his niece. No wonder. Making lewd jokes in front of her elder? Weren’t you just asking for death?”

“Filthy mouths like that deserve to be punished severely.”

…

Hearing this, the crowd below finally understood.

Zi Jing and Hong Fan immediately spoke up in support, causing Zhu Tong, Zhu Da, and even Zhu Yang, who was about to lash out, to stiffen slightly.

“Hmph, stop wasting time. Let’s begin!”

Zhu Yang pondered for a moment, then snorted coldly and sat back down, signaling Zhu Tong to start the tournament.

Zhu Tong seemed to have figured something out as well. He turned with a vicious look and signaled to the five young men behind Zhu Da.

Receiving the signal, the five exchanged glances. Then, a burly youth holding a large saber nodded and charged onto the third platform.

“Zhuling, Liu Yan. Fists and feet have no eyes. Since Miss Zhao has come onto the platform…”

“I have no time for your nonsense. Let’s just begin!”

Zhao Yuanshan was in an extremely foul mood. She cut Liu Yan off, drew her longsword, and charged forward.

Interrupted, Liu Yan’s face showed a flash of anger. He raised his saber horizontally, clearly intending to block first.

However, the moment Zhao Yuanshan’s sword tip met the flat of his blade, his expression changed instantly.

Shhhk…

Liu Yan was forced back five or six meters. He hastily tried to pivot and swing his saber to force Zhao Yuanshan back, but before he could even retract his weapon, Zhao Yuanshan flicked her longsword and sent his saber flying.

Bang…

Zhao Yuanshan was already seething with anger. After disarming Liu Yan, she kicked out with all her might, landing a fierce blow on his waist.

The kick sent Liu Yan flying back more than ten meters. He was not only knocked off the platform but also spat out a large mouthful of blood, unable to get up from the ground for a long time.

He was defeated in a single move. One move?

Thump…

On the viewing stand, the three brothers—Zhu Tong, Zhu Da, and Zhu Mai—along with all of Zhuling’s Frostwarden realm experts, shot to their feet. They stared at Zhao Yuanshan on the third platform, their faces filled with shock and horror.

“Base strength, twenty-seven thousand catty?”

“How is that possible? Where did this little girl come from?”

“Isn’t that on par with many of the young people in Beishuo City?”

…

“Second Uncle, catch!”

Zhao Yuanshan made no further attempt to hide. She walked to the edge of the platform, pulled off her black robe, and tossed it to her second uncle, Zhao Hu. She then looked down at Liu Yan on the ground with a contemptuous gaze before turning to Zhu Da above and saying crisply, “It seems the men of your Zhuling aren’t all that much, are they?”

“So beautiful.”

“Her skin is so pale, isn’t it?”

Putting aside everything else, when Zhao Yuanshan removed her black robe, her beautiful face instantly drew gasps of admiration from many of the young men.

Although she was only wearing a simple green cotton robe, she was young, and it was clear she rarely went out to chop wood or hunt. Her fair complexion, compared to the women of the Beining Mountains, was on a whole other level.

“Lord Zhao’s niece?”

“Such incredible strength. A base strength of twenty-seven thousand catty, almost the same as Zhu Baixu. Who knew Lord Zhao had such an outstanding niece?”

Unlike Zhu Tong and the others, Hong Fan and Zi Jing were overjoyed as they looked at Zhao Yuanshan on the stage.

“Once the challenges begin, they can’t stop. If no one comes up within thirty breaths, the platform holder automatically accumulates one point. Leader Zhu, don’t waste any more time!”

With the situation suddenly reversed, the aggressor instantly switched from Zhu Tong to Lu Yang. He even took the initiative to remind Zhu Tong of the tournament rules.

Zhu Tong’s face flushed crimson. He had set these rules himself; how could he not know them? Lu Yang’s reminder was a clear humiliation, and he knew it.

His mind was in turmoil. He looked over at the two figures on platforms one and two, still cloaked in black. After a quick mental calculation, he turned and gave a look to Nie Ying and Bai Bo below.

Though their eyes were also filled with dread, upon receiving Zhu Tong’s signal, they quickly gestured for their five fighters to begin their challenges.

“Baiyuan, Zhang Kongwu, challenging platform one.”

“Longhe, Wang Fan, challenging platform two.”

“Baiyuan, Bai Wuji, challenging platform three.”

Soon, three young men were on the platforms.

“Bai Wuji, isn’t that Leader Bai’s youngest son?”

“His base strength is also twenty-seven thousand. The plan is to get Zhao Yuanshan off the platform first.”

“The other two aren’t that strong. They’re just there to test the fighters on platforms one and two.”

…

From the crowd’s murmurs, it was clear that the main event of this round was on platform three. Bai Bo had sent his own seeded fighter, his youngest son Bai Wuji, clearly intending to act as Zhuling’s vanguard pawn.

Zhang Kongwu and Wang Fan both had a base strength of only twenty-two thousand catty, the weakest among their respective teams’ five contestants, obviously sent up as probes.

Shhhk…

Putting aside the crowd’s thoughts for a moment, Bai Wuji on platform three had clearly learned from Liu Yan’s mistake. He wasted no time with words, drawing his saber and charging the moment he got on the platform, giving Zhao Yuanshan no chance to react.

Swoosh…

However, faced with his sudden attack, Zhao Yuanshan showed no signs of panic. Her longsword, combined with her graceful movements, not only repeatedly prevented Bai Wuji from using his full strength but also found numerous opportunities to strike him.

Bai Wuji’s expression went from grave at the start to panicked, and then to fearful, as several bloody wounds appeared on his body.

In a single retreating motion, Zhao Yuanshan’s gaze sharpened. Her previously light and nimble longsword abruptly changed direction, unleashing three sword glimmers in an instant.

Crucially, the three glimmers targeted three completely different locations: Bai Wuji’s left waist, chest, and forehead.

Clang…

In his haste, Bai Wuji could only raise his saber to protect the vital point on his forehead.

Shhhk… Shhhk…

Two sword glimmers pierced through his left waist and chest. Zhao Yuanshan’s longsword came to rest against his neck, and before he could speak, she kicked him squarely in the chest.

Bang!

Just like Liu Yan from Zhuling, Bai Wuji was kicked right off the platform.

Bai Bo dashed forward to catch his son. After applying medicinal powder to the wounds on his chest and waist, he turned to glare furiously at Zhao Yuanshan on the platform but didn’t dare to utter a single word. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and carry his son back.

“The Lingmiao Sword Technique, which Madam placed in the Martial Arts Pavilion only last year. It is rumored that at the Mastery realm, one can strike thirteen times from different angles in an instant. I have only reached the introductory level and can only manage three strikes. But when combined with the initial mastery of the Long Fist’s Great Battle Form, each of these three strikes receives a fifteen percent power boost. It’s nothing compared to my cousins, but here…”

Zhao Yuanshan completely ignored Bai Bo’s glare. She turned and swept her gaze over all the contestants below, finally letting it rest on the remaining four from Zhuling, making no effort to hide the disdain and contempt on her face.

Bang… Bang…

Before the shock from Zhao Yuanshan’s side had even settled, Zhang Kongwu and Wang Fan from the other two platforms were both kicked off.

“Even stronger than that little girl?”

“Luo Cheng on platform one has a base strength of twenty-nine thousand catty!”

“And Xiao Yan on platform two seems to be nearing the thirty-thousand-catty limit.”

“That Luo Cheng seems even more terrifying. He didn’t even use his spear; he beat Zhang Kongwu off the platform with just his fists and feet.”

“These three wouldn’t be considered bad even when compared to their peers in Beishuo!”

“Where did Eastern Ridge find so many geniuses?”

…

Zhu Tong’s entire face was now the color of a pig’s liver. It wasn’t just him; the faces of Zhu Da, Zhu Mai, and the others beside him were also extremely ugly.

Compared to Lu Yang, who was now as composed as ever, they looked worse than just embarrassed; there was even a hint of panic in their expressions.

“Baiyuan, Liu Xin, challenging platform three.”

“Longhe, Nie Shen, challenging platform two.”

“Yanggu, Li Shaoqing, challenging platform one.”

Once the tournament began, it couldn’t be stopped. If no one took the stage within thirty breaths, the platform holder would automatically gain one point. So, even though Zhu Tong had realized many things and was panicking internally, he could only brace himself and continue.

Yanggu’s Li Shaoqing?

Hearing that Yanggu had sent someone up first, Lu Yang’s brows twitched slightly. He turned to look at Yanggu’s leader, Yang Quan, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes.

“He just said he wanted to cooperate with us, and now he’s already turned his back on us. A two-faced little fence-sitter, hmph!”

Hearing Zhao Hu’s angry curse from behind him, Lu Yang shook his head with a faint smile and said in a low voice, “Zhu Yang is here in person. It’s not hard to understand why he’d defect. I suspect there’s more…”

Zhu Tong clearly intended to send Zhuling’s remaining four to challenge the platforms later, letting the other camps’ fighters wear down Luo Cheng and the other two in a gauntlet. Yang Quan sending someone up at this time was obviously a gesture to curry favor with Zhu Tong.

Just two days ago, Yang Quan had specifically sought out Lu Yang to express his and Wan Tianhe’s intentions to cooperate with Eastern Ridge. Now, seeing Zhu Yang, he had clearly changed his mind.

Of course, it wasn’t just Yang Quan, but also Wan Tianhe!

The three new fighters who went up were defeated without any surprise.

“Longhe, Wang Wu, challenging platform one.”

“Wanxing, Chen Lin, challenging platform two.”

“Yanggu, Li Zichuan, challenging platform three.”

As expected, Wan Tianhe couldn’t resist sending someone up either!

While the defection of Yanggu and Wanxing pleased Zhu Tong, the subsequent developments on the platforms had far exceeded his expectations, causing his expression to grow uglier and his body to tremble uncontrollably.

The strength of these three from Eastern Ridge was just too immense!

Zhao Yuanshan on platform three held on until the sixth round of challenges before showing signs of flagging. Finally, in the ninth round, on Lu Yang’s signal, she conceded to a contestant from Hongyuan Camp and stepped down.

Xiao Yan on platform two defeated thirteen people in a row. In the end, also on Lu Yang’s signal, he deliberately lost to someone from Ziqiang Camp.

As for Luo Cheng on platform one, his strength was indeed the most terrifying. He didn’t even use his long spear until the fifth round. After defeating eighteen people consecutively, he only showed slight signs of exhaustion but remained on the platform.

Lu Yang was clearly manipulating the scores to determine the eight camps’ rankings. This was the same tactic Zhu Tong himself had always used; how could he not see it?

The problem was, he had no way to counter it.

As soon as someone from Hongyuan or Ziqiang took a platform, he would send his own contestants up to take it down. But after just a few rounds, the three from Eastern Ridge would immediately come up and knock them off again.

Thus, after dozens of rounds, the final score ranking was abysmal.

Eastern Ridge 41, Hongyuan 6, Ziqiang 5, Zhuling 4, Wanxing 4, Longhe 3, Yanggu 2, Baiyuan 2.

According to the rules set by Zhu Tong, each person only had two chances to actively challenge a platform. This meant that, under normal circumstances, after all contestants used up their challenges, the total points should add up to exactly eighty.

As of now, the total points were already at sixty-seven.

At this point in the competition, the champion was already decided.

The situation had completely reversed. Lu Yang and the people from Eastern Ridge were beaming with satisfaction, while Zhu Tong and the people from Zhuling looked as if their souls had been sucked out, their postures limp.

“That’s about it. There are only eight people left with chances to challenge. Zhuling’s Zhu Baixu and Lin Qiang each have two, Wanxing’s Wan Qingyu has two, Longhe’s Wang Wu has one, Hongyuan’s Hong Yang has one, and Ziqiang’s Zi Ning has one. Then there are the two from our Eastern Ridge who haven’t fought yet. Let’s get on with it!”

At this moment, two of the three platforms had seen several different holders, but Luo Cheng on platform one had remained unchanged. Although he didn’t look to be in good shape, none of the remaining fighters dared to challenge him.

Hearing Lu Yang’s words, everyone remembered that Eastern Ridge still had two people who hadn’t fought. They all turned to look behind Lu Yang.

These two were still wearing black robes, so their strength was unclear. But with Luo Cheng and the other two as precedents, who would dare to underestimate them now?

“Leader Hong, have Hong Yang go up to platform one!”

Upon hearing this, Hong Fan’s face lit up with joy, and he hastily sent his youngest son up.

“That’s enough, Luo Cheng. Come down and rest.”

Although Luo Cheng had many injuries, his expression was perfectly calm. In fact, the second before Lu Yang told him to come down, he was still trying to regulate his breathing, clearly preparing for the next fight.

This mentality alone was enough to earn Lu Yang’s high regard.

“Luo Ming’s son! Even setting aside his talent with the spear, his mindset and perseverance alone surpass so many others. No wonder even the Lord praised him!”

Just as Luo Cheng came down and took his place, a porcelain bottle was tossed toward him.

He quickly reached out and caught it, realizing it had been thrown by Zhao Hu.

“It’s just a competition. Is it worth fighting so desperately? Hurry up and treat your wounds!”

Luo Cheng opened the bottle and saw the Blood Sore Pill inside. A wave of warmth washed over him. He clasped his hands at Zhao Hu and said, “Many thanks, Uncle Hu.”

Zhao Long and his two brothers were old subordinates of Luo Ming. Back at Rogge Camp, although Luo Cheng was young, he had already started to remember things, so he was familiar with these three uncles. It was just that the gap in their statuses had grown so large that he was too embarrassed to approach them.

When he arrived at Eastern Ridge this time and saw Zhao Hu, he had been very excited but was worried that they still resented his father for abandoning the camp back then, so he didn’t dare to greet them.

Now that Zhao Hu had taken the initiative to give him a healing pill, he was naturally moved.

Putting aside Luo Cheng’s thoughts for the moment.

After Hong Yang replaced him as the platform holder, the Zhuling side finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Zhu Baixu, challenging platform one.”

“Lin Qiang, challenging platform two.”

“Wan Qingyu, challenging platform three.”

The competition was now nearing its end. The champion was without a doubt Eastern Ridge, but the point difference between the next few camps was not large. Zhuling had a chance to climb to third, or even second place.

The only thing to worry about was those two!

Zhu Tong looked at the two black-robed figures behind Lu Yang with an extremely ugly expression.

He could only gamble now—gamble that these last two from Eastern Ridge were not as strong as the first three. If so, with a few consecutive wins, Zhuling could definitely secure a top-three position.

“Baixu has a base strength of twenty-eight thousand, and Lin Qiang has twenty-seven thousand. We can definitely secure two points this round, bringing Zhuling’s total to six, putting us ahead of Ziqiang in third place. As long as those two are of average strength—no, even if they’re close in strength to the first three, we still have a chance to get second. That way, even if we lose, we’ll only lose a bit of face at most.”

The wager for this tournament was the tribute materials for the next five years!

Making it into the top three meant being a beneficiary.

Zhuling didn’t need to be the champion, as long as they made it into the top three…

“Platform one, Zhu Baixu wins.”

“Platform two, Lin Qiang wins.”

“Platform three, Zi Yang wins.”

“Hahahaha, well done, nephew!”

Hearing the result from platform three, Zi Jing was elated. He stood up and loudly praised his nephew.

Hong Yang had just taken one point from Luo Cheng, bringing Hongyuan to seven points, ranked second.

After Zhu Baixu and Lin Qiang’s successful challenges, Zhuling had six points, overtaking Ziqiang for third.

Ziqiang, with five points, became fourth. But now, with Zi Yang’s successful defense, they gained another point, putting them at six, tied with Zhuling for third.

The crucial thing was that Lin Qiang and Zhu Baixu were now on the platforms. There were only four people left with challenges: his son Zi Ning, the two from Eastern Ridge, and Longhe’s Wang Wu. Fighters from the same camp couldn’t challenge each other, so the two from Eastern Ridge and his own son Zi Ning naturally wouldn’t. That left only Wang Wu from Longhe. Zi Jing knew his nephew Zi Yang’s strength very well; holding off Wang Wu was absolutely no problem.

“So, what happens next depends on the strength of those two from Eastern Ridge!”

If the two from Eastern Ridge lost to Zhu Baixu and Lin Qiang, Zhuling would have eight points. Even if Zi Yang successfully defended one more time, it would be useless. His own son, Zi Ning, was no match for those two either.

Zi Jing turned to look at the two young men behind Lu Yang who had yet to move, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

After all, Eastern Ridge had already produced three such outstanding youths. To produce two more was probably not so simple.

What if these two were just a bluff, used by Lu Yang to confuse his opponents…

“Leader, something’s wrong. Wang Wu is heading toward platform one!”

Alerted by the person behind him, Zi Jing turned to look at Wang Wu from the Longhe camp. He was indeed walking toward platform one. Zi Jing’s expression changed instantly.

Those two camps were planning to collude and throw the match!

He was about to stand up and shout in anger, but someone was faster.

It was the two young men in black robes behind Lu Yang.

They moved with incredible speed. Before anyone could react, one of them had already rushed onto platform two, while the other was clearly trying to get to platform one before Wang Wu.

Wang Wu noticed this and quickened his pace, trying to get on the platform, but while they started at the same time, his speed was clearly inferior. He had just lifted his foot when he was forced back by a sweeping kick.

“Brother, I’ve been watching from the side for a long time, and my hands have been itching. You getting up there would just be a freebie. No need. Go to platform three, you might still have a chance!”

A confident and cheerful young voice rang out from the platform. The last two contestants from Eastern Ridge had also removed their black robes and were now cupping their hands at their opponents.

“Eastern Ridge, Luo An, I await your instruction!”

“Eastern Ridge, Zou Ping, I await your instruction.”

…

“We’ve lost!”

The moment Zhu Tong saw the figures and faces of the two young men on the platform, his back seemed to hunch over. The same was true for everyone beside him.

“The thirty-thousand-catty limit, how is that possible!”

“It’s not just the thirty-thousand-catty limit. Look closely at Luo An’s hide.”

“He’s already started using Beast Blood? This…”

“Wouldn’t that be considered a genius even in Beishuo?”

“Eastern Ridge… how could Eastern Ridge have such a genius?”

…

At this moment, even Zhu Yang, seated on the highest stand, couldn’t help but turn his head slightly.

He stared at Luo An and Zou Ping below, his eyes flickering as if lost in thought. Finally, he glanced askance at Zhu Tong and the others and shook his head repeatedly.

…

“As expected of Department Head Luo’s son! Luo An is only fourteen years and ten months old this year, right? And he’s already started using Beast Blood. Even without considering his battle physique aptitude, he’ll probably break through to the Frostwarden realm at a younger age than the Director and Department Head Yuwen.”

Zhao Hu couldn’t help but sigh in a low voice. Of course, his voice was very quiet, audible only to Lu Yang, Lin Fan, and Wang Tao beside him.

Lu Yang smiled at his words but, after a moment’s thought, shook his head. “You can’t compare it like that. Things are different now. The cultivation resources these kids enjoy in Xiacheng are things we couldn’t even have imagined back then.”

“I remember nine years ago, on the dirt slope, when the Leader brought back beast meat for the first time. Twenty-two people had to compete, and only the top five could get thirty catty. I was one of those five, and I was already twenty-one. These kids now, putting everything else aside, just the fact that they can eat beast meat to their heart’s content once they turn six makes them far better off than we were. If their cultivation speed wasn’t faster than ours, they might as well find a block of ice and smash their heads against it.”

Zhao Hu and the other two chuckled at his amusing words.

Lu Yang thought of something and smiled. “Besides, I remember Lord Zhao’s son and daughter are not bad either, right? They were seventh and eighth in the Lumberjack realm grouping in the second year of the Great Xia. They should be seventeen or eighteen by now. Don’t tell me they haven’t started using Beast Blood yet?”

Hearing Lu Yang mention his children who were far away in Xiacheng, the usually hot-tempered Zhao Hu showed a rare touch of gentleness on his face.

And pride, of course.

Yuanwu and Yuankong had started using Beast Blood to reshape their hides last year. Even if their aptitude was less than Luo An’s, the difference was certainly not large.

…

Bang! Bang!

While Lu Yang’s group was chatting idly, the results on platforms one and two were already out.

Lin Qiang was likely a commoner genius. After losing to Zou Ping, his expression merely dimmed, but he didn’t have much of a reaction, simply walking off the platform in silence.

Zhu Baixu, the prodigy of Zhuling, had a much more dramatic reaction.

He seemed to be doubting himself. Standing below the platform, his face flickered between pale and ashen, and he appeared to be in a daze.

Soon, the result from platform three was also out.

Zi Yang won!

Ziqiang Camp’s total score increased by one point, now at seven, ranking third.

The result was decided!

Of course, Zhu Baixu and Lin Qiang could still have one person defeat Zi Yang on platform three. The problem was, even if they won, they would only get one more point, bringing Zhuling to a maximum of seven, temporarily tied for third with Ziqiang.

And don’t forget, Zi Jing’s son, Zi Ning, still had one challenge opportunity left.

Would Eastern Ridge not yield it to him?

They lost!

They actually lost…

For the next five years, all the tribute materials that Eastern Ridge, Hongyuan, and Ziqiang had to offer to Beishuo Town would be covered by Zhuling, Wanxing, Longhe, Yanggu, and Baiyuan.

At this moment, it wasn’t just Zhu Tong and the Frostwarden realm experts from Zhuling; even the people from the other six camps looked stunned.

Hong Fan and Zi Jing, the victorious leaders, were ecstatic, but after a moment’s thought, they quickly composed themselves and looked up at the white-robed old man on the highest stand, Zhu Yang, the Head Official.

Zhu Tong lowered his head, his expression shifting repeatedly. He kept muttering, “The next five years, the next five years…” Finally, he clenched his fists, spun around to face Zhu Yang above, clasped his hands, and said sharply:

“Head Official Zhu, the origins of these five from Eastern Ridge are unknown. I suspect they are spies from the other eight towns. They must be arrested and taken back to Beishuo for a thorough investigation.”

…

Zhu Da, Zhu Mai, and the other Frostwarden realm experts, including the four leaders Nie Ying, Bai Bo, Wan Tianhe, and Yang Quan, finally reacted. They all clasped their hands and spoke to Zhu Yang:

“That’s right! Eastern Ridge has been in the Beining Mountains for less than three years. How could they possibly produce five such outstanding young people? There must be something suspicious!”

“The talent of these five could only be nurtured by the eight towns! Head Official Zhu, these five are definitely spies from the eight towns. They must be investigated!”

“On closer inspection, Eastern Ridge’s own origins are somewhat unclear. Their loyalty to Beishuo is also questionable. These five must be thoroughly investigated.”

…

“Shameless! Shameless! Shameless!”

Before Lu Yang could speak, He Wuyang, standing behind Zhu Yang, couldn’t help but shout at the crowd.

“If you had won, would you be saying this about Eastern Ridge? You lost the competition, and now you refuse to accept the results. Shameless! What do you take Lord Zhu for?”

“Before the competition began, Lord Zhu made it very clear that his every word and action here today represents the Inspectorate. If you think he will cooperate with you in falsely accusing Eastern Ridge Village, then you are gravely mistaken!”

He Wuyang’s words put Zhu Yang on the spot.

Lu Yang remained silent below. Even when faced with the shameless accusations from the five leaders, not a trace of anger showed on his face. Only after hearing He Wuyang’s words did he look up with a smile at Zhu Yang, clearly waiting for him to make his stance clear.

In truth, Lu Yang already knew the answer without Zhu Yang needing to say anything.

Zhu Yang didn’t have the backing to turn against them. At the same time, his relationship with Zhu Tong wasn’t worth the risk of offending both Gu Tianxiong and Head of the Academy Huang to frame Eastern Ridge.

He had been to Beishuo City several times in recent years, so he knew a great deal.

When he had heard from He Wuyang that Zhu Yang was being transferred to manage the Jingxi Jurisdiction, Lu Yang had shown no surprise because he had long had a premonition.

Zhu Yang was over ninety this year. Among the seven Head Officials of the Beishuo Inspectorate, he was the oldest. At his age, breaking through to the Xianyang realm was basically hopeless, so it was inevitable that he would be gradually marginalized.

Of Beishuo’s seven jurisdictions, Jingxi was the most remote. It didn’t border any of the other eight towns and had no room for expansion to the west or east. It might have been able to expand north, but Beishuo’s current focus for northern expansion was on the three jurisdictions of Zhongyang, Dongchuan, and Heya. The Jingxi region was weak, and being close to Shuanglong Cliff, it was not only far from Beishuo but also had a poor environment, so that path was also blocked.

As such, it was perfectly normal for the Jingxi Jurisdiction to be neglected.

And since Jingxi was neglected, the Head Official in charge of it was naturally the least valued of the seven.

“Gu Tianxiong is only in his sixties, still in his prime. When he broke through to the peak-Frostwarden realm last year, I guessed he would be transferred. Sending Zhu Yang here means that the Zhu clan in Beishuo has completely declined. So, risking offending Gu Tianxiong and Head of the Academy Huang to suppress Eastern Ridge would be a thankless task, and moreover…”

Lu Yang looked at the three Zhu Tong brothers behind Zhu Yang, his smile widening.

Zhu Yang and the grandfather of the three Zhu Tong brothers, Zhu Ting, were indeed cousins, but it was a distant relation of four or five generations. If Zhu Yang truly valued Zhuling Camp, he wouldn’t have waited until now to support them.

Therefore, no matter how you looked at it, Zhu Yang was unlikely to…

“Leader Lu, Eastern Ridge may be powerful today, but that’s no guarantee for the future. One should be merciful when one can. How about you do me a favor and reduce the five years of tribute to one, giving the five camps of Zhuling a way to survive?”

He really was going to interfere…

Lu Yang was stunned by Zhu Yang’s move. Then he saw He Wuyang behind Zhu Yang nodding at him, clearly signaling him to accept Zhu Yang’s proposal. Lu Yang’s brows shot up.

He didn’t even stop to consider it, simply sneering in a low voice, “If my Eastern Ridge had lost today, I wonder if Head Official Zhu would have asked Zhu Tong and the others to do you a favor and reduce the five years to one?”

Hearing this retort, Zhu Yang was taken aback for a moment. Then, realizing that Lu Yang had no intention of giving him face, a flash of anger crossed his own.

Lu Yang didn’t press the matter, only continuing, “Since Head Official Zhu intends to use your authority to pressure us, my Eastern Ridge is a small establishment and can only obey. But I will absolutely not swallow this insult. I refuse to believe that there is no one in Beishuo City who can uphold justice!”

With that, he angrily flicked his sleeve, turned to the people of Eastern Ridge beside him, and said, “Let’s go. Tomorrow, we go to the Beishuo Inspectorate!”

“Fine, fine, fine! Leader Lu certainly has courage. Since my face means nothing to Eastern Ridge, then the matter today shall be settled by you eight camps yourselves!”

Having lost face, Zhu Yang’s voice also became audibly angry. He turned and walked toward the outside of the encampment. As he passed by the people of Eastern Ridge, he glanced sideways at the five young members, including Luo Cheng, his eyes full of coldness. He said in a low voice:

“Leader Lu, there’s a limit to youthful arrogance. I may be old and not count for much in Beishuo City, but your Eastern Ridge Camp is worth even less than a single coin. From now on, I will be in charge of Jingxi. I have plenty of time to play with you and your Eastern Ridge, hmph!”

Leaving behind a cold snort, Zhu Yang skimmed across the snow and departed.

The leaders of the eight camps were left behind. Everyone looked up at Lu Yang, seemingly expecting him to show an expression of unease or fear.

“Old men will be old men. So much nonsense. I thought he was actually going to make a move!”

Zhao Hu’s single sentence dashed everyone’s hopes.

“Alright, since Head Official Zhu isn’t interfering, there’s nothing more to be said. For the next five years, all the tribute materials that my Eastern Ridge, Hongyuan, and Ziqiang must offer to Beishuo Town will be provided by the five camps of Zhuling. Any objections?”

Hearing Lu Yang’s question, spoken with a hint of a smile, the expressions of the five leaders—Zhu Tong, Nie Ying, Bai Bo, Wan Tianhe, and Yang Quan—instantly froze.

Chapter 352: Trying to Renege, Eastern Ridge’s Strength, and Lu Yang’s Methods

Village-level camps were required to pay tribute to Beishuo once every six months.

Each tribute consisted of sixty catties of Jade Bone, one thousand catties of Beast Blood, five thousand tons of iron ore, and seven thousand five hundred tons of coal stone. Thus, over the next five years, the total tribute from the three Eastern Ridge families would be eighteen hundred catties of Jade Bone, thirty thousand catties of Beast Blood, one hundred fifty thousand tons of iron ore, and two hundred twenty-five thousand tons of coal stone.

Such a massive amount of tribute, even if split among five camps, was still an astonishingly heavy burden.

They were, after all, only village-level camps.

Eighteen hundred catties of Jade Bone, assuming an output of three catties per high-level Frost Beast, meant a total of six hundred high-level Frost Beasts. Divided among five camps, each would have to hunt an additional one hundred twenty high-level Frost Beasts over the next five years.

This… how was this possible?

The tribute of sixty catties of Jade Bone every six months was set by Beishuo City based on the hunting capacity of a typical village-level camp. Most could only hunt three to five high-level Frost Beasts per month. Zhu Ling was slightly stronger, but they couldn’t possibly exceed ten.

Crucially, hunting high-level Frost Beasts was risky.

If you were lucky, a Frostwarden realm cultivator might get injured. If you were unlucky, people would die.

Then there were the expenses. The medicinal pills for hunting, traps, weapons, and arrows all had to be exchanged for in Beishuo Town. They had no silver, so they could only trade with large quantities of iron ore, coal stone, beast meat, and Beast Blood. Of course, a camp like Zhu Ling with a surplus of hunting ability could also use precious Jade Bone for trade.

Putting all that aside, even if the five camps scraped together everything they had to produce the tribute, what about their Frostwarden realm cultivators? Did they not need to cultivate?

Buying the necessary pills for Frostwarden realm cultivation in Beishuo Town also cost money.

And don’t forget, the tribute from the three Eastern Ridge camps for the next five years was added on top of their own regular semi-annual tribute.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t produce the materials. The five camps had been established in the Beining Mountains for decades and had built up considerable assets over the years.

The problem was, if they handed over all their resources as tribute, how were they supposed to develop?

The cultivation speed of a Frostwarden realm cultivator was already slow. Without pills, improving their strength was out of the question, which would in turn make hunting high-level Frost Beasts even more dangerous.

What about those at the Earthforger limit? Weren’t they supposed to break through? Without new Frostwarden realm cultivators, a camp’s hunting capability would only decline.

Without new Earthforger realm cultivators, even their mining capacity would drop. This would create a vicious cycle where the camp’s strength would only weaken, gradually leading to its demise.

Zhu Tong naturally understood this. Today’s martial competition was his own scheme to ensnare Eastern Ridge. Had Eastern Ridge lost, they would have had no future in the Beining Mountains.

But he never imagined that he would be the one to lose.

Of course, he wasn’t alone. Faced with Lu Yang’s question, the other four leaders all wore ashen expressions, unable to utter a single word.

Did they have any objections?

Of course they did, but Zhu Yang had already left.

What could they do now?

Unite and renege!

Zhu Tong silently exchanged glances with Nie Ying, Bai Bo, Wan Tianhe, and Yang Quan. As if having made a decision, he was just about to speak.

“Leader Zhu, and the other four leaders, you should all be well aware of why Head Official Zhu Yang didn’t dare to use his authority to force the issue just now, right?”

Unexpectedly, Lu Yang spoke first, posing a question to the five of them.

The five men’s faces froze, the words on the tips of their tongues instantly getting stuck in their throats.

Wang Tao, standing behind Lu Yang, took a small step forward and chuckled. “Our Great Lord of Beishuo, Yang Zun, is renowned for being a man of his word. It’s a well-known saying in the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao Mountain that ‘a promise from Yang Zun is worth more than ten thousand catties of silver.’ With such a lord, it’s only natural that everyone in Beishuo, from top to bottom, has developed a tradition of keeping their promises. As the Head Official of the Beishuo Inspectorate, how could Zhu Yang dare to take the lead in tarnishing our lord’s reputation?”

Yang Zun’s integrity was famous throughout the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao.

Legend had it that over a century ago, when Yang Zun was still at the Frostwarden realm, he was grievously injured during a hunt and saved by a giant camp. He promised the camp that if they ever ran into trouble, they could come to him once, and he would help them solve it.

At that time, Beishuo itself was only a giant camp, and Yang Zun was merely a Frostwarden realm cultivator. The people of that camp thought he was just being polite and didn’t take it seriously.

Who would have thought that over the next fifty years, Yang Zun’s cultivation would soar, and Beishuo would rise meteorically in the southern foothills of Mo’ao Mountain. The camp’s strength grew day by day, eventually earning it a place among the Nine Garrisons.

As for the giant camp that had saved him, it had been destroyed ten years prior by Jinshan Town, one of the three northern garrisons.

The matter should have ended there, especially since the camp never sought Yang Zun’s help when it was destroyed.

But unexpectedly, a descendant of that camp managed to make their way to Beishuo City by a twist of fate and even met Yang Zun in person. They brought up the old affair and asked if Yang Zun remembered.

It was something that had happened over fifty years ago, and it involved a mere giant camp. Even if Yang Zun had forgotten, no one would have said anything.

But not only did he remember, he even agreed to the person’s request: to help their camp seek revenge against Jinshan Town!

One had to know that Jinshan had the longest history among the three northern garrisons and was widely recognized as the head of the Nine Garrisons at the time. No one expected Yang Zun to pick a fight with Jinshan Town over a fifty-year-old promise.

The two garrisons, Jinshan and Beishuo, went to war. The final outcome was that the main culprit behind the destruction of that giant camp was personally slain by Yang Zun. Jinshan Town not only suffered a great loss in that battle but also lost its title as head of the Nine Garrisons, a major humiliation.

The saying, “a promise from Yang Zun is worth more than ten thousand catties of silver,” began to spread widely among the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao after this incident.

Regardless of anything else, Yang Zun’s reputation for keeping his word was firmly established. As such, the people of Beishuo Town, who revered him as their Great Lord, naturally sought to emulate him.

Zhu Yang hadn’t dared to use his authority to force the issue, partly out of fear of Gu Tianxiong and Head of the Academy Huang, but the deeper reason was that he did not dare to tarnish Beishuo’s reputation for integrity.

Before the competition began, Lu Yang had repeatedly asked if he was representing the Beishuo Inspectorate that day. Zhu Yang had given a clear answer: his every word and deed represented Beishuo.

If he had used his authority to help Zhu Ling renege on the bet, with He Wuyang as a witness, the matter would be reported to Gu Tianxiong and Head of the Academy Huang. Being charged with tarnishing Beishuo’s reputation would be a light punishment.

If he were charged with tarnishing the Lord’s reputation, the consequences would be far more severe.

The environment of the Ice Abyss dictated that in any camp, the lord was an absolute, supreme being, worshipped like a god by everyone. This was even more true for a powerful town-level encampment like Beishuo.

Of course, the same held true in the Great Xia.

The Great Xia’s Department of Justice had explicit laws: anyone who dared to dishonor their lord’s name would face, at minimum, one year of corvée labor, and at worst, direct execution.

Whether Yang Zun himself cared about his reputation being sullied was uncertain, but his vast number of supporters in Beishuo City would certainly not tolerate it.

This was the core reason why Zhu Yang had not dared to use his authority today.

He was already old, and his recent assignment to Jingxi was a clear sign to any discerning eye that he was being marginalized by the Inspectorate.

Many people were already eyeing his position as Head Official!

If he were to be saddled with a grave crime like dishonoring the Lord’s name, regardless of the final outcome, he would definitely lose his position.

In other words, if even Zhu Yang didn’t dare to bear such a charge, would the five leaders of the Zhu Ling camps dare to?

Lu Yang looked down at the five men, a smile gracing his lips.

Of course they didn’t dare!

Today, he had these five camps right where he wanted them.

“Leader Lu, five years… it’s just too long…”

After a long silence, Zhu Tong finally spoke.

His tone carried a hint of a threat. After a pause, he continued in a low voice, “Handing over so many resources will leave our five camps with no way to survive. We cannot possibly agree. Even if you report this to Head Official Gu, we still can’t produce it.”

“That’s right, Leader Lu, we simply don’t have that much.”

“Putting everything else aside, one hundred fifty thousand tons of iron ore divided among us is thirty thousand tons per camp. That’s almost the total output of half an iron mine. Our five camps can’t possibly have our people mining nonstop for the next five years.”

“That many resources… forgive me, but Yanggu cannot provide it.”

“The same goes for Wanxing. We can’t.”

The four leaders quickly followed Zhu Tong in stating their positions.

Seeing the five of them with expressions that clearly indicated they had no intention of honoring the debt, the smile on Lu Yang’s face gradually faded, and his gaze turned cold.

“Leader Lu, why don’t we…”

“He Wuyang, shut up!”

Seeing that even He Wuyang was about to speak up for them, a flash of delight appeared in Zhu Tong’s eyes. But this flicker of joy was quickly extinguished by Lu Yang’s furious retort.

Lu Yang had actually shouted at He Wuyang, telling him to shut up.

How dare he?

It wasn’t just Zhu Tong; the other four leaders, Bai Bo and the others, and even Zi Jing and Hong Fan standing behind Lu Yang, were all momentarily stunned.

All seven leaders first looked up at Lu Yang, then their gazes shifted in unison to He Wuyang behind them, the man who had been told to shut up.

What happened next was a scene that was utterly incomprehensible to them!

A deep crimson flush first spread across He Wuyang’s face; it was clear he was extremely furious. Yet, despite his anger, after three or four breaths, he forced his expression back to normal. Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned and left the assembly ground.

………………

He Wuyang, a legitimate black-insignia Inspector from Beishuo, was verbally assaulted by the leader of a village-level camp, and yet he said nothing and just left?

The scene that had just unfolded sent a shock through the seven leaders that was a hundred times more intense than Zhu Yang’s departure.

Why?

Why?

Zhu Tong and the other six leaders looked horrified, their minds filled with confusion.

“If you couldn’t afford it, then why did you dare to propose this wager with me in the first place? You were certain that my Eastern Ridge would lose, weren’t you?”

After the scene of He Wuyang being rebuked and retreating, Lu Yang’s low, angry voice now held much greater intimidating power over Zhu Tong and the other four.

The five men dared not meet his gaze and promptly lowered their heads.

Seeing that the five were still acting shamelessly defiant, Lu Yang sneered and continued, “Honoring a bet is a timeless principle. You probably think that even if Head Official Gu learns of this, he won’t care about your meager resources. At worst, you’ll get a reprimand. So even if you don’t pay, there’s nothing I can do to you, right?”

The five continued to keep their heads down in silence.

“If that’s what you’re thinking, then you are gravely mistaken!”

Lu Yang let out a cold, deep laugh and continued, “Since you won’t give it, then my Eastern Ridge will take it ourselves. From this day forward, my Eastern Ridge will send out patrols along the northern mountains every night. From now on, your five camps can forget about ever setting foot in the Beining Mountains again!”

Zhu Tong and the other four, who all had their heads bowed, were first stunned upon hearing this, then their expressions turned strange.

All eight camps made their living along the northern mountain range. Not only did they need to enter the mountains for hunting and gathering, but their coal and iron mines were also located there. If Lu Yang could truly prevent them from entering the mountains, it would indeed be a crippling blow.

The problem was, how could Lu Yang possibly blockade the entire northern mountain range?

Eastern Ridge had twenty-nine Frostwarden realm cultivators and over four hundred at the Earthforger limit. Their strength was indeed the highest among the eight camps, but blockading the entire length of the northern mountains was impossible. Not only could Eastern Ridge not do it alone, but even with Ziqiang and Hongyuan, all three camps together stood no chance.

Zhu Ling alone had fourteen Frostwarden realm cultivators. Including the other four camps, their total number of Frostwarden realm cultivators was at least forty. And that was just the Frostwarden realm cultivators; the combined numbers of their Earthforger limit and Earthforger realm members also outnumbered the three Eastern Ridge-allied camps. How could they possibly enforce a blockade?

“Everyone, come in!”

As if he could read their minds, Lu Yang first sneered, then turned and shouted toward the outskirts of the Zhu Ling encampment.

“Who goes there? How dare you trespass in Zhu Ling Village!”

“All of you, halt.”

“Enemy attack, there’s an enemy attack…”

A series of urgent cries suddenly came from the edge of the encampment. Upon hearing the final warning of an enemy attack, Zhu Tong and the other Frostwarden realm cultivators, as well as the people of Zhu Ling Camp below, all had their expressions change drastically.

“Zhu Da, you go out…”

Zhu Tong was about to send his second brother out to check, but before he could finish his sentence, more than fifty people charged into the encampment from the perimeter. Seeing the speed at which they moved across the ground, his expression instantly froze.

A total of fifty-eight people rushed in from the outskirts, led by Zhu Shun, the Armament Master of Eastern Ridge’s Logistics Division. The fifty-seven people behind him were all clad in black iron battle armor. The silver forging patterns on the armor were so dense, numbering in the thousands, that they almost rivaled the black of the armor itself.

Never mind Bai Bo, Nie Ying, Wan Tianhe, and Yang Quan; even Hong Fan and Zi Jing, who had personally visited the Eastern Ridge encampment, now stared at the fifty-plus men behind Zhu Shun with numb expressions.

“Zhu Shun?”

“This…”

“Thousand-forged Armor! Eastern Ridge has this much Thousand-forged Armor?”

Gulp. “Where did they come from?”

“All… all of them… they’re all Frostwarden realm!”

“Are these people from Eastern Ridge?”

“How is that possible!”

………………

“Zhu Shun pays his respects to the Leader.”

“We pay our respects to the Leader!”

Zhu Shun led the fifty-eight men to Lu Yang and they all bowed in unison. The combined blood-qi released by so many Frostwarden realm cultivators instantly silenced Zhu Tong and the other cultivators from the seven camps.

“No need for formalities. Rise!”

Lu Yang nodded at Zhu Shun and gestured for them to stand. Only then did he turn back to face Zhu Tong and the others, his face filled with mockery.

Luo An was the son of Hunting Department Head Luo Yuan; Zou Ping was the son of Wushuang Garrison Guard Zou Yuankai; Zhao Yuanshan was the only daughter of Zhao Long, the Marshal of the soon-to-be-established Eighth Army, as well as Zhao Hu’s niece; Xiao Yan was the cousin of two Directors’ wives; and Luo Cheng was the son of Jing Valley Garrison Guard Luo Ming.

The five juniors who had come to compete tonight all had extraordinary backgrounds. How could he have been at ease bringing only Zhao Hu and the other two?

Of course, more importantly, he had long anticipated that Zhu Tong would refuse to honor the bet. Bringing these men was to show Zhu Tong and the others that even if they wanted to renege, it was no longer possible.

For the past three years, although these five hundred-plus people had been living in the Beining Mountains, they still enjoyed the cultivation resources of Xiacheng. They even had their normal quota of spots in the Martial Arts Pavilion. In fact, because they had gathered considerable intelligence on the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao, they were considered to have performed a great service for the camp and had even received additional resources from Xiacheng.

Twenty-nine Frostwarden realm cultivators was old news. When he competed for the iron mine at the beginning of the year, he was worried that revealing too much of Eastern Ridge’s strength would cause unnecessary trouble, so he had only deployed that small number. It wasn’t because Eastern Ridge only had twenty-nine Frostwarden realm cultivators.

“Brother Hong, Brother Zi, since the five camps of Zhu Ling have lost and refuse to honor the bet, our three camps shall join forces to blockade the northern mountain range for five years as a way for them to repay their debt. What do you two think of my proposal?”

“One should honor a bet. This is only right!”

“The five camps of Zhu Ling broke their word first. I think Leader Lu’s idea is sound. Blockading the northern mountain range for five years is a legitimate way to make them repay their debt. Even if this gets taken to Beishuo City, our three camps have nothing to fear.”

Seeing how powerful Eastern Ridge was, Zi Jing and Hong Fan had no reason to disagree.

Hong Fan, in particular, stated Lu Yang’s intentions plainly.

Hearing this, Zhu Tong and the other four looked as if they were attending a funeral, their expressions panicked to the extreme.

Lu Yang had already proven that Eastern Ridge had the capability to blockade the northern mountain range, and he even had a legitimate reason: making them repay their debt.

This way, even the option of complaining to Beishuo was completely cut off.

They couldn’t win in a fight, and now even reneging was not an option.

It was over!

This time, the five camps had well and truly fallen into a pit. There was no way out except a massive loss…

“Actually, I have no wish to push Brother Zhu and the other four camps into such a corner!”

Just as Zhu Tong was about to concede, he suddenly heard this sentence. Noticing the way Lu Yang addressed him, his expression immediately turned excited.

Bai Bo and the other four leaders had the same reaction, all of them snapping their heads up to look at Lu Yang.

Seeing the gazes of the five leaders fixed on him, a dark glint flickered deep in Lu Yang’s eyes. He shook his head with a slight sigh and continued, “All eight of our camps make a living along the northern mountain range. Why must we fight to the death? I only want to lead my people to live a peaceful life. If not for Brother Zhu’s relentless pressure over the past three years, my Eastern Ridge could have been friends with all of you.”

Hearing these words, Zhu Tong was finally certain that Lu Yang’s attitude had genuinely softened. He immediately gritted his teeth, clasped his hands, and bowed to him, his tone solemn. “Brother Lu, I, Zhu, have been foolish for the past three years. With Eastern Ridge’s strength, let alone taking that small hunting area from us, even if you were to take half of my Zhu Ling’s hunting grounds, it would have been justified.”

As leaders themselves, Bai Bo and the other four were not slow to react. As soon as Zhu Tong finished speaking, they scrambled to express their positions to Lu Yang.

“Leader Lu, my Baiyuan never intended to be on bad terms with Eastern Ridge. The past three years have been a misunderstanding! After I return, I will certainly discipline the hunting teams in my camp and prevent them from trespassing into Eastern Ridge’s hunting grounds.”

“Leader Lu is righteous, I, Wan, am ashamed. From now on, my Wanxing camp…”

………………

“Good!”

After hearing the statements from the five leaders, Lu Yang’s face showed approval. He nodded with a smile and said, “Since you five are so sensible, it would be too unreasonable for me to press the matter further. However…”

Hearing the first part of his sentence, Zhu Tong and the other four were overjoyed. But their joy was cut short by Lu Yang’s last word.

They all looked up at him, their expressions incredibly anxious.

“This wager, after all, concerns everyone in our camps. I can’t just waive the five camps’ debts with a single sentence. Let me think…”

Lu Yang feigned a difficult expression and pondered for a moment. Then, his eyes lit up, and he smiled at the five men. “How about this? I don’t have many hobbies in life, but taking on disciples is one of them. The talented youths from your five camps today truly opened my eyes. If you five leaders don’t mind, let your sons become my disciples. They will stay in Eastern Ridge for the next five years, and I will personally train them. I guarantee that in five years, I will return them to you, completely unharmed. How about it?”

…………

Hearing this, a look of vigilance appeared in the eyes of Zhu Tong and the other four.

No one believed that Lu Yang genuinely wanted to take on disciples.

Sending their sons to Eastern Ridge was no different from sending hostages, was it?

As for the promise to return them “completely unharmed,” those were just empty words. If there were no conflicts between them in the next five years, it would be fine, but if something were to happen…

At this thought, the expressions of Zhu Tong and the other four turned grim.

They instantly understood Lu Yang’s meaning.

Sending their sons over was to serve as political hostages. For the next five years, if they were obedient, their sons would be safe. After five years, the debt would be concluded, and Eastern Ridge would have no reason to detain their sons. If Eastern Ridge refused to release them then, they could appeal to the Beishuo Inspectorate to mediate.

With this in mind, Zhu Tong, Bai Bo, Wan Tianhe, and Nie Ying all looked at their sons behind them: Zhu Baixu, Bai Wuji, Wan Qingyu, and Nie Shen. Although Yang Quan’s son was not present, his face showed the same struggle and indecision as the other four.

“Oh, right, I haven’t been clear. If you leaders send your sons, fifty percent of your annual debt will be forgiven. If the sons of other Frostwarden realm cultivators come, ten percent will be forgiven annually. This means each camp has six slots. If you agree, I can write up a contract right now and waive the first year’s debt for all five camps. How about it?”

Seeing the five men begin to waver, Lu Yang struck while the iron was hot. When he saw no reaction after his question, he thought for a moment and added, “You five can rest assured. Your sons in Eastern Ridge will not lack any cultivation resources they are due. You can even visit them at any time. Aside from not being able to take them away, I won’t interfere with whatever else they wish to do. What do you say?”

“Leader Lu, are you serious?”

Zhu Tong was the first one who couldn’t hold back his question.

Lu Yang smiled and nodded. “The leaders of all seven camps are present today. If I were to deceive you, I would have no face to remain in the Beining Mountains.”

Zhu Tong’s face was a mask of conflict for a long time. Finally, he turned to look behind him.

“Father, to be able to absolve the camp of so much debt, your son is willing!”

Zhu Baixu ultimately did not disgrace his name as a leader’s son. Although his expression was clearly apprehensive, he was the first to step forward.

“Father, I am willing to go to Eastern Ridge!”

“Father, I am willing as well!”

“Father, let me go to Eastern Ridge!”

At fourteen or fifteen, it was an age of fiery passion. With Zhu Baixu being the first to step up, the other three youths, Bai Wuji, Wan Qingyu, and Nie Shen, naturally refused to be outdone and all stepped forward.

Yang Quan’s son wasn’t there, but seeing the other four camps had already decided, he could only sigh and cup his hands toward Lu Yang. “Yanggu agrees as well. I will personally send my son to Eastern Ridge in the coming days.”

“Excellent! The five leaders are indeed straightforward!”

Lu Yang laughed heartily, then casually exchanged a look with Wang Tao behind him. A hint of a triumphant smile flashed in both their eyes.

Whoosh…

No one noticed that after the discussions between Lu Yang and the others in the Zhu Ling encampment had concluded, a gust of wind suddenly swept over the camp from above.

“A promise from Yang Zun is worth more than ten thousand catties of silver. Interesting!”

High in the sky east of the Zhu Ling encampment, Xia Hong, dressed in black, was flying through the air. He repeated Wang Tao’s words under his breath and shook his head with a light chuckle.

The calendars used by different camps in the Ice Abyss seemed to share some commonalities.

Back then, the Longyou Calendar was only ten days off from the Great Xia Calendar. Now, the Mo’ao Calendar was even closer, with a difference of only four days.

By the Great Xia Calendar, today was the eleventh of the ninth month.

By the Mo’ao Calendar, it was the fifteenth of the ninth month.

After leaving Jing Valley before dawn on the tenth, he had flown directly along the wall of Double Dragon Mountain to the Beining Mountains. He spent a day familiarizing himself with the new environment, hunted a few avian Frost Beasts in the mountains, and then went straight to Eastern Ridge.

After hearing about the martial competition from He Ning and the others, he thought he’d come and watch. He followed the trail to the Zhu Ling encampment and had been hiding in mid-air the whole time. He not only watched the entire competition but had also witnessed Lu Yang’s entire process of methodically trapping the five leaders.

“Lu Yang’s methods are becoming more and more sophisticated. He plans to first use political hostages to control the five leaders, then use that opportunity to infiltrate the five camps and gain control over them. The political hostage idea must have come from Wang Tao!”

Xia Hong could clearly see that Lu Yang never intended to collect the wagered resources from the start.

It made sense. To the Great Xia, the resources the five camps had lost were a mere drop in the bucket; they wouldn’t make much difference. Trading those resources for five political hostages to control the five leaders, however, was far more valuable.

For the past three years, the thing Lu Yang feared most in Eastern Ridge was attracting Beishuo’s attention.

Coincidentally, the five camps of Zhu Ling were constantly watching him. Now, with these five hostages, Eastern Ridge had completely resolved this hidden danger. His methods were indeed brilliant.

As for it being Wang Tao’s idea, that was simple.

The political hostage gambit was something Longshan had used before.

Wang Tao came from Longshan and was naturally very familiar with this tactic. He was likely the only one who could have given Lu Yang such an idea.

“I’ve seen Mo’ao Mountain. Next, it’s time to see the legendary Beishuo Town!”

Xia Hong gazed east, a faint light in his eyes, and increased his speed as he flew toward Beishuo City.

“Hm? It’s him!”

After flying for a while, he seemed to notice something. He looked down at the snowy ground below, a trace of curiosity in his eyes.

“I noticed it just now. Although this Zhu Yang is at the peak-Frostwarden realm, he clearly has an inferior combat physique, yet his base strength is as high as twenty-seven Mane. He must have some special method of enhancement. I might as well go and ask!”

Chapter 353: The Way to Advance at Peak-Frostwarden, the Tenth Garrison of Mo’ao, Yang Fa of Beishuo, the Nightmare Object, and Lu Yun of Eastern Ridge

“Lu Yang, Zhao Hu… what a fine Eastern Ridge! A mere village-level camp dares to be so audacious! From now on, I will be in charge of Jingxi, and I will fix my gaze solely on Eastern Ridge!”

Having just left Zhu Ling, Zhu Yang’s face was ashen as he sped back toward Beishuo. The scene of Lu Yang threatening and refuting him replayed in his mind, and the hand gripping his sword trembled uncontrollably, a testament to the fury raging in his heart.

But after a moment of quiet contemplation, a hint of apprehension rose in his eyes.

He couldn’t tarnish the Lord’s reputation; Zhu Ling wasn’t worth the risk; he didn’t dare offend Gu Tianxiong and Huang Tianxing; he was worried about losing his position as Head Official…

There were many reasons why he hadn’t acted out back in Zhu Ling, but they all boiled down to one thing: Eastern Ridge was too strong. He wasn’t confident he could suppress Lu Yang and Zhao Hu by himself.

“Zhu Tong, that idiot! He didn’t even tell me their strength beforehand. One with seventeen Mane, the other with nineteen, and I didn’t bring a single man with me…”

After cursing Zhu Tong, Zhu Yang’s expression suddenly turned desolate.

A man, after all, must eventually admit his age.

Although his base strength reached twenty-seven Mane, far surpassing Lu Yang and Zhao Hu, he was in his twilight years, and his vitality had long since entered a period of decline. If Lu Yang and Zhao Hu joined forces, he truly wasn’t one hundred percent certain he could take them down.

Besides, at the advanced age of ninety-three, he didn’t have many years left to live. He wanted to preserve his old bones to secure more benefits for the younger generation of his clan within the Inspectorate. It was only natural to avoid conflict when possible.

Risking his life for a distant cousin, four or five generations removed and not even in Beishuo City, was clearly not worth it.

Whoosh…

“What was that?”

A searing wave of heat abruptly cut through Zhu Yang’s thoughts. He immediately stopped, sensing something, and shot his head up toward the sky. His face was instantly filled with horror.

Hovering above him was a man in black.

The man appeared middle-aged and had an unremarkable face. A long, narrow saber, still sheathed, hung at his waist. He was looking down at him with a faint smile.

Hovering high in the air; the sudden surge in ambient temperature; such an astonishing aura…

Several thoughts flashed through Zhu Yang’s mind, and his body trembled violently. Without the slightest hesitation, he bowed his head toward the sky.

“Zhu Yang, Head Official of the Beishuo Inspectorate, pays his respects to you, Senior!”

Xia Hong had intentionally released his aura to dispense with pleasantries. Seeing Zhu Yang bow respectfully, he slowly descended until he was just over ten meters away and asked with a smile, “No need to be nervous. I was just passing by and became curious about your physique. I have a few questions for you.”

A Sun-Manifestation realm expert! This is definitely a Sun-Manifestation realm expert!

He’s not from Jinshan or Wuchuan, so he must be from one of the six central and southern garrisons. But why would a Sun-Manifestation expert from the central and southern garrisons come to Beishuo without any warning?

“As long as Senior’s questions do not concern Beishuo’s secrets, this lowly one will answer everything he knows!”

Though a thousand thoughts raced through Zhu Yang’s mind, he replied quickly, afraid that Xia Hong might grow impatient.

This man from Beishuo is quite loyal!

Xia Hong was somewhat surprised that Zhu Yang, even in his fear, would give such a firm yet tactful response. He raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled. “Rest assured, I’m not here to probe into Beishuo’s secrets. From what I can see, you should only have an inferior combat physique. With a peak-Frostwarden realm cultivation, your strength shouldn’t exceed thirteen Mane. How did you achieve a strength of twenty-seven Mane?”

During the hide reforging stage, an inferior combat physique had an upper limit for base strength between sixty thousand and eighty thousand catties. This meant that when breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, their base strength would not exceed 1.6 Mane. By extension, at the peak-Frostwarden realm, their base strength should not be more than 12.8 Mane. Zhu Yang’s strength was clearly illogical.

At Zhu Yang’s age, if anyone else had pointed out his inferior combat physique so bluntly, he would have likely seen red. But when Xia Hong did it, his face showed no hint of displeasure. Instead, he paused, glanced quickly to the north, and then explained:

“Some years ago, this lowly one spent a fortune to purchase thirteen Tiger Strength Pills from Jinshan Garrison.”

“Tiger Strength Pills?”

Although Xia Hong had his suspicions, his eyes lit up upon hearing the name of the pill. He pressed on with his inquiry.

He’s not a Sun-Manifestation expert from the six central-southern garrisons.

No, he’s not even from Mo’ao Mountain!

Seeing Xia Hong’s reaction, Zhu Yang’s mind raced, and he quickly came to this conclusion. He continued to answer, “Senior should know that after a Frostwarden realm cultivator reaches the peak stage and completes three rounds of blood and flesh reconstruction, the strength of their flesh and blood essentially caps out. To continue increasing strength, one can only use the medicinal power to temper their bones and break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm.”

“But the bone tempering process is fraught with peril and consumes an astronomical amount of resources. Many people can’t break through in their entire lifetime, so they can only find other ways to work on their flesh and blood.”

“Although the strength of the flesh and blood cannot be increased, some have discovered that widening the meridians between them can also achieve the effect of increasing physical strength. However, the meridians of a Frostwarden realm cultivator are already far stronger than a normal person’s. Widening them is naturally not so easy.”

“Across all Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao, there are currently only four ways to achieve this: the Tiger Strength Pill from Jinshan Garrison, the Dragon Carp Pill from Jiangxia Garrison, the Green Cod Pill from Bashang Garrison, and the unteachable secret of Muyin Town, the ‘Twelve Blood Meridians Technique’.”

Since it was an unteachable secret, the method from Muyin Town was naturally unavailable to people from the other eight garrisons.

Tiger Strength Pill, Dragon Carp Pill, Green Cod Pill…

Xia Hong silently recited the names of the three pills, his expression brightening.

He didn’t know about the first one, the Tiger Strength Pill, but just from the names of the latter two, combined with the geographical location of Jiangxia and Bashang Garrisons on the eastern bank of the Xing River, he could basically deduce that they were related to aquatic species.

It seems I’ll have to find time to check out the Xing River!

“Since Jinshan, Jiangxia, and Bashang Garrisons are willing to sell these pills to people from the other six garrisons, the price must be exorbitant, right?”

The value of a Spirit Pill that could break the combat physique limitations of the peak-Frostwarden realm and continue to increase one’s strength was obvious without even thinking. Recalling that Zhu Yang had just mentioned spending a fortune on Tiger Strength Pills, Xia Hong immediately asked about the price.

Zhu Yang gave a bitter smile and cupped his hands. “Jinshan Garrison’s Tiger Strength Pills cost one hundred thousand liang of silver each. The Dragon Carp Pills and Green Cod Pills are even more expensive, at one hundred and fifty thousand liang.”

Tsk, tsk…

Although he had guessed they were traded with silver, Xia Hong still couldn’t help but click his tongue when he heard the price of the Tiger Strength Pill. Ten liang was one catty, so one hundred thousand liang was ten thousand catties, and that was just the price for a single pill.

The Dragon Carp and Green Cod Pills were fifty percent more expensive.

Xia Hong looked down in thought for a moment, then frowned slightly and asked, “Did you buy the Tiger Strength Pills from Jinshan Garrison privately, or did you go through the official trade channels between the two garrisons?”

This question was clearly a sensitive one. From the slight change in Zhu Yang’s expression, Xia Hong could basically guess the answer, but he didn’t point it out and simply waited for his response.

Zhu Yang was worried that Xia Hong would get angry, so he didn’t dare hesitate for too long. He gritted his teeth and replied, “To be honest with you, Senior, when our encampment’s chamber of commerce buys Tiger Strength Pills through official channels, they mark up the price by twenty percent before selling them to us. This lowly one’s family is not wealthy, so to save money, I bought six of them from dark merchants.”

“Dark merchants?”

Seeing the curious look in Xia Hong’s eyes, Zhu Yang was not surprised at all. He immediately and tactfully explained:

“The Nine Garrisons have public trade channels. Every year from September to October, each garrison opens a trade route to facilitate the exchange of goods. This is known as ‘official merchants’. The so-called ‘dark merchants’ are lawless individuals with their own channels. They can get their hands on goods beyond the annual trade quotas of each garrison and sell them on the side. Some can even procure strictly controlled items, though naturally, the prices are ridiculously high.”

“In the early years, these dark merchants were loosely organized and didn’t amount to much. Everyone knew in their hearts that they were just some mid-level personnel from within the garrisons. So, although the Nine Garrisons were cracking down on them, the crackdown wasn’t thorough. This slowly allowed these dark merchants to collude with each other, form organizations, and gradually gain power.”

“In recent years, the dark merchant organizations have become increasingly rampant. They have openly started using the banner of the ‘Tenth Garrison of Mo’ao’ and can even send invitations to the Sun Market into the main cities of the Nine Garrisons. This lowly one received an invitation to the Sun Market fifteen years ago, which is how I got the chance to make contact with the dark merchants!”

Dark merchant organizations, the Tenth Garrison of Mo’ao, Sun Market invitations…

Xia Hong stroked his chin in thought for a moment, his expression gradually becoming intrigued.

To put it bluntly, dark merchants and official merchants were just smuggling versus official trade.

There was a natural conflict between the two. Smuggling infringed upon the interests of the garrison cities, so the Nine Garrisons would certainly crack down on it severely.

In the early years, only mid-level personnel from each garrison were involved, and the crackdown wasn’t thorough, which allowed them to grow powerful. Now, this dark merchant organization had started flying the banner of the ‘Tenth Garrison of Mo’ao’ and openly infiltrating the main cities of each garrison, yet the Nine Garrisons still couldn’t manage to eradicate it.

“High-level officials are involved. It’s highly likely that one of the garrisons is backing them, maybe even more than one. These Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao are interesting!”

The Nine Garrisons had established trade channels that had been in place for many years. Considering this in conjunction with the dark merchant organization, it seemed that the information Lu Yang had sent back three years ago was mostly accurate, aside from the time frames.

Over the past few decades, the Nine Garrisons had engaged in mutual trade, intermarriage, alliances, and treaties, forming a complex web of “you are in me, and I am in you.” Anyone who spoke lightly of destroying a garrison would inevitably trigger a chain reaction that would engulf the entire region.

Currently, the Nine Garrisons maintained an extremely delicate balance. Without the strength to absolutely crush the other eight, no one dared to make a rash move.

This situation was clearly far more complex than the one in Longshan back then!

Will the arrival of Great Xia shatter this balance?

Xia Hong suppressed the ambition welling up from the depths of his eyes. He then looked down at Zhu Yang. A flicker of killing intent crossed his face, but it subsided just as quickly. He spoke slowly.

“You’re a smart man, aren’t you?”

“Rest assured, Senior. This lowly one is ninety-three this year and doesn’t have many years left. It’s better to avoid trouble than to court it. I will not go looking for problems. Today, this lowly one saw nothing and spoke to no one about anything!”

Zhu Yang dropped to his knees, cold sweat beading on his forehead. Although the killing intent Xia Hong had revealed was fleeting, he had still keenly sensed it.

He knew, of course, what Xia Hong was worried about.

Xia Hong’s questions had already exposed his identity as someone from outside the region.

After giving repeated assurances, he was still worried that Xia Hong might suddenly kill him. He knelt on the ground, kowtowing and begging, “Senior, spare my life…”

The older one gets, the more one fears death.

Seeing Zhu Yang’s pathetic state as he begged for his life, Xia Hong shook his head.

“That’s enough. I had no intention of killing you. But I advise you not to speak of today’s events to anyone else. Believe me, we will have opportunities to deal with each other again in the future!”

Xia Hong’s last sentence carried a clear threatening undertone.

He didn’t bother to see if Zhu Yang on the ground understood. He simply transformed into a streak of fire and soared into the sky, speeding off toward the east.

Zhu Yang had clearly sensed Xia Hong’s departure, but he remained kneeling on the ground for another hundred breaths. Only when he felt that Xia Hong was truly gone did he slowly get to his feet.

“A Sun-Manifestation expert from outside the region. What terrible luck have I run into?”

His face still held a deep, lingering fear. Then, realizing something, he whipped his head around to look in the direction Xia Hong had left, a trace of terror in his pupils.

“Flying east… where is he going? Could it be…”

He gritted his teeth, and his legs moved, quickly following in that same easterly direction.

Xia Hong’s destination, of course, was Beishuo City!

According to the map Lu Yang had sent back, Beishuo City should be to the northeast of Beining Mountain, about two hundred kilometers from Eastern Ridge as the crow flies.

As Xia Hong flew toward Beishuo, he observed the routes and encampments below. He noticed that some of the larger camps were connected by bluestone roads, which were not heavily covered by snow. His eyes lit up slightly.

“These bluestone roads are likely maintained by zones, with each encampment responsible for its own small section. While the construction and maintenance costs are higher than in Great Xia, if it’s divided among so many encampments, it becomes much more economical!”

Actually, that wasn’t quite right.

Things were different now. Although Great Xia still primarily used wood for building its direct roads, iron was used for pilings and key joints.

Moreover, Mu Dong’s Artisan Department had issued new regulations two years ago. When building direct roads, they would be constructed in two different specifications, five meters and eight meters, depending on the importance of the outpost.

Five meters and eight meters referred to the width of the road.

It was easy to understand that a wider road could accommodate more people and larger vehicles, allowing for more supplies and troops to be transported at once.

Great Xia’s outposts were now divided into two levels, large and small. Large outposts like Longshan and Wuyuan, which had eight subordinate departments, transported more resources to Xiacheng each month and had more frequent personnel traffic, so they required eight-meter-wide roads.

Smaller outposts, like the Hive, Xiling, Songyuan, and others, transported fewer resources to Xiacheng and only needed the standard five-meter-wide roads.

“The construction cost of an eight-meter-wide direct road isn’t necessarily lower than this bluestone road. Plus, Great Xia has to provide its own manpower for the road’s subsequent maintenance, whereas Beishuo can basically ignore these bluestone roads. I suppose each has its pros and cons?”

And besides…

Xia Hong glanced at the environment below, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes.

The territory of Beishuo was dominated by bluestone mountains. Paving roads with bluestone was clearly also a matter of using locally available materials.

“From these bluestone roads, one can roughly see that this Inspectorate System is essentially about delegating a portion of resource rights, allowing these village-level camps to be self-sufficient while also serving as a continuous source of resources and sustenance for the garrison city.”

“With the garrison city’s superior productivity, most of these delegated resources eventually flow back to the city through trade. The one-hundred-thousand-person population limit also prevents these village-level camps from growing too powerful.”

“This way, not only are security concerns eliminated and a large amount of administrative costs saved, but it also alleviates the resource pressure on the garrison city. It prevents the problem of the city’s power being too diffused due to controlling too large a territory, thus allowing more energy to be focused on increasing the city’s own strength.”

“The system is indeed excellent. No wonder the other eight garrisons have followed suit…”

“It’s just a pity that it’s not applicable to Great Xia, or rather, not yet.”

The Inspectorate System was first created by Yang Zun. After Beishuo implemented it and the other eight garrisons saw its effectiveness, they all adopted it as well.

Putting aside strength for a moment, in terms of jurisdiction area alone, Great Xia was much larger than any of the Nine Garrisons. Logically, it should be more suitable for adopting the Inspectorate System.

The reason Xia Hong said it wasn’t applicable was threefold:

First, with the existence of the system, Great Xia’s efficiency in resource utilization far exceeded that of the Nine Garrisons. Delegating resources to other encampments would yield far smaller returns than if Great Xia kept them firmly in its own hands.

Second, unlike the Nine Garrisons, which were clustered together and had to be wary of each other, Great Xia’s current territory had no security concerns. Therefore, there was no need to worry about a large territory dispersing Xiacheng’s power too much. Xia Chuan’s deliberate slowing of military expansion was clear proof of this.

Third, the biggest reason the Nine Garrisons adopted the Inspectorate System was to alleviate the resource pressure on their garrison cities. Great Xia, which possessed the three major resource lands of Longshan, Arrow Bamboo Forest, and Redwood Ridge, frankly did not face significant resource pressure at this stage. This was even with Great Xia setting the prices for cultivation resources like Beast Blood and meat extremely low. If they tightened the supply even slightly, it would be more than enough to support over eight hundred thousand people.

Not being applicable at this stage didn’t mean it would never be applicable in the future.

“According to the plans for Xiacheng’s final round of expansion, the maximum population capacity is around seven million. Even if the Yang Ruins Cauldron continues to be upgraded and its warming radiation range expands, Xiacheng can’t just keep expanding endlessly. There will eventually be a limit. When the day comes that Xiacheng can no longer expand, this Inspectorate System might just come in handy!”

Just as he had immediately considered the pros and cons of the elite system upon first contact with the Hive encampment, Xia Hong’s mind was at work as he stepped foot in the territory of the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao for the first time. He contemplated whether the Inspectorate System could be used by Great Xia and quickly came to his own conclusion.

Though he had the experience of his past life, Xia Hong wasn’t so arrogant as to blindly underestimate the people who had survived in the cruel Ice Abyss.

Especially a power like the Nine Garrisons, which had not only survived and continued their lineage but had also developed to such a formidable extent. There were definitely things worthy of Great Xia learning from.

No matter how intelligent Xia Hong was, his wisdom was finite. Only by constantly broadening his horizons, learning from the strengths of others, and considering the specific current situation of his own encampment could he find the system most beneficial for Great Xia’s development.

When the other eight garrisons saw how well Beishuo’s Inspectorate System worked, didn’t they all immediately learn from and imitate it?

If they could, Great Xia naturally could as well.

While Xia Hong was deep in thought, his flying speed hadn’t slowed. Sensing that he had already flown nearly two hundred kilometers to the east, he immediately descended to the ground, concealed his aura, and continued toward his destination on foot.

Lu Yang had long since sent back a complete map of Beishuo’s territory, including a general map of the other nine garrisons, to Xiacheng, so Xia Hong knew the exact location of Beishuo City.

After walking another three or four kilometers, a majestic black iron city wall, running roughly north to south and stretching for about fifteen kilometers, slowly came into view.

More than eight years had passed since Yang and Li had come to Redwood Ridge.

After eight years, he was finally seeing the legendary Beishuo City with his own eyes. Although the scale of the city was still somewhat smaller than Great Xia’s, it was the first time he had seen a town-level encampment of a comparable scale, and Xia Hong felt a momentary daze.

“I’m about five kilometers from the city wall. Beishuo’s main gate is on the east side, facing Mo’ao Mountain, so this west side should be the back gate. It shouldn’t be difficult to slip into the city from the northern wall.”

Although Lu Yang had already gathered a lot of information about Beishuo, Xia Hong believed in seeing things for himself and wanted to personally enter the city to check the situation. He changed direction, circled around to the north, and then continued south toward the city wall.

However, after he had walked two kilometers, his expression suddenly froze.

“The city wall… why is it still the same size?”

Things appear smaller from afar and larger up close. Logically, the closer he got, the larger the city wall should appear.

But now, after walking two kilometers, the northern city wall in his eyes was still the exact same size as before.

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed. He first observed his surroundings, then shot forward another two kilometers in a flash. When he looked up at the wall again, his gaze sharpened.

The surroundings had changed, but the size of the city wall had not.

Then what had happened to the four kilometers he had just walked?

Xia Hong suddenly thought of something, and a faint light quietly gathered in his left eye.

Whoosh…

However, before he could focus his vision, a fierce and violent gust of wind suddenly pressed down from above his head.

“Just as I thought, it’s an anomaly!”

Without the slightest hesitation, Xia Hong drew the narrow saber from his waist. He didn’t raise it to block but instead revealed a ferocious glint in his eyes, kicked off the ground, and soared into the air to meet the roaring wind, swinging his blade up with a savage slash.

A silver long polearm suddenly descended from the sky, its tip plunging straight for Xia Hong’s head.

The strength of the polearm’s wielder was clearly terrifying. It stirred the airflow for two or three kilometers around, creating a curved vacuum zone with the tip of the polearm at its center. Not to mention snowflakes, even all the surrounding trees were instantly obliterated by the shockwave, exploding outwards.

However, such a world-shaking strike was forced back by Xia Hong!

The upward slash of Xia Hong’s blade was no less imposing than the polearm. The silvery-white blade edge rose from the ground, sweeping up the snow on the surface and instantly creating a snow-mist hundreds of meters high. It not only filled the vacuum created by the other man but even struck his polearm’s shaft a step ahead.

The polearm’s wielder had clearly not expected Xia Hong to be so strong. The moment the blade struck, he forcefully twisted the polearm, using the hardest part of its head to meet Xia Hong’s attack.

Clang!

One saber, one polearm, clashed in mid-air. The ambusher was forcefully knocked back over a hundred meters.

The shockwave from the clash instantly dispersed the snow-mist Xia Hong had kicked up. The two men, hovering in the air a mere hundred meters apart, could now clearly see each other’s faces.

The wielder of the polearm was a tall, slender middle-aged man. He was dressed in golden silk robes, his face composed, his eyes sharp. He had an extraordinary air about him.

The silver polearm in his hand was about one zhang long. It wasn’t a traditional cavalry lance from Xia Hong’s memory, but rather had a spear-like tip. However, the front section was a half-meter-long, heavy, mace-like head, which was densely covered in sharp silver spikes, like a wolf’s-tooth club.

“A strength of over four hundred Mane, not too strong. The ability to affect the airflow for several kilometers around is thanks to that uniquely shaped polearm in his hand. It should be made of pure silver, and its weight should be over one million catties!”

A silver weapon, weighing over a million catties, compressed to this size. Xia Hong was almost certain that the polearm in this man’s hand was definitely of the one-hundred-thousand-forged grade.

He glanced down at the nick on his Dragon Sparrow Saber, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The original Dragon Sparrow Saber had long been broken by Li Xuanling. The one Xia Hong currently held had been personally forged by Mu Dong and his men three years ago.

“The outer layer is coated with ninety thousand catties of silver, and the core is one-hundred-thousand-forged grade iron. The total weight is over five hundred thousand catties, yet it got a nick after just one clash.”

It was a good thing he hadn’t brought the Cold Blood Saber out. If he had, it probably would have been even more embarrassing.

“An unprovoked sneak attack. Is this how Beishuo treats its guests?”

Seeing the other party staring at him with constant vigilance, Xia Hong, despite having some guesses about his identity, didn’t call him out. Instead, he questioned him first about why he had launched a surprise attack.

“Unprovoked? Hmph, the Nine Garrisons have long had an agreement: Sun-Manifestation realm experts crossing into another garrison’s territory must report their arrival in advance. You don’t look newly ascended, so I assume you are aware of the rules. To come here and spy without cause, hiding your face and skulking about—what right do you have to speak of Beishuo’s hospitality?”

…

Xia Hong’s expression faltered. As they were both Sun-Manifestation realm experts, he wasn’t surprised that the other man had seen through his mask’s disguise. What surprised him was that the Nine Garrisons actually had such an agreement in private.

He instantly remembered why Zhu Yang had worn that expression when he had appeared before him.

Xia Hong thought for a moment, then directly removed the vermilion wood mask from his face. With a hint of apology, he said, “Zhao Zheng of Great Qin. I have just arrived at Mo’ao Mountain and am unfamiliar with the rules of the Nine Garrisons. I hope you can forgive me!”

Hearing this, the man’s expression tightened. He carefully scrutinized Xia Hong’s face and found that he was indeed not from any of the Nine Garrisons. His expression immediately became even more vigilant.

“Yang Fa of Beishuo. Since you are not a member of the Nine Garrisons, let’s consider today’s matter a misunderstanding. However, a word of advice: if you are just passing through, do not linger in any one place. Wantonly spying on another’s city defenses is not an honorable act. If my elder brother were here today, you would not have gotten away so easily.”

But Xia Hong had, after all, taken the initiative to apologize. So, after a moment’s thought, Yang Fa still cupped his hands and introduced himself. However, his subsequent words all but had the word ‘unwelcome’ written on his face. He even ended by asking him to leave.

Xia Hong had already guessed that this man was likely Yang Fa.

According to the information Lu Yang had sent back, Beishuo had been founded by the three Yang brothers. The eldest, Yang Zun, was the first to break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm and was also the strongest. The second son here, Yang Fa, had broken through more than twenty years ago and was slightly weaker, but he was the one who actually governed Beishuo. The third son, Yang Jian, was said to be ninety-five years old already, and likely had no hope of breaking through in this lifetime.

Yang Fa’s vigilance was clearly extreme. He had no intention of speaking further, and he seemed completely uninterested in the ‘Great Qin’ encampment Xia Hong had fabricated, not even bothering to ask about it.

This rendered many of Xia Hong’s preparations useless. He stood frozen for a moment, then shook his head. “Since Brother Yang does not welcome me, then I shall take my leave. However, I have a question in my heart. Might I trouble Brother Yang to enlighten me?”

Seeing Xia Hong’s gaze sweep toward the city wall, Yang Fa paused for a moment, but after some thought, he answered, “It’s just a common nightmare object. Could it be that the ‘Great Qin’ encampment where Brother Zhao hails from has never encountered one?”

This Yang Fa is actually trying to probe me for information…

Clearly, the other party hadn’t believed a word of his self-introduction.

Truly, one cannot underestimate these Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao!

Xia Hong’s expression tightened. He said no more, only gave Yang Fa a deep look, cupped his hands, and said, “Many thanks for Brother Yang’s explanation. I will take my leave now.”

With that, he rose into the air and flew directly north.

Yang Fa stood his ground, and only after watching Xia Hong depart did a flash of coldness flicker in his eyes.

“Zhao Zheng of Great Qin’ is most likely a fabrication. This person is so strong, yet he doesn’t know about nightmare anomalies. This proves his encampment’s strength isn’t that great. To start spying on our Beishuo’s situation so early… he’s a bit too eager. I must persuade my elder brother to expand our borders northward soon. We should be crossing paths with this person again very soon.”

…

“A nightmare object. It must be related to nightmare anomalies…”

Xia Hong flew north for over ten kilometers. After confirming that Yang Fa wasn’t following him, he changed course and flew west.

Although this trip to Beishuo hadn’t gone smoothly, it had served as a reminder not to underestimate the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao. This was different from conquering Longyou in the second year of Great Xia. If Great Xia wanted to smoothly expand its territory to the Nine Garrisons, it clearly wouldn’t be so simple.

Of course, at this moment, he was pondering the words Yang Fa had just spoken: nightmare object.

Yang Fa had already started probing him for information in return. If he had continued asking questions, he would have only exposed more. So, he could only rely on his own deductions.

The specific classifications of the five types of anomalies—Artisan, Nightmare, Malice, Spirit, and Demon—were something Xia Hong had first learned from Yang and Li. As Lu Yang had more contact with Beishuo over the past three years, Xia Hong had now grasped a considerable amount of information about these five types.

“Nightmare anomalies are born from the five most common types of dreams during the Ancient Abyss Era: being trapped, being lost, falling from a height, being chased, and beautiful women. The first three, being related to terrain, are often formed by ferocious earth spirits, while others attach themselves to special objects.”

“My experience just now should fall into the first three categories. In other words, that city wall of Beishuo was most likely a nightmare anomaly that was slain by Yang Zun and then used as Beishuo’s city wall?”

A trace of curiosity rose in Xia Hong’s eyes. The city wall’s function was clearly not just to make people lose their way. It should also have the function of preventing others from spying, and it could even see through his Sun-Manifestation realm cultivation.

Yang Fa’s strength was inferior to his own, and he had been at least five kilometers from Beishuo City. Yang Fa definitely couldn’t have sensed him. The only explanation was that the city wall had an extremely large surveillance range, and it had detected him as he flew over, even before he landed.

“It seems that town-level encampments all have their own unique strengths. I can’t just go spying on them carelessly anymore. Given Yang Fa’s cautious nature, I’ve likely made an enemy of Beishuo. Trying to sneak in again in the future will probably be impossible. I must learn from this lesson. Otherwise, if I make too many enemies among the Nine Garrisons before I even get started, it will be even more difficult for Great Xia to expand eastward in the future.”

Xia Hong took a deep breath. Seeing the sky already starting to lighten, he continued on his way back toward Eastern Ridge.

…

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, Ninth Month, Sixteenth Day.

Lu Yang and his group all returned from Zhu Ling before dawn.

Of course, they were not the only ones who returned.

There were also Zhu Baixu, Bai Wuji, Wan Qingyu, and Nie Shen, the four political hostages.

“We can only live in the house next to the Main Building?”

“We are all Leader Lu’s disciples. We can’t even enter the Main Building?”

“Didn’t you say the treatment would be the same? Why aren’t we allowed into the Main Building?”

…

At this moment, the four political hostages, Zhu Baixu and the others, were in a room a hundred meters away from the Main Building, complaining incessantly.

All four of them were sons of Leaders and had been pampered in their original encampments. Although they were here in Eastern Ridge as political hostages, Lu Yang had given them the status of disciples and had personally promised that their cultivation resources would be the same as they had been back home.

But upon arrival, they discovered they had been arranged to live so far from the Main Building and were explicitly forbidden from entering it.

The Main Building was the most important place in any encampment, the center of power. Whether one could live in it or enter and exit freely was a symbol of status. As sons of Lords, how could the four not understand this principle? That was why they were so resentful.

“The treatment is the same. None of us can go into the Main Building either. In the entire camp, the only ones who can enter the Main Building are the Leader, the people from the eight departments, and the five hundred or so people who originally fled with him from the north.”

As the four were complaining, a voice suddenly sounded from the depths of the room. The four looked up and saw that there was another person lying on a bed inside.

“It’s not even a four-person room, it’s a five-person room!”

Zhu Baixu was on the verge of a breakdown.

Bai Wuji, however, glared fiercely at the person inside and asked sharply, “Who are you? Are you qualified to live with us?”

The person on the bed slowly stood up and walked over to the four of them.

Although he was only fourteen or fifteen, his face held a maturity that made him seem far more composed than Zhu Baixu and the others.

Looking at the four, a smile rose on his face. He cupped his hands and said, “I am your Eldest Disciple-Brother, Lu Yun. Junior brothers, I look forward to your guidance in the future!”

Eldest Disciple-Brother, Lu Yun.

Also one of Lu Yang’s disciples!

Zhu Baixu was about to continue his questioning, but unexpectedly, Lu Yun spoke first. “Since the four junior brothers have just joined, we should establish a seniority. How about we rank by age?”

Hearing that they would be ranked by age, the youngest, Wan Qingyu, immediately objected. “We’re people who live by our fists. How can we rank by age? Whoever is the strongest should be ranked higher.”

“I think we should compare height.”

Bai Wuji, who was clearly a head taller than the other three, immediately drew a barrage of criticism from them.

And Lu Yun, who had been the center of the conflict, now stood to the side, watching the four argue and jest with a smile on his face.

“Master said that whenever I can get these four to change their original temperaments within the next five years, he will give me the right to freely enter and exit the Main Building. I must do it! Only by entering the Main Building can one be considered a true member of Eastern Ridge!”

It wasn’t just Zhu Baixu and the others who cared about the Main Building. Almost all of the ten thousand-plus people in Eastern Ridge held a grudge about it.

Over the past three years, everyone could see that Lu Yang only considered those five hundred-odd people as his own. He barely paid any attention to the people who had merged from Songyuan, even distributing beast meat outside the Main Building.

Only by entering the Main Building could one be considered a true member of Eastern Ridge.

It was unknown when such a saying had started to circulate within the encampment.

“The five who came recently—Zhao Yuanshan, Xiao Yan, Luo Cheng, Luo An, and Zou Ping—were able to freely enter and exit the Main Building as soon as they arrived. I originally thought it was all due to connections, but it turns out their strength is that formidable!”

Lu Yun turned his head to look at Zhu Baixu’s group. Recalling what he had heard about last night’s martial arts competition in Zhu Ling, his pupils were filled with shock.

His own base strength was only twenty-eight thousand now, but the problem was, he was already eighteen this year. Not to mention comparing him to Luo An’s group, even compared to the four before him, his aptitude was clearly inferior.

And the five who had just arrived in Eastern Ridge last month, Zhao Yuanshan’s group, were all under fifteen, yet they were able to defeat all the geniuses from the other seven families in Beining Mountain with absolute dominance. How strong must their aptitudes be?

At this moment, Lu Yun finally understood why those five young people could freely enter and exit the Main Building.

“Master’s original encampment must have been unimaginably powerful. I heard these five also fled here later. Perhaps many experts from that encampment are still alive. In the future, Master might go back to rebuild his home. I must get stronger quickly, otherwise, when Master goes back, he definitely won’t take me with him!”

As Lu Yang’s disciple, Lu Yun’s understanding of his Master was far greater than anyone else’s in the camp, so he had long had his own plans.

Lu Yun pushed aside his thoughts and continued to patiently guide Zhu Baixu and the other three.

…

Chapter 354: Lu Yang’s Plan, A Sudden Upheaval in Xiacheng, Sumeru Nightmare, a Word from Her Highness

Only by entering the Main Building could one be considered a true member of the Eastern Ridge.

It was no wonder such a saying circulated within the Eastern Ridge outpost. A quick glance at the people coming and going from the Main Building revealed why.

They were all either at the Earthforger limit or in the Frostwarden realm. Most were clad in iron armor or returning from the outside carrying Frost Beasts. Compared to the people in other areas of the outpost, they were not only more powerful cultivators, but they also carried a palpable, murderous aura that clearly marked them as seasoned hunters.

Anyone who came over from their former settlement would gaze up at the Main Building with a hint of yearning in their eyes. Though their lives had improved immeasurably under Lu Yang’s leadership, it was a world of difference from what they had before.

But people always want to elevate their status. At present, the only way to do so in the Eastern Ridge was to earn the right to enter and exit the Main Building.

While the crowd looked at the Main Building with envy, they were unaware that their revered leader, Lu Yang, had yielded the main seat. He was now bowing respectfully, his face flushed with excitement, to another man seated there.

“This subordinate pays his respects to the Lord!”

Of course, it wasn’t just Lu Yang.

Zhao Hu, Zhu Shun, Wang Tao, Lin Fan, He Ning, and He Xing—the officials of the other Six Divisions—were also present, bowing alongside him.

He Ning and He Xing did not look excited, as they had known since last night that Xia Hong had arrived. Zhao Hu and the other three, however, were a different story. Their expressions were similar to Lu Yang’s, clearly shocked by Xia Hong’s appearance in the Eastern Ridge.

“You handled the matter at Zhu Ling well last night. Lu Yang, you’ve really grown a lot in the Eastern Ridge these three years. I’m quite surprised.”

“Thank you for your praise, my Lord!”

Realizing that Xia Hong had witnessed his actions at Zhu Ling last night, Lu Yang’s expression brightened, a surge of joy rising in his heart.

“What are your plans for the eight families of Beining Mountain? Tell me.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s question, Lu Yang pondered for a moment before cupping his fist again. “This subordinate has already used the gambling match last night to make the leaders of five families send political hostages to the Eastern Ridge. The only one left is the Yanggu camp, and Yang Quan will personally bring his youngest son, Yangshan, over tomorrow night.

“And it won’t just be these five hostages. To reduce their debts, they will send even more of their Frostwarden-realm descendants as hostages.

“With these hostages, the five families of Zhu Ling will surely behave themselves. I can then move freely and place our Great Xia people in all the camps along the Beining Mountain frontline.

“My plan is to first take control of all the camps along the mountain range. Then, using the hostages, gradually infiltrate the seven village-level camps. Ideally, I’ll forge the entire Beining Mountain frontline into an iron fortress, and then slowly extend our reach throughout the entire Jingxi Jurisdiction.

“Actually, my original plan was different. If Gu Tianxiong had remained in charge of the Jingxi Jurisdiction, I would have had to be more cautious. Gu Tianxiong is very powerful and has connections among the higher-ups in Beishuo. Dealing with him wouldn’t be easy. But now that he’s been replaced by Zhu Yang, things couldn’t be better.”

Lu Yang paused, his expression growing more excited. “Zhu Yang is old, and he isn’t very strong himself. He’s already losing his standing in Beishuo City. Dealing with him will be easy. I am confident I can take control of the entire Beining Mountain frontline in less than a year.

“As for whether to quickly infiltrate the Jingxi Jurisdiction after that, it will depend on when you, my Lord, intend to make a move on Beishuo!”

As he said this, Lu Yang looked at Xia Hong, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

He hadn’t forgotten that the core reason he established an outpost in the Eastern Ridge was to pave the way for Great Xia’s eastward expansion.

“No, no, no, no…”

Upon hearing the words “make a move on Beishuo,” Xia Hong immediately waved his hands in dismissal. Noticing that not just Lu Yang, but Zhao Hu and the other six behind him, all looked excited, he shook his head with a light chuckle.

“I just returned from Beishuo City, and I’ve already clashed with Yang Fa. The situation with the Nine Garrisons is far more complex than we imagined. You’ve spent the last three years gaining firsthand knowledge, so you should understand more than I do. The Nine Garrisons are intertwined in such a way that one move affects the entire board. Other methods are useless unless we can sweep through them with the force of a thunderbolt. But Great Xia clearly doesn’t have that kind of strength yet.

“If we attack rashly and suffer a setback, we’ll put the Nine Garrisons on alert. It would be difficult for Great Xia to get another chance for an eastward expansion.

“We have two routes for our expansion: north and south.

“On the southern route, if Dajue Temple wasn’t in the way, Xu Ning should have been able to make contact with the Jiangxia Garrison. Once I return to Xiacheng and resolve the silver mine issue, I’ll personally go to Wuyuan to see what the situation with Dajue Temple is.

“For now, the northern route will depend on your own efforts here in the Eastern Ridge. It may not be needed in the short term, but it will definitely play a massive role in the future. Everything rests on your shoulders!”

“I, Lu Yang, will lead the Eastern Ridge with all my strength to pave the way for Great Xia’s eastward expansion and establish a strong forward base. I will not disappoint you, my Lord!”

Lu Yang nodded with a solemn expression. Behind him, Zhu Shun, Wang Tao, and the others also declared in low, serious tones, “We will do our utmost to serve the Lord!”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, recalling his brief clash with Yang Fa outside Beishuo City, and added another warning, “That Yang Fa is not simple. Your plan to control the Beining Mountain frontline must be kept secret. Once it’s discovered, it will surely put Beishuo on guard. I don’t need you to be fast, I only need you to be steady and maintain that hidden tunnel.”

At the mention of Yang Fa, Lu Yang nodded gravely. He had been to Beishuo City several times and had indeed heard many stories about him.

Just as Xia Hong was about to get up, he suddenly remembered something. A hint of curiosity appeared on his face as he smiled and asked Lu Yang, “That He Wuyang, you must have some leverage on him, right?”

Xia Hong had personally witnessed the scene last night where He Wuyang was furiously scolded.

He Wuyang’s strength was indeed inferior to Lu Yang and the others, but he was still a man from the Beishuo Inspectorate. Even if he was weaker than Lu Yang, he shouldn’t have been so thoroughly berated that he couldn’t even speak.

In fact, under normal circumstances, Lu Yang’s act of scolding a Beishuo Inspector was a blatant act of insubordination. It undermined Beishuo’s authority. If He Wuyang reported it to the Inspectorate, Lu Yang would be lucky to escape with his life.

The only explanation was that Lu Yang had something on him.

And the truth was just as Xia Hong suspected.

Lu Yang chuckled. “That He Wuyang got too audacious. The year before last, he conspired with a giant camp along the Beining Mountain frontline to secretly plunder the Meishan Silver Mine, the largest in Jingxi territory. All in all, they dug up one million four hundred and seventy thousand catties. When the scandal was about to break, he even sent men to silence the witnesses.

“Unfortunately for him, the men he sent were sloppy. Plus, Zhao Hu and I acted quickly and managed to rescue the leader of that camp and some of his people. They’re all recovering at the Eastern Ridge outpost right now.

“The account books for the illegal mining, along with the letters between him and the two managers of the Meishan Silver Mine, are all in my hands now. Naturally, he wouldn’t dare to offend me.

“For the past two years, Zhu Tong thought I was acting so brazenly because I had gotten on Gu Tianxiong’s good side. He never would have guessed that I had such a huge piece of leverage on He Wuyang, haha.”

Towards the end, Lu Yang became rather pleased with himself and started to laugh.

“One million four hundred seventy thousand catties… He Wuyang and two silver mine managers wouldn’t have the guts for that, would they? There must be others from Beishuo City involved, right?”

Xia Hong’s sharp senses detected something amiss. He asked softly, and seeing Lu Yang nod, he knew the man had it under control and didn’t press further.

“Alright, you all carry on with your work. I’m heading back to Xiacheng now!”

Hearing that Xia Hong was leaving, Lu Yang quickly stood up, walked to the center of the main hall, and opened the entrance to the tunnel.

The hidden tunnel of the Eastern Ridge was of utmost importance, so naturally, he had placed it in the safest possible location. And what place in the entire Eastern Ridge outpost was safer than this main hall?

Xia Hong looked at the tunnel entrance and shook his head. “I won’t be taking the hidden tunnel. This place is within Beining Mountain’s territory. I’ll walk south for a bit and check out the area directly above Double Dragon Valley. From there, it’s a straight drop down to Xiacheng. Much faster.”

Hearing this, Lu Yang remembered that Xia Hong was now capable of Aerial flight, unlike ordinary mortals like them. He nodded immediately and, along with the other six, respectfully saw Xia Hong off.

Xia Hong stepped out of the hall and waved for them not to follow, then flew straight towards the depths of Beining Mountain to the south.

The Eastern Ridge was located fifteen kilometers deep on the northern side of Beining Mountain, and only about twenty kilometers from the western cliff face of Double Dragon Mountain. After flying south for a while, Xia Hong changed course to the west, flying all the way to the cliffs of Double Dragon Mountain.

The cliffs of Double Dragon Mountain were all over two thousand meters high. Looking up from below, they didn’t seem so tall, but looking down from the precipice now was a completely different experience.

Clouds were where snowflakes were born, and vast, deep cloud layers were the ideal condition for widespread snowfall. In a place of extreme cold like the Ice Abyss, where it snowed year-round, the thickness of the cloud layer was far beyond what a normal person could imagine.

Xia Hong was standing on the edge of the cliff, the clouds just below his feet. He could even clearly feel the extremely low temperature within them.

The cloud layer was so thick it had taken on a grayish hue, much like the ground of the snow plains, creating the illusion that one could step right onto it.

Xia Hong looked down at the clouds for a moment, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

“Double Dragon Valley, where Great Xia is located, corresponds to the area directly above the cliffs, which should be the very center of Beining Mountain. That’s almost the deepest part of the mountain. Just taking a look shouldn’t be a problem.”

There was another reason Xia Hong wanted to check out that spot. Loud roars were often heard in Xiacheng coming from above the cliffs, and he wanted to find out what was causing them.

If it was some powerful Frost Beast, they would need to prepare in advance. After all, Xiacheng was right below. It would be disastrous if a Frost Beast fell off the cliff one day.

Xia Hong stopped flying through the air and landed on the ground, speeding south along the edge of the western cliff.

There were quite a few avian Frost Beasts in this part of Beining Mountain, including some formidable Beast King-level raptors. Flying rashly in the sky would attract unnecessary trouble. Besides, this was too deep into the mountains; who knew if an even stronger Frost Beast might appear?

The north-south span of Beining Mountain was over one hundred fifty kilometers, making the midway point seventy-five kilometers. Adding the fifteen-kilometer depth of the Eastern Ridge, he only needed to travel sixty kilometers south to arrive at his destination.

“The density of high-level Frost Beasts is quite high, and there are Beast Kings too, but they’re all at least five or six kilometers from the cliff. Even if a fight broke out, the sound shouldn’t carry down below. So where are the roars Xiacheng hears coming from?”

Xia Hong sensed the distribution of Frost Beasts in the area near the cliff. After a moment of contemplation, he turned and looked at the cloud layer beneath the western cliff face.

Could it be avian Frost Beasts living between the cliffs?

His expression grew serious. In the end, without hesitation, his body slowly rose into the air, and he leaped toward the clouds, beginning a slow descent.

Whoosh…

The moment his body entered the cloud layer, a bone-chilling cold invaded him. Without a shred of hesitation, Xia Hong immediately mobilized the power in his bone marrow, raising his body temperature while rapidly vaporizing the surrounding clouds.

“This level of cold… even someone in the Frostwarden realm probably couldn’t withstand it. I used to think that breaking through to the Frostwarden realm would be enough to climb up the cliff face. It seems I was too naive. Forget climbing up; if a Frostwarden expert jumped down from this cliff, they’d probably be frozen into a block of ice before they even hit the ground.”

A grave look flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes. He had originally wanted to see if any avian Frost Beasts were living in the crevices of the cliff, but after feeling this terrifyingly low temperature, he immediately dismissed his own guess.

At this temperature, even a Beast King-level Frost Beast could only barely survive. What Frost Beast would be foolish enough to choose such a place to live?

“It seems I can’t find the cause. Forget it, I’ll head back to Xiacheng first.”

Xia Hong shook his head slightly and increased his speed of descent. The cliff was only about two thousand meters high, and he soon saw the outline of Xiacheng from high in the sky.

Thump… Thump… Thump…

However, the closer he got to Xiacheng, the faster his heart began to beat for some unknown reason. When he was less than a kilometer from the ground, the acrid smell of smoke hit his nostrils. He focused his gaze downwards, and his expression changed in an instant.

Boom… Boom…

Xiacheng, nestled at the foot of the cliff, was on fire.

Not in one or two places, but in hundreds.

Thick black smoke billowed over the entire city. He couldn’t see anything on the ground clearly; he could only sense the smell of the smoke.

“What’s going on? Xiacheng is under attack!”

Xia Hong’s face contorted as he plummeted downwards.

“ROAR—”

When he was still several hundred meters from the ground, the roar of a Frost Beast, powerful enough to shake his very soul, suddenly reached his ears, causing his expression to freeze.

“Help, help…”

“Where is the Lord? Someone, come and save us.”

“How could there be such a huge Beast Tide? How, how!”

“Save my child, I’m begging you, he was snatched away by a Frost Beast.”

“Everyone, retreat to the Inner City! Quickly, retreat to the Inner City!”

“The Dragon Martial, Cloud Serpent, and Dragon Slaying Armies, go to the Stargazer Hall! Protect Her Ladyship and the two Highnesses! Quickly, quickly!”

“Director, we can’t hold on! The Inner City has fallen too! It’s full of Frost Beasts, nothing but Frost Beasts! So many Beast Kings!”

“Even if you can’t hold on, you must! No harm must come to Her Ladyship and Their Highnesses! Go!”

“Put out the fire! Quickly, extinguish the fire in the Yang Ruins Cauldron! The Frost Beasts are all heading for the Main Building and the Council Hall! Stargazer Hall is right behind it!”

…

Bang!

Bursting through the thick smoke from the sky, Xia Hong’s face was crimson, his pupils instantly bloodshot. He drew the Dragon Sparrow Saber from his waist and, in a flash, slew two high-level white luans in mid-air. Seeing the city filled with smoke and corpses, his mind went completely blank. He roared in fury while frantically slaughtering the Frost Beasts before him, charging madly towards the Inner City.

“What’s happening? How could there be a Beast Tide? Where did this Beast Tide come from!”

The entire city of Xiacheng had been overrun by a dense horde of Frost Beasts!

The eight districts of the Outer City had already become a sea of blood and bodies. Frost Beasts were feasting among the scattered limbs and severed torsos. With just a fleeting glance, Xia Hong spotted at least several hundred Beast Kings, over ten thousand high-level Frost Beasts, and countless more mid and low-level ones. They filled nearly every corner of Xiacheng.

He could barely see any living people left in the Outer City.

“The Inner City, the Inner City! They’ve all retreated to the Inner City! There’s still hope!”

Xia Hong’s face was a mask of panic. The destruction of Xiacheng, a city he had painstakingly built for nearly ten years, was already making his heart bleed. If his wife, children, and relatives in the Inner City also met with disaster, he didn’t know if he would have the courage to continue surviving in this icy purgatory.

Bang!

Xia Hong unleashed his full power. A thousand-zhang, dark-red skeletal phantom exploded into existence behind him. In coordination with his forward charge, it swept through the surrounding high-level and even Beast King-level foes, allowing him to charge straight into the Inner City.

“The Lord is back! The Lord is back!”

“My Lord, help! Stargazer Hall has been breached!”

“There are too many, too many Frost Beasts! How can there be so many!”

…

As expected, a portion of the people in the Inner City were still alive, but they were all clustered around the collapsed Stargazer Hall. The Dragon Martial, Cloud Serpent, Dragon Slaying, and even the other four armies had all returned.

But now, not even a tenth of the grand army remained. Many soldiers, led by Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao, were still desperately resisting the endless wave of Frost Beasts charging at them.

And there was Li Xuanling. Wielding the Tianhua Sword, she was hysterically charging into the beast horde to the left. Seeing Xia Hong arrive, she immediately cried out for help.

“Xia Hong, quick, save Yu Yao! She was taken by that Frost Beast!”

Hearing Li Xuanling’s voice, Xia Hong, who was about to reach Stargazer Hall, quickly looked up towards the beast horde on the left.

At that sight, his eyes instantly became bloodshot, and his entire aura seemed to wilt.

At the very back of the left-flank beast horde, his eldest daughter, Yu Yao, was being held in the mouth of a Flint Tiger that was no more than half a meter long. The Flint Tiger was pitifully small, even smaller than a Beast King, but its stark black-and-white pupils and its fur, as translucent and sparkling as rubies, proved its strength was likely far beyond that of a simple Beast King.

“I’ll slaughter you, you wretched creature!”

Xia Hong roared hysterically, his reaction even more violent than Li Xuanling’s.

Because both of his eldest daughter Yu Yao’s arms had already been bitten off by that Flint Tiger. She was wailing in agony.

As a father, witnessing his own daughter being harmed so brutally, how could Xia Hong possibly remain calm? His eyes were crimson, all reason gone. He raised his saber and charged straight into the beast horde.

Frost Wolves, Snow Manes, Demonic Sheep, Frost-Lightning Apes, Hyena-spotted Tigers, Blue Moon Spirits, Cloud-Mist Soaring Flood Dragons, Golden-armored Thunder Kuis… In an instant, dozens of Beast King-level Frost Beasts of more than ten different species surrounded Xia Hong.

ROAR…

A Beast King-level Demonic Sheep was different from high-level ones. Its body was covered with tens of thousands of eyeballs, shooting out golden rays with practically no blind spots, each carrying an unstoppable sharpness.

The Beast King-level Snow Manes were the same. The hundreds of icy, long tongues darting from their mouths created a curtain of cold blades, blocking Xia Hong from advancing while constantly looking for an opening to strike.

The remaining Frost-Lightning Apes, Hyena-spotted Tigers, Blue Moon Spirits, Cloud-Mist Soaring Flood Dragons, and Golden-armored Thunder Kuis… all these Beast King-level monsters used their signature abilities to entangle Xia Hong, pinning him down and preventing him from getting anywhere near the Flint Tiger.

“Waaah… waah… Daddy… save me…”

Having cried herself to the point of collapse, the nearly unconscious Xia Yuyao finally saw her father approaching. Her cries became even more shrill and pained.

The more she cried, the more Xia Hong’s heart twisted in agony.

CRACK…

“WAAAH…”

The Flint Tiger opened its mouth again and bit off both of Xia Yuyao’s legs.

“AHHH!!!”

Xia Hong’s expression was now bordering on madness. The thousand-zhang phantom behind him flickered unsteadily, a clear sign of the immense turmoil in his mind. But the Beast Kings surrounding him were simply too numerous.

He couldn’t take a single step forward, not even by risking injury.

“Xuanling, Xia Chuan, come help me!”

Seeing his eldest daughter on the verge of death, Xia Hong finally couldn’t help but call out to Li Xuanling and Xia Chuan behind him.

Li Xuanling’s strength was second only to his own, and Xia Chuan was one of the strongest among the rest. He had no other choice but to call on them.

The two of them immediately charged towards Xia Hong upon hearing his call. Since all the surrounding Beast Kings were focused on Xia Hong, they reached him quickly.

“Big Brother, give up. We can’t save Yu Yao.”

“Husband, I…”

Compared to Xia Chuan’s composure, Li Xuanling was clearly much more conflicted. On one hand, she knew her eldest daughter couldn’t be saved. But as a mother, how could she possibly bring herself to admit she was giving up on her child?

So she could only weep silently, looking at Xia Hong with a face full of guilt.

“This Beast Tide… how did it start?”

Xia Chuan was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting Xia Hong to ask about the cause of the beast tide at a time like this. But he quickly began to answer, “It was—”

Splurch!

Xia Chuan had only uttered a single word before Xia Hong’s Dragon Sparrow Saber plunged straight into the space between his eyebrows. The look of shock and disbelief had not yet faded from his face when Xia Hong pulled the saber out and beheaded Li Xuanling on the other side.

Crack!

“Big Brother, you…”

“Husband.”

Sizzle…

“Still acting? The cat’s out of the bag. Drop the pretense!”

The hysterical expression on Xia Hong’s face vanished the moment he killed Xia Chuan and Li Xuanling. As flames ignited with a sizzle on their foreheads and necks, Xia Hong sneered, his face filled with mockery.

BOOM…

“Ahhh… How did you find out? How is this possible?”

As the flames exploded, the bodies of Li Xuanling and Xia Chuan suddenly dissipated, transforming into a black cloud that flew into the sky. A scream of extreme pain and a roar of rage came from within the black smoke, followed by a question laced with disbelief.

Xia Hong sneered and pulled a silver-black jade stone from his robes. The jade was emitting an intense heat, its color nearing crimson.

“I found out long ago. I sensed something spying on me back at the cliff’s edge. This Anomaly-warding Jade’s reaction was so strong, I guessed you were hiding in the clouds, waiting to make your move when I descended. I didn’t expect you to take the act this far.”

Whoosh…

After Xia Hong spoke, a faint light flashed in his left eye. The scene of a smoke-filled Xiacheng instantly shattered like glass. The corpses on the ground, the buildings throughout the city, and all the people and things within it dissolved into wisps of thick white mist.

To be more precise, it was white clouds.

Within the entire scene, the only things that remained unchanged were the Frost Beasts that had been besieging him and the black cloud in the sky that had just spoken.

Of course, the Flint Tiger at the back, and the Xia Yuyao it held in its mouth, had also vanished.

“Kekekekeke… So what if you saw through it? You’ve fallen into my Sumeru Space. You can’t escape! With so many Frost Beasts, I refuse to believe you can kill them all by yourself! Kekekekeke…”

ROAR…

Hundreds of Beast King-level Frost Beasts, accompanied by the anomaly’s morbid cackles from the black cloud, let out terrifying roars and charged madly towards Xia Hong.

Xia Hong’s expression changed slightly. He had spoken with ease, but the desperate battle he’d just fought against the Frost Beasts was no illusion. From the moment he saw the smoke rising from Xiacheng from the sky, he had realized the entire scene was a fabrication by the anomaly.

The problem was, even with his Eye of Scrutiny, he couldn’t find a way out of this space. Left with no choice, he had played along with the anomaly’s act.

To him, everyone looked like a wisp of white mist, except for Li Xuanling and Xia Chuan, who were formed from black smoke. He immediately realized the key lay with them, which was why he had deliberately feigned hysteria, creating an opportunity for the anomaly-formed pair to come over and “help.” Then, he struck out suddenly, hoping to kill the anomaly in one blow with his Dragon Sparrow Saber, which was coated in Congealing Fire Salve.

But clearly, he had underestimated this anomaly.

The Congealing Fire Salve could only wound it, not kill it!

“There’s no way I can kill all these Frost Beasts. In the end, I’ll either be killed or die of exhaustion. The Anomaly-warding Jade is ineffective, the Yang Ruins Cauldron isn’t here, and the Congealing Fire Salve can only injure, not kill. The only thing I can rely on is the Eye of Scrutiny…”

Xia Hong flew about, dodging the attacks of the Frost Beasts, his left eye constantly searching for a flaw in his surroundings.

The Sumeru Space isn’t a normal world.

Where is the exit? Where could it be!

As the number of Frost Beasts grew, Xia Hong became increasingly agitated. But after searching for a long time, he still couldn’t find an exit. Finally, as if by a stroke of fate, his gaze landed on the black cloud in the sky.

Sure enough, the moment his eyes lifted, the black cloud immediately fled backwards.

“There’s a gap! The exit is on its main body!”

Xia Hong spotted the fissure in the center of the black cloud at a glance. Small flames were still burning on either side of it, clearly caused by the Congealing Fire Salve.

Without hesitation, he shot after the black cloud.

This Sumeru Space was filled entirely with clouds, surrounded by chaos. It wasn’t very large. The black cloud had only fled for a short while before it started running in circles.

Xia Hong was incredibly fast. Dodging the pursuing Frost Beasts behind him, he soon caught up to the black cloud. Seizing an opportunity, he thrust his Congealing Fire Salve-coated Dragon Sparrow Saber straight into it.

But unlike before, the moment the Dragon Sparrow Saber pierced it, the black cloud instantly dispersed in all directions before retreating over a hundred meters and reforming.

“Kekekekeke, I’ve already been tricked once. Don’t even think about hurting me now…”

“Is that so!”

Swoosh…

The reformed black cloud had barely cackled twice when a divine light, as bright as day, shot out from Xia Hong’s left eye and struck it directly.

Ting…

The moment the divine light hit the black cloud, just like every other time Xia Hong had used it against an enemy, the spot it struck shattered like glass. A cracking sound echoed as spiderweb-like fissures rapidly spread.

“What is this… What is this… The Yin-Yang Mirror! How do you have the Yin-Yang Mirror?! Ah… AHH…”

Another anomaly that could recognize the Yin-Yang Mirror had appeared!

Xia Hong’s gaze hardened as he watched the black cloud split its body, abandoning the cracking part and retreating backward.

After the cracked portion of the black cloud completely dissipated, it left behind a distorted spatial rift.

Xia Hong had no time to wonder if it was truly an exit. Seeing the horde of Frost Beasts behind him growing ever larger, he gritted his teeth and charged straight into the rift.

…

In the Arrow Bamboo Forest, near the eastern cliff face.

A battered figure suddenly fell from between the clouds.

“This is… the Arrow Bamboo Forest!”

Xia Hong turned his head to look at the vast bamboo forest to the west, a look of slight bewilderment on his face.

But soon, remembering the massive number of Frost Beasts in the Sumeru Space, he turned his head and stared further west of the Arrow Bamboo Forest. Realization dawned on him instantly.

“The Frost Beasts that rush into the Arrow Bamboo Forest during the beast tide every year… they’ve all been collected by that black cloud anomaly. The Sumeru Space… is the entrance and exit to the Sumeru Space the cloud layer up there?”

Xia Hong looked up at the white clouds above the cliff. Many questions that had puzzled him before were instantly answered.

“The Sumeru Space… I was caught when I was descending. It was like getting lost and stumbling into another world. So that black cloud should be considered a Nightmare Anomaly. Since it’s a Sumeru Space, for now, I’ll just call it the Sumeru Anomaly!”

No wonder the Nine Garrisons were unable to cross the cliffs of Double Dragon Mountain and descend into the valley world.

He had been puzzled before. The Nine Garrisons were stronger than Great Xia; it didn’t make sense that a two-thousand-meter cliff could stop them.

Xia Hong had always suspected that perhaps the Nine Garrisons had known about Great Xia all along and had been secretly watching for a long time.

But judging from the reactions of Zhu Yang and Yang Fa when they saw him, he could basically conclude that this suspicion was unfounded.

The moment those two confirmed he wasn’t from one of the other eight garrisons, their subsequent reactions clearly indicated they were certain he came from the north.

In other words, they truly knew nothing about the world west of the Double Dragon Mountain cliffs.

The information Lu Yang had gathered through discreet inquiries in Beishuo over the past three years also seemed to confirm this. The entire Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao was essentially clueless about the valley world to the west of Double Dragon Mountain.

If this Sumeru Anomaly was blocking the way, then it all made sense.

Not everyone possessed a Yin-Yang Mirror. Even he had nearly fallen for its trap. If anyone else, even a Sun-Manifestation realm expert, tried to come down, they would almost certainly die.

“Flying up along the cliff is fine. Going up and down through the hidden tunnel inside the mountain like Hanqiong is also fine. Only jumping down through the cloud layer triggers the trap. It really rings true to the old saying, ‘going up the mountain is easy, but coming down is hard.’ This Sumeru Anomaly is practically a natural divine artifact of isolation!”

In an instant, Xia Hong’s eyes lit up.

Putting aside the anomaly’s isolating effect, the vast Sumeru Space alone was tempting enough. It was an alternate dimension completely cut off from the outside world!

Just imagine, if he could take control of this space, wouldn’t Great Xia have a safe zone completely isolated from the outside world in the future?

“Calm down, calm down. Hundreds of Beast Kings… just that alone is something I can’t handle right now. That Sumeru Anomaly misjudged my strength this time. If it had sent all the Frost Beasts to attack me from the start, the outcome would have been uncertain. I can’t make a move on it until I’m strong enough.”

The Sumeru Anomaly hadn’t proactively come down to cause trouble for Great Xia. Letting it stay above the cliffs, even if only to block the Nine Garrisons’ prying eyes, was extremely beneficial for Great Xia. There was no need to rush to deal with it.

Xia Hong took a deep breath and looked toward the Arrow Bamboo Forest, lost in thought.

“But I can’t let the Sumeru Anomaly continue to collect these Frost Beasts. Hundreds of Beast Kings is already terrifying enough. If I let it continue, who knows what kind of monster it will cultivate in the end.”

It just so happened that last time, Xia Chuan had already tested things with the six armies. Dealing with the beast tide that occurred in the Arrow Bamboo Forest every four months wasn’t a big problem.

In that case, from now on, they would have to manage the beast tides.

This matter would only be truly over when they found out why those Frost Beasts were escaping from Redwood Ridge.

“It’s the twelfth of the ninth month. The armies will rest in Jing Valley for another two days, and then they’ll set off for Longshan. I should head back to Xiacheng to prepare as well.”

On the night of the ninth, he had ordered the six armies to rest in Jing Valley for five days, after which Yuwen Tao would lead them to Longshan. The time was about right.

This trip to Longshan was for the silver mine. After the fight in the Sumeru Space, Xia Hong naturally felt no pressure about dealing with the few Beast Kings occupying the silver mine.

Still, he wanted to go back to Xiacheng first to see his son and daughter.

The illusion created by the Sumeru Anomaly had been truly unsettling.

…

Great Xia Inner City, top floor of the Main Building, Council Hall.

A heated argument was taking place in the grand hall.

The two people arguing were Meng Yi, Armament Master of the Longshan Logistics Division and captain of the Xiongwu Squad, and Hou Jing, Vice-Prefect of the Hunting Department and captain of the Northern Zhao Squad.

“Vice-Prefect Hou, the Northern Zhao Squad has only been established for a little over four years. I admit you’re quite strong, but it’s also a fact that you’re new to Great Xia. The Tenth Army shouldn’t be your turn.”

“Armament Master Meng, you’re mistaken. Since we’re forming an army to strengthen the camp’s combat power, strength should be the deciding factor. My Northern Zhao Squad currently has twenty-eight Frostwarden-realm members. Even if Hou Tong takes twenty to form the army, we’ll still have eight left. Right now, among all the high-level hunting teams in the camp, none is more suitable than Northern Zhao to establish the Tenth Army.”

“My Xiongwu Squad’s strength is nothing to scoff at either. We have twenty-five Frostwarden-realm members at present. More importantly, we were one of the first hunting squads established after the reforms of the Six Departments in the first year of Great Xia. We have been around for over six years. In terms of seniority, Vice-Prefect Hou should be ranked behind us.”

“That’s not how it works, Armament Master Meng. I have been loyal to the Lord ever since I joined the camp in the second year of Great Xia. Although the Northern Zhao Squad hasn’t been around as long as the Xiongwu Squad, our contributions to Great Xia have not been small. The silver mine in the Beilang Mountains, the two Frost Apple Trees…”

“No, no…”

Standing in the middle, Xia Chuan listened to their argument, shaking his head incessantly.

Three days ago, upon returning to Xiacheng, he had immediately notified the Department of Military Affairs to issue a notice about the preparation to establish three new armies.

There were far too many people in Great Xia waiting to form an army.

According to Xia Hong’s original rule, any high-level hunting team was qualified. If they still went by that, there would be at least seven hundred qualified squads now.

So the rule had been raised a level: the number of Frostwarden-realm members in a hunting team had to exceed twenty.

Even with such a threshold, there were still many who qualified.

Fortunately, many squads knew their place and understood it wasn’t their turn yet, so they didn’t come forward to make a fruitless attempt.

The spots for the Eighth and Ninth Armies had been decided yesterday. They were given to Zhao Long and Yue Feng, respectively. The Falcon and Shanhe armies had already begun the process of selecting soldiers.

What was giving Xia Chuan a headache now was who should lead the Tenth Army.

Both Meng Yi and Hou Tong were interested. From a strength perspective, the Northern Zhao Squad should be chosen. But from an emotional and seniority standpoint, Meng Yi’s Xiongwu Squad was clearly more deserving.

After Hou Jing was promoted to Vice-Prefect of the Hunting Department, he had passed the captaincy of the Northern Zhao Squad to Hou Tong, who was now the strongest in the Hou family after him.

Hou Tong was standing behind Hou Jing now. He probably knew he didn’t have enough clout to speak, so he had specially sought out Hou Jing to plead his case.

Xia Chuan could roughly understand Hou Jing’s thinking. Last year, under the joint efforts of Li Tiancheng and Li Xuanling, the Longyuan Squad had snatched the Seventh Army spot before Zhao Long. Since the Longshan group had formed an army, Zhaoyang naturally couldn’t fall behind.

Meng Yi’s case was even simpler. Among the Jing Valley group, Yuwen Tao, Hong Guang, and Hong Tian had all formed armies. Only he and Zhu Yuan were left. Zhu Yuan was now the Department Head of Civil Affairs and didn’t seem to have much desire to form an army. So, when all was said and done, he was the only one left, and he naturally didn’t want to be left behind.

The two continued to argue, and Xia Chuan, unable to make a decision for a long time, grew annoyed with listening. He simply turned around and faced the back of the hall.

But not long after turning, a smile appeared on his face. He looked towards the high platform of the hall, behind the golden throne, and suddenly winked.

“Heeheehee…”

As soon as Xia Chuan winked, an innocent giggle came from behind the throne.

A little girl of four or five suddenly jumped out from behind the seat.

There were three water-blue sacred sigils on her forehead. She wore a small, silver Xuan Luan Crown. Just from the silver butterfly-shaped ornaments hanging from the sides, one could tell how exquisitely crafted the crown was.

The little girl wore a tiny, pure white dress. The seams were all stitched with silver thread, and two delicate red luan birds were embroidered on the hem. Though small, the outfit exuded luxury and nobility.

“Oh! Second Uncle found me! Second Uncle found me…”

The little girl was quite a character. After jumping out, she immediately covered her face and then pretended that Xia Chuan had just discovered her, shaking her head and squealing.

“Hahaha, it’s broad daylight. You snuck out of Stargazer Hall wearing that black feather cloak. If your mother finds out later, she’ll punish you again.”

Seeing his niece being so mischievous, Xia Chuan couldn’t help but laugh as he walked over and picked her up.

Noticing the small black cloak casually tossed on the floor behind the throne, Xia Chuan shook his head slightly, bent down, and picked it up.

“Many people in the camp couldn’t get a cloak like this even if they begged for it, yet you just toss it on the floor. You’ll regret it when your mother confiscates it.”

Xia Chuan’s two mentions of her mother clearly displeased Xia Yuyao. She turned her head away with a huff. Then, her eyes darted around before she turned back and said:

“Second Uncle, I just missed Daddy. I came to see if he was here. If he’s not, I’ll go back. You can’t tell Mother.”

Xia Chuan chuckled, deliberately feigning hesitation. Seeing Xia Yuyao looking at him with an expectant expression, he finally couldn’t help but smile and nod in agreement.

“Heeheehee, Yu Yao knew Second Uncle is the best.”

Xia Yuyao immediately broke into a smile. She then turned to look down at the two men who had been arguing in the hall, a hint of curiosity on her face.

She had spent most of her life in Stargazer Hall. Although she could now sneak over to the Main Building, her range of activity was mostly limited to the Council Hall, so she hadn’t met many strangers.

She had her maternal grandfather as a template for someone of Hou Jing’s age, but as for a middle-aged man like Meng Yi, this was the first time she had seen one.

“Hou Jing pays his respects to the Eldest Highness!”

“Meng Yi pays his respects to the Eldest Highness!”

Seeing Xia Yuyao’s gaze turn towards them, the two men below hurriedly bowed.

Witnessing this, Xia Chuan suddenly felt playful. He smiled and asked his niece in his arms, “You’ve been eavesdropping back there for so long. Who do you think should get the spot for the Tenth Army?”

Hearing this, both Hou Jing and Meng Yi instantly grew nervous.

They both knew in their hearts that it was precisely because their advantages were so similar that Xia Chuan was having trouble deciding. By posing the question to Xia Yuyao now, he was clearly planning to leave it to fate.

Since Xia Yuyao’s decision would be random, there was nothing fair or unfair about it. Naturally, neither of them would, nor could they, blame her.

With this in mind, both men quickly looked up and simultaneously squeezed out what they believed to be their kindest smiles for Xia Yuyao.

“Ew…”

Hearing Xia Yuyao’s sound of disgust, Xia Chuan almost burst out laughing. But he managed to hold it in and said nothing, simply waiting for his niece’s answer.

“Second Uncle, since they both want to form an army so badly, why not just make an Eleventh Army? If they both get one, they won’t fight anymore.”

Given Xia Yuyao’s current range of activity and knowledge, Xia Chuan strongly suspected she probably didn’t understand what the “Tenth Army” even meant.

And without understanding, she had suggested creating another new army.

Xia Chuan’s expression grew thoughtful. Recalling what Xia Hong had said during the discussion in Jing Valley three days ago, he immediately made a decision.

“Alright, Second Uncle will listen to Yu Yao. We’ll create an Eleventh Army!”

Hearing this, the faces of Meng Yi and Hou Jing below were instantly filled with joy.

Her Highness’s golden word was truly something else!

With a single sentence, she had made the Director add another army.

The two men sighed inwardly, unable to stop themselves from casting grateful glances at Xia Yuyao.

Of course, Xia Yuyao didn’t see their looks.

Because she was already being bundled into her small cloak by the arriving Mingyue and other maids, and hurriedly taken back to Stargazer Hall.

Chapter 355: No Need to Rush a Breakthrough, A Tender Moment, and a Stubborn Little One

“The Xiongwu Army and the Northern Zhao Army… very well. Expanding by one more army is fine!”

Less than half an hour after Xia Yuyao was carried away, Xia Hong returned to Xiacheng.

Inside the Council Hall, upon hearing Xia Chuan explain that Xia Yuyao had ultimately helped him solve the difficult problem of who to give the new army designation to, Xia Hong shook his head with a light laugh, not taking it seriously in his heart.

However, thinking that the Great Xia now had eleven armies and that the pace of expansion would inevitably accelerate in the foreseeable future, Xia Hong thought to himself, “I need to remind Yuwen Tao that the Department of Military Affairs has to start designing other methods for troop augmentation.”

The structure of one-thousand-man armies was designed for a situation where the number of warriors at the Earthforger limit was insufficient. As the population at that level grew, they could no longer rigidly adhere to this rule.

They were about to make contact with the Nine Garrisons, so they should also begin preparing designations for several larger-scale armies. Large-scale legionary warfare was a completely different concept from small-unit combat. From soldiers to generals, everyone would need a great deal of time to adapt and practice.

But this matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Department of Military Affairs, so he needed to speak with Yuwen Tao about it. Since he was going to Longshan in two days anyway, Xia Hong wasn’t in a rush to discuss it with Xia Chuan. Instead, his expression grew grave as he brought up the matter of the Sumeru Anomaly.

“The Sumeru Anomaly, you can go up but not down, all the Frost Beasts from the Arrow Bamboo Forest are there…”

Upon hearing of Xia Hong’s thrilling experience, Xia Chuan’s face was filled with astonishment, and his heart pounded with horror. But he quickly regained his composure and said in a deep, swift voice, “Then we must immediately send someone to inform Lu Yang and the others. From now on, no one can come directly down the mountain cliff; they must use the hidden tunnel. Also, the hunting teams can no longer casually venture to the eastern end of the Arrow Bamboo Forest. Even Big Brother fell into its trap. Anyone else who encounters it will undoubtedly die.”

This was precisely why Xia Hong had rushed back. Seeing that Xia Chuan had grasped the situation so quickly, a trace of satisfaction appeared on his face. Then, something occurred to him. He studied Xia Chuan for a moment and smiled, “Twenty-seven Manes. I remember you broke through to the late-Frostwarden realm in early June, right? To increase your strength by nearly three Manes in just over three months… not bad!”

At the mention of his cultivation, a smile first surfaced on Xia Chuan’s face, but he quickly shook his head. “Big Brother praises me too soon. I can feel it. After breaking through to the late-Frostwarden realm, my cultivation speed has been dropping rapidly. Based on my progress in the Martial Arts Pavilion at the beginning of September, I’d say it will take at least two years to reach the peak-Frostwarden realm.”

Two years might not even be enough!

Having been through it himself, Xia Hong immediately shook his head upon hearing Xia Chuan’s prediction.

In the late-Frostwarden realm, one’s cultivation speed would only get slower and slower, and the demand for pills would increase. Xia Chuan’s current speed was already fast compared to his own back when he was at that stage.

It was to be expected, though. Xia Chuan started with a six-Mane battle physique, which was a step below his own, so his progress in the Frostwarden realm was naturally a bit faster.

“It’s a pity the Lotus Platform can’t be used by others. If it could, both Xuan Ling and Xia Chuan’s cultivation speeds could be even faster.”

Xia Hong shook his head, thinking himself a bit too greedy.

The triple cultivation boost from the Martial Arts Pavilion was already a crushing advantage over the other camps in the Ice Abyss. If the fivefold boost from the Lotus Platform could also be freely used by others, it would indeed be too much.

The Lotus Platform was different from the main building; it clearly had some special connection to him, its host. Moreover, the resources it consumed during use could only be deducted from the system and not replaced with physical resources. This was likely the reason others couldn’t use it.

Seeing Xia Chuan’s knitted brow, Xia Hong knew he was eager to increase his strength and immediately shook his head. “There’s no need to be anxious. The slower you break through, the better!”

The slower the breakthrough, the better?

Xia Chuan’s expression froze, his face a mask of confusion.

“There are ways to continue increasing your strength after reaching the peak-Frostwarden realm. I found out on my trip to Beishuo…”

Xia Hong relayed all the information he had learned from Zhu Yang.

The method of further expanding one’s meridians at the peak-Frostwarden realm, the three Spirit Pills—Tiger Strength, Dragon Carp, and Blue Cod—and the Twelve Blood Meridians Technique of Muyin Town…

Hearing this, Xia Chuan’s expression immediately became one of excitement.

The Frostwarden realm battle physique was something one both loved and hated.

On one hand, it boosted your strength ceiling, allowing you to possess power far exceeding that of an ordinary Frostwarden realm cultivator. On the other hand, depending on the grade of your battle physique, it also locked your strength ceiling, ensuring your combat power would forever lag behind those with higher-grade physiques.

Of course, base strength was not entirely equivalent to combat power, but it accounted for at least sixty percent of it.

In a realm like the Frostwarden realm, where strength was measured in Manes, even a one-Mane difference was a gap of fifty thousand kilograms. The grade of one’s battle physique was therefore all the more critical.

Today, the number of Frostwarden realm cultivators in the Great Xia had surpassed five thousand.

In the Cultivation Section of the Xia Code of Rites, Xia Hong had clearly explained the four grades of combat physiques—supreme, superior, intermediate, and inferior—including the maximum strength for each after a breakthrough. Thus, everyone was well aware of the importance of battle physique aptitude.

Those whose base strength reached three Manes or more upon breaking through to the Frostwarden realm were considered to have a supreme combat physique. Currently, only four people in the entire Great Xia had one: Xia Hong, Li Xuanling, Yuwen Tao, and Xia Chuan himself.

Normally, having a supreme combat physique aptitude should have been enough to satisfy Xia Chuan, but the problem was that he knew all too well how high Big Brother’s and Sister-in-law’s aptitudes were.

One was nine Manes, the other eight and a half—both far higher than his.

Xia Hong’s strength had been increasing at an accelerating pace over the years, leaving everyone else in the Great Xia in the dust. Xia Chuan had been worried that he would fall too far behind, that a day would come when he could no longer be of any use to Xia Hong.

It would have been one thing if the gap was only with Xia Hong, but now there was a two-and-a-half-Mane gap with his sister-in-law, Li Xuanling, as well. He couldn’t help but feel a little anxious.

A two-and-a-half-Mane gap at breakthrough would become a twenty-Mane gap by the peak-Frostwarden realm.

And that was just the disparity in the Frostwarden realm. What about the Sun-Manifestation realm?

He had been worrying about this very matter. To now hear from Xia Hong that there were ways to continue increasing one’s strength after reaching the peak-Frostwarden realm, one could only imagine his excitement.

Seeing Xia Chuan’s elation, Xia Hong raised a hand slightly. “Don’t get excited yet. The Twelve Blood Meridians Technique of Muyin Town is an exclusive secret of the ruling Murong family, so let’s not think about that for now. The other three pills come from the Jinshan, Jiangxia, and Bashang garrisons. Such precious pills will definitely not be sold casually by the three garrisons, so it’s unlikely we’ll be able to obtain them anytime soon.

“For now, just focus on your cultivation and don’t publicize this news. After I resolve the matter of the Longshan Silver Mine, I’ll head over to Wuyuan to take a look. If we can make contact with Jiangxia Town sooner, we might have a chance.”

“I understand, Big Brother!”

Xia Chuan had matured a great deal. Knowing that such matters couldn’t be rushed, he immediately suppressed his excitement and nodded heavily.

“Alright, you can get back to your work. I’ll be leaving for Longshan in two days. I expect to be there for some time. If anything comes up here in Xiacheng, just send a message to me.”

Without waiting for Xia Chuan’s reply, Xia Hong stood up, walked around the high platform, and headed toward the Stargazer Hall at the rear.

As he walked up the suspended staircase connecting to the Stargazer Hall, Xia Hong looked down, lost in thought.

“A twenty-seven-Mane Zhu Yang could become the Head Official of the Inspectorate, which proves that strength above twenty Manes is considered a core power in Beishuo.

“Xia Chuan is at twenty-seven Manes, Yuwen Tao is at twenty-five. There don’t seem to be many in the camp with a base strength over twenty Manes. Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Li Tiancheng, Hou Jing, Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Hou Tong, Hou Quan, Meng Yi, plus Zhou Yuan and the other six… that’s only sixteen people in total.

“Qiu Peng, Yue Feng, Xu Ning, Lu Yang, Lin Kai, Zhu Shun, and the three Zhao brothers aren’t far behind. They should all be able to reach that level by next year.”

It made sense. Without pills, to raise one’s base strength above twenty Manes, one’s base strength at the Frostwarden breakthrough needed to be above 2.5 Manes. This meant one had to possess at least a superior combat physique, and be among the best of them at that.

The Great Xia currently had over five thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators, but according to the Logistics Department’s statistics, there were just over two hundred with superior combat physiques, accounting for less than five percent of the total—an appallingly low number.

“However, with the boost from their sacred sigil bloodline, these people’s true combat power can increase by another thirty percent or so. Factoring in martial arts techniques and the Long Fist’s Four Forms, there’s still room for improvement. Compared to the Nine Garrisons, our only shortcoming right now is the lack of these meridian-expanding pills. As long as we patch up this weakness, our peak-Frostwarden cultivators will surely crush their peers from the Nine Garrisons. As for the Sun-Manifestation realm… while the Great Xia is lacking in numbers, there’s no question about our quality!”

At the mention of the Sun-Manifestation realm, a rare hint of pride flickered in Xia Hong’s eyes.

From the intelligence Lu Yang had gathered, each of the Nine Garrisons had at least two Sun-Manifestation realm experts. Compared to them, the Great Xia, which currently only had himself, naturally seemed weak and outnumbered.

But while the quantity was lacking, the quality…

His brief clash with Yang Fa had given Xia Hong a basic idea.

He had seen it clearly: Yang Fa was a Silver Bone Sun-Manifestation expert who broke through over twenty years ago and now had a strength of just over four hundred Manes. From this, he could basically deduce that the Sun-Manifestation experts of the Nine Garrisons weren’t overwhelmingly powerful.

“It’s uncertain if any are stronger than me, but it’s highly unlikely that any of them possessed over a thousand Manes of strength right at their breakthrough, as I did.”

Reaching this conclusion, Xia Hong’s mind was greatly eased.

According to the reports from both Lu Yang and Xu Ning, the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao had never ceased their expansion.

The three northern garrisons had a geographical advantage, allowing them to expand northward.

Although the four central garrisons were blocked, their exploration of the Mo’ao Mountain Range was among the most advanced of the nine.

The remaining Bashang and Jiangxia garrisons were rich in aquatic resources, and their exploration of the waterways clearly surpassed the other eight. Moreover, if not for the obstruction of Dajue Temple, Jiangxia Town would have likely crossed the northern bank and entered the Pingxi Plain long ago.

Their aggressive expansion was aimed at increasing their power. This showed that camps that could develop to the scale of a garrison were generally not content with mediocrity. Although the Great Xia currently held an advantage thanks to the Eastern Ridge hidden tunnel, allowing them to gain intelligence on the Nine Garrisons in advance, who could say how future events would unfold?

With his own strength as a foundation, he could at least guarantee that the Great Xia would remain undefeated.

For Xia Hong, that was enough.

As for a future direct confrontation, that was a matter for the future.

Xia Hong finished climbing the suspended staircase and soon arrived at the main entrance of Stargazer Hall. Sensing her presence, he didn’t go to the rear chambers but instead entered the Stargazer Platform through an entrance behind the main hall.

On the Stargazer Platform, Li Xuanling sat cross-legged with her eyes closed on the Enlightenment Divine Lotus. She was dressed in a snow-white palace dress that, under the cold light, emitted a bewitching red glow, perfectly complementing the crimson medicinal aura swirling around her. Paired with her exquisitely beautiful face, she possessed a truly breathtaking beauty.

As the medicinal power seeped into her body from her Hide, strand by strand, the red glow around her gradually weakened, and the aura she exuded slowly calmed, indicating that she had almost completely absorbed the medicinal power.

Li Xuanling finished her cultivation and slowly opened her eyes. A clear flicker of joy passed through them when she saw Xia Hong, but she quickly masked it and asked nonchalantly, “When did you get back?”

“Just now. Fifty-one Manes. You’re only seventeen Manes away from your breakthrough. Your cultivation must be getting slower and slower, hasn’t it?”

When Xia Hong had just been tallying the strengths of Xiacheng’s experts, he hadn’t included his wife. At fifty-one Manes, the strongest person in all of Xiacheng, besides himself, was Li Xuanling.

And she wasn’t just a little bit stronger; she had opened up an absolute gap in strength with the second tier of experts, a gap that probably couldn’t be closed even with pills.

“It is getting much slower. In the past three months, I’ve only increased by about one and a half Manes. For the remaining seventeen Manes, I estimate it might take more than three years. I’m falling too far behind you.”

Hearing Li Xuanling’s last sentence, Xia Hong let out a soft chuckle.

Since giving birth to their two children in the third year of Great Xia, Li Xuanling had changed a lot. Her attitude toward him, her husband, and toward the Great Xia had clearly shifted, and she had begun to take an active interest in the camp’s affairs.

The only thing that hadn’t changed was the pride in her heart.

For the past four years, whenever he went into seclusion, she would immediately go to the Martial Arts Pavilion to cultivate in seclusion as well. It was a clear sign that she was competing with him, trying to catch up to him in terms of strength.

Now that Xia Hong had broken through to the Sun-Manifestation realm first, not only had the gap between them not closed, it had widened considerably. Li Xuanling couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated.

“Don’t be dissatisfied. Your cultivation speed can basically crush everyone else in Xiacheng. Your aptitude was never as good as mine to begin with, so it’s normal for you to be slower.”

“Hmph!”

Li Xuanling could naturally tell that Xia Hong was deliberately trying to provoke her, but with her proud nature, she was still angered despite knowing his intention. She let out a cold snort and said directly, “Don’t you get too cocky. Once I break through, we’ll see who’s stronger.”

Xia Hong smiled broadly, walked to her side, and gently wrapped an arm around her. “Then I’ll be waiting for you to break through, so we can see who’s stronger then.”

Li Xuanling instinctively wriggled, but when Xia Hong tightened his grip, she stopped resisting. With a faint blush on her ears, she leaned gently into his embrace.

Recalling the illusion created by the Sumeru Anomaly, Xia Hong looked down at his wife, a touch of tenderness in his eyes. He held her a little tighter, cherishing this rare moment of warmth.

Li Xuanling noticed the change in Xia Hong’s demeanor. Although her expression was a little puzzled, she didn’t ask anything, merely closing her eyes and lying quietly in his arms.

A moment later, Xia Hong remembered something and asked in a low voice, “Do you think your meridians still have room to expand?”

Li Xuanling considered for a moment before replying, “They probably do, but I don’t think the potential for increase is high. The width of my meridians is already abnormal. There isn’t much more they could be expanded.”

Xia Hong nodded at her words and then recounted his entire trip to Beishuo.

Only then did Li Xuanling understand why he had asked. A thoughtful look appeared in her eyes. “The amount of power the human body can possess depends on four parts: the Hide, flesh, meridians, and bones. Battle physique aptitude is essentially a composite of these four. It’s intrinsically related to the natural width of one’s meridians. Both your aptitude and mine are already top-tier; using pills to enhance them further probably won’t do much. The three pills you mentioned would likely have a negligible effect on us.

“That Twelve Blood Meridians Technique from Muyin Town, however, doesn’t sound like a meridian-widening technique. It might be of some use to us.”

Hearing Li Xuanling’s analysis, Xia Hong nodded slightly. Yesterday, after learning about those pills from Zhu Yang, his first thought was whether he could use them. The conclusion he came to was quite similar to Li Xuanling’s.

It made sense, really. After he broke through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, his strength had increased more than tenfold, and this enhancement was entirely due to his bones; his meridians hadn’t changed at all. This meant that even if he widened his meridians with pills, the increase would be in the single digits at most.

Forget one Mane; even adding nine more Manes of strength would be a drop in the ocean for him now. It was better than nothing, but it truly didn’t matter if he had it or not.

“By the way, do you want to know what it’s like after breaking through to the Sun-Manifestation realm?”

“Of course. I’ve been wanting to ask since the day you broke through.”

At the mention of the day of his breakthrough, a hint of annoyance colored Li Xuanling’s eyes. She was clearly chiding him for flying off without a word on that very day.

Xia Hong smiled and went on to explain the differences in bone structure and the increase in power upon reaching the Sun-Manifestation realm.

Li Xuanling grew more and more astonished as she listened. On the day Xia Hong broke through, she had a premonition that their strengths were no longer on the same level, but to suddenly hear that he now possessed a strength of over a thousand Manes, her heart still couldn’t help but tremble a little.

Of course, following the shock was a deep sense of pride.

After all, no matter how strong Xia Hong was, he was her husband, the biological father of her children.

After he finished, Xia Hong remembered something else and asked with a smile, “What trouble did those two little ones get into now?”

The moment he arrived at the entrance of Stargazer Hall, he had sensed it. The two little ones were sitting obediently in their room, reading and writing.

Or rather, they were supposed to be reading and writing. Xia Yusheng was clearly dozing off.

Xia Yuyao, on the other hand, had her lips puffed out in a prominent pout, and her eyes were glistening with tears. Only Li Xuanling in all of Great Xia could make her cry.

As soon as Xia Hong asked about this, Li Xuanling was clearly annoyed. She said angrily, “Those two are getting more and more mischievous. In broad daylight, Sheng’er pretended to be asleep to trick Hanshuang, secretly made a rope out of his clothes, and escaped from Stargazer Hall through a window wearing a black feather cloak. He almost made it all the way to the Ancestral Temple.

“And while Hanshuang, Hanyue, and the other maids were looking for her brother, Yao’er snuck down the suspended staircase to the Council Hall in the Main Building. If Xia Chuan hadn’t sent a message in time, we would have been searching for a while longer.”

“Hahahaha…”

Just hearing the description, Xia Hong could picture the utter chaos in Stargazer Hall and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Seeing Xia Hong’s carefree laughter, Li Xuanling shot him a glare.

Over the past four years, although Xia Hong had focused mainly on cultivation, he had also spent a considerable amount of time with his family, especially his son and daughter. Perhaps because Li Xuanling, their mother, was too strict, they were a little afraid of her and would often come to the Stargazer Platform to pester him.

“I’ll go see the two little ones…”

With that, Xia Hong headed directly toward the rear residence.

“There he goes, playing the good guy again. I’m the one who has to do all the bad things as their mother!”

Li Xuanling guessed what he was about to do and couldn’t help but roll her eyes. But seeing the eagerness in Xia Hong’s steps, she felt his deep love for their children. A soft light flickered in her eyes, and she slowly followed him.

In a room in the rear residence of Stargazer Hall, Li Xuanling’s chamber.

The siblings, Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng, were sitting on chairs. Before them was a small, pale gold wooden table. On the table, each had a book with the words “Xia Code of Rites” written on the cover.

But clearly, neither of them was paying attention to the books.

Xia Yusheng was slumped over the table, fast asleep, with drool about to trickle from his mouth. Xia Yuyao’s little mouth was puffed out, and her eyes were watery. Who knows what she was thinking, but every so often her lip would quiver as if she were about to burst into tears.

“Greetings, my Lord!”

Suddenly, Hanshuang’s voice came from outside the door.

Xia Yuyao heard it and immediately looked up. Then, as if remembering something, she quickly covered her eyes with her small fists and began to cry.

“Wuwuwuwu…”

“What’s wrong? Who’s made my Yao’er angry again? How dare they!”

Xia Hong had already dismissed Hanshuang and the others. Walking into the room and seeing Xia Yuyao covering her eyes and fake-crying, he hurried over to pick her up, putting on a matching expression of indignation as he asked who dared to bully her.

“Mother… she said I’m never allowed to leave this room again. Father, Yao’er doesn’t want to be locked up here. Can you go talk to Mother and ask her not to lock Yao’er up, please?”

“Dad, you’re back!”

Xia Yusheng had woken up. He wasn’t as calculating as his sister. Rubbing his eyes and seeing that his father had returned, he immediately cried out in pleasant surprise. Like a little calf, he jumped down from his chair and shot into Xia Hong’s arms.

Thump…

“Goodness, he’s already over four thousand kilograms.”

Xia Hong caught his young son, marveling inwardly as he lifted him into his arms.

Once held, Xia Yusheng saw his sister giving him a look. He paused for a moment, then quickly understood and also began to plead with Xia Hong.

“That’s right, Dad! Talk to Mom! Don’t lock us up. We promise we won’t run around anymore. We’ll only play in Stargazer Hall and the Council Hall.”

“You two were in quite a bit of trouble today. How could I dare to talk to your mother?”

Faced with their request, Xia Hong feigned a troubled expression. He lowered his head and thought for a moment before looking up with a serious face.

“Unless… you both give Daddy a kiss. Then Daddy might…”

Smooch…

Without the slightest hesitation, the two of them smooched Xia Hong’s cheeks from either side.

“Hahahaha, alright, alright. I’ll talk to your mother later. I promise she won’t lock you up.”

This rare moment of family bliss greatly relaxed Xia Hong’s mood. With a wave of his hand, he agreed to their request.

The deal was struck, and the two little ones beamed with joy. They couldn’t help but hug their father’s neck and give him two more smooches.

“Alright, both of you get down. The moment you’re back, they lose all their composure!”

Li Xuanling’s stern voice came from the side. The two little ones immediately scampered out of Xia Hong’s arms like mice seeing a cat. They sat back down on their chairs, hands folded on their chests, bodies ramrod straight. Their posture was so perfect it brought the words “model student” to Xia Hong’s mind, and he couldn’t help but laugh again.

However, seeing Li Xuanling’s serious expression, Xia Hong suppressed his smile and pretended to be stern. “You two were far too brave today, daring to run outside in broad daylight. You do deserve to be punished. Let me ask you, will you dare to do this again?”

“Yao’er won’t dare anymore!”

“Sheng’er will never dare to again.”

The two little ones clearly understood what was happening and quickly answered. But after they replied, both couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Xia Hong.

Xia Yuyao even winked at him, a smile she couldn’t suppress playing on her lips.

How could the children’s little antics escape Li Xuanling’s eyes?

This was why she had said Xia Hong was coming to play the good guy again.

Every time the children made a mistake, she was the one who meted out punishment. Then Xia Hong would come back, comfort them, and plead on their behalf, making her, the villain, rescind her order. This had practically become a routine for the father and his children.

“Xuanling, the kids have admitted their mistake. I think we can skip the punishment. Nothing serious happened anyway. If you don’t even let them leave their room, they’ll get stir-crazy.”

Hearing Xia Hong starting to plead for them, the two little ones perked up their ears, craning their necks as they waited for their mother’s answer.

Li Xuanling shook her head helplessly. Seeing the posture of her two children, she couldn’t help but find it amusing, but she still said with a hint of sternness, “I hope you are truly sorry. We’ll let it go this time, but I’m confiscating these black feather cloaks. From now on, you can forget about running outside during the day.”

“Thank you, Mother! Yao’er is truly sorry. I’ll never do it again.”

“Sheng’er, too. I won’t run around anymore.”

The two little ones were clearly satisfied with this outcome and quickly and sincerely gave their mother their word.

“Come, what are you two reading? Let Father teach you.”

Now that the matter was settled, Xia Hong went forward and picked up his children again. Looking at the Xia Code of Rites on the table, he began to read through it with them.

He had led the compilation of the Xia Code of Rites, so he knew its contents like the back of his hand. He could answer any question the little ones asked. In just over ten minutes, he not only successfully piqued their interest but also earned two pairs of adoring little eyes.

Li Xuanling sat to the side, quietly watching the father and his children, her face filled with a smile of contentment and happiness.

Suddenly, Xia Hong thought of something and turned to ask Li Xuanling, “By the way, I’m going to Longshan the day after tomorrow. Do you want to go back for a visit?”

Li Xuanling was taken aback at the question but quickly nodded.

It had been almost five years since she came to the Great Xia. She did miss Longshan a little.

Although Longshan was now part of the Great Xia’s territory, it was still over a hundred kilometers away, and with two children to look after, Li Xuanling couldn’t just leave whenever she pleased.

If she had the chance to go back and see it, of course she wanted to go.

Besides, she knew Xia Hong was going to resolve the Silver Mine issue this time, which meant he would likely face a Beast Tide. She could be of help there.

“Mother, Yao’er wants to go too.”

“I remember Grandpa mentioning that Longshan is your and his old home, right? Sheng’er wants to see it too. Mother, can you take me with you?”

The two little ones suddenly interjected, stunning Xia Hong and Li Xuanling. Then, without a second thought, they both shook their heads.

They were only four years old. How could they possibly take them somewhere so far away?

Moreover, this trip was to fight a Beast Tide, not for fun.

But this shake of the head immediately earned Xia Hong two little heads shaking back and forth like rattle drums.

“No, I want to go! I want to go! I want to go!”

“I want to go too! I want to go too!”

The two little ones were actually starting to throw a tantrum.

And they were doing it right in front of Li Xuanling.

“Are you two looking for another punishment?”

Hearing her words, both were clearly a little scared. But Xia Yuyao gave her brother a look, and the two of them actually forced themselves to be brave and continued their wailing protest.

This time, Li Xuanling was genuinely getting angry and stood up.

The two little ones flinched. Although they were still crying and making a fuss, their gazes started to wander, glancing at their mother from time to time. They were clearly planning to back down.

“You want to go out that badly?”

Seeing his children acting so tough for the first time, Xia Hong’s interest was piqued. He first tugged on Li Xuanling’s arm, signaling her to calm down, then curiously asked the two.

Chapter 356: Yu Yao’s Little Scheme, Xu Ning’s Conflict

“Daddy, Yu Yao is already four years old this year, and the farthest I’ve ever been is the Council Hall. Besides Sister Hanyue and the others, the only people I’ve seen are Second Uncle, my aunts, Big Brother, Second Sister, and my maternal grandfather. That’s only six people in total! Don’t you think that’s just too pitiful for me?”

Xia Yuyao stared at Xia Hong with two large, teary eyes, her voice thick with a sob. She even ended with a question, clearly trying to win his sympathy.

After speaking, she didn’t forget to shoot a look at her younger brother beside her.

Xia Yusheng received the signal and nodded first. Then, he lowered his head and thought seriously for a moment before speaking to Xia Hong with a solemn expression. “Father, Big Brother and First Sister have already started practicing their boxing, and they’ve made many good friends. Plus, during the Martial Arts Tournament in June this year, our youngest aunt took them to the Outer City, and they saw a Frost Beast with their own eyes.

“I heard from Big Brother that the youngest participant in the tournament was only eight years old, just four years older than us. They were already fighting Frost Beasts with weapons, but Sister and I have never even seen a live one.

“All we can do every day is stay in Stargazer Hall. Even when we go to the Council Hall, we don’t see anyone else. We don’t even know what the other parts of the Main Building look like besides the Council Hall. We’ve never set foot in the three pavilions below for Martial Arts, Alchemy, and Refining. Forget the Outer City, we don’t even know how big the Inner City is…

“Mother, I really want to go out and see the world. I don’t want to be locked up in Stargazer Hall anymore!”

Hearing his son’s words, Xia Hong let out a soft sigh.

At four years old, a child’s curiosity is at its peak, and their desire to explore new things is strongest. Keeping them cooped up in Stargazer Hall was indeed no longer appropriate.

In terms of material comforts, Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng undoubtedly enjoyed the best the entire camp had to offer. In this respect, Li Xuanling was even more indulgent than he was.

It wasn’t enough that their food, clothes, and daily necessities were custom-made by the Artisan Department; whenever Li Xuanling heard of anything good, she would find a way to get it for them.

For example, the black feather cloaks that could block the frigid daylight. She had learned that a mid-grade Frost Beast in the Eastern Ridge, the Wusha Eagle, had a tuft of black feathers on its forehead that could resist the cold light. She then personally spent over two months in the Eastern Ridge. With Lu Yang and Zhao Hu’s help, it was said they hunted over seven hundred of the beasts just to gather enough feathers for two cloaks.

This incident alone showed that Li Xuanling’s love for her children was no less than his own.

But material things were only one aspect.

Curiosity could not be satisfied by any amount of material wealth.

Now that the children were older, it was impossible to keep them in a cage.

The way boys and girls thought was ultimately different.

Xia Yuyao’s inner thoughts were probably similar to her brother’s, but she wouldn’t say them directly. Instead, she relied on acting pitiful to achieve her goal.

Xia Yusheng was clearly more methodical. He knew full well who had the final say on whether he could go out, so when he spoke his last sentence, he looked directly up at his mother, Li Xuanling, his eyes filled with sincerity.

Xia Hong looked down at the expressions of his two little ones—one pitiful, the other sincere. He was stunned for a moment, but he quickly realized they were clearly coordinating, putting on a show. He couldn’t help but shake his head and smile secretly.

Their acting couldn’t even fool him, their father. How could it possibly fool their mother, who spent all her time with them?

“No. Letting you go to the Council Hall was already an exception. Forget Longshan; you are not to take a single step out of Stargazer Hall before you turn six. Put away those little schemes of yours. I will not agree to it.”

As expected, Li Xuanling saw right through their act and sternly rejected their request to go out.

“Waaaaah…”

This time, Xia Yuyao seemed to have made up her mind. Upon being rejected by her mother, she immediately burst into tears. Xia Yusheng didn’t cry, but he turned his head away, his lips pouting high, clearly expressing his disapproval.

“They’re four. It’s about time, really!”

“You…”

The moment Xia Hong relented, expectant looks appeared on the two children’s faces, only to be cut short by Li Xuanling’s indignant reaction. They could only continue to look at Xia Hong pitifully.

“Don’t look at your father. Longshan is too far, and your mother and I are going there on business this time. You’re still too young, so you definitely can’t go…”

As Xia Hong spoke, he saw the tears welling up in his daughter’s eyes again and changed his tune with a smile. “However, I can promise you that from now on, you can move about freely within the Inner City. How does that sound?”

Freely in the Inner City!

Upon hearing these words, the two little ones’ eyes instantly lit up.

Xia Hong turned to Li Xuanling and saw her face full of resistance, clearly still unwilling to agree. He said softly, “What are you worried about in the Inner City? Let Hanyue teach them how to control their strength. They can just wear hats and some disguise when they go out. Hanyue and Hanshuang have reached the Frostwarden realm now. And if you’re still worried about them, aren’t Meng Ying, Song Kang, and the other four still around?”

A conflicted look appeared on Li Xuanling’s face. Seeing the anticipation in her children’s eyes, she finally nodded in resignation.

It wasn’t that Li Xuanling was being overly protective. Setting aside Xia Yusheng and Xia Yuyao’s status as the Lord’s children, just their heaven-defying talent alone would likely cause trouble if it became widely known. When they were born, Xia Hong had hidden their aptitude for this very reason.

To this day, the number of people in all of Great Xia who knew their true aptitude probably numbered just over a dozen.

And it wasn’t just their talent; their physical constitutions were also extremely rare.

When Xia Yusheng slept, the temperature within a 500-meter radius would rise rapidly, making any fire for warmth completely unnecessary.

Xia Yuyao was even more extraordinary. Every night when she slept, Hanping Jade Dew would constantly condense around her body, and the amount was still increasing. As an infant, she produced only fifteen drops a night; now, it was over twenty.

Given the importance of Hanping Jade Dew, it could be said that his daughter, Xia Yuyao, held immense strategic value for the camp. If outsiders were to discover this, the trouble would be immense. Therefore, her personal safety had to be ensured.

“Your Second Uncle is getting old and rarely goes out anymore. Hasn’t he already moved into the Inner City? Let him take the two of them for walks in the city from time to time. Doting on grandchildren—all old folks should enjoy that.”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling finally felt truly at ease and nodded.

Li Tiancheng was already ninety-three years old this year. Barring some great fortuitous encounter, breaking through to the Sun-Manifestation realm to extend his lifespan was definitely out of the question. So, the year before last, he had handed over the Longyuan Squad to Lu Yushan and had been holing up in the Inner City, dedicating himself to studying and formulating the Xia Law.

Of course, what the old man loved most were his two grand-nephews. He would visit Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng every few days, bringing them something nice. He would surely be delighted to hear that Li Xuanling was entrusting the two children to his care.

“Then it’s settled. From now on, between the end of the morning meal and the midday meal after nightfall, you can move about freely in the Inner City. But you must be with Hanyue, and you must return to Stargazer Hall by the midday meal. If you dare to sneak out of the Inner City and I find out, you know the consequences!”

The morning meal was eaten around sunset, and the midday meal was four hours after nightfall, giving them four hours of free time, which was very generous.

“We know, Mother. We won’t.”

“I’ll only play in the Inner City. I definitely won’t run out.”

Seeing Li Xuanling finally give in, Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng quickly replied, afraid their mother would change her mind if they were a second too late.

After speaking, Xia Yuyao immediately turned and gave her brother a triumphant look, as if to say, “See? I told you to listen to me, right?”

Seeing his daughter’s reaction, Xia Hong paused for a moment. Then, his eyes met Li Xuanling’s, and he instantly understood.

“You’re only just now realizing that they never intended to go to Longshan? They only brought it up to bait you into compromising and letting them play in the Inner City.”

Xia Hong looked momentarily stunned. He then lowered his head to look at his daughter in his arms and found her covering her mouth, giggling at him with a cunning glint in her eyes. Only then did he truly confirm that he had been outsmarted by his own daughter.

“Hahahaha! She’s only four and already dares to scheme against her own father. She’s going to be incredible when she grows up.”

Xia Hong roared with laughter, his voice filled with pride. He was clearly exceptionally proud of his daughter’s intelligence.

Li Xuanling, listening from the side, rolled her eyes. She had never seen someone so happy about being tricked.

Xia Yuyao clearly understood the meaning behind her father’s laughter. Her expression became exceedingly smug, and she couldn’t help but look down at Xia Yusheng with a challenging glint in her eye.

Her look clearly said, “You’re still too green to compete with your big sister.”

Xia Yusheng wasn’t one for such cunning. With an honest smile, he rushed into Xia Hong’s arms and clambered up onto his right shoulder, occupying the opposite side from his sister.

The family of four continued their conversation in the room, enjoying this rare moment of reunion.

Great Xia, Year Seven, the fifteenth of September.

Qinghepu, Hexia Village.

Inside a tall building near the Main Building, six people sat around a fire stove. The one in the lead was a one-eyed young man, with a woman of similar age beside him. The remaining four were an old man, two young men, and a child of about ten.

Looking at this group of six, anyone would assume the old man was the head of the family, with his three sons below him. The eldest, one-eyed son was married, and the woman and child were his wife and son.

However, a closer look would reveal that the other five people in the room, including the old man, looked at the one-eyed young man with clear respect on their faces.

Evidently, this was no ordinary family.

The one-eyed young man currently wore a conflicted expression, clearly contemplating something.

He pondered for a moment, then took a map from his robes and placed it on the edge of the stove. He spoke in a low voice, “Hexia Village has a population of over fifty thousand, Heshan Village has over seventy thousand, and Qinghe Village is the largest with one hundred and ten thousand.

“We haven’t gathered specific details on the other two villages yet. For now, we only have information on Hexia Village: twenty-seven individuals at the Frostwarden realm and over four thousand eight hundred at the Earthforger realm. All twenty-seven Frostwarden realm cultivators have been to Dajue Temple, but they refuse to say anything no matter what we ask. We only know that they were all at the Earthforger realm before entering Dajue Temple. They stay inside for about half a year and come out as Frostwarden realm cultivators.

“Every year in February, when Dajue Temple sends people to collect children, they also select a portion of Earthforger and Frostwarden realm individuals to go to the temple to receive the ancestral master’s guidance. After receiving this guidance, those people return to the village with a significant increase in strength. It’s clearly not normal.

“Since the eighteen families of the three villages all revere Dajue Temple, it’s highly likely the situation is similar everywhere. The giant camps here typically have three to four Frostwarden realm cultivators per family, which means there are at least one hundred and fifty Frostwarden realm cultivators in the entire Qinghepu area, possibly more.

“While Qinghepu’s strength is decent, it’s not enough to stop Jiangxia Town. So the problem must lie with Dajue Temple.”

As the one-eyed young man finished, the old man immediately nodded and continued, “Lord Xu is correct. But Dajue Temple is far too secretive. They only show themselves once a year in February when they come down to the villages to collect children. The ones who appear are all unordained monks. I hear these monks can’t even enter the main gates of the temple, so their knowledge of the temple’s inner workings is likely extremely limited. Trying to get information from them probably won’t be very effective.”

The one-eyed young man, Xu Ning, frowned deeply upon hearing the old man’s words. He stared at Dajue Temple, located right in the center of Qinghepu on the map, his eyes filled with hesitation.

He had found his way to Qinghepu in October of last year. Upon his arrival, he immediately sensed something was amiss after hearing about Dajue Temple. He investigated secretly for over four months and, after gathering some information, officially infiltrated Hexia Village this March under the alias Xu Yang. He had selected five people from the Wuyuan outpost to assist him, posing as a family that had fled from a distant disaster.

One would think that after infiltrating for over half a year, he should have made some gains. But the reality was, he had yet to make contact with anyone from Dajue Temple. All he knew was that every February, the temple would send people down to the villages and camps to collect children who had turned six. He knew nothing else.

It wasn’t just Hexia Village; the people of the entire Qinghepu region displayed an extreme, fanatical devotion to Dajue Temple, to the point of madness.

Since entering Hexia Village in March, he had tried several times to inquire about Dajue Temple from the village’s Frostwarden realm cultivators, all of which ended in failure. Not only that, but it also aroused their suspicion. If he hadn’t kept his composure and avoided revealing his true intentions, he likely would have been driven out of the camp long ago.

Because of those few attempts to subtly probe for information about Dajue Temple, despite having the cultivation of a Frostwarden realm cultivator and having been in Hexia Village for over half a year, he had still failed to penetrate their inner circle. He couldn’t even enter the Main Building and could only live in this wooden house over a hundred meters away.

His initial elaborate plan of selecting five people from the Wuyuan outpost to assist him in gathering intelligence in Hexia Village had now completely failed.

“The leadership of Hexia Village is already on guard against me. Continuing like this won’t yield any useful information. It just so happens…”

Xu Ning turned to the old man, his gaze hardening slightly.

The old man’s name was Bai Shanqiu. He was one of Great Xia’s veterans. He’d had a stroke of luck and broken through to the Frostwarden realm the year before last, then followed a Hunting team to the Wuyuan outpost. This time, Xu Ning needed an old man of the right age to play his father for the infiltration of Hexia Village, and Bai Shanqiu had been a perfect fit, so he was called over.

For this infiltration mission in Hexia Village, Bai Shanqiu was the one in their group of six responsible for communicating with Wuyuan.

And right now, the reason for Xu Ning’s conflict was a message Bai Shanqiu had just brought him.

A direct order from the Lord himself: he was to lead his people and withdraw from Qinghepu, and cease all contact with Dajue Temple.

Xu Ning knew, of course, that Dajue Temple was dangerous. But he had been undercover in Hexia Village for half a year and had gathered no valuable intelligence whatsoever. To return just like that… he simply couldn’t accept it.

That was the true reason for his conflict.

Chapter 357: Volunteering for Danger

Xu Ning stared at the map on the furnace wall, his expression fraught with indecision.

When he had scouted the Qinghepu area last year and discovered Dajue Temple, he had immediately sent a report to Xiacheng. He still remembered the Director’s reply.

‘Dajue Temple is likely connected to an anomaly. You must proceed with caution.’

It was because of this sentence that he had been so careful for the past six months.

The problem was, in the half-year he had lived in Hexia Village, he had not discovered a single thing related to any anomaly.

“Little torches, Congealing Fire Salve, a silver weapon… I have so many methods to detect anomalies on me, yet I haven’t found a single issue. This basically confirms that the fifty thousand-plus people in Hexia Village, including the twenty-seven Frostwarden realm individuals who have been to Dajue Temple, are all normal humans. It’s just that their minds have been completely controlled by the temple.”

At this thought, Xu Ning looked down at the only woman among the five and asked softly with a smile, “Qiaoru, are they pressuring you to have another child again?”

Infiltration was inherently dangerous. Finding another woman to pose as part of his family would be neither safe nor convincing. So, Xu Ning had simply brought his own wife along.

Hong Qiaoru was Hong Guang’s eldest daughter. The two had met in the first year of the Great Xia era, arranged by Hong Guang himself. They married the following year and now had two sons and a daughter.

Originally, Hong Qiaoru and the three children lived in Xiacheng. But as the Wuyuan outpost grew in importance over the years, Xu Ning, as its Prefect, naturally became busier and had no time to return to Xiacheng.

They hadn’t been married long, and Hong Qiaoru couldn’t bear living apart for such an extended period. So, after the Frigid Origin Festival this year, she had brought the children directly to Wuyuan to find him, just in time to get involved in this matter.

Seeing the other four looking at her, Hong Qiaoru’s cheeks flushed slightly as she nodded. “Not a day goes by that they don’t. The women in this camp are like madwomen, constantly talking about how wonderful it is to be pregnant. It’s driving me crazy. If I weren’t afraid of blowing our cover, I wouldn’t want to talk to them at all.”

Xu Ning chuckled softly at his wife’s words, but his expression immediately turned grave.

Funnily enough, of the six of them, the one who had gathered the most information was Hong Qiaoru, the only one who could mingle with the adult women of Hexia Village.

The reason was simple: everyone in Hexia Village seemed possessed, constantly having children. Anyone entering the camp could see that almost every woman was either heavily pregnant or had just conceived. And not only did they give birth themselves, but they also urged others to do the same.

They bore children for one purpose only: to raise them until they were six years old and send them to Dajue Temple every second month of the year.

Previously, Xu Ning had thought this was unique to Hexia Village. But after staying here for half a year, he was stunned to discover that all three villages and eighteen settlements of Qinghepu were the same.

According to what Hong Qiaoru had heard, once the children turned six, they would be taken away in batches by people sent from Dajue Temple every February. Those who passed the test would become monks, studying under a Master. Even those who failed had a chance to become unordained monks, bringing their families to live near the temple, free from want. At worst, Dajue Temple promised to return the children to their respective camps when they turned twenty.

Frantically having children just to send them to Dajue Temple—this point alone, even though Xu Ning had found nothing related to anomalies in Hexia Village over the past six months, was enough to make him firmly believe the Director’s words: “Dajue Temple is likely connected to an anomaly.”

There was a one hundred percent chance something was wrong. What kind of parents would have children just to give them away? And Dajue Temple’s promise was also problematic. If they passed, they stayed. If they failed, they would only be sent back at the age of twenty.

In other words, regardless of whether they passed or not, the children would not be coming back.

“They’ll be sent back after they turn twenty? Dajue Temple has only been in Qinghepu for seven years. The first batch of children they took seven years ago would be fifteen at most now. Who can say for sure if they’ll return in five years? Given the current fanaticism of the three villages and eighteen settlements toward Dajue Temple, even if the children aren’t sent back when the time comes, no one will object.”

Hearing Xu Ning, Bai Shanqiu immediately chimed in, “You can’t blame these people. From what we’ve gathered, seven years ago, there wasn’t even a single giant camp here. If it weren’t for Dajue Temple, they would never be living the good life they have now.”

Hong Qiaoru also nodded. “For every child they hand over, they get ten thousand catties of beast meat and one thousand catties of Beast Blood. Let’s not even mention Dajue Temple’s promise that the children can return at twenty. With such a massive amount of supplies, if you took that offer to any of the weaker camps and openly said you were buying children, I reckon plenty of people would be willing.”

Xu Ning and the other four sighed softly at her words.

Hong Qiaoru was being conservative. The Great Xia had also clawed its way up from difficult times; they knew all too well how hard life was for the smaller camps.

Ten thousand catties of beast meat and one thousand catties of Beast Blood. At that price, if you went to a weaker camp to buy a child, there was no doubt that most people would agree.

“Moreover, the area around Qinghepu used to be plagued by Frost Beasts coming ashore from the water. I heard it was Dajue Temple that solved this problem. From these points alone, if nothing bad is actually happening to the six-year-old children who are taken away, then apart from luring these women into having children, I really can’t see anything wrong with this Dajue Temple.”

“The greatest treachery often masquerades as loyalty, the greatest evil as kindness. The more flawless it seems, the more likely something is wrong. If they were simply opening their gates to accept disciples, why would they set a rule about returning only at the age of twenty? Don’t you think Dajue Temple has expended all these resources to unify the entire Qinghepu region just to raise these people as breeding stock, mass-producing six-year-old children for them?”

With Xia Chuan’s warning in mind, Xu Ning was clearly more clear-headed than the other five. He paused, a grave look on his face, and continued, “Take Hexia Village as an example. We’ve only been here for half a year, and they’ve had nearly four thousand newborns. Almost every day, more than twenty babies are born, while the adult population has barely changed. You must have noticed—you can’t find a single child between the ages of six and fourteen in the entire village.

“Think about it. Based on what we’ve seen in the last six months, how many children has Dajue Temple taken from Hexia Village over the past seven years?”

Normally, this number would be impossible to calculate. But the population structure of Hexia Village was so stable, with almost no change in the number of adults, that it was relatively easy to deduce.

Seven years wasn’t a very long span of time; most women could maintain their fertility. Hexia Village currently had seventeen thousand households, and like other camps in the Ice Abyss, the elderly accounted for less than ten percent.

“Based on the current population structure, I estimate the first batch of children taken seven years ago was around two thousand. Following normal progression, the number would be roughly the same for the next five years.

“But it’s been different since last year. The frantic pace at which these women in Hexia Village have been having children started seven years ago when Dajue Temple arrived. I estimate that at least twelve thousand were taken last year, and the number at the beginning of this year will only be higher. As for next year… in the past six months, I’ve observed the village. By next February, the number of children turning six will be at least fifteen thousand.”

When Dajue Temple arrived in Qinghepu seven years ago, the women of Hexia Village began having children like mad. By that calculation, the first group born collectively would have just turned six last year, which was why the numbers had skyrocketed since then.

The one who made this deduction was the young man on the left of the two youths.

After listening, Xu Ning looked at the young man with admiration blooming on his face.

“Xiang Liang’s calculations are about the same as mine. This means that Hexia Village alone has sent at least thirty-five thousand children to Dajue Temple in the past seven years. And that’s just Hexia Village. Have you calculated how many the three villages and eighteen settlements of Qinghepu have sent in total over these seven years?”

Gulp…

At his words, the five people below him calculated silently, their faces filled with horror.

“At least one hundred and fifty thousand. And of those sent, the ones who have returned—the unordained monks from Hexia Village—number only five per year. That’s only thirty-five in the past seven years. Across all three villages and eighteen settlements, that’s just over a hundred people in total, not even a fraction of the total. Based on what we know, do you think that in five years, when the first batch of children turns twenty, the people of Hexia Village will have any reaction if Dajue Temple doesn’t send them back?”

Xiang Liang recalled what he had seen and heard in Hexia Village and said in a low voice, “Whenever Dajue Temple is mentioned, everyone in Hexia Village, from top to bottom, shows nothing but fanaticism. I suspect that even if Dajue Temple ordered them to die, they would do so immediately. When the time comes, the temple could just make up any excuse about the children not being able to return, and these people would probably believe it unconditionally, without any reaction at all.”

For a mother to carry a child for ten months, painstakingly raise it to the age of six, and then senselessly send it away to a place where she would never see it again—this was an act against human nature. If not for their fanatical faith in Dajue Temple, how could the people of Hexia Village possibly do such a thing?

The promise of returning at twenty was nothing but an empty check. Whether it was cashed was entirely up to Dajue Temple. What happened to those children after they went to the temple, whether they were alive or dead, was still unknown.

“If the Director’s deduction is correct and Dajue Temple is related to an anomaly, then those children have most likely already met a terrible fate. The most important thing now is to find out what Dajue Temple is doing with these children…”

Xu Ning pondered silently, his expression incredibly grave.

The anomalies the Great Xia had encountered before had all evolved by simply killing people to increase their strength. One like Dajue Temple, which only wanted six-year-old children and even manipulated humans into mass-producing them, was clearly far from simple.

“My lord, are you… still not planning to leave Hexia Village?”

At his age, Bai Shanqiu was naturally adept at reading people. He had long since discerned Xu Ning’s thoughts.

He was the one who had brought back Xia Hong’s order. The command was clear: Xu Ning was to withdraw his people from Hexia Village and cease contact with Dajue Temple.

Xu Ning was saying all this now for one reason: he didn’t want to leave so soon. He wanted to remain in Hexia Village and gather more information. But doing so would be disobeying the Lord’s command, which was the source of his current inner conflict.

Seeing Xu Ning nod, Bai Shanqiu fell silent for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, Xiang Liang, who was beside him, spoke first.

“My lord, you should take the others back to Wuyuan first. Let me stay here!”

Hearing Xiang Liang’s words, Bai Shanqiu was slightly stunned.

The other three, including Xu Ning, immediately turned to look at the young man, their faces showing varying degrees of surprise.

Dajue Temple was dangerous, and Hexia Village was not safe. This was the Lord’s personal judgment. Xia Hong had even ordered someone of Xu Ning’s strength to retreat immediately. One could only imagine the courage it took to volunteer to stay in Hexia Village and continue gathering intelligence.

Xiang Liang was clearly not acting on impulse. Seeing all five looking at him, he cupped his hands toward Xu Ning and said in a solemn voice, “My lord, Wang Chuan already suspects us. If all six of us leave together, won’t that just confirm his suspicions? It won’t be so easy to plant people here again in the future. My cultivation is only at the Earthforger limit, which isn’t too conspicuous. Besides, Wang Chuan is clearly interested in having me as a son-in-law. It’s most suitable for me to stay here.”

Hearing Xiang Liang’s words, a flicker of interest crossed Xu Ning’s face.

Wang Chuan was the Leader of Hexia Village. It was because of his suspicion that their six-person team had found it so difficult to move around and gather useful information.

As for Xiang Liang’s claim that Wang Chuan wanted him as a son-in-law, that was true, but it had happened entirely by chance.

When Xu Ning had brought the five of them to infiltrate Hexia Village in March, he had gone to great lengths.

He had secretly followed a small hunting team from Hexia Village on one of their outings and used some minor tricks to lure a few mid-grade Frost Beasts toward them. The hunting team naturally fell into danger, at which point he and his five companions appeared, pretending to be refugees passing through who had just rescued them. This was how they had successfully infiltrated Hexia Village.

As luck would have it, Wang Chuan’s daughter, Wang Yuxiu, was on that hunting team. Xiang Liang’s heroic rescue naturally earned him Wang Yuxiu’s admiration, which led to Wang Chuan’s later interest in having him as a son-in-law.

Although he understood that Xiang Liang was the most suitable person to stay, Xu Ning thought it over and still refused, shaking his head. “No. It’s too dangerous for you to stay here alone. If something happens, there’ll be no one…”

“It is indeed inappropriate for Xiang Liang to be here alone. Even if he learns some important news, there would be no one to relay it. My lord, let me stay as well!”

Xu Ning was interrupted by Bai Shanqiu, and his expression tensed slightly.

He could tell that Bai Shanqiu had also wanted to stay but was beaten to it by Xiang Liang. Now that Xiang Liang had already volunteered, no one would blame him if he said nothing.

Everyone knew how dangerous it was to stay.

“If not for the Lord, let alone breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, it’s uncertain if I, Bai, would even be alive today. It’s time these old bones did more for the Great Xia.”

Xu Ning looked at Bai Shanqiu and Xiang Liang, a touch of emotion in his eyes, before speaking slowly in a solemn voice, “I had originally planned to stay myself, but with my strength, it would be difficult to earn Wang Chuan’s trust. You two are indeed more suitable than I am. But you know how dangerous it is to stay here. I will not force you. I will ask only once: are you truly willing?”

Seeing them nod firmly in response, Xu Ning’s expression became forthright.

“Good. Since you have volunteered, I won’t say any more. I will only tell you that this mission to investigate Dajue Temple is of extraordinary significance to our Great Xia. Otherwise, I would not have spent so much effort bringing the five of you to infiltrate Hexia Village and staying here for a full six months.

“If you can achieve something, I will personally request commendations for you from the Lord. Of course, even if you don’t find any useful information, just for your willingness to volunteer now, I will not treat you unfairly.”

Bai Shanqiu and Xiang Liang were clearly waiting for these words. They exchanged a glance, then bowed to Xu Ning in unison and spoke as one.

“Thank you, my lord!”

Xu Ning nodded. “In that case, we’ll start moving in the next few days. The other four of you, pack up. Qiaoru and Liu Kai, the two of you will pretend to take the child out to gather resources tomorrow night. When Liu Kai returns, he’ll have some injuries and will say that you ran into trouble while gathering, and that Qiaoru and the child were snatched by Frost Beasts. In my distress, I’ll go out with you to search for them. This shouldn’t arouse Wang Chuan’s suspicion.”

In the Ice Abyss camps, it was perfectly normal for a few people to go missing. As long as there was a reasonable excuse, it would rarely arouse suspicion, especially since two members of their six-person family were staying behind.

All five nodded. Xu Ning then began to arrange the specific details of their withdrawal for the following night. The six of them planned for a long time before dispersing.

After returning to his room, Xu Ning did not rest. He continued to study the map, his gaze fixed on the location of Qinghe Village, his face filled with hesitation.

Year Seven of the Great Xia, Ninth Month, Sixteenth Day.

After nightfall, Xu Ning’s withdrawal plan began in an orderly fashion.

Fortunately, the child Xu Ning had brought to play his eldest grandson was already ten years old. It wasn’t unreasonable for him to help out during a gathering trip, so Hong Qiaoru’s departure didn’t arouse any suspicion.

Less than an hour after the three of them left, Liu Kai returned, injured, and frantically told Xu Ning that his wife and child had met with misfortune in the wilderness and been carried off by Frost Beasts.

Xu Ning, acting distraught, went to Wang Chuan to explain the situation, saying he wanted to go out with Liu Kai to find his wife. Wang Chuan was still somewhat wary of him. Although he offered to send men to help search, it was clear they were just polite words.

Xu Ning was happy with this. He simply said, “Thank you, Leader,” and quickly motioned for Liu Kai to lead the way, hurriedly following him out of Hexia Village.

Once they were out of the village, the two of them followed the riverbank westward for more than ten kilometers and soon met up with Hong Qiaoru and the child.

“Another fifteen kilometers west from here and you’ll reach Baiyang. Liu Kai should be very familiar with the route. You will lead them back!”

Over the past three years, he had explored a total of over one hundred and fifty kilometers of the Xing River’s northern bank. In addition to Wuyuan and Songyang, the Great Xia had established another outpost, Baiyang, on the eastern periphery of Songyang Ridge.

The outposts were connected by direct roads. Once the three of them reached Baiyang and were received by their people, returning to Wuyuan would be easy.

Hearing Xu Ning’s instructions, Liu Kai clearly guessed something. He looked up slightly and saw the resolute expression on Xu Ning’s face, his words catching in his throat.

“What are you going to do? Are you planning to go to Qinghe Village alone, to that Dajue Temple, to continue investigating?”

Evidently, it wasn’t just Liu Kai. Hong Qiaoru immediately guessed her husband’s intentions as well. After a few sharp questions, seeing his expression remain unchanged, she said furiously, “Even the Lord thinks that Dajue Temple is dangerous and personally ordered you to return! What are you still going there for?”

Hearing his wife’s angry rebuke, Xu Ning’s expression didn’t change. He said in a low voice, “The Lord hasn’t come here to see the situation for himself. It’s normal for him to worry about my safety!

“We stayed in Hexia Village for six months without finding out a single specific detail about Dajue Temple. I can’t bear to leave just like this. The Lord himself appointed me as the Prefect of Wuyuan. Dajue Temple is crucial to the Great Xia’s grand undertaking of expanding eastward. If I shrink back because of a little danger, how can I face the Lord and the Director in the future?”

Hong Qiaoru clearly didn’t understand what “the great enterprise of expanding eastward” meant. She only saw the resolve on Xu Ning’s face. Her eyes immediately turned red, and she said with a sob, “If you won’t think of me, then think about Xiao An, Xiao Ping, and Xiao Ying! If something really happens to you, what will become of the children and me?”

At the mention of his three children’s names, Xu Ning’s face faltered, and a hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolve.

Looking at his wife’s tear-streaked face, Xu Ning knew he couldn’t convince her. He shot Liu Kai a meaningful look, said no more, and turned, speeding back toward the east.

“Xu Ning, you come back! Come back!”

“Xu Ning, you bastard! You bastard!”

“Don’t worry, I will definitely come back!”

Hearing his wife’s furious shouts behind him, Xu Ning sighed inwardly. He then followed the map in his mind and sped toward Qinghe Village.

“Qinghe Village is in the middle section, roughly north of Hexia Village. It’s about twenty-one kilometers away, so I should be there soon.”

The place was called Qinghepu because a small river flowed down from Double Dragon Mountain in the north, merged into the Xing River in the south, and then diverted to flow west together.

The names of the two villages, Hexia (Downstream) and Heshan (Upstream), were derived from their positions along this small river. Qinghe Village was situated between the two, occupying the best land. It was the strongest and most populous, with a full one hundred and ten thousand people.

Of course, Xu Ning wasn’t interested in a mere camp of one hundred and ten thousand people. The reason he was rushing to Qinghe Village was that Dajue Temple was located three kilometers east of it, in a place called Chilong Lake.

“Chilong Lake is a body of water. To be able to live on the water is not simple in itself. I probably won’t be able to get close to Chilong Lake easily, so I’ll have to start with Qinghe Village first. The two places are only three kilometers apart. There should be many monks from Dajue Temple living in Qinghe Village. Even just making casual contact with a few of them to gauge their strength would be good.”

Xu Ning took a shallow breath and pulled a silver jade pendant from his clothes. He studied it for a moment before picking up speed and heading north.

Soon, he saw a four or five-meter-high wall on the left bank of the river in the distance. Inside the wall were many buildings, with numerous fires burning within. It was clearly a village-level settlement.

Xu Ning first glanced eastward, a look of vigilance in his eyes, and suppressed his curiosity. He then patiently circled Qinghe Village, finally selecting a dilapidated section of the western wall. After observing for a long time and confirming that there were no patrols behind the wall, he slipped through with a single flash of movement.

Chapter 358: An Old Acquaintance from Great Xia, Chaos in Qinghe Village, the Vajra Master, and a Delighted Xu Ning

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, Ninth Month, Twenty-fifth Day. Night.

At the entrance of Qinghe Village, a middle-aged man with a steady expression and a long spear on his back led a hunting team of about ten people, dragging two kills, each seven or eight meters long, as they walked in from outside the village.

It was nighttime, and the village entrance was not only manned by guards on patrol but also bustling with people coming and going. The middle-aged man was clearly well-known in Qinghe Village, as many people greeted him the moment he entered.

“Captain Zhang Qin, a bountiful harvest today!”

“Hahaha, it was decent, decent!”

“Two mid-grade Frost Beasts in one night. Your little squad is getting stronger and stronger.”

“We got lucky tonight, hahaha.”

…

Zhang Qin smiled and responded to the crowd as he slowly walked into the village. Upon reaching the residential area, he turned to his team members behind him and said, “Alright, you all take these two kills and divide them. Turn in what needs to be turned in, and just send me my share when you’re done.”

“Same as always, the captain’s too good to us!”

“Hahaha, of course. Our captain is famously generous.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“Thanks, Captain!”

…

The team members all expressed their thanks before dispersing.

In the end, only two team members remained, following Zhang Qin toward the cluster of buildings on the west side of the village. Along the way, people continued to greet Zhang Qin, and he responded to them all with a patient smile.

Only when the street was finally empty did Zhang Qin’s smile instantly vanish, a glint appearing in his eyes. He turned to the two team members behind him, who were of a similar age, and took out seven wads of paper from his person. He handed four of them to the two men and said in a low voice, “Split up. You each take two households, and I’ll handle the remaining three. Remember to be careful. The village is full of hidden sentries. If we’re discovered, all our efforts will be for naught.”

“Understood, milord!”

The two men nodded with grave expressions, took the paper wads, and immediately went their separate ways.

Zhang Qin continued toward the western corner of the village and soon arrived beside an ordinary wooden house. The window of the house was ajar. With a vigilant expression, Zhang Qin repeatedly checked that no one was watching before he surreptitiously flicked his wrist. The paper wad shot through the ajar window.

After tossing the paper, he quickly left the spot and headed elsewhere, clearly intending to find his next target.

Swoosh…

Inside the wooden house, behind the ajar window, stood a young man in white robes, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He seemed to have been expecting it, catching the paper wad before it even hit the floor.

After catching it, he immediately walked deeper into the house.

The young man walked with practiced ease into a quiet room at the back. Six people were sitting by the room’s stove: an old man who looked to be in his seventies or eighties; next to him, a stooped-over old woman; a man and two women, all of whom appeared older than the young man, looking middle-aged; and finally, a child of about ten sitting at the very end, his face filled with fear.

If Xu Ning had seen this group of seven, he would have likely spotted the problem at a glance. An elder, a son and daughter-in-law, plus the youngest eldest grandson—it was a carbon copy of the setup he had used when he infiltrated Hexia Village.

In a normal family, the two elders would naturally hold the highest status, but that was clearly not the case here. As soon as the young man entered, the two elders, the child, and the two women immediately stood up. Only the middle-aged man in black, seated in the center, remained motionless.

“Greetings, Commander Yang!”

“At ease, please be seated…”

The white-robed young man gestured for the five to sit down before walking to the side of the middle-aged man in black. He unfolded the paper wad and respectfully handed it over.

The middle-aged man in black took the paper. His eyes narrowed sharply as he read its contents, and he said in a low voice, “It’s time to make our move!”

[Ninth Month, Twenty-eighth Day. Act half an hour after daybreak. Plunge Qinghe Village into chaos.]

The white-robed young man had already taken a seat beside the middle-aged man, so he could see the contents of the paper with a turn of his head. Reading the message, the young man’s brow furrowed slightly, but after a moment’s thought, he seemed to understand. A glint appeared in his eyes as he spoke to the man in black.

“Marshal, Jiangxia Town is planning to create a disturbance in Qinghe Village to lure out those things from Dajue Temple. They’ll use the opportunity to send others to scout the temple’s situation, correct?”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man in black turned to look at the young man, his face filled with deep appreciation. He nodded. “To discern Jiangxia Town’s plan from just these few words… Yang Ning, for you to serve as a Commander under this Marshal is truly a waste of your talents!”

If Xu Ning were here, he would have recognized him at a glance. This white-robed young man was none other than Yang Ning, the scout from the Beishuo Town’s Garrison Guards who had come to Redwood Ridge to draw a map eight years ago.

Eight years had passed. Yang Ning, now nearly thirty, had naturally shed much of his youthful immaturity and grown far more mature. Only the occasional flash of pride in his eyes proved he still held the sense of superiority that came with being a son of Beishuo.

“You praise me too highly, Marshal!”

Hearing Marshal Huang Lin’s compliment, Yang Ning demurred softly before continuing, “Jiangxia Town has been lying low in Qinghe Village for over a year, and they still haven’t even set foot inside Dajue Temple. If Bashang hadn’t exposed the news late last year, we in Beishuo would probably still be in the dark. Who could have imagined such a behemoth would appear on the north bank of the Heng River!”

Recalling the few dilapidated little camps he had seen when he came to the north bank to map the area eight years ago, and comparing them to the sight of Qinghe Village today, Yang Ning, who considered his composure to be quite good, couldn’t help but reveal a look of shock.

“Qinghe Village only has a little over two hundred Frostwarden realm cultivators. That’s nothing. The problem is the unordained monks living in the eastern monastery—there are over five thousand of them. Although their power is only at the Third Mane level, they are genuine Frostwarden realm cultivators. That number is already comparable to our Nine Towns…”

Yang Ning paused for a moment before continuing, “And that eastern monastery is only considered an outer area of Dajue Temple. In the second month this year, ten official monks emerged from there, all with power above the Twentieth Mane. The strongest one even surpassed the Fiftieth Mane. If all the official monks in Dajue Temple are at that level, the Nine Towns are in for serious trouble.

“And then there are those five mysterious Masters. We still haven’t managed to see a single one. Based on what we’ve observed so far, those five great Masters must be Sun-Manifestation realm experts. I just don’t know how their strength compares to the Sun-Manifestation realm experts of the Nine Towns!”

Marshal Huang Lin nodded slightly upon hearing this, his expression exceptionally grave.

Initially, only Jiangxia and Chuishan towns knew about Dajue Temple.

This was understandable. The eastern entrance to the north bank of the Heng River was wedged between these two towns, one to the south and one to the north. Being so close, they were naturally the first to learn of the situation.

But late last year, people from Bashang Town also happened to discover Dajue Temple. Jiangxia and Bashang were neighbors and the only two of the Nine Towns situated by the water. Their relationship was already extremely hostile. Bashang Town keenly sensed that Jiangxia was deliberately concealing the news about Dajue Temple to monopolize the benefits, so they directly exposed the information.

As a result, all Nine Towns learned about Dajue Temple.

The Nine Towns were not like those weak little camps. They all knew very well that while anomalies were dangerous, killing them brought immense benefits. Under such circumstances, the other seven towns were naturally unwilling to let Jiangxia and Chuishan have all the spoils.

Thus, late last year, under the leadership of the three northern towns, an operation targeting Dajue Temple, jointly launched by all Nine Towns, began.

Ostensibly, it was to annihilate the anomaly and protect the Nine Towns, but everyone had a tacit understanding of the real reason.

Jiangxia and Chuishan towns had already sent people to infiltrate Qinghe Village last year. When the other seven towns learned of this, they were not about to be left behind. At the beginning of the year, with the exception of Muyin Town, which explicitly stated it would not get involved, the other six towns all sent people to sneak in.

And the seven of them were the ones sent by Beishuo Town.

After spending eight months in Qinghe Village, Huang Lin finally understood why Jiangxia and Chuishan had been lying low here for over a year with no success.

Dajue Temple was simply too heavily guarded against outsiders.

The temple was located by Chilong Lake, just three kilometers east of Qinghe Village. The five-thousand-plus unordained monks from the eastern monastery patrolled a two-kilometer radius around Dajue Temple day and night. Just getting past them was an almost impossible task.

Even if one was lucky enough to break through, there was another layer of defense within a one-kilometer radius of Chilong Lake: the official monks from inside Dajue Temple. Those official monks were even more terrifyingly powerful, and their numbers seemed to be considerable.

In the first half of the year, each of the six towns had sent Frostwarden realm experts skilled in stealth to try and get close to the temple for reconnaissance. In the end, not a single one returned. The six towns then realized that Jiangxia and Chuishan had clearly suffered losses before and had deliberately kept quiet to trap them.

After losing a batch of experts, the six towns no longer dared to act rashly. They sent people to continue hiding in Qinghe Village and slowly gather information.

The eight towns’ idea was simple: as long as they had people lying in wait in Qinghe Village, over time, they would eventually integrate into the village’s core circle. By then, even if they couldn’t enter Dajue Temple, they could at least obtain some useful intelligence.

But as it turned out, they had oversimplified things yet again.

It wasn’t just Dajue Temple that was heavily guarded against outsiders; Qinghe Village was the same.

The village was riddled with hidden sentries. Anyone who dared to ask about Dajue Temple or the situation with the six-year-old children would immediately attract attention. At best, they would be watched for ten days to half a month; in more serious cases, they would be taken away directly.

The eight towns were unaware of this at first. The spy teams from each town even contacted one another. Later, after discovering that several people were being caught each month, they learned their lesson and stopped meeting, resorting to using paper wads to communicate.

Since Dajue Temple was closest to Jiangxia Town, the eight towns had decided at the outset of their discussions that Jiangxia Town would be in charge of the operation. The personnel from the other seven towns were to follow Jiangxia Town’s command.

This led to the current situation, with Jiangxia Town sending them a message.

“Marshal, the number of spies from the eight families currently hiding in Qinghe Village adds up to sixty or seventy people at most. Probably not even half are at the Frostwarden realm. With so few people, the chances of throwing the entire village into chaos are not very high, are they?”

“It’s not that the chances aren’t very high—with this handful of people, it’s completely impossible!” Huang Lin shook his head, giving a definitive answer.

Since the goal was to infiltrate Qinghe Village, they had to make it look convincing. If they all came as Frostwarden realm cultivators, it would certainly arouse suspicion. Therefore, the personnel配置 dispatched by the eight families this time was almost identical: three or four Frostwarden realm cultivators, accompanied by two or three Earthforger realm cultivators, and one or two children.

Although Huang Lin couldn’t be certain about the exact number of spies from the other seven families, he was sure that the total number of Frostwarden realm cultivators would not exceed thirty.

With only thirty Frostwarden realm cultivators, they wouldn’t even need the five-thousand-plus unordained monks from the eastern monastery. Qinghe Village’s own two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts could easily handle them if they reacted in time.

To think of throwing a camp of over one hundred thousand people, nearly the size of a town, into chaos with such a small force was simply fantastical.

Yang Ning naturally understood this. After glancing at the note, he looked up and asked, “In that case, where does Jiangxia get the confidence to act? Could this be a trick to get us killed?”

“That’s unlikely. This operation was decided upon by all eight towns together. Jiangxia wouldn’t dare use such a malicious trick to harm us. I suspect they’ve sent reinforcements. This has dragged on for too long. For eight months, we haven’t gathered a single piece of useful information. If this continues, it doesn’t matter much to the other seven towns, but the pressure on Jiangxia will only grow. It’s understandable that they’re anxious to act sooner!”

Yang Ning immediately understood.

The stronger the anomaly at Dajue Temple was, the more danger Jiangxia Town, being the closest to it, would be in. The other seven towns, on the other hand, had no immediate safety concerns. At this stage, they were more interested in seizing treasure, which was why they were in no hurry.

“In any case, before we infiltrated Qinghe Village at the start of the year, the Military Head gave us our orders: follow Jiangxia Town’s arrangements in all matters. Since Xiahou Qin has sent us a message, we’ll listen to him.”

“Xiahou Qin?”

Hearing Huang Lin say the name of the messenger, Yang Ning was stunned for a moment before he quickly reacted, his gaze falling on the paper wad in Huang Lin’s hand.

Huang Lin waved the paper wad, a smug smile on his face. “I dealt with Xiahou Qin a few times in my early years, so I recognize his handwriting. His power should be around the Thirtieth Mane by now, similar to mine.”

Yang Ning continued to ask, “Then, Marshal, how will we coordinate with Jiangxia?”

“We just need to create a disturbance. This western corner happens to be clear of any important figures. We’ll set a few big fires to tie up a portion of their Frostwarden realm cultivators.”

Yang Ning nodded. “But after we make our move this time, we’ll have to withdraw. We can’t stay in Qinghe Village. I hope the people Jiangxia arranged can really find out the specifics of Dajue Temple!”

A dark light flashed in Huang Lin’s eyes, but he said nothing more. He continued to arrange the specific details of the operation for the day after tomorrow with Yang Ning and the others.

…

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, Ninth Month, Twenty-eighth Day.

At the faint light of dawn, the streets of Qinghe Village were empty, with no sign of activity. Although every household had its coal stove lit, the entire village was silent, a clear sign that most people were deep in slumber.

Occasionally, Frostwarden realm cultivators would patrol the streets, but they were few and far between, mostly concentrated around the village entrance and the Main Building in the center.

Daylight in the Ice Abyss lasted only two hours, and at this time, most people were sound asleep, so this scene was quite normal.

Time trickled by, and soon half an hour had passed.

As soon as the half-hour mark was reached, a black shadow suddenly flickered at the base of Qinghe Village’s Main Building. The shadow held several torches. Seeing the animal skin mats on the ground floor of the Main Building, it tossed the torches directly onto them.

Sizzle…

The surface of the animal skin mats was covered in fine fur, which ignited instantly and spread wildly across the rest of the material. The person who threw the torches quickly ran to several other spots, tossing torches indiscriminately.

BOOM…

The buildings in Qinghe Village were predominantly wooden. The large flames immediately set the structures alight, and the fire began to spread with incredible speed.

“A fire?”

“The Main Building is on fire! How could the Main Building be on fire?”

“It’s arson! Someone is setting fires!”

“Quick, catch that person! He’s running!”

…

Before the man had even finished throwing his torches, several Frostwarden realm cultivators rushed out from the Main Building. Seeing the fire already spreading across the first floor, their faces were filled with fury. They spotted the black-clad arsonist and immediately charged.

“It’s not just the Main Building! Look, there are more and more fires in the village! Over twenty spots, and it’s still increasing!”

Unfortunately, before they could take even a single step, a cry of alarm came from the upper floors of the Main Building. Everyone froze, looked up at the sky above the village, and their expressions instantly turned rigid.

At least twenty plumes of black smoke were rising into the sky above Qinghe Village, and the number was constantly growing. The smoke was getting thicker and thicker, a clear sign that the fires were spreading rapidly.

Dong… Dong… Dong… Dong…

Nine massive bell tolls suddenly rang out from the top of the Main Building, jolting everyone in Qinghe Village from their sleep.

“It’s the Main Building’s warning bell! Is there an enemy attack?”

“It rang nine times! They’re notifying the people at the monastery to come for reinforcements!”

“There are fires, fires everywhere! Quick, put them out!”

“Help, I can’t get out! I don’t want to die!”

“We can’t get out either! We can only wait for the monks from the monastery to save us.”

“How could such a big fire start so suddenly?”

“Help, help, save me! I can’t run out!”

“Where are the enemies?”

…

It was still daytime, so even though people were awake, they couldn’t leave their houses. They could only watch helplessly as the flames grew.

Those who lived in the burning houses were in a miserable state.

Fearing the fire, they could only flee outside. Those with Earthforger realm cultivation were slightly better off; they could withstand the cold for about ten seconds and quickly duck into a nearby house that wasn’t on fire. As for those at the Lumberjack realm and ordinary people, they were frozen solid by the biting light within three or four meters of leaving their homes.

The sky above the village quickly filled with rolling black smoke, while below, the sound of screams and wails grew ever louder.

“Don’t worry about saving people for now! All Frostwarden realm cultivators, form groups of ten! Spread out and kill those arsonists for me! Don’t let a single one escape! The people from the monastery will be here soon, so don’t panic!”

“That’s the Leader’s voice!”

“Right, we need to deal with those arsonist mongrels first.”

“We can’t save many people anyway. Let’s deal with those wretched creatures!”

“The monks will be here soon. None of them will be able to escape.”

…

The first instinct of many Frostwarden realm cultivators was to save people. Hearing Leader Zhang Cheng’s voice, they came to their senses, quickly formed squads of ten, and dispersed throughout the village to hunt down those who were still setting fires.

Qinghe Village’s response was not slow, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of arsonists. In less than five minutes, nearly thirty fires had been set throughout the village.

Moreover, the timing of the arson was perfect—it was when everyone was in their deepest sleep, leaving them no time to react.

“Wretched creature, stop! Still trying to set fires!”

Bang!

Although people had begun to find the arsonists and even engage them in combat, the fires were ultimately uncontrollable. They expanded with terrifying speed, and the entire sky above Qinghe Village was soon shrouded in black smoke. Even the snowflakes that had been drifting from the sky were replaced by embers. The situation was completely out of control.

In the western corner of the village, by a wooden house where coal stones were stored, Yang Ning tossed a torch onto the pile. He then looked up at the thick smoke in the sky, a flicker of shock in his eyes.

“There are definitely more people involved than just us. I’d say there are over a hundred. Did Jiangxia Town really send so many reinforcements?”

“It’s not just Jiangxia. The other six families, including us from Beishuo, must have sent others as well. Stop talking and keep setting fires. People are already heading this way. Draw as much attention as you can. We’ll retreat if things get rough!”

Hearing Huang Lin’s words from behind him, Yang Ning’s expression tightened. He immediately grabbed his torch and began searching for his next target.

“Stop, you wretched creature!”

Just then, a squad from Qinghe Village finally found them. Seeing the torch in Yang Ning’s hand, they drew their bows without a word and unleashed a volley of arrows at him.

Clang… Clang…

Huang Lin stood before him, holding a large saber, and deflected several iron arrows.

“I’ll hold them off. You just keep setting fires!”

“Yes, milord!”

Yang Ning replied and quickly turned to find his next target. The ten-man squad from Qinghe Village was held at bay by Huang Lin and his other men, able to do nothing but watch in frustration.

…

In the eastern part of the village, Xiahou Qin led more than twenty people in a frenzy of arson. This area was closest to the monastery, and the Frostwarden realm cultivators of Qinghe Village seemed confident enough to not send anyone over, which gave him ample time to set fires.

However, Xiahou Qin’s expression was anything but relaxed. As he set fires, his gaze remained fixed on the eastern monastery.

Finally, seeming to sense something, he abruptly turned his head and shouted at the people still engrossed in setting fires:

“The people from the monastery are here! Drop the torches and run west! Now!”

His voice was tinged with panic. Hearing him, everyone quickly dropped their torches and followed him, running toward the west side of the village.

Swoosh…

However, someone was a step too slow.

Countless sharp white arrows suddenly flew from the east, forming a massive arrow shower that covered the bodies of two Frostwarden realm cultivators at the rear.

The white arrows were clearly not made of iron; they had the color of bone. Their tips were unimaginably sharp, not only piercing through the two men’s bodies but also embedding themselves in the ground on the other side, leaving only the fletching visible.

“Don’t look back! Keep running!”

Xiahou Qin’s brow twitched violently as he looked at the white bone arrows on the ground. Noticing that some people dared to look back, he roared at them to keep running.

“Ignorant wretches, daring to disturb the peace of the monastery! All unordained monks, disperse throughout the village! You must hunt down and kill these arsonists without fail!”

An angry voice suddenly boomed from the east. Xiahou Qin, who had already reached the Main Building in the center of the village, inexplicably turned his head. As he saw the sea of gray-robed, unordained monks pouring out of the eastern monastery, a flicker of joy crossed his eyes.

At least four or five thousand of them. They all came out. Good!

But this sliver of joy quickly turned into terror.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh…

More than five thousand monks, nearly all armed with white longbows, fired arrows into various parts of the village while swiftly splitting into two groups, one rushing south and the other north.

Moreover, their aim was not to kill enemies but to herd the arsonists toward the central Main Building.

“They plan to surround us from the north and south and trap us here.”

Xiahou Qin saw through their intentions at a glance, but he didn’t dare slow his pace. He led the twenty-odd people behind him in a mad dash to the west.

“All Frostwarden realm cultivators of Qinghe Village, block the western escape routes! Don’t let a single one of these wretches escape!”

It was the same middle-aged monk who had just issued orders to the monastics.

Leader Zhang Cheng of Qinghe Village, along with the other Frostwarden realm cultivators, even those currently fighting the arsonists, dropped what they were doing upon hearing the monk’s command and quickly gathered on the west side of the village.

“Stop setting fires! Break through to the west! If you’re too slow, you won’t make it! Go!”

In that short time, the northern and southern flanks had already been occupied by over five thousand gray-robed, unordained monks. They were already sending people to close in from the west. Once they formed an encirclement, there would be no escape.

As Xiahou Qin warned the others, he was already the first to reach the western wall of the village. Of course, a direct escape was impossible, as many of Qinghe Village’s Frostwarden realm cultivators were already waiting there.

“Break through!”

Xiahou Qin’s weapon was a nine-holed silver saber. He charged into the crowd of Qinghe Village cultivators as if entering an unguarded land. The chilling edge of his saber instantly killed two and forced back more than ten, tearing open a gap. It truly looked like he might succeed in breaking out.

But the people of Qinghe Village were fierce. Even knowing they were no match for him, they continued to charge forward, not only plugging the gap but even managing to injure him in their combined assault.

“Brother Xiahou, I’ll help you!”

Just as a Qinghe Village cultivator was about to plunge his sword into Xiahou Qin’s left chest, a deep voice suddenly boomed in his ear.

Clang!

A silver, eight-sided hammer with a head half a meter in diameter suddenly smashed in from the side. It not only shattered the sword but also turned the upper body of the swordsman into a bloody mist.

“Brother Cao, my thanks!”

Xiahou Qin clearly knew the newcomer. After thanking him, he looked at the people arriving one after another behind them. His face showed no joy, only growing graver.

Group after group of people, disheveled and covered in dust, converged on this spot from all corners of the village. They were clearly the arsonists from earlier, numbering at least one hundred and fifty.

More than twenty minutes had passed. Many arsonists must have been killed in that time. For one hundred and fifty to remain meant that the number of people who participated in tonight’s arson was far greater than imagined.

These people were all injured, some with several white bone arrows still sticking out of their bodies, clearly having been chased here by the five thousand gray-robed monks.

The reason for Xiahou Qin’s grave expression was that the top of the western earthen wall was now occupied by the gray-robed monks.

They, the hundred-plus people, were now trapped with no way out.

“Xiahou Qin, tonight’s arson was your Jiangxia Town’s plan. Don’t tell me you have no follow-up? I have no intention of dying here with you.”

“We lay low for over half a year just to cooperate with you for one night. Whatever else you have planned, use it now. Don’t waste time.”

“I’m sick of this place. Hurry up. I want to go back to Jinshan.”

…

The group that had actively participated in the night’s arson showed little nervousness. Several of them, clearly the leaders from their respective towns, even began shouting for Xiahou Qin to come up with a solution.

Hearing their words, Xiahou Qin’s face darkened, but he did not reply.

He was also just following orders. What other plan could there be? Unless…

BANG!

Just as the thought crossed Xiahou Qin’s mind and he was about to turn his head, a sky-shattering explosion suddenly erupted from above the western earthen wall.

A silver blade edge, nearly corporeal and dozens of meters long, suddenly slashed down from high above, striking the top of the earthen wall.

Squelch…

The top of the wall had been crowded with gray-robed monks.

When this silver blade edge descended, at least a dozen gray-robed monks were unable to dodge in time and were instantly minced into pulp. The others who scrambled to escape, though they saved their lives, either fell unconscious or vomited blood upon landing, completely losing their ability to fight.

BOOM…

The blade edge crashed to the ground with a deafening roar. The western wall was pulverized, and a blade-shaped trench over a dozen meters deep was carved into the earth.

A violent shockwave spread out in all directions, forcing the surrounding gray-robed monks, and even Xiahou Qin and his hundred-plus men, back by at least several dozen meters.

This single strike actually blew away the thick black smoke above the western wall. The ground was torn apart by flying rocks and dust, and the air filled with swirling snow and mist. The scene was utterly terrifying.

“What a powerful saber!”

“The temperature is rising. A Sun-Manifestation realm expert has made a move, right?”

“It must be a Sun-Manifestation realm expert. A saber… who from Jiangxia is it?”

“It’s Xiahou Zhang, the Military Head of Jiangxia Town.”

…

As the snow and mist settled, the crowd could finally see a figure hovering in the air.

The man appeared middle-aged, with a slender, somewhat tall build. He wore golden brocade robes and held a twelve-ringed silver saber, black as ink, in his left hand. He stood in the air, deep and still as a mountain abyss, radiant as a blazing sun, making it impossible to look at him directly.

“Greetings, Military Head!”

“Greetings, Military Head Xiahou!”

The first to react below were Xiahou Qin and the other men from Jiangxia Town.

Then, the people from the other seven towns also bowed to the figure in the air.

Seeing the members of the other seven towns bow, Xiahou Qin showed no surprise.

After years of deep integration, the Nine Towns had all adopted a similar camp system, including their official titles.

The Military Head was the one who commanded the military power of each town. Each of the Nine Towns had only one, a position that could only be held by a Sun-Manifestation realm expert.

Setting aside Military Head Xiahou Zhang’s position, it was only right and proper for these Frostwarden realm cultivators from the seven towns to bow to a Sun-Manifestation realm expert.

Xiahou Zhang, hovering in the air, naturally paid no mind to the people bowing to him on the ground. He first stared at the crowd of gray-robed monks below for a moment, seemingly finding nothing of interest, then raised his head to look east, toward Dajue Temple. A faint smile touched his lips as he spoke.

“It is said that Dajue Temple has five great Masters. I wonder if I, Xiahou Zhang, will have the honor of meeting one today?”

As soon as Xiahou Zhang’s words fell, the gray-robed monks and the Frostwarden realm cultivators from Qinghe Village below instantly erupted in fury. As if they hadn’t seen Xiahou Zhang levitating in the air, they began to curse him angrily.

“Shut up!”

“Wretched creature, you want to see a Master? Are you worthy?”

“Just as I thought, damned thieves from the Nine Towns. You’re like leeches! We’ve already caught so many spies, and there are still more.”

“You wretched creature who sets fires and harms people, what right do you have to meet a Master?”

…

Hearing the clamor from below, Xiahou Zhang lowered his head slightly, a flicker of fire gradually rising in his eyes.

He had held back with his first strike. Against a group of gray-robed monks whose strength was merely at the Third Mane, a full-power strike would have killed dozens at the very least.

“It seems those five Masters haven’t taught you to respect the strong!”

Xiahou Zhang spoke in a low, angry voice. He raised the black, silver-ringed saber in his right hand and swung it down at the few who had just spoken insolently.

“For your insolence, you can die for me!”

Jingle… Whoosh…

The silver rings collided with the blade, creating a crisp jingle. Xiahou Zhang’s movement seemed light, but the saber’s edge it produced was as fierce as a gale, sucking the air from its surroundings and forming a silver blade of light that was twice as long as his first strike.

However, the people below showed no fear as the silver blade descended upon them. Most didn’t even stop their verbal assault on Xiahou Zhang and continued to curse him.

CLANG…

The blade of light did not kill the shouting men as expected. It didn’t even manage to reach the ground.

A bald old monk with white eyebrows and a yellow robe had suddenly appeared above the crowd, reaching out a hand and effortlessly catching the blade of light.

The old monk’s build was exceptionally massive. He was over two meters tall, his body a mass of knotted muscles. Even his neck was thicker than a normal person’s. The only reason one would call him old was because of the two white eyebrows over his eyes. Looking only at his face, his skin was as pink and smooth as a newborn baby’s, with a healthy, ruddy glow, not appearing old at all.

“Greetings, Vajra Master of Dajue!”

“Greetings, Vajra Master of Dajue…”

The moment the old man appeared, the five thousand gray-robed, unordained monks and the two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm cultivators from Qinghe Village all dropped to their knees and bowed in unison.

And not just them!

“Greetings, Vajra Master of Dajue…”

Cries of veneration rose and fell throughout Qinghe Village, clearly from the villagers who had been thrown into a panic by the fires.

The moment this yellow-robed old monk appeared, their hearts seemed to calm, and even the fires were momentarily forgotten.

“Patron Xiahou, my Dajue Temple and your Jiangxia Town are neighbors and should live in harmony. Yet you led people to Qinghe Village to set fires and harm people, creating such heavy sins of slaughter. No matter what, this Master must seek justice from you for those who died so tragically today!”

The Vajra Master spoke with a heavy nasal tone. Before Xiahou Zhang could even respond, his body abruptly vanished.

The next second, he appeared directly above Xiahou Zhang.

With a hint of anger on his face, he raised his left hand. The sleeve billowed as the muscles within bulged, and he brought his palm down fiercely on top of Xiahou Zhang’s head.

Clang…

He’s not using a weapon? He’s facing me with his bare body?

A look of fury rose on Xiahou Zhang’s face. He clearly felt he was being underestimated by this Vajra Master. He snapped his saber upward, aiming a slashing thrust at the Vajra Master’s left arm.

They were both at the Sun-Manifestation realm, their physical bodies roughly equal. Taking a palm versus taking a saber strike—the winner and loser were obvious. A ruthless glint appeared in Xiahou Zhang’s eyes. He refused to believe this Vajra Master would actually dare to clash with him like this.

Clang…

The more you refuse to believe something, the more likely it is to happen. This old saying was now being proven true for Xiahou Zhang.

His saber was indeed faster than the Vajra Master’s hand, so it struck its target first. But the expected scene of a severed arm did not occur. Instead, there was a harsh sound of metal striking stone.

His Black Silver Saber’s core was made of one-hundred-thousand-forged grade silver, coated with a layer of Black Boar oil to increase its toughness. In terms of hardness, it could definitely rank in the top five among all the Nine Towns.

And this Vajra Master’s left arm was actually harder than his Black Silver Saber!

Xiahou Zhang suddenly realized something. His right eyelid twitched violently, and a look of terror flashed in his pupils as he quickly twisted his head aside.

The Vajra Master’s palm was aimed at his head. If the man’s hand was harder than his Black Silver Saber, then if that palm landed on his head, the consequences…

BOOM!

In the end, Xiahou Zhang managed to move his head, but his shoulder was still struck by the Vajra Master’s palm.

His entire body shot downward like a cannonball, smashing into the ground and creating a massive crater ten meters in diameter.

“That… power…”

“The Vajra Master’s power is greater than Military Head Xiahou’s?”

“He was slapped straight to the ground. It seems he’s not just a little stronger!”

“This…”

…

This scene instantly stunned Xiahou Qin and everyone else from the eight towns.

Swoosh…

While they were still dazed, Xiahou Zhang shot out from the crater. His face was grave. He did not flee, but instead gripped his saber and charged back toward the Vajra Master.

“What are you standing around for? Run!”

The Frostwarden realm cultivators from the eight towns immediately snapped back to reality. Without a second thought, they bolted toward the gap in the western wall that Xiahou Zhang had just blasted open.

“Don’t let them escape! After them!”

The gray-robed monks and Qinghe Village’s Frostwarden realm cultivators were not about to let them escape so easily. At the command of their leading monk, the massive crowd instantly gave chase.

Bang!

And in the sky, the battle between the two Sun-Manifestation realm experts raged on.

As the great battle raged on the west side of the village, no one noticed that in the eastern area, inside an ordinary wooden house, Xu Ning was staring intently through a crack in the window with one eye, his face filled with delight and emotion.

“So worth it! This trip was so worth it!”

“It wasn’t a waste to hide in this house for five whole days.”

“The Nine Towns all sent people to infiltrate Qinghe Village, and they’ve even made their move.”

“A Sun-Manifestation realm expert is here! Military Head Xiahou, he’s the Sun-Manifestation realm expert from Jiangxia Town.”

“This Vajra Master’s physique is clearly stronger than a typical Sun-Manifestation realm expert. Military Head Xiahou is most likely no match for him. And Dajue Temple has four more Masters like this.”

“Five thousand unordained monks, all Frostwarden realm cultivators at the Third Mane. And this is just the strength of the monastery. The inside of Dajue Temple must be even more terrifying…”

…

Xu Ning’s face was alight with joy. Who could have thought he would stumble upon the eight towns making their move? The information he had gleaned in this single event was more than everything he had learned in the past six months in Hexia Village combined.

“That’s about enough. Time to go back. This haul is more than sufficient!”

Xu Ning made up his mind and prepared to leave. He was currently near the monastery. With all five thousand unordained monks gone, no one would notice him leaving Qinghe Village.

But just as he was about to move, a dozen figures suddenly emerged from several wooden houses near the eastern part of the village, speeding toward the eastern monastery.

Xu Ning’s expression froze. He quickly turned to look east. When he saw those people bypass the monastery and head further east, his brows furrowed slightly. He glanced back at the two Sun-Manifestation realm experts still fighting in the west and instantly understood.

“So that’s how it is…”

Seeing that the dozen or so people were about to reach Chilong Lake to the east, Xu Ning didn’t hesitate for a second. He leaped from the wooden house and headed in their direction.

An opportunity this good, he certainly couldn’t miss it!

Chapter 359: The Eight Hundred Monks, a Narrow Escape, and the Message Delivered

The name Chilong Lake existed long before Dajue Temple was established.

There were roughly two versions of how it got its name.

The first was simpler: it was said that several decades ago, someone in Qinghepu had personally witnessed a crimson flood dragon fly out from the clouds and plunge into the lake.

The second version claimed that the lake, being long, narrow, and winding, resembled the shape of a dragon. Furthermore, every year in the second month, the lake’s water would turn as red as blood, hence the name Chilong, or “Crimson Dragon.”

Xu Ning had spent half a year in Hexia Village and had heard many of the local rumors about the Qinghepu area. Since Dajue Temple was located on Chilong Lake, he naturally paid special attention to this region.

“This place is… unsettling!”

Following a dozen or so men in black through the Zen courtyards, Xu Ning caught sight of Dajue Temple on the lake’s shore from a kilometer away. An unusual feeling instantly washed over him.

The entire temple complex, apart from a five-meter-high yellow wall enclosing it, consisted of a single, three-story, brilliant white hall.

White buildings were extremely rare to begin with, let alone one this bright. It was daytime, and under the cold light, the hall shimmered like jade, reflecting a fierce white glare that added a sense of sacredness, inexplicably stirring a powerful desire within him to prostrate himself in worship.

Xu Ning lowered his head and glanced at the unresponsive silver jade pendant in his hand. He frowned slightly and continued to follow the group towards Dajue Temple.

The men in black were all approaching from different directions, and they were fast. In less than ten breaths, some had already neared the wall.

Xu Ning turned his head to look at the great battle to the west of Qinghe Village, understanding that every second counted. Not daring to delay, he avoided the other men in black, quickly circled around to the south side, and then made a dash for the temple wall.

“Which family are you from? So weak?”

When he was still over a hundred meters from the wall, Xu Ning suddenly heard a puzzled voice from his side. Turning his head, he saw another man in black, dozens of meters to his right, rushing toward the wall just like him.

It was a coincidence. Xu Ning was on a temporary infiltration mission to Qinghe Village and had also changed into black clothes. Without a close look, his attire was nearly identical to that of the others.

The man had mistaken him for one of the Nine Towns’ people!

Realizing this, Xu Ning didn’t dare respond. Anything he said now could easily give him away. He could only continue running towards the wall.

The man had called him weak, and Xu Ning didn’t refute it. He had noticed just now that he couldn’t gauge the strength of any of the dozen men in black.

He was not far from the peak-Frostwarden realm himself, with a base strength of Eighteen Mane. If even he couldn’t see through them, it meant their strength was at least above Twenty Mane, possibly even higher.

“You may be weak, but you’ve got some courage. Pick up the pace! The twenty-eighth of every month is when the ordained monks observe a fast and listen to the Master’s teachings. This is our only chance, we have to seize it.”

The man in black, though talkative, had just revealed to Xu Ning why the other eight towns had chosen to make their move today.

After speaking, the man in black quickly closed in on the wall. Like the dozen others, his speed far outstripped Xu Ning’s.

Fortunately, the distance wasn’t too great. Less than five breaths after the group of men in black leaped onto the wall, Xu Ning reached its base.

He was about to vault up when he looked up and saw a bizarre spectacle.

The man in black who had just jumped onto the wall in front of him was suddenly frozen stiff, completely motionless.

Xu Ning’s expression froze. Looking around at the other positions, he discovered that it wasn’t just the man next to him. All the other dozen men in black were now facing the temple’s interior, standing frozen on the wall.

“What… what terrifying thing did they see?”

Because the men in black had their backs to him, Xu Ning couldn’t see their faces. After a moment of speculation, he grit his teeth. Instead of jumping onto the wall as they had, he took a light leap, grabbed the top of the wall with his hands, and peeked his head over to look inside Dajue Temple.

Within the temple, a circular plaza came into view. The ground was paved with a layer of gorgeous green glazed tiles. This, combined with the temple’s sole crystal-white hall and the surrounding yellow walls, created a scene of shimmering, multicolored light, majestic and solemn. It was dazzling, yet it simultaneously evoked an intense sense of yearning.

Xu Ning shook his head hard, his vision clearing. He looked toward the front of the plaza, at the main entrance of the Dajue Hall, and his face instantly filled with horror.

“This is…”

Before the main entrance of Dajue Hall, hundreds of bald, white-robed, ordained monks were gathered. Their faces were calm, and they all looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. With their backs to the hall, they stood with their eyes closed, their lips moving slightly as they endlessly chanted scriptures.

“Five… six… seven… eight hundred! At least eight hundred! There are this many ordained monks… this is…”

Xu Ning’s mind reeled in shock. During his five-day stakeout in front of Qinghe Village, he had managed to gather some intelligence. He had once overheard someone mention the strength of Dajue Temple’s ordained monks.

All of them were above Twenty Mane!

Eight hundred ordained monks, all above Twenty Mane—what did that even mean?

Namo bhagavate bhaiṣajyaguru… vaiḍūryaprabharājāya… tathāgatāyārhate… bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye… samyaksaṃbuddhāya tadyathā… oṃ bhaiṣajye… svāhā…

A dense wave of Sanskrit chants suddenly reached his ears, and the immense shock in his heart instantly calmed. He abruptly sensed something and looked up towards the main entrance of Dajue Hall.

At that single glance, he froze completely.

It was a pair of eyes.

A pair of fluorescent green pupils, unlike those of any normal human.

Xu Ning could clearly sense that the owner of those eyes was watching him from within Dajue Hall. The main doors were wide open, yet he couldn’t see the person’s figure clearly. He could only continue to meet that gaze.

A sense of terror filled Xu Ning’s heart. He discovered that not only could he not look away, but his body was also completely paralyzed. Only then did he realize that the men in black had been frozen not because of the eight hundred monks below, but because of this pair of fluorescent green eyes!

Hum…

Xu Ning suddenly felt the liver beneath his chest twitch violently, followed by a powerful tearing sensation from within his body. He was distinctly aware of something moving up from his torso towards his head.

A sharp pain shot through his remaining left eye. Fresh blood gushed out, yet his vision was unaffected. He could still clearly see the pair of fluorescent green pupils.

Xu Ning struggled frantically, trying to move his eyeball, wanting to see the condition of the other men in black. But he couldn’t. Finally, thinking of something, he settled for the next best thing and used his peripheral vision to glance at the man closest to him on his right.

It worked! He could see!

When Xu Ning’s peripheral vision caught sight of the man’s state, he trembled uncontrollably.

Beams of spiritual light were continuously flying out of the man’s two eyes, clearly something being extracted from within his body. The light shot directly into Dajue Hall.

There was no need to guess; it was the work of those fluorescent green pupils.

In less than five breaths, the spiritual light from the man’s body was depleted. As the light ceased, the man’s body went limp and tumbled off the wall to the outside.

“If it’s drawn out, I’ll die!”

Realizing this, Xu Ning’s heart was thrown into chaos.

Of course, Xu Ning feared death, but what he feared more was being unable to deliver this vital information back to Xiacheng, to the Lord and the Prefect.

The strange and powerful Dajue Temple, the Five Masters, the movements of the Nine Towns, the five thousand unordained monks, the eight hundred ordained monks, Military Head Xiahou, and the Vajra Master who had just injured Xiahou Zhang the moment he appeared.

And now, of course, this pair of eerie fluorescent green eyes…

He knew how crucial this information was to the Great Xia.

In many matters, the first move was paramount. Whoever held the initiative, held the advantage.

The Great Xia had successfully annexed Longyou because they had first opened up the Jing Valley passage, taking control of the Hive before Longyou even knew what was happening.

“No, I absolutely cannot die here. If I’m going to die, it has to be after I get back!”

Xu Ning struggled madly, trying to avert his gaze. But if even those stronger men in black couldn’t do it, how could he?

In reality, from an outsider’s perspective, Xu Ning’s body hadn’t moved a single inch from start to finish. He could only let the thing inside him drill into his mind, transform into wisps of spiritual light, and fly out of his left eye toward Dajue Hall.

Xu Ning’s current state was identical to that of the men in black. The only difference, if any, was that he only had one left eye, so the rate at which the spiritual light was being extracted seemed much slower.

One breath… Two breaths… Three breaths… Four breaths…

After four breaths, Xu Ning’s mind was a chaotic mess, his consciousness on the verge of collapse. But the conviction in his heart persisted, unwilling to give up.

“Cannot die, cannot die…”

Tss!

The silver jade pendant in Xu Ning’s hand suddenly grew hot, turning red and emitting a wave of heat that enveloped his body.

At that very moment, the stream of spiritual light pouring from his left eye was abruptly severed by the heat. A small portion of the light even retreated back into his eye.

“Ah…”

The instant the spiritual light was cut off, Xu Ning clearly endured an unimaginable, intense pain. He let out a blood-curdling scream, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Those in the Frostwarden realm had all experienced hide reforging, and their tolerance for pain was far beyond that of ordinary people. For Xu Ning to cry out so miserably, the agony must have been far beyond imagination.

Thump…

Xu Ning had been clinging to the wall. The moment he screamed, he fell from it. He trembled on the ground for two or three breaths before abruptly realizing he had regained control of his body. Without a second thought, he grit his teeth, scrambled to his feet, and fled southwards.

In front of Dajue Hall, a bald, white-robed monk suddenly opened his eyes, stood up, and turned to face the interior of the main hall. He put his palms together in a gesture of pious reverence.

“Master Wusheng, one of the wretched creatures has escaped. Shall this disciple go and retrieve it?”

“It’s useless even if it escaped. With most of its soul-body lost, its consciousness is about to collapse. It can’t carry out any useful information. Don’t worry about it. Continue chanting the mantra with this Master.”

“As the Master commands!”

Hearing the response from within the hall, the bald monk immediately sat down again, turned his back to the hall, and resumed chanting.

…

Southwest of Qinghe Village, Xu Ning’s figure streaked across the snow. After changing direction, he sprinted west toward the area where Baiyang was located. Even though he knew he was already seven or eight kilometers away from Dajue Temple, he didn’t dare to relax in the slightest.

Fear was the only thing in his eyes, but soon, a hint of turbidity would flash through them intermittently, and even his steps grew uncoordinated.

“What exactly was just pulled out of me?”

“My mind grows more chaotic. My consciousness seems to be dissipating. The thing that was drawn out affects my spirit!”

“No, if this continues, it will be useless even if I make it back. I have to find a way!”

…

His expression grew more anxious as his mind frantically searched for a solution. He was completely unaware that the three vertical, blood-red sacred sigils on his glabella were now fully visible, emitting a faint red glow.

As the sigil’s red light flickered, Xu Ning’s eyes constantly switched between clarity and turbidity. It was clear that the sacred sigil was the only reason he was able to maintain his lucidity.

“Write it down! Writing it down will work! As long as I can make it back to Baiyang territory and be found by Great Xia’s people, the message will definitely reach Xiacheng!”

Soon, Xu Ning devised a plan. Without hesitation, he tore a piece of cloth from his clothes, dipped his finger in the blood from his cheek, and quickly began to write on the scrap.

“East courtyard in Qinghe Village, over five thousand gray-robed unordained monks, all above Third Mane; inside Dajue Temple, eight hundred white-robed ordained monks, all above Twenty Mane.”

“Of the Five Masters, the Vajra Master’s physique is astounding, stronger than Jiangxia’s Military Head Xiahou Zhang; the other four Masters have not shown themselves, but it can be assumed they are all of the Sun-Manifestation realm; the fluorescent green pupils just now likely belong to one of the other four Masters—making eye contact with them will cause something to be drawn from your body.”

“The Nine Towns have spies in Qinghe Village, likely to investigate Dajue Temple. The Lord and Prefect must be warned to prepare early…”

Relying on the last vestiges of consciousness sustained by the sacred sigil, Xu Ning wrote down all the information he deemed critical in a concise manner on the scrap of cloth.

Of course, the entire process was completed while he was running at top speed.

After all, just writing it down wasn’t enough. It would only be a success once it was delivered to Xiacheng.

Qinghe Village was north of Hexia Village. He had to travel west for nearly thirty kilometers to reach Baiyang territory. In the past, Xu Ning had always thought this distance was too short, fearing that people from Qinghepu might one day find the Baiyang outpost and discover the Great Xia.

Now, he felt that these thirty kilometers were the longest journey he had ever undertaken. The light from the sacred sigil on his brow grew weaker, and his eyes began to cloud over completely. He felt his head grow heavier and heavier, his body more and more uncoordinated, and his speed slowed considerably.

Thump…

Xu Ning didn’t know how long he had been running west. His body finally gave out, and he pitched forward onto the snow, falling unconscious. Even as he lost consciousness, he clutched the scrap of cloth in his hand, not daring to loosen his grip in the slightest.

…

Great Xia, Year Seven, September 24th, Daytime.

Xiacheng, inside the Council Hall.

Zhao Long, Yue Feng, Meng Yi, and Hou Tong stood in the hall, looking up at Xia Chuan with exceptionally excited expressions.

“Reporting to the Prefect, my Falcon Army’s recruitment is complete.”

“Reporting to the Prefect, the thousand soldiers for the Shanhe Army have also been recruited.”

“Reporting to the Prefect, the Xiongwu Army is fully assembled and awaiting orders at the East City Barracks.”

“Reporting to the Prefect, the thousand soldiers for the Northern Zhao Army have also been fully recruited.”

The decision to establish four new armies—the Falcon, Shanhe, Xiongwu, and Northern Zhao—had been made on the eleventh and twelfth of September. Nearly half a month had passed since then, so it was only natural that the recruitment of their soldiers had been completed smoothly.

Xia Chuan turned to look at the excitement on their faces and nodded slightly. Then, remembering something, he asked with a smile, “I heard that for the better part of the last half-month, the four of you were fighting over recruits, blocking each other’s doors, and even dueling, causing quite a few jokes around Xiacheng. Is that true?”

Hearing this, the four men’s old faces reddened slightly. They clearly hadn’t expected such trivial matters to reach Xia Chuan’s ears.

Seeing their reactions, Xia Chuan chuckled and shook his head, showing no intention of blaming them.

With four new armies being established and four thousand soldiers being recruited simultaneously, it was perfectly normal for them to compete for high-quality recruits to boost their armies’ combat strength. If they had all casually picked their soldiers, then he would have truly been worried.

Now that the four armies were established, the next step was training.

Xia Chuan looked at Yue Feng among the four and asked, “Yue Feng, you’ve just returned from Longshan. How are things on the Lord’s side?”

Yue Feng was the Garrison Prefect of Longshan and should have been stationed there. But with the recent establishment of the Shanhe Army, he had spent the last ten-odd days rushing between Longshan and Xiacheng to personally select his soldiers, so he was familiar with the situation there.

“Reporting to the Prefect, as of two days ago, the Lord and the army have already cleared out two silver mines. They should be dealing with the third one now. I went to see when they were clearing the second one. At this rate, it’s estimated that all five silver mines in Longshan can be cleared out by early October. Then the army can set off for the Beilang Mountains to deal with the last two.”

“So quickly?”

Hearing Yue Feng say that all five silver mines could be cleared by early October, not just Xia Chuan, but Zhao Long and the other two also showed deep astonishment on their faces.

The silver mines were infested with Frost Beast clans, which naturally had to be cleared out before mining could begin. Xia Hong had arrived in Longshan on the fourteenth. Counting today, it had only been ten days. To deal with the Frost Beast clans of two silver mines in ten days was truly an astonishing rate of efficiency.

“There’s no helping it. The Lord’s strength is just too immense…”

Unlike the others, Yue Feng had personally witnessed how Xia Hong led the army against the Frost Beast clans. Recalling the scene of Xia Hong in battle, he sighed with emotion before continuing with a wry smile, “The Beast Kings of those two silver mines were no match for the Lord at all. Before Prefect Yuwen could even lead the army to break through the Frost Beast horde, the Lord had already slain the Beast King. It was the same both times.”

Hearing this, Zhao Long, Meng Yi, and Hou Tong’s faces filled with profound shock. They had clearly not expected Xia Hong’s strength to have reached such a level.

Xia Chuan, however, showed little reaction.

On the ninth of September, the Ancestral Worship Day, the very night Xia Hong had come out of seclusion, he had already fought one against three in the Arrow Bamboo Forest and killed two Beast Kings in succession. If the Beast Kings occupying the silver mines were of average strength, it stood to reason that they would be no match for Xia Hong in a one-on-one fight.

Xia Chuan had witnessed that scene with his own eyes, so he wasn’t surprised.

But Zhao Long, the other two, and Yue Feng had not been present that night, so their current reaction was not strange.

A flicker of interest appeared on Xia Chuan’s face. He continued to question Yue Feng, “From what you’re saying, dealing with the Frost Beast clans at the silver mines with the Lord isn’t very dangerous? What about the casualty numbers?”

Yue Feng immediately nodded and replied, “The six armies have suffered almost no combat losses. At most, there are some minor injuries, with a few serious ones here and there. With medicinal pills for treatment, it’s nothing significant.”

“In that case, you four armies will prepare now. Depart for Longshan after nightfall. Have the Cloud Serpent, Dragon Martial, Dragon Slaying, and Tiger Leopard armies relieve their posts. Inform Yuwen Tao to have them return to Xiacheng first.”

Yue Feng was taken aback for a moment but immediately understood. Xia Chuan was giving them an opportunity to train their troops in Longshan. He hurriedly cupped his fist in a salute. “This subordinate obeys!”

Zhao Long and the other two also realized it and saluted. “This subordinate obeys!”

On one hand, dealing with the silver mine Frost Beasts under the Lord’s command was certain to be low-risk, minimizing soldier casualties. On the other hand, the strength of a single Frost Beast clan was much greater than that of an ordinary Beast Tide of the same scale. Using them for training would undoubtedly allow the four new armies to rapidly increase their combat prowess. It was the perfect arrangement.

“Alright, you can go now…”

“Reporting to the Prefect, the Ancestral Temple steward, Shi Qing, has an urgent matter to report!”

Just as Xia Chuan was about to dismiss the four men, he was interrupted by the guard on duty outside the Council Hall.

“Let Shi Qing in!”

Hearing that it was a matter concerning the Ancestral Temple, Xia Chuan frowned slightly. He first signaled the guard to let Shi Qing enter, then continued speaking to Zhao Long and the others, “Night will fall in a little over half an hour. Go and prepare for your departure now!”

The four men bowed and exited the hall together. As they passed through the doors, they happened to see Shi Qing rushing in, holding a clan spirit tablet.

Shi Qing was clearly in a hurry. He didn’t even have time to greet them and simply dashed inside.

“A clan spirit tablet? Who’s in trouble?”

“I saw light on the tablet. Should be fine.”

“I wonder who it is.”

In the Great Xia, only those with enfeoffed titles were qualified to establish a clan and perform ancestral rites. Those who could have a clan spirit tablet were either the title holder themselves or their direct relatives. Shi Qing rushing in with a tablet like this likely meant that the owner of that tablet was in some sort of trouble.

Since Shi Qing was holding the tablet, none of the four could see the name written on it. After muttering amongst themselves to no avail, they could only leave with concerned expressions.

“Ancestral Temple steward Shi Qing pays his respects to the Lord Prefect! It seems something has happened to Lord Xu Ning, the Prefect of Wuyuan!”

Inside the hall, Shi Qing bowed to Xia Chuan before immediately presenting the clan spirit tablet he was holding.

The moment Xia Chuan saw the tablet, his expression changed instantly.

【Clan Head Xu Ning】

There were only four words on the spirit tablet. Although it emitted a faint fluorescent glow, its brightness was significantly dimmer than that of a normal clan spirit tablet.

“What happened?”

“This subordinate was just inspecting the Clan Hall on the second floor and discovered that Lord Xu’s clan spirit tablet began to flicker inexplicably. Then its light grew faint. Realizing something was wrong, I came to report to the Prefect immediately.”

Shi Qing had been appointed as the steward of the Ancestral Temple last September. His duty was to monitor the Major Clan divine pedestal on the top floor and all the living spirit tablets in the Clan Hall on the second floor, and to report any abnormalities immediately.

Something had happened to Xu Ning…

Hadn’t a message already been sent telling him to withdraw from Qinghepu?

Xia Chuan’s expression hardened. Looking at the weak glow on the tablet, he didn’t dare to delay. He tucked the tablet into his robes and strode quickly out of the hall.

“Shi Qing, you head back to the Ancestral Temple and keep watch, focusing on the people from Wuyuan. If anything else happens, report to Prefect Qiu and have him send someone with the tablet to find me in Wuyuan.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Exiting the Main Building, Xia Chuan quickly found Qiu Peng, gave him a few instructions, then raced along the main road out of Xiacheng’s south gate, heading straight for Wuyuan.

If Xu Ning had listened to him and was already back in Wuyuan, then this was a major problem.

If he hadn’t listened and had met with trouble in Qinghepu, he still couldn’t just stand by. He had to go rescue him.

Xu Ning was a veteran of the Great Xia who had followed Xia Hong since the Earthen Mound period. Xia Chuan knew his character well.

In the first year of the Great Xia, facing the four camps of Shanbei whose strength was several times weaker than their own, Xu Ning had remained patient, using lures to get the four camps to make the first move before annexing them.

In the third year, the seven families of Songyang Ridge were taken by Xu Ning without shedding a drop of blood. In the following three years, Xu Ning had also followed his orders to advance steadily, slowly exploring eastward along the north bank of the Xing River without a single incident.

All these past events showed that Xu Ning was a steady character with a cautious style, by no means a person who would rush forward recklessly for merit.

No matter what had caused his predicament, it proved that there was a major situation in Wuyuan. That was why Xia Chuan was rushing there in such a hurry.

“I hope it’s not Wuyuan that’s in trouble. The worst-case scenario is that Dajue Temple has discovered our outposts at Baiyang and Wuyuan!”

With a grim expression, Xia Chuan raced onward.

…

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry. You know what Big Brother is like, don’t you? In all these years, has he ever done anything he wasn’t sure about?”

At the Great Xia outpost in Wuyuan, in the main hall of the Main Building, Hong Qiaoru sat in a side chair, her head bowed in tears. Two boys, four or five years old, stood on either side of her legs, constantly wiping her tears.

Xu An held his little niece, Xu Ying, and though he was telling her everything was fine, his eyes were clearly filled with deep worry. He was just as concerned about his big brother, Xu Ning.

“It’s been eight days, and he still hasn’t come back. Something must have happened. Younger brother-in-law, that Qinghepu place is strange through and through. It’s definitely not right. Please hurry and take some men to save your brother!”

Hearing his sister-in-law’s words, a hint of hesitation appeared on Xu An’s face.

He was worried about his brother’s safety too, but the exploration of Qinghepu had been arranged single-handedly by Xu Ning. With no definite news, rushing over with men would not only be useless but could also expose the Great Xia’s situation. It was simply not an option.

“Sister-in-law, calm down, you know…”

“Who goes there? How dare you trespass in the Wuyuan Division Office! Ah… greetings, Prefect!”

Just as Xu An was about to urge his sister-in-law to calm down, he was interrupted by the voice of a guard from outside the hall. Hearing the guard’s last words, his expression froze. He quickly handed his little niece to his sister-in-law and was about to turn and walk out of the hall when he saw the frantic Prefect, Xia Chuan, striding in.

“Wuyuan Civil Magistrate Xu An pays his respects to the Lord Prefect!”

“Titled lady Hong Qiaoru pays her respects to the Lord Prefect.”

Seeing Xia Chuan himself had arrived, even Hong Qiaoru, who was on the chair, immediately stood up with her young daughter, leading her two sons to bow in salute.

“No need for formalities. Is Xu Ning still in Hexia Village right now?”

Xia Chuan’s expression was incredibly anxious. From the moment he entered Wuyuan territory and sensed that nothing was amiss, he had immediately determined that something must have happened to Xu Ning, who was undercover in Qinghepu.

He knew all about Xu Ning’s plan to infiltrate Qinghepu, which was why he got straight to the point and asked Xu An if Xu Ning was still in Hexia Village.

Hong Qiaoru had already returned, so Xu An was now well-informed. Seeing Xia Chuan’s anxious expression, he also realized something must have happened to his brother. He quickly recounted everything in full detail that Hong Qiaoru had brought back.

Learning that Xu Ning had taken such a risk to investigate Dajue Temple alone, Xia Chuan’s expression instantly darkened.

“Prefect, did something happen to my big brother?”

At Xu An’s question, Hong Qiaoru also looked up nervously. Even her two sons, only four and five years old, looked up at Xia Chuan with anxious faces.

Xia Chuan turned to look at the mother and her children, his expression faltering for a moment. He didn’t say much and spoke directly to Xu An, “Xu An, you’re coming with me to Baiyang. We leave now. Let’s go!”

Xu An seemed to realize something. He said nothing more, picked up his saber, and followed Xia Chuan out of the main hall.

Of course, before leaving, he didn’t forget to give Hong Qiaoru a parting word.

“Sister-in-law, you and the three little ones stay here. I will definitely bring Big Brother back.”

Having seen Xia Chuan rush in so frantically, Hong Qiaoru had already sensed something was wrong. Now, hearing her brother-in-law’s words, she understood everything. Clutching her young daughter, she broke down into sobs.

“Mother, Mother, please don’t cry.”

“Father is so strong, he’ll definitely be alright. Mother, please stop crying.”

Five-year-old Xu Cheng and three-year-old Xu Ping, seeing their mother crying so sadly, immediately went to comfort her. But they were young themselves, and infected by their mother’s sobs, they soon began to cry softly as well.

…

“Something happened to Xu Ning. This is his clan spirit tablet!”

East of Wuyuan, Xia Chuan was racing along. Seeing Xu An struggling to keep up, he slowed down slightly. After a moment of silence, he took out the clan spirit tablet from his robes and showed it to Xu An.

Although he had been mentally prepared before setting out, seeing the incredibly faint light on Xu Ning’s spirit tablet with his own eyes and realizing his brother was truly in trouble, Xu An’s expression instantly tensed.

“The light from the spirit tablet is pointing east. It’s likely he ran into trouble in Qinghepu. We’ll go to Baiyang first and find Chen Ying to get the details about Qinghepu. Then we’ll figure out how to go there and rescue Xu Ning.”

Baiyang was a small outpost established last year, currently the Great Xia’s easternmost territory on the north bank of the Xing River. It was the closest to Qinghepu. Chen Ying was the current Garrison Commander of Baiyang and his knowledge of Qinghepu was second only to Xu Ning’s. To set out to rescue him, they naturally had to find Chen Ying to get information first.

Xu An nodded heavily, his eyes full of worry, and he picked up his pace.

The two moved quickly, arriving at the Baiyang outpost in just over ten minutes.

“Baiyang Garrison Commander Chen Ying pays his respects to the Lord Prefect, Lord Xu!”

Chen Ying was clearly surprised to see Xia Chuan and Xu An arrive together.

Xia Chuan didn’t waste words. He took out Xu Ning’s spirit tablet and was about to explain the situation when his expression suddenly froze.

“Something happened to Lord Xu!”

Chen Ying had been granted a ninth-rank title in the third year of the Great Xia and had long since established his clan and performed ancestral rites. He was very familiar with clan spirit tablets. Seeing the faint light on Xu Ning’s tablet, he immediately knew something was wrong.

“Wait, I remember Qinghepu is directly east of Baiyang, right?”

“That’s right, directly east.”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s question, Chen Ying immediately nodded in reply. Then, seeing the dim light on the spirit tablet, he instantly understood.

“The light on Lord Xu’s spirit tablet… is it pointing north?”

Xu An also realized it then, his expression jolting.

The light emitted by a clan spirit tablet was directional; it would point toward the owner’s current location. Qinghepu was east of Baiyang, but the light on the tablet was now pointing north. That meant…

“Big Brother is in the north, not in Qinghepu!”

“Come with me, let’s go find him.”

Xia Chuan was decisive. He immediately led Xu An and Chen Ying out of the Baiyang outpost, following the spirit tablet’s direction and racing north.

The Baiyang outpost was located on the eastern side of Songyang Ridge. Another seven or eight kilometers north was the southern cliff face of Double Dragon Mountain, so the area wasn’t very large.

The three of them sped northward through the snowy forest and, following the spirit tablet’s guidance, soon found a large tree.

The moment they found the tree, the expressions of Xia Chuan and the others changed dramatically.

In the fork of a large branch above, an unconscious man in black was slumped over. On top of him was a low-level Snow Mane, no more than three or four meters long, its bloody maw wide open as it chewed on the man’s legs.

The man’s hide was apparently extremely tough. The Snow Mane grunted and gnawed several times but failed to bite through his legs.

“Wretched creature, stop!”

Xu An recognized the man’s face from a distance, confirming it was his big brother, Xu Ning. His eyes widened in fury. With a roar, he drew the silver saber from his waist, pushed off the ground with his legs, and shot up towards the tree.

Splurt…

How could a low-level Snow Mane withstand the furious strike of Xu An?

Before the beast could even roar, its head was already separated from its body.

Xu An then grabbed his unconscious brother and leaped down from the tree.

“Big Brother, how are you!”

“Big Brother, wake up…”

…

“He’s unconscious, you can’t wake him. Let me take a look first.”

Seeing that Xu An had lost his composure, Xia Chuan shouted to snap him out of it. He then knelt beside Xu Ning to examine his injuries.

After inspecting him, Xia Chuan’s expression tightened, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

There were bloodstains on Xu Ning’s left cheek, clearly from his eye. Other than that, there were teeth marks on his legs from the low-level Snow Mane just now.

Xu Ning was already a late-Frostwarden realm cultivator. Even if he lay there unmoving, a low-level Snow Mane shouldn’t have been able to break his hide. To leave teeth marks, it must have been chewing for a long time.

Besides that, there wasn’t a single other wound on his entire body.

Xia Chuan thought for a moment, then reached out and gently pried open Xu Ning’s left eye.

“No injury?”

Seeing that Xu Ning’s left pupil, though cloudy, was completely intact, Xia Chuan grew even more perplexed.

“Prefect, it looks like my big brother is clutching something in his hand!”

At Xu An’s reminder, Xia Chuan noticed that Xu Ning’s hand was indeed balled into a fist around a piece of black cloth, clearly torn from his own clothes. He reached out, pinched the scrap, and gave it a gentle tug. A look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He couldn’t pull it free!

This meant that before falling unconscious, Xu Ning had been clutching this cloth with a death grip. Even now, while unconscious, his subconscious refused to let go.

What was this cloth?

Xia Chuan applied a bit more force and pulled the cloth from his hand. He opened it and looked.

The cloth was covered in five dense lines of small, red characters, clearly written with a blood-dipped finger. The handwriting was crooked and messy, obviously written in great haste and urgency.

【Dajue Temple, Five Masters】

【Five thousand-plus gray-robed unordained monks in the courtyard, Third Mane strength】

【Eight hundred white-robed ordained monks, above Twenty Mane】

【The Nine Towns have made their move in Qinghe Village. Military Head of Jiangxia Town, Xiahou Zhang, defeated by the Vajra Master】

【Dajue Hall in Chilong Lake, fluorescent green pupils, eye contact means death】

Seeing the contents of these five lines of bloody words, Xia Chuan’s expression changed in an instant.

“Get Xu Ning back, now!”

Chapter 360: Losses of the Eight Towns, Xiahou Zhang’s Certainty, the Fourth Army Arrives at Longshan

The name Xing River was given by Xia Hong.

In the third month of the first year, in his frantic hunt for the Beast Blood needed to break through to the Frostwarden realm, he had slaughtered mid-grade Frost Beasts all the way south from Redwood Ridge and arrived at the riverbank for the first time.

Seeing the lush, extraordinary aquatic plants along the bank, Xia Hong named it with the character ‘Xing,’ signifying prosperity.

As the ruler of the Great Xia, any name Xia Hong bestowed naturally became official. Thus, from the first year onward, everyone in the Great Xia referred to the southern river as the Xing River.

Unlike the people of the Great Xia, the Nine Towns called it the Heng River.

The name Heng River first originated from Jiangxia Town.

Looking at the map of the Nine Towns, the eastern entrance and exit of the North Bank of the Heng River appeared to be flanked by two towns, one to the north and one to the south. In reality, Chuishan Town to the north was still two or three kilometers from the entrance. The town that truly controlled the entire passage was Jiangxia.

The character ‘Heng,’ meaning ‘horizontal,’ revealed that Jiangxia Town had discovered long ago that the river flowed from east to west. This also served as indirect proof that Jiangxia’s exploration of the North Bank of the Heng River had begun a very long time ago.

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, September 28th, Nighttime

On the North Bank of the Heng River, in the main building of an unnamed camp in the eastern section, Xiahou Qin paced back and forth with a tense expression. He frequently glanced up at the window on the west side of the building, a trace of terror evident in the depths of his eyes.

“It’s been almost half an hour since nightfall, and he’s still not back. What should I do? What should I do?”

“The Military Head is so powerful. Nothing will happen to him. Nothing at all.”

“How could that Vajra Master be so strong?”

“If the Vajra Master is this strong, then the other four Masters must be…”

…

Half an hour earlier, just before nightfall, he had finally managed to shake off the unordained monks of Dajue Temple and escape back to Jinbi Village. His nerves were already frayed, and now his mind was in turmoil. One moment he was worried about the safety of the Military Head, Xiahou Zhang, and the next he was shocked by the terrifying power Dajue Temple had displayed. He grew visibly flustered.

Thump, thump, thump…

Suddenly hearing the sound of hurried footsteps outside, Xiahou Qin whipped his head around. Seeing a subordinate enter, his expression immediately sank again.

“Sir, the people from Beishuo Town have also escaped back. There are eighteen of them in total. The two leading them are Town Guard Army Marshals Huang Lin and Pei Yang.”

Hearing his subordinate’s report, Xiahou Qin snorted coldly.

“Eighteen of them escaped? Beishuo actually sent that many people? Hmph!”

Survivors from Jinshan, Wuchuan, Longgu, Yangqu, Chuishan, and Bashang had already trickled back to Jinbi Village earlier. However, at most only seven or eight had returned from each of those towns, yet Beishuo had eighteen.

Eighteen returning did not mean Beishuo had only sent eighteen to Qinghe Village.

Not counting those killed by the monastery’s monks during the arson, more than one hundred and fifty people had successfully gathered at the western earthen wall after the fires were set.

Jiangxia was the main force in tonight’s arson. Xiahou Qin knew full well that his own town had only sent just over sixty people, and by the time they gathered at the western wall, only forty-odd remained. This meant that the men from the other six towns combined numbered over one hundred and ten. Factoring in those who had escaped earlier and weren’t surrounded, the number was even higher.

Later, as they fled from the western wall, those five thousand-plus gray-robed monks pursued them relentlessly, cutting down another portion. In the end, even fewer made it out safely.

“At the meeting of the eight Military Heads at the beginning of the year, it was clearly agreed that apart from Jiangxia, the other seven towns would send no more than ten scouts each to infiltrate Qinghe Village. It seems none of them honored the agreement. For Beishuo to have eighteen return, I estimate they sent at least forty scouts to Qinghe Village.”

Xiahou Qin sneered as he finished. On any other day, he would have been furious that the seven towns had broken their promise. But tonight’s situation was different.

No one had anticipated how powerful Dajue Temple would be.

If those seven towns had truly abided by the agreement and sent only a few scouts, then Jiangxia would have been the only one to suffer a disastrous loss tonight.

The subordinate clearly understood Xiahou Qin’s meaning and nodded. “As of now, twenty-three of our men have returned. The other six towns each have around seven to eight back. Beishuo has the most with eighteen. The total number is less than ninety. Judging by the scale of the fires at the start of the operation at dawn, there were at least two hundred people involved. This means that in this infiltration operation, the eight towns lost over a hundred Frostwarden realm experts in total.”

“More than that!”

Xiahou Qin’s expression grew solemn, and his tone turned heavy. “Don’t forget the dozen or so experts who went to scout Dajue Temple. Each town sent two or three, and not a single one has returned yet. I suspect…”

It had been nearly an hour since nightfall. For them to not have returned by now likely meant they never would. Xiahou Qin was well aware of this.

The subordinate clearly hadn’t realized this yet. Upon hearing this, his expression froze.

“Lord Gu, Marshal Zhang, and Marshal Zhu… they’re not coming back?”

At the mention of these three names, a shadow of grief crossed Xiahou Qin’s face.

Xiahou Gu, Zhang Yuan, and Zhu Qing were all top-tier Frostwarden realm experts in Jiangxia Town. Their strength was all above twenty-five Mane. Among them, his cousin, Xiahou Gu, had a base strength as high as thirty-five Mane.

Three experts, lost just like that at Dajue Temple.

Of course, it wasn’t just Jiangxia’s three. The experts sent by the other seven towns to spy on the temple had not returned either. It was almost certain they had all met with disaster.

These dozen or so experts were not ordinary Frostwarden practitioners; they were the cornerstones of their respective towns. In normal times, the death of even one would be a major loss. To lose more than a dozen at once like this was unprecedented.

“That Vajra Master is just too terrifying. If Uncle hadn’t acted personally, most of us would have likely died in Qinghe Village. The most hateful part is that after losing so many people and suffering such huge losses, the Nine Towns still failed to find out a single detail about Dajue Temple’s situation. And…”

At this point, Xiahou Qin’s tone tightened. He turned to look west, his face filled with worry.

His uncle, Xiahou Zhang, had yet to return.

Before escaping Qinghe Village, Xiahou Qin had personally witnessed the fight between Xiahou Zhang and the Vajra Master. It was obvious that his uncle, Xiahou Zhang, was no match for him.

He still wasn’t back. Could it be…

“Impossible, absolutely impossible. Uncle’s strength is extraordinary. Even if he can’t defeat that Vajra Master, escaping shouldn’t be a problem. Yes, yes…”

Xiahou Qin could only console himself this way as he continued to wait.

Whoosh…

A little over ten minutes later, the sound of rushing wind suddenly came from the west.

Xiahou Qin’s head snapped around. Seeing a figure speeding toward the main building, a look of intense joy erupted on his face.

But that joy did not last long; it was quickly replaced by worry.

“Uncle, how are you?”

The person who flew in from outside was, of course, Xiahou Zhang.

But Xiahou Zhang’s condition at that moment was terrible.

His face was deathly pale, his breathing ragged, and his golden brocade robes were torn and tattered. After flying into the main hall, he couldn’t even stand steadily. He had to use his saber to support his body before he could sit down in the main seat.

“Cough, cough… cough… pu…”

After taking his seat, he coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.

A large section of fractured, silvery-white bone protruded from his left shoulder. His left arm, hanging on by little more than torn flesh and skin, dangled limply downwards. It seemed as if a gentle tug could pull the entire arm off.

Xiahou Qin had never seen his uncle in such a wretched state. He was at a loss for what to do, even as he rushed forward to help, his mind clearly in chaos.

“It’s just a scratch, what’s there to panic about? As long as I’m alive, it’s nothing!”

Seeing his nephew’s panicked and pathetic display, Xiahou Zhang was clearly displeased. He first chided him with a deep, angry voice, then took out a golden pill from his robes and swallowed it. He closed his eyes to regulate his breathing for a moment, then opened them and looked at Xiahou Qin, asking in a low voice, “Have any of the nineteen men who went to spy on Dajue Temple returned?”

Having been scolded by his uncle, Xiahou Qin slowly calmed down. He quickly shook his head and replied, “Not a single one has returned.”

Hearing this answer, Xiahou Zhang showed not a hint of surprise, having clearly anticipated it.

“That Vajra Master from Dajue Temple has a strength of at least seven Jun, and his physical body is incredibly powerful. In the entire Nine Towns, the number of people who could take him on in a one-on-one fight can be counted on one hand. If he’s so formidable, the other four Masters who share his fame must be of similar strength, perhaps even stronger. Xiahou Gu and the others… their deaths were not in vain…”

Speaking to this point, Xiahou Zhang paused, a flicker of annoyance on his face as he continued, “It’s infuriating that we sacrificed nineteen men and didn’t get any useful information. We still know nothing about what’s going on inside Dajue Temple, what the other four Masters are like, or what they’ve been doing with all those children they’ve taken over the past seven years. If I had known it would be like this, I would have gone to spy on Dajue Temple myself instead of staging this whole thing and getting so many people killed for nothing.”

“Uncle, you must not!”

Xiahou Qin’s expression immediately became tense. Fearing that Xiahou Zhang might act rashly and go to spy on Dajue Temple himself, he quickly tried to stop him. Then, he continued with a serious tone, “That Dajue Temple is surely connected to anomalies. How can you risk your life when you don’t know the enemy’s situation? As long as you are here, Jiangxia can afford to lose any number of Frostwarden experts!”

The most terrifying thing about anomalies was never their raw power, but their mysterious and unpredictable methods. Without understanding them, even a Sun-Manifestation realm expert could fall into their trap.

This operation had been designed specifically to ensure Xiahou Zhang’s safety. If he had gone to scout Dajue Temple alone and something had happened, Jiangxia Town would have suffered a truly devastating blow.

The relatively balanced state of the Nine Towns was maintained, in the end, by the fact that each town had a similar number of Sun-Manifestation realm experts. To lose one for no reason would have absolutely unthinkable consequences.

The current state of Muyin Town was a bloody example.

Three years ago, when news of the death of Muyin Town’s Lord Murong Ding spread, the other eight towns immediately changed their attitude toward it. Setting aside all the bullying and suppression, Wuchuan even sent troops to directly invade Muyin’s territory. If not for the combined pressure from the other seven towns, Muyin would have lost at least half its land.

Xiahou Qin had no desire to see Jiangxia follow in Muyin Town’s footsteps.

Xiahou Zhang was over a hundred years old and naturally understood this reasoning. He didn’t refute his nephew’s advice, but a hateful look appeared on his face. “Those bastards from the seven towns, they think they can just sit back and do nothing because they’re far from Dajue Temple, hoping to reap the rewards without any effort. They wouldn’t even send a single person. If I had just a few more Sun-Manifestation experts with me, why would we need this diversionary tactic? Now I’ve lost an arm. I spit on them…”

Hearing this, Xiahou Qin’s expression also darkened. But then a thought occurred to him, and he said fiercely, “Our losses were great, but the seven towns didn’t get off lightly either. They thought they were being clever by secretly sending so many people to infiltrate Qinghe Village. Now they’ve all been wiped out in one go. It will be impossible for them to send anyone to infiltrate Qinghe Village again in the future…”

He paused, a worried look on his face as he looked at Xiahou Zhang and continued, “Uncle, Jiangxia is now completely on bad terms with Dajue Temple. With the five Masters being so powerful, Jiangxia’s situation from now on…”

Jiangxia was located at the eastern exit of the North Bank of the Heng River, only fifty kilometers from Qinghepu, where Dajue Temple was located. This distance was practically next door. The Jinbi Village they were in right now was Jiangxia’s territory on the North Bank, only twenty-some kilometers from Dajue Temple, even closer.

With such a powerful force appearing nearby, one that was almost certainly connected to anomalies, Jiangxia Town’s future was looking grim.

Xiahou Zhang naturally understood his nephew’s meaning. His expression sank slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he sneered, “Since it’s confirmed that Dajue Temple is related to anomalies, the other eight towns can forget about staying out of it.

“When I return to the town’s main city this time, I will immediately report to the Lord and ask him to invite the lords of the other eight towns to discuss how to deal with Dajue Temple. If they think they can make Jiangxia stand alone against an anomaly, they’re dreaming.”

“Will the other eight towns agree?”

“If they don’t, then we’ll just hand over the entire eastern exit to Dajue Temple. Such a generous gift should be enough to resolve this misunderstanding. Then, when Dajue Temple leaves the North Bank, they can attack whoever they want, and we won’t have to get involved.

“In any case, all Dajue Temple has wanted so far are six-year-old children. I haven’t seen them slaughtering indiscriminately like other anomalies. If the eight towns don’t care, then neither will we. When a great disaster brews in the future, we’ll all suffer together!”

Hearing his uncle’s words, Xiahou Qin’s eyes instantly lit up.

That’s right!

Everyone knew what the other eight towns were plotting. If it were a weaker opponent, Jiangxia Town might have just swallowed its pride and accepted the loss. But Dajue Temple was clearly different.

The Vajra Master who could severely injure Xiahou Zhang, the four other unseen Masters, the five thousand-plus unordained monks, and the unknown number of official monks—this strength clearly surpassed that of Jiangxia Town.

If the eight towns still dared to sit back and watch as they had before, Jiangxia could indeed do as Xiahou Zhang said, and the other towns wouldn’t be able to find fault with it.

“It was agreed back then that the Nine Towns would share a common destiny. Now that an anomaly has appeared, those eight towns won’t lift a finger, only hoping to sit back and pick up the spoils. Since when was there such a good deal in this world?”

Xiahou Zhang let out two cold laughs, utterly certain in his heart that this time, the other eight towns would not dare refuse Jiangxia Town’s call for aid.

…

Great Xia, Year 7, September 24th, after midnight.

At the entrance to the Xia Direct Road, just east of the Longshan outpost, soldiers clad in pale gold armor emerged one after another, heading west toward the outpost.

It seemed to be their first march, and the soldiers’ expressions were exceptionally excited. As soon as they exited the Direct Road, many started chatting animatedly.

“This is the last section of the Direct Road, right?”

“The Longshan outpost is just ahead. Two or three kilometers at most.”

“This is so fast! We set out from the Xiacheng Barracks at nightfall, went through Jing Valley, passed by the Hive to Wushuang, and finally got here. Including the hour and a half of rest along the way, it only took five and a half hours, right?”

“About that.”

“I’ve studied the complete map of the Great Xia’s territory. This journey of ours should be over one hundred and twenty kilometers long. If you subtract the rest time, our marching speed was a little over thirty kilometers per hour.”

“Traveling on the Direct Road is really fast…”

…

“Pick up the pace! We’re almost there! There are still many people behind you waiting to exit the road. Stop dawdling!”

At the exit of the Direct Road, a loud shout from Zhao Long interrupted the chatting soldiers up front. He urged them to speed up, clearly a little angry.

“A little over thirty kilometers an hour… this marching speed is worse than the Cloud Serpent Army’s five years ago. It’s just terrible.”

Yue Feng was standing next to Zhao Long. He heard this and shook his head with a smile. “How many days has it been since our Fourth Army was established? To have this speed is already quite good. Soldier combat strength, marching speed, battlefield execution… these things have to be improved gradually through training. Did you expect to reach the heavens in a single step?”

Zhao Long nodded in acknowledgment, but then smiled wryly. “I understand all that, but the gap is just too wide. I heard in the first half of the year that the Director’s Cloud Serpent Army and Department Head Yuwen Tao’s Dragon Martial Army can reach marching speeds of over one hundred kilometers an hour on the Direct Road. That’s almost more than three times our speed.

“Moreover, both armies started focusing on improving their marching speed on normal snowfields last year. I heard that even without the Direct Road, they can now march over fifteen kilometers in an hour.”

Yue Feng’s face froze for a moment, and then he too nodded with a wry smile.

He was naturally aware of these things as well.

The Cloud Serpent Army and the Dragon Martial Army, being the first two armies established in the Great Xia, were naturally the cream of the crop among the current eleven armies in every aspect—from the number of Frostwarden realm experts in their ranks to their overall combat effectiveness, marching speed, and soldiers’ battlefield execution.

Never mind their newly formed Fourth Army; even the other five armies, if one had any discernment, could see the clear gap between them and the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies.

Not only that, even the various battle tactics currently being used by the other nine armies against Frost Beasts and humans were first developed by the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies in previous years and then taught to them.

As a Marshal of a grand army and the commander of an army, Zhao Long naturally did not want his Falcon Army to fall too far behind. That was why, even on their very first march, his standards were exceptionally high. The fact that their marching speed reached over thirty kilometers was largely due to his constant urging along the way.

“Let’s not compare ourselves to the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies. I heard that many of their battle tactics were personally taught by the Lord. The Lord clearly intends for them to be the template for all future armies of the Great Xia. Let’s just work hard and see if we can catch up to the combat strength of the Xuanwu, Shenwu, and Longyuan armies first.”

Hearing Yue Feng’s words, Zhao Long could only nod helplessly.

Catching up to the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies was indeed an impossibility.

Setting other things aside, just look at the number of Frostwarden realm experts.

Both the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies had over four hundred Frostwarden experts, nearly half of their total force. It was estimated that in a few more years, every single soldier in both armies would have broken through to the Frostwarden realm. In contrast, the four newly established grand armies had only a little over four hundred Frostwarden experts combined.

How could they possibly catch up?

It was better to be realistic and compete with the other armies!

“We’re almost there. I’ll head back first to have the Longshan Barracks prepare food, and I’ll also go to the Silver Mine to inform the Lord.”

The Great Xia’s Department of Military Affairs had a rule: whichever outpost an army was stationed at, that outpost’s personnel would be responsible for the army’s food and logistical transport. Like Jing Valley, Longshan had also set aside an area within the outpost specifically for military use, called the Longshan Barracks.

Yue Feng was the Prefect of Longshan, so these matters were his responsibility. Thus, he took his leave from Zhao Long.

Zhao Long knew the rules and immediately nodded. “Alright, you go on ahead. I’ll watch over the army here!”

Yue Feng immediately turned and sped off toward the Longshan outpost.

“The Longshan Barracks… Barring any surprises, I’ll be stationed here with the Falcon Army for a few years. I wonder if I’ll have the chance to lead the army and expand the territory for our Great Xia.”

Zhao Long looked up at the towering main peak of Longshan to the west, his eyes filled with a longing to achieve great things and build a legacy.

Chapter 361: The Rapidly Growing Army, Unrivaled Among Beast Kings

In the northern section of Longshan, in a region about thirty kilometers to the west.

A fierce battle was unfolding in an ice-and-snow jungle shrouded in cold mist.

The two sides of the conflict were humans and Frost Beasts.

On the human side was an army of roughly four thousand soldiers, all clad in pale golden armor. Their adversaries were a swarm of Golden-armored Thunder Kui of varying sizes, ranging from five or six meters to just over thirty meters, clearly corresponding to low, mid, and high grades. Their numbers exceeded ten thousand.

In terms of numbers, the Frost Beasts held a clear advantage.

But if one were to look down from above, they would see the Frost Beasts being pushed back and slaughtered. On the fringes of the battle, a few low and mid-grade Thunder Kui were even fleeing the battlefield, clearly terrified by the carnage.

The human army was charging from east to west. The main force, facing west, was clearly divided into three sections. Two regiments of one thousand men each occupied the left and right flanks, continuously compressing the Thunder Kuis’ space. The remaining two thousand men relentlessly thrust forward through the center. The army’s overall formation resembled a three-pronged spearhead, plunging deep into the heart of the Thunder Kui horde.

“Wings, close in! Center army, continue the charge with me!”

Yuwen Tao’s booming roar suddenly erupted from the forefront of the battlefield.

From the left and right wings, two five-man squads charged out. One man in each squad held a banner, while the other four provided cover, pushing over two hundred meters into the beast horde. The standard-bearer then leaped high into the air, fiercely planting the ten-meter-tall army banner into the ground. He and his four comrades then fought off the surrounding Frost Beasts to protect the banner.

The center army did the same. Two five-man squads replicated the maneuver, planting their banners even deeper into the core of the horde, holding fast against the Frost Beasts on the perimeter and ensuring the banners stood tall in the cold wind.

“The banner order has been given! Brothers of the Dragon Slaying Army, charge with me!”

“Brothers of the Tiger Leopard Army, charge with your Marshal! Ignore the scattered Frost Beasts!”

“Brothers of the Xuanwu and Shenwu armies, lock onto the banner’s position and break through.”

The Great Xia army had been established for six years, and its configuration and battle tactics had largely matured.

Each army would select five elites from the Scout Battalion to serve as its standard-bearers—one chief and four deputies. These five were not responsible for killing enemies on the battlefield but solely for protecting the banner and moving its position at any time according to the Marshal’s command, guiding the soldiers’ direction of attack.

Ordinarily, the Dragon Slaying, Tiger Leopard, Xuanwu, and Shenwu armies should have been commanded by their respective Marshals—Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Hong Guang, and Hong Tian. But in this battle, the supreme commander of all four armies was clearly Yuwen Tao.

Thus, as soon as Yuwen Tao’s order was given, the twenty standard-bearers of the four armies immediately moved in response, coordinating to issue the banner order. Then, the four Marshals—Yuan Cheng and the others—personally led their armies charging toward the position of their respective banners.

For an individual, a battle involving a hundred men was already chaotic. In the heat of the fight, if one didn’t pay attention to the overall situation, there was a high probability of friendly fire, and it was easy to fall into a state of fighting alone, unable to exert the army’s true power.

This was even more true for battles on the scale of a thousand men.

The establishment of standard-bearers could be said to have perfectly solved this problem.

Once any Great Xia army was given its designation, the Artisan Department would immediately craft its army banner according to the Marshal’s request.

The flagpole of every banner was made of ten thousand-forged refined iron, and the flag’s surface was woven from the finest silk fabrics available in Great Xia. Even the patterns and characters on the flag were sewn stitch by stitch with extremely precious silver thread.

Crafting the banners with such high specifications and effort served two purposes. On a symbolic level, it added to their sanctity, thus boosting the soldiers’ morale and cohesion. On a practical level, it ensured every soldier on the battlefield could see them clearly, thereby improving their combat effectiveness.

Just like at this moment, the four conspicuous banners of the Dragon Slaying, Tiger Leopard, Xuanwu, and Shenwu armies at the front of the battlefield constantly reminded the soldiers of their army’s current main direction of attack. Coupled with the sharp commands of the four Marshals, all soldiers exerted their force in one direction, creating an exceptionally terrifying level of lethality and destruction.

Among Frost Beasts of the same grade, the Thunder Kui’s strength was top-tier. The impact generated by such a massive herd of Thunder Kui charging together was far beyond a normal person’s imagination.

Moreover, compared to a beast tide of similar scale, they possessed a high degree of organization.

“Moo…”

On the left side of the battlefield, a dozen high-grade Thunder Kui roared in unison. Thousands of mid and low-grade Thunder Kui that had been entangled with the soldiers all turned and converged on their position.

But it didn’t end there. The dozen high-grade Thunder Kui, each over thirty meters long, were the first to launch a fierce charge against the Dragon Slaying Army on the left wing, which was pushing steadily forward. The thousands of Thunder Kui that had just gathered around them also turned and uniformly charged the left flank.

“They’re making a desperate stand. A counterattack? In their dreams!”

Dragon Slaying Army Marshal Yuan Cheng saw through the Thunder Kui horde’s intention at a glance. He swung his silver double-bladed great axe, sending a high-grade Thunder Kui in front of him flying sideways. Then he leaped to the very front of the Thunder Kui charge and roared in a deep voice, “Everyone, raise your shields where you stand! All Frostwarden realm soldiers, get to the front and block those dozen high-grade Thunder Kui! Don’t let them escape!”

After speaking, he planted his great axe by his feet, took the golden round shield he had been carrying on his back, held his breath, and sank his legs firmly into the ground.

The thousand soldiers of the Dragon Slaying Army on the left wing did the same. They all temporarily put down their weapons, took out the golden round shields from their backs in unison, held their breath, and stared down the thousands of charging Thunder Kui without a trace of fear on their faces.

Bang!

Yuan Cheng, standing at the very front, was naturally the first to be hit, and the one that hit him was a high-grade Thunder Kui.

No, it was less that he was hit and more that he braced himself against it.

No matter how burly Yuan Cheng was, he was only a little over two meters tall. Compared to a Thunder Kui that was thirty meters long in its combat form, normally, forget about blocking it with a golden round shield; the beast could have just leaped over him without any problem.

However, the reality was that as the Thunder Kui charged down, Yuan Cheng seized an opportunity. In the instant the beast’s left forelimb landed, he actively thrust forward with all his might.

Crack…

The thirty-meter-long Thunder Kui, struck by his thrust, let out a sharp crack from its left forelimb. Its body was pushed back a dozen meters, and its forward momentum came to a screeching halt.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Yuan Cheng was only the beginning. The soldiers of the Dragon Slaying Army on the left wing moved almost identically to him, also finding the right moment to push forward. They managed to block the entire first wave of charging Thunder Kui.

Of course, not everyone could push a Thunder Kui back like Yuan Cheng, but even the weakest soldier could hold one at a stalemate, preventing them from breaking through the left flank’s line and escaping.

The Thunder Kuis’ massive size was an advantage in one-on-one fights, but it became a liability when they charged at the same time. Because they were so large, they could only attack in sequence. So when the front row of Thunder Kui was stopped by the soldiers, the ones behind them were still charging, making a collision between them inevitable.

Bang! Bang…

The impact of thousands of Thunder Kui colliding with each other sent tremors through the entire battlefield, and the scene descended into chaos.

Just as Yuan Cheng put away his shield and picked up his great axe again, the high-grade Thunder Kui he had repelled was already charging back at him, enraged. His brow furrowed slightly as he realized it was too late to attack. He quickly raised his great axe horizontally in front of him, attempting to block the blow head-on.

Bang!

However, when the Thunder Kui was still a dozen meters away, a silver broadsword suddenly slammed down on its head from the side. Caught off guard, the Thunder Kui’s head crashed violently into the ground.

“Thank you, Prefect Yuwen!”

Yuan Cheng saw that the newcomer was Yuwen Tao and immediately cupped his hands in thanks.

Yuwen Tao simply gave him a slight nod, then leaped directly onto the head of the downed Thunder Kui. While raising his broadsword to plunge it into the beast’s eye, he didn’t forget to continue issuing orders to the army.

“Center army, turn left! Right army, continue charging forward!”

The center army was composed of the Xuanwu and Shenwu armies, while the right was Luo Yuan’s Tiger Leopard Army. At Yuwen Tao’s command, the fifteen standard-bearers of the three armies moved in response, and the banners changed position once again.

What followed was an even more ferocious charge from the army.

The center army had just been charging west; now, turning left meant they were facing south, where the Dragon Slaying Army was. The right army was already charging from north to south, so its direction didn’t change, but its banner was advanced another two hundred meters south, spurring the soldiers to charge forward with even greater vigor.

The Thunder Kui horde’s final counterattack had been directed southward and was blocked by the Dragon Slaying Army. With Yuwen Tao’s command, the entire horde, except for a few scattered individuals that could escape, was essentially surrounded on three sides. Their only way out was to the west.

But for some reason, they did not flee to the west.

…

This great battle had clearly been raging for a long time. On the eastern perimeter of the battlefield, at least a thousand Thunder Kui lay on the ground, each one riddled with nearly a hundred silver iron arrows. About five hundred meters further east, thousands of scattered heavy bows and quivers lay on the ground, obviously left behind by the soldiers after they had fired their arrows.

“A beast tide of over ten thousand, and a single species at that. I originally thought it would take all six armies to deal with them. I never imagined the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies wouldn’t even be needed. The Dragon Slaying Army was founded in the third year of Great Xia, so their high combat effectiveness is understandable. But the Tiger Leopard, Xuanwu, and Shenwu armies were founded successively in the fourth and fifth years. They haven’t even been around for a full three years, yet their combat power is already so terrifying!”

On the far eastern edge of the battlefield, Li Yuankun, who had just arrived from the Longshan garrison, picked up a heavy bow from the ground. He looked up toward the battlefield, his face filled with astonishment as he watched the four armies push the Thunder Kui horde to the brink of collapse.

“One generation plants the trees, another gets the shade. The four armies only needed to copy and practice the battle tactics and military systems developed by the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies, so of course their growth rate is fast. But I admit, I didn’t expect them to be able to handle a Thunder Kui horde of this scale either!”

Li Yuankun was not alone; Yue Feng was with him.

Yue Feng had just returned to the Longshan garrison. After arranging matters in the main camp, he immediately had Li Yuankun take him to find Xia Hong at the silver mine.

Li Yuankun was the Vice-captain of the Mountain River Squad and had always been Yue Feng’s partner. When Yue Feng was reassigned as the Prefect of Longshan, Li Yuankun was appointed as the Armament Master of the Longshan Logistics Division.

Regarding the matter of the Shanhe Army, Yue Feng could have sent Li Yuankun back to Xiacheng to handle it, but he placed great importance on the Shanhe Army and decided to manage it personally, so he had Li Yuankun stay behind in Longshan.

There were a total of five silver mines in Longshan. Since Yue Feng had just come from Xiacheng, he didn’t know where Xia Hong was, so he had to have Li Yuankun lead the way.

As soon as the two of them arrived, they happened to witness this great battle, and having had little contact with the military, they were both thoroughly shaken by the scene before them.

Recalling what Li Yuankun had said on the way, Yue Feng asked softly, “You just said that this is the fourth silver mine the Lord has led the army to clear, is that correct?”

Li Yuankun nodded. “Not just the fourth, but also the largest of the five silver mines discovered in Longshan so far. The year before last, Prefect Mu personally led a team to survey it. A conservative estimate is that it’s a rather large medium-scale vein, possibly even a large one.”

Hearing this, Yue Feng’s expression grew excited.

A reserve of under one hundred thousand tons was micro-scale; one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand tons was small; five hundred thousand to three million tons was medium; and large-scale was three million to ten million tons.

If it was truly a large-scale silver mine, Great Xia would not lack silver for a long time to come. Moreover, since this mine was within Longshan’s territory, the Creation Value of the Longshan garrison would probably rank first every year from now on. How could he, the Prefect of Longshan, not be excited?

“Because it’s the largest silver mine, the Frost Beast horde occupying it is also the strongest. There are actually four Beast King-level Thunder Kui, which is truly terrifying. If it weren’t for the Lord, the army alone probably wouldn’t have been enough.”

Hearing Li Yuankun’s sigh, Yue Feng’s expression grew solemn. He nodded heavily and looked toward the west, his eyes filled with fervor.

To the west, there was a snow-covered peak three to four hundred meters high.

In the sky above the peak, five brilliant lights—one red and four gold—were clashing violently.

They were too far away for Yue Feng to see clearly, but from the trajectory of the five lights, he could tell that the four golden lights on the outside were attacking the red light in the center.

“I heard that as soon as the Lord came out of seclusion on the ninth day of the ninth month, he fought one against three in Jing Valley, taking on three Beast Kings by himself, killing two and driving one away. I thought it was incredible when I heard it then. Looking at the situation now, it seems that wasn’t even the Lord’s full strength back then. Sir, just how strong do you think the Lord is now?”

Yue Feng’s expression was feverish, and Li Yuankun was no different.

Watching the red light not only grow more brilliant but also repeatedly repel the four golden lights, breaking through their encirclement—and with two of the golden lights clearly beginning to fade—his face filled with admiration, and the fervor in his pupils was no less than Yue Feng’s.

This was clearly a sign that Xia Hong had the upper hand, and of course, Yue Feng could see it too. He took a light breath and answered in a low voice, “I don’t know, but we can make a rough deduction. The Lumberjack realm corresponds to low-grade Frost Beasts; the Earthforger realm to mid-grade; the Frostwarden realm to high-grade. That means the Beast King-level Frost Beasts should correspond to our human Sun-Manifestation realm.

“At corresponding realms, humans almost always have to form teams to have a chance against Frost Beasts. That’s practically the rule. From this, we can deduce that a normally promoted Sun-Manifestation realm warrior is definitely not as strong as a Beast King-level Frost Beast.

“For someone like the Lord to be able to crush them right after breaking through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, and even fight many against one, is absolutely rare. Perhaps there’s no one else like him.

“Based on this deduction, even among those in the Sun-Manifestation realm, the Lord’s strength is much, much greater than others—possibly several times or even dozens of times stronger…”

Yue Feng paused here, then said gravely, “I think even the Lords of The Nine Towns are probably no match for our Lord!”

Normally, Yue Feng’s conclusion would have been rather arbitrary. After all, he had never even had contact with The Nine Towns, let alone their Lords. His judgment was clearly based on his gut feeling, with no factual basis.

“Definitely not!”

However, not only did Li Yuankun have no objections after hearing this, but he even nodded heavily, giving an even more certain answer.

Yue Feng smiled at this and said nothing more.

“All troops, listen to my command! Fire!”

Suddenly, another female voice came from the battlefield below, interrupting Yue Feng and Li Yuankun’s conversation.

“It’s Madam’s voice.”

“It’s from the west side!”

Yue Feng immediately recognized the speaker as Madam Li Xuanling. He and Li Yuankun looked toward the west at the same time, their expressions suddenly shocked.

The Thunder Kui horde, which had been pushed to a dead end by the four armies, had, as expected, finally chosen to flee west toward the mountain peak.

However, just as they turned west and ran less than two to three hundred meters, a rain of silver arrows suddenly flew out from the snowy forest in front of the mountain.

This volley of arrows was completely different from any they had seen before. The silver light from the thousands of arrows lit up the snowy night, almost forming a silver screen that poured down entirely on the first wave of Thunder Kui in the front.

Not only that, but more than half of the arrows pierced straight through their bodies and firmly lodged themselves in the second wave of Thunder Kui behind them.

“Silver Bone-Penetrating Arrows! It’s the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies!”

Seeing the power of the arrow rain, Li Yuankun immediately identified them as the Bone-Penetrating Arrows forged from silver by the Artisan Department.

As Great Xia’s resources became more abundant, arrows were also divided into many types.

Ordinary Ten-forged iron arrows were generally used by ordinary Earthforger realm warriors and were sufficient for hunting low-grade Frost Beasts. Those at the Earthforger limit used Hundred-forged iron arrows. If hunting a Frost Beast with strong defenses, they would need Thousand-forged iron arrows. As for the Frostwarden realm, they required at least Thousand-forged iron arrows, and if they were teaming up to hunt high-grade Frost Beasts, they also had to prepare ten thousand-forged iron arrows.

A single one-hundred-thousand-forged iron arrow required two hundred and fifty thousand kilograms of iron ore, and the forging process was difficult, consuming a massive amount of manpower and resources. Therefore, the Logistics Department did not have a large stock, and they were generally not available for exchange unless there was a special mission.

As for silver arrows, they were even rarer.

Silver had extremely strong penetrating power, and arrows made from it could easily pierce the bones of Frost Beasts. But after all, it had properties that restrained anomalies. Using it to forge weapons was one thing, but using it to make arrows was truly extravagant. Great Xia had only forged a total of two hundred thousand silver arrows—the Bone-Penetrating Arrows. One hundred thousand were kept in stock at the Logistics Department, and the other one hundred thousand were naturally given to the two strongest armies, the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial.

“So that’s how it is. I thought these Thunder Kui weren’t fleeing west because the Lord and those four Beast Kings were fighting in the sky. It seems they sensed the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies long ago, which is why they hesitated for so long.”

Yue Feng finally understood and continued to watch intently.

The arrow rain from the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies lasted for over a minute. The Thunder Kui horde, already down to just over five thousand, lost nearly another twenty percent—about a thousand more beasts.

Hoo… Hoo…

“Army, charge! Coordinate with the four armies and mop up the remaining enemies!”

Two banners were suddenly raised from the snowy forest and thrust straight into the center of the Thunder Kui horde. Along with Li Xuanling’s second command, two armies clad in golden armor suddenly burst out from the snowy woods, charging fiercely toward the banners, which is to say, toward the Thunder Kui horde.

Unlike the earth-shattering scene of the four armies’ battle earlier, the charge of the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies was exceptionally calm. The two thousand golden-armored soldiers didn’t even let out a single shout as they plunged directly into the Thunder Kui horde.

A single charge was enough to show the vast difference in strength between the first four armies and these two. The several hundred mid-grade Thunder Kui in the front rank had at most one chance to collide. Once they clashed, any that failed to break through the encirclement were immediately slaughtered by the soldiers of the two armies.

The Thunder Kuis’ sharp horns couldn’t penetrate the soldiers’ golden armor, and the strength of the low and mid-grade Thunder Kui was clearly inferior to these soldiers. Some high-grade Frost Beasts could cause a bit of a stir, but they would quickly attract numerous Frostwarden realm soldiers. They could last for a hundred breaths at most before they could only fall in defeat.

In just two or three hundred breaths, Yue Feng saw at least three hundred mid-grade Thunder Kui perish, along with dozens of high-grade ones. The only difference was that they struggled a little longer, but under Li Xuanling’s lead and the joint slaughter of the two armies, they had no room to fight back at all.

Looking at the golden armor worn by the soldiers of the two armies, Li Yuankun’s eyes revealed a trace of envy. “Thousand-forged Thunder Kui Golden Armor. For an ordinary person to wear it, they’d need a seventh-rank Title of nobility. But with no war right now, advancing to the seventh rank is easier said than done. In all of Great Xia, only the Director and Prefect Yuwen are seventh-rank Azure-Abyss Viscounts.

“No wonder all the Frostwarden realm warriors in the camp are scrambling to get into the Cloud Serpent Army and the Dragon Martial Army. Just this suit of armor is enough to make one drool.”

Armor of Hundred-forged grade and above was strictly controlled by Great Xia. Currently, the highest-grade armor an individual could exchange for at the Logistics Department was ordinary Hundred-forged iron armor. Hundred-forged Thunder Kui Golden Armor was already classified as strategic military equipment, let alone Thousand-forged Thunder Kui Golden Armor.

An individual simply couldn’t get it, no matter how many contribution points they had.

It wasn’t just Li Yuankun; Yue Feng’s eyes were also filled with deep envy. The newly established Shanhe Army, like the nine other armies such as the Dragon Slaying and Tiger Leopard, only wore Hundred-forged Thunder Kui Golden Armor.

“Time to wrap up. Hunt at will!”

Li Xuanling had already given the order to finish up, letting the army hunt the Thunder Kui freely.

The remaining three thousand-plus Thunder Kui no longer posed much of a threat. The vast majority had clearly lost their will to fight and were only trying to escape.

Upon hearing Li Xuanling’s final command, the soldiers of the great army actually began to seek out high-grade Thunder Kui. Failing that, they would hunt mid-grade ones. The low-grade Thunder Kui were now the safest, as no one paid them any mind, letting them flee.

“It’s wrapping up. Let’s go and greet Madam first. The Lord should also be…”

Bang!

Just as Yue Feng was about to take Li Yuankun to see Li Xuanling, he was suddenly interrupted by a loud explosion from the sky.

The two looked up at the sky, their pupils suddenly contracting.

It turned out that at some point, the four golden lights in the sky had transformed into four Golden-armored Thunder Kui, each over a hundred meters long.

With the Thunder Kui being so enormous, the two could naturally see them clearly now.

The four Beast King-level Thunder Kui floated high in the sky, their pupils crimson, breathing heavily through their nostrils. Almost every one of them had over a dozen bloody holes in their bodies from which blood was gushing, dripping from the sky and hitting the snow below. The intense heat of the blood instantly melted the snow on the ground, causing wisps of steam to rise.

In stark contrast to them was Xia Hong in the center. Although they couldn’t see his face, the red light he emanated was still brilliant and intense. From this point alone, Yue Feng could tell that he definitely still had the upper hand.

Of course, Yue Feng wasn’t the only one who noticed. Many soldiers below, including the Marshals of each army, had also noticed some signs.

“The two Thunder Kui to the Lord’s west seem to be a bit unsteady.”

“Their necks! The necks of those two Thunder Kui have been injured.”

“Isn’t the left eye of one of those Thunder Kui pierced through?”

“The Lord has been using the Dragon Sparrow Saber all this time! If he were using the Cold Blood Saber today, these four Thunder Kui probably wouldn’t have lasted this long.”

“Why isn’t he using the Cold Blood Saber?”

“You don’t know? The Cold Blood Saber is being reforged in the Weaponry Pavilion. Prefect Mu and ninety percent of the camp’s high-level artisans have been working on it for almost half a year, and it’s still not done!”

…

The soldiers’ discussions below weren’t far from the actual situation!

High in the sky, Xia Hong was panting slightly as he faced the four Beast King-level Thunder Kui. His gaze swept over the Dragon Sparrow Saber in his hand, and he shook his head slightly, a look of helplessness on his face.

“Without the Cold Blood Saber, they’re really hard to kill!”

The Cold Blood Saber had been taken by Mu Dong for reforging half a year ago. The Dragon Sparrow Saber in his hand had just been damaged in the fight with Yang Fa in Beishuo. Using it hastily against these four Beast King-level Thunder Kui was indeed a bit of a struggle.

“However, after fighting the five Beast Kings from the previous three silver mines, plus these four, I’ve basically figured out the power divisions of Beast King-level Frost Beasts. It wasn’t for nothing.”

Xia Hong turned his head to look at the Beast King-level Thunder Kui directly in front of him, a faint light glowing in his eyes.

“A Frost Beast that has just broken through to the Beast King level won’t have more than two hundred Mane of power. A slightly more formidable one is around four hundred to six hundred Mane. The next stage is this Thunder Kui King. It’s the strongest Beast King I’ve encountered so far, with a power of over eight hundred Mane!”

Whether there were stronger Beast Kings, Xia Hong didn’t know yet. But judging from the scale of this silver mine, any stronger Beast King would probably only be about as powerful as he was now. The possibility of them being stronger than him was very, very small.

“In other words, I am unrivaled at the Beast King level!”

Xia Hong softly spoke these words, staring at the strongest Beast King-level Thunder Kui in front of him, his eyes filled with pride.

Swoosh…

He did not charge toward the strongest Thunder Kui. Instead, his body suddenly shot backward, rushing toward the most severely injured Thunder Kui to the west.

“Roar…”

The strongest Thunder Kui, clearly the leader, had obviously not anticipated Xia Hong’s movement. Realizing that he was not the target, it let out a furious roar and led the other two Thunder Kui in a charge.

But it wasn’t just in strength; its speed was also far inferior to Xia Hong’s.

Before the three Thunder Kui could even get close, Xia Hong was already standing before the most heavily injured one.

Puchi…

“Roar…”

Xia Hong’s right hand plunged the Dragon Sparrow Saber straight into the Thunder Kui’s remaining right eye. He then fiercely pulled back his left hand to gather power. A thousand-zhang, dark-red skeletal phantom slowly materialized behind him, mimicking his exact movement.

Bang!

As the fist fell, the sky within a five-kilometer radius trembled violently. The Thunder Kui’s miserable cry was cut short. Its massive body was sent crashing toward the ground like a cannonball, kicking up a cloud of snow mist over a thousand meters high.

Bang…

“Roar!”

Hearing the furious roars, Xia Hong abruptly turned his head, preparing to deal with the other three Thunder Kui that were about to close in on him.

But as he turned, he discovered that the three Thunder Kui had all turned around at the same time and were flying directly away, deep into the western part of Longshan.

“What a pity! I need to get Mu Dong to speed things up. I can’t be without the Cold Blood Saber!”

Xia Hong sighed softly. After a moment of contemplation, he looked down at the small mountain peak over three hundred meters high below, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

“Fourth silver mine secured. I need to get the Logistics Division to take a look right away. It would be great if it was a large-scale one!”

Chapter 362: Four Silver Mines, Army Rotation, Urgent News from Xiacheng, the Third Seventh-Rank Viscount

It had been ten days in total since their arrival at Longshan on the fourteenth of September.

In those ten days, the rewards had been plentiful.

“Two micro-sized, one small, and today’s one should count as medium-sized. That’s enough to support Great Xia’s silver needs for more than fifteen years. Now we just have to wait for the mining to begin. Once the reserves are up, the Refining, Alchemy, and Martial Arts Pavilions, as well as the Black Soil and the Iron Stake Wall—all five buildings can be upgraded further.”

Xia Hong flew to the western side of the peak, picked up the Beast King-level Thunder Kui he had just slain with a single hand, and flew back toward the army, an irrepressible smile on his face.

Silver had been his most important objective for coming to Longshan, and at this juncture, the mission was more or less a complete success. The silver mine secured today was the largest of the seven identified by Great Xia so far, and the Frost Beast horde occupying it was also the strongest.

With this mine taken care of, the remaining one in Longshan and the two in the Beilang Mountains would pose little problem.

Of course, the gains of the past ten days weren’t limited to just four silver mines.

Before landing, Xia Hong scanned the area below from mid-air. He roughly estimated the number of Frost Beast corpses to be over four thousand, and a smile immediately bloomed on his face.

“A battlefield is indeed the best training ground for an army. In the battle for the first silver mine, our kill rate was just a little over thirty percent. After three major battles, it has risen to slightly over forty percent. To achieve this against Frost Beasts is basically the limit!”

In battles between two armies, as long as both sides numbered over a thousand, the kill count could never be too high. After all, the primary objective for both sides was to rout the enemy’s effective forces, not to kill every last person.

If Xia Hong remembered correctly, in the age of cold weapons in his previous life, if one side suffered casualties exceeding five percent, it would immediately risk a rout. Even the most well-trained and honorable elite armies could at most endure around fifteen percent casualties. To exceed twenty percent casualties and still maintain combat effectiveness, an army would have to be in a desperate situation, fighting with the determination to die.

The Ice Abyss was also in an age of cold weapons, but unlike his past life, the humans here were not only physically stronger but also mentally tougher, honed by the harsh, cold environment to a degree far beyond ordinary humans.

“Even so, the people of the Ice Abyss are still human. And as long as they are human, certain tendencies are unavoidable—they are simply more resilient. All the battles that occurred in Longyou in the second year of Great Xia have been reviewed, and there is ample data to support this:

An army composed of ordinary Earthforger realm warriors can withstand at most ten percent combat losses before they immediately rout.

An elite army composed of those at the Earthforger limit, such as the Longyou Army or the Blood Guard Army, can withstand at most twenty percent combat losses. Once this critical point is passed, they too will be on the verge of collapse.”

This collapse did not refer to the final number of enemies killed, but to the shift in the battlefield situation. In other words, whichever of the two warring sides reached this tipping point in casualties first would undoubtedly be defeated, unless reinforcements arrived.

“Although Frost Beasts are not as organized as a human army, they are more tenacious and have a physical advantage. Therefore, in large-scale combat, they can endure casualties of around twenty percent, comparable to an elite human army.”

It was rather interesting that although Great Xia now had eleven armies of a thousand men each, to this day, only the Cloud Serpent Army had ever fought against a human army from another encampment—and that had been five years ago.

“Just because they haven’t fought a human army doesn’t mean they’re weak.

Over these five years, training against beast tides has become almost a regular occurrence for Great Xia. This Thunder Kui horde numbered over ten thousand. Though it was on the small side of a five-digit number, it was a genuine large-scale beast tide. Judging by the strength of the Longyou Army from five years ago, even ten battalions of the Longyou Army, ten thousand elite soldiers, would have been utterly incapable of stopping it.

But in my Great Xia, there would be no need for the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies to even act. The four Dragon Slaying armies alone could push them to the brink of desperation!”

It was a consensus in the Ice Abyss that, at the same level, an individual Frost Beast’s strength far exceeded that of a human.

Four thousand soldiers against ten thousand Frost Beasts—and a powerful, uniform horde of Thunder Kui at that. For Great Xia to achieve such a stunning result was due to countless factors when carefully analyzed: superior longbows, weapons, and armor; higher cultivation levels and better pills; rigorous daily training; flexible application of battle tactics…

But the combat power displayed by the army was real!

Once they were truly on a battlefield, no soldier would care about these factors.

All that would be on their minds was victory or defeat. After all, defeat most likely meant death.

Military affairs are a vital matter of the state; a matter that cannot be taken lightly!

Especially now, with contact with the Nine Towns imminent, Great Xia would very likely face a new round of warfare. Xia Hong naturally placed even greater importance on the army. This was why he had gone to the Arrow Bamboo Forest to see the armies as soon as he came out of seclusion, and why he had immediately led them to Longshan afterward.

Securing the silver mines was, of course, the top priority, but he also wanted to take the opportunity to see if the army’s combat readiness had slackened over the past five years, whether their combat strength was steadily increasing, and what level of power they could currently exert as a whole.

“I’ve seen enough over these ten days. With the combat strength the army can currently display, if the armies of the Nine Towns are on the same level as the Longyou and Blood Guard armies, then there will be no need for the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies to act.”

A flash of pride appeared in Xia Hong’s eyes as he slowly descended to the ground.

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

The moment he landed, Li Xuanling immediately came forward to greet him. Seeing several tears in his clothes, she quickly asked in a soft voice if he was injured.

Xia Hong shook his head, handing her the Beast King-level Thunder Kui. “Weren’t you going to make two sets of Kui Gold Soft Armor for Sheng’er and Yao’er?” he said with a gentle smile. “A high-level Thunder Kui is a bit lacking. Use the skull of this Thunder Kui King instead!”

Li Xuanling froze for a moment, clearly surprised that Xia Hong had remembered this. Then, she feigned annoyance. “So that’s why you didn’t go for that simpler, smaller silver mine and rushed over here first. Those two never leave Xiacheng. The soft armor can be made anytime. Was there any need for you to be so reckless?”

Just now, while Xia Hong was fighting four against one in the sky, she had been terribly worried.

But despite her words, as she took the Beast King-level Thunder Kui, which had shrunk back to two meters in length, and stared at the golden skull on its forehead, a smile graced her lips. It was clear she was already planning the design of the Kui Gold Soft Armor.

Xia Hong could naturally see that her apparent scolding was actually concern. A wave of warmth washed over his heart, and then he raised an eyebrow slightly.

Besides everything else he had gained, his greatest reward in these ten days was probably his wife standing before him, Li Xuanling.

Li Xuanling possessed an extraordinary talent for leading troops!

He had seen hints of it during the great battle in Longyou. Li Xuanling’s performance during the assault on the Hive had been impressive. However, because the two-thousand-strong Longyou Army had been cleverly ambushed by Xia Chuan using the straight path and little torches, resulting in their complete annihilation, Xia Hong had never been entirely clear on the full extent of her military talent.

During these ten days in Longshan, Xia Hong had to focus on dealing with the Beast Kings, so all four major battles had been planned and commanded solely by Li Xuanling.

Frankly, she had done an excellent job. Xia Hong felt that even he might not have commanded them as well as she did.

Moreover, Xia Hong had taken the time to observe her. Li Xuanling was not just a talented commander, but a talented marshal. She was highly skilled at maneuvering and commanding large-scale armies, and her grasp of the overall battlefield situation was far beyond that of an ordinary person. In this aspect, the only ones who could compare with her at present were probably Yuwen Tao and Xia Chuan.

But both of them had led armies for a long time, whereas this was Li Xuanling’s first time.

“This is a good thing. The more talented people like her, the better!”

As his wife, Li Xuanling naturally commanded respect in Great Xia. As the scale of Great Xia’s armies grew in the future, her talent in this area would sooner or later find its use.

“Hm? Is that Yue Feng?”

Xia Hong suddenly looked up, gazing toward the east of the army.

Yue Feng and Li Yuankun were running over together. They quickly reached Xia Hong and Li Xuanling and bowed in unison.

“Greetings, Lord! Greetings, Madam!”

“Have the Shanhe Army arrived?”

Yue Feng had been running back and forth between Xiacheng and Longshan recently, busy forming the Shanhe Army. Xia Hong was aware of this, and seeing him return from Xiacheng, he immediately guessed the reason.

But his guess was incomplete.

Yue Feng cupped his fist and replied, “Reporting to the Leader, it’s not just the Shanhe Army. The Director has ordered the Shanhe, Falcon, Xiongwu, and Northern Zhao armies all to come to Longshan. He also instructed me to inform Prefect Yuwen to lead the Cloud Serpent, Dragon Martial, Dragon Slaying, and Tiger Leopard armies back to Xiacheng to await orders.”

The soldiers were already cleaning up the battlefield, and Yuwen Tao had walked over by now. Hearing Yue Feng’s words, he immediately nodded.

A rotation of four armies. They probably wanted the four newly formed armies to get some training experience here in Longshan.

Xia Hong instantly understood Xia Chuan’s intention and nodded. “Very well. Let’s call it a night. Dawn will be here soon. Yuwen Tao, notify the armies to speed up the cleanup. Return to the Longshan camp before dawn. Rest for two days, then lead the armies back to Xiacheng.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

“No need to stand around here. Go back to Longshan first! Notify the Artisan Division to come and survey this silver mine immediately to confirm its scale. We can organize people to start mining tomorrow night, and the connecting straight path can also be constructed.”

“This subordinate will attend to it upon returning to Longshan.”

Upon hearing this, Yue Feng’s face lit up with excitement as he nodded. These matters, naturally, all fell to him, the Prefect of Longshan, to handle.

Xia Hong and Li Xuanling headed east first, with Yue Feng and Li Yuankun following close behind. Yuwen Tao remained with the army to continue clearing the battlefield; they couldn’t just leave all these Frost Beasts here.

“Madam, let me help you with the Thunder Kui!”

Li Yuankun was socially astute. Seeing Li Xuanling carrying the Beast King-level Thunder Kui, he immediately stepped forward to take it from her, helping her carry it back to the Longshan encampment.

Li Xuanling nodded, handed him the beast, then walked ahead to join Xia Hong, asking softly, “Are you planning to clear out all seven silver mines in Longyou in one go?”

Xia Hong was taken aback for a moment, then nodded immediately. “Of course. All seven of these silver mines have to be mined eventually. Clearing them all out at once saves us the trouble of coming back here in the future.”

Li Xuanling immediately shook her head and said softly, “I don’t think that’s necessary. The silver mines can only be excavated by people whose base strength exceeds twenty thousand catties. Based on the current cultivation levels in the encampment, four silver mines are more than enough. Adding three more won’t increase production, as we can’t possibly divert everyone to mining.

Unlike iron and coal mines, silver mines are frequently harassed by Frost Beasts. An army must be stationed nearby during excavation. With the Cloud Serpent and its three fellow armies being transferred away, only the Xuanwu and Shenwu armies remain here. The four newly formed armies are not strong enough. They’ll be doing well just to guard these four mines. If you open new ones, which army do you plan to send to watch over them?

Besides, the Frost Beast hordes from these four silver mines have only been driven off. The three Beast King-level Thunder Kui from today, plus the Beast King-level Blood Jade Fox from the second silver mine—four Beast Kings have escaped from you. Who knows if they’ll come back later? You don’t plan to stay and guard Longshan forever, do you?”

…

Hearing Li Xuanling’s words, Xia Hong’s expression tensed slightly.

She was right!

He had only been thinking of his own convenience and had thrown everything else to the back of his mind.

“Besides, those three silver mines can be used for training our troops. It won’t be too late to deal with them after I break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm.”

Xia Hong turned to see a hint of resentment on Li Xuanling’s face. A smile surfaced on his own. He nodded and said, “Alright, we’ll do as you say.”

He had been so focused on dealing with the Beast Kings for the past ten days that he had indeed neglected Li Xuanling. It was no wonder she harbored some resentment.

The four of them soon returned to the Longshan encampment.

Compared to five years ago, Longshan hadn’t changed much. After all, it was originally home to over a hundred thousand people and already had all the basic necessities. Apart from the addition of a Division Office Main Building next to the original Main Building, in accordance with Great Xia regulations, almost nothing else was different.

The original Main Building had now been converted into an exclusive lodge for Xia Hong and Li Xuanling.

During his time in Longshan, Xia Hong had been staying there. Upon returning to the encampment, he familiarly led Li Xuanling inside.

Yue Feng still had matters to attend to. After escorting the two back to their residence, he immediately took Li Yuankun into the adjacent Division Office Main Building.

In the final half-hour before dawn, Yuwen Tao returned with the six armies, carrying over four thousand Thunder Kui in a triumphant return. The moment they entered the Longshan camp, they naturally caused another wave of gasps among the four new armies.

Those selected to be soldiers in the new armies had at least been members of Intermediate Hunting Teams, and many were even from High-level Hunting Teams. Even so, it was indeed the first time they had seen so much game at once.

The key was that among the more than four thousand Thunder Kui, over seventy percent were mid-level, and there were even over eighty high-level ones.

That was terrifying!

Over eighty high-level Frost Beasts, taken down in a single night.

What kind of strength was that?

“What’s a high-level Thunder Kui? Just now, I saw the Armament Master carrying a Thunder Kui that was only two meters long into the Main Building.”

“Two meters long? A Beast King-level Thunder Kui?”

In the camp, a soldier who heard his comrade’s words first stared blankly, then his expression turned to one of profound shock.

The Thunder Kui was one of the largest types of Frost Beast. A low-level one could be six or seven meters long; a mid-level about ten meters; a high-level one over five meters in its normal state, which could grow to over thirty meters in combat form.

A two-meter-long Thunder Kui could only be a Beast King.

Longshan’s Armament Master, Li Yuankun, was only at the mid-Frostwarden realm. He certainly couldn’t have killed a Beast King-level Thunder Kui.

“The Lord must have killed it himself and had the Armament Master carry it back. No wonder when we entered the camp, I heard people from the encampment say that the warehouses of the Longshan Logistics Division are almost overflowing with beast meat, bones, and blood. They have to organize a transport team in advance to move the supplies back to Xiacheng. No encampment can hold over four thousand Frost Beasts from a single night!”

“No wonder everyone in Xiacheng says that once you join the army, you’ll never lack contribution points. The points we’d get from just one night like this would be equal to what we earned in two or three months in our old hunting teams, wouldn’t they?”

“More than that! After enlisting, we get a monthly quota of pills, weapons, armor, and Beast Blood. You even get contribution points on top of that. Soldiers only have to turn over half of their kills to the encampment. Under these circumstances, how could they possibly be short on contribution points?”

“The Lord has been leading the six armies personally recently, so the situation is definitely different. I heard before that the hunting teams always liked going out with the Lord. Now I see why.”

“I wonder if we’ll ever get the chance to go out with the Lord.”

“We definitely will. Didn’t the Marshal say? The reason our four armies were brought to Longshan this time was to train with the Lord.”

“That’s right. We’re in the army now. We just need to take it one step at a time. As long as our combat strength improves, sooner or later we’ll be like those six armies, with all the military merit and contribution points we could ever want.”

…

What the new soldiers lacked was motivation. The four thousand-plus kills brought back by the six armies before dawn provided them with the best possible stimulus, making them understand the immense benefits of joining the military.

It was an unexpected boon. The new armies had yet to go out and fight, but spurred on by the sight of the haul, their morale was already beginning to coalesce.

As the sky gradually brightened, the soldiers began to return to their quarters to rest. The once-bustling Longshan camp immediately fell silent.

Of course, it wasn’t just the military camp; the entire encampment was much the same.

There were quite a few Frostwarden realm experts in Longshan, especially now with ten of Great Xia’s armies stationed here, excluding the Longyuan Army. There were more than enough people who could be active during the day.

But due to the ingrained habits of the people of the Ice Abyss, many maintained their nocturnal routines even after reaching the Frostwarden realm.

As for the army, it was even more so. The soldiers’ schedules were strictly regulated, and no one was allowed to violate them.

Throughout the entire encampment, apart from the occasional Frostwarden realm patrol along the surrounding Iron Stake Wall, the only activity was at the eastern gate, where five Frostwarden realm experts stood guard.

“Ten of Great Xia’s armies are in the Longshan camp right now. What’s the point of us standing guard here? Who would be so bold as to try and force their way in?”

“Heh heh, I actually wish some fool who doesn’t value his life would show up.”

“Enough chatter. The Lord and Madam are here. If anything goes wrong, the Prefect will lose face, and we’ll be in for it too. It’s only two hours. It’ll be over soon.”

…

Great Xia now had over five thousand Frostwarden realm experts. While not a small number, it wasn’t so many that they were reduced to guarding gates.

Normally, the Longshan encampment would at most assign one Frostwarden realm expert to watch the gate during the day. But with the Lord and his wife both in Longshan recently, Yue Feng had tightened security, hence the daily assignment of five people.

With Xia Hong’s strength, Yue Feng knew his safety was not something he needed to worry about. Assigning five Frostwarden realm experts to watch the gate during the day was simply to ensure no trouble occurred; otherwise, it would be his face, the Prefect of Longshan’s, that would be slapped.

The five men were Yue Feng’s subordinates and naturally understood his intentions. After the leader’s reminder, the other four’s expressions immediately became much more serious as they focused their attention on the situation outside the gate, not letting any disturbance escape their notice.

Whoosh…

“Someone’s coming!”

“Who is it?”

Suddenly, the sound of rushing wind came from the east.

The five men’s expressions tensed. Seeing a figure in the distance openly speeding toward them, they relaxed slightly.

As the person drew closer, the five men’s expressions jolted, and they immediately cupped their fists and bowed. “Greetings, Prefect Qiu!”

The newcomer was none other than the head of the Logistics Department, Qiu Peng.

Qiu Peng helmed the Logistics Department and rarely left Xiacheng. To see him rushing to Longshan in such a hurry clearly meant something major had happened. The five guards knew this at a glance, and their leader quickly took out a stick of Congealing Fire Salve and handed it over.

“Is the Lord in the encampment?”

Qiu Peng knew the rules. Only after accepting the salve did he ask anxiously.

“The Lord just returned before dawn. He is resting in the Longshan Lodge.”

Hearing this, Qiu Peng said no more and charged through the gate, speeding straight towards the Longshan Lodge.

“So urgent. Did something big happen?”

“What major event could happen in Xiacheng? It must be about somewhere else, right?”

“For Prefect Qiu to deliver the message himself, it’s probably no small matter.”

The five guards stared at Qiu Peng’s back, looking at each other in bewilderment. Recalling the anxious look on his face, their brows furrowed with suspicion.

Swoosh…

Less than ten minutes after Qiu Peng entered the encampment, a streak of light suddenly shot up into the sky and flew eastward.

The five men at the gate looked up sharply. Seeing the red light speeding east, their expressions tensed.

“That’s…”

“The Lord! The Lord has left.”

“He left as soon as Prefect Qiu arrived. Something major must have happened in Xiacheng.”

Just as they finished speaking, three more figures sped out from within the encampment.

The one in front was Madam Li Xuanling, followed by the recently arrived Qiu Peng and the Prefect of Longshan, Yue Feng.

“Yue Feng, go and inform Yuwen Tao to lead the armies back to Xiacheng immediately tonight. Don’t worry about the remaining silver mines for now. The Xuanwu and Shenwu armies, along with your four newly established armies, are to guard those four silver mines. If anything you can’t handle comes up, send a messenger to Xiacheng.”

“Understood, Madam!”

Li Xuanling didn’t even slow down as she spoke, directly leading Qiu Peng eastward. Judging by her direction, she was clearly also rushing back to Xiacheng.

Yue Feng stopped at the gate. After watching them leave, he looked up at the red light, now far in the distance, a flicker of worry in his eyes.

The moment Qiu Peng had approached the Main Building, Yue Feng had sensed him. Seeing his anxious expression and that he was looking for the Lord, he had curiously asked what was wrong. But Qiu Peng was obviously in too much of a hurry, only managing to say that something had happened to Xu Ning before rushing into the Longshan Lodge.

The next thing he knew, Xia Hong flew out of the lodge without a word and headed toward Xiacheng.

“How could something happen to Xu Ning? Didn’t the Lord tell him to lead his men and scout ahead slowly in Wuyuan, to avoid early contact with the Nine Towns?”

…

Great Xia Inner City, Residence No. 15

“Dad, please don’t scare Xiao An, okay? What’s wrong with you?”

“Dad, don’t you recognize Xiao Ping anymore?”

In the main hall of the residence, five-year-old Xu Cheng and three-year-old Xu Ping anxiously tugged at their father Xu Ning’s trouser leg, their eyes filled with tension and unease.

Xu Ning sat in the main seat with a dazed expression. Hearing his sons’ calls, he merely looked down at them. The pupil of his left eye was dilated and lifeless. He looked at his sons without any of his usual affection, only indifference and confusion, as if he couldn’t recognize his own two children at all.

“Wuwu… Husband, say something! What’s happened to you?”

“I told you not to go to that Qinghe Village, but you insisted. Now look at you! What are we, a mother and three children, supposed to do now? Wuwu…”

Hong Qiaoru held their little daughter, Xu Ying, and sobbed helplessly at his side. Seeing that she couldn’t rouse her husband, her tears flowed even more fiercely.

Xia Chuan stood nearby. Seeing Hong Qiaoru’s grief, his expression was grim. “Sister-in-law Xu, don’t worry,” he said in a deep voice. “As long as he’s alive, everything can be resolved. We just haven’t figured out the reason for Xu Ning’s condition yet. Once we do, we will cure him, no matter the cost.”

Coming from someone of Xia Chuan’s status, these words were enough to calm Hong Qiaoru considerably. Her sobs subsided into gentle whimpers. “Director,” she said, sniffling, “this humble lady is just a woman and knows little of the encampment’s affairs. But when we withdrew from Hexia Village eight days ago, I could see that Xu Ning ventured into Qinghe Village to gather intelligence at great personal risk, all for the sake of Great Xia. If there is a way, for the sake of my three young children, you must save him. I beg you, Director!”

As a woman, Hong Qiaoru had her own little schemes. Her words were obviously meant to claim credit for her husband, fearing that now he was in this state, Xia Chuan and the other high-ranking officials of Great Xia would abandon him.

“Sister-in-law, you…”

Even Xu An could see through her little ploy. Worried that his sister-in-law’s cunning might anger Xia Chuan, he was about to scold her, but Xia Chuan stopped him with a raised hand.

Xia Chuan walked up to Hong Qiaoru and said with a solemn expression, “Sister-in-law Xu…”

“Rest assured, I will definitely cure him.”

Xia Chuan was clearly about to make a promise of his own, but just as he began to speak, a familiar voice came from outside the door.

The three adults in the hall straightened up. Hong Qiaoru quickly rose from her chair, faced the entrance, and bowed deeply.

“Greetings, Lord!”

The newcomer was, of course, Xia Hong. He was still breathing a little heavily, clearly having rushed back all the way from Longshan.

“No need for formalities!”

Xia Hong gestured for them to rise. Without another word, he walked slowly to Xu Ning. Looking at his vacant pupils and the completely unfamiliar gaze he received, his expression tensed slightly. He then placed a hand on his shoulder.

After closing his eyes and sensing for a moment, his expression grew even heavier.

It was just as Qiu Peng had said. There were no injuries, neither externally nor internally. His hide, flesh, and cultivation were all intact. It was just that his pupils were dilated and his consciousness was in chaos. He couldn’t speak, and he seemed unable to recognize anyone.

“Lord, this is the intelligence Xu Ning brought back from Qinghe Village!”

Xia Chuan handed over the blood-stained cloth.

Xia Hong took the cloth. Seeing the five lines of writing on it, his expression tensed slightly.

[Dajue Temple, Five Great Masters]

[Zen monastery, 5,000+ gray-robed unordained monks, Third Mane strength]

[800 white-robed ordained monks, twenty Mane and above]

[The Nine Towns have made a move at Qinghe Village. Military Head of Jiangxia Town, Xiahou Zhang, was defeated by the Vajra Master]

[Chilong Lake Dajue Hall, emerald green pupils, eye contact is fatal]

“Judging from the handwriting, Xu Ning must have written this hastily before his consciousness completely faded. Without much time, he could only use this concise format. But even so, these five pieces of information reveal a great deal, Lord…”

“I can see that. Wait!”

Xia Hong waved his hand, cutting Xia Chuan off. He looked down at the bloody words on the cloth, his gaze fixed on the fifth line, a grave look slowly appearing in his eyes.

[Chilong Lake Dajue Hall, emerald green pupils, eye contact is fatal]

The first four pieces of intelligence could basically only be known by seeing them. But this last piece of information… if one had merely seen someone die, it would be highly unlikely to reach such a conclusion. The only possibility was that Xu Ning himself had met the gaze of these emerald green pupils he wrote about.

“The root of the problem most likely lies with these emerald green pupils Xu Ning mentioned. I need to go to Qinghe Village and see what’s going on.”

“Lord, you absolutely must not!”

“Lord, absolutely not.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, Xia Chuan and Xu An stood up to dissuade him at almost the same time.

Xia Chuan continued in a solemn voice, “Five thousand Frostwarden realm experts at Third Mane strength, eight hundred at twenty Mane and above—this strength alone cannot be underestimated.

Xu Ning listed the Military Head of Jiangxia Town, Xiahou Zhang, as a separate piece of intelligence. We can be almost certain he is at the Sun-Manifestation realm. Even he was defeated by the Vajra Master, and Dajue Temple has five such Masters in total.

The Nine Towns have clearly made a move at Qinghe Village, so why was the Military Head of Jiangxia Town, Xiahou Zhang, the only Sun-Manifestation realm expert to appear?

I suspect it’s highly likely that the Sun-Manifestation realm experts from the other eight towns were unwilling to take the risk personally. Jiangxia Town is closest to Dajue Temple, so they would naturally be the most desperate to gauge its strength. They had no choice but to send a Sun-Manifestation realm expert, and from the looks of it, he suffered a major setback.

From the information Xu Ning brought back alone, we can infer that Dajue Temple’s strength is absolutely unfathomable. Coupled with its connection to anomalies, we cannot risk the Lord’s safety when the enemy’s situation is unclear.”

Xu An nodded heavily, glanced at his brother Xu Ning, and continued,

“The intelligence my brother risked his life to obtain was to ensure that Great Xia would suffer fewer losses when we eventually encounter Dajue Temple. If we let the Lord go there and risk his life personally, wouldn’t the intelligence he brought back be completely meaningless? If my brother were conscious right now, he would never agree to the Lord taking such a risk.”

Hearing their words, Xia Hong’s expression tensed.

Xia Chuan had clearly analyzed these five pieces of intelligence line by line.

He had most likely figured out just as much as Xia Hong had, if not more.

Rushing over to investigate like this was indeed unwise.

Especially the fourth piece of information: The Nine Towns have made a move at Qinghe Village. This sentence contained too much hidden meaning. Before it was fully understood, if he rashly went to Dajue Temple, it wouldn’t be a big deal if he was exposed. But if Great Xia was completely exposed to the Nine Towns, then all his arrangements over the past four or five years would have been for naught.

“Qiu Peng told me that Xu Ning left two spies in Hexia Village. Those two should be able to find out some news about Qinghe Village, right? Has any news come back from them recently?”

Xu An was very clear on this matter and immediately nodded. “Yes, there are two, named Bai Shanqiu and Xiang Liang. One is a Frostwarden realm expert at Second Mane strength, the other is at the Earthforger limit. They both volunteered to stay in Hexia Village.

According to the routine my brother established during his half-year infiltration of Hexia Village, unless there are special circumstances, they send a message back once at the end of each month. Today is only the twenty-fifth. We will have to wait another five days before they send word back.”

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed. A Second Mane Frostwarden realm expert and an Earthforger limit cultivator. With that level of strength, what useful information could they possibly gather?

“Big Brother, Xu Ning’s five pieces of intelligence are all very valuable. We just need those two spies to confirm them. If it is as we suspect, then Dajue Temple is likely heading for a conflict with the Nine Towns. At this juncture, we cannot show our faces there for any reason!”

Xia Chuan was still clearly worried that Xia Hong would personally go to Dajue Temple for Xu Ning’s sake, so his words were all meant to dissuade him.

Xia Hong’s brow knitted slightly. His gaze lingered on the fourth line of bloody text, specifically on the words “The Nine Towns have made a move at Qinghe Village.”

He understood Xia Chuan’s meaning, of course.

But Xu Ning!

Xia Hong turned to look at Xu Ning in his chair, his expression darkening slightly. After a long moment of consideration, he finally sighed and said to Xia Chuan in a deep voice, “Record one thousand military merit points for Xu Ning! From now on, his family’s living expenses, including cultivation resources, will be supplied by the encampment, until he is cured!”

Xia Chuan’s expression tensed, and he immediately nodded.

Xu An and Hong Qiaoru were stunned. Without a second thought, they bowed deeply to Xia Hong, their faces filled with emotion.

“Xu An thanks the Lord on behalf of his older brother!”

“This humble lady thanks the Lord on behalf of her husband!”

Xu Ning was already an eighth-rank Crimson-Firmament Viscount, with his accumulated military merit already being over one thousand. Another thousand would promote him directly to a seventh-rank Azure-Abyss Viscount. One had to know that in all of Great Xia, only Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao were seventh-rank Viscounts.

And just like that, Xu Ning had been elevated to their level.

What was crucial was Xia Hong’s next sentence: from now on, his family’s living expenses, including cultivation resources, would be supplied by the encampment, until Xu Ning was cured!

This was virtually a personal promise that he would find a way to heal Xu Ning. With this personal promise from their Lord, Hong Qiaoru and Xu An instantly felt a great weight lift from their hearts.

“Take good care of Xu Ning at home from now on. I will definitely save him, rest assured! Xia Chuan, Xu An, you two come with me to the Council Hall.”

After saying this to Hong Qiaoru, Xia Hong called for Xia Chuan and Xu An, turned, and walked out of the hall.

The two men immediately followed.

Hong Qiaoru was left alone in the house. Looking at her muddle-headed husband, though her heart still ached, she felt much better than before.

“Husband, the Lord will definitely cure you. He definitely will!”

Chapter 363: Xiang Liang and Wang Yuxiu, a Buddhist Edict, Passing a Message, and Setting a Strategy

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, the third day of the tenth month, night.

Hexia Village, a wooden house near the Main Building.

“Big Brother Xiang, open up.”

A young woman in green robes, about seventeen or eighteen years old, was carrying a basin of steaming meat broth. With a look of anticipation, she knocked on the wooden door and called out.

Creeeak…

The wooden door slowly opened from the inside, revealing a young, resolute face.

He was a young man in his early twenties. It was clear he was not in a good mood; his face was still clouded with gloom as he opened the door. But the moment he saw the young woman and the basin of hot broth in her hands, much of the gloom on his face dissipated, replaced by a touch of gentleness and helplessness.

“Yuxiu, didn’t I tell you not to bring me anything? Your father is already wary of me, and you keep running over here every day. If he finds out, he’ll scold you again.”

Wang Yuxiu clearly paid no mind to Xiang Liang’s words. She walked into the house with practiced ease, went straight to the main hall to put down the meat, and then glanced around the room. Seeing no one else, she turned to the young man and asked, “Did your grandfather go out again today?”

At her words, Xiang Liang’s expression instantly darkened. He nodded.

A look of sympathy appeared on Wang Yuxiu’s face. After a moment’s thought, she stepped forward and said softly, “Big Brother Xiang, your eldest and second brothers have been missing for over half a month. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened in the village. It’s been too long. If they were really okay, they would have been back by now. Since they haven’t returned after so much time, they must have…”

She looked up and saw Xiang Liang’s face grow even darker, realizing she shouldn’t continue. She immediately stopped and stepped closer, comforting him gently, “Big Brother Xiang, you should persuade your grandfather to stop looking. It’s not safe in the snowy forest at night. Don’t let anything happen to him while he’s trying to find your brothers. Wouldn’t it be better for you two to just live peacefully here in Hexia Village from now on?”

Xiang Liang remained silent for a long time, not answering her question.

Wang Yuxiu seemed to realize something and said with a hint of pique, “My father let you into the Main Building yesterday. How can you still say he’s wary of you? As long as you make up your mind to become a part of Hexia Village, with your talent, my father, Uncle Liu, Uncle Zheng, and the others will surely accept you.

“Besides, my father said that not only is your cultivation talent excellent, but your hunting skills are also far better than others. When you break through to the Frostwarden realm in the future, he might even put you in charge of the village’s hunting teams!”

Hearing this, Xiang Liang’s expression showed a flicker of interest, but after a moment’s hesitation, a wry smile appeared on his face. He shook his head. “I’ve only been in Hexia Village for nine months, after all. It’s right for your father to be wary of me. Yuxiu, my brother and sister-in-law have been missing for so long, and my grandfather is out searching every day. I can’t just stay in the village. We’ve already made a plan. If we still can’t find them in a few more days, my grandfather and I will pack our things and… together…”

“Big Brother Xiang, you can’t leave!”

Hearing his words, a mist of tears welled up in Wang Yuxiu’s eyes, and she cut him off. The reason she had been coming here every day for the past half-month was her fear that the grandfather and grandson would leave Hexia Village to search for their family.

Now that her greatest fear had finally come to pass, Wang Yuxiu could no longer contain her feelings. A deep blush crept up her cheeks. Gritting her teeth, she stepped forward and threw her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. Her tone was incomparably firm. “Big Brother Xiang, no matter what, I won’t let you leave Hexia Village.”

Xiang Liang’s expression froze, a complex look in his eyes.

A girl of seventeen or eighteen was at an age where she felt shy most intensely. He knew very well how much courage it took for her to take the initiative to hug him like this.

He took a shallow breath. After a moment’s thought, he slowly raised his hands and gently wrapped them around Wang Yuxiu. “Yuxiu, I know how you feel,” he said softly. “But it’s not easy to win your father’s approval. When your father summoned me to the Main Building for questioning yesterday, he was still beating around the bush with me. Then I saw an unordained monk from Dajue Temple arrive, and he immediately sent me away. That shows he still doesn’t trust me much. If I continue to impose here…”

“That was my third brother!”

Suddenly interrupted, Xiang Liang’s expression tightened.

Wang Yuxiu seemed to have made an important decision. Steeling herself, she continued, “Big Brother Xiang, I came to find you today specifically to talk about this. The unordained monk who came yesterday was my third brother, Wang Yuwen. He and my second brother, Wang Yu’an, were among the first batch of children selected by Dajue Temple seven years ago. He came yesterday to deliver Dajue Temple’s Buddhist Edict to my father.”

A glint of light flashed deep within Xiang Liang’s eyes before vanishing. He looked at Wang Yuxiu, his face a mask of confusion. “What’s a Buddhist Edict?”

“A Buddhist Edict is a decree passed down from Dajue Temple to all of us, the three villages and eighteen families of Qinghepu. Once the decree is issued, all camps must obey it.”

Wang Yuxiu clearly intended to say more, and Xiang Liang didn’t interrupt.

“I heard something happened over at Qinghe Village five days ago. Spies from the Nine Towns, led by Jiangxia, started fires in the village at dawn. There were countless casualties, and more than a dozen unordained monks from the monastery died. The Master was furious. He’s ordered all camps among the three villages and eighteen families to send half of their Earthforger and Frostwarden realm members to assemble at Qinghe Village. They’re probably planning to retaliate against Jiangxia Town.”

“The Nine Towns?”

Having spent over half a year in Hexia Village with Xu Ning, Xiang Liang was of course aware of the Nine Towns’ existence. But now, in front of Wang Yuxiu, he had to feign ignorance, looking at her with a curious expression.

Wang Yuxiu quickly explained the Nine Towns to him. Then, as if remembering something, she added, “Weren’t you always worried that my father is wary of you? The reason is these Nine Towns, especially Jiangxia Town, which is closest to our Qinghe Village. They’ve sent many spies to infiltrate Qinghepu, which is why my father is so cautious with strangers. We’ve actually caught quite a few over the past few years. I never thought they still had so many people hiding in Qinghe Village. They’ve caused such a huge mess this time, so the Master is finally going to punish them.”

“I see!”

Xiang Liang showed a look of understanding and nodded. “You said you came to see me today to talk about this. Why?”

Wang Yuxiu steeled herself. “Big Brother Xiang, weren’t you always feeling that my father doesn’t trust you? With this Buddhist Edict from Dajue Temple, if you take the initiative to volunteer with my father and accept the conscription, he’ll definitely be very happy. Later, if you can achieve some military merits fighting for Dajue Temple, he will surely treat you as one of his own in the future. And then, the two of us…”

As she spoke the last words, Wang Yuxiu’s face filled with shyness, her meaning perfectly clear.

Seeing a hint of hesitation on Xiang Liang’s face, Wang Yuxiu thought he was afraid of going to war and quickly continued, “Don’t worry, Big Brother Xiang. My third brother, Wang Yuwen, is already a Deacon in the monastery. I’ll talk to him and have him look after you on the battlefield. You won’t be in any danger.”

“That’s not what I’m afraid of!”

Xiang Liang immediately shook his head, his hands around Wang Yuxiu tightening slightly. “If I go to your father now and volunteer, he’ll definitely guess that you were the one who leaked the news to me. Then you’ll get into trouble and be scolded again.”

Seeing that Xiang Liang wasn’t afraid but was worried about her, a sweet smile spread across Wang Yuxiu’s face. She nodded and said softly, “You don’t have to go to him right now. He should be talking to all the hunting teams in the village over the next two days. When it’s your turn, just act a little more eager. He’ll definitely notice.”

“Yuxiu, thank you. For our future, I will do my best to integrate into Hexia Village!”

Hearing this, Wang Yuxiu’s face grew even redder, and her eyes gazed at Xiang Liang with overflowing sweetness.

The two young people murmured to each other in the house for a while longer. Finally, as the sky was beginning to brighten, Wang Yuxiu departed, looking back every few steps with great reluctance.

Xiang Liang watched Wang Yuxiu leave, then turned back into the house. He looked at the bowl of still-warm meat broth on the table, his eyes filled with an exceptionally complex expression.

Bai Shanqiu walked out from an inner room. Seeing Xiang Liang’s expression, he chuckled softly. “Feeling guilty for deceiving her like that?”

Xiang Liang said nothing, but the look on his face was a clear answer.

“Do you like this Wang Yuxiu?”

Hearing Bai Shanqiu’s question, Xiang Liang froze for a moment, then replied in a low voice, “Hexia Village belongs to Dajue Temple. She is from Hexia Village, which makes her an enemy of our Great Xia. How could I fall for an enemy?”

“Foolish!”

As an old man who had seen his share of romance, how could Bai Shanqiu not see Xiang Liang’s true feelings? Hearing Xiang Liang deny it with such a clumsy excuse, he laughed, shook his head, and chided him. Then he continued, “These three villages and eighteen families of Qinghepu are, at most, humans who have been bewitched by an anomaly. They are not bad people. How could they be considered enemies of our Great Xia?

“The two of us are here to gather intelligence on Dajue Temple so that Great Xia can rescue the three villages and eighteen families from their grasp. Your deception of her is, in essence, to save her, to save all the people of Qinghepu. So there’s no need to feel guilty at all. When Great Xia exposes the true face of Dajue Temple, she will naturally understand you.

“And liking her is no crime. This time, you’ve volunteered and taken such a huge risk to stay in Hexia Village. Lord Xu is well aware of it. If you two are truly meant to be one day, he will surely support you.”

Bai Shanqiu’s words clearly had a significant impact on Xiang Liang. He stood there, lost in thought for a long while. The complexity and conflict in his eyes gradually faded, and his expression began to clear. He then looked up at Bai Shanqiu, a look of gratitude on his face. He cupped his hands. “Thank you for your guidance, Elder Bai. This junior was nearly led astray!”

Seeing that Xiang Liang had come to terms with it, a look of satisfaction appeared on Bai Shanqiu’s face. Although they were not related by blood, and had not even interacted much back in Wuyuan, he genuinely admired this bold yet meticulous young man from the bottom of his heart.

“It’s good that you’ve figured it out. Alright, organize everything Wang Yuxiu just told you. The Dajue Temple’s Buddhist Edict, Wang Yuwen, Wang Yu’an, the Nine Towns setting fire to Qinghe Village and enraging Dajue Temple… this is all crucial intelligence. Especially the part about Dajue Temple gathering people to move against the Nine Towns. We must send this back to Xiacheng immediately. We can’t wait until the end of the month. I’ll find a chance to slip out after daybreak when no one is around.”

Xiang Liang nodded firmly and began to sort through the intelligence with Bai Shanqiu.

They had been undercover in Hexia Village for over half a year and had long ago established a method for relaying messages back to Baiyang. If there was nothing important, they would send a message to Xiacheng at the end of each month to report their safety. If something important came up, they would send a message ahead of schedule. The method was to place the letter inside a crevice of a large, marked tree fifteen kilometers west of Hexia Village.

Chen Ying, the Garrison Commander of Baiyang, had someone check that tree once every day, ensuring timely communication between both sides.

The intelligence from tonight was obviously extremely important. Naturally, they couldn’t wait until the end of the month; they had to get the message back as soon as possible.

Seventh year of Great Xia, the thirtieth day of the ninth month, just before nightfall.

Baiyang outpost, main hall of the Main Building. Garrison Commander Chen Ying was seated in the main seat.

Below him were the eleven Frostwarden realm members of the Iron Falcon team, as well as more than fifty men clad in hundred-forged iron armor. Each wore a token at his waist: Qingyang, Fierce Tiger, Golden Mane, Bright Moon… the words on the tokens were almost all unique.

A closer look would reveal that the tokens hanging from their waists were all emitting a faint silver light, clearly crafted from thousand-forged iron. They were also deliberately edged with an iron cloud pattern, making them more aesthetically pleasing than ordinary tokens.

Among the eleven Frostwarden realm members in the front row, Chen Shang slowly stood up. He turned to survey all the people seated below, then turned back to Chen Ying on the main seat, cupped his hands, and bowed. “Lord Guardian, all fifty-seven captains of the Intermediate Hunting Teams of the Baiyang outpost have arrived.”

Although they were father and son, they still had to address each other by their official titles on formal occasions.

Hearing his eldest son’s words, Chen Ying nodded slightly and gestured for him to sit down. He then scanned the crowd below and spoke in a deep voice, “The Lord Director just sent a message. This Guardian has decided that from this day forward, the entire Baiyang outpost will only maintain five full-strength Intermediate Hunting Teams. The remaining fifty-two teams can leave their weaker members behind. All other Frostwarden realm and Earthforger limit members must withdraw to Wuyuan. They cannot remain here.”

Upon hearing this, the faces of the men below showed no surprise; they had clearly anticipated this. Someone who had already guessed the reason asked directly:

“Lord Guardian, is this because of Prefect Xu and Dajue Temple?”

Six days ago, many had personally witnessed the scene of Xu Ning being carried back by Xia Chuan and Xu An. Furthermore, Baiyang was closest to Qinghepu, so they had heard rumors about Dajue Temple. It was easy to connect the dots.

“Don’t ask too many questions. We just need to follow the Director’s orders!”

Chen Ying’s brow furrowed slightly. He did not answer their question, not because he was deliberately hiding things from them, but because he himself wasn’t entirely clear on the details.

Xia Chuan’s order to him was to disguise the Baiyang outpost as an ordinary village-level camp. From now on, he was to operate under the identity of the Baiyang Village Leader and conceal, as much as possible, everything within the camp that could be linked to Great Xia.

From this order alone, one could roughly see what was happening.

It was undoubtedly related to Xu Ning and Dajue Temple. Making the Baiyang outpost pretend to be an ordinary village-level camp was clearly out of fear that Dajue Temple would discover this place and follow the trail to discover the existence of Great Xia.

Other than that, Chen Ying could think of no other reason for Xia Chuan to issue such an order.

Of course, these were just his own conjectures, so he naturally wouldn’t voice them to the men below. What troubled him now was how to feign being an ordinary giant camp.

Disguising Baiyang as a village-level camp was not that easy!

His Iron Falcon team already had eleven Frostwarden realm members, and the captains of the fifty-seven Intermediate Hunting Teams below were also all at the Frostwarden realm. This alone made Baiyang obviously unlike an ordinary village-level camp.

Secondly, there was the camp’s overall population. Baiyang was just a small outpost and hadn’t established the eight subordinate divisions. Although it currently had only just over five thousand people, hunting team members accounted for nearly sixty percent of them. The remaining forty percent were mostly members of Wuyuan’s eight divisions, with the Artisan and Logging Divisions being the most numerous.

The people from the Logging Division were here to search for new types of vegetation; the people from the Artisan Division were here to find rare materials for manufacturing or forging; the people from the Armament Division were here to survey and map the terrain; the Judicial Division had people permanently stationed here; and the remaining Civil Affairs, Hunting, and Logistics Divisions also had some members staying here for their own purposes.

Anyone who could hold a position in Wuyuan’s eight divisions, even without an official rank, was at least at the Earthforger limit, with a few already at the Frostwarden realm.

In other words, the population structure of Baiyang’s five thousand-plus people consisted of over a hundred Frostwarden realm experts, with the rest being mostly at the Earthforger or Earthforger limit realms. You couldn’t even find fifty people at the Lumberjack realm.

How could they possibly disguise this?

Anyone with a brain would immediately sense that something was wrong just by visiting the Baiyang outpost. An ordinary village-level camp could not possibly have this kind of strength.

A normal camp would inevitably be composed mostly of people at the Lumberjack realm and ordinary folk.

But for Baiyang to achieve this, they would have to transfer a batch of ordinary people and Lumberjack realm individuals from Xiacheng and Wuyuan.

The problem was, who would be willing to leave their comfortable life in Xiacheng for Baiyang?

Chen Ying pondered this for a long time and finally came up with an idea, which was why he had summoned all the hunting team captains.

He looked down at the crowd and spoke in a deep voice, “Since the Director has given the order, we must carry it out, and do it well. I’ve thought about it. If we’re going to disguise ourselves, let’s do it thoroughly. We must transfer a large number of ordinary people and Lumberjack realm individuals here. It’s unrealistic to just transfer people from Xiacheng for no reason, so we’ll have to find a way ourselves!”

“You mean, for us to bring our own families over, my lord?” someone immediately understood.

“Exactly!”

Chen Ying nodded immediately. “From this day on, everyone who remains at the Baiyang outpost must bring their families over. Of course, only ordinary family members. No one above the Earthforger realm. The lower the cultivation, the better. Preferably ordinary people.”

As soon as he finished speaking, most of the people below showed reluctance on their faces.

“Everyone, enjoying a comfortable life in Xiacheng is naturally pleasant, but you all know how crucial the north bank of the Xing River is to our Great Xia. The one who gave me this order this time was not the Garrison Department, but the Director himself. This shows how much importance he places on it. Therefore, this matter is not up for discussion. Everyone must comply. When you go back, make it clear to your team members…”

At this point, Chen Ying glanced at his eldest son, Chen Shang, and continued, “My younger son, Chen Ping, has just left for Xiacheng. My wife, my eldest son’s wife, my second son’s wife, and my six grandchildren will arrive in Baiyang by tomorrow night at the latest.”

Hearing Chen Ying’s words, the expressions of everyone below changed. Many who had just shown reluctance now looked somewhat ashamed.

“The Lord Guardian is leading by example. What more can we say?”

“I will send a message back immediately and have my family pack their things for Baiyang.”

“It’s just living in Baiyang for a while. Don’t worry, my lord. I’ll go back and tell all my team members to notify their families to come over.”

…

Hearing everyone’s successive declarations, a trace of satisfaction finally appeared on Chen Ying’s face.

He was just about to speak when someone burst in hurriedly from outside.

“My lord, a message has come back from Hexia Village. Look!”

The person who came in was He Yuanfeng, a member of the Iron Falcon team. His expression was unusually grave. He walked quickly to the main seat and took out a piece of animal hide from his robes, handing it to Chen Ying.

Chen Ying’s expression had changed the moment he saw He Yuanfeng. He looked down at the few lines of words written on the animal hide and shot up from his chair with a thud.

“I have to return to Xiacheng. This meeting is over for today. For now, proceed as I’ve instructed. We’ll discuss the rest when I get back.”

Before anyone below could respond, Chen Ying strode quickly out the door.

The crowd watched Chen Ying’s hurried departure and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Seventh year of Great Xia, the first day of the tenth month.

Stargazer Platform. Xia Hong sat cross-legged alone atop the Enlightenment Lotus Platform, holding two golden medicinal pills in his hand, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Although both pills were golden, the one on the left was a much lighter shade, and it only had three rock-like veins coiling around it, while the one on the right had six.

“The Bone Condensing Pill and the Bone Gathering Pill. The difference in medicinal potency is actually more than thirty-fold. The energy contained in this Bone Gathering Pill is too potent; an ordinary Iron Bone Sun-Manifestation realm practitioner probably couldn’t withstand it.”

The Bone Condensing Pill was a medicinal pill for Sun-Manifestation realm cultivation. When Xia Hong first obtained a high-level Jade Bone, the Alchemy Workshop had identified it and synthesized the recipe directly. Unfortunately, he was only at the Frostwarden realm at the time and couldn’t use it.

Now that he had broken through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, the Alchemy Pavilion had naturally begun to refine Bone Condensing Pills.

The recipe for this Bone Gathering Pill, however, had been synthesized five years ago after he used the Divine Contraption Crossbow to kill the Yanglu realm Frost Wolf King.

Xia Hong had killed quite a few Beast Kings by now, and their bones mostly showed a silver effect, so he referred to them as Silver Bones.

The recipes for the two pills were basically the same. The only difference was the main ingredient: the Bone Condensing Pill used Jade Bone, while the Bone Gathering Pill used Silver Bone.

“Since there are six-vein pills, does that mean there are nine-vein ones too?”

Looking at the six veins on the Bone Gathering Pill, Xia Hong’s mind stirred.

If there were nine-vein pills, and their potency was also dozens of times that of the Bone Gathering Pill, then his cultivation speed could be even faster.

“Cultivation in the Sun-Manifestation realm is no longer about directly increasing strength, but focusing on strengthening the bones. However, unlike the tempering during a breakthrough, this involves nourishing the bones with medicinal power. Although the speed is very slow, I can feel the luster of my bones gradually brightening. It should be like cultivation in the Frostwarden realm; once a critical point is reached, the bones will be strengthened, and my power will surge accordingly.”

Xia Hong clenched his fist and mused softly, “Lu Yang mentioned in his message two days ago that the standard for measuring strength for the Sun-Manifestation realm in the Nine Towns is the ‘Jun.’ One Jun is roughly equivalent to the strength of a hundred Manes. My current strength is probably just under eleven Jun. I wonder what level that is considered in the Nine Towns.”

As he said this, a flash of pride appeared in Xia Hong’s eyes.

There were over twenty Sun-Manifestation realm experts in the Nine Towns in total. Although he had only encountered one, Yang Fa, he could already tell a lot.

“If I could personally witness the Vajra Master and Xiahou Zhang fight, I would have a good grasp of the strength of both the Nine Towns and Dajue Temple. What a pity…”

Xia Hong’s expression shifted slightly. He suddenly looked up towards the Main Building.

“Chen Ying is back. So urgently… it must be news from Hexia Village!”

His eyes lit up slightly, and he flew directly towards the Main Building.

The moment he flew out, a white figure followed him out from the private chambers behind Stargazer Hall. It was none other than Li Xuanling.

“Are you thinking of…”

Li Xuanling evidently thought Xia Hong was heading out to do something else. She began to speak, her pretty face tinged with anger, but when she saw that Xia Hong had only entered the Main Building, she immediately stopped. Still, her face was filled with deep worry. After a moment’s thought, she too walked towards the Main Building.

Main Building, Council Hall.

“Excellent, excellent, excellent, Chen Ying!”

Xia Chuan had just finished reading the letter Chen Ying brought back. He was exceptionally excited, repeating the word “excellent” three times, clearly having lost some of his composure.

He managed to suppress his emotions with some difficulty and looked at Chen Ying. “You’ve received the order I sent to the Baiyang outpost yesterday, haven’t you?”

“I have. This subordinate has already begun to carry it out…”

Xia Chuan was asking about disguising the Baiyang outpost as a village-level camp. Chen Ying naturally understood and recounted everything in full detail, laying out his entire plan for the disguise.

After listening, Xia Chuan nodded. Having the existing personnel bring their families over was indeed the best way to create a disguise. As long as no one became suspicious on their own, there shouldn’t be any problems.

“Won’t they have safety concerns about their families going to the Baiyang outpost?”

Xia Chuan had pointed out the only flaw in the plan with pinpoint accuracy. Chen Ying immediately nodded. “The Director hit the nail on the head. When I first proposed it, they were indeed quite reluctant. But I have already decided to move my own family of nine to Baiyang, so they have no choice but to comply.”

So that was it. With Chen Ying, the guardian, leading by example, the others indeed had no choice but to agree.

Xia Chuan looked at Chen Ying with a hint of admiration. “This was handled well. From now on, do as I say. Do not expose your connection to Great Xia. Just act as if you are a normal village-level camp. If any other strangers, especially people from Qinghepu, discover the Baiyang outpost, you must be particularly cautious in your response.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

“You may go back for now…”

Xia Chuan was about to dismiss him when he remembered something. His expression turned slightly solemn as he added, “When you return, tell them to rest assured. This Director guarantees that there will be no issues with the Baiyang outpost’s security.”

“This subordinate takes his leave!”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s promise, Chen Ying’s expression brightened. He responded with a firm nod, then turned and left the hall to return to Baiyang.

“Is it news from Hexia Village?”

The moment Chen Ying left, Xia Hong’s voice came from behind the main hall.

“Greetings, Lord!”

Xia Chuan turned around, first bowing to Xia Hong, then excitedly handed over the letter.

Unlike the blood-written letter Xu Ning had brought back, the intelligence from Hexia Village this time was not only detailed but also written in clear script.

[Two sons of Hexia Village Leader Wang Chuan, Wang Yuwen and Wang Yu’an, were among the first batch of children selected by Dajue Temple from Qinghepu seven years ago. Wang Yuwen is a Deacon in the monastery, with the strength of a Third Mane. Wang Yu’an’s status is currently unknown.]

[On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, spies from the Nine Towns started massive fires in Qinghe Village, causing numerous casualties. Dajue Temple is enraged and has issued a Buddhist Edict, demanding all camps of the three villages and eighteen families to dispatch half of their Earthforger and Frostwarden realm members to assemble at Qinghe Village. The specific date is unknown. It is suspected to be in retaliation against the Nine Towns.]

After reading these two pieces of intelligence, a look of delight appeared in Xia Hong’s eyes.

Compared to him, Xia Chuan’s expression was much more excited. He rarely concealed his emotions in front of Xia Hong, his joy written all over his face.

“Big Brother, it all adds up! It all adds up! Yesterday, Lu Yang sent a message back from the Eastern Ridge, saying that Beishuo Town has also issued a Town Decree, requiring all village-level camps within its territory to send half of their Frostwarden realm members and thirty percent of their Earthforger realm members, based on population. Although it didn’t specify the purpose, it can basically be linked to Dajue Temple.”

It was more than just adding up. When combining the intelligence brought back by Xu Ning, Lu Yang’s message from the Eastern Ridge yesterday, and these two pieces of news from Hexia Village, the picture became eighty to ninety percent clear.

Xia Chuan directly stated his deductions:

“The Nine Towns have long known about Dajue Temple’s existence, but because Jiangxia Town is the closest, they were the most concerned. The other eight towns probably had a mind to just pick up the scraps, so they only sent some spies to hide in Qinghe Village.

“Dajue Temple’s strength has been growing in recent years. The other eight towns could tolerate it, but Jiangxia Town could not. So Xiahou Zhang personally made a move to test Dajue Temple’s true strength. But he was also wary, so he had all the spies create a diversion by setting fire to Qinghe Village, creating a distraction while another group was responsible for scouting Dajue Temple on Chilong Lake.

“Now it seems Jiangxia Town has failed. Not only did they fail to scout out Dajue Temple’s true strength, but Xiahou Zhang also suffered a loss, and all the Nine Towns’ spies were wiped out. Now they have to face Dajue Temple’s retaliation.”

Xia Chuan paused, the smile in his eyes deepening.

“Dajue Temple is so powerful. Of course, Jiangxia Town doesn’t want to be the only one standing in the front line. So they asked the other eight towns for help. We don’t know the situation with the other seven towns yet, but from the way Beishuo is drafting people from village-level camps, it’s clear they have no intention of genuinely helping.”

If even the strongest, Beishuo Town, was acting this way, the attitude of the other seven towns went without saying.

“Watch a conflict from a safe distance? Let Dajue Temple fight the Nine Towns?”

Xia Chuan had basically analyzed the entire situation clearly. Xia Hong didn’t need to add anything. Seeing Xia Chuan’s excited face, he immediately guessed his thoughts.

“Of course!”

Xia Chuan nodded without hesitation. “Not even considering the five great masters, just with over five thousand Frostwarden realm monks at Third Mane strength and eight hundred ordained monks at or above Twentieth Mane strength, it’s uncertain if all Nine Towns combined can match Dajue Temple’s power on paper. The two sides are already on the brink of a major war. Not only should we watch the conflict from a safe distance, but if the opportunity arises, we should have Lu Yang and the others fan the flames. It would be best if Dajue Temple and the Nine Towns fight as fiercely as possible. When they are both crippled, Great Xia can reap the rewards…”

“The Nine Towns are not Longyou!”

Before Xia Chuan could finish, Xia Hong interrupted him.

Seeing Xia Chuan’s confused expression, Xia Hong shook his head and continued, “Don’t treat the Nine Towns like Longyou. Back then, Longyou seemed to be twelve factions, but in reality, it was only Longshan and Zhaoyang who were fighting. As a third party, we could watch the conflict from a safe distance and then intervene to reap the benefits. That was feasible.

“Our opponents now are nine town-level encampments, each at least equal in strength to Great Xia, perhaps even superior. How could it be so simple to replicate what we did five years ago?”

“But haven’t the Nine Towns already united to fight Dajue Temple? In that case, shouldn’t they be considered two opposing sides?”

Xia Chuan still looked a little confused, but after saying this, before Xia Hong could speak, he immediately realized it himself. His expression changed slightly.

That’s right!

Just as he had guessed, Beishuo clearly had no intention of genuinely helping Jiangxia Town. If Beishuo was like this, the other seven were likely the same. This meant that the Nine Towns each had their own agenda and couldn’t truly unite. As such, the Nine Towns couldn’t be considered a single, independent side.

What if Great Xia secretly brought the Nine Towns together, making them unite?

Xia Hong saw his thought at a glance and immediately shook his head. “That idea is even more unrealistic. If the Nine Towns truly unite, then regardless of whether Dajue Temple wins or they win, Great Xia will only be in a worse position.”

If the Nine Towns genuinely united, their strength would be absolutely terrifying. At that point, whether they defeated Dajue Temple or Dajue Temple defeated them, there was no doubt who the next target would be: Great Xia.

Would Great Xia have the ability to deal with either of those two factions by then?

“I was being foolish.”

Xia Chuan immediately understood, shaking his head in self-deprecation. He looked up at Xia Hong and asked, “What do you mean, Big Brother?”

Xia Hong looked down, silent for a moment in thought before speaking, “Our biggest advantage right now is that we are hidden in the shadows; we are not yet in a passive position. Until they discover the existence of Great Xia, watching the conflict from a safe distance is a given. But during this process, we must assess the situation and act when we must. Since the Nine Towns all have their own agendas, then we shall break them one by one.

“Dajue Temple happens to be a perfect touchstone. It can help us test which faction is the breakthrough point. The current Jiangxia Town…”

At this point, Xia Hong turned to look at the Great Xia territory map behind the high platform, which covered the entire Mo’ao Mountain panoramic view. He pointed to the Jiangxia Town area with a faint smile. “Is our first target!”

The moment he heard the words “break them one by one,” Xia Chuan had already understood. When Xia Hong identified Jiangxia Town as the first target, he immediately grasped the plan.

“The main target of Dajue Temple’s retaliation this time is Jiangxia Town. The other eight towns will most likely be unwilling to help sincerely. Thus, Jiangxia Town will inevitably become estranged from them. If we were to…”

Here, Xia Chuan’s brows knitted slightly, and he immediately stopped.

According to Xia Hong’s line of thinking, Great Xia would step in to help and gain Jiangxia Town’s goodwill. But wouldn’t that expose Great Xia prematurely and alert the other eight towns?

Thinking of this, he looked up at Xia Hong, a hint of confusion on his face.

Xia Hong smiled and shook his head repeatedly. “Of course, not so soon. And just gaining the goodwill of Jiangxia Town alone is not cost-effective enough. We must choose the most opportune moment. We can’t rush this!”

At this point, a glint flashed in his eyes, and he continued speaking to Xia Chuan, “Recently, pick a batch of clever Frostwarden realm members in Xiacheng and send them to the Eastern Ridge. Have Lu Yang arrange for them to infiltrate each of the eight towns. See if they can gather more useful intelligence. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.”

“Alright, Big Brother. I’ll see to it at once!”

“As for Baiyang, you’ve made all the arrangements, right? Since Dajue Temple is planning to move its forces eastward, they might send people to keep an eye on their western flank. Don’t let them detect Great Xia’s existence beforehand.”

“It’s all been arranged. Chen Ying is handling it.”

Xia Hong nodded slightly. After a moment’s thought, he asked in a low voice, “The Cloud Serpent, Dragon Martial, Dragon Slaying, and Tiger Leopard armies are about to return from Longshan. In the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies, how many people have yet to break through to the Frostwarden realm?”

“Cloud Serpent Army, 587. Dragon Martial Army, 562.”

Hearing that there were still so many who hadn’t broken through, Xia Hong’s brow furrowed.

In fact, with Great Xia’s current number of Frostwarden realm experts, they could easily form not just two, but five entire armies composed solely of Frostwarden realm soldiers.

The problem was, even members of a hunting team needed coordination and rapport, let alone a much more strictly organized and tactically refined army.

The coordination of soldiers, training in battle formations, and execution on the battlefield—all these factors affected an army’s combat strength. Haphazardly throwing people together to form an army, unless their cultivation was several realms higher, would not only fail to enhance the army’s combat power but would be entirely detrimental.

“A great war is imminent, and we don’t have much time. Notify Qiu Peng to have the Logistics Department clear out all the slots in the Martial Arts Pavilion. Give priority to the soldiers from the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies who have not yet broken through. Help them reach the Frostwarden realm as soon as possible. We can’t let it be a joke that when we finally meet the Nine Towns, Great Xia doesn’t even have a single army that can appear during the day.”

Xia Chuan nodded, his expression also turning grave.

“Alright, that’s all for now. You arrange these matters. I need to survey the Xing River waters soon. If there’s anything urgent, have someone find me in Wuyuan. Keep me updated on any new developments from the Eastern Ridge.”

Five Ape Mountain, where the Wuyuan outpost was located, was on the north bank of the Xing River, less than four or five kilometers from the water. It was naturally more suitable for Xia Hong to stay in Wuyuan to survey the waters.

But upon hearing this, Xia Chuan’s face showed reluctance. He was clearly worried that Xia Hong was deceiving him, afraid that he would secretly run off to Qinghepu from Wuyuan.

“Big Brother, you…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t go there before the second month of next year!”

Xia Hong saw his concern at a glance and shook his head gently. “Dajue Temple is about to go to war with the Nine Towns. Their nerves are on edge. If I rashly go over there and expose Great Xia’s existence, wouldn’t I just be asking for trouble?

“Besides, there’s nothing to discover by going at this time. Dajue Temple only sends people to the villages to collect six-year-old children every second month. If I were really going to investigate Dajue Temple, I would also choose to go in the second month. Relax!”

As he gestured for Xia Chuan to rest assured, he turned his head to look behind the high platform, a hint of helplessness on his face. “You can relax too. You’ve been watching me non-stop for days. You even follow me when I come to the Main Building. Is that really necessary?”

“I’m going to Wuyuan too. It’s a good chance to take the children out for some fresh air.”

Hearing Li Xuanling’s voice from behind the high platform, a smile appeared on Xia Chuan’s face. If she took the two children to Wuyuan with him, then there was really nothing to worry about.

Xia Hong would definitely not leave his two children unattended to run off to Qinghepu by himself.

“Big Brother, I’ll go make the arrangements now!”

Seeing the helpless look on Xia Hong’s face, Xia Chuan chuckled, bowed, and turned to leave the hall to select the candidates.

Chapter 364: The New Prefect of Wuyuan, a Breakthrough and an Assembly Date, the First Foray into the Waters

The seventh year of Great Xia, the fifth day of the tenth month, the fourth hour after nightfall.

Xiacheng, Inner City, Residence No. 10.

Knock, knock, knock…

A knock came from outside the main gate. The lady of the house, Shi Lu, who was in the main hall directing the maids to set up a banquet despite her large belly, immediately broke into a smile upon hearing the sound.

“That must be Father. I’ll get the door.”

“Madam, it’s inconvenient for you to move about. Let me go!”

Just as Shi Lu was about to get the door, a maid beside her beat her to it. She stroked her seven-month pregnant belly and nodded with a smile.

“It must be maternal grandfather! I’ll get the door, I’ll get the door.”

But before the maid could even leave the main hall, a sturdy little boy from the training grounds outside dashed past her and flung the door open.

The boy looked no more than five or six years old, but he was as tall as an eight or nine-year-old. He had clearly been practicing his punches on the training grounds just moments before and was still bare-chested. Though he was too young to show much muscle, his brawny frame was already beginning to take shape.

“You little rascal, slow down!”

Seeing this, Shi Lu was afraid her son would fall and couldn’t help but call out a vexed reminder. But when she saw how her son was as strong as a little calf, she figured a fall wouldn’t hurt him much and couldn’t help but lower her head and chuckle.

Yuan Shao was her and Yuan Cheng’s eldest son. He was born on the fifth day of the tenth month in the second year of Great Xia, which made today his fifth birthday.

Great Xia was now prosperous and its people well-fed, and celebrating children’s birthdays had become a trend. On these occasions, families would prepare extra food and wine and invite their relatives to gather. It was a dual benefit: the children could feel the love of their elders, and the adults, who were busy on ordinary days, could take a short break and enjoy the warmth of a family reunion.

“It’s a pity Ping is in Longyou. If only he could come back too!”

Thinking of her younger brother, Shi Ping, Shi Lu sighed softly and thought, “He shouldn’t have taken that thankless job as a Garrison Commander back then. Now he can’t even come home more than a few times a year. Sigh…”

Shi Ping was a member of the Cloud Serpent Squad. He had initially worked alongside Xia Chuan, helping manage the Logistics Department for a time, before later becoming the Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department, serving as her husband Yuan Cheng’s deputy.

Things should have continued smoothly down that path. Even if he wasn’t promoted to Prefect, being the Vice-Prefect and helping Yuan Cheng manage the Garrison Department was a fine position. After all, it was a third-rank official post, something countless people in Xiacheng yearned for.

But five years ago, after the Longshan New Policy was enacted, Shi Ping had approached Xia Chuan to resign from his position as Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department, proactively requesting to be sent to Longyou to guard a region.

The Vice-Prefect was a third-rank position stationed in Xiacheng, while a Garrison Commander was a sixth-rank position that required long-term stationing far from the city. In Shi Lu’s eyes, her brother’s request was simply preposterous.

At first, she thought her husband had somehow aggrieved her brother, making it impossible for Shi Ping to stay in the Garrison Department. She had been ready to pick a fight with Yuan Cheng, but she later discovered that wasn’t the case at all; it was all Shi Ping’s own request.

She tried every means to dissuade Shi Ping, even attempting to get her husband and father to join in. But to her surprise, when Yuan Cheng and Shi Qing learned of it, not only did they not dissuade him, but they both agreed with and even commended Shi Ping’s decision.

Shi Lu was not some sheltered woman. Although she couldn’t understand her husband’s and father’s actions, she realized there must be some inside story she wasn’t privy to, so she didn’t persist.

Shi Ping was ultimately appointed as the Garrison Commander of Wushuang. Two years later, he was transferred to become the Garrison Commander of Zhaoyang. He had now been in Longyou for a full five years.

Shi Lu was no longer the young girl from the Great Stone Camp. Her eldest son, Yuan Shao, was already five, and the one in her belly was due soon. As she grew older, especially after becoming a mother, she valued family ties more and more. Her only brother had been away for five years with few visits, and her heart was naturally filled with concern for him.

“Mother, Maternal Uncle is back!”

But today, it seemed, was a day for wishes to come true.

Hearing Yuan Shao’s shout from outside, Shi Lu stood up, stunned, and looked out, her face instantly beaming with surprise.

A crowd of people walked in through the gate. In the lead was her father, Shi Qing, holding her eldest son, Yuan Shao. Standing beside him was a young man in a crimson uniform. Who else could it be but her brother, Shi Ping!

Behind Shi Ping was his wife, Lu Xiu’e. She held a boy of over four years old with her left hand and a baby less than a year old in her arms—Shi Ping’s two young sons, her two little nephews.

“Sister, it’s been a long time!”

Hearing her brother’s long-unheard voice, Shi Lu’s eyes reddened instantly, perhaps due to her pregnancy. She gently rubbed her eyes before smiling, “You little rascal, why didn’t you send word ahead of time? You just showed up all of a sudden.”

Seeing his sister’s teary eyes, Shi Ping was also a little moved. But he was a man, after all, and quickly composed himself, saying with a smile, “The transfer order from the Garrison Department came down during the day. It was too rushed to send a message.”

A transfer order from the Garrison Department during the day?

Shi Lu was taken aback. Before she could speak, she was interrupted by the laughter of Yuan Cheng, who was just coming down the stairs.

“That was fast. I haven’t had a chance to tell your sister yet!”

Shi Lu turned to see the smile on her husband’s face and knew immediately that he had deliberately kept it from her. She shot him a glare before ushering her father and brother’s family to take their seats.

And so, a lively birthday banquet began.

The star of the show should have been Yuan Shao, but Shi Ping’s arrival had clearly stolen his thunder. However, being young, he didn’t mind. After a few quick bites of food, he and his younger cousin, Shi Da, scampered off to the training grounds to play.

Seeing her son and nephew gone, Shi Lu could no longer contain the questions that filled her mind. As she served her brother some food, she asked, “Weren’t you doing fine in Zhaoyang? Why did the Garrison Department suddenly transfer you back?”

At these words, Shi Qing also looked over curiously. It was clear that even he didn’t know why his son had returned so suddenly.

Shi Ping glanced at Yuan Cheng first. Seeing him nod, he replied, “Xiao Kangcheng has already taken my place as the new Garrison Guard of Zhaoyang. As of today, I’ve been transferred to Wuyuan to serve as the Garrison Prefect.”

“Garrison Prefect of Wuyuan? That’s a promotion! In that case, I must congratulate you!”

Shi Lu understood at once, her face wreathed in smiles.

Wuyuan was a major outpost with eight departments, and a Prefect was a fourth-rank official. Shi Ping had jumped two ranks at once. It was indeed a joyous occasion.

Hearing his son had been promoted, Shi Qing’s face was also full of delight. However, he clearly knew a little more. After a moment’s thought, he looked at Yuan Cheng and said, “Cheng, how is Lord Xu?”

Shi Qing’s old injuries had been healed by Xia Chuan the year before last. His base strength had now exceeded 30,000 catty, and he was in the hide reforging stage. Some time ago, he had been appointed as the Manager of the Ancestral Temple. It was he who had been the first to notice something was wrong with Xu Ning through the clan spirit tablet and report it to Xia Chuan.

Yuan Cheng shook his head, a hint of worry on his face. “I’ve been to see him quite a bit these past few days. He’s still in a daze, unable to speak or recognize anyone.”

He, Xu Ning, Yue Feng, Lin Kai, and the others were among the earliest to follow Xia Hong since the days on the earthen slope. Their bond was naturally very strong. Furthermore, he lived at No. 10 and Xu Ning at No. 15, so their homes were close. They were always aware of what was happening in each other’s households.

Shi Lu then understood. No wonder her brother could be transferred to Wuyuan. She remembered something and sighed softly, “No wonder Madam Xu has rarely been out recently, and Xiao An and Xiao Ping haven’t come to find Shao to play for a long time.”

Thinking of Xu Ning’s current state, Yuan Cheng sighed softly and said in a low voice, “Who knows what methods that anomaly from Dajue Temple used to turn Xu Ning into this. Fortunately, he’s still alive. The Lord said that no matter what it takes, he will be cured in the future. He’ll definitely be fine.”

Hearing this last sentence, everyone in the hall nodded slightly, evidently having great faith in their Lord, Xia Hong.

“Wuyuan is a crucial location now. East past the two small outposts of Songyang Ridge and Baiyang is Qinghepu, where Dajue Temple is located. As the Prefect there, not only will you be responsible for Wuyuan’s internal affairs, but you’ll also have to take over Xu Ning’s previous deployments concerning Qinghepu. And then there are the Nine… to the east…”

At this, Yuan Cheng stopped abruptly, realizing he shouldn’t say too much here. He changed his tone, “After Xu Ning’s incident, there’s been no one in charge there. The Director specifically had me transfer you back from Zhaoyang, which shows how much he trusts you. You must be extra diligent.”

“I understand, Brother-in-law!”

After listening to Yuan Cheng’s admonition, Shi Ping’s expression turned serious. He nodded heavily, his eyes filled with both gravity and intense excitement.

The first thing he did upon his return was go to the Council Hall, where Director Xia Chuan had given him a general overview of the situation. He was now clear on the key matters he would be responsible for after arriving in Wuyuan.

“Wuyuan is currently the only major outpost on the north bank of the Xing River, essentially Great Xia’s first sentry post for its eastward expansion. Past Qinghepu are the Nine Towns. The Director was very clear: Dajue Temple is currently at war with the Nine Towns. The great enterprise of expanding eastward for Great Xia is very likely to begin soon. Serving as the Prefect of Wuyuan at this time, there will be plenty of opportunities to earn merit. I must seize them. It’s time to raise this ninth-rank title of nobility of mine!”

Shi Ping mused to himself, barely able to suppress the excitement in his eyes. He raised his wine cup and drained it in one gulp, finally managing to calm himself down.

During the Longyou War in the second year of Great Xia, he had only participated in the defense of the Hive. Because he had only broken through to the Frostwarden realm during the war, the military merit he accumulated was not much, and he had missed the first batch of ennoblements.

The reason he resigned from his post as Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department after the Longshan New Policy was threefold: first, he hadn’t received a title and felt unworthy of his position; second, he realized his experience was still shallow and he couldn’t command respect while continuing as Vice-Prefect; and third, during the Longshan council meeting that year, the Lord himself had vetoed Xia Chuan’s proposal for him to be the Prefect of Longshan, giving the position to Yue Feng instead.

The first two reasons were subjective, but the third truly made Shi Ping realize that in Lord Xia Hong’s eyes, he clearly lacked the experience of governing abroad. This was what truly solidified his determination to resign as Vice-Prefect and request to take charge of a region.

Now, his choice had clearly been the right one.

During his two years as the Garrison Commander of Wushuang, he not only consistently maintained Wushuang’s Creation Value ranking among the top but also utilized Wushuang’s core location advantage to actively plan all major transportation routes within Longyou. He had also proposed to the Artisan Department that when building straight roads, they should be divided into five-meter and eight-meter specifications based on the importance of the outpost. The proposal was successfully adopted and is now applied throughout Great Xia.

Two years as the Garrison Commander of Wushuang earned him the recognition of the Garrison Department, leading to his successful transfer as the Garrison Commander of Zhaoyang.

Zhaoyang was also a small outpost, but it was located at the foot of the Beilang Mountains. Its resource endowment was significantly better than other small outposts, making its status naturally more important.

During his three years as the Garrison Commander of Zhaoyang, his performance was even better. Its Creation Value consistently ranked in the top five among all of Great Xia’s external outposts, for several months even surpassing the major outpost of Hanqiong to break into the top three.

Good performance would naturally be noticed by the eight departments and the Director. Being transferred by Xia Chuan to govern a place as important as Wuyuan was proof of this.

Crucially, the Lord had not vetoed him this time.

Did this also mean that he had finally earned the Lord’s recognition?

Shi Ping clenched his fists slightly, a flicker of excitement flashing in his pupils.

“Oh, right, there’s one more thing I forgot to tell you…”

Yuan Cheng suddenly remembered something and said to Shi Ping, “The Lord’s family seems to have gone to Wuyuan three days ago. We’re not sure about the Madam and the two Highnesses for now, but the Lord will probably be staying in Wuyuan for some time. Don’t you go making a fool of yourself and embarrassing me and the Director.”

With the battle between Dajue Temple and the Nine Towns imminent, Wuyuan was the closest location. It wasn’t hard to guess that Xia Hong would want to be stationed there just in case.

Shi Ping was stunned for a moment, then his expression grew even more solemn. He nodded and said, “I understand, Brother-in-law. I’ll do a good job.”

He knew that his appointment to Wuyuan was definitely Xia Chuan’s decision, and as the Prefect of the Garrison Department, Yuan Cheng had naturally played a part in issuing the transfer orders. If he really caused any problems after taking office, both of them would surely be held responsible.

“I must do a good job. I can’t let the Director and Brother-in-law down!”

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, the ninth day of the tenth month.

“Hgh… Hgh… Argh…”

Hexia Village, in a wooden house near the Main Building.

Xiang Liang sat in a wooden basin, letting out suppressed, agonizing roars. As Bai Shanqiu, who stood beside him, continuously poured Beast Blood over his body, his roars grew more pained, and the hide all over his body was constantly tearing and reforging.

Bai Shanqiu watched the blue veins bulge all over Xiang Liang’s body, not a single muscle not trembling and twitching. He said nothing, but his eyes were filled with shock. Several times, he wanted to stop.

“Isn’t that enough? Why are you pushing yourself so hard, you rascal? That’s already five catty.”

Hearing Bai Shanqiu’s words, Xiang Liang forced his eyes open and stammered, “Con… tinue… continue… I must… break through… tonight… argh…”

Bai Shanqiu hesitated for a moment, then scooped up another ladle of Beast Blood and poured it straight on him.

Tssss…

The hide all over Xiang Liang’s body was cracking and smoking. The rate of reforging could no longer keep up with the rate of destruction; he had clearly surpassed his limit.

But he was still clenching his teeth and persevering. Fearing he wouldn’t make it, he took a piece of iron he had prepared earlier and bit down on it.

“This is the last ladle. If you can endure this, you should make it!”

Bai Shanqiu was already terrified, but seeing the determination in Xiang Liang’s eyes, he still poured the last ladle of Beast Blood directly onto him.

“Hnngh…”

The Ten-forged iron block in Xiang Liang’s mouth was half bitten through. He could only roar from his throat, having clearly reached some critical point. He slammed both fists into the bottom of the wooden basin.

Bang!

The wooden basin shattered instantly. The powerful shockwave forced Bai Shanqiu back a meter or two. Once all the force was spent, Xiang Liang’s body went limp, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Bai Shanqiu rushed forward in a single step and caught him. Seeing the bloody mist seeping from the pores of his skin and his hide regenerating at a rate several times faster than before, the worry on his face instantly turned to joy.

“Good lad, you actually did it! This is the first time I’ve witnessed the birth of a superior combat physique. You, my boy, have a boundless future ahead of you!”

Xiang Liang had already fainted, so he couldn’t hear these words.

Bai Shanqiu looked at Xiang Liang’s closed eyes, his face full of astonishment.

Xiang Liang’s aptitude was good. Not just him, but Xu Ning was also aware of this; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been chosen from among so many in Wuyuan to go undercover in Hexia Village with him.

But for it to be this good was far beyond his expectations.

“When he came over at the beginning of the year, his base strength was only just over 80,000 catty. I thought at most he’d have a slightly better medium combat physique. But this kid actually suppressed his breakthrough for more than half a year, stubbornly raising it to over 103,000 catty before breaking through.”

During the hide reforging stage, raising one’s base strength to 100,000 catty meant achieving a superior combat physique, granting the strength of the Second Mane right upon breakthrough. Bai Shanqiu was an old-timer in Great Xia; he knew very well that there were definitely not many people in Great Xia with superior battle physique aptitude.

The ones he knew who possessed a superior combat physique, like Xu Ning, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Yue Feng, Lu Yang… which one of them wasn’t a major figure in the settlement?

Although Bai Shanqiu had a Frostwarden realm cultivation, he did not have battle physique aptitude. When he broke through, his strength was just over the First Mane. Now, at the mid-Frostwarden realm, his strength was only a little over the Third Mane.

And Xiang Liang, upon breaking through, already had the strength of over the Second Mane.

At this thought, a trace of envy inevitably appeared in Bai Shanqiu’s eyes, but it quickly turned into a smile. He whispered, “Playing grandfather and grandson with this kid was fate. There’s a bond between us now. This kid knows how to repay kindness; I’m sure I’ll get some benefits out of this in the future, hehe…”

Bai Shanqiu chuckled, cleaned Xiang Liang up, changed his clothes, then laid him on the bed and stood watch.

More than two hours later, Xiang Liang finally woke up.

“Thank you, Old Bai!”

Seeing how clean he was and that his clothes had been changed, Xiang Liang cupped his hands and bowed to Bai Shanqiu before even checking his physical condition.

Bai Shanqiu waved his hand and smiled. “It’s nothing. Go on, see what your strength is like after the breakthrough!”

Xiang Liang nodded, his face lighting up with excitement. He clenched his fists, sensing the current state of his hide and the increase in his base strength.

A moment later, his face was full of joy.

“2.2 Mane! That’s 14,000 catty more than I expected. This is great!”

“Strength doesn’t exactly double without any margin of error after a breakthrough. There’s usually a small overflow. But an overflow of 14,000 catty like yours is quite rare. You’re amazing, kid!”

Bai Shanqiu spoke from experience, not forgetting to praise him. Then, remembering something, he continued, “Why were you in such a rush to break through? We don’t have to really fight for Dajue Temple. We’re just going to blend in, mainly to gather information.”

Xiang Liang nodded at first, then shook his head. “What you say is right, Old Bai. Of course, we won’t be fighting for Dajue Temple; our main goal is to gather intelligence. But swords have no eyes on the battlefield. I can’t be too weak. What if something happens and I end up being a burden to you…”

At this point, Xiang Liang paused, his expression gradually growing serious, and continued:

“Besides, the fire at Qinghe Village happened on the 28th. Dajue Temple waited four days to issue the Buddhist Edict summoning the forces of the three villages and eighteen families, and the assembly date is set as late as the 15th. To spend so much time preparing, I have a feeling this battle won’t be that simple. Being stronger will help us be prepared for anything.”

Bai Shanqiu’s expression tightened slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head. “I didn’t consider things as thoroughly as you. To think I’m so much older than you…”

“You flatter me, Old Bai. I come from a humble background, so I naturally think more.”

Bai Shanqiu waved his hand dismissively. “We’re all people of Great Xia. What’s this about humble or not? What you said makes sense, and I will naturally listen. Thinking about it now, Dajue Temple is indeed taking this battle very seriously. If that’s the case, we need to report this news back immediately. I’ll be conscripted for this as well, so we’ll have to ask Lord Xu to set up a new contact method. Otherwise, when the war starts, we’ll both be in the army with no chance to send messages.”

Xiang Liang nodded. “Perfect. Once the war breaks out, many of the forces here in Hexia Village will be drawn away, leaving it much emptier. It would be best to have Xiacheng send a few more spies to infiltrate.”

The two discussed for a while longer and quickly drafted a letter, waiting only for dawn, when the village was empty, for Bai Shanqiu to sneak out and deliver it.

The seventh year of Great Xia, the sixth day of the tenth month.

“Go, Daddy, go! Beat that big red fish.”

“Mother, Mother, look! Daddy is so amazing! He knocked that big fish monster down again! So amazing.”

On the north bank of the Xing River, in a snowy forest about two kilometers away.

At the top of a large tree, Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng were being held by their mother, Li Xuanling, one on her left and one on her right. Both were pointing towards the riverbank to the south, cheering and dancing with joy, constantly urging their mother to look.

Unlike her two gleefully dancing children, Li Xuanling watched the southern riverbank with a clear hint of worry in her eyes.

Behind the mother and children stood six burly figures: Meng Ying, Cheng Guang, Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, Yue Qian, and Song Kang. Their eyes were also fixed on the sky above the southern riverbank, their faces filled with shock.

“That red carp anomaly the Lord mentioned is this terrifying?”

“It breathes ice, creates wind with a twist of its body, and can freely manipulate water and fly through the air. This is no ordinary Beast King, is it?”

“No wonder the old folk used to say the waters are the most dangerous places. This red carp anomaly alone… I’m afraid no one in Great Xia except the Lord could defeat it.”

“Definitely. Just that ice breath attack—look over there, a whole kilometer of the riverbank is frozen solid. A normal Frostwarden realm expert definitely couldn’t withstand that!”

“Screee…”

On the southern riverbank, a giant red carp nearly two hundred meters long was hovering above the water’s surface. Facing a crimson ball of fire before it, it opened its massive maw and let out a piercing cry like a bird’s shriek.

Its entire body was covered in crimson scales, each half a meter long, like a complete set of crimson armor. Its mouth was filled with dense, sharp, white teeth, and a cold mist constantly spewed from its throat. Its gills resembled two hundred-meter-long golden tassels, fluttering on either side of its body.

Incredibly, its enormous two-hundred-meter-long body was floating completely above the water.

But a closer look would reveal a thin layer of water mist beneath it, seemingly holding it up.

The ice on the river below it had completely shattered. The river water, flowing slowly eastward, was pitch-black, revealing nothing beneath the surface.

“Screee…”

The red carp anomaly shrieked sharply again, its black-and-white pupils filled with fury as it stared fixedly at the crimson fireball before it.

“Water-based Frost Beasts are much more intelligent than land-based ones! It’s still threatening me to retreat even after all this. Interesting…”

The crimson fireball was, naturally, Xia Hong at his full power.

A violent layer of flames erupted from his body. Under the fire’s glow, the blood-colored saber in his right hand shone with the brilliant luster of glazed pottery—dazzling, yet exuding an extremely bloodthirsty and demonic aura.

Detecting the threat in the red carp anomaly’s cry, Xia Hong showed a thoughtful expression, then tightened his grip on the Cold Blood Saber in his right hand, his killing intent undisguised as he looked at the creature.

“Its strength is probably above nine Jun, but the cold mist from its throat poses a certain threat to me. Plus, in aquatic combat, it clearly has a home-field advantage and is far more agile than me…”

Xia Hong had already been fighting this red carp anomaly for over ten minutes, so he had a certain understanding of its strength and abilities.

At this point, he paused, a cold glint in his eyes:

“But this alone is not enough to make up for the power gap between us!”

Holding the reforged Cold Blood Saber, he suddenly dove forward, slashing horizontally at the red carp anomaly’s forehead.

Swish…

Seeing that its threat had failed, the red carp anomaly’s vicious nature was fully revealed. The cold mist in its throat suddenly condensed, forming a white arrow that shot towards Xia Hong.

At the same time, the golden gills on its face swayed gently. The river water below it began to flow at a frantic pace, gathering in an instant and bursting through the ice, forming a wave of cold mist dozens of meters high that rushed towards Xia Hong.

Boom…

Xia Hong’s body shuddered violently. The flames that had been circling him suddenly expanded fiercely. The temperature within a one-kilometer radius rose instantly, actually evaporating more than half of the massive wave of cold mist.

Clang!

At the same time, Xia Hong swung his saber, cleaving the white arrow spat by the red carp anomaly. He continued flying forward, soon closing to within twenty meters of the creature.

After being deflected, the white arrow embedded itself in the riverbank, instantly freezing the surrounding hundred-meter area. Even the snow and mist in the air were not spared, quickly condensing into icicles that fell to the ground.

Screee…

Its massive wave evaporated and its white arrow deflected, the red carp anomaly remained defiant. Its golden gills whipped fiercely, and an even larger wave gathered once more, rolling in from behind it and crashing towards Xia Hong again.

“Finally putting up a bit of a fight. Let’s see just how capable you are. It’s not so simple to occupy such a large body of water!”

Seeing that the giant wave behind the red carp anomaly was now over a hundred meters high, almost covering its entire body, Xia Hong felt its terrifying power. His gaze narrowed slightly. Though he didn’t stop his dive, his grip on his saber tightened considerably.

Whoosh…

The instant the giant wave struck, Xia Hong switched to a two-handed grip on his saber. He brought it down fiercely on the red carp anomaly’s head. Behind him, the thousand-zhang skeletal phantom materialized once more, mirroring his exact posture. In the phantom’s hands was a blood-colored saber hundreds of zhang long, as if proportionally enlarged.

BOOM…

As the long saber came down, an intense, scorching heat spread rapidly with the blade’s descent, clashing violently with the icy wave raised by the red carp anomaly. In the instant of alternating hot and cold, a vast white vapor cloud formed, instantly enveloping the riverbank area for three or four kilometers around.

Crack…

“It hit!”

Xia Hong burst through the white mist. Feeling his saber strike its target, his pupils flashed with excitement. He instantly moved forward, attempting to press his advantage.

But as he charged, he only collided with a slippery golden gill. He raised his hand and gripped the thirty-meter-long gill. Looking back at the river’s surface, the red carp anomaly was nowhere to be seen.

“It just ran off like that!”

Xia Hong looked down at the pitch-black water below, his brow furrowing. He immediately gave up the idea of diving in to pursue it.

“Not only a huge home-field advantage and much higher intelligence, but also such powerful control over water. It seems water-based Frost Beasts are much trickier than land-based ones. I just don’t know what their population density is like.”

Xia Hong looked down at the shattered ice below, his expression shifting.

The red carp anomaly had been driven away. Now he could explore the underwater species in peace.

“Jiangxia Town’s Dragon Carp Pills and Bashang’s Green Cod Pills must have come from aquatic species. With such a large body of water, Great Xia should have both of these pills very soon. And…”

Xia Hong turned his head and looked at the precious, unknown aquatic plants along the bank, his face full of smiles.

In the sixth month of the second year of Great Xia, when he first came to this bank, he had seen these precious aquatic plants. When the red carp anomaly chased him away, he had hastily pulled up only five of the same Plant, which were later identified as Green Hibiscus Grass.

Xia Hong still remembered the description of Green Hibiscus Grass: A Beast Spirit Herb that can help beasts develop intelligence and increase their strength. It can also be used in human alchemy. No synthesis formula currently exists.

From this description alone, one could tell that Green Hibiscus Grass was extremely valuable. Plants that could grow alongside such a precious spirit herb would naturally be extraordinary as well.

“The character ‘Xing’ in the river’s name finally feels appropriate today!”

Xia Hong turned to look at the countless varieties of precious spirit plants along the bank, his eyes filled with joy.

Just then, Li Xuanling arrived with their two children.

“Daddy chased the big fish monster away! So amazing!”

“I knew Daddy would chase it away.”

Hearing his children’s cheers, Xia Hong’s face was all smiles. He turned to see the two little ones running towards him and went to meet them.

Chapter 365: Hostages and Disciples, Beishuo’s Intentions, Dajue Temple Makes Its Move

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, October 15th, Daytime.

At the Eastern Ridge outpost, in a wooden house a hundred meters from the Main Building.

Zhu Baixu, Bai Wuji, Wan Qingyu, Nie Shen, and Yang He were gathered around a coal stove with their Eldest Disciple-Brother, Lu Yun. They weren’t alone; thirteen other youths of about fourteen or fifteen years old were also in the room, huddled around two other stoves.

The group of adolescents, naturally at their most boisterous age and clearly having just been through a major event, all bore minor injuries. Unsurprisingly, they showed no signs of sleepiness in broad daylight and were clustered together, excitedly discussing something.

“Tonight’s hunt was a thrill! I’ve never hunted in Beining Mountain on my own before. Every other time, a huge group of people followed me. Only after fighting a Frost Beast one-on-one did I realize they were just coddling me before. With my base strength of fifteen thousand catties, I almost couldn’t even defeat a low-grade Frost Beast.”

“Same here. When I left the camp last night, I saw Hunt Master Zhao leading a group behind us. I thought it would be just like the hunts back at my camp, where they’d step in immediately if anything went wrong. But when that Demonic Sheep sent me flying more than ten meters and I coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, I saw they didn’t move an inch. That’s when I knew this was for real.”

“It’s a shame our strength is a bit lacking. We only managed to kill a few low-grade Frost Beasts. Eldest Disciple-Brother and his team are the truly formidable ones. The six of them working together nearly took down that mid-grade Wusha Eagle.”

“It can’t be helped. That Wusha Eagle’s aerial prowess is just too strong. Even though Eldest Disciple-Brother and the others are stronger than us, they’re still only at the Earthforger realm. It’s too difficult for them to hunt a mid-grade Frost Beast.”

“Luo An and his group of five are amazing, though! They set a trap with iron chains and not only managed to kill that Wusha Eagle, but they also took down four low-grade Chiluan birds. All five were flying Frost Beasts. What a massive haul.”

“No wonder the five of them can come and go from the Main Building as they please. They’re not just powerful; their talent is far beyond ours.”

…

As they talked, their gazes frequently shifted to Lu Yun’s group in the center.

They were unaware that when they mentioned Luo An’s group of five, expressions of shock and envy also appeared on the faces of Lu Yun and the others.

“Eldest Disciple-Brother, Luo An, Zou Ping, and the other three—they’re all from Master’s old camp, right?”

Zhu Baixu suddenly asked Lu Yun in a low voice.

As he spoke, Bai Wuji, Wan Qingyu, Nie Shen, and Yang He all turned to look, their faces filled with curiosity.

Lu Yun didn’t answer directly. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked Zhu Baixu, “Why do you say that? What made you think so?”

Zhu Baixu lowered his head and thought for a moment before replying, “Zhao Yuanshan aside—she’s Hunt Master Zhao’s niece, after all—I can tell that the hunting habits of those five are very similar to Master’s and Hunt Master Zhao’s. The martial arts techniques they use when fighting Frost Beasts are also from the same school. Plus, they’re the only five in the entire camp who can freely enter and exit the Main Building. If they weren’t from Master’s old camp, I really can’t think of any other reason.”

“I agree with Senior Brother Zhu’s assessment. It’s the only logical explanation.”

“I’ve already asked some others at the outpost. They just arrived at Eastern Ridge on the tenth of last month. They must be from Master’s old camp.”

…

After Zhu Baixu spoke, Bai Wuji, Wan Qingyu, Nie Shen, and Yang He all chimed in with quiet agreement, clearly sharing his thoughts.

Seeing that the five of them had been at Eastern Ridge for nearly a month, Lu Yun didn’t say anything more. He simply gave a slight nod, confirming their suspicions.

“So it’s true!”

Zhu Baixu had matured considerably compared to a month ago. Seeing Lu Yun’s nod confirm his guess, he nodded slightly, a gleam in his eyes as he asked, “Eldest Disciple-Brother, was Master’s old camp incredibly powerful? I’ve noticed that Master, Hunt Master Zhao, and their people never consider themselves people of Beishuo. Ten days ago, when Inspector He came, they didn’t treat him with any courtesy. They didn’t even let him into the Main Building, just sent him away with a few simple words. I’ve lived in Beining Mountain for so long, and I’ve never seen any camp dare to do that!”

Hearing this, Bai Wuji and the other three nodded in agreement. They happened to be present when He Wuyang came to Eastern Ridge to see their master, Lu Yang, ten days ago.

They didn’t even need that example. A month ago, on the night of the martial tournament at Zhuling Camp, the scene of Lu Yang furiously rebuking He Wuyang in front of everyone from the eight families of Beining Mountain was proof enough that Zhu Baixu’s words were not mere speculation.

Adding that to what they had seen and heard during their month at Eastern Ridge, the five of them had become intensely curious about the strength of their master Lu Yang’s former camp.

Eastern Ridge had only arrived in Beining Mountain four years ago, yet in that short time, it had become the head of the eight families. The other seven families were already curious about the origins of Lu Yang and his powerful group. As the sons of Leaders, Zhu Baixu and the others naturally knew some of the inside story.

After living here for over a month, their understanding of Eastern Ridge deepened. While marveling at its strength, their curiosity about Master Lu Yang’s former camp grew, and they became desperate to find out more.

“I’ve discovered that almost everyone in Eastern Ridge who can freely enter the Main Building is at the Earthforger limit. On the night of the Zhuling tournament, counting Master and the three lords including Hunt Master Zhao, Eastern Ridge revealed a total of sixty-two Frostwarden realm experts. I thought that was the full extent of Eastern Ridge’s strength. But over the past month, I’ve seen at least twenty new Frostwarden realm faces here, none of whom were present that night at Zhuling. How can Eastern Ridge be so powerful? The place where Master used to live… could it have been a town-level encampment?”

Zhu Baixu didn’t beat around the bush, directly voicing his observations from the past month and even stating his suspicions. It was clear he already trusted his Eldest Disciple-Brother Lu Yun completely.

Forget seventy or eighty; even if Eastern Ridge had a hundred Frostwarden realm experts, that shouldn’t normally lead one to think of a town-level encampment. After all, which of the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao didn’t have several thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators?

The key issue was that they could all see that Master Lu Yang and his people’s attitude toward Beishuo Town was markedly different from that of the Beining Mountain natives.

It wasn’t just the act of rebuking Inspector He Wuyang. In their daily conversations, whenever Beishuo Town was mentioned, Master Lu Yang, Hunt Master Zhao Hu, and the others showed not a hint of subservience and would even occasionally speak disrespectfully of it. To Zhu Baixu and the others, this was simply incredible.

They could find no other reasonable explanation except that Master Lu Yang and his people also came from a town-level encampment.

Lu Yun didn’t answer Zhu Baixu’s question. Instead, he first glanced around at the eighteen youths in the room and said in a low voice, “There are nineteen of us here, all disciples under our Master. As your Eldest Disciple-Brother, I won’t hide it from you. I can’t be sure if Master came from a town-level encampment, but I am certain that the camp he was once part of, even if it wasn’t as strong as Beishuo, couldn’t have been far behind.”

Receiving this direct confirmation from their Eldest Disciple-Brother, the expressions of the youths in the room jolted, and their faces began to shift rapidly.

Lu Yun continued, “You’ve seen the situation at Eastern Ridge. And over this past month, the Spirit Pills, fine liquor, and salt that Master has gifted you, not to mention the martial arts and cultivation techniques he’s taught us—have you ever seen such things before? Those things might not even be available in Beishuo City, right?”

It was an interesting dynamic. Of the nineteen youths in the room, Lu Yun likely had the humblest origins. Zhu Baixu and the other four were sons of Leaders, and the remaining thirteen were also descendants of Frostwarden realm experts. Given their backgrounds, they had naturally encountered many fine things, including some miraculous pills their elders had brought back from Beishuo Town.

But they had to admit, the various items their Master Lu Yang had casually bestowed upon them during their lessons over the past month were indeed no worse than what could be found in Beishuo, and some things might not even exist in Beishuo Town at all.

Seeing his junior disciple-brothers fall into deep thought, Lu Yun struck while the iron was hot. “Junior Brothers, I know that when you came to Eastern Ridge, most of you thought you were coming here as hostages. But over this past month, you’ve all witnessed how Master has treated you.”

He paused slightly before continuing, “I won’t say he’s held nothing back, but he has at least been training you as his own true disciples. I’ll be honest with you: I’ve been under Master’s tutelage for over two years, and it was only last year that I received the kind of treatment you have now. Putting everything else aside, take the refined salt, Beast Spirit Pills, Blood Sore Pills, and aged liquor—right now, in the entire Eastern Ridge camp, besides the five hundred-plus people in the Main Building, the number of others qualified to redeem these items from the Logistics Division is less than a hundred. And all nineteen of us are among them.”

The youths weren’t yet fully mature, and what Lu Yun said was largely true. Moreover, over the past month, Lu Yang had not treated them like hostages but had genuinely fulfilled his duties as a master. Hearing this, all of them were visibly moved.

Seeing the change in their expressions, Lu Yun knew his words were having an effect. He stood up and declared to the group, “Junior Brothers, although I am your Eldest Disciple-Brother, I am also a person of Eastern Ridge. Most of you were present for the details of the Zhuling tournament a month ago and know more than I do. You should have a clear idea in your hearts of who was right and who was wrong.

“I admit, Master having you all come to Eastern Ridge as his disciples certainly involves the intent of using you to pressure the various camps of Beining Mountain. But ask yourselves this: if the camps of Beining Mountain stop targeting Eastern Ridge in the future and can coexist peacefully, what use would Master have for you as hostages?

“In the past month, you have met with your families twice already. Have you heard Master order your five camps to do a single thing?

“Your coming here not only absolved your five families of so many debts, but Master has also funded your cultivation and treated you sincerely as his disciples. If you still harbor resentment and are unwilling to truly accept him as your Master, I think…”

“Eldest Disciple-Brother, you don’t need to say any more. I know full well how Master has treated me this past month. A teacher for a day is a teacher for a lifetime. From this day forward, I will no longer see myself as a hostage.”

Bai Wuji cut Lu Yun off, his voice filled with conviction. Half a month ago, Lu Yang had personally taught him a set of saber techniques and even spent a whole day training with him in the snowy forest. The memory was still fresh in his mind.

“Me too. Since Master treats me with sincerity, I will repay him with sincerity. I may be young, but I can still tell the difference between genuine and false intentions.”

“If nothing else, my strength has increased by over nine hundred catties this month, which is even faster than when I was training at my own camp. Not to mention the improvement in my skills. Master is more dedicated to my cultivation than my own father. He doesn’t see me as a hostage at all.”

…

Hearing Bai Wuji, Wan Qingyu, Nie Shen, Yang He, and the others speak up one after another, a satisfied look appeared in Lu Yun’s eyes. When their voices died down, he nodded solemnly and said, “I was not mistaken. My junior disciple-brothers are all reasonable people.”

At this, his tone shifted slightly as he lowered his voice. “To be honest with you, Junior Brothers, I estimate that more than just these five hundred people escaped from Master’s original camp. It’s not just Junior Brother Zhu; over the past few years, I’ve seen at least a hundred unfamiliar Frostwarden realm faces myself.”

“A hundred!”

“So many?”

…

Zhu Baixu and the others gasped, their eyes wide with astonishment.

Unlike them, who had only been here for a month, Lu Yun had lived in Eastern Ridge for a long time. Coupled with the rapport built over the past month, Lu Yun already held great authority among them. His words were undoubtedly more convincing, so the youths believed him instantly.

A hundred new Frostwarden realm faces, plus the hundred Eastern Ridge already had, meant a total of over two hundred Frostwarden realm experts. And this was just a fraction of the people who had escaped after the disaster that befell Lu Yang’s original camp.

Just how powerful was Lu Yang’s original camp?

“Junior Brothers, having been here for over a month, you should be able to see that Master, Hunt Master Zhao, and the others don’t really care about most of the people at Eastern Ridge. It’s clear they aren’t making long-term plans here. I expect that their group will leave Beishuo sooner or later to go back and rebuild their home. Don’t you all want to go with them and see for yourselves just how powerful Master’s original camp truly was?”

Zhu Baixu, Bai Wuji, Wan Qingyu, Nie Shen, Yang He, and the other eighteen youths exchanged glances, their expressions filled with excitement at the thought.

Whoosh…

A cold gust of wind swept across the roof. The youths inside paid it no mind, continuing to imagine the immense power of their master Lu Yang’s former camp.

…

“To get this bunch of kids so obedient in just a month… What do you think, Lord Wang? My eldest disciple has some skill, doesn’t he?”

On the way from the wooden house to the Main Building, Lu Yang, who had just leaped down from the roof, couldn’t help but boast a little to Wang Tao beside him.

Wang Tao smiled at his words. “He appealed to their emotions and reasoned with them, guiding them patiently. Lu Yun is certainly capable, but the key is that you, my lord, have invested a great deal of effort in these eighteen youths. People have hearts of flesh and blood. You genuinely treat them as your disciples, so they can naturally feel it. That is the core reason for their change of heart.”

Thinking back on his actions over the past month, Lu Yang nodded gently and said softly, “It’s not bad to take on some disciples for real. These youths are, at worst, a bit naive and arrogant due to their upbringing. At their core, their characters aren’t bad. With a little effort, it won’t be difficult to nurture them into capable individuals.”

He paused, a hint of confusion on his face. “However, Lord Wang, do you really think that by cultivating a bond with these hostages, we can influence the five camps of Zhuling? Won’t we still have to send people to infiltrate them in the end?”

Wang Tao smiled. “Sending people to infiltrate is one approach, and cultivating the hostages is another. We must do both. Others aside, the five, Zhu Baixu and his group, are the most outstanding heirs of their respective Leaders. It may be too early for them to inherit their camps, but their status is special, and they have many supporters in their own camps. Once those five change their perspective on Eastern Ridge, the impact will be enormous.

“My Lord Lu, don’t forget, back then, the former leader of my Longshan, Li Tianhua, used this very method of raising hostages to keep all eleven families of Longyou firmly in his grasp for decades.”

Hearing this, Lu Yang nodded slightly, clearly beginning to understand.

A thought occurred to Wang Tao, and a glint flashed in his eyes as he continued, “Moreover, according to recent messages from Xiacheng, our Great Xia will most likely engage the Nine Towns on the north bank of the Xing River first. If so, it will likely be a long time before our Eastern Ridge can play its part. Since time permits, our infiltration must naturally be more thorough and clandestine. What could be more thorough and clandestine than winning over and controlling the next generation of these camps’ leaders?

“According to He Wuyang, all five Zhuling camps have Beishuo secret agents. If we rashly send our people to infiltrate them and are discovered by Beishuo, the consequences would be dire. Rather than take such a huge risk, it’s better to proceed slowly and deliberately.”

“Lord Wang, your considerations are far more thorough. This Lu has learned a great deal!”

As they spoke, the two had already entered the main hall of the Main Building. Lu Yang didn’t put on any airs. After some serious thought, he realized the other man’s vision and thinking were indeed more meticulous than his own and immediately cupped his fist in a bow of thanks.

“Lord Lu is too kind!”

Wang Tao, a man in his fifties, looked slightly flustered as Lu Yang bowed to him and hurriedly returned the gesture.

He was the Provost of the Eastern Ridge Judicial Division. Although nominally on the same level as Lu Yang, the position of Prefect held significantly more real power, especially at a critical outpost like Eastern Ridge. Even setting aside their positions, given Lu Yang’s seniority and status in Great Xia, for him to perform such a formal bow was truly rare.

Lu Yang didn’t dwell on such thoughts. After taking the main seat, he picked up a golden Beishuo Town Decree from the table, his eyes glinting. “The infiltration of Beining Mountain can be done slowly, but this Beishuo Town Decree cannot wait. The Director sent a message back saying that Beishuo’s purpose in drafting personnel from the villages this time is to reinforce Jiangxia Town in its war against Dajue Temple. Half of the Frostwarden realm and thirty percent of the Earthforger realm experts—drafting so many people seems quite harsh to us. But the Director says that Beishuo Town still has no intention of genuinely helping Jiangxia Town…”

“That’s understandable. Within Beishuo’s territory, there are seven jurisdictions with over fifty village-level camps in total. Taking the situation in Beining Mountain as an example, half of the Frostwarden realm experts from each family would mean at least five to eight people. As for thirty percent of the Earthforger realm experts, stronger village-level camps have over a thousand, while weaker ones probably have three to five hundred. By that calculation, the fifty-plus camps can muster a total of three to four hundred Frostwarden realm experts and fifteen to twenty thousand Earthforger realm experts.

“Compared to Beishuo Town itself, what does that amount of strength even count for?”

Three to four hundred Frostwarden realm, fifteen to twenty thousand Earthforger realm.

Hearing these numbers, Lu Yang shook his head, instantly understanding what Xia Chuan meant when he said Beishuo had no intention of genuinely helping Jiangxia Town.

Not only was Beishuo not sending a single one of its main armies, but it wasn’t even willing to dispatch Frostwarden realm experts from the town itself. It was just squeezing the village-level camps below it, clearly just going through the motions.

“Not necessarily!”

Lu Yang suddenly shook his head again. “If the other seven towns can also contribute this many people, then the situation would be completely different.”

Two to three thousand Frostwarden realm experts and over a hundred thousand Earthforger realm experts—that was a different concept entirely. If the other eight towns were willing to send that many people to reinforce Jiangxia, it would be a reasonably acceptable effort.

Wang Tao nodded at his words, his brow furrowing slightly. “Unfortunately, we are too far from the other seven towns and can’t gather any information. Rushing to the town to investigate would risk attracting attention. It’s not an easy situation.”

“It’s not that difficult. Didn’t the Director send over thirty people a few days ago to disperse and lie low in the other eight towns? They have communication channels with each other and will report back as soon as there’s news. Besides, our contingent is heading to the town after nightfall tonight. Once we reach Jiangxia, all will be revealed.”

Wang Tao’s eyes lit up slightly as he asked, “My lord, how many people are you taking to the town this time?”

Lu Yang smiled. “The Town Decree is very clear: half of the Frostwarden realm, thirty percent of the Earthforger realm. Of course, we’ll follow its instructions. We revealed our hand at the Zhuling tournament last time, and He Wuyang certainly couldn’t have kept it a secret. So, I will lead thirty-one Frostwarden realm experts and four hundred and fifty Earthforger realm experts.”

“Are the men already chosen?”

Lu Yang nodded. “I’ve already spoken with Zhao Hu. He will remain to guard the camp this time. You, Zhu Shun, and Lin Fan will come with me. We’ll pick a group of Frostwarden experts from our own four hunting teams to make up the thirty-one. As for the remaining four hundred and fifty Earthforger realm experts, they will all be Bai Song’s people. We won’t be taking our own men.”

Wang Tao nodded, a look of delight on his face.

This trip from Beishuo to Jiangxia was an opportunity to get a comprehensive view of the Nine Towns and gather more intelligence on Dajue Temple. There would be ample chances to earn merits. Being able to go with Lu Yang was naturally for the best.

“We leave after nightfall. We are over two hundred kilometers from the town. Although the Town Decree says we don’t need to bring any supplies, I estimate it will take at least two nights to get there, meaning we’ll arrive at the town on the night of the sixteenth.

“Once everyone has gathered at the town, we’ll set off for Jiangxia. It’s over eight hundred kilometers, and with so many people, it will take at least seven or eight days. I estimate the earliest we can reach Jiangxia is the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth.

“But the message from Xiacheng said that the assembly date Dajue Temple set for the three villages and eighteen families of Qinghepu is tonight…”

Lu Yang pondered for a moment, calculated the dates, and then shook his head with a low chuckle, becoming even more convinced of Xia Chuan’s speculation.

The situation in the other seven towns was still unclear, but it was basically certain that Beishuo had no intention of helping seriously.

As reinforcements, they should arrive as quickly as possible. Who deliberately dawdles like this when going to support others?

“It is just as the Director said. These Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao each have their own ulterior motives. But for our Great Xia, this is a welcome development. If they were truly united as one, that is when we should really be worried!”

Lu Yang mused to himself for a moment, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

…

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, October 17th, Late Night.

North bank of the Xing River, Jinbi Village.

“Not hunting today?”

“The day after tomorrow.”

A dark figure suddenly sped out of the snowy forest to the west. With an extremely tense expression, the man reached the village entrance and quickly exchanged a secret code with the guards before rushing directly toward the Main Building inside the village.

Night was the prime time for humans to hunt and gather, and it should have been the liveliest period. Yet, Jinbi Village was empty. Except for a few houses near the Main Building from which firelight emanated, the rest of the area was pitch-black and silent, clearly deserted.

The man returning from outside the village showed no surprise, obviously aware of the situation. He dashed straight into the Main Building and quickly ascended to the top floor. Seeing Xiahou Qin on the main seat, he immediately bowed.

“Lord Xiahou, the people of Qinghe Village are on the move. Twenty thousand fully armed Earthforger realm warriors, along with about three hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts, have already left Qinghe Village and are now marching east toward Jinbi Village. They aren’t moving too fast, covering only seven or eight kilometers an hour. They are expected to arrive before dawn.”

Thump…

“So soon!”

Xiahou Qin, who had been on the main seat, shot to his feet, his face filled with shock. He then asked in a grim voice, “Three hundred Frostwarden realm, twenty thousand Earthforger realm… What about the monastery monks?”

The man’s expression turned grave as he shook his head and replied, “I didn’t see them. I only saw a massive army of Earthforger realm warriors heading this way. I did not spot any gray-robed monks from Dajue Temple along the route.”

“What about the Vajra…”

Xiahou Qin stopped mid-sentence. If the Vajra Master had set out with the army, the scout before him would never have made it back alive.

“They think they can attack us directly with just three hundred-plus Frostwarden experts and twenty thousand Earthforger warriors?”

Xiahou Qin’s brow furrowed in confusion, but then he recalled the miserable state of his uncle, Xiahou Zhang, and the strength of Dajue Temple’s more than five thousand monastery monks. His expression immediately grew solemn.

“Go and notify everyone. Something’s not right. Be prepared to withdraw at any moment!”

“Haven’t the people already been withdrawn? The village is now all Earthforger…”

The scout paused, stunned, but quickly understood Xiahou Qin’s meaning and nodded heavily. “This subordinate will go and inform them at once.”

Chapter 366: Melting Fire Pills and the Shurangama Divine Mantra, the Great War Begins

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, October 17th

North Bank of the Xing River, Jinbi Village

As cold energy continuously assailed the shore from the river, the temperature here was undoubtedly lower than in other areas, making it theoretically less suitable for a human settlement.

The fact that tens of thousands of people from Jinbi Village could put down roots here had much to do with its name.

Three kilometers directly north of the village was the southern cliff face of Double Dragon Mountain. In the middle of that cliff, an area roughly nine hundred meters high and three hundred meters wide was pure gold in color. At night, it looked unremarkable, but in the daytime, as soon as the cold light shone upon it, it would burst forth with a radiant golden glow—a truly spectacular sight.

This was the origin of the name “Jinbi,” or “Golden Cliff.”

Jinbi Village was Jiangxia territory. Such a mystical and wondrous golden cliff had naturally attracted the attention of Jiangxia’s high command long ago, who all assumed it was some kind of priceless treasure.

But after years of effort and more than a dozen investigative teams, they all came up empty-handed. In the end, they could only attribute this marvel to the uncanny workmanship of the Ice Abyss and set the matter aside.

At this moment, the sky was just beginning to lighten. The land was still mostly shrouded in darkness, but the cold light slowly descending from the heavens had already touched the peak of Double Dragon Mountain. As the illuminated area gradually moved downward, the cliff face three kilometers to the north began to emit its golden light, becoming brilliant, dazzling, and radiant.

To the west of Jinbi Village, twenty giant black tents made of beast hide had been quietly erected in the snowy forest at some unknown time. The tents were dome-shaped, each supported by dozens of iron poles, with a diameter of one hundred meters and a height of about ten meters at the center. Their internal space was astonishingly large.

These black tents offered excellent insulation and blocked out light completely. Although the sounds of many people talking could be heard from within, and thick smoke constantly billowed from the smoke vents on top—a clear sign of bonfires inside—anyone standing outside was unable to see even a glimpse of the interior through the tarps.

Outside the easternmost tent, a bald monk in moon-white robes, holding a crimson monk’s staff, was gazing northward at the golden cliff. His face was calm, his expression serene, his thoughts unknown.

Behind him stood twenty other bald, white-robed monks dressed similarly, though instead of staffs, they carried various types of weapons.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in from the east, interrupting the lead monk’s contemplation. He quickly shifted his gaze from the cliff and turned to face the newcomer.

The person who arrived was a gray-robed unordained monk. A hint of joy was on his face. While still a dozen meters away, he clasped his hands together, first bowing to the monk with the staff before speaking.

“Reporting to Chief Monk Yan Xin, the Lumberjack realm practitioners and commoners in Jinbi Village have indeed all withdrawn. Only Earthforger and Frostwarden realm individuals remain. The total number should be just over thirty thousand, with eight-tenths of them being Earthforgers.”

“Hahaha, brilliant, senior disciple-brother Chief Monk! This junior disciple-brother is full of admiration!”

As he finished speaking, the twenty white-robed monks all broke into smiles for some reason. One of them couldn’t help but praise Chief Monk Yan Xin, his eyes filled with reverence.

With over twenty-four thousand Earthforgers and six hundred Frostwardens, the garrison force Jiangxia Town had left in Jinbi Village was clearly far stronger than the Dajue Temple’s expeditionary force. Logically, the monks should not be reacting this way.

But in reality, not only were they all smiling, but their eyes were also filled with confidence as they looked at Jinbi Village less than a kilometer to the east. They all had the air of those certain of victory.

Chief Monk Yan Xin withdrew his gaze from Jinbi Village and turned to the twenty white-robed monks behind him. A frigid glint appeared in his eyes as he issued a command in a low voice, “Inform the Monastery Deacons to distribute the Melting Fire Pills. Junior disciple-brothers, you will lead the assembly in chanting the Shurangama Divine Mantra three times. After the chanting is complete, we advance on Jinbi Village!”

“Yes!”

Upon hearing the order, the twenty white-robed monks all clasped their hands, nodded in agreement, and quickly took out cloth pouches before dispersing toward the twenty great tents.

“Has Dajue Temple ever even fought a war? Who begins a march in the latter half of the night only to arrive at the enemy’s position to make camp just before dawn?”

In a tent in Hexia Village’s section of the camp, Bai Shanqiu walked in from outside and sat down next to Xiang Liang. After glancing around to make sure no one was near, he spoke in a low, perplexed voice.

Xiang Liang’s brow furrowed at his words, his own face filled with confusion.

It wasn’t just the march. From the moment Dajue Temple’s forces began gathering in Qinghe Village two days prior, on the fifteenth, this entire campaign had been riddled with inconsistencies.

Speed is precious in war. The battlefield demanded swiftness.

The three villages and eighteen families had already finished assembling in Qinghe Village on the fifteenth, yet Dajue Temple had insisted on waiting two days, until today, to set out.

Setting out today was one thing, but given the distance between Qinghepu and Jinbi Village, they should have moved quickly, departing as soon as night fell. That way, they would have reached Jinbi Village in the first half of the night and could have launched their attack in the second.

Instead, Dajue Temple had waited until the latter half of the night to move their army, leading to the current situation: they were setting up camp west of Jinbi Village just as the sky was about to brighten.

It was no wonder Bai Shanqiu lamented that Dajue Temple seemed to have no experience with warfare.

Xiang Liang lowered his head and thought for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t think so.”

He took out a vial, poured out several meat-colored pills, and continued in a low voice, “They’ve equipped over twenty thousand Earthforgers with Hundred-forged armor and weapons, and each soldier was given fifty Qing Food Pills. The twenty thousand Earthforgers were divided into forty Regiments, each led by a Monastery Deacon. All Frostwarden realm cultivators from the three villages and eighteen families must obey their commands. And look at these twenty black military tents. It’s clear that Dajue Temple has prepared for this great war with extreme thoroughness.”

Xiang Liang looked at the Qing Food Pills in his hand, his eyes filled with curiosity. The pills had been distributed by a Monastery Deacon before the army set out last night. They were told that a single pill could replace a full day’s worth of food. He had taken one along with everyone else before leaving Qinghe Village, and he still felt full now.

It was a pity he wasn’t an Alchemist and couldn’t determine the pills’ ingredients. He would have to wait to send them back to Great Xia for the Artisan Department to study.

Of course, it wasn’t just the Qing Food Pills; there were also these enormous black military tents.

Xiang Liang looked up and around the tent, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

The tents were not only sturdy but also had excellent insulation and light-blocking properties. Not even the light from a fire could pass through, making it impossible for anyone outside to see what was happening inside. Coupled with their black color, they were incredibly difficult to spot at night, especially in a concealed location.

Crucially, they weren’t heavy. A dozen Earthforger realm soldiers could lift one with ease, not impeding the army’s marching speed in the slightest.

The primary material was indeed beast hide; he had confirmed this when he helped set up the tent earlier. They were made by sewing many hides together.

The issue was that the hides themselves weren’t originally black. They had been dyed with some kind of dark, oil-like substance, which was likely the reason they were opaque.

“Qing Food Pills, black military tents… their effects are astonishing, and they’re easy to carry. They are unparalleled tools for military campaigns. If Great Xia could develop them, the boost to our army’s combat strength would be immeasurable!”

Xiang Liang’s expression grew excited. After all, he and Bai Shanqiu had discovered these two items. When the news was sent back to Great Xia, their contribution would surely be significant.

But now was not the time for such thoughts.

Xiang Liang shook his head slightly, pushing the stray thoughts aside for the moment.

As he had just said, by producing two miraculous items like the Qing Food Pills and the black tents, and by taking the care to organize twenty thousand Earthforgers into forty Regiments under the command of forty Monastery Deacons, it was clear that Dajue Temple had prepared meticulously for this battle.

So why, then, was their timing for the march so illogical?

After speaking, Xiang Liang, like Bai Shanqiu, was lost in confusion.

But their confusion would soon be resolved.

“All Earthforgers, assemble here!”

Two young, gray-robed unordained monks, who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, suddenly lifted the tent flap and strode in. Each carried a cloth pouch and called for all the Earthforgers to gather.

The Earthforgers on this expedition all came from the three villages and eighteen families. Dajue Temple had not mixed them up, instead trying to keep the contingents from each family in the same Regiment. This was understandable; people who were familiar with each other had better coordination and chemistry, which naturally resulted in greater combat effectiveness.

The contingents from the smaller, large-sized camps could be placed in a single Battalion, but the three village-level camps had sent too many Earthforgers for that to be possible.

Hexia Village had dispatched over 2,500 Earthforgers in total, who were roughly divided into five Regiments based on their cultivation level. The Battalion containing Xiang Liang, Bai Shanqiu, and the other Frostwardens was naturally the strongest.

It was worth mentioning that the Monastery Deacon in charge of their Battalion was Wang Yuxiu’s younger brother, Wang Yu’an—one of the gray-robed unordained monks who had just entered the tent.

Wang Yu’an and his companion opened their cloth pouches and took out fiery-red pills the size of a fingernail, distributing them to every Earthforger present.

Xiang Liang, Bai Shanqiu, and the dozen other Frostwarden cultivators watched quietly from the side. When all the pills were gone and they realized they hadn’t received any, curiosity flickered across their faces.

“These are the Melting Fire Pills bestowed by the Flame Dragon High Master. They possess supreme divine power. Everyone, hold them under your tongue now. Do not swallow!”

Without the slightest hesitation, the thousand Earthforgers from Hexia Village popped the Melting Fire Pills into their mouths and placed them under their tongues.

“Everyone, sit cross-legged and wait a moment!”

After speaking, the two Monastery Deacons, Wang Yu’an and his partner, were the first to sit cross-legged in meditation. The others followed suit, all sitting on the ground with their hands clasped and eyes closed, their faces showing devout expressions.

The dozen or so Frostwardens were no exception.

Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu also sat down cross-legged. Though they also clasped their hands, they secretly opened their eyes. Seeing over a thousand people in the tent so obediently following the deacons’ every word, their expressions grew slightly grave, and their hearts filled with ever-deepening curiosity.

What exactly was going on?

The sound of sutra chanting suddenly came from outside the tent.

Upon hearing it, Wang Yu’an and the other deacon immediately opened their eyes and said to the people in the tent, “Everyone, quickly join the senior disciple-brothers from the main monastery in chanting!” They then began to recite the mantra along with the voices from outside.

“Namo…”

The two began leading the chant, and everyone in the tent followed without question, their voices joining the chorus.

Strangely enough, although the sutra was incredibly complex, the words became exceptionally clear as they drifted in from outside, and as long as one followed along, they could recite it.

This was the first time Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu had experienced such a scene, and their expressions became exceedingly odd. But hearing the Frostwardens around them chanting, they had no choice but to join in.

The sutra was very long. The crowd followed the voices from outside for a full seven or eight minutes before the recitation was complete.

Omm…

The instant the first recitation ended, it felt as if something had awakened above the great tent, emitting a profound, humming sound.

Apart from the two deacons and the dozen Frostwardens, the faces of all the Earthforger cultivators began to flush red, their body temperatures rising rapidly. The entire tent immediately became much warmer.

They began the second recitation of the sutra.

When the second recitation was complete, not only were their faces red, but their skin began to turn red as well. Waves of heat erupted from everyone’s bodies, and even the bonfire in the tent flared up for a moment.

They began the third recitation.

Boom…

When the third recitation concluded, flames actually began to erupt from the bodies of all the Earthforgers in the tent. Yet they kept their eyes closed, merely breathing heavily, seemingly unaware that their bodies were burning.

“No, that’s not right. This isn’t real fire. If it were, they would have burned to death long ago. What is this? Is it the effect of the Melting Fire Pill, or the three recitations of the sutra…”

Having secretly watched the entire process, Xiang Liang’s heart was already in turmoil. He was beginning to guess why Dajue Temple had made everyone set out in the middle of the night, only to arrive at Jinbi Village at dawn.

“Wang Chuan, have your men take down the tent!”

Wang Yu’an addressed his father by name, yet none of the Frostwardens from Hexia Village seemed to find it the least bit improper.

“Yes!”

Even Wang Chuan himself showed no strange expression. He opened his eyes and immediately led the other Frostwardens to begin dismantling the black tent.

BOOM!

The moment the tent was opened, a fierce wave of heat surged out, instantly neutralizing the biting cold from outside. Even the cold light from the sky seemed to have been forced back by the flames emanating from their bodies.

It wasn’t just Hexia Village’s tent that was taken down. The other nineteen black tents were opened one after another. By now, the sky had fully brightened, and the more than twenty thousand Earthforgers in the camp were instantly exposed to the cold light.

“I… I can’t feel the cold anymore!”

“The cold light is on my skin, but nothing’s happening.”

“This is the supreme divine power of the Flame Dragon High Master! Hahahaha…”

“I can finally stand under the cold light.”

“And I’m only at the Earthforger realm!”

“My deepest thanks to the Flame Dragon High Master! Thank you, Flame Dragon High Master! Hahaha…”

Everyone opened their eyes and found themselves completely exposed. At first, they were alarmed, but they quickly realized that their bodies were unchanged and that the cold from the outside world no longer posed any threat to them.

Cheers erupted one after another. In the Ice Abyss World, standing under the cold light was a privilege reserved for Frostwardens. Yet now, these twenty thousand-plus Earthforgers could do it too. One could only imagine their excitement.

“Ahhh—”

“Ah!”

“Ahhh…”

But soon, screams of agony pierced through the crowd, and the cheers died abruptly. Everyone hurriedly turned to look at those who were screaming.

Xiang Liang was no exception. He saw that at least a hundred people across the camp were screaming. In his own area, five had cried out. His gaze swept over them, and he saw at once that those five were not wreathed in flames. Shortly after they screamed, they were frozen to death by the cold light.

“Do not panic! These are all spies from the Nine Towns who have infiltrated our Qinghepu!”

The powerful voice of Chief Monk Yan Xin rang out, and the previously restless crowd immediately fell silent. As they recognized the faces of the dead, cries of alarm came from the ranks.

“It’s them! They only came to my Heshan Village last year.”

“Same here! The seven who froze to death all came to Qinghe Village this year.”

“Here too.”

“These three as well!”

Almost all of those who had frozen to death had arrived in Qinghepu within the last two years, which all but confirmed what Chief Monk Yan Xin had just said.

These dead men were truly spies from the Nine Towns.

“Luckily… luckily I had a breakthrough before I came. If I hadn’t, I would be among those screaming right now!”

Looking at the frozen corpses, Xiang Liang’s pupils contracted violently, his back completely soaked in a cold sweat. Beside him, Bai Shanqiu turned to look at him, his eyes also showing a flicker of relief.

“Our Dajue Temple originally had no quarrel with the Nine Towns. But in recent years, the Nine Towns have either sent spies to infiltrate the families of Qinghepu, or abducted innocent villagers without cause, or pried into the secrets of our Dajue Temple… their evil deeds are too numerous to count! The High Master of our temple, mindful of the hardships of humanity in the Ice Abyss, has shown forbearance time and again. We never expected that not only would they not stop, but they would push their luck further and further. On the twenty-eighth of last month, they brazenly committed arson in Qinghe Village, injuring countless people.

“Faced with such outrageous bullying, how can our Dajue Temple tolerate the Nine Towns continuing their villainy?”

The people of Qinghepu were already fanatically devoted to Dajue Temple. Hearing Chief Monk Yan Xin’s impassioned speech, their emotions were instantly inflamed. Some of the more extreme individuals had murder in their eyes, already growling the words “Nine Towns” under their breath.

“The Flame Dragon High Master has descended with his divine power and bestowed upon you all a divine fire to ward off the cold! Of the Nine Towns, the chief offender is Jiangxia! Today, we will make Jiangxia pay for its crimes in blood!”

As Chief Monk Yan Xin uttered the last few words, his expression was incredibly grim. A divine fire suddenly erupted from his body. He raised his staff high, pointed it across the distance at Jinbi Village to the east, and his lips parted. “Kill!”

“Kill—!”

“Make Jiangxia Town pay in blood!”

“Brothers, charge with me!”

The emotions of the twenty thousand Earthforgers had already reached a fever pitch. At Chief Monk Yan Xin’s command, they roared, drew their blades, slung their longbows over their backs, and charged eastward like a tsunami.

This fervor even infected the three hundred-plus Frostwardens. The vast majority of them, their faces flushed, drew their own weapons and were the first to surge across the snow, charging straight for Jinbi Village.

Amid the crowd, Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu also roared and charged forward. But their eyes remained clear. As they sprinted, they exchanged a glance, and both saw a trace of terror and the desire to retreat in the other’s eyes.

Dajue Temple had a way to root out spies at the Earthforger realm. What about the Frostwarden realm?

Who knew if they would start checking for Frostwarden spies in the next battle?

Remaining here as moles had become incredibly dangerous!

But at this moment, they had no time to ponder these questions. They could only follow the army and charge toward Jinbi Village.

Of course, they both slowed their pace slightly, falling toward the back of the pack.

“All men, to your bows! Ready the Anomaly-Breaking Arrows! Don’t panic! This must be the work of some Dajue Temple anomaly! With the Anomaly-Breaking Arrows, they won’t be able to break through!”

The Dajue Temple camp was just a kilometer away; how could Jinbi Village not have noticed the commotion? Xiahou Qin was already standing at the village entrance with over five hundred Frostwardens from Jiangxia Town, waiting in formation. Watching the twenty thousand Earthforgers charging madly from the west, he told others not to panic, but his own pupils betrayed his shock.

Earthforgers, able to stand exposed to the cold light without any external aid!

This scene, which completely defied common sense, would unnerve anyone who witnessed it.

He clenched his fists tightly and glanced back at the Main Building of Jinbi Village behind him. Besides shock, his eyes were filled with deep regret.

At this point, how could he not have figured it out? Dajue Temple’s late-night march was clearly intentional, meant to make him lower his guard.

He had already sensed that something was off, but he had thought that since Dajue Temple’s forces wouldn’t arrive at Jinbi Village until dawn, they definitely couldn’t attack during the day. Besides, their numbers were small. Jinbi Village currently had over thirty thousand Earthforgers and more than five hundred Frostwardens. If the enemy dared to attack rashly, perhaps…

Who could have possibly imagined that Dajue Temple could enable Earthforgers to withstand the cold light?

How could they fight this?

How could he possibly hold them off with only the five hundred Frostwardens by his side?

Clang!

A thousand thoughts raced through Xiahou Qin’s mind, but the Qinghepu army didn’t care, and neither did the monks of Dajue Temple.

In his moment of distraction, a crimson staff was already swinging straight at his face.

It belonged to Chief Monk Yan Xin, the fastest of them all.

Xiahou Qin was quick to react. He drew the great saber from his waist and swung it up to block.

“Over fifty Mane… so strong!”

The instant the saber and staff clashed, Xiahou Qin’s expression changed dramatically. His body shot to the side. Then, as if remembering something, he gritted his teeth, pulled out a handful of tiny silver needles from his back, and with a flick of his wrist, shot them directly at Yan Xin.

There were hundreds of needles. Chief Monk Yan Xin, staff in hand, deflected most of them, but a dozen still found their mark on his body. However, given the strength of his Hide, the needles merely stuck to him; they were a long way from piercing through.

“No reaction… It’s over!”

Seeing that the needles embedded in Yan Xin’s body produced no effect, Xiahou Qin’s pupils contracted violently. He looked up and saw that the Qinghepu army’s volley of arrows was already heading toward the village’s Main Building. A look of defeat flashed across his face.

“Retreat!”

By now, many Frostwardens had already engaged the Dajue Temple monks in combat. The reason the Qinghepu army’s arrows were aimed at the Main Building was that the front lines here were already entangled.

No one had expected Xiahou Qin to order a retreat so directly.

Even so, everyone immediately disengaged and followed him, running toward the Main Building.

“The Anomaly-Breaking Arrows are useless! They’re real people, not anomalies!”

“Lord Xiahou, it’s no use! Jinbi Village can’t be held.”

“We can’t fight them! With just the five hundred of us, we can’t hold!”

Many of the Jiangxia Town Frostwardens had already realized the situation. As they ran toward the Main Building, they kept shouting to Xiahou Qin, their message clear.

Xiahou Qin looked at the wooden houses near the Main Building, thinking of the more than thirty thousand Earthforgers inside, his eyes filled with unbearable pain.

“We cannot retreat! If we do, they’re all dead! We fight! We’ll fight this gang from Dajue Temple to the death! We have more Frostwardens; maybe we can hold them! Have the brothers in the houses provide arrow support! We have to put up a fight! No more retreating! Stand with me and defend the Main Building!”

Xiahou Qin did not choose to flee. Instead, with a furious roar, he signaled for all Frostwardens to make their stand in front of the Main Building.

The five hundred-odd Frostwardens looked back at the surging tide of Dajue Temple monks and the Qinghepu army behind them. Though fear showed in their eyes, they gritted their teeth and stood by Xiahou Qin’s side.

“We stand with Lord Xiahou and defend this place! All the Earthforgers from Jinbi and Longhe Villages are here! The moment we retreat, they are all dead!”

“These are the only two villages our Jiangxia has on the North Bank of the Heng River! We can’t retreat!”

“No retreat!”

“I’m from Jinbi Village! What’s there to retreat from?”

“I’m from Longhe! If Jinbi falls, our village is next! I’m not retreating either!”

With Xiahou Qin leading the charge, the fighting spirit of Jiangxia’s five hundred-plus Frostwardens was instantly reignited.

Chapter 367: Yan Xin’s Ploy, The Five Chief Monks, Ceding Territory, A Startling Realization

Swish, swish, swish…

Although Xiahou Qin’s five hundred-plus men were full of fighting spirit, the moment they retreated to the Main Building, the fate of Jinbi Village for the day seemed to have been sealed.

The monks of Dajue Temple and the Frostwarden realm warriors of Qinghepu did not pursue them immediately. Instead, they stopped over two hundred meters away.

When two armies clashed, the first exchange was invariably archery. This was standard practice.

If you could kill from a distance, there was no reason to engage in close-quarters combat.

“Loose!”

At Chief Monk Yan Xin’s command, the more than twenty thousand Earthforger realm warriors of Dajue Temple drew their bows and unleashed a rapid volley toward the Main Building. Wave after wave of arrows rained down, blanketing all the surrounding structures.

“Loose!”

Not to be outdone, Xiahou Qin also signaled for his side to fire. However, he seemed to anticipate something, for his tone clearly lacked confidence.

Kacha… kacha…

After he gave the command, the windows on the west side of the dozen or so buildings around the Main Building were thrown open in unison. A volley of arrows flew out, brazenly clashing with the barrage from Dajue Temple.

Clang… clang…

Without even needing to see where the arrows landed, one could tell from the sheer scale of the volleys that Jiangxia’s side had been utterly defeated.

Jiangxia Town’s more than thirty thousand Earthforger realm warriors were all holed up in wooden houses, forced to shoot through the windows. They couldn’t form proper ranks, so the number of arrows they could loose in a single volley was less than a tenth of Dajue Temple’s.

Thud, thud, thud, thud…

So, without any suspense, the arrow storm from Dajue Temple’s twenty thousand-plus men completely overwhelmed the iron arrows they fired. The arrows that got through either flew through the windows and struck the people inside or embedded themselves in the wooden walls.

No, that wasn’t quite right. The vast majority of the iron arrows had embedded themselves in the wooden houses.

A great many of the iron arrows fired by Dajue Temple’s side were actually flaming.

Like most camps, the main construction material for the houses in Jinbi Village was wood. The outcome of being hit by so many flaming arrows was easy to imagine.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle…

Wisps of flame began to lick at the exteriors of the houses. The biting wind of the Ice Abyss, combined with the ceaseless arrow volleys from Dajue Temple, stirred the air currents, and the fire quickly grew stronger.

Boom…

Once the fires started on the outside of the wooden houses, the people inside immediately panicked. They lost all heart for archery and rushed to beat out the flames with animal hide tarps. Fearing more flaming arrows would fly inside, they slammed the windows shut again.

But in the face of Dajue Temple’s relentless barrage of iron arrows, these actions were utterly futile.

Swish, swish, swish…

“It’s no use, my lord! There are too few of us, and most of the arrows we shoot are being blocked by their Frostwarden realm warriors. They’re not having much effect!”

Hearing the reminder from his subordinate, Zhou Yunkai, Xiahou Qin’s already grim expression darkened further.

The bows used by Frostwarden realm warriors required a draw weight of at least one Mane—over one hundred thousand catty. While the bow frames for such powerful bows were manageable, just a matter of using more iron ore, the string materials were incredibly difficult to find. Thus, the cost of forging them was extremely high, and not all Frostwarden realm warriors were equipped with one.

At this moment, of the more than five hundred Frostwarden realm warriors by his side, only a little over a hundred were equipped with powerful bows. The arrows they fired were certainly potent; any that hit their mark could almost certainly pierce the enemy’s Hundred-forged iron armor. If not an outright kill, it would at least be enough to take someone out of the fight.

But the problem was, there were just too few of them!

Compared to Qinghepu’s army of over twenty thousand, it was like a drop in the ocean.

Just as his subordinate Zhou Yunkai had said, more than half of the arrows fired by their hundred-plus men were blocked by the enemy’s Frostwarden realm warriors. The number that actually hit enemy soldiers was minuscule.

“They’re running out of arrows! Hold on! Hold on until we reach close-quarters combat!”

Xiahou Qin slashed away dozens of flaming arrows with his saber, tensed his Hide, and used his body to block the remaining iron arrows. While the hundred-plus archers were firing, he and the other four hundred men were not idle. They stayed on the west side of the wooden houses, doing their best to block as many iron arrows as possible for the Earthforger realm warriors inside.

Of course, their main focus was on deflecting the flaming arrows.

Bang…

“Ah!”

However, how many arrows could four hundred men possibly block?

Xiahou Qin’s worst fear finally came to pass. The fire on a wooden house north of the Main Building spread completely. When a gust of cold wind blew, a flaming wall on the second floor was torn away, and the vast frosty qi, along with the cold light from the sky, instantly poured in. The people inside let out blood-curdling screams.

“The fire is out of control! Everyone, get into the Main Building! Quickly!”

In his haste, Xiahou Qin made a decision. Throughout all of Jinbi Village, the Main Building was the structure that used the most iron. Compared to the other wooden houses, its fire would not spread as easily.

From the wooden houses where the fires were uncontrollable, large groups of people rushed out, frantically pouring toward the Main Building. Thankfully, Xiahou Qin hadn’t ordered everyone out at once; otherwise, forget entering the Main Building smoothly, many would have died just from the stampede.

But what was the use?

“My lord, it’s useless! Hiding in the Main Building is just delaying the inevitable! The Earthforger realm has no fighting power during the day! We’ve lost! Jinbi Village cannot be held!”

Zhou Yunkai could no longer worry about morale and turned to shout at Xiahou Qin ahead of him.

A flush of red crossed Xiahou Qin’s face. He turned to look at the panicked Earthforger realm warriors fleeing for their lives, his eyes filled with pity.

“Army, cease firing!”

Just as Xiahou Qin was about to shout the word “retreat,” the Chief Monk Yan Xin, who had been standing at the front of his formation, unexpectedly ordered his army to stop.

Xiahou Qin was stunned, and he whipped his head around to look at Yan Xin.

Not only him, but the other five hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors from Jiangxia were also dumbfounded.

Unlike when he had been commanding the army to fire, Yan Xin’s face now showed no trace of hostility. His expression was calm and serene. Watching the fires gradually spread across the dozen or so wooden houses and hearing the screams of the Earthforger realm warriors inside, a hint of compassion even appeared in his eyes.

“This Chief Monk has just said that of The Nine Towns, Jiangxia is the root of all evil. Although Jinbi Village is Jiangxia’s territory, how innocent are these Earthforger realm warriors? My temple is different from The Nine Towns. Our master has the virtue of cherishing life; how could we dare to create such sins of slaughter?”

The entire battlefield fell silent. Yan Xin’s words were heard clearly by everyone, from the soldiers of the Qinghepu army to the more than thirty thousand Earthforger realm warriors trapped in the wooden houses of Jinbi Village, putting out fires.

“The Chief Monk is right! The evildoers in The Nine Towns are the higher-ups! These Earthforger realm warriors are just like us, humble people struggling to survive. Why must we hunt them down to the last man?”

“Dajue Temple wholeheartedly guides us toward goodness! We cannot create senseless sins of slaughter and tarnish our master’s name! Spare these Earthforger realm warriors and eliminate only the leaders of the evil!”

“The Chief Monk is right! Eliminate only the ringleaders!”

…

The soldiers of the Qinghepu army shouted in succession, all expressing their agreement with Yan Xin’s words. Without needing orders from the Monastery Deacons leading the front ranks, all eyes shifted to the area in front of the Main Building, right where Xiahou Qin and his five hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors stood.

Swish, swish, swish…

In unison, they switched their targets, unleashing their remaining iron arrows in a neat volley toward Xiahou Qin and his five hundred men.

“Dajue Temple, your intentions are truly venomous!”

Xiahou Qin brandished his great saber, deflecting all the incoming arrows. He then looked up at Yan Xin at the front of the Qinghepu army, his expression grave to the extreme.

The Earthforger realm warriors in the dozen or so wooden houses behind him were already extinguishing the fires.

The problem was, after the fires were out, not a single one of them fired another arrow toward the Qinghepu army.

Xiahou Qin knew exactly what this meant.

He could understand these people. After all, they were just trying to survive. Moreover, the thirty thousand-plus Earthforger realm warriors stationed here tonight were all from the three village-level camps of Jinbi, Longhe, and Hongguan. At best, they could only be considered the populace under Jiangxia Town’s jurisdiction, not true people of Jiangxia Town. Faced with the threat of death, it was not at all strange for them to make such a choice.

What truly weighed on his heart was the meaning behind Yan Xin’s actions. Dajue Temple hadn’t come for revenge or slaughter this time. They had truly come for Jiangxia Town’s territory.

“Fortunately, fortunately, I moved all the ordinary people and Lumberjack realm warriors from Jinbi Village to Longhe Village beforehand, otherwise these…”

Clang…

As Xiahou Qin’s thoughts raced, a crimson monk’s staff suddenly descended upon his head. The immense force of the staff carved a red arc in the air, stirring the surrounding currents with terrifying power.

His focus had been on Yan Xin the entire time, so he naturally detected the staff’s attack at once. He raised his saber diagonally to parry and swiftly dodged to the side.

Bang…

He had just exchanged a blow with Yan Xin, so he knew very well he couldn’t possibly block a strike backed by over fifty Mane of power. That was why he had chosen to dodge.

But he had still underestimated Yan Xin’s strength.

Seeing his staff attack dodged, Yan Xin sneered. He slightly retracted his left leg, then shot it forward in a vicious kick aimed at Xiahou Qin’s waist.

Whoosh…

A base strength of over fifty Mane meant that any movement, from any part of the body, carried the force of a thunderbolt.

Smack!

Xiahou Qin’s strength of over thirty Mane was still far too inferior. Despite anticipating Yan Xin’s move, ducking to evade, and raising his saber to block his waist, he ultimately failed to defend himself completely. He was sent flying over ten meters, saber and all.

Pfft!

Xiahou Qin quickly rolled upon landing and propped himself up with his saber. He couldn’t stop himself from coughing up blood due to the internal injury. Looking up at Yan Xin, his eyes were filled with dread.

Whoosh…

Yan Xin was about to press his attack when three sharp, silver arrows suddenly shot toward his face from the left. He swung his hand, snatching all three arrows out of the air, and turned to see three Frostwarden realm archers a hundred meters to the west, his gaze turning icy.

“Stubborn fools, you’re courting death!”

With a low shout, he hurled the arrows straight back at the three men.

Puchi… puchi…

With a strength of over fifty Mane against ordinary Frostwarden realm warriors, it was an absolute rout. The three arrows Yan Xin threw back pierced the brows of the three men with terrifying accuracy. The horrific force pinned them dead to the wall behind them.

“Retreat! Everyone, retreat!”

Xiahou Qin didn’t even look at the gruesome fate of the three men before yelling the order to retreat.

The moment Yan Xin had targeted him, the three hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors from Dajue Temple had all charged forward. Although his side had more Frostwarden realm warriors, they had already suffered considerable losses blocking several waves of arrows for the men in the wooden houses. Coupled with the second volley from the Qinghepu army, they now had just over four hundred men left.

In terms of Frostwarden realm warriors alone, his side still had the numerical advantage.

But what about strength?

Forget the three men Yan Xin had killed so casually. He glanced around the battlefield and saw twenty bald, ordained monks—dressed similarly to Yan Xin—practically slaughtering his own Frostwarden realm warriors.

The strength of those bald, ordained monks was definitely above twenty Mane. A few of them were even close to his own level.

The disparity in strength was simply too great!

It was impossible to fight. They simply couldn’t win.

Moreover, after the Frostwarden realm warriors charged, the twenty thousand Qinghepu soldiers had immediately split up to flank them from both sides. They clearly intended to completely surround their four hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors.

If they were surrounded, not a single one of their four hundred men would escape.

“Retreat! Retreat to Longhe Village! Jinbi Village is lost!”

Xiahou Qin’s shout completely sealed the fact of Jinbi Village’s fall. The remaining four hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors instantly lost all will to fight. Fearing encirclement, they immediately broke away from combat and followed him, fleeing to the east.

“Run? Do you think you can escape!?”

Chief Monk Yan Xin watched the four hundred-plus men flee in disarray, a cold glint in his eyes. He led his twenty junior disciple-brothers, forty Monastery monks, and all the Frostwarden realm warriors of Qinghepu in a frenzied pursuit to cut them down.

…

In a snowy forest over two hundred meters north of Jinbi Village, a figure in black stood atop a large tree, observing the scene within the village. Seeing Xiahou Qin’s side fleeing east, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. He quickly jumped down from the tree and darted eastward first.

The black-clad figure was incredibly fast. After rushing for an unknown distance, a new village soon appeared in his line of sight. Seeing the glow of fire above the village, the figure showed no surprise. He navigated with ease to the base of a large tree.

“Shi Ping is here. Come on up!”

A soft voice suddenly came from above. The black-clad figure below scaled the tree in a few leaps.

On a thick branch at the top of the tree, five figures stood. One was in the center-front, with the other four slightly behind. All five were staring at the village to the south, having clearly been observing for a long time.

“Has it been decided over at Jinbi Village?”

The person in the front and center didn’t turn around, asking in a low voice. The four behind him turned to look at the man in black. They were, in fact, Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, and Luo Yuan.

And the man in black was, naturally, the recently appointed Prefect of Wuyuan, Shi Ping.

Shi Ping’s face was etched with shock. He cupped his hands and reported, “My Lord, Jinbi Village has fallen. Dajue Temple used some unknown method to allow their Earthforger realm warriors to be exposed to the cold light. Jiangxia’s thirty thousand-plus Earthforger realm garrison force was completely useless. Their five hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors were tough and resisted for a while, but Dajue Temple’s side was simply too strong, and they had twenty thousand Earthforger realm warriors supporting them. In the end, they could only suffer a crushing defeat. Fearing encirclement by the twenty-thousand-strong army, the remaining Frostwarden realm warriors from Jiangxia lost all will to fight and have fled toward Longhe Village. Seeing Dajue Temple’s ruthless pursuit, I doubt many will escape in the end.”

“It’s useless even if they get here!”

Luo Yuan suddenly spoke up, pointing to Longhe Village in the south for Shi Ping to see.

Shi Ping froze for a moment. Looking south, he realized that the glow of fire he had seen above the village as he approached had somehow completely vanished. A look of horror crossed his face as he asked in astonishment, “Longhe Village… was it also taken by Dajue Temple?”

He had just arrived here with Xia Hong and the others. He knew that while Dajue Temple was attacking Jinbi Village, they had also sent another force to attack Longhe Village simultaneously. But before the battle had even started, Xia Hong had sent him to monitor Jinbi Village, so he didn’t know the specifics of the situation here at Longhe.

“Four Chief Monks—Wuchen, Jinyang, Jukong, and Heiyan—each with a strength of over fifty Mane, thirty ordained monks with strength above twenty Mane, plus over five thousand Monastery unordained monks. Against Longhe Village’s two hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors and twenty thousand Earthforger realm warriors, how could they possibly have held out!?”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words from the front, it wasn’t just Shi Ping; the other four also wore expressions of deep horror. Apparently, Xia Hong had only told them that Longhe Village had fallen, without providing these details.

Although they were all at the Frostwarden realm, their perception range was less than three hundred meters at most. This spot was at least over five hundred meters away from Longhe Village. Only Xia Hong could clearly perceive what was happening inside.

“My Lord, it should be five Chief Monks. Over at Jinbi Village, there was also Chief Monk Yan Xin. Just now, he…”

Shi Ping suppressed his shock. Recalling something, he immediately began to recount everything he had witnessed at Jinbi Village in full detail, which naturally included Yan Xin’s speech.

After hearing Shi Ping’s full account, Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao’s eyes narrowed, and their expressions grew much more solemn.

“Eliminate only the ringleaders… they just spared so many Earthforger realm warriors just like that. From the looks of it, this Dajue Temple doesn’t seem like villains, do they?”

“No. This only proves that there must be an anomaly behind Dajue Temple!”

Yuan Cheng had a straightforward personality. Upon hearing that Dajue Temple had spared so many people, he couldn’t help but exclaim.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Yuwen Tao immediately refuted him.

Luo Yuan and Shi Ping were stunned, looking at Yuwen Tao with confusion.

Yuwen Tao explained, “You all probably think that Dajue Temple is after Jiangxia Town’s territory. But if you look at what they’ve done in Qinghepu over the past seven years—they neither open mines nor expand their territory, and they don’t even care much about Frost Beast resources—why would they suddenly be interested in Jiangxia Town’s land?”

Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, and Shi Ping’s expressions all tensed upon hearing this.

“The population?”

Yuan Cheng asked curiously. Luo Yuan and Shi Ping suddenly remembered something, and their pupils constricted. They had clearly realized it.

“Yes and no. Dajue Temple only cares about one thing: the six-year-old children they collect every February. If you connect it to that, you’ll understand why that Chief Monk, Yan Xin, didn’t kill the Earthforger realm warriors.”

“In seven years, the number of people in Qinghepu capable of bearing children has dwindled. Dajue Temple needs a larger population to mass-produce infants for them, so they can collect more six-year-old children later on.”

Shi Ping had obviously figured it out. He continued in a somber tone, “Killing indiscriminately would only make these village-level camps hate Dajue Temple more, and they would certainly not be willing to bear children for them in the future. So their true goal is to pin all the blame on Jiangxia Town and do everything they can to win over these village-level camps.”

“These village-level camps are merely under Jiangxia Town’s jurisdiction; they don’t have a deep sense of belonging to Jiangxia. Using the opportunity of a great battle to win them over is incredibly easy.”

Luo Yuan paused here, then remembered something and continued, “Shi Ping just said they have a method to allow Earthforger realm warriors to be exposed to the cold light. To these village-level camps, such a method is no different from a divine miracle. The Frostwarden realm warriors might not think much of it, but when ordinary people see this…”

Being able to stand completely under the cold light was an extravagant hope for most people, a kind of pursuit. Everyone knew you just had to break through to the Frostwarden realm, but limited by resources and talent, Frostwarden realm warriors were inevitably the smallest group in any camp.

Setting other things aside, with this ability alone, there were far too many things Dajue Temple could do.

“According to Lu Yang’s message, the reinforcements from Beishuo Town probably just left their town last night. It will take them until around the twenty-fifth to reach Jiangxia at the earliest. Beishuo is the farthest, so let’s not talk about them. What about the other seven towns? The closest ones—Longgu, Muyin, Yangqu, and Chuishan, as well as Bashang south of Jiangxia—haven’t their reinforcements arrived yet either?”

Xia Chuan now seemed to be blaming the other eight towns for their slow support, clearly feeling a growing sense of dread toward Dajue Temple.

Xia Hong shook his head slightly, looked at Longhe Village to the south, and said, “It’s not just the other eight towns. It seems Jiangxia itself has no intention of resisting. The Frostwarden realm warriors they’ve deployed so far were likely drawn from all the village-level camps within their territory, just like the other eight towns. They probably wouldn’t feel the sting of losing them. Their main army hasn’t appeared yet, which clearly means they intend to cede the two villages on the north bank.”

He paused, then continued with a smile, “Jiangxia would rather cede its territory than let the other eight towns pick up an easy bargain. It seems the internal strife among The Nine Towns is far deeper than we imagined…”

Hearing this, Xia Chuan and the others all broke into smiles.

The more fiercely The Nine Towns fought amongst themselves, the better it was for Great Xia.

Their only worry now was that the internal strife of The Nine Towns would allow Dajue Temple to slowly grow in power. The likelihood of that, supposedly, was not high.

It was understandable that Jiangxia Town wouldn’t mind losing two of its dozens of village-level camps. But if they lost too many, surely they’d have to do something, right?

Xia Hong took out a map, his gaze fixing on Hongguan Village, outside the eastern exit of the Xing River’s north bank.

“With Jinbi and Longhe villages having changed hands, the next target will be Hongguan Village. That is the eastern exit of the north bank. Once Dajue Temple takes it, the entrance to the Xing River’s north bank will have completely changed masters. I refuse to believe Jiangxia is so generous. Let’s keep watching!”

But then, Yuwen Tao suddenly thought of something and asked, puzzled, “My Lord, have you considered how those five thousand-plus Monastery monks bypassed Jinbi Village to get here?”

“Of course they went around from the north or south. How else could they have come?”

Hearing this question, both Xia Hong and Xia Chuan froze for a second. They completely ignored Luo Yuan’s answer as their expressions changed drastically.

The stretch of the Xing River’s north bank where Jinbi and Longhe villages were located was only five kilometers wide. With a width of only five kilometers, you could simply station a few Frostwarden realm warriors to keep watch. It would be absolutely impossible for over five thousand Monastery monks to sneak past without a sound.

Which meant…

“This Dajue Temple… has a way to travel through water!”

Xia Chuan’s voice was tinged with horror, a clear sign of his profound shock.

Chapter 368: Hongguan, the Town Head’s Ultimatum, Reinforcements and Discord Among the Nine Towns, Locking Eyes

The terrain on the North Bank of the Heng River rises steadily from west to east. However, since the entire stretch is over two hundred kilometers long, the ascent is extremely gradual and difficult to perceive without careful observation.

But any normal person could deduce this simply by observing the direction of the Heng River’s current. It is precisely because the land rises from west to east that the river flows predominantly from east to west.

Following the north bank eastward to the exit, the southern cliff face of Double Dragon Mountain stands only a little over two hundred meters high. This meant the elevation here was not much different from that of the Double Dragon Mountain region itself.

The Heng River’s overall flow was indeed from east to west, but for some unknown reason, its middle section abruptly changed course, flowing northwest for about fifty kilometers before the terrain of Double Dragon Mountain forced it back to its normal path.

Any change in a river’s course is bound to have a huge impact on the surrounding terrain, and for a great river like the Heng, which was five or six kilometers wide, this was especially true.

The eastern section of the Heng River’s north bank had become exceptionally narrow due to alluvial deposits. Around Jinbi Village, it was still five or six kilometers wide, and at Longhe Village, it was about four kilometers. But by the time it reached the eastern exit, the bank was less than two kilometers across.

Most vegetation in the Ice Abyss was unusually thick and strong. With a width of only two kilometers, and the southern edge constantly assailed by the cold air from the Heng River, the eastern exit area was not only unable to support more than a few large trees but also had an extremely low temperature, making it completely unsuitable for human habitation.

However, once one passed eastward through this opening, away from the Heng River basin and toward the borders of the Nine Towns, the situation changed completely.

The eastern exit of the Heng River’s north bank was so narrow and so battered by the river’s icy energies that the entire pass was frozen year-round. Icicles hung everywhere, resembling the beaks of a flying Frost Beast known as the Zhu Hong, and so the place was named Hongguan Pass.

Being named a “pass,” it was clear that its namers, Jiangxia Town, had long recognized its strategic importance, and they naturally gave it the attention it deserved.

The ground of the entire Hongguan Pass was covered in a thick layer of solid ice. Not a single tree, not even a blade of grass, could be found.

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, tenth month, eighteenth day.

It was nighttime. A thousand fully armed and armored soldiers were arrayed in a line from south to north. With a guard post every five steps and a sentry every ten, they occupied nearly the entire two-kilometer-wide pass. A sharp observer would even notice several figures patrolling back and forth atop the northern cliff face.

These soldiers were exceptionally vigilant. The slightest disturbance would immediately draw their attention, prompting them to send someone to investigate. Once they confirmed it was nothing, they would return to their posts and resume their watch.

Suddenly, several figures sped in from the west, charging straight for the pass. They instantly attracted the attention of a large number of red-armored soldiers.

“Who goes there!”

“Alert! Someone’s coming.”

“Halt!”

…

“I am Xiahou Qin! Clear the way, I have an urgent military report!”

Hearing the man’s panicked voice, more than a dozen blue-armored generals from behind the pass quickly came forward. Seeing Xiahou Qin and his four companions covered in wounds and looking utterly disheveled, their expressions changed drastically.

“Lord Xiahou, what happened?”

“Did something happen at Jinbi Village?”

“Weren’t there still defenders at Longhe?”

…

“Jinbi and Longhe have both fallen! I need to see the Deputy Military Head at Hongguan Camp. You all continue to stand guard here. More people should be escaping this way soon. Be careful to verify their identities.”

“Yes, my lord!”

“Understood, my lord. Please hurry to the camp.”

“We will guard the pass well!”

Xiahou Qin clearly held some standing in Jiangxia Town. As soon as he spoke, the dozen or so generals immediately nodded in agreement and urged him to go to the camp.

He nodded and quickly led his four men eastward.

Two kilometers east of the pass lay a village. Though there were many lights within, there were few people on the streets. Instead, numerous soldiers patrolled through the village. Atop the Main Building in the center of the village, a black banner fluttered in the wind. The two golden characters for “Jiangxia” on its surface were exceptionally conspicuous under the firelight from below.

After passing through the soldiers’ inspection, Xiahou Qin headed straight for the Main Building upon entering the village.

“Xiahou Qin, why are you back from Jinbi Village?”

“Did it fall?”

“What about Longhe?”

“What happened?”

…

A dozen or so people were seated in the Main Building’s central hall. They were clearly surprised to see the bedraggled Xiahou Qin, but they quickly realized what it meant. Their faces filled with shock, and a few of them shot to their feet, questioning him about the situation.

“Xiahou Qin, Head Official of the Inspectorate, pays his respects to the Deputy Military Head!”

Xiahou Qin had no time to greet the others. He directly bowed to a middle-aged man in blue brocade robes sitting in the main seat.

The blue-robed man had shown a flicker of shock when Xiahou Qin entered, but he quickly raised a hand to signal for him to rise. Then, in a grave voice, he asked, “Have Jinbi and Longhe both fallen?”

“Both locations have fallen. This subordinate deserves death!”

Xiahou Qin decisively knelt to admit his fault first before recounting everything in full detail about how Jinbi Village was lost. When he mentioned Longhe, he was clearly less informed, only giving a rough account.

“After Jinbi Village fell, this subordinate led over three hundred Frostwarden realm experts to break through the encirclement and flee to Longhe. I never expected that Longhe had already been conquered by the four Chief Monks of Dajue Temple, leading over five thousand monastery monks. They were cleverly disguised. This subordinate, defeated and in a panic, rushed into the village without scouting ahead. As a result, my men were surrounded and suffered heavy casualties. I fear not even one in ten managed to escape. This subordinate deserves to die ten thousand times! Ten thousand times!”

At the end of his report, Xiahou Qin thought of the three hundred-plus Frostwarden realm experts who had followed him out of Jinbi Village, now likely dead or worse. He began slapping himself repeatedly, his heart clearly filled with extreme grief.

“Fool! What good does slapping yourself do now? How did those five thousand-plus monastery monks from Dajue Temple bypass Jinbi to attack Longhe? Jinbi Village is only so large from north to south. Didn’t you think to send men to keep watch?”

The blue-robed man, Jiangxia Town’s Deputy Military Head Jiang Yuanlong, stood up and angrily cut Xiahou Qin off, clearly enraged himself.

Hearing this, Xiahou Qin froze. He had suffered two major defeats that day, and his mind was in utter turmoil. He hadn’t had a moment to consider this problem. Now, reminded by Jiang Yuanlong, he instantly understood.

How could he have made such a basic mistake? When stationed at Jinbi Village, he had dispatched over twenty Frostwarden realm experts to watch the northern and southern flanks. If over five thousand monastery monks had circled around, how could he not have known?

Therefore, there could be only one explanation…

“Dajue Temple has a way to travel through water. This is trouble!”

Seeing Xiahou Qin’s expression, Jiang Yuanlong immediately understood. He spoke in a low voice, his pupils filled with astonishment.

It wasn’t just Jiang Yuanlong; the dozen or so generals in the hall also had drastic changes in expression.

Jiangxia Town was located on the eastern bank of the Heng River. When it came to understanding waterways, they were undoubtedly the foremost among the Nine Towns, surpassing even Bashang Town, which was also on the eastern bank.

The waterways of the Ice Abyss were far more dangerous than the land. Firstly, water-based Frost Beasts were extremely unfamiliar to humans, possessing all sorts of bizarre abilities and being much stronger than their land-based counterparts. Secondly, they were born and lived underwater, giving them a natural home-field advantage against humans. Thirdly, almost every body of water in the Ice Abyss had a master. A Frost Beast capable of dominating a stretch of water was at least a Beast King. For humans, moving through the water was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

For a town like Jiangxia, it had taken decades of careful management to finally secure a dozen or so kilometers of waterway along the eastern bank—an impressive achievement in itself.

But even so, only a small number of experienced and powerful Frostwarden realm experts in Jiangxia Town could move freely in the water. Forget about mobilizing large numbers of troops for amphibious travel; even the hunting teams that ventured into the water to hunt Frost Beasts rarely exceeded twenty people.

Water-based Frost Beasts were far more perceptive than land-based ones. Compounded by the fact that the water was their domain, a large group of humans, if discovered, would easily be targeted by underwater beast packs. There were countless examples of entire teams being wiped out in the past.

“They can travel through water… which means Dajue Temple has unknowingly taken control of the waterways along the eastern section of the bank. Something’s not right…”

Jiang Yuanlong’s brow furrowed deeply. He turned to look at the map of Jiangxia Town on the table, then looked up at a man on his lower left and gave an order, “Yuanhua, you will leave at once. Go to Binjiang Camp and find Deputy Military Head Xiahou Ying. Inform him of the fall of Jinbi and Longhe. Then, relay my order that he must guard the eastern bank waterways with utmost care and give Dajue Temple no opportunities.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

The man below immediately clasped his hands, accepted the order, and left the main hall.

Jiangxia had six Military Heads in total: one formal Military Head, Xiahou Zhang, and five deputies. Jiang Yuanlong was one of them.

To establish a dedicated camp and have five Deputy Military Heads permanently stationed there with troops was not a privilege granted to ordinary village-level camps. Only five such camps in all of Jiangxia had this honor.

For instance, Hongguan Village, controlling the eastern exit of the Heng River’s north bank, had Hongguan Camp, personally overseen by Deputy Military Head Jiang Yuanlong.

And Binjiang Village, the largest village-level camp on Jiangxia Town’s stretch of the Heng River’s eastern bank, was directly under the town’s jurisdiction just like Hongguan Village. It also had Binjiang Camp, personally overseen by another Deputy Military Head, Xiahou Ying.

Now that they knew Dajue Temple possessed the means for amphibious travel, the entire eastern bank line had to be on high alert. It was natural for Jiang Yuanlong to inform Xiahou Ying in advance.

“Alright, stop kneeling. Get up!”

Xiahou Qin was overwhelmed with guilt. With a face full of sorrow, he said, “This subordinate deserves ten thousand deaths. Not only did I get so many brothers killed, but I also lost both Jinbi and Longhe villages. A total of one hundred and ten thousand people from both villages are now under Dajue Temple’s control. Given that Chief Monk Yan Xin’s methods, I fear the people of those two villages…”

“Seven years have passed. The population from Qinghepu is old now. Dajue Temple is expanding for no other reason than to get more people to bear children for them. As long as they don’t kill indiscriminately, it’s fine. We can always win back lost territory in the future. Even if you died ten thousand times, you couldn’t bring those people back to life. Get up!”

Jiang Yuanlong was clearly well-informed about the situation at Qinghepu. Combining that with Xiahou Qin’s account of Jinbi Village’s fall, he immediately deduced the core objective of Dajue Temple’s attack on Jiangxia.

With the Deputy Military Head gesturing for him to rise a second time, Xiahou Qin dared not remain kneeling. After standing up, he remembered something and said through gritted teeth, “Lord Jiang, the war has just begun, yet our Jiangxia Town has already suffered such heavy losses. The reinforcements from the other seven towns are yet to arrive. They are clearly doing this on purpose, wanting Jiangxia to bear the brunt of the assault. This subordinate suggests we immediately send messages to the seven towns to urge their reinforcements. Dajue Temple is so terrifyingly strong, and their methods are so bizarre. Our Jiangxia alone cannot continue to fight them!”

Over six hundred Frostwarden realm experts had been killed, and more than fifty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers, along with the one hundred and ten thousand inhabitants of two villages, had fallen into enemy hands. To describe Jiangxia’s first clash with Dajue Temple as a crushing defeat would be no exaggeration.

The thought of it made Xiahou Qin’s heart bleed. He had long suspected Dajue Temple was no simple foe, which was why he had moved the population of Jinbi Village to Longhe Village in advance. He had thought that if they lost one line of defense, they could simply retreat.

Who would have thought that Dajue Temple possessed such miraculous methods, allowing Earthforger realm soldiers to fight during the day and even travel through water? Losing two villages was one thing, but more importantly, he had personally witnessed the methods of Chief Monk Yan Xin in Jinbi Village. Controlling over fifty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers and capturing the population of two villages at the same time… one didn’t need to think hard to know what would happen next. Dajue Temple would surely use every means at their disposal—be it enticement, brainwashing, coercion, or temptation—to make them switch allegiance.

Of the fifty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers, thirty thousand had been transferred from other villages in Jiangxia, while nearly twenty thousand were locals from Jinbi and Longhe. The one hundred and ten thousand people currently under control in the two villages were mostly the families of those twenty thousand.

Putting aside the thirty thousand from other villages for a moment, just focusing on the twenty thousand from Jinbi and Longhe—with their families held captive and those monks possessing such miraculous and strange abilities, it would be all too easy to persuade them to join Dajue Temple, even to fight for them.

And thinking further, what about the remaining thirty thousand from other villages? Seeing the situation in Jinbi and Longhe, would their attitude towards Dajue Temple not change?

At this thought, Xiahou Qin looked up at Jiang Yuanlong, his expression growing ever more solemn.

Although Xiahou Qin didn’t voice these thoughts, a man of Jiang Yuanlong’s intellect had realized this point the moment he heard the account of Jinbi Village’s fall. His expression was now far graver than Xiahou Qin’s.

“I know. You don’t need to remind me. I’ve already been sending three urgent messages a day to Chuishan and Bashang. We agreed on reinforcements at the end of last month, and now it’s the eighteenth, yet they still haven’t arrived. Forget the other six towns, but Chuishan and Bashang are right next door, and they still dare to delay until now!”

Bang!

Jiang Yuanlong looked furious. He sat back down and slammed his fist on the table.

“If the seven towns dare to drag their feet any longer, we might really have to do as the Military Head said and make way for Dajue Temple. Better you die than me. They all want our Jiangxia to take the lead? In their dreams!”

Hearing Jiang Yuanlong’s words, the crowd below nodded heavily, their eyes filled with anger toward the other seven towns.

Tap, tap, tap…

Suddenly, a messenger rushed in from outside.

“Report! A message from the Town Head, my lord!”

Hearing it was a message from the Town Head, everyone in the room instantly perked up. Jiang Yuanlong shot to his feet, took the letter from the messenger’s hand, and after reading it, a look of excitement spread across his face.

“The Town Head orders us to continue holding Hongguan. He has already issued an ultimatum to each of the seven towns. If a single town’s reinforcements fail to arrive before the twentieth, we will withdraw our forces immediately. He will personally come to negotiate with Dajue Temple.”

Everyone in the room, including Xiahou Qin, was stunned. Then, looks of vindicated relief appeared on their faces as they spoke one after another:

“That’s how it should be!”

“They know Dajue Temple is connected to anomalies, yet the seven towns still dawdle, trying to make our Jiangxia Town take the lead. In their dreams.”

“Exactly! If the seven towns won’t help, we might as well negotiate a truce with Dajue Temple. North of Hongguan Village is Chuishan Town. I’d like to see if Chuishan is anxious then!”

“Jinbi and Longhe, plus Hongguan… at worst, we give up these three villages. I’d rather cut off some of our own flesh than let those damned thieves from the seven towns benefit, hmph!”

…

Hearing his men’s words, Jiang Yuanlong looked down at the map of Jiangxia’s territory on the table, and his excited expression tightened slightly.

Ceding territory was like cutting off one’s own flesh. Moreover, he, Jiang Yuanlong, was the Deputy Military Head in charge of Hongguan Camp. If there was even a sliver of hope, he would not want to abandon this place.

“My personal career is a small matter; the interests of Jiangxia are paramount. If the seven towns are truly this shameless, then I can only follow the Town Head’s orders.”

The nine garrisons of Mo’ao all operated under similar systems. Below the Lord, the Military Head commanded the army, and the Town Head led the government. Jiangxia was no exception.

Jiang Yuanlong’s position was Deputy Military Head, which meant he was supposed to take orders from Military Head Xiahou Zhang. However, since Xiahou Zhang was currently recuperating in the town, the army was temporarily under the command of Town Head Jiang Xinfan, which was why the message came from him.

“Xiahou Qin, you will remain at Hongguan Camp to recuperate. With the Town Head’s ultimatum, the reinforcements from the seven towns will arrive by the day after tomorrow at the latest. You will join the battle and kill the enemy then!”

A look of gratitude appeared on Xiahou Qin’s face. He clasped his hands and bowed deeply to Jiang Yuanlong, saying in a solemn voice, “This subordinate will never forget your kindness, my lord!”

He had lost both Jinbi and Longhe villages in less than a day. Regardless of the reason, he would certainly be tried for his crimes if he returned to the town now. Jiang Yuanlong was clearly giving him a chance to atone for his failure through meritorious service.

“Hongguan must not be lost. Even if we have to lose it, it must be Jiangxia that actively yields it to Dajue Temple. Since they can make Earthforger realm soldiers fight during the day, send scouts to keep a close watch along the eastern section. Report any troop movements to me immediately. To take two villages in one day… Dajue Temple is quite impressive. I’d like to see if those bald monks dare to continue their assault on Hongguan. Hmph!”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Jiang Yuanlong let out a cold snort, and the generals below responded in unison.

When they heard his final words, far from showing any fear, their faces instead filled with fighting spirit.

Xiahou Qin seemed to have thought of something as well. His dejected mood slowly dissipated. He clenched his fists, and a glint of battle readiness appeared in his eyes.

…

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, tenth month, nineteenth day, middle of the night.

On the northern frontier of Chuishan Town, in the region bordering Yangqu Town, a lightly equipped force of over 1,500 people was racing south.

They moved with incredible speed, crossing five or six kilometers of snowy plains in moments as they passed from Yangqu into Chuishan’s territory. They were clearly all Frostwarden realm experts.

They were described as lightly equipped because although the 1,500-plus men carried weapons, they all wore plain clothes instead of armor. Furthermore, they were clearly divided into five distinct groups, indicating they were not Frostwarden realm experts from a single power.

All five groups were clearly in a hurry. Few people were talking loudly; only a few individuals within the ranks whispered among themselves.

In the center of the group on the left, a middle-aged man with an honest face was speaking in a low voice to a young man of about thirty beside him:

“Brother Lu may not be aware, but Jiangxia Town is jointly governed by the Jiang and Xiahou families. Jiangxia’s founding lord was Xiahou Wu. After his death, the second lord was his son, Xiahou Ming. Over sixty years ago, in order to open up the waterways along Jiangxia’s bank, Xiahou Ming took a great risk and fought the red carp anomaly that occupied those waters. Although he succeeded in severely wounding and driving away the monster, he himself was afflicted with its frost poison and nearly died.

“Xiahou Ming held on for a full fifteen years after that, until his son, Xiahou Zhang, broke through to the Sun-Manifestation realm. Only then did he pass the lordship to Jiang Yinglong. Less than three years after passing on the title, Xiahou Ming died. From then on, the lordship of Jiangxia fell to the Jiang family. However, Xiahou Zhang became the Military Head, so the Xiahou family’s position in the town remains stable, just not as prominent as before.”

Hearing the middle-aged man’s words, a glint flashed in Lu Yang’s eyes. He asked in a low voice, “According to Brother Chen, Jiangxia is actually internally unstable?”

Hearing this guess, Chen Yiqing smiled. “A normal person hearing this would probably have the same thought as Brother Lu, but that’s not the case…”

He paused, then shook his head and continued, “Jiangxia Town was built on the concerted efforts of the Jiang and Xiahou families. According to legend, years ago, when the first lord, Xiahou Wu, was on his deathbed, he originally wanted to pass the lordship to the Jiang family. He even promised that the title would alternate between the two families from then on. It was the Jiang family that took the initiative to decline, allowing his son, Xiahou Ming, to ascend smoothly.

“Brother Lu might think that Xiahou Ming held on for those fifteen years because he was afraid his son, Xiahou Zhang, would be purged by the Jiang family if he didn’t break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm. In fact, that’s not true. His son, Xiahou Zhang, was Jiang Yinglong’s only disciple. Xiahou Zhang was even able to break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm because Jiang Yinglong risked his life to go to Mo’ao Mountain and pick five Heavenly Sun Fruits. With a relationship like that, how could Xiahou Ming possibly worry about the Jiang family purging the Xiahous?

“Among the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao, there are quite a few towns jointly governed by two or even three families, like Yangqu, Chuishan, Longgu, and Wuchuan. But there are basically none as united as the Jiang and Xiahou families.”

It wasn’t just unseen in the Nine Towns; it was likely extremely rare in any other camp.

Lu Yang nodded, feeling his understanding of Jiangxia deepen. A slight smile appeared on his face. He cupped his hands at Chen Yiqing and said with a smile, “Brother Chen is from Dongchuan Jurisdiction, yet you’re so knowledgeable about the situation in Jiangxia. Thank you for your guidance, Brother Chen. I have learned much today!”

“I’ve always just been a bit of a busybody. Brother Lu is too kind.”

Lu Yang said no more, instead turning his head to look at the two men leading the Beishuo contingent at the very front, a slight flicker in his eyes.

The journey had turned out much as he had guessed. On the night of the sixteenth, he had arrived in Beishuo with 31 Frostwarden realm experts and 450 Earthforger realm soldiers from the Eastern Ridge, joining up with all the personnel Beishuo had gathered from its various villages.

The numbers were about what he had expected. Beishuo’s seven jurisdictions had mobilized a total of 362 Frostwarden realm experts and over 18,000 Earthforger realm soldiers. The commander and deputy commander of Beishuo’s reinforcement army were Huang Tianxing, the Deputy Head of the Inspectorate, and Gu Tianxiong, the Head Official—the two men currently leading the Beishuo contingent.

The reinforcements rested in Beishuo Town for a day and set out on the night of the seventeenth. By his earlier estimates, they would have arrived on the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth at the earliest.

But the situation had changed last night, on the eighteenth.

Last night, someone from Beishuo Town had suddenly caught up with the marching army and spoken to Huang Tianxing and Gu Tianxiong. Then, the two of them had gathered all 362 Frostwarden realm experts, detached them from the main army, and had them race towards Jiangxia at full speed.

Along the way, they caught up with the Frostwarden realm contingents from Wuchuan, Jinshan, Longgu, and Yangqu, which led to the current scene of five groups traveling together.

All the Frostwarden realm experts were advancing ahead of schedule. One didn’t need to guess to know that some major development must have occurred in the Jiangxia war. They couldn’t afford to wait, so each town had sent messages to their troops, ordering the Frostwarden experts to set out early.

But that was all Lu Yang currently knew. He glanced around at the other four Frostwarden contingents, his gaze focusing on the leader of each group.

Like Beishuo Town, the leaders of the other four powers were all Deputy Heads of their respective Inspectorates.

Jinshan Town’s leader was named Shangguan Yan, who wielded a large black saber. He looked to be over eighty, the oldest in the group. Wuchuan Town’s was named Qin Yuanhai, a tall man in his forties who carried a zhang-long staff on his back. The one from Longgu Town was named Long Wending, not much older than himself, likely of high aptitude, whose weapon was a longsword. Finally, the one from Yangqu was named Cao Tianyun, also in his forties, carrying a silver, eight-faceted mace on his back, with the most robust build of them all.

Though they hadn’t fought, Lu Yang had heard of Gu Tianxiong’s strength back in Beishuo Town; he was likely around thirty Mane. Huang Tianxing ranked above him, so he was surely a bit stronger.

From this, he could deduce that the Deputy Heads from the other four towns were probably of similar strength to Huang Tianxing. The other towns had also assigned them deputies, so in total, there were ten people in the entire force with strength of thirty Mane or more.

Besides these ten, the strength of the remaining thousand-plus men was, frankly, a bit of a sorry sight.

Lu Yang himself was a late-Frostwarden realm expert with a strength of Eighteen Mane. His position in the formation was very near the front, essentially just behind Gu Tianxiong. There were only about twenty others marching alongside him.

They were all Frostwarden realm experts, and the marching order wasn’t arranged randomly. From this, one could basically deduce the level of support the five towns were sending to Jiangxia.

“Beishuo has at most twenty men with around twenty Mane of strength. Wuchuan and Jinshan are about the same. Longgu and Yangqu have even fewer, less than fifteen. All together, that’s not even ninety men. Even if we count Chuishan and Bashang, it would probably only be a little over a hundred. With so little strength, against Dajue Temple…”

There was simply no comparison!

Lu Yang’s brow furrowed as the words formed in his mind.

He was based in the Eastern Ridge, but Xiacheng still shared the intelligence Xu Ning brought back, so he knew very well just how terrifying Dajue Temple’s overall strength was.

Ignoring the Earthforger realm for now, with eight hundred ordained monks above twenty Mane and over five thousand unordained monks from the monastery, sending such a small force from the seven towns would be completely useless.

“However, the Nine Towns are currently unaware of Dajue Temple’s true strength, so sending such a small reinforcement force is perfectly understandable. Jiangxia must have already suffered a defeat; otherwise, they wouldn’t be rushing the reinforcements like this.

“I wonder if the other towns will send more reinforcements after a few more defeats. The Director ordered me to sow as much discord as possible among the towns, provided my safety is ensured. It’s hard to say when winning, but stirring up trouble during a losing war… that’s too easy!”

Lu Yang secretly glanced at the contingents from the other four towns, a dark look crossing his face.

“By the way, Brother Chen, for this major war in Jiangxia, seven towns have sent reinforcements. Why is it that Muyin Town hasn’t sent a single person?”

This was the one question still puzzling Lu Yang. They had already passed through Muyin’s territory and had yet to see a single soldier from them. It was almost certain that Muyin was sitting this one out.

“Brother Lu doesn’t know? Ever since Murong Ding passed away three years ago and his grandson Murong Yan succeeded him, Muyin Town has been in decline. Now, the entire town only has one Sun-Manifestation realm expert left, the Town Head Murong Chui. Murong Yan is only in his early twenties and is just at the late-Frostwarden realm. With a young lord, the state is unstable. Everyone is saying Murong Chui is about to usurp the throne and replace Murong Yan. Over the last two years, Jinshan and Wuchuan have seized a third of Muyin’s territory. Beset by internal and external troubles, they can barely protect themselves. How could they have the mind to send aid to others?”

This Chen Yiqing was practically an encyclopedia!

Lu Yang sighed inwardly, feeling a little fortunate. The reason he could identify the leaders from the four towns was because he had asked Chen Yiqing. Along the way, he had learned more details about the Nine Towns from Chen Yiqing than he had managed to gather in Beishuo Town over the past three years.

It seemed there was nothing in the Nine Towns that he didn’t know.

The key thing was, this Chen Yiqing was also from Beishuo Town, just like him. Only he was from Jingxi, while Chen Yiqing was from Dongchuan Jurisdiction.

If he had met Chen Yiqing earlier, he wouldn’t have had to be so cautious gathering intelligence on the other eight towns in Beishuo City!

“Why did Murong Ding’s grandson Murong Yan succeed him after his death? What about his son?”

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, Lu Yang continued to quietly ask Chen Yiqing for more details about the Murong family and the other eight towns. Of course, he only asked questions that wouldn’t arouse suspicion. They were marching, and no matter how low he kept his voice, Huang Tianxing and Gu Tianxiong up ahead could still hear him.

Chen Yiqing had an honest face but was extremely talkative. He also clearly had a good impression of Lu Yang and was willing to chat more, holding nothing back as they talked the entire way.

Although the entire force numbered over 1,500, they were all Frostwarden realm experts, so they moved extremely fast. In addition, for this reinforcement mission, the towns had likely made arrangements in advance, so they traveled along Chuishan’s bluestone roads. Before the sky even began to lighten, they had arrived at the southern border of Chuishan’s territory.

A group of about two hundred men was already waiting in the area where Chuishan and Jiangxia bordered. Seeing the five towns’ reinforcements approaching from the north, a middle-aged man with a saber hanging at his waist immediately came forward with a smile.

“Brother Huang, Senior Shangguan, Brother Qin, it’s been a long time!”

Hearing the man address Huang Tianxing first, Lu Yang’s eyes flickered slightly.

Three years ago, when he first entered Beishuo City, he and Wang Tao had speculated that either Chuishan or Jiangxia had an unusually close relationship with Beishuo. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been Yang and Li who came to Redwood Ridge eight years ago. After three years of investigation, he was almost certain it was Chuishan.

Now, this man from Chuishan Town, upon seeing the contingents from five towns, greeted Beishuo’s Huang Tianxing first, further confirming his deduction.

“Brother Duan, it’s been a while!”

Huang Tianxing and the other two also clasped their hands in return and walked up to chat with him. However, Long Wending from Longgu and Cao Tianyun from Yangqu were clearly ignored by the man from Chuishan. Anger flashed across their faces, but they didn’t act on it. They just let out a cold snort and led their men around the trio, continuing south.

“Heh heh, Chuishan Town is known for being a soft persimmon. They act spineless whenever they see us three northern towns. The five southern towns all look down on them, so their relationships with Chuishan aren’t very good.”

Huang Tianxing and the others were already far away, so Chen Yiqing couldn’t help but lean in and make a teasing comment. He then pointed at the man from Chuishan and said, “If I’m not mistaken, that man should be Duan Xing, the Deputy Head of Chuishan’s Inspectorate. I think he and our Head Huang are related by marriage. They’ve always been on good terms.”

Lu Yang nodded slightly. There were many marital ties between Chuishan and Beishuo Town, not just between Huang and Duan. The most significant one was probably between Town Head Yang Fa and Duan Xi, the younger sister of Chuishan’s Lord, Duan Hong.

…

While Lu Yang and Chen Yiqing were chatting in the back, the four men up front—Huang Tianxing and the others—were also in conversation. But unlike their idle chat, the four men’s faces were all tinged with schadenfreude.

“Jiangxia took a big hit in the first battle. Jinbi and Longhe villages fell, seven hundred Frostwarden realm experts and fifty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers, all gone, hehe!”

As Duan Xing spoke, Huang Tianxing and the other two all broke into smiles.

A sinister grin appeared on Shangguan Yan’s withered face. “Doesn’t Jiangxia love occupying the North Bank of the Heng River and not letting any of us get involved? This time, Dajue Temple will give them a taste of their own medicine.”

Qin Yuanhai shook his head and chuckled. “This is what you call being hoist by your own petard. Even if Dajue Temple really has some treasure, it’s not for Jiangxia to monopolize. Now that they’ve taken a heavy loss, they know to ask for help. In my opinion, we should make them give up a bit more territory. How else will they learn their lesson?”

“And that Jiang Xinfan even issued some kind of Town Head’s ultimatum, saying that if a single town’s reinforcements don’t arrive before the twentieth, Jiangxia will immediately retreat and hand Hongguan directly to Dajue Temple. They dare to threaten us now, hmph!”

Huang Tianxing, who had been silent, frowned upon hearing Duan Xing’s words and asked, “How strong is Dajue Temple really? Did Jiangxia give a clear report?”

Duan Xing shook his head. “Isn’t it what the scouts reported before? A little over five thousand monastery monks. The entire Qinghepu only has about twenty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers. With so little strength, what kind of trouble could they stir up?”

Seeing Huang Tianxing still frowning, he waved his hand dismissively. “What’s there to worry about, Brother Huang? To put it bluntly, Jiangxia is deliberately holding back. They want to monopolize the benefits of Dajue Temple but are unwilling to pay the price. They’re using the anomalies as a cover to trick the seven of us into sending support. Fierce in appearance but timid in heart, greedy for profit but cherishing their own skin. They haven’t even mobilized their Town Guard Army yet. The seven hundred Frostwarden experts and fifty thousand Earthforger soldiers were just troops gathered from various villages. Isn’t it perfectly normal for them to lose? I bet they don’t even feel the sting that much themselves.”

Huang Tianxing first nodded, then shook his head slightly. “You have a point, but it’s not entirely true. To lose seven hundred Frostwarden experts and fifty thousand Earthforger soldiers in a single day of battle suggests that this Dajue Temple’s strength is not to be underestimated. For Jiang Xinfan to personally issue an ultimatum to the seven towns in his capacity as Town Head shows how seriously he’s taking this. We can’t be careless. We should hurry. There’s less than half an hour until dawn. Let’s get to Hongguan quickly and not give Jiangxia anything to complain about.”

“Brother Huang is right, too.”

“Indeed, let’s get moving! If we’re late and Jiang Xinfan really uses this against us, it’ll be hard for us to answer for it.”

“Let’s get the men moving.”

Huang Tianxing clearly commanded some authority. After he spoke, Duan Xing and the other two nodded in agreement and went to the rear to organize their respective contingents.

“Move out!”

Within the Beishuo Town contingent, Lu Yang looked back at the 31 men he had brought from the Eastern Ridge, giving them a look that urged caution. Then he turned and followed behind Gu Tianxiong, continuing south.

Someone is spying on me!

Not long after they started moving, Lu Yang’s brow suddenly furrowed.

The senses of a Frostwarden realm expert were quite sharp. Unless the spy’s strength far surpassed his own, they would be easily detected.

He immediately sensed that the gaze was coming from his right—from within the Jinshan Town contingent.

He had never had any dealings with anyone from Jinshan Town.

Why would someone from Jinshan Town be spying on him?

Lu Yang’s brows knitted tightly. Sensing the gaze was still on him, he rushed forward for a few dozen meters, then suddenly whipped his head around to look at the Jinshan contingent to his right.

With that one look, his eyes instantly met another pair.

The moment he saw the person’s face, Lu Yang’s expression changed dramatically.

The man from Jinshan Town clearly hadn’t expected Lu Yang to suddenly turn and look at him. His face had held a hint of confusion, but upon seeing Lu Yang’s reaction, his pupils contracted sharply. He then quickly lowered his head, avoiding Lu Yang’s gaze.

“That was stupid of me!”

Seeing the change in the man’s demeanor, how could Lu Yang not realize that he himself had been the one to give himself away? He wished he could slap himself right now.

“It’s Han Feng. I was wondering why I couldn’t find a single trace of him in Beishuo these past three years. That kid actually went to Jinshan Town. I saw him five years ago in the Hanqiong hidden tunnel when the Lord left him behind, and he saw me. It’s over!”

Lu Yang knew full well the consequences of being recognized by Han Feng.

The hidden tunnel, the Eastern Ridge, the Great Xia… if Han Feng revealed this series of secrets to Jinshan Town, it would all be over!

“No, no, I have to find a way to fix this. I must fix this. The Eastern Ridge is crucial for the Great Xia’s eastward expansion. It cannot be ruined by me. Han Feng, Han Feng… I must make him shut his mouth. Make him shut his mouth forever…”

Lu Yang was trembling inwardly. He looked up at Han Feng in the Jinshan Town contingent, his eyes filled with killing intent. If the situation allowed, he would have charged over with his men and killed him on the spot.

Chapter 369: Reinforcements Gather, a Disorderly Mob, an Unexpected Joy, the Battle Begins

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, October 20th

Whatever the people of the seven towns might think, Jiang Xinfan’s town head ultimatum ultimately had its effect.

The Frostwarden realm reinforcements from the seven towns all arrived at Hongguan Camp at practically the same time, just before dawn, as if they had timed it down to the last moment.

“What good can these two thousand Town Guard troops in Hongguan Camp do? They didn’t even bring out the Red Scale Army. I’d say Jiangxia Town has no intention of fighting Dajue Temple at all. Why pretend and have us seven towns send reinforcements?”

Unfortunately, the atmosphere turned sour the moment everyone had gathered.

As the troops from Lu Yang’s seven towns entered Hongguan Camp, the leader of the contingent on the far flank spoke up. He glanced around at the soldiers in the camp before speaking in a cold, mocking tone, deliberately circulating his vital energy to amplify his voice as if afraid others wouldn’t hear him.

“That’s Xiang Tiancheng, the Deputy Head of the Academy from Bashang Town!”

Lu Yang heard Chen Yiqing’s whisper and nodded slightly. Being on the same eastern bank of the Heng River, Bashang and Jiangxia had clashed over water territories many times. Their resentment ran deep, so Xiang Tiancheng’s behavior was not surprising.

Xiang Tiancheng appeared to be in his early forties, with a somewhat sinister face. He carried a broad silver saber on his back, its blade looking to be at least fifteen centimeters wide.

Over two hundred men followed behind him, clearly the Frostwarden realm reinforcements sent by Bashang Town this time. From their numbers alone, it was clear that the relationship between Bashang and Jiangxia was extremely poor.

Now that the reinforcements from all seven towns had arrived, Lu Yang had already made a rough observation.

Beishuo, Jinshan, and Wuchuan, the three northern towns, had each sent over three hundred and fifty Frostwarden realm soldiers. As the strongest of the northern towns, this was understandable. Longgu, Yangqu, and Chuishan sent slightly fewer, but still around two hundred and seventy each. Only Bashang Town had sent just over two hundred, making them stand out conspicuously among the seven contingents.

They sent the fewest men, yet they had the most opinions. They were clearly trying to stir up trouble!

Lu Yang looked at the two hundred-odd men from Bashang Town, most of whom wore sneers. He shook his head inwardly, then turned his gaze to Xiang Tiancheng, wondering what else he would say.

The Nine Towns had similar systems, so their military configurations were also alike. Each town basically had two types of military forces. One was the Town Guard Army, a regular force composed of soldiers at the Earthforger limit, typically led by Frostwarden realm officers.

The other was each town’s elite force, with soldiers all at the Frostwarden realm. For instance, the three northern towns had the Beishuo Army, named after the town itself; Jinshan had the Golden Armor Army; and Wuchuan had the Black Armor Army. The Red Scale Army that Xiang Tiancheng had just mentioned must be Jiangxia Town’s elite force.

Lu Yang didn’t know the troop numbers for the other eight towns, but he knew Beishuo’s. The Beishuo Town Guard Army had fifteen companies, totaling fifteen thousand men, while the Beishuo Army had four companies, totaling four thousand.

Jiangxia was certainly not as strong as Beishuo. Its Town Guard Army was probably around ten thousand strong, and its elite force would be two or three thousand at most.

Lu Yang had also observed upon entering that there were indeed only two thousand soldiers in Hongguan Camp at the moment, clad mostly in Hundred-forged Armor, clearly the Town Guard Army.

However, in the rear of the camp, within Hongguan Village, there were also many armored Earthforger realm soldiers patrolling. If he wasn’t mistaken, a large number of troops were stationed there as well, though he didn’t know the exact count.

As Lu Yang pondered, Xiang Tiancheng relentlessly spoke up again.

“If you ask me, whoever caused this mess with Dajue Temple should be the one to take responsibility for it. Doesn’t Jiangxia like occupying the North Bank of the Heng River…”

“In that case, Xiang Tiancheng, you can take your men back to Bashang!”

This time, however, he was cut off before he could finish.

The flap of the main tent in the rear of the camp was thrown open, and a middle-aged man in green brocade robes slowly walked out. He stared directly at Xiang Tiancheng, his expression making it clear he wasn’t joking—Xiang Tiancheng could take his men and return to Bashang Town right now.

“Deputy Military Head Jiang!”

“Greetings, Deputy Military Head Jiang.”

“Paying respects to the Deputy Military Head.”

…

The moment Jiang Yuanlong appeared, the Deputy Academy Heads leading the other six towns’ forces all bowed to him. Seeing this, a glint flashed in Lu Yang’s eyes.

A Deputy Military Head was naturally more powerful than a Deputy Head of the Academy, but Jiang Yuanlong was from Jiangxia Town. The fact that the Deputy Academy Heads of the other six towns bowed to him was clearly not out of respect for his position, but for his strength.

Huang Tianxing’s strength was estimated to be around forty Mane, yet even he had to bow. This meant Jiang Yuanlong’s power was certainly above his.

“What, you don’t dare to leave?”

Xiang Tiancheng’s expression stiffened. Being questioned by Jiang Yuanlong a second time in front of so many people was a great loss of face. But reinforcing Jiangxia was an order from his own Town Head. He wouldn’t dare lead his men away, not even if he had ten thousand times the courage.

Besides, it was possible Jiang Yuanlong was deliberately provoking him into leaving.

At this thought, hesitation flickered in his eyes. He looked up at Jiang Yuanlong and said nothing.

“Since you don’t dare to leave, then shut your mouth and obey my commands. The joint resistance against Dajue Temple was a decision made collectively by all eight Town Heads at the end of last month. If any of you have an issue with it, you are free to take your men and leave Hongguan. I will not stop you.”

Jiang Yuanlong clearly intended to put all the reinforcements from the seven towns in their place. After subduing Xiang Tiancheng, his gaze swept over the men from the other six towns. “Let me be blunt,” he continued. “If you decide to stay, then you will follow my arrangements for everything on the battlefield. Anyone who dares to feign compliance, shirk their duties in battle, or delay military operations, don’t blame me for being harsh!”

These words were, in fact, already very harsh.

Jiang Yuanlong was, after all, only the Deputy Military Head of Jiangxia Town. To treat the reinforcements from the seven towns as his own subordinates was presumptuous. Even though they knew he had no selfish motives and was only trying to ensure the upcoming battle went smoothly, the faces of Huang Tianxing, Shangguan Yan, Qin Yuanhai, and the other Deputy Academy Heads darkened.

As for Xiang Tiancheng, there was no need to even mention him. Jiang Yuanlong had already been harsh with him once in front of everyone from the other six towns.

“Those who are staying, follow me into the tent. Yuanhua, Xiahou Qin, you two take the rest to receive their military provisions and arrange their lodgings.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

After giving his two subordinates their orders, Jiang Yuanlong turned and went back into the main tent. After a moment’s exchange of glances, Huang Tianxing and the other six leaders also headed towards the main tent.

“Everyone, please follow me!”

Jiang Yuanhua and Xiahou Qin each led the contingents from the seven towns towards the rear of the camp to distribute their provisions.

Since the seven towns were sending reinforcements, they naturally wouldn’t bring their own military supplies.

Personal weapons were tied to one’s performance in battle and couldn’t be issued on the spot, but armor and healing pills were another matter. Jiangxia Town was naturally expected to provide these supplies.

Lu Yang and the thirty-one men from Eastern Ridge soon received a set of Hundred-forged Iron Armor and twenty Spirit Recovery Pills. They were also assigned to a military wooden lodge near Hongguan Village.

On the way to his quarters, Lu Yang discreetly slipped a silver ingot to the Jiangxia soldier guiding him and managed to learn all the recent military intelligence.

“They only gave us a set of Hundred-forged Iron Armor. At best, it can block arrows from an ordinary Frostwarden realm expert. It’s better than nothing, I guess. Jiangxia Town is really stingy!”

“These Spirit Recovery Pills aren’t bad, but they’re a far cry from our Great Xia’s Blood Sore Pills. They’re only good for regulating one’s breathing mid-battle and have almost no effect on external wounds.”

“Thousand-forged Iron Armor is too difficult to craft. Which town doesn’t treat it like a precious treasure? Even Jiangxia’s own Town Guard Army wears Hundred-forged Iron Armor. It’s already quite generous of them to give us a set.”

“That’s true. Our Great Xia doesn’t have much Thousand-forged Armor either. Most of our soldiers wear the Hundred-forged grade Thunder Kui Golden Armor.”

“The Nine Towns’ forging techniques are lacking. The defensive capabilities of our Hundred-forged grade Thunder Kui Golden Armor are already comparable to their ordinary Thousand-forged Armor.”

“That’s also true.”

…

As soon as they entered the wooden lodge, everyone started talking. They examined the armor and pills they had just received, offering their comments. However, wary of eavesdroppers, they kept their voices low.

Lu Yang didn’t join the discussion. The sky outside was already light. He put down his armor, walked to the window, and observed Hongguan Village in the rear.

“My lord, the Frostwarden realm reinforcements from the seven towns number about twenty-one hundred. I counted them as we came in. There are about eight hundred Frostwarden realm soldiers in Hongguan Camp itself. Adding the two companies of the Town Guard Army, it’s a considerable force.”

As Wang Tao spoke, the others quieted down.

Zhu Shun nodded. “Of course it’s considerable. Among the three thousand Frostwarden realm experts, a conservative estimate would put over a hundred of them at a strength of twenty Mane or higher. Plus two fully armed regular military companies. I think there are tens of thousands of Earthforger realm defenders in Hongguan Village as well, though I don’t know the exact number. With so many people defending Hongguan Pass, it should be easy. Unless Dajue Temple brings its full strength, it will be very difficult for them to break through.”

They had read the intelligence on Dajue Temple with Lu Yang, so unlike the Nine Towns, they were well aware of its true strength.

But Lin Fan shook his head and said to Zhu Shun, “Didn’t you hear what my lord learned from that soldier just now? Dajue Temple has a way to make Earthforger realm soldiers fight during the day. We can’t just count the Frostwarden realm experts. If the number of Earthforger soldiers becomes too large, it will inevitably affect the outcome of the battle.”

Zhu Shun was taken aback. He had been beside Lu Yang when he was gathering information, so he had heard it too. He frowned slightly and asked, “Are you saying the twenty thousand Earthforger soldiers from Qinghepu can sway the battle? Isn’t that an exaggeration?”

The means to allow Earthforger realm soldiers to fight in the daytime was indeed a game-changer.

But Qinghepu’s forces were too few, only twenty thousand Earthforger soldiers. And considering their losses when they attacked Jinbi and Longhe…

As Zhu Shun thought of this, he immediately understood what Lin Fan meant. His expression changed slightly. “You mean the fifty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers from the captured villages of Jinbi and Longhe will turn their weapons against Hongguan and help Dajue Temple?”

Lin Fan nodded.

Wang Tao added, “Not all of them might help, but the ones from Jinbi and Longhe villages certainly will. According to the information my lord just obtained, that’s at least another twenty thousand Earthforger combatants. By that count, Dajue Temple has at least forty thousand Earthforger soldiers.”

The commoners and Lumberjack realm individuals in Jinbi and Longhe villages had all been taken control of, their families held hostage. The defection of these Earthforger realm soldiers was almost a certainty.

“With over forty thousand Earthforger soldiers, if deployed effectively during the day, combined with the five thousand monastery monks, breaking through Hongguan Pass won’t be difficult.”

Hearing Wang Tao’s words, Zhu Shun’s expression changed as he finally understood.

Even with reinforcements, the Jiangxia side was facing three thousand against five thousand. They were currently outnumbered in terms of Frostwarden realm experts, but being the defenders made the disadvantage acceptable. Jiangxia’s real advantage lay in its military; the strength of its two Town Guard Army companies was certainly far superior to the haphazard army formed from Dajue Temple’s ordinary Earthforger soldiers.

The problem was, no matter how strong the Town Guard Army was, they could only fight at night. If Dajue Temple chose to engage during the day, they would be helpless.

“So the key to this battle is taking the initiative. We must proactively attack Dajue Temple at night. But to do that, Jiangxia would have to lead its army into Hongguan Pass and attack Longhe Village, sacrificing their defensive advantage entirely. Of course, if they could go all out, bringing their entire army and all the Earthforger soldiers from Hongguan Village, they might just have a chance to decide the outcome in one decisive battle. But look at the state of the seven towns’ reinforcements. Is that even possible?”

Hearing Wang Tao’s words, Lu Yang turned back and said with a smile, “I don’t care about the seven towns; we ourselves would never be of one mind with Jiangxia. Lord Wang is right. The most important thing in this battle is initiative, but ironically, that’s also the hardest thing to achieve. That Jiang Yuanlong is a smart man; he saw it long ago. The moment the reinforcements from the seven towns arrived, he immediately established his authority. He was probably trying to seize the initiative, hoping to intimidate them so he could command them uniformly…”

Lu Yang paused, then shook his head. “He has some skill, but he was too hasty. It’s obvious that no matter how he tries to intimidate these men from the seven towns, they will only act according to the orders of their own Town Heads. If their Town Heads had strictly ordered them to cooperate with Jiangxia, they would have done so without Jiang Yuanlong’s intimidation. But as it stands…”

Wang Tao, Lin Fan, and Zhu Shun all shook their heads.

Never mind Xiang Tiancheng, who had challenged Jiang Yuanlong from the start. The leaders of the other six towns were clearly not very cooperative either. They might have been momentarily intimidated by Jiang Yuanlong’s strength, but when it came to major military deployments, how could they possibly listen to him so easily?

“So the key to this battle is whether Jiang Yuanlong can get the reinforcements of the seven towns to join him in a proactive attack against Dajue Temple. The chances look slim at the moment, unless the Town Heads of the seven towns give their men new orders.”

As soon as Zhu Shun finished, Wang Tao immediately added, “And it needs to be fast. Dajue Temple isn’t stupid. I noticed on my way here that there are many secret agents around Hongguan Village, and probably even more near the pass. With the two armies so close, any personnel movement will be known to both sides. Every day Jiangxia delays is another day for Dajue Temple to prepare. If they act first and attack the pass during the day with a large number of Earthforger soldiers, Jiangxia’s defeat is certain.”

“This subordinate believes that Jiangxia’s defeat in this battle is certain!”

Just as Wang Tao finished speaking, before Lu Yang and the others could reply, a confident young voice came from behind.

The four of them turned to see that Li Hu had approached them at some point.

Lu Yang, Zhu Shun, and Lin Fan all smiled upon seeing Li Hu, while Wang Tao’s expression was a bit more complex.

Li Hu’s identity was not simple. By blood, he was the grandson of the Department Head of the Department of Justice, Li Tiancheng, and the nephew of the Lord’s wife, Li Xuanling. Yet, Li Hu never identified himself with these two titles, clearly holding a grudge against the Li family. But by a twist of fate, this was precisely what made Lu Yang, Zhu Shun, and the other old-timers of Great Xia think highly of him.

Lu Yang asked curiously, “Li Hu, how did you come to that conclusion?”

Li Hu bowed and shook his head. “My lord, I just came back from collecting our military provisions. The Frostwarden realm experts from Bashang and Chuishan have already started causing trouble. The leaders of both towns went over, and a man from Jiangxia named Xiahou Qin had to mediate for a long time before he could persuade them to leave. I watched from the side for a while. When the men from those two towns left, they were clearly still holding a grudge. When multiple parties join forces, the biggest fear is that each has its own agenda. The fighting hasn’t even started, and problems are already cropping up. It will be even worse on the battlefield. No matter how skilled Jiang Yuanlong is, he can’t possibly meld over two thousand people into a cohesive unit. This is just a disorderly mob. On the battlefield, they’ll only be a hindrance. It might even be better for Jiangxia to fight Dajue Temple alone.”

Hearing Li Hu’s words, a smile appeared on Lu Yang’s face. After a moment of thought, he turned to the others and said in a grave tone, “In any case, the outcome of this battle has nothing to do with us. I have only one requirement for you all: stay alive. The lives of Xia people are precious. If you must die, die fighting for Great Xia. I don’t want you to throw your lives away here for nothing. Of course, if you can stir up some conflict among the towns on the battlefield, all the better.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

The lives of Xia people are precious. Hearing these words, everyone’s expression turned solemn. They immediately cupped their fists and replied in unison.

“Heading west from Hongguan, you first pass Longhe, then Jinbi. Fifty kilometers further west is Qinghepu. Beyond Qinghepu is our Great Xia’s outpost in Baiyang. If the battlefield remains here at Hongguan, we won’t have a chance to send a message to Xiacheng. But if the battle moves west…”

Wang Tao shook his head, interrupting Lu Yang. “My lord, you worry too much. Xiacheng already knows about the conflict between Jiangxia and Dajue Temple. How could the Lord not send people to keep an eye on things here? He might even be here himself. I even suspect that among the many secret agents near Hongguan, some of them are our own people from Great Xia.”

Lu Yang was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.

“True. We’re so close, the Lord wouldn’t…”

“Excuse me, is this the barracks for Beishuo’s Eastern Ridge Village?”

Just as Lu Yang was about to speak, he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Hearing the unfamiliar voice outside, everyone in the room stood up warily.

Lu Yang frowned slightly, motioning for everyone to sit down. He then responded in a deep voice, “This is the barracks for Eastern Ridge Village.”

“Han Feng from Jinshan’s Gu Tan Village. I have urgent business and wish to see Lord Lu.”

Han Feng!

Inside the room, the expressions of Wang Tao, Lin Fan, Zhu Shun, and everyone else changed slightly. They shot to their feet with a whoosh.

Lu Yang had seen Han Feng the previous night while they were traveling, but he hadn’t told anyone else in the room. Their strong reaction was purely because they had heard Han Feng’s name.

It was understandable. Han Feng was the son of Han Jiuli, the leader of Hanqiong. He was quite talented and already well-known in Longyou. Wang Tao and the other Frostwarden realm experts from Longyou had naturally heard of him.

The key was that Lu Yang had spent the past three years leading the people of Eastern Ridge to search for Han Feng’s whereabouts. So, everyone in the room knew what was going on, which was why they reacted so strongly.

“Han Feng, he went to Jinshan!”

“We have to get rid of this man.”

“My lord.”

…

“Calm down!”

Lu Yang himself was quite shaken, but he first calmed everyone down before slowly walking to the door and opening it.

Five years ago, Han Feng was not yet thirty when he escaped through the hidden tunnel. He should only be in his early thirties now, which was quite young for his cultivation level.

“Seventeen Mane. His strength is almost on par with mine.”

The moment he opened the door, Lu Yang immediately assessed Han Feng’s strength and invited him inside.

When Han Feng saw Lu Yang, his expression was clearly complicated. Then he saw the others in the room, recognizing many familiar faces from Longyou who were now staring at him with hostility. He took a slight breath and stepped inside.

“Brother Han, you’ve certainly given us a hard time finding you these past few years!”

Lu Yang closed the door behind him. Li Hu and a few other Frostwarden realm experts immediately blocked the entrance. Wang Tao, Lin Fan, and Zhu Shun also stood up, subtly surrounding Han Feng.

“Brother Lu, and all you lords, there is no need for this. Leader Xia showed me kindness back then. I, Han Feng, have come to your door today precisely to avoid any misunderstanding. I will not tell Jinshan Town about Eastern Ridge, nor will I ever reveal your identities.”

Hearing Han Feng’s words, Lu Yang’s expression didn’t change much. He simply stared at him for a moment before saying in a low voice, “Brother Han, you not only know about Eastern Ridge, but you’ve also found out my name. You certainly know a lot!”

Han Feng had knocked on the door asking if it was the Eastern Ridge barracks, and then immediately called him by his surname. He had clearly done a lot of research before coming.

Although he knew that Xia Hong had let Han Feng go on purpose, and that the survivors of the Hanqiong camp were basically all rescued by Xia Hong himself, a debt of gratitude was indeed owed to Han Feng.

But the passage at Eastern Ridge was simply too important!

Moreover, what was the meaning of Han Feng coming to find him on his own initiative today?

Could he be trying to use this to threaten him?

Lu Yang couldn’t take the risk. He stared at Han Feng, still weighing whether he should take a chance here in Hongguan Camp and silence him for good.

Han Feng clearly saw what Lu Yang was thinking. A bitter smile appeared on his face as he quickly said, “Brother Lu, please rest assured. I have come to find you today only to inquire about the whereabouts of my two younger sisters.”

…

Hearing Han Feng’s words, Lu Yang was stunned.

The others’ expressions also tensed. Then, Wang Tao seemed to remember something and frowned slightly. “Your two sisters, are they called Hanyue and Hanshuang?”

A look of joy appeared on Han Feng’s face as he nodded vigorously at Wang Tao.

Hanyue, Hanshuang…

Lu Yang’s expression instantly relaxed. Zhu Shun, Lin Fan, and all the other Frostwarden realm experts in the room also visibly eased up.

Seeing the change in everyone’s demeanor, Han Feng realized they clearly knew his two sisters. He quickly looked up and asked Lu Yang, “Brother Lu, you all know my two sisters?”

“Know them? Your two sisters are celebrities in our Great Xia right now…”

The surname Han was extremely rare. Even with a population of over eight hundred thousand, you couldn’t find many in Great Xia. The most famous ones who fit the description of Han Feng’s sisters were, of course, the Maid Official sisters, Hanyue and Hanshuang, who had long served Lord Xia Hong’s family in Stargazer Hall.

These two were Han Feng’s sisters!

As Lu Yang explained about Hanyue and Hanshuang to Han Feng, his mind began to race with possibilities.

Meanwhile, upon hearing that his two sisters had become Lord Xia Hong’s maids and had even broken through to the Frostwarden realm, Han Feng’s face was filled with joy.

Five years ago, when he led those thousand-plus people away from the Hanqiong encampment, his biggest regret was not being able to bring his two younger sisters. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but that night, Wu Xiong, controlled by the White Dew Aberration, had wreaked havoc throughout the Hanqiong’s Gourd Valley. People were either dead or had fled. He simply couldn’t find his sisters.

For five years, not a day went by that he didn’t live with guilt. This time, when he was summoned by Jinshan Town to reinforce Jiangxia, he recognized Lu Yang along the way. He remembered that five years ago, when Xia Hong let him go in the hidden tunnel, Lu Yang had been standing right behind him.

Coupled with Lu Yang’s reaction at the time, he became even more certain that Great Xia had cleared out that hidden tunnel and had people infiltrating Beishuo Town. So, he gathered his courage and came to Lu Yang to ask.

Now that he had the answer he wanted, and knew that his sisters were not only living well in Great Xia but also had high cultivation, his heart was naturally much lighter.

“Thank you, Brother Lu, for telling me this. Five years ago, I suspected they hadn’t died. In the five years since leaving Longyou through the hidden tunnel, I worried every day that they were not well. Now, I can finally be at ease.”

“You’re too kind, Brother Han. Your sisters aren’t just doing well. Ask these men. In Xiacheng, who doesn’t treat them with respect? Even I often have to ask them for help!”

Wang Tao and the others in the room immediately nodded in agreement.

It had to be said, Hanyue and Hanshuang’s status was indeed rather special. It wasn’t just them; even Director Xia Chuan was quite polite to them.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Han Feng smiled and cupped his fists. Convinced that his sisters were truly doing well, his opinion of the people from Great Xia improved considerably. A hint of difficulty then appeared on his face as he bowed to Lu Yang. “I have an impertinent request, and I hope Brother Lu can grant it.”

Lu Yang had some idea of what Han Feng was about to ask. He immediately stepped forward to help him up, smiling. “We are both from Longyou. Don’t speak of one request; even ten or a hundred, I would surely agree. Please, Brother Han, speak.”

“After this battle in Jiangxia is over and we return north, could I borrow the Eastern Ridge passage to make a trip back to Longyou? I have no other intentions. It has been five years, and I just want to see my two sisters with my own eyes again.”

“Of course. After we return, feel free to come find me at Eastern Ridge…”

Lu Yang agreed readily. He paused as he spoke, his expression gradually growing solemn. “However, this hidden tunnel is of great importance. Can Brother Han promise me that you will not tell anyone else about it?”

Han Feng slapped his chest and said in a deep voice, “Rest assured, Brother Lu. I guarantee that if I speak of the hidden tunnel to anyone else, may my entire Han family die a horrible death, and may I, Han Feng, never break through to the Sun Manifestation realm in this lifetime.”

To make such a venomous oath clearly meant that Han Feng had already realized the great importance of that tunnel to Great Xia. A casual promise would certainly not have been convincing.

“Good! Brother Han is a straightforward man!”

Lu Yang was now truly at ease. He pulled Han Feng aside and talked with him openly for a while before seeing him off.

“This is an unexpected joy. I never thought we had this connection with Han Feng!”

Turning back into the room, Lu Yang’s face was filled with delight.

Zhu Shun couldn’t help but say, “Could it be that the Lord already knew the identities of Hanyue and Hanshuang five years ago, and that’s why he placed them by his side as maids?”

Hearing this, everyone was taken aback, then their faces filled with admiration.

Lu Yang nodded repeatedly. “That must be it. When Han Feng came in, he said he was from Gu Tan Village, so he hasn’t entered the main town. He’s just someone from a village-level camp under Jinshan Town’s jurisdiction. His sense of belonging to Jinshan must not be strong. Once we return to Beishuo, we’ll have him visit Great Xia. With the connection to Hanyue and Hanshuang, it won’t be difficult to persuade him to defect.”

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Although Great Xia had sent Frostwarden realm spies to the other eight towns, how could these temporarily dispatched people compare to Han Feng, who had been in Jinshan Town for over five years? As long as Han Feng defected, they could quickly grasp many details about Jinshan Town, which was much faster than slowly gathering intelligence.

“Now we just wait and see how the battle unfolds. With each passing day, the threat from Dajue Temple grows. Let’s see if this Jiang Yuanlong can actually bring these people from the seven towns to heel!”

Lu Yang turned his head, his gaze fixed on the direction of the main army tent.

…

As it turned out, Jiang Yuanlong’s methods were still somewhat lacking.

The reinforcements from the seven towns had arrived before dawn on October 20th. After daybreak, Jiang Yuanlong summoned the leaders of the seven towns for a meeting. It was unknown what they discussed, but two days later, a new batch of military provisions was distributed.

A hundred and fifty sets of Thousand-forged Armor were transported from Jiangxia’s main town. Among the reinforcements, the Frostwarden realm experts with a base strength of around twenty Mane all exchanged their Hundred-forged Iron Armor for a new set.

Lu Yang was lucky enough to be among them.

After the new equipment was distributed, there was another round of meetings, and again, no one knew what was discussed. In any case, the army still did not move out.

This continued until October 25th, when the Earthforger realm soldiers from the seven towns began to arrive!

The first to arrive was, of course, Bashang Town, being the closest. Then came Chuishan, Longgu, and Yangqu, and finally the three northern towns.

The Earthforger realm armies of the seven towns were massive. Just like with the Frostwarden realm contingent, the three northern towns sent the most, nearly twenty thousand each. The three central towns of Chuishan each sent fifteen thousand. Bashang remained consistent, sending just over ten thousand.

By this calculation, not including Jiangxia’s own people, the Earthforger realm army in Hongguan Camp alone numbered nearly one hundred and twenty thousand.

The seven towns did not arrive at the same time, but in succession. By the time the reinforcements from the most distant Beishuo Town arrived, it was already October 30th.

In ten days, Lu Yang had also gotten a clear picture of the situation in Hongguan Village. Jiangxia Town had stationed fifty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers there. Adding the two thousand Town Guard soldiers in Hongguan Camp, it meant that the total force on Jiangxia’s side was over one hundred and seventy thousand, approaching one hundred and eighty thousand.

An army of this magnitude, even without considering the Frostwarden realm experts, could simply overwhelm Dajue Temple with sheer numbers in a night battle.

However, Jiang Yuanlong still couldn’t get the men from the seven towns under control. He dragged things out until November 5th, and a month and a half passed without the army taking a single step forward.

Jiang Yuanlong summoned the leaders of the seven towns for meetings every day, but after half a month of discussions, the army remained motionless.

Strangely, Dajue Temple also made no move!

Lu Yang was certain that the spies from both sides were on high alert, monitoring each other day and night. If Dajue Temple made a move, Hongguan would surely react.

It was as if both sides had fallen into a bizarre stalemate.

November 15th, inside the Eastern Ridge barracks.

Zhu Shun looked out the window at the quiet camp, his face full of confusion.

“If they just keep dragging this out, Dajue Temple’s chances of winning increase with each passing day. Jiang Yuanlong can’t be unaware of this. If the seven towns won’t cooperate, why doesn’t he report it to his Town Head and have him pressure the other seven towns?”

“How do you know he hasn’t reported it? Maybe the Town Head has already applied pressure, and the seven towns simply aren’t listening.”

“That’s understandable. The seven towns sent reinforcements to help Jiangxia defend against Dajue Temple, not to help them reclaim lost territory. There’s no reason for them to follow Jiang Yuanlong and proactively attack the North Bank of the Heng River.”

“That actually makes sense. If Dajue Temple just stays put, the seven towns would probably be happy about it. From start to finish, Jiangxia is the only one who lost some territory and people. The other seven towns have lost nothing. What do they have to fear?”

“So you’re saying only Jiangxia is anxious right now?”

“Of course. With one hundred and eighty thousand people, just feeding them is a huge expense. Not to mention half of them are equipped with Hundred-forged Iron Armor, and they need healing pills too. If this drags on, Jiangxia will have bled a lot before the war even starts.”

“It’s fine. For a town-level encampment, these resources are manageable. The main issue is that they’re being used on outsiders, so it probably just stings a little.”

…

Hearing the discussion, Lu Yang, at the front, remained silent, but his furrowed brow indicated that he too was filled with confusion.

The delay was indeed too long.

It had been twenty-five days, from the 20th of last month until now.

With one hundred and eighty thousand men, what was there to fear?

If they waited for Dajue Temple to attack during the day, it would be a disaster.

It made him wonder if the Nine Towns had some other plan.

But he was just an ordinary, albeit slightly stronger, Frostwarden realm expert in the allied army. The information he had was extremely limited. He didn’t even know what Jiang Yuanlong and the others were discussing in their daily meetings. How could he deduce the reason for the current stalemate?

“Even if you can endure it, can Dajue Temple?”

Lu Yang’s furrowed brow slowly relaxed. He motioned for the others to continue waiting patiently.

Another five days passed. November 20th. Still, nothing happened.

Time passed day by day.

“All units, assemble by town! Quickly, quickly, quickly!”

Finally, on November 28th, in the latter half of the night, with about three hours left until dawn, the hoarse voice of a messenger finally broke the silence that had hung over Hongguan Camp for forty days.

“All units, assemble by town! Quickly, quickly, quickly!”

“All units, assemble by town! Quickly, quickly, quickly!”

Inside the Eastern Ridge barracks, Lu Yang was the first to don his armor. After everyone else was armored up, he led them out of the barracks.

The entire Hongguan Camp was in an uproar. People poured out of all the barracks. The area for the Earthforger realm soldiers was already descending into chaos. Fortunately, they were quartered among the Frostwarden realm experts, so it wasn’t too disorderly. Lu Yang quickly found the Beishuo contingent and led his men to join them.

“Head Official Gu, what’s the situation?”

“It’s been almost forty days, hasn’t it? Why the sudden assembly?”

“We’re not moving out now, are we?”

…

The men in the Beishuo contingent were as confused as Lu Yang. A few of them directly questioned the Head Official at the front, Gu Tianxiong.

Gu Tianxiong was the deputy commander of the Beishuo contingent this time. He was qualified to enter the main tent with Huang Tianxing, so he probably knew some inside information.

Gu Tianxiong had a cold and arrogant personality and clearly didn’t want to talk. But seeing that many people behind him were asking, he thought for a moment and replied, “A scout from Longhe Village just reported that Dajue Temple’s army has already set out and is marching towards Hongguan. They are expected to reach the pass in less than three hours.”

Dajue Temple had made its move!

Lu Yang’s brow furrowed tightly. He looked up at the sky, noted the position of the moon, and his expression grew heavy.

Longhe Village was a little over twenty kilometers from Hongguan. It would indeed take about three hours for an army of tens of thousands to march that distance. The problem was, there were exactly three hours left until dawn.

“Is Jiang Yuanlong assembling the army now to march into Hongguan Pass and engage Dajue Temple ahead of time, or…”

If they advanced west from Hongguan right now and engaged Dajue Temple before dawn, they would have at least an extra hour.

An hour was definitely enough!

Even if Dajue Temple’s Earthforger force was at most forty thousand, even if they had turned all the Earthforger soldiers from Jinbi and Longhe villages, that would only be seventy thousand. Even with the five thousand monastery monks, it was no match for Jiangxia.

Jiangxia now had a total of nearly one hundred and eighty thousand Earthforger soldiers, along with two thousand-man Town Guard Army companies and three thousand Frostwarden realm experts. On paper, this force was more than enough to crush Dajue Temple.

Of course, that was assuming Dajue Temple couldn’t pull out any more bizarre tricks, and that their eight hundred ordained monks weren’t used.

Lu Yang’s brow twitched as he continued to speculate on Jiang Yuanlong’s likely course of action.

However, he soon had his answer.

The one hundred and eighty thousand men in Hongguan Camp took half an hour to assemble in a panic, and they still hadn’t gotten it right. Arguments had even broken out in some areas, clearly caused by collisions during the assembly.

The phrase “a disorderly mob” now had a concrete image in Lu Yang’s mind.

“There’s no way they can fight. Jiang Yuanlong must be gathering them to retreat!”

If this army of one hundred and eighty thousand were to encounter Dajue Temple’s forces after daybreak, the result was almost unthinkable—a one-sided slaughter.

If they didn’t retreat now, they were doomed.

It took the one hundred and eighty thousand men nearly an hour to finally get assembled. This was the consequence of doing nothing for over forty days, with no training drills whatsoever.

“Beishuo, Wuchuan, and Jinshan’s Earthforger forces will take the lead! Yangqu, Chuishan, Longgu, and Bashang’s Earthforger forces will follow behind! Retreat to the east side of Hongguan Village! Someone will show you the exact destination! Move out now!”

As the army finished assembling, Jiang Yuanlong’s military order rang out from the main tent. Messengers spread the order throughout the camp, and it reached every town’s contingent.

“All Frostwarden realm experts, gather around the main tent!”

As the new order was issued, the Frostwarden realm experts from the seven towns all began to move towards the main tent, Lu Yang and his men among them.

Chapter 370: Evasion and Surprise Attack, Jiangxia’s Complete Victory, Secret Message, Counterattack

Bang!

Lu Yang had arrived at the main tent relatively early. As he drew near, he heard the sound of a table being slammed from within, followed by Jiang Yuanlong’s furious roar.

“Thirty-eight days! You dragged this on for thirty-eight damn days! You bunch of idiots! Now Dajue Temple is taking the initiative to attack. Are you all happy now?”

“Lord Jiang, what’s the rush? Hasn’t Dajue Temple yet to arrive? We have one hundred eighty thousand men. Worst case, we give up Hongguan Pass for now, avoid the brunt of their attack, and regroup at night to take it back. Won’t that suffice?”

“Easier said than done. If we counterattack tomorrow night, will you, Bashang, lead the charge?”

“Hongguan Pass is Jiangxia’s territory. Since when is it Bashang’s turn to lead the charge?”

“You…”

“Lord Jiang, the priority is to withdraw the army. There are only two hours of daylight left. Dajue Temple can’t have gotten very far. As long as we retreat to a safe area, we’ll be fine. What Brother Xiang says makes sense. We’ll cede Hongguan Pass for now and retake it at night.”

“Indeed. We can only give it up for the time being.”

“I, Qin, also agree. We should cede Hongguan Pass.”

…

Jiang Yuanlong was clearly at the peak of his rage. Being contradicted by Xiang Tiancheng had left him so furious he seemed at a loss for words.

But as the leaders of the other six towns spoke up one by one, his anger seemed to slowly subside. The voices inside the tent grew quieter, and Lu Yang and the others outside could no longer hear them.

“The ordinary people and Lumberjack realm cultivators in Hongguan Village have long since been evacuated. Once the one hundred eighty thousand Earthforger realm cultivators withdraw, we’ll be fine. The Frostwarden realm cultivators should have left with them. Why summon us all here?”

“Jiang Yuanlong is furious right now. Who knows what he’s thinking?”

“Hongguan Pass is the gateway to the North Bank of the Heng River. If we just give it up, it’ll be difficult to get back. Jiangxia must be unwilling to let it go, right?”

…

Hearing the discussions around him, Lu Yang turned to look at the main tent, his face filled with confusion.

If the army was retreating, why were Frostwarden realm cultivators like them being gathered?

Unfortunately, he couldn’t hear the conversation inside the tent. No matter how puzzled he felt, Lu Yang could only wait quietly with the other two thousand-plus people.

An hour later, the commanders of the seven towns finally emerged from the main tent.

None of them looked pleased; their expressions were exceptionally grim.

Whoosh…

The last to emerge was Jiang Yuanlong. He flung open the tent flap and strode out, his eyes sweeping over the crowd. “Hongguan Pass is the gateway to the North Bank,” he declared in a low voice. “How can we so easily hand it over to Dajue Temple? All Frostwarden realm cultivators are to assemble immediately outside the west gate of the camp and follow me to Hongguan Pass to engage Dajue Temple.”

Clamor…

As Jiang Yuanlong’s words fell, all the Frostwarden realm cultivators froze, then stared at him with looks of disbelief, as if silently asking if he had gone mad.

One hundred eighty thousand Earthforger realm cultivators, including Jiangxia’s two thousand Town Guard Army soldiers, had all withdrawn. They were supposed to face Dajue Temple with just these three thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators?

However, what happened next left them even more bewildered.

“Men of Beishuo, advance with me!”

“Frostwarden realm cultivators of Yangqu, follow me.”

“Men of Chuishan, stay behind me.”

…

Huang Tianxing, Duan Xing, Qin Yuanhai, and the other commanders of the seven towns’ reinforcements all began ordering their men to follow, leading the way towards the west gate of the camp.

Were they really sending just three thousand men to hold the line?

Though their faces were etched with disbelief, none dared to disobey their commanders’ orders and quickly followed.

Lu Yang led the thirty-one Frostwarden realm cultivators from the Eastern Ridge, following behind Huang Tianxing and Gu Tianxiong. They soon arrived at the west gate.

“Head Official Gu, are we really supposed to face Dajue Temple with just three thousand of us? This is clearly sending us to our deaths, isn’t it?”

“Why would Head of the Academy Huang agree to let Jiangxia send us to die for no reason?”

…

As soon as the group from Beishuo arrived at the west gate, a dozen men rushed out from the ranks and surrounded Huang and Gu, questioning them in low voices.

Beishuo had sent over three hundred men this time, hailing from seven different jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction had a few stronger individuals who held some sway. The Jingxi Jurisdiction had three such people, and Lu Yang was one of them.

Adhering to his principle of keeping a low profile, Lu Yang didn’t voice his questions like the others, but he did move closer, supporting them with his actions.

Faced with their questioning, Huang Tianxing’s expression hardened slightly.

Sensing trouble and worried that Huang Tianxing might anger these men, Gu Tianxiong stepped forward and said to them in a low voice, “Qinghepu’s iron ore output is low, and their forging techniques are poor. Only a small fraction of their Frostwarden realm cultivators are equipped with Thousand-forged Armor. The five thousand Monastery monks from Dajue Temple aren’t even wearing any armor. Military Head Jiang’s plan is for our three thousand-plus men to set up an ambush midway to delay Dajue Temple’s advance. It would be best if we can hold Hongguan Pass until nightfall tomorrow. Even if we can’t, delaying their occupation of the pass will increase our chances of success in our subsequent counterattack at night.”

This explanation brought understanding to the crowd.

Although they were Frostwarden realm cultivators, they were ultimately just foot soldiers with a limited understanding of military intelligence. Despite their efforts to gather information over the past forty days, the key details they had obtained were extremely limited.

For example, they had no idea that the five thousand Monastery monks from Dajue Temple were unarmored, as Gu Tianxiong had just revealed.

Five thousand unarmored Monastery monks, all at the Third Mane level of strength. If their eight towns’ three thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators faced them, they had a high chance of victory, not just in an ambush, but even in a direct confrontation.

The pass at Hongguan was notoriously narrow and easy to defend. Once Dajue Temple completely occupied it, taking it back would indeed be very difficult. It was understandable that Jiang Yuanlong was unwilling to give it up and was now leading them on a proactive strike.

“If I may ask, Head Official Gu, what is the number of Earthforger realm cultivators in Dajue Temple’s army?”

Lu Yang could no longer worry about drawing attention and asked directly.

Three thousand armored Frostwarden realm cultivators against five thousand unarmored Monastery monks was indeed winnable, but that was without factoring in the Earthforger realm soldiers.

A large number of Earthforger realm cultivators could completely turn the tide of battle.

At Lu Yang’s question, everyone else snapped to attention. They all looked up at Gu Tianxiong, waiting for his answer.

“Silence! All of you, shut up! You’ll know the situation when you’re on the battlefield. What’s the use of asking so many questions now? If you’re unwilling to stay, then get lost and go back to Beishuo.”

Unfortunately, before Gu Tianxiong could speak, Huang Tianxing beside him furiously berated Lu Yang and the circle of Frostwarden realm cultivators around him.

The crowd instantly bowed their heads in submission under Huang Tianxing’s wrath.

The Deputy Head of the Academy’s duty was to oversee the seven major jurisdictions within Beishuo. The Frostwarden realm cultivators present were all from various village-level camps within those jurisdictions. They were naturally subordinate to Huang Tianxing and dared not talk back.

As for returning to Beishuo, that was even more out of the question.

Reinforcing Jiangxia was a Town Decree, which meant it was a direct order from the Town Head and the Lord. The consequences of defiance were extremely severe.

Lu Yang, who had borne the brunt of Huang Tianxing’s fury, bowed his head even lower, feigning an expression of utter terror.

“Hmph!”

Seeing the men submit, Huang Tianxing snorted coldly and walked towards Jiang Yuanlong.

Gu Tianxiong looked at the bowed heads of the men, his brow furrowing slightly. He hurried after Huang Tianxing and whispered, “My lord, the town provided no benefits for aiding Jiangxia this time. It’s inevitable that these men are disgruntled. With a great battle imminent, why antagonize them?”

“A bunch of ignorant, cowardly country bumpkins. That’s all they’re capable of thinking about. I’m already stressed enough fighting with Jiang Yuanlong all day. Where would I find the patience to deal with them? Hmph!”

…

“Brother Lu, get up. The town’s administration is getting more and more tyrannical.”

“What’s he so arrogant about? We haven’t received a single thing from the town, yet we were sent here on a Town Decree, rushing over eight hundred kilometers. Now, right before a battle, we’re not even allowed to ask about the military situation. Hmph!”

“I don’t think it’s just Jiangxia Town. Those higher-ups in our own town don’t seem to care about our lives either. I’m not going to die here for nothing.”

“Keep it down!”

After being helped up by Chen Yiqing, Lu Yang’s eyes flickered as he heard the comments from the men beside him, but he didn’t join in. He simply returned to the Eastern Ridge contingent.

“Don’t overthink it. No matter what Jiang Yuanlong does, he will fail. Pass my words down: when the fighting starts, tell the brothers that their only job is to stay alive!”

Wang Tao, Zhu Shun, and Lin Fan nodded immediately and passed the message along.

Just gathering the one hundred eighty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers had taken an hour. Jiang Yuanlong’s discussion with the seven town commanders and the assembly of all the Frostwarden realm cultivators at the west gate had taken another half hour. By that calculation, there was only an hour and a half left until dawn.

“Move out with me!”

Jiang Yuanlong also knew that time was short. Once all three thousand-plus Frostwarden realm cultivators were in position, he wasted no more words and led them striding swiftly towards Hongguan Pass.

With everyone at the Frostwarden realm, their speed was naturally fast. They passed through the Hongguan gorge, entered the North Bank of the Heng River, and raced westward. After about ten kilometers, they quickly reached a narrow, snow-covered forest on the North Bank.

Calling it a snowy forest was a bit of an exaggeration. The area was extremely narrow, no more than three kilometers from north to south, with what looked like only two or three hundred stunted trees.

“Halt! Await orders on the spot!”

Jiang Yuanlong raised a hand to stop the army, looking thoughtfully at the snowy forest.

Suddenly, a figure sped in from the west, coming to a halt before Jiang Yuanlong and saluting. “Reporting to the Military Head, Dajue Temple’s army of eighty thousand has advanced to a point eight kilometers east of Longhe. They are now only two kilometers from our position. Their vanguard has just stopped to wait for the rear guard. It seems a spy has discovered us.”

The three thousand-plus men were still arranged by town. The front rank was naturally Jiangxia’s men, followed by the three northern towns, with the remaining four towns at the rear.

Lu Yang’s position was relatively forward, so he could hear the scout’s report.

Eighty thousand Earthforger realm cultivators!

At the number of enemy troops, not just Lu Yang, but many others felt their pupils constrict.

Dajue Temple had not only turned all the Earthforger realm cultivators from Jinbi and Longhe villages against them, but they had also recruited more men from Qinghepu, managing to amass a full eighty thousand soldiers.

“Less than two kilometers away. Everyone, charge with me!”

After hearing the scout’s report, Jiang Yuanlong pondered for only a moment before raising his sword and giving the order to the men behind him.

He had clearly reached some agreement with the commanders of the seven towns. At his command, no one raised any objections. Huang Tianxing and the other six followed suit, ordering their own men to advance.

As before, Jiangxia’s eight hundred-plus men led the charge, with the remaining two thousand one hundred men from the seven towns following behind. Over three thousand fully armed Frostwarden realm cultivators crossed the snowy forest and sped west along the North Bank.

The further east one went along the North Bank of the Heng River, the narrower the terrain became. At Longhe Village, it was only about four kilometers wide. The area eight kilometers east of Longhe Village was even narrower, likely less than four kilometers across.

In a space less than four kilometers wide, it was impossible for eighty thousand men to fully deploy.

Knowing there were enemies ahead, Dajue Temple’s decision to halt their vanguard and wait for the rear guard to catch up was a wise one.

Jiang Yuanlong’s intention was not hard to discern. He clearly wanted to strike before the enemy’s formation was fully established. Annihilating them was impossible, but disrupting their marching rhythm and dampening their morale seemed perfectly feasible.

Over three thousand men plunged into the snowy forest, racing westward. The two-kilometer distance was covered in an instant, and they soon saw the enemy army, a veritable black cloud, about five hundred meters to the west.

Although it was nighttime, the perennial snow of the Ice Abyss meant it was never completely dark. Furthermore, the extremely low temperatures on the North Bank of the Heng River caused transparent ice to form everywhere, making aight visibility here better than in other areas. As a result, there were hardly any torches in Dajue Temple’s marching column, save for a few in the front rank.

An army of eighty thousand would normally be a shocking sight, but for the men who had just come from Hongguan Camp, it wasn’t particularly impressive. After all, the camp had recently housed a massive army of one hundred eighty thousand.

“Fire!”

Jiang Yuanlong wasted no time. As soon as they entered the two-hundred-meter range, he ordered the men behind him to loose their arrows.

“Fire!”

Swish, swish, swish…

Of course, the same command was issued from the Dajue Temple side.

As the two volleys of arrows flew, the difference in quality was immediately apparent.

Jiangxia’s side had only three thousand-plus Frostwarden realm cultivators. Of those, only the eight hundred men behind Jiang Yuanlong were equipped with powerful bows. The two thousand-plus men from the other seven towns had very few archers among them.

Dajue Temple, on the other hand, had at least forty to fifty thousand archers.

With a disparity of over fifty times, if Jiangxia’s volley could be called a rain of arrows, then Dajue Temple’s was a curtain of them.

The arrows fired by the eight hundred Frostwarden realm cultivators were instantly overwhelmed.

Clang… clang… clang…

But being overwhelmed was not the end.

The arrows from Jiangxia’s side not only broke through the enemy’s dense curtain of arrows but also flew with unerring accuracy towards the enemy’s front ranks. If not for Dajue Temple’s Monastery monks and Qinghepu’s Frostwarden realm cultivators stepping forward in time to block the arrows, that volley would have killed many.

In contrast, Dajue Temple’s arrows, though numerous and mostly hitting their targets, only produced sparks. Not a single arrow managed to injure anyone. Except for the one or two arrows aimed at someone’s eyes, which caused them to flinch, most of the men didn’t even move, standing their ground and enduring the arrow rain.

The eight hundred men behind Jiang Yuanlong fired continuously without pause.

“Jiangxia’s eight hundred men are all equipped with powerful bows with a draw weight of over one Mane, and they’re wearing Thousand-forged Iron Armor. Dajue Temple’s forging techniques are poor; their men wear Hundred-forged Iron Armor, and most of their archers are only at the Earthforger realm. Numbers cannot compensate for this disparity. There’s no comparison in archery.”

Standing in the front rank, Lu Yang used his blade to deflect several iron arrows flying toward his face. He glanced at the quivers on the backs of the eight hundred men behind Jiang Yuanlong and noticed they were nearly empty. His gaze narrowed slightly.

“Kill!”

Jiang Yuanlong was clearly also watching his archers’ quivers. Seeing that most were empty, he drew his longsword, let out a furious roar, and charged directly towards Dajue Temple’s formation.

“Kill!”

Jiangxia’s eight hundred-plus Frostwarden realm cultivators followed close behind. Then came the two thousand one hundred from the seven towns, who, upon their respective commanders’ orders, also charged towards the enemy army.

A distance of two hundred meters was very short for a Frostwarden realm cultivator.

Over three thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators, clad in Thousand-forged Armor and all possessing strength above the First Mane, charged westward in unison. Even though this group was not a regular army but a hastily assembled force from eight towns, the momentum they generated was terrifying.

Whoosh…

The air was stirred by the charging crowd. A fierce wind instantly swept through the snowy forest on the North Bank. Icicles on the trees fell with a rustle, and the frozen ground couldn’t withstand the force generated by the three thousand charging cultivators, cracking and splitting apart.

“Hold them back!”

The one commanding Dajue Temple’s army was still Chief Monk Yan Xin.

He clearly had not expected Jiang Yuanlong to have the audacity to charge preemptively with three thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators. Seeing that a large number of his rear guard had not yet arrived and that his formation was not fully set, a trace of panic entered his voice. In his haste, he could only order the five thousand Monastery monks and Qinghepu’s three hundred-plus Frostwarden realm cultivators to the front.

Boom…

After being cooped up for nearly forty days, whatever the others felt, Jiang Yuanlong and the eight hundred-plus Frostwarden realm cultivators behind him had clearly accumulated a great deal of anger.

After all, only their Jiangxia Town had lost territory, and now it looked as if Hongguan Pass would also be lost tonight. They charged with the greatest ferocity and the strongest killing intent.

Jiang Yuanlong was the only person on Jiangxia’s side not wearing armor, yet he was the first to plunge into the enemy’s front lines. As he reached the formation, his sharp sword was finally unsheathed. Flashes of silver light erupted in the front rank, the cold gleam of the blade instantly forcing back a dozen Monastery monks around him.

Boom…

At the same time, the eight hundred-plus armored Frostwarden realm cultivators behind him crashed into the crowd. It was like a spark igniting a wildfire. They instantly punched a hole in the front rank of the five thousand Monastery monks, then with extreme coordination, began to slaughter their way outwards to either side, constantly widening the breach to make room for the men from the seven towns behind them.

At the very front, Jiang Yuanlong leaned to dodge a crimson monk’s staff striking down at his head. His longsword was originally intended to force back Yan Xin, but a glimpse from the corner of his eye caught an unordained monk drawing closer from the side. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. He suddenly pivoted, his blade twisting with him and slashing to the left.

Pfft…

A single slash to the throat!

A thin line appeared on the Monastery monk’s neck. As a mist of blood spurted out, he collapsed with a look of unwilling resentment in his eyes.

“You wretched creature! How dare you kill a monk from my Monastery! Ahhh! Die!”

To be able to kill someone else while fighting him—Yan Xin was clearly enraged by Jiang Yuanlong. His face had none of its usual calm and benevolence. It was flushed red, his pupils blazing with fire as he madly swung his crimson monk’s staff at Jiang Yuanlong.

Hoo… hoo…

Jiang Yuanlong clearly struggled to deal with the frenzied Chief Monk Yan Xin. Realizing Yan Xin’s base strength was greater than his own and knowing that they wouldn’t be able to settle the fight quickly, he glanced around. Seeing his side advancing triumphantly, he roared at his men, “Brothers! The Demon Temple of Dajue has killed our sons of Jiangxia and seized our lands! Even if we die today, we must rip a few layers of skin off them! Kill!”

“Kill!”

“Slaughter these damn traitors who bite the hand that feeds them!”

“Unordained monks! I’ll make you unordained dead monks!”

“You dare to come to battle without armor? You’re courting death!”

…

Jiang Yuanlong was clearly skilled at leading troops. His furious roar not only fired up the eight hundred Jiangxia men behind him but also infected a few of the blood-crazed soldiers from the seven towns. Their morale instantly soared, and they charged forward with renewed vigor.

“The difference between having armor and not having it is just too great!”

In the midst of the crowd, Lu Yang flicked two unordained monks away with his sword and quickly scanned the entire battlefield. Seeing Dajue Temple’s forces retreating step by step, he couldn’t help but sigh in his heart.

While Jiang Yuanlong’s words had certainly contributed to the high morale, the more fundamental reason was Jiangxia’s overwhelming momentum.

Protected by Thousand-forged Armor, the three thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators moved as if through an empty land. Even if they were hit occasionally, they wouldn’t suffer any fatal injuries. In contrast, the Monastery monks on Dajue Temple’s side, lacking any protective gear, would suffer a fatal wound from a single careless mistake, or even die if they encountered a stronger opponent.

In just over an hour, their three thousand men had forcefully broken through the front rank of Monastery monks and plunged into the Earthforger realm formation behind them.

The weapons used by Frostwarden realm cultivators were almost all of thousand-forged grade.

Lu Yang even possessed a ten-thousand-forged grade Frost Wing Sword, though he certainly wouldn’t dare bring such a conspicuous weapon here. The one he was currently using was just an ordinary ten-thousand-forged grade longsword.

Hundred-forged Armor could at best defend against an Earthforger at their limit. Against even the most ordinary Frostwarden realm cultivator, they could smash the armor to pieces with their bare fists.

So when the three thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators charged into the ranks of Dajue Temple’s Earthforger realm soldiers, it was practically a one-sided slaughter.

Splurt…

Perhaps out of rage for the betrayal of Jinbi and Longhe villages, Jiangxia’s eight hundred-plus Frostwarden realm cultivators fought the most fiercely. Although the men from the other seven towns followed them in, most of them merely guarded the flanks, preventing the Monastery monks and Qinghepu’s Frostwarden realm cultivators from surrounding them.

“Flank them! Surround them!”

Seeing the three thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators pushing deeper and deeper, Yan Xin finally came to his senses. Their advantage was in numbers. As long as they could encircle these three thousand men, they could achieve a great victory, even if it meant sacrificing lives to do so.

So, while still fighting Jiang Yuanlong, he issued commands to the battlefield.

“Lord Jiang, we can’t hold on!”

“These five Chief Monks are too strong. If we keep fighting, we’ll all die here.”

“That’s about enough.”

“We should quit while we’re ahead. Any later and it’ll be too late to retreat!”

The moment Yan Xin spoke, the commanders of the other seven towns reacted. The seven of them were currently engaged with Dajue Temple’s other four Chief Monks. From the sound of their voices, it was clear that they were all under immense pressure.

This was especially true for Huang Tianxing, who spoke last. The other six were fighting two against one, but he alone was facing Chief Monk Heiyan. He had already sustained several cuts and clearly didn’t want to continue the fight.

“Retreat!”

The words from the seven town commanders were like letting the air out of a balloon. Although Jiang Yuanlong was exceptionally furious, he sensed Dajue Temple’s intent to encircle them and knew they could not continue fighting. He decisively ordered a retreat.

“Retreat? In your dreams!”

How could Yan Xin possibly give them that chance? He roared, and the Monastery monks and Qinghepu’s Frostwarden realm cultivators, who had been pushed back to the north and south, instantly converged from the east, attempting to close the gap and completely cut off the retreat path for Jiangxia’s forces.

“Fall back!”

Lu Yang, who had long since noticed that Jiangxia’s forces were too deep, was positioned on the easternmost side with the Eastern Ridge contingent. Seeing the enemy closing in from the north and south, he immediately signaled his men to flee first while he stayed behind to cover their retreat.

Whoosh…

A large saber suddenly struck from behind. Lu Yang’s eyebrows shot up, and he twisted his right hand behind his back to block with his sword held vertically.

Clang…

“He pulled back?”

The instant the saber and longsword collided, Lu Yang sensed that the person ambushing him had pulled their strength at the last moment. He was stunned. Just as he was about to turn his head to look, a paper ball suddenly flew from behind into his palm.

Lu Yang gripped the paper ball and continued to retreat eastward without a change in expression.

Yan Xin’s attempt at encirclement ultimately ended in failure.

Although the seven towns’ reinforcement armies were loosely organized, the success of this surprise attack was ironically due to that very looseness.

Jiangxia Town’s eight hundred men had charged ferociously, but under Jiang Yuanlong’s command, they had not completely lost their heads and had always controlled their depth of penetration.

The reinforcements from the seven towns behind them had little will to fight to the death. After charging in with Jiang Yuanlong, their first priority was to secure a retreat path, so they never gave Dajue Temple an opportunity to surround them.

Thus, the moment Jiang Yuanlong gave the order to retreat, the men from the seven towns immediately cleared a path. The group of Frostwarden realm cultivators from Jiangxia Town met with almost no resistance and simply turned around to retreat eastward along the same path.

“Ahhh! You thieves of the Nine Towns! Jiang Yuanlong, I will kill you!”

All that remained was a ground littered with the corpses of Dajue Temple’s monks and soldiers. Including the seriously wounded, their casualties were estimated to be over ten thousand.

Chief Monk Yan Xin was clearly enraged to his core. He turned to see that Jiang Yuanlong and his men had long since fled, and he was so furious he was about to jump up and down.

Of course, the Nine Towns had also suffered some casualties, but a look at the ground showed that it was likely less than two hundred men—a negligible number compared to Dajue Temple’s losses.

This engagement was clearly a victory for the Nine Towns.

After a long while, Yan Xin finally calmed down. He looked down at the bodies on the ground, then surveyed the remaining army and ordered grimly, “Quickly collect the bodies and regroup! Continue advancing on Hongguan Pass! Dawn is in half an hour. We will occupy Hongguan Pass first. I’d like to see if they dare to attack during the day!”

“Yes!”

…

“If Dajue Temple wants to occupy Hongguan Pass, let them. Return to Hongguan Camp. We are not retreating. We will watch them from the camp to prevent them from causing any trouble in the pass!”

The great victory was an exceptional morale booster. On the way back, Jiang Yuanlong and the men of Jiangxia were all in high spirits. Once outside Hongguan Pass, Jiang Yuanlong directly ordered everyone not to withdraw but to remain in Hongguan Camp.

Hongguan was a pass, and Hongguan Camp was a military barracks located about a kilometer east of the pass, to the west of Hongguan Village. Though close, they were not the same place.

Normally, one would never station troops so close to the enemy.

But everyone present was a Frostwarden realm cultivator. If there was any sign of trouble, they could retreat in time. Moreover, the battle in the snowy forest had already proven that although Dajue Temple seemed numerous, they were no match in a real fight. Unless they were completely surrounded by the enemy, Dajue Temple could do nothing to them.

So when Jiang Yuanlong spoke, almost no one objected.

“Hahaha, I killed at least twenty of those gray-robed monks.”

“I killed over a dozen too! So satisfying!”

“I killed fewer monks, but I took down over a hundred Earthforger realm soldiers.”

“I killed more than a hundred of them.”

“Hahaha, they’re just a disorderly mob. As long as we fight at night, we have nothing to fear.”

…

Even after returning to Hongguan Camp, the men of Jiangxia were still excited, boasting about their achievements.

A smile hung on Jiang Yuanlong’s face as well. He turned to look at the men from the seven towns and said with a smile and a salute, “It is all thanks to everyone for guarding our rear just now. Otherwise, if we had been surrounded by Dajue Temple, the odds would have been against us.”

Huang Tianxing and the commanders of the six towns stiffened slightly upon hearing this. Jiang Yuanlong’s words were clearly mocking them for not putting in any effort and keeping an eye on their escape route the whole time. How could they not understand?

Clearly, Jiang Yuanlong had exploited the fact that the men from the seven towns would not fight to the death to deliberately plan this surprise attack. Although the attack was successful, realizing they had been used did not sit well with them.

Xiang Tiancheng was the most displeased. With a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he said, “Deputy Military Head Jiang is truly resourceful. I am impressed. But in the end, Hongguan Pass was still lost, wasn’t it?”

“Hmph! This battle has cost the enemy over ten thousand men, and many of Dajue Temple’s Monastery monks are dead or wounded. All that’s left are seventy thousand Earthforger realm soldiers. What does it matter if we let them have a mere Hongguan Pass for now? Jiang Yuanhua, Xiahou Qin.”

“This subordinate is here.”

“This subordinate is here.”

Nettled by Xiang Tiancheng’s remark, Jiang Yuanlong snorted coldly at him before calling out two of his subordinates from the crowd. “Go and inform Zhou Shiyan to lead his men back to the camp immediately after nightfall. Tonight, not only will we retake Hongguan Pass, but we will also reclaim Jinbi and Longhe villages!”

“This subordinate obeys!”

The two subordinates answered in unison and then sped off to the east.

Jiang Yuanlong then turned to the men of the seven towns and continued, “It is almost dawn. There are only two hours of daylight. The enemy is expected to reach Hongguan Pass in another hour. Each of our eight towns will provide fifty men to keep watch on the pass and guard against any daytime incursions from Dajue Temple. Does anyone have any objections?”

The plan to counterattack Hongguan Pass after nightfall had been set. The men from the seven towns naturally had no objections and nodded in agreement.

The Eastern Ridge was lucky enough not to be picked by Gu Tianxiong for sentry duty. As soon as the crowd dispersed, Lu Yang immediately led his thirty-one men back to their barracks.

“This great victory is truly a morale booster!”

“Damn, after being cooped up for nearly forty days, those Jiangxia guys are really fierce.”

“The key is the difference in armor. Qinghepu is made up of village-level camps, and Dajue Temple isn’t skilled in smithing. They stand no chance against Thousand-forged Armor.”

“True, Dajue Temple has pitifully few suits of Thousand-forged Armor.”

“For the counterattack after nightfall, with one hundred eighty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers, two thousand Town Guard troops, plus our three thousand-plus men, Jiangxia should have no problem retaking Hongguan Pass.”

“We won’t be able to take it back!”

Inside the barracks, as Lu Yang spoke this last sentence, the discussion among the Great Xia contingent came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone looked up at Lu Yang, their faces full of confusion.

Lu Yang said nothing, simply handing the slip of paper in his hand to Wang Tao beside him.

Wang Tao opened the slip, and his pupils contracted sharply upon seeing the words written on it.

[Feigned defeat—Xiang Liang]

There were only four words on the slip, or rather, only two words of message.

The name below, Xiang Liang, was the signature.

“Xiang Liang… is he the spy who infiltrated Hexia Village with Bai Shanqiu?”

Wang Tao passed the slip to Zhu Shun, immediately recalling who Xiang Liang was.

The Eastern Ridge and Xiacheng shared intelligence, and Lu Yang liked to discuss matters with Wang Tao and the others, so he knew about the two spies in Hexia Village.

Lu Yang nodded grimly. “That’s him. This Xiang Liang was integrated into our camp from the northern side of Wuyuan Mountain in the second year of Great Xia. He has seen me before. He must have recognized me on the battlefield just now and passed me this message in haste.”

If the man was reliable, then the information was most likely reliable as well.

“Feigned defeat?”

Wang Tao repeated the words from the note, his brow tightly furrowed. A look of incredulity crossed his face as he continued, “Dajue Temple lost nearly ten thousand men in this battle. Even if they were deliberately losing to Jiangxia, there’s no need to sacrifice so many lives, is there?”

“You’re treating Dajue Temple as if they’re human!”

Lu Yang turned to look at Wang Tao and offered a soft reminder.

Wang Tao was taken aback for a moment, then immediately understood.

That’s right!

Dajue Temple was a force controlled by anomalies. They couldn’t be judged by common sense. In their eyes, human lives were worthless.

“What Dajue Temple wants are six-year-old children. Expanding their territory, controlling more villages, and gathering a larger population are how they achieve this goal. Using these ten thousand lives to lure Jiang Yuanlong into a counterattack on Hongguan Pass—if they can truly crush the Nine Towns’ Allied Army in one fell swoop, it’s a guaranteed profitable venture!”

As Zhu Shun finished speaking, the expressions of everyone in the room changed.

“If that’s true, then the Nine Towns are in for a huge loss this time.”

After speaking in a low voice, Lu Yang turned to look at the group. “When we counterattack Hongguan Pass after nightfall, do not get close to those monks from Dajue Temple. I suspect they have other strange methods. Be careful not to fall into their trap.”

“Understood, my lord!”

After warning everyone, Lu Yang shook his head and said coldly, “This Dajue Temple is truly ambitious. I thought this war would drag on for a long time, but they’re actually using over ten thousand men as bait. Jiang Yuanlong and his lot are currently drunk on victory and already planning the night’s counterattack. If they are defeated tonight, not only will Hongguan Pass be lost, but a large swathe of territory to the east of it will be in jeopardy. Tell me, do you think the other seven towns will be willing to send troops to support Jiangxia again?”

Almost without thinking, everyone shook their heads.

Of course not!

That was the answer in Lu Yang’s heart as well.

His expression suddenly became excited.

“The Lord must have been keeping an eye on the war here. If the seven towns abandon Jiangxia, wouldn’t that be the perfect opportunity for our Great Xia to intervene on the North Bank?”

He mused for a moment, then quickly shook his head again.

“No, no, the Lord definitely has more information than I do. It’s useless for me to guess blindly. Continuing my work and gathering more details about the Nine Towns is my most important task.”

Lu Yang dismissed the thoughts from his mind. He looked out at the ever-brightening sky and closed his eyes to rest along with the others, quietly awaiting the arrival of night.

The daytime lasted only two hours. When nothing was happening, it passed in a flash.

The sky quickly darkened, but there was still no sound from outside the barracks. With no one calling for them, Lu Yang was happy for the peace and quiet, leading his men to continue conserving their strength. After all, there was a battle to be fought at night.

About two hours after nightfall, a commotion gradually began to build outside the barracks. Lu Yang shot up from his bed and opened the window to look outside.

“They’re here. The one hundred eighty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers have all returned. We should be called to assemble soon. Get ready!”

Hearing this, everyone immediately got up and donned their armor.

“Men of the seven towns, assemble quickly at the main tent.”

“Men of the seven towns, assemble quickly at the main tent.”

…

As the messenger’s shouts rang out, Lu Yang led his prepared men out of the barracks and towards the main tent.

The once-empty camp was now filled with people. Clearly, the one hundred eighty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers who had left before dawn had all returned.

“They’ll probably rest for a bit, but not for long. Jiang Yuanlong not only wants to retake Hongguan Pass tonight, but also Jinbi and Longhe. The counterattack will begin in no more than an hour!”

Lu Yang calculated in his mind as he quickly arrived at the main tent.

“Those two thousand must be Jiangxia’s Town Guard Army! They’re quite strong.”

Unlike the slightly empty main tent of the previous day, tonight, two thousand soldiers were standing guard at the entrance. Each soldier was equipped with a bow and clad in Thousand-forged Iron Armor. The lowest cultivation among them was the Earthforger limit, and there were even many Frostwarden realm cultivators mixed in. They stood motionlessly with stern expressions, their eyes fixed forward. Their肅殺 aura of grim lethality alone surpassed even that of their own contingent of Frostwarden realm cultivators.

“My Dongyang Squad should be about ready to be officially recognized as an army. Once I return to the Eastern Ridge, I must bring this up with Xiacheng.”

Looking at the army, a trace of envy appeared in Lu Yang’s eyes.

Great Xia now had eleven armies. By rights, his Dongyang Squad should be ready as well, but he had been busy with Eastern Ridge affairs for the past few years and hadn’t had the chance to bring it up with Xia Chuan. Seeing Jiangxia’s Town Guard Army now naturally made him feel a little eager.

“A proper army is something else. They’re just pleasing to the eye!”

“Jiangxia Town is finally bringing out its real assets. It wasn’t a complete waste for our seven towns to come all this way to support them.”

“It’s normal for them to invest heavily in the Hongguan gorge.”

…

Hearing the discussions of the people around him, Lu Yang’s gaze flickered as he looked towards the main tent.

The counterattack was about to begin!

Chapter 371: The Battle of Hongguan Pass, Zenith Gold Powder and the Six Paths Vajra Mantra, the Shortsighted and Foolish People of the Eight Towns

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 131, November 29th, First Half of the Night

“Advance on Hongguan Pass!”

Beyond Lu Yang’s expectations, after the one hundred eighty thousand Earthforger realm cultivators returned to the main camp, Jiang Yuanlong gave them more than an hour to rest. By the time they reassembled and were ordered to march on Hongguan Pass, the first half of the night was already mostly over.

The one hundred eighty thousand Earthforgers set out from the camp’s north and south gates, heading straight for Hongguan Pass.

“There are still more than six hours until daybreak, so we definitely have enough time! Zhou Shiyan will lead the southern army, and Lu Hong will lead the northern army. From one kilometer out, the main force will approach Hongguan Pass directly in battle formation. No matter what tricks Dajue Temple has up its sleeve, they’ll be useless!”

Jiang Yuanlong stood outside the west gate, watching as more than ten thousand men from both the northern and southern forces marched out. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to face the two thousand Town Guard soldiers behind him and declared loudly, “If Hongguan Pass does not fall tonight, we will not return!”

Shua…

The two thousand Town Guard soldiers, standing ramrod straight, all raised their weapons in unison and roared, “If Hongguan does not fall, we will not return!”

Generally, a regular army standardizes its soldiers’ weapons to facilitate manufacturing and improve coordination on the battlefield. Jiangxia Town, however, had not done so; the soldiers wielded a motley assortment of weapons.

Even so, the thunderous roar of two thousand men shouting in unison was enough to shake the entire camp. Not only did the more than two thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators on the army’s flanks take notice, but many of the Earthforgers marching toward the north and south gates also couldn’t help but glance over.

“Move out!”

At Jiang Yuanlong’s command, he was the first to stride out of the west gate. Following closely behind were over three hundred Frostwarden realm cultivators from Jiangxia, then the two thousand Town Guard soldiers. On the flanks of the Town Guard were the remaining reinforcements from the seven towns, now numbering less than two thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators.

The surprise attack in the snowy forest last night had resulted in about two hundred casualties, with Jiangxia and the seven towns each losing over a hundred men. Of Jiangxia’s eight hundred Frostwarden realm cultivators, more than half were originally from the Town Guard and had now returned to their ranks, which was why only three hundred-odd men followed Jiang Yuanlong.

One hundred eighty thousand Earthforgers, twenty-three hundred Frostwardens, and two companies of Jiangxia’s Town Guard Army maintained their battle formations throughout the march, reaching the Hongguan pass in just half an hour.

“Hmph, so you know to turtle up!” Jiang Yuanlong sneered as soon as he reached the pass.

The Hongguan pass, barely two kilometers wide from north to south, was now devoid of a single soul on its eastern side. Dajue Temple’s seventy-thousand-strong army was packed tightly on the inner side of the pass, facing east, ready for battle.

An army of one hundred eighty thousand Earthforgers, even if not a professional force, could create an oppressive, cloud-like presence just by standing still. It was nighttime, and the eastern approach had few trees. From inside Hongguan Pass, the view was a solid, pressing wall of black, emanating an overwhelming sense of dread.

“Yan Xin, retreat from Hongguan Pass! Return Longhe and Jinbi villages, and withdraw your entire army to Qinghepu! Do this, and you can avoid great suffering and devastation tonight!”

Jiang Yuanlong was likely a general skilled in psychological warfare. Recognizing the immense pressure his army could exert on the enemy, he did not immediately order an attack. Instead, he waited a full ten minutes before projecting his voice, bolstered by his vital energy, toward the inner pass.

“The Nine Towns set fire to Qinghe Village without cause, injuring countless people. Dajue Temple fights this battle only to seek justice for the innocents who died wrongfully in that fire! Taught by the Master’s earnest words, is there anyone in Qinghepu who does not take pride in performing good deeds and accumulating merit? We never provoke trouble. If not for the Nine Towns bullying us so excessively, would there be a battle today?”

On the other side, Yan Xin also stepped forward. His words were no less sharp. His impassioned speech not only effectively countered Jiang Yuanlong but also significantly boosted his own side’s morale. The garrison soldiers inside the pass, upon hearing his words, grew visibly enraged.

“You kill my sons, occupy my territory, and slaughter children without restraint! Your actions are clearly those of anomalies! No matter how grandiose your excuses, you cannot change these facts. Dajue Temple is a demonic place that bewitches the people and deceives the world! How can Jiangxia tolerate you? Archers, loose!”

Swish swish swish…

“Loose!”

Just as Jiang Yuanlong shouted the order, Yan Xin gave the same command almost simultaneously.

One side fired east from within the pass, the other west from without. Two volleys of arrows flew out in unison, and the archery duel began.

The pass was less than two kilometers from north to south. All one hundred eighty thousand men who carried a bow were now at the front, numbering about one-third of the total force. Their volley formed a black curtain of arrows that instantly engulfed the pass.

Dajue Temple had only seventy thousand Earthforgers, and even fewer were archers—only about twenty thousand. Thus, when the two armies’ archers clashed, the situation was the complete opposite of the battle in the snowy forest last night.

The curtain of arrows from Jiangxia’s side completely overwhelmed Dajue Temple’s volley.

Puchi… puchi…

“Aaargh…”

Not only did they overwhelm them, but the arrows from Jiangxia’s side were also clearly more powerful.

This was evident from the cries of pain from both sides. Very few on Jiangxia’s side screamed when hit, while the cries from Dajue Temple’s ranks grew denser and denser, their front lines even beginning to waver.

“Front rank, drop your bows and raise your shields! Hold the line! Rear rank, keep firing!”

Yan Xin’s command further confirmed this. Qinghepu’s forging techniques were shoddy, not just for their armor but for their bows and arrows as well.

Moreover, none of the Monastery monks on Dajue Temple’s side carried bows. Among the remaining Frostwarden realm cultivators from the three villages and eighteen families, very few used them. How could they compare to Jiangxia’s side, which had over eight hundred Frostwarden archers?

Factoring in the two thousand Town Guard soldiers, all equipped with powerful bows with a draw weight of thirty Stone or more, the outcome of this archery duel was never in doubt.

Of course, although Jiangxia’s archers had the upper hand, the moment Yan Xin ordered the front rank to raise shields, it was destined that their gains would be limited.

No matter how many arrows flew, the vast majority were still fired by Earthforger realm cultivators. Their overall power was bound to be limited. Moreover, the pass was narrow, and once the front rank raised their shields, the effect was minimal.

Apart from creating some chaos and the arrows from some Frostwarden realm cultivators managing to inflict effective damage, they achieved little else.

“The Town Guard will follow this Military Head and lead the charge! The reinforcements from the seven towns will cover the wings! Zhou Shiyan, Lu Hong, lead the rear guard and charge with me! We will break Hongguan Pass!”

It was impossible to retake Hongguan Pass with archery alone, a fact Jiang Yuanlong was well aware of. Therefore, when he saw that his soldiers’ quivers were nearly empty, he gave the order to charge.

As his voice fell, he was the first to lead the charge toward the western pass.

At that moment, the army on the eastern side of the pass was clearly divided. In the center was the force he personally led: two thousand Town Guard soldiers and all the Frostwarden realm cultivators from the eight towns. To the south were Zhou Shiyan’s ninety thousand men, and to the north, Lu Hong’s ninety thousand.

With Jiang Yuanlong’s command, everyone moved.

The first to react were the Town Guard soldiers behind him, followed by the Frostwarden realm cultivators from the seven towns on their flanks, and then the armies to the north and south. The three forces charged simultaneously, stampeding toward the Hongguan pass.

“Retake Hongguan Pass!”

“Kill!”

“Slaughter these evil wretches from the demonic temple!”

“Brothers, kill!”

In an instant, the eastern side of the pass was filled with roars. The overwhelming tide of people caused the earth to tremble. The cold glint and afterimages of sabers, spears, swords, and halberds seemed to illuminate the entire area outside the pass. Everyone’s face was flushed red as they charged toward the enemy soldiers within.

Rumble… rumble…

Swoosh…

Jiang Yuanlong led from the front, the first to reach the enemy lines. He swung his sword, creating a silver blade of light dozens of meters long that sliced through the front rank of Monastery monks who hadn’t had time to lower their shields, plunging straight into the crowd.

The two thousand Town Guard soldiers followed close behind, like the tip of a spear, piercing into the core of the enemy formation. Their weapons tore through the crowd, instantly carving a great breach over a hundred meters wide.

The Frostwarden realm cultivators from the seven towns quickly filled the gap, securing the flanks and rapidly widening the breach to make room for the army behind them.

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

Zhou Shiyan and Lu Hong roared. The front rank of Earthforgers from the north and south also plunged into the fray from the edges of the pass.

The slaughter had begun!

Clang… clang… puchi… crack…

“Ah!”

“Kill them…”

The clang of colliding blades, the sound of flesh being rent and bone shattered, and the agonized cries of soldiers that accompanied them instantly filled the air inside and outside the pass.

One side defended desperately; the other attacked fiercely. At this point, neither had a way out.

The attacking side had too many soldiers—a full one hundred eighty thousand. Even if the men at the front wanted to retreat, they couldn’t. The ranks behind them were still surging forward relentlessly. They had no choice but to push onward.

“Push forward! They can’t hold!”

Jiang Yuanlong had already penetrated two hundred meters into the pass. Seeing his army advance triumphantly, his face was filled with excitement. He cleaved through Chief Monk Yan Xin, who stood before him, and roared at the Town Guard behind him.

“Brothers, the Military Head has broken into the pass! If not now, when do we charge?!”

“Charge!”

Hearing Jiang Yuanlong’s voice, the Town Guard soldiers let out another wave of roars, their forward momentum growing even stronger.

As expected of a regular army, the Town Guard was practically crushing the enemy. In just over a hundred breaths, they followed Jiang Yuanlong and drove deep into the heart of the pass. The Frostwarden realm cultivators from the seven towns on their flanks also charged in.

Once they broke through, the space for the Earthforgers to charge grew larger and larger. In a short while, a quarter of the one hundred eighty thousand men had poured into the pass, and with more troops still surging in from behind, they continuously squeezed the space inside.

“Hold your ground! Don’t retreat! We can’t let them take the pass!”

It was unclear how many Monastery monks were left after the battle in the snowy forest, but it no longer mattered. Even if all five thousand monks were still present, they couldn’t withstand Jiangxia’s charge. It was inevitable.

Jiangxia’s side simply had too many men.

Almost three times as many as Dajue Temple!

Not to mention the two companies of Town Guard soldiers whose combat strength was overwhelming.

So, no matter how loudly Yan Xin shouted, he couldn’t change the fact that Dajue Temple’s forces were steadily being pushed back.

“Hahahaha, you were so arrogant, taking two villages in a single day, weren’t you?”

“A disorderly mob trying to fight Jiangxia? In your dreams!”

“Evil wretches of the demonic temple, die!”

“Brothers, keep pushing in and take the entire pass!”

The two thousand Town Guard soldiers, all clad in Thousand-forged Armor, displayed a combat prowess even greater than the reinforcements from the seven towns when charging together. Following Jiang Yuanlong, they advanced triumphantly, penetrating the deepest into the enemy lines. Everywhere they passed, bodies littered the ground. Dajue Temple’s garrison force simply couldn’t stop them.

The enemy’s retreat only fueled their fervor. They continuously shouted for everyone to keep pushing forward, sticking close to Jiang Yuanlong. Not just the Frostwarden realm cultivators of Qinghepu, but even the thousands of Monastery monks were forced back, compelled to retreat to the north and south flanks.

Jiang Yuanlong apparently felt they weren’t moving fast enough. Looking at the reinforcements from the seven towns on the Town Guard’s flanks, he suddenly bellowed, “Reinforcements of the seven towns, listen up! In this battle, the top one hundred soldiers with the highest kill count will each be rewarded with a Dragon Carp Pill! The top ten will receive five each! We have battle supervisors in the army, and I, Jiang, am a man of my word! You can come find me after the battle!”

Shua…

The nearly two thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators from the seven towns instantly looked over at his words. Not just the ordinary cultivators, but even the seven reinforcement commanders like Huang Tianxing and Qin Yuanhai couldn’t help but feel their pupils tremble.

“Good! Lord Jiang keeps his word! Then I, Huang, will fight this battle for Jiangxia!”

“Deputy Military Head Jiang is generous! I, Qin, will remember this!”

“Brothers, since Jiangxia is willing to offer the real deal, what more is there to say?”

“Forward! Break Hongguan Pass!”

Great rewards bring forth brave men.

If orchestrating the surprise attack in the snowy forest by exploiting the seven towns reinforcements’ unwillingness to fight to the death only proved Jiang Yuanlong was a competent general, then at this moment, being able to ignite their fighting spirit with a single sentence on the battlefield was enough to prove he deserved to be called outstanding.

Even commanders like Huang Tianxing were so stirred, let alone the ordinary Frostwarden realm cultivators from the seven towns. Now, it wasn’t just the Town Guard; they too acted as if injected with chicken blood, charging madly into the depths of the pass.

The signs of Dajue Temple’s defeat became even more apparent.

“My lord, something’s not right! Those Monastery monks are infiltrating the crowd and moving toward the outside of the pass! Not just one or two, but all of them!”

The reinforcements from the seven towns were on the eastern side, closer to the rear. Wang Tao cleaved through two enemy Earthforger soldiers and quickly spoke to Lu Yang behind him. The battlefield, with over two hundred thousand people, was already a chaotic din, so he didn’t need to lower his voice.

“I noticed it long ago. Zhu Shun, Lin Fan, go tell everyone to move toward the outer edge with me! Dajue Temple has a backup plan. They’re letting us take the pass on purpose!”

While Wang Tao was observing, so was Lu Yang. He had intentionally kept his men at the rear the entire time, his gaze never leaving the Monastery monks. He had long since discovered that the thousands of monks, while seemingly under siege, were actually frantically weaving through the crowd toward the eastern side of the pass. Some were even willing to take several slashes just to sprint in that direction.

Something was fishy. Definitely fishy!

After telling Zhu Shun and Lin Fan to inform the thirty-one men from Eastern Ridge, Lu Yang turned to look at the people of Jiangxia beside him who were already lost in a bloodlust. His heart lurched. He then scanned the area outside the eastern pass and saw that only twenty to thirty thousand men were left, blocked from entering by the people in the opening. He instantly realized what was happening.

“They’re trying to trap an enemy! Once all one hundred eighty thousand of us are inside, it’ll be hard to escape through this small opening!”

For the Hongguan pass, which was less than two kilometers wide, one hundred eighty thousand people was far too many. Even if they stood in a single file line, one person per meter, it would hold at most two thousand people. One hundred eighty thousand people could form over a hundred of such long lines. It was impossible for them to all surge in at once.

Right now, there was almost no empty space within the pass. The twenty to thirty thousand men outside didn’t want to stay out; they simply couldn’t squeeze in, or rather, their entry was extremely slow. They could only advance into the battlefield when space opened up inside.

And creating that space depended on the people on the inner, western side of the pass.

The most crucial among them, of course, were Jiang Yuanlong, who was fighting most fiercely at the front, the two thousand Town Guard soldiers behind him, and the two thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators.

The deeper they pushed, the more the battlefield would shift west, creating more empty space and allowing the troops outside to enter faster.

Lu Yang led the thirty-one men from Eastern Ridge, continuously falling back through the battlefield until they were only about a hundred meters from the pass opening.

“Stop retreating! The battle overseers are right behind us. If we fall back any further, we’ll be exposed!”

Hearing Lu Yang’s words, everyone immediately stopped retreating and began engaging the enemy soldiers around them, the thirty-plus men trying to stick together.

Jiangxia’s army did have battle overseers, numbering around five hundred, and they were personally led by Zhou Shiyan and Lu Hong. They were currently urging the last twenty thousand-plus Earthforgers on the perimeter to enter the pass and join the fight.

“They’re just urging them to their deaths! Trapping an enemy… you still need to be able to close the door. What other tricks does Dajue Temple have up its sleeve…?”

Lu Yang watched as more and more Monastery monks approached the eastern side of the pass, roughly estimating their number to be nearly a thousand. A hint of curiosity appeared in his eyes.

Two hours had passed since the battle began. It was now officially the second half of the night. There were probably four hours left until dawn. For Jiangxia’s side, time was certainly plentiful.

Inside the pass, there were at least twenty thousand corpses on the ground. Everyone had to fight while standing on them. When Frostwarden realm cultivators fought, they would even send bodies flying. The scene within the pass could perfectly be described with the words: bodies littering the ground, severed limbs flying everywhere.

With careful observation, one could still see that most of the corpses on the ground belonged to Dajue Temple’s soldiers, which was consistent with their current溃败.

“Dajue Temple only has seventy thousand men in total, and their casualty rate is already over twenty percent, yet they haven’t collapsed. This demonic temple is truly skilled at bewitching people!”

Lu Yang looked at the Qinghepu army, which was still fighting to the death, and a deep sense of apprehension flashed in his eyes. He had once heard Yuan Cheng say that any army that could maintain its combat effectiveness after suffering over twenty percent casualties could not be described as merely elite; they had to be an elite army determined to fight to the death.

The seventy thousand Earthforgers of Dajue Temple now were certainly not an elite army. More than fifty thousand of them had only just pledged allegiance to Dajue Temple last month. To achieve this, it could only be attributed to Dajue Temple’s ability to win hearts and minds.

“But it’s about time. Whatever they have planned, they should be using it now.”

“All monks, hear my command! Release the Zenith Gold Powder!”

As if confirming Lu Yang’s inner speculation, Yan Xin, who had been locked in a fierce battle with Jiang Yuanlong deep on the western side, noticed that Jiangxia’s entire army had entered the pass. He suddenly circulated his vital energy and shouted the order.

Lu Yang and the others tensed, swiftly turning to look at the nearest Monastery monk.

That monk had already suffered many cuts. Half his body was soaked in blood, and his face was smeared with gore. But upon hearing Yan Xin’s command, he immediately took out a golden pill from his robes. He glanced around at the people, a savage grin spreading across his face, and then violently smashed the pill onto the ground.

Bang…

The pill exploded upon impact, turning into a cloud of bright golden dust that quickly spread outwards. Although it soon dissolved into the air, seemingly without effect, one mustn’t forget that this monk was not the only one to do this.

Not only the thousands of Monastery monks but also the Frostwarden realm cultivators from Qinghepu and even some of the Earthforgers had been given a Zenith Gold Powder pill. They all took them out and smashed them on the ground.

Bang… bang… bang… bang…

As the sounds of explosions rang out one after another, thousands of golden smoke clouds instantly rose up within the pass, blanketing the entire battlefield in a moment.

“There’s something wrong with this dust! Everyone, wet a cloth and cover your mouth and nose!”

Jiang Yuanlong’s face showed a flicker of visible panic, but he still immediately ordered everyone to take countermeasures. The temperature on the northern bank was extremely low, and ice was everywhere, so it wasn’t difficult to tear off a piece of clothing to make a wet cloth.

Clearly, he believed Dajue Temple was releasing a poison. Earthforger realm cultivators already had strong resistance to poisons, and using a wet cloth was indeed the best way to defend against them. As for the Frostwarden realm, it went without saying.

“Junior disciple-brothers, assist me! Everyone from Qinghepu, chant the Six Paths Vajra Mantra!”

But it seemed Jiang Yuanlong’s assumption was wrong.

Seeing Jiangxia’s forces all covering their mouths and noses with wet cloths, Yan Xin sneered. He then gave a loud command. The twenty ordained monks scattered across the battlefield, while continuing to fight their opponents, began to chant loudly.

“A… Wa… Xia… Sa… Ma… Ha…”

“A… Wa… Xia… Sa… Ma… Ha…”

Just like the chanting last month, this time it wasn’t just the Earthforger realm cultivators; all the Frostwarden realm cultivators and the thousands of Monastery monks joined the twenty ordained monks in chanting the six-syllable mantra.

After three repetitions of the mantra, the tens of thousands of people from Qinghepu all shuddered as if they had entered a state of paralysis. Their faces instantly flushed crimson, then deepened in color until they turned a pale gold.

The Frostwarden realm cultivators of Qinghepu and the thousands of Monastery monks had their bodies turn pure gold, and in the darkness of the night, they emitted a strong golden light, like the golden-bodied Arhats of legend stepping out of myth.

“The Master has bestowed his divine might upon us, granting us the Indestructible Vajra Body! The villains of the Nine Towns have slaughtered our monks and killed our brethren! What are you all waiting for? Slaughter the villains of the Nine Towns and avenge ourselves!”

Yan Xin’s entire body was also glowing with golden light. After fighting Jiang Yuanlong for so long, his white monk’s robe was tattered and stained with blood. His face was extremely ferocious. After saying this, he raised his crimson monk’s staff, pointed it across the valley, and spoke in an incredibly deep voice, “Kill!”

“Kill!”

“Charge…”

“Counter-attack! Kill all the villains from the Nine Towns!”

It was noticeable that only a minority of Dajue Temple’s forces were emotionally swayed by Yan Xin’s words, probably just over ten thousand in total. They were clearly the Earthforger realm cultivators of Qinghepu who had already experienced the Master’s divine might last month. Thus, they believed Yan Xin’s words without a shred of doubt and charged suicidally at the Jiangxia soldiers.

Several Earthforgers from Qinghepu charged at a Town Guard soldier with great sabers, their hysterical expressions admittedly a bit frightening. But this was a battlefield, and everyone was fighting for their lives, so the soldier was naturally not intimidated.

The soldier parried the great saber with his sword, his gaze turning cold as he thrust his blade toward one of their chests.

Clang…

But after the strike, the soldier’s expression froze.

His Thousand-forged longsword had only managed to pierce the Hundred-forged iron armor on his opponent before making the sound of metal striking stone, and then nothing.

The soldier, of course, didn’t dare to stay dazed for long. His expression changed in horror as he tried to pull his sword back and retreat, because the other Earthforgers who had charged at him were now swinging their sabers at him.

Unfortunately, he was a little too slow.

The Earthforger he had stabbed in the chest actually reached out and grabbed his longsword, holding it in a death grip. He was dragged several meters across the ground but refused to let go, even looking up at him with a savage grin.

Puchi…

That man’s savage grin was the final death knell for this Jiangxia Town Guard soldier. The weapons of the others were already chopping down on him. Protected by his Thousand-forged Armor, he didn’t suffer any fatal injuries at first, but someone quickly found a gap at his waist and stabbed him with a sword.

“The Master’s divine might… this is the Master’s divine might… how is this possible…”

The soldier collapsed to the ground. Before he breathed his last, his eyes were fixed on the golden glow of the Qinghepu soldier, his face filled with unwillingness to accept his fate.

And this soldier’s fate was just a microcosm of the whole scene!

“My Ten Thousand-forged weapon can’t break through their defense! How is this possible?”

“Ten Thousand-forged? My silver sword can’t even break it! What’s yours?”

“Indestructible Vajra Body… what is this thing? You can get it just by chanting?”

“Where did Dajue Temple get these incredible abilities?”

“This isn’t the time to worry about that! Get ready to retreat!”

In an instant, the entire battlefield was filled with horror and confusion. Forget breaking through these people’s golden bodies; many soldiers with inferior weapons found them shattering upon impact with the enemy.

This wasn’t just happening to the Earthforger realm soldiers. It was the same for the Frostwarden realm. The reinforcements from the seven towns, the Jiangxia Town Guard—all the Frostwarden realm cultivators were completely stunned.

Pfft…

“Retreat! Turn around and break through to the east! Quickly!”

The one under the most pressure on the entire field was undoubtedly Jiang Yuanlong. He was sent flying by a blow from Yan Xin’s staff. Looking at the nicked longsword in his hand, then up at Yan Xin’s golden glow, he didn’t hesitate for a moment. He didn’t even bother to survey the battlefield before ordering everyone behind him to retreat.

They couldn’t break through the enemy’s defense at all. How could they fight this?

No matter how many men Jiangxia had, they couldn’t win.

The reason these Monastery monks didn’t wear armor was now finally clear.

With such a miraculous ability, did they even need armor?

“You want to retreat now? It’s too late!”

Hearing Yan Xin’s words, Jiang Yuanlong’s peripheral vision swept across the eastern pass. His entire face flushed crimson, and his pupils trembled in shock.

By now, all one hundred eighty thousand Earthforgers had entered the pass.

And a thousand Monastery monks were already blocking the pass entrance. Brandishing their invulnerability, those golden-bodied monks had charged through the crowd and quickly assembled on the eastern side.

Trapping the enemy. It was clear they had no intention of letting them leave.

“Run! Run!”

“We can’t fight them! There’s no way! Staying here is just waiting to be killed!”

“We can’t break their defense!”

Panicked shouts echoed in his ears. Jiang Yuanlong saw the utter chaos within the valley, the complete loss of any formation. How could he not understand by now? Dajue Temple had let them in on purpose. His face was filled with regret.

Not just now, but even last night’s surprise attack in the snowy forest was an intentional defeat.

“Good tactics! Truly good tactics! The lives of over ten thousand men, just to put on a show for this Military Head! What a demonic temple! Wretched creatures, wretched creatures!”

After his sudden realization, Jiang Yuanlong looked up at Yan Xin and squeezed out the words almost one by one from between his teeth, a testament to his inner rage.

While the battle at the Hongguan pass raged on, five figures stood on a forked branch of a large, horizontally growing tree on a mountain wall one kilometer to the northwest, gazing at the battlefield with intense focus.

“The eight towns have lost!”

“This Jiang Yuanlong is a clever man, but unfortunately, he failed to consider that he was dealing with anomalies who have no regard for human life. His loss is not without reason!”

“The Indestructible Vajra Body… if I’m not mistaken, they inhale the Zenith Gold Powder, then recite the mantra three times, and their bodies change. It’s the same pattern as before, holding the Molten Fire Pill on the tongue and then reciting the mantra three times. The methods of those five Masters are truly astonishing!”

“Fighting like this, never mind one hundred eighty thousand Earthforgers; even if a regular army came, they would likely struggle to win. No wonder Dajue Temple dared to occupy Hongguan Pass and fight the eight towns with only seventy thousand men.”

“This Dajue Temple is definitely a scourge. They cannot be underestimated.”

Hearing the four men’s remarks, Xia Hong’s eyes flickered. He suddenly turned and asked, “I remember in the message Xu Ning sent back, the last part mentioned a pair of fluorescent green pupils in Dajue Hall. Eye contact meant death, correct?”

The four men nodded, clearly not understanding why Xia Hong was asking this.

“Tongue, nose, eyes…”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, a glint of insight flashing in his eyes before he quickly concealed it. He then turned to the four and smiled, “Although it’s only one hundred eighty thousand Earthforgers, it can still be considered a large-scale battle. You four are all commanders. I brought you here specifically to observe this battle, and you can’t just watch and be done with it.

“This Jiang Yuanlong is definitely not stupid. If any of you four were to command, you might not do better than him. You must all remember the lesson bought with so many lives. When you return to Wuyuan, Yuwen Tao will take the lead in compiling the details of this battle into a manual to be stored in the Department of Military Affairs. It is imperative that all Captains and Marshals in the army study it carefully. I don’t want Great Xia to lose so many men in a single battle in the future.”

“This subordinate obeys!” Yuwen Tao immediately clasped his hands in response, his expression turning solemn.

He was the Department Head of the Department of Military Affairs, in charge of Great Xia’s military matters, so he quickly understood the importance of Xia Hong’s order.

Although only two regular armies participated in the Battle of Hongguan Pass, the total number of combatants exceeded two hundred fifty thousand. For Great Xia, which had never experienced such a large-scale battle, it was naturally of immense educational value.

“One hundred eighty thousand men… These were all drawn from the village-level camps within the eight towns! To lose them all in one battle… and from the looks of it, Dajue Temple plans to kill quite a few. The eight towns have suffered a huge loss this time, haven’t they?”

As Yuan Cheng finished speaking, Xia Chuan and the other two shook their heads.

Xia Hong, however, smiled and said, “How is it a huge loss? At most, Jiangxia Town lost two thousand Town Guard soldiers and a few Frostwarden realm cultivators, and even then, not necessarily all of them. The eight towns clearly don’t see these Earthforgers as people. They won’t feel like they’ve lost anything!”

Xia Chuan nodded but then asked with confusion, “Besides Jiangxia, the other seven towns haven’t suffered any damage to their main towns, so they won’t feel the sting. But now that the battle has reached this outcome, they haven’t gained anything either. So why did they send so many men to support Jiangxia?”

Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, and Luo Yuan fell into deep thought, evidently unable to figure out the answer.

Only Xia Hong seemed to have noticed something. He suddenly looked up toward the battlefield at the pass, a sharp glint in his eyes. “Who said they didn’t get anything? The Vajra Master has already arrived.”

The four men were stunned and quickly looked toward the pass.

Boom… boom…

They were too far away to see clearly, but they could notice two golden lights clashing fiercely on the eastern side of the pass. From the tremendous commotion alone, they could deduce the strength of the two individuals.

“The Vajra Master and Xiahou Zhang. It’s these two again.”

Worried about alerting the two Sun-Manifestation realm experts, Xia Hong didn’t dare to casually probe the battlefield. However, his eyesight was much better than the other four’s. After getting a clear look at the two figures, and combining it with the information from Xiang Liang, he immediately identified them.

“Hongguan Pass is the gateway to the northern bank. If it falls, the north bank of the Xing River will have nothing to do with Jiangxia Town anymore. It’s understandable that they’re unwilling to let it go.”

As Luo Yuan finished speaking, Yuwen Tao immediately shook his head and added, “It’s more than that. If Hongguan Pass falls, all of Jiangxia will be wide open to Dajue Temple. Given Dajue Temple’s strength, if the seven towns don’t help, do you think Jiangxia can hold them off alone?”

“What’s the use of just one Xiahou Zhang? He already lost to the Vajra Master at Qinghe Village once. The outcome will be the same this time. If he’s the only one who came, Hongguan Pass will still be lost.”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, Yuan Cheng asked in confusion, “According to the Director and Department Head Yuwen, this Hongguan Pass is crucial for Jiangxia! It’s one thing for the other seven towns, but what about the Lord of Jiangxia Town, Jiang Yinglong? He’s not here either? He’s just going to sit back and watch Dajue Temple take Hongguan Pass?”

“You don’t actually think that the seven towns went to all this trouble, mobilized one hundred eighty thousand men, and orchestrated this massive defeat at Hongguan Pass just to lure out a single Vajra Master, do you?”

Xia Hong suddenly turned to look at them. Seeing their continued confusion, he smiled and continued, “Didn’t you just say that the seven towns haven’t gained anything so far?”

After saying this, he pointed to the west, a look of disdain in his eyes. “The eight towns don’t care about the outcome of the Battle of Hongguan Pass at all. At most, Jiangxia Town is willing to put in some effort. They only care about how many Masters Hongguan Pass drew out. If I’m not mistaken, the eight towns, including that Lord of Jiangxia, Jiang Yinglong, should be over there right now!”

The four men followed Xia Hong’s finger, their expressions jolting.

To the west was, in fact, the direction of Dajue Temple.

So that’s how it was!

Realization dawned on all four of their faces.

“Hongguan Pass was just a distraction. The one hundred eighty thousand Earthforgers mean nothing to them. They were mainly used to attract Dajue Temple’s attention. The eight towns’ ultimate goal is the four Masters of Dajue Temple, or rather, the anomaly behind the four Masters.”

“These people are ruthless. Did they really need to use so many lives just to create a diversion?”

“Five thousand Monastery monks, the five Chief Monks, and twenty ordained monks are all here. The Vajra Master has also appeared. At most, there are only four Masters left at Dajue Temple. Now is indeed a good opportunity to attack.”

“Who said there are only four Masters?”

After Xia Chuan said this, the other three immediately understood, and their expressions became incredibly complex.

“Dajue Temple still has at least seven hundred more ordained monks! What we see at Hongguan Pass is not their full strength.”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, Xia Hong looked toward Dajue Temple. A flicker of interest crossed his face, but he quickly shook his head and chuckled, “This bunch from the eight towns is interesting. They want the treasure, but they’re afraid other towns will snatch it, so they’re unwilling to join forces against Dajue Temple. They’d rather let more people die, each trying to gauge the enemy’s strength on their own before making a move. So shortsighted and foolish…”

This mockery carried a bit of an omniscient perspective.

Xia Hong admitted that if he were in the Nine Towns’ position, he would probably do the same.

“But this works out perfectly. Let them test the waters first. If they really manage to kill those Masters and destroy Dajue Temple, it would be a good thing. For now, I’ll see what this Vajra Master is capable of!”

After saying this, Xia Hong shook his head and looked toward the pass.

The strength of Dajue Temple’s Masters was definitely not simple, and there were still over seven hundred ordained monks. If the lords of the eight towns had the power to destroy Dajue Temple directly, then he would be the one to worry.

Eastern side of the Hongguan pass

Xiahou Zhang, clad in golden robes with his left arm still in a sling, hovered in mid-air. Wielding a twelve-ringed Black Silver Saber, he glared at the Vajra Master before him and spoke in a deep voice:

“Vajra Master, Dajue Temple has already occupied Jinbi and Longhe villages. Now you want to take Hongguan Pass as well. Do you truly wish for all-out war with my Jiangxia?”

The battle below continued to rage. The eastern side of the pass was completely sealed off by the Monastery monks. Jiang Yuanlong was leading the Town Guard and the Frostwarden realm cultivators from the seven towns in a frantic charge to break out. Although they had opened a small breach, they hadn’t fled. Instead, they were charging north and south, trying to widen the opening, clearly intending to let more people behind them escape.

“Patron Xiahou, once war begins, blood is bound to be spilled. If we do not completely extinguish Jiangxia’s arrogance, how is my Dajue Temple to establish itself in the future? There’s no need for more useless talk. You were lucky to escape last time. It won’t be so simple this time!”

The Vajra Master’s body was glowing with golden light. As his voice fell, murderous intent condensed in his pupils. His two long, snow-white eyebrows twitched slightly, and he instantly transformed into a streak of golden light, rushing toward Xiahou Zhang.

Chapter 372: A Double Defeat, Dajue’s Flame Dragon High Master, Two Dead and Three Injured, an Unexpected Encounter

Clang…

Xiahou Zhang had been defeated once before, and the injury to his left arm had clearly not yet healed. Faced with the Vajra Master’s advance, he dared not be the slightest bit careless. He raised his Black Silver Saber and swiftly blocked in front of his face.

The Vajra Master was aiming for his head. Fist and saber clashed violently, just as in their last encounter, letting out a deafening shriek of metal on metal. A shockwave erupted in mid-air, instantly sending hundreds of soldiers below flying.

After taking the blow head-on, Xiahou Zhang was forced back more than a dozen meters, his saber vibrating wildly. In contrast, the Vajra Master who had attacked him stood motionless, his eyes filled with a cold light.

The two were fighting at a low altitude, at most two or three hundred meters above the ground. A casual clash between Sun-Manifestation realm experts, with their strength of hundreds of Manes, could kill numerous Earthforger realm cultivators with the aftershocks alone.

Fortunately, their battle was taking place just outside the eastern side of the pass. The forces currently entangled there happened to be the two thousand Town Guard soldiers who had broken out with Jiang Yuanlong, the Frostwarden realm cultivators of the Seven Towns, and the Dajue Temple monks who were blocking the pass, preventing their escape.

“Retreat!”

Xiahou Zhang’s shout revealed his lack of fighting spirit. He had chosen to fight at a low altitude precisely to knock over the monks on the perimeter and allow Jiang Yuanlong and the others to retreat in time.

“Fall back!”

Jiang Yuanlong and the others could have escaped earlier. They had remained to create a wider escape route for the Earthforger realm cultivators behind them. Seeing Xiahou Zhang at a disadvantage after the very first exchange with the Vajra Master and hearing his urgent cry, they no longer dared to linger. With a loud shout, they led the remaining Town Guard Army in a frantic flight eastward.

The surviving Frostwarden realm troops of the Seven Towns also fled madly behind him.

Then there were the one hundred and eighty thousand Earthforger realm cultivators. Of course, their numbers were far fewer now, likely just over a hundred thousand at most. They scrambled to flee through the eastern opening, fearing they would be a step too slow.

“I am Yan Xin, the Chief Monk under Dajue Temple’s Flame Dragon High Master! From this moment on, all Earthforger realm cultivators of the Nine Towns who kneel and lay down their arms will be spared! I promise to release you all back to your respective towns after the battle. Anyone who remains stubborn and continues to charge the pass will be killed without mercy!”

Yan Xin’s voice echoed across the battlefield. Not many put down their weapons at first, but after Jiang Yuanlong led the Town Guard Army and all the Frostwarden realm cultivators in retreat and the pass was sealed once more, the number of surrenders began to surge.

“Vile temple! Your intentions are truly venomous…”

Clang…

“Military Head Xiahou, you should worry about yourself first!”

When Xiahou Zhang heard Yan Xin’s shout from below, his wariness of Dajue Temple instantly soared to its peak. At his age, how could he not see through their ploy to release the prisoners? They were clearly trying to win the people’s hearts.

Once these men were sent back, who among the village-level camps would ever fight to the death against Dajue Temple again?

Unfortunately, he had barely uttered the words “truly venomous” before the Vajra Master was upon him again. He hastily raised his Black Silver Saber above his head to protect his vitals, but he still couldn’t avoid being sent flying by another punch.

Buzz…

His right arm trembled violently, and blood was already seeping from the web of his hand. He could barely hold onto his saber. Yet, the Vajra Master’s assault was like a relentless tide, giving him no chance to catch his breath.

Clang… Crash…

Xiahou Zhang’s eyes darted to the opening below. Seeing that more than half the people in the valley had already knelt and surrendered their weapons, his expression fell.

He knew he was no match for the Vajra Master. That was why he had been fighting with his life on the line all this time—to save as many Earthforger realm cultivators as possible.

But now, it was clear that the situation was beyond saving!

Bang…

In a battle between masters, a lapse in concentration is the greatest taboo.

Xiahou Zhang’s brief moment of distraction was seized by the Vajra Master, who swooped down from the sky and delivered a fierce palm strike to his head.

The Black Silver Saber was still raised to block, but after the long fight, Xiahou Zhang seemed to be showing signs of exhaustion. As the Vajra Master’s palm descended, if he hadn’t deflected the blade at the last second, his Black Silver Saber might have sliced down into his own skull.

Even so, the flat of the saber, bearing the full seven Jun of the Vajra Master’s strength, still smashed hard against the crown of his head. He was sent plummeting from the sky and crashing into the ground.

Crack…

Hongguan Pass was covered in ice. With the durability of a Sun-Manifestation realm body, combined with the downward momentum of seven Jun of force, Xiahou Zhang’s landing didn’t kick up any snow. Instead, he directly shattered the hard ice on the ground, embedding himself into the earth like a stake.

“Die!”

Seeing Xiahou Zhang heavily injured, the Vajra Master pressed his advantage, his eyes turning frigid. The instant Xiahou Zhang hit the ground, he appeared directly above him.

Murderous intent showed on his face. His body glowed with a brilliant golden light as his right hand formed a blade-hand, striking down at Xiahou Zhang’s head.

This blow would surely be fatal.

“Military Head!”

“My lord.”

Outside the eastern perimeter, Jiang Yuanlong, Jiang Yuanhua, Xiahou Qin, and a dozen other Jiangxia generals had not gone far. Their eyes widened in horror and shock at the sight.

In contrast, the members of Dajue Temple—whether it was Yan Xin, the other four chief monks, the monastery monks, or even the Frostwarden and Earthforger cultivators from Qinghepu—all looked exhilarated, their faces filled with anticipation.

Whoosh…

However, just in the nick of time…

A cold, black blade suddenly stabbed toward the Vajra Master’s face.

No one had expected that the heavily injured Xiahou Zhang would suddenly draw an incredibly slender, black soft sword from his waist. The sword was just over a meter long and less than half an inch wide. Compared to a normal weapon, it was no exaggeration to call it a thin needle.

The moment it was drawn, the soft sword snapped straight. Xiahou Zhang pushed off the ground with his legs, his body shooting out from the ice. His right arm shot forward—the source of that streak of black light.

It was already night, and a ‘black cold gleam’ might sound strange, but the light glinting off Xiahou Zhang’s blade was truly black—a black purer and more absolute than the night sky.

“I can’t break through your entire body, but you think I can’t pierce your weak spots? Die!”

This strike was clearly something Xiahou Zhang had been planning for a long time.

As he flew out of the ice, a five-hundred-zhang-tall silver skeletal phantom rose behind him. It too held a black soft sword, mirroring his movements as it stabbed toward the pupil of the Vajra Master’s eye.

The weak spot he spoke of was the eye!

The Vajra Master’s physical durability was simply too high. His Black Silver Saber couldn’t break through it from any angle. The weak spots were his only chance.

From the moment he appeared tonight, he had been constantly showing openings, constantly lulling the Vajra Master into a false sense of security, all for this single strike.

This long, thin soft sword hidden at his waist had obviously been specially prepared.

Puchi…

Success!

Feeling his soft sword successfully pierce the Vajra Master’s left eye, Xiahou Zhang’s face twisted into a savage grin. The strength in his right hand suddenly surged as he attempted to destroy the Vajra Master’s head in one blow.

Crack…

However, the sword only advanced an inch further. The moment the tip pierced the bone inside the skull and exited through the back of his head, Xiahou Zhang saw that the Vajra Master’s expression had not changed in the slightest. His own expression immediately twisted.

His weak spot and skull were both shattered, yet there was no reaction at all…

This Vajra Master was not a normal person!

The thought flashed through his mind, and his heart clenched. An intense sense of danger washed over him. He instantly abandoned the soft sword, grabbed his Black Silver Saber, and tried to leap away and escape.

Bang…

As if to confirm Xiahou Zhang’s thoughts, the Vajra Master, with the soft sword still embedded in his left eye, acted as if nothing had happened. Just as Xiahou Zhang leaped to flee, he shot out his right fist and smashed it into his shoulder.

The force of the punch was unchanged—still seven Jun.

Squish…

Xiahou Zhang was sent flying like a cannonball. Not daring to pause for even a moment, he endured the excruciating pain and fled directly east.

“Yan Xin, lead the men to clean up the battlefield. I will pursue that scoundrel!”

The Vajra Master clearly had no intention of letting Xiahou Zhang escape. With the soft sword still sticking out of his left eye, he acted as if he was completely fine. After giving his orders to Yan Xin, he shot into the air, transforming into a streak of golden light as he chased after Xiahou Zhang.

They had lost!

In this great battle, the Eight Towns had been utterly defeated. Not only were their one hundred and eighty thousand soldiers annihilated and Hongguan Pass completely lost, but even Xiahou Zhang, the Military Head of Jiangxia, had been defeated for a second time by the Vajra Master.

From the looks of it, whether he would even survive was an open question.

“Daybreak is near. Everyone, follow me to garrison Hongguan Village. Count the surrendered soldiers and sort them by their respective towns. Junior disciple-brothers of the monastery, guard Hongguan Pass and the perimeter of Hongguan Village. Be vigilant against spies from the Nine Towns.”

“As the Chief Monk commands!”

Yan Xin walked out from the corpse-strewn battlefield of Hongguan. He gazed toward the territory of the Nine Towns beyond the east of the pass, his expression disdainful. After waving his hand to issue his orders, he led the way toward Hongguan Village.

The victorious soldiers of the Qinghepu army, escorting the long-surrendered troops of the Eight Towns, followed behind him with their heads held high.

Hongguan Village was just one kilometer east of Hongguan Pass. With the pass taken, the village naturally fell into their hands.

Thus, this great war, which had begun on the seventeenth of last month and ended today—or, counting from daybreak, the thirtieth of the eleventh month—lasting a total of forty-three days, had reached its initial conclusion.

Dajue Temple had taken three villages in a row and now controlled Hongguan Pass, wresting the entrance to the North Bank of the Heng River from Jiangxia Town.

On a smaller scale, it was a loss for Jiangxia Town. On a larger scale, the entire eastern territory of the Nine Towns was now completely exposed to Dajue Temple.

Many people could see this.

It was evident from the excited expressions on the faces of the Frostwarden realm cultivators from Qinghepu.

Of course, not everyone looked excited.

At the back of the crowd, mixed in among the Earthforger realm cultivators, Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu looked extremely anxious. Strangely, their skin also had a golden sheen, but a closer look would reveal subtle differences between their gold and that of the other Qinghepu Frostwarden realm cultivators.

“That Molten Fire Pill only lasts for four hours. This Zenith Gold Powder shouldn’t last much longer either, right? If it doesn’t fade soon, we’re going to be exposed!”

Both Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu were screaming internally. They didn’t even dare to get close to the other Frostwarden realm cultivators, huddling at the back and desperately hoping for everyone to return to normal.

The golden color on their bodies was something they had hastily applied on the battlefield, using the Zenith Gold Powder distributed by the monks.

After what had happened with the Molten Fire Pill on the seventeenth of last month, they wouldn’t dare use anything distributed by Dajue Temple, let alone chant the incantation. During the battle, the two of them had hidden in the furthest corner. Seeing the others transform, they had a stroke of genius and smeared the exposed parts of their bodies with the Zenith Gold Powder. By sticking with the Earthforger realm troops the entire time, they had barely managed to blend in.

Now that the battle was over and the golden glow on everyone else had yet to fade, the two could only grit their teeth and continue the charade.

“His eye and skull were pierced, and yet he’s completely fine. He’s definitely no ordinary Sun-Manifestation realm expert. What kind of demon is this Vajra Master!”

About seven or eight kilometers east of Hongguan Pass, two golden figures, one after the other, streaked across the sky.

The man in front had a look of utter terror, glancing back every so often. It was Xiahou Zhang, who had just escaped from Hongguan Pass. Chasing relentlessly behind him was the Vajra Master, the black soft sword still protruding from his left eye.

“Patron Xiahou, you cannot escape your fate today!”

The black soft sword had not just pierced his left eye; it had gone straight through the left side of his head, the tip extending thirty or forty centimeters from the back of his skull. Blood streamed endlessly from the Vajra Master’s left eye, matting his entire face, yet his expression remained as calm as still water, as if he felt no pain, which only made him seem more bizarre.

“You old fiend, you want to kill me? In your dreams!”

Defeated twice and with his sure-kill strike thwarted, Xiahou Zhang’s innate pride was provoked by the Vajra Master’s confident demeanor. He even found the energy to shout a taunt back at him.

His speed had indeed decreased after being injured, but he had already fled more than ten kilometers from Hongguan Pass. The Vajra Master had also been chasing him for over ten kilometers. He had long since realized that his opponent was not skilled in speed. Catching up to him was practically impossible.

“As long as I make it back to the town, I’ll be safe!”

Xiahou Zhang looked towards the town in the east, not daring to slow down in the slightest.

He failed to notice the glint of cold light that suddenly flashed in the eyes of the Vajra Master, who was still stuck to his tail.

Xiahou Zhang flew another five kilometers east, now almost twenty kilometers from Hongguan. As he passed over a snowy mountain range three or four hundred meters high, he abruptly gained altitude, intending to fly directly over it.

Boom…

But just as he crossed the mountain’s peak, a hundred-meter-long dragon of fire shot up from the snowy forest below. The fire dragon opened its fanged maw and, moving at incredible speed, instantly engulfed Xiahou Zhang’s body.

“There’s someone else!”

The moment the fire dragon rose, Xiahou Zhang’s eyes filled with terror, and the hairs on his body stood on end. He could see clearly that within the fiery dragon was an old monk in a yellow robe, holding a spear. The old monk held his spear aloft, charging straight up into the sky.

“It’s over!”

A sense of defeat flashed through Xiahou Zhang’s pupils. Only these two words came to his mind.

In an instant, he understood. No wonder the Vajra Master kept chasing him even though he knew he couldn’t catch up. The man had been deliberately herding him toward this mountain range.

Another High Master had been hiding in the snowy forest on the peak.

This was a situation of certain death!

Pfft…

The spear entered through his chest. Xiahou Zhang could almost hear the sound of his own flesh being torn apart. A ferocious force surged into his body, instantly halting his eastward flight. The intense flames on the spear consumed him, and its tip began to destroy his bones.

“This Master said you cannot escape your fate, so you…”

He was already in a desperate flight for his life. He had been stalled in mid-air for only a few breaths before the Vajra Master caught up from behind, flying above his head and raising both hands to smash down on his skull.

Xiahou Zhang swung his Black Silver Saber, attempting to repel the High Master below him, but he was already heavily injured, his strength diminished beyond measure. He was powerless against the spear in his opponent’s hands.

A spear in his chest, and giant palms descending upon his head.

In that moment, Xiahou Zhang’s eyes filled with deep despair.

He could only close his eyes and wait for death.

“Who’s there!”

Bang…

A violent roar echoed, but death did not come for Xiahou Zhang.

Before the roar, he had first heard the Vajra Master’s voice, a mixture of shock and fury. Before he could react, his body was shoved aside by an immense force.

Buzz…

A figure suddenly stood where he had been moments before. The person looked to be in his early twenties at most, dressed in a black robe with unusually wide sleeves and a fine texture, adorned with flowing golden threads. Not only was the material something Xiahou Zhang had never seen, but the style was completely foreign to the Nine Towns.

“Not a Sun-Manifestation expert from the Nine Towns!”

The thought flashed through Xiahou Zhang’s mind. When he looked up and saw what the black-robed man was doing, his eyes narrowed, and his pupils filled with astonishment.

The man in black used no weapon. He had blocked the Vajra Master’s palms with his bare hands. Moreover, the moment he appeared, he must have kicked the old spear-wielding monk below, for the monk was just now speeding out from a cloud of dust on the mountaintop.

“May I ask, Patron, from which of the Nine Towns do you hail? Could it be…”

The Vajra Master’s tone was heavy with caution. The other old monk with the spear, who flew up from below, also had an exceptionally grave expression.

Clearly, their brief exchange had alerted them both to the danger.

“Enough nonsense!”

Unfortunately, though the man in black appeared calm, his temperament seemed exceedingly impatient. Before the Vajra Master could finish, he suddenly thrust his hand forward, striking him directly in the face.

“Wretched creature, how dare you be so insolent!”

The spear-wielding monk was enraged by the black-robed man’s posture. With a furious roar, his spear burst into flames, conjuring a fiery dragon just like the one he had used to ambush Xiahou Zhang. It lunged at the black-robed man’s back.

Clang…

But the black-robed man’s strength clearly exceeded their expectations. He was absurdly fast. Before the spear monk could reach him, his fist had already smashed into the Vajra Master’s face.

“Brother, this Vajra Master’s hide is…”

Xiahou Zhang, who had been about to offer a warning, stopped mid-sentence. The horror in his eyes climbed to a new level.

As the fist struck, the Vajra Master hastily raised his hands to block, his body once again erupting in golden light. He did manage to block the fist.

But his opponent’s strength was obviously far greater.

His hands were smashed into his own face by the force of the punch. His nose broke instantly, and his entire face caved in by a centimeter or two.

Gulp…

Even though the Vajra Master’s expression remained calm, showing no sign of being severely injured, just seeing the depression in his face made Xiahou Zhang turn to the man in black and swallow hard.

He had fought the Vajra Master twice and knew just how resilient his body was. To be able to cave his face in with a single punch could only mean one thing: the man in black’s strength was enough to completely overpower the Vajra Master.

“Ten Jun. This man’s strength is at least ten Jun, possibly even greater than Shangguan Yang’s or Yang Zun’s. I must see the size of his skeletal combat physique!”

Xiahou Zhang stared at the man in black, his pupils trembling. He knew very well what a Sun-Manifestation expert stronger than Shangguan Yang or even Yang Zun signified.

Right now, he only wanted to see the man’s skeletal combat physique to gauge his true strength.

Unfortunately, his wish was not to be granted.

The moment he sent the Vajra Master flying, the man in black plucked the black soft sword from his left eye. He then spun around and swiped horizontally, creating a black sword-gleam hundreds of meters long that swept the approaching spear monk away.

“Dajue’s Flame Dragon High Master, am I right?”

Recognized, the spear monk looked surprised but didn’t speak. His face darkened as he and the Vajra Master once again closed in on the black-robed man from both sides.

The black-robed man held the soft sword. Seeing the two of them pressing him, his eyes grew cold. He flicked the sword to block the faster Flame Dragon High Master behind him, then delivered a sweeping kick that sent both the monk and his spear flying dozens of meters away. Without the slightest hesitation, he then drew his left fist back and punched forward.

Bang…

The Vajra Master’s fist was blocked once again.

But the result was different this time. The man in black had expended considerable strength in kicking away the Flame Dragon High Master, so his hastily-charged left fist was naturally not as powerful as before. He was forced back several steps by the Vajra Master’s punch.

Whoosh…

However, after retreating only two or three meters, the man in black quickly halted his momentum. He spun around, and using the power of his waist and abdomen, his right hand slashed out with a black sword-gleam that flew straight for the Vajra Master’s chest.

“What a pity!”

The Vajra Master’s body was currently bathed in golden light. Even if this strike hit his chest, the most it would do is cause an injury similar to his caved-in face; it wouldn’t be a fatal wound. That was why Xiahou Zhang lamented inwardly.

It seemed the man in black was so powerful that the Vajra Master didn’t dare to take the blow head-on. His pupils narrowed slightly. He abandoned his punch and twisted his body, using his side to block.

Scrape…

The black-robed man was indeed immensely strong. As the black sword-gleam passed, not only was flesh torn, but the sound of the Vajra Master’s right arm bone cracking could be heard. The force of the blade sent him flying over a hundred meters.

“What are you still standing there for? I can’t beat these two old bastards when they team up. If you don’t run now, you won’t get another chance.”

Hearing the black-robed man’s voice, Xiahou Zhang’s expression changed. Noticing the two High Masters’ gazes sweeping towards him, he gritted his teeth and cupped his hands. “Many thanks for saving my life, brother. Xiahou Zhang will surely repay this debt in the future!”

With that, he sped away to the southeast, not daring to linger any longer.

“From his appearance, that man is sixty or seventy at most, maybe even younger, yet he’s so powerful. His clothes aren’t in the style of the Nine Towns. Is he from somewhere else? Or did someone from the other Eight Towns have a breakthrough and is intentionally disguised?”

“No, that’s not right. He’s not from the other Eight Towns. No one from there would go to such lengths to save me. He must be from an external power.”

“An external power has its eyes on the Nine Towns. This is trouble!”

Xiahou Zhang’s brow was furrowed, his mind clearly in turmoil. He flew southeast for over a hundred kilometers. The moment a giant, fifteen-kilometer-long black city wall stretching from north to south came into view, the tension on his face finally eased.

The main gates of the Nine Towns’ cities all faced east toward the Mo’ao Mountain Range, and Jiangxia was no exception. Therefore, the western wall he was looking at was considered Jiangxia’s back gate.

Though it was the back gate, someone immediately came to greet him as he approached.

“Senior Brother!”

The person who came was clearly of high status. He was dressed in a fine white robe, his full head of white hair tied back immaculately. His face was deeply wrinkled, making him look much older than Xiahou Zhang, yet he addressed him as “Senior Brother.”

“Xinfan, Hongguan Pass is lost!”

Xiahou Zhang was the sole disciple of Jiangxia’s Lord, Jiang Yinglong. He technically had no junior disciples. The only person in all of Jiangxia who could call him Senior Brother was Jiang Yinglong’s eldest son, the man standing before him now—Town Head Jiang Xinfan.

“If it’s lost, it’s lost. Please, Senior Brother, go back and tend to your wounds first!”

Seeing Xiahou Zhang covered in injuries, Jiang Xinfan had clearly anticipated the outcome of the battle at Hongguan. Thus, he showed no surprise at the news, merely gesturing for Xiahou Zhang to enter the city.

Seemingly finding Jiang Xinfan’s response too placid, Xiahou Zhang grew somewhat angry. His voice was low as he said, “With Hongguan lost, the barrier between Jiangxia and Dajue Temple is gone. If Master and the leaders of the Seven Towns return with nothing, our Jiangxia will soon face even more severe retaliation from Dajue Temple. You are the Town Head. Have you thought about what to do next?”

Seeing the anger on Xiahou Zhang’s face, Jiang Xinfan naturally understood that he was still resentful that his father, Jiang Yinglong, had refused to defend Hongguan with him.

“Senior Brother, please don’t be angry. Perhaps Father will send good news back soon. To kill a snake, you must strike its weak point. The Town Heads of the Seven Towns weren’t wrong about that. If we don’t root out the anomaly behind Dajue Temple, we can never truly destroy it. Holding Hongguan would only be temporary. As long as the people of the Eight Towns…”

Though Jiang Xinfan was the Town Head, his cultivation was only at the Frostwarden realm. He knew that Jiangxia Town was supported by his father and senior brother, so his main job as Town Head was to mediate their conflicts.

It wasn’t that Jiang Yinglong and Xiahou Zhang had a poor relationship. On the contrary, they were very close. But when it came to major town affairs, the master and disciple often had differing opinions, which was normal.

Jiang Xinfan was clearly experienced in handling these matters. By the time he finished speaking, the anger on Xiahou Zhang’s face had gradually faded. He then sighed softly. “We can only hope that Master has made some gains. I was originally thinking of expanding westward from the North Bank of the Heng River, but now Dajue Temple has blocked that path. I don’t know what will happen next…”

It is said that one’s greatest fears are often realized. Xiahou Zhang had not even finished his sentence when he sensed something. He whipped his head around to look at the sky to the west, his face changing dramatically.

Puchi…

In the western sky, a middle-aged man holding a large saber suddenly plummeted from the air.

The man’s clothes were tattered, and blood was seeping from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He was in a wretched state. He landed and vomited another mouthful of blood, unable to even stand steadily.

“Master!”

“Father.”

When Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan saw who it was—their leader, Jiang Yinglong—their faces filled with horror. They rushed forward to support him.

Jiang Yinglong looked utterly terrified, his mind seemingly in a daze. He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing for more than ten breaths before he spoke to Xiahou Zhang in a panicked voice. “Quickly, move the army to Fengshan Camp! Dajue Temple’s strength is unfathomable. After taking Hongguan, they will certainly continue to expand. We must prepare at once.”

“This disciple will see to it immediately. Master, what happened at Dajue Temple?”

Fengshan Camp was near the very spot where he had almost been killed, located over twenty kilometers east of Hongguan Village. A camp there was primarily to defend against Chuishan Town. Now, Jiang Yinglong clearly meant to move the army there to defend against Dajue Temple.

After replying, Xiahou Zhang couldn’t help but ask what had happened.

Jiang Yinglong’s mind remained unsettled for a long time. As if recalling his experience at Dajue Temple, a deep horror rose in his eyes. “Juyuan, Heiming, Wusheng. The three High Masters in Dajue Hall were each more terrifying than the last. And there were over seven hundred ordained monks. Of the eight of us who went, apart from Yang Zun and the other two from the three northern towns, of the remaining five, two are dead and three are injured.”

Boom…

Jiang Yinglong’s words sent a shockwave through Xiahou Zhang’s heart. Jiang Xinfan’s pupils constricted, his expression instantly freezing.

Eight Sun-Manifestation experts went, and the result was two dead and three injured.

This…

“I’ll move the Town Guard Army to assemble at Fengshan Camp right now. Junior Brother, you quickly send messages to the other Seven Towns—no, Muyin Town can’t be left out either. Send messages to the Town Heads of all eight towns and tell them to come to Fengshan Camp immediately to discuss countermeasures.”

“I understand, Senior Brother!”

After replying, Jiang Xinfan’s expression suddenly turned grim. He looked at Xiahou Zhang and continued, “Two dead and three injured among eight Sun-Manifestation experts. The Eight Towns must be like a flock of frightened birds now! Will they agree?”

“If they don’t, we have our own plans. Send the messages first!”

Jiang Xinfan said no more, simply nodding before heading toward the city.

“Master, who were the two Sun-Manifestation experts that died?”

“Cao Qianhai of Yangqu and Long Mingfeng of Longgu. We were lucky there were only three High Masters in Dajue Temple tonight. If there had been just one more, even I might not have made it back.”

Hearing his master mention that Dajue Temple only had three High Masters, Xiahou Zhang nodded slightly, a trace of lingering fear rising in his heart.

If that black-robed man hadn’t appeared tonight, he would have surely died as well.

Xiahou Zhang had wanted to mention being rescued, but seeing Jiang Yinglong’s panicked state, he held his tongue. Instead, he asked, “Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan didn’t come in person?”

Cao Qianhai was the Town Head of Yangqu, and Long Mingfeng was the Military Head of Longgu. The ones who came from these two towns were not their lords.

“Not just them. The lords of Chuishan and Bashang didn’t come either. Chuishan sent Duan Hong, and Bashang sent Xiang Fanyun. A bunch of fools, still scheming against each other when death is at their doorstep! If the lords of all Eight Towns had come, we wouldn’t have been beaten so badly by those three High Masters!”

Jiang Yinglong’s face was livid with rage, clearly displeased that the four town lords had not come themselves.

“Yangqu and Longgu have each lost a Sun-Manifestation expert. They certainly won’t let this rest. By the way, Master, how are Duan Hong’s and Xiang Fanyun’s injuries?”

Xiahou Qin was already supporting Jiang Yinglong. After sensing the severity of his master’s internal injuries, his expression grew grave. He then asked about the other two heavily injured men.

“Their injuries are both much more severe than mine. This wound of mine… it will probably take two or three years to heal…”

As he said this, Jiang Yinglong’s expression darkened. He slowed his pace and turned to his disciple, Xiahou Zhang. “Your left arm hasn’t healed, and these new wounds… you got them at Hongguan, didn’t you?”

Xiahou Zhang nodded without speaking.

Jiangxia only had two Sun-Manifestation experts, and now both were severely injured. This was not a good sign.

Jiang Yinglong’s brow furrowed deeply. After a moment of thought, he said in a low voice, “Move the army to Fengshan Camp. First, put on a show for Dajue Temple. Things are different now. If the Seven Towns still just send a token force to placate us, then we won’t go to war with Dajue Temple. Yangqu, Longgu, Chuishan, Bashang, and our Jiangxia—all five of the central and southern towns have suffered a great blow to their strength. This is a very delicate time. The first priority is to preserve our strength. Setting aside our other neighbors, those three families in the north are probably already having inappropriate thoughts. You must act cautiously in the coming days.”

Hearing Jiang Yinglong’s words, Xiahou Zhang’s expression shifted several times before he finally nodded heavily, a cold glint in his eyes. “I understand, Master!”

More than ten kilometers east of Hongguan, a team of thirty-two armored soldiers was hurrying east through a snowy forest.

The sky was beginning to lighten. From their unhurried pace, it was clear they were all of the Frostwarden realm.

“The person we met on the road just now wasn’t lying to us, was he? We’re to gather at Fengshan Camp?”

“Fengshan is still over ten kilometers from here. Several people said the same thing, so it should be true. It’s too late for the Earthforger realm cultivators to make it. They’re probably all hiding somewhere. Only we Frostwarden realm cultivators can still get there.”

“One hundred and eighty thousand soldiers, wiped out just like that. Tsk, tsk…”

“With Hongguan lost, Jiangxia is in even more trouble.”

“Impervious to blades and spears… that High Master’s divine might is just too unnatural.”

“We’re lucky we ran fast, otherwise we’d be dead for sure.”

“The last one to appear was Jiangxia’s Military Head, Xiahou Zhang, right? He’s no match for that Vajra Master at all. I wonder if he managed to escape in the end.”

“The odds are against him, I’m afraid!”

Hearing Zhu Shun’s last comment, the leader, Lu Yang, also showed a look of curiosity. He also wanted to know if that Xiahou Zhang was dead or not.

He was a Sun-Manifestation expert of the Nine Towns, after all. Confirming his death would be big news.

“He got away. I saved him!”

A voice suddenly came from above them. Lu Yang froze, then his face lit up with elation. He looked up at the black figure in the sky and bowed deeply. “Prefect of the Eastern Ridge, Lu Yang, pays his respects to the Lord!”

“We pay our respects to the Lord!”

Wang Tao, Zhu Shun, and the others looked up at the figure in the sky. Their reactions were all similar to Lu Yang’s as they bowed in unison.

Xia Hong slowly drifted down in front of Lu Yang and smiled, extending a hand. “What a coincidence to run into you all here. No need for formalities, rise!”

Lu Yang and the others looked up. Seeing the black soft sword in Xia Hong’s hand, they immediately recognized it as Xiahou Zhang’s weapon and looked puzzled.

Seeing their expressions, Xia Hong knew what they were thinking. He smiled and said, “Don’t treat all the camps outside Great Xia as enemies. Jiangxia will be of great use to us. You will understand in the future!”

Wang Tao and Lu Yang were the first to react. A gleam appeared in their eyes as they clearly understood Xia Hong’s meaning.

Lu Yang suddenly thought of something and hurriedly cupped his hands to Xia Hong. “By the way, Lord, not long after we escaped Hongguan, we saw several figures fly out from that direction. They should be from the Nine Towns…”

“I saw them all. There were six people in total. Three were heavily injured, and three with light injuries all fled north. They should be the Sun-Manifestation experts of the Nine Towns.”

Xia Hong cut Lu Yang off, his eyes glinting.

This place was only ten kilometers from Hongguan. After shaking off the two High Masters at the snowy peak, he had originally planned to pass through Hongguan and return to Wuyuan. But after flying only a few kilometers, he had unexpectedly encountered a heavily injured Sun-Manifestation expert fleeing east. He had remained hidden and moved north, where he subsequently discovered the auras of five more Sun-Manifestation experts.

“The Nine Towns’ operation at Dajue Temple definitely failed. Muyin Town doesn’t get involved in these matters, so at least eight Sun-Manifestation experts went. Only six came back, and half of them are heavily injured. By all accounts, at least two of them are dead.”

Xia Hong had a basic understanding of the whole story of the battle at Hongguan. Based on these six Sun-Manifestation auras alone, he could already deduce most of what had happened.

Hearing this, Lu Yang and the others looked thrilled.

“Lord, Dajue Temple has now occupied Hongguan. Since they know the Nine Towns have suffered a great blow to their strength, they will certainly push east from Hongguan to seize Jiangxia’s territory. In my view, the Nine Towns are like a tray of loose sand and are unlikely to form a second coalition. According to your intentions, Lord, now would be the perfect time for us to help Jiangxia out of its predicament!”

Since Xia Hong had saved Xiahou Zhang from the Vajra Master and had just said that Jiangxia would be of great use to them, Lu Yang could naturally guess his intentions. After concluding that the Nine Towns would not form a second coalition, he directly made his suggestion.

Help Jiangxia resist Dajue Temple, break up the Nine Towns from within, and pull Jiangxia into Great Xia’s camp first.

Xia Hong’s expression flickered, and a hint of interest flashed in his eyes. But after a moment’s thought, he quickly shook his head. “Sending charcoal in a snowstorm… the time is not yet right. The Nine Towns have suffered a huge loss at Dajue Temple’s hands; there will surely be more to come. I’m not optimistic about a second coalition either, but nothing is absolute. It’s best we wait and see.”

It’s better to let Dajue Temple wear down the strength of the Nine Towns for a while…

Xia Hong did not speak this last thought aloud. He looked down at Lu Yang, Wang Tao, and the others, and as if remembering something, he took a small cyan porcelain bottle from his robes and tossed it to them.

“Tiger Strength Pills, Dragon Carp Pills, Green Cod Pills. You’ve heard of them, right?”

Lu Yang caught the bottle. Hearing Xia Hong’s question, he immediately guessed its contents. He nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with anticipation.

“Hahaha, at the beginning of last month, I drove that red carp anomaly out of the Xing River in Wuyuan. Now, a ten-kilometer stretch of water in southern Wuyuan belongs to Great Xia. We have the recipes for both the Dragon Carp Pill and the Green Cod Pill. Inside this bottle are fifty Dragon Carp Pills. Give one to each of them!”

“Thank you, Lord, for the pills!”

The faces of Lu Yang and the other thirty-two men instantly lit up with intense joy.

A pill bestowed by Xia Hong himself was certainly pleasing, but not enough to elicit such an exaggerated reaction. The key was the waters.

Great Xia now controlled a ten-kilometer stretch of water in southern Wuyuan and had developed the Dragon Carp Pill and the Green Cod Pill.

They were all Frostwarden realm cultivators from the Eastern Ridge and knew the situation in the Nine Towns well, so they understood the value and effect of these two pills.

This was especially true for Wang Tao, who came from Longshan. He had an inferior combat physique. Although he was now at the peak-Frostwarden realm, his base strength had been stuck at eleven Mane for a long time.

From now on, Great Xia would also have Dragon Carp Pills and Green Cod Pills!

This meant that his strength, stagnant for years, finally had a way to improve. The contribution points he had accumulated over the years could finally be put to use.

What was true for Wang Tao was true for the others as well.

Although Lu Yang had a superior combat physique and gained over two and a half Mane with each breakthrough, he was already at the late-Frostwarden realm, with a base strength of eighteen Mane. This meant his room for improvement was limited; he would max out after another two Mane or so. The Dragon Carp Pill and Green Cod Pill were equally significant for him.

When it came to contribution points, could he possibly have fewer than Wang Tao?

“It’s highly unlikely a coalition will form. I am almost certain that the three northern towns will not support Jiangxia. I expect you will all be returning to the Eastern Ridge soon…”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, then, as if thinking of something, continued, “On your way back to the Eastern Ridge this time, focus on gathering information about Muyin Town. I am very interested in this Muyin.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Lu Yang and the others were to continue their undercover work in the Eastern Ridge, so he couldn’t just take them back to Xiacheng. After giving his instructions and warning them to be careful, Xia Hong flew away.

“We respectfully see the Lord off!”

Chapter 373: Yuzong’s Birthday, the Fall of Jiangxia, the Fishing and Hunting Model, and a Turning Point

In the battle of Hongguan Pass, at least seventy to eighty thousand Earthforger realm cultivators had died, and the remaining nearly one hundred thousand were captured by Dajue Temple. Their ultimate fate was still unknown.

These one hundred eighty thousand people, spread across eight towns, were a negligible loss. After all, they were just people from their subordinate village-level camps. Even though many Frostwarden realm cultivators were among them, the towns felt no heartache.

But for the village-level camps that had sent them, it was a different story entirely.

Never mind the Frostwarden realm—every one of those one hundred eighty thousand Earthforger realm cultivators was the pillar of their family.

To put it bluntly, this meant one hundred eighty thousand families had been shattered in an instant. Since the Eight Towns had conscripted people so evenly, covering almost all the village-level camps within their territories, it was no exaggeration to say that once the news fully spread, it would be an incredibly heavy blow to all the village-level camps under the Nine Towns.

It was just that this blow still needed time to ferment.

However, no matter how fiercely the Nine Towns and Dajue Temple fought east of Hongguan Pass, even if the sky and earth turned dark from their slaughter, it wouldn’t affect Great Xia in the slightest.

This point was beyond doubt.

………………

Year Eight of Great Xia, the fifteenth day of the first month, the last day of the Frigid Origin Festival.

“Big Brother, Yu Yao wishes you a happy birthday.”

“Big Brother, Yu Sheng wishes you a happy birthday, too.”

“Yuning also wishes Brother a happy birthday. I’ll drink first, as a sign of respect!”

In the main hall of Stargazer Hall, four little ones, with an average age of less than five and too short to see over the chairs while standing, were gathered around a small round table.

The three younger ones held small wine cups with both hands, posturing like adults as they toasted Xia Yuzong, the eldest, who sat in the main seat.

The cups were clearly filled with milky-white fruit juice, yet the three little ones mimicked the adults’ drinking posture, raising their cups and downing the contents in one go. They even closed their eyes and smacked their lips theatrically, as if truly savoring fine wine.

“Mmm…”

“Hee hee hee hee…”

Behind the round table, Hanyue, Hanshuang, and the other maids saw the three little thespians, their shoulders shaking as they all covered their mouths to stifle their laughter. A few couldn’t hold it in and let out soft giggles.

“Ahem, ahem, ahem…”

Unlike his younger brother and sisters, Xia Yuzong, who had just turned five today, seemed quite precocious. He probably noticed the maids laughing at them, for his cheeks flushed slightly. After a few soft coughs, he whispered to the three younger ones, “Yao, Sheng, Ning, First Aunt is about to come out. Hurry and put your cups down and sit properly. Don’t let her see you.”

The three little ones were clearly hit where it hurt. Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng, in particular, upon hearing their mother was about to appear, immediately put down their cups and sat ramrod straight. They then turned to look at the entrance to the Stargazer Platform behind the main hall, only to find no one there. At once, they glared puff-cheeked at Xia Yuzong.

“Big Brother, you big liar! Hmph!”

Xia Yuyao had quite a temper. She planted her hands firmly on her hips, her small mouth pouting high.

“Yu Yao, you’re being insolent to Big Brother again!”

But just as she finished speaking, a cool female voice came from behind her.

Hearing the voice, Xia Yuyao swiftly dropped her hands from her hips, placing them flat on the table, and her expression immediately changed. She transformed into a good little girl in an instant.

Xia Yusheng did the same, and even Xia Yuning’s posture straightened considerably. Clearly, their First Aunt held great authority in her heart as well.

“Only you can handle these four little rascals, Sister-in-law. Haha.”

Li Xuanling had just walked down from the Stargazer Platform, and Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu happened to arrive at the hall’s entrance at the same time. Seeing the four little ones so thoroughly subdued, they couldn’t help but laugh.

“This is their mischievous age. If I don’t discipline them now, they’ll cause trouble in the future.”

Li Xuanling clearly had her own philosophy for raising children. Though her words were strict, as she walked to the table, she scooped up Xia Yuyao and placed her on her lap before smiling at her two sisters-in-law. “Come and sit. Your big brother and Xia Chuan will be here soon.”

Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu nodded and took their seats.

“This year’s Frigid Origin Festival went by so fast! It was over in the blink of an eye. If it weren’t for Yuzong’s birthday, your big brother and Xia Chuan would probably still be in Wuyuan.”

Li Xuanling first signaled for Hanyue and the other maids to bring out the dishes, then turned to chat with Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu.

Xiao Ning smiled. “Great Xia just expanded its aquatic resources. The Wuyuan waters are tied to the production of many important medicinal pills, so naturally, they require great effort to manage. Big Brother and my husband are worried, so they have to oversee it personally.”

“There’s more to it, Sister-in-law. I heard that the war between the Nine Towns and Dajue Temple is at a critical stalemate, with new information coming in every day. Big Brother and my husband have to go over there from time to time to keep an eye on things, so it’s more convenient for them to stay in Wuyuan.”

Li Xuanling nodded. Xia Hong and Xia Chuan had been stationed in Wuyuan for this entire period, leaving her in charge of many affairs in Xiacheng, so she was also aware of the situation between the Nine Towns and Dajue Temple.

But now was clearly not the time to discuss such things. She turned to look at the star of the day, Xia Yuzong, who had the air of a little adult. She couldn’t help but reach out and pat his head, smiling. “Yuzong is five years old today. After next year’s Frigid Origin Festival, you’ll be able to eat the meat of beasts and begin formal cultivation. What do you think? Are you getting a little impatient?”

At the words “eat the meat of beasts and begin formal cultivation,” a look of excitement appeared on Xia Yuzong’s little face. Li Xuanling had clearly hit the nail on the head.

“Then let First Aunt ask you, when you start cultivating next year, are you confident you can break the Martial Arts Pavilion’s record for breaking through to the Earthforger realm?”

“Yes!”

Xia Yuzong answered almost without thinking, his face full of confidence.

Li Xuanling smiled and patted his head.

The answer to that question was, in fact, already apparent.

Xia Yuzong, who had just turned five, had already increased his strength to over four thousand catties just by eating supplementary food. At this rate, he would definitely break through to the Lumberjack realm before he turned six next year.

Both Xia Yuzong and his sister Xia Yuning were born with sacred sigils. Their cultivation talent was bound to be high. Once they started cultivating next year, their speed would undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds. It was a given.

The current record in Great Xia’s Martial Arts Pavilion for the youngest to break through to the Earthforger realm was nine years and one month. Given the talent Xia Yuzong was currently displaying, breaking that record was practically a sure thing.

“Mother, I can break the record too!”

Xia Yusheng, seeming to feel a little left out, spoke up defiantly to his mother, indicating that he, too, could break the record.

Hearing her younger son’s words, Li Xuanling’s expression turned a little strange.

His two aunts, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu, subconsciously glanced at Xia Yusheng, their expressions also becoming a bit odd.

Xia Yusheng’s base strength was already over eight thousand catties. At this rate, he would probably break through to the Earthforger realm before August of next year. To compare that record in the Martial Arts Pavilion would be just too much of an insult.

“Yuzong, let your First Uncle test you. Why is it that in our Great Xia, one must be six years old to eat beast meat and formally begin cultivation?”

Suddenly, a voice came from the entrance of the hall.

“Greetings, Lord! Greetings, Director!”

Upon hearing the voice, Hanyue, Hanshuang, and the other maids immediately turned toward the entrance and bowed.

Li Xuanling, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Yu also stood up, only sitting back down after Xia Hong waved for them to do so.

“Father!”

“Dad!”

Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng hadn’t seen their father in a long time. One leaped from her mother’s embrace, and the other jumped down from his chair, both rushing towards Xia Hong.

Hearing his First Uncle’s voice, Xia Yuzong also stood up excitedly. But being slightly older, he carried the burden of being the eldest brother. Remembering Xia Hong’s question, he thought for a moment before answering in a clear voice, “In response to First Uncle, the Cultivation Section of the Xia Code of rites states that only after turning six are the five viscera and meridians fully formed, able to absorb the energy from beast meat and use it to strengthen the body. Therefore, everyone in Great Xia must be six years old before they can formally cultivate.”

Xia Hong, now holding his son and daughter, had walked to the table. Hearing his nephew’s meticulous answer, his face showed satisfaction, and a faint, imperceptible light flickered in his eyes.

Xia Chuan, who was following behind him, also smiled upon hearing his son’s answer. He didn’t forget to give Xiao Ning an approving look, clearly praising her for teaching their son well.

“Yuzong answered well. When you can formally practice martial arts next year, First Uncle will teach you personally as a reward for your correct answer. How about it?”

Xia Yuzong’s eyes lit up with surprise at Xia Hong’s words, and he nodded vigorously.

Although he was only five, he knew very well that the strongest person in all of Great Xia was his First Uncle standing before him. To be personally taught martial arts by his First Uncle was a tremendous honor. If his other playmates found out, they would probably die of envy.

“Big Brother, he’s just a six-year-old child starting his training. Where’s the need…”

“Alright, alright, that’s settled. Let’s start the banquet, start the banquet. I’m starving.”

Xia Hong directly interrupted Xia Chuan and called for everyone to begin.

Since returning to Wuyuan on the first day of the twelfth month, neither Xia Hong nor Xia Chuan had been back to Xiacheng. Even this year’s Frigid Origin Festival banquet had been hosted by Li Xuanling. So today’s family banquet was not only to celebrate Xia Yuzong’s birthday but also a belated Frigid Origin Festival celebration for the family.

After the banquet, the four little ones couldn’t sit still and went off to play in the martial arts training ground in the side hall. Seeing that only the adults were left at the table, Xia Hong began to ask Li Xuanling about official business.

“How many soldiers in the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies still haven’t broken through to the Frostwarden realm?”

“The Cloud Serpent Army is short by 421, and the Dragon Martial Army is short by 409.”

Xia Hong frowned at the news, then his brow relaxed after a moment’s thought.

If he remembered correctly, the last time he checked, those numbers were 587 and 562.

He had instructed Xia Chuan in early October to free up all the cultivation spots in the Martial Arts Pavilion and prioritize the soldiers from the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies who had yet to reach the Frostwarden realm. Today was the fifteenth of the first month, so a little over seventy days had passed. For about one hundred fifty to sixty people from each army to have made a breakthrough was already quite good.

Li Xuanling saw what he was thinking and said softly, “Breaking through to the Frostwarden realm is not like the Earthforger realm. The ordeal of hide reforging is one thing, but many soldiers also want to obtain a higher-grade combat physique, so they are deliberately suppressing their cultivation, hoping to achieve a breakthrough in the most extreme way. There’s nothing to be done about that. Having four to five people break through each day is already the limit. I’ve observed at the Martial Arts Hall; it will take at least another four months for the remaining eight hundred or so to all break through.”

Four months!

Xia Hong’s relaxed brows immediately furrowed together again.

Even Xia Chuan beside him put down his chopsticks and lowered his head, lost in thought.

Seeing their reactions, Li Xuanling immediately realized something. With a curious look, she asked, “What is it? Has there been a change in the Nine Towns’ war?”

Both of them were clearly frustrated with the slow pace of the soldiers’ breakthroughs. Combined with the fact that they had been stationed in Wuyuan, Li Xuanling could easily guess the reason.

Seeing Li Xuanling’s curiosity, and considering she would continue to govern Xiacheng for some time, Xia Hong didn’t intend to hide it from her. He gave Xia Chuan a look, signaling him to explain the situation to Li Xuanling.

Xia Chuan understood and nodded. “At the end of the eleventh month, after the battle of Hongguan Pass, Dajue Temple only rested for five days. On the fifth of last month, they led their army to attack Fengshan Camp. None of the Eight Towns sent reinforcements. Jiangxia Town only put up a symbolic resistance before retreating.

“After capturing Fengshan Camp, Dajue Temple advanced triumphantly, capturing eighteen of Jiangxia’s village-level camps in a row. Including the previous three, half of Jiangxia’s entire territory has already been occupied by Dajue Temple.”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling’s face filled with astonishment and disbelief. “Forty-five days, and half their territory is occupied? Isn’t Jiangxia a town-level encampment? They only lost two thousand Town Guard Army soldiers in the Hongguan battle. They still have five thousand men. They shouldn’t have been defeated so miserably, right?”

“Dajue Temple’s methods of winning people’s hearts are too powerful!”

Xia Chuan’s expression turned grave as he continued, “Dajue Temple released all the captured Earthforger realm cultivators from the Nine Towns after the Hongguan battle, including a large number from Jiangxia’s village-level camps. When these people returned to their villages and encountered Dajue Temple’s attacking army, almost no one resisted. Some even organized uprisings to help Dajue Temple occupy their villages, as if they were all possessed.”

It couldn’t be called possession.

Anyone who had experienced the battle of Hongguan Pass and seen those people become impervious to blades and spears would find it hard to forget. Not to mention, the news from Jinbi Village about Earthforger realm cultivators fighting during the day had now spread everywhere.

To be able to appear unharmed under the frigid sun and become impervious to weapons—these two abilities of Dajue Temple were simply too alluring for the Earthforger realm cultivators from the village-level camps. Who wouldn’t be tempted?

“Without exception, after those village-level camps were captured by Dajue Temple, they would turn coat in less than two days. Many Earthforger realm cultivators directly joined Dajue Temple’s army, serving as their vanguard.

“As of five days ago, the Earthforger realm army under Dajue Temple had grown to one hundred fifty thousand strong, and it continues to grow. According to Xiang Liang’s reports, their Frostwarden realm cultivators now exceed five hundred.”

Hearing this, Li Xuanling’s expression instantly became much more solemn.

“Their numbers are growing with every battle. How can this war be fought? Are the other eight towns just completely ignoring Jiangxia? If they let Dajue Temple continue to grow stronger like this, they’ll suffer the consequences eventually. The Eight Towns can’t be unaware of this, right?”

“Of course they are aware!”

A faint smile appeared on Xia Hong’s face. He continued, “But the three northern towns are far away. The fire from Dajue Temple is currently only burning Jiangxia Town. Even if Jiangxia is truly lost, the five central and southern towns are still there to act as a buffer. It won’t threaten them for a long time to come. Do you think they’ll get involved?”

An overview of the Nine Towns appeared in Li Xuanling’s mind, and she immediately understood.

“In early December, Jiangxia invited the Town Heads of the Eight Towns to Fengshan Camp for a conference, but not a single one offered aid. Jiangxia probably saw through the Eight Towns’ intentions and simply retreated all the way. For the past forty-odd days, they barely organized any decent resistance, only continuously contracting their defensive lines and transferring everything they could to the main town. They actually gave up half their territory just like that…”

Xia Chuan shook his head as he spoke, clearly disagreeing with Jiangxia’s approach.

Xia Hong smiled. “With the Eight Towns unwilling to help, they were at their wit’s end. They couldn’t win if they fought back, so they could only retreat. I reckon they’re all thinking that Dajue Temple ultimately just wants people. So they’ll just give the village-level camps to Dajue Temple. As long as they defend their main town, Jiangxia won’t fall.”

Feeding the fire with firewood!

These four words instantly appeared in Li Xuanling’s mind.

Giving up the village-level camps to Dajue Temple seemed like sacrificing a pawn to save the king, but it was, in fact, an act of supplying the enemy. Dajue Temple was already so strong; if they were allowed to continue growing, who would be left to survive?

“You think Jiangxia doesn’t know that?”

Xia Hong instantly saw through Li Xuanling’s thoughts. After his rhetorical question, a glint appeared in his eyes. “Jiangxia is using this action to tell the other eight towns: if we’re going down, we’re all going down together. Unless Dajue Temple directly attacks Jiangxia City, then there’s nothing they can do. Otherwise, it’s impossible to make Jiangxia fight Dajue Temple to the death alone.”

Li Xuanling was momentarily at a loss for words, not knowing how to judge Jiangxia’s actions.

“Though it’s a bit roguish, this method has indeed worked!”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, Li Xuanling looked at him with confusion.

“Dajue Temple began mobilizing troops again three days ago. If nothing unexpected happens, their target should be Binjiang Camp. In the past month and a half, they’ve already lost Hongguan, Fengshan, and Longzhou camps. Now they only have Binjiang and Xuyang left. Binjiang Camp is located on the east bank of the Xing River and is related to their water territory, making it a vital lifeline for Jiangxia. If Dajue Temple takes it, it will damage their foundation. Neither Xiahou Zhang nor Jiang Yinglong is willing to lose it, so they’ve sent people to the five central and southern towns for aid again.”

Xia Chuan paused for a moment before continuing, “According to reports from our spies, this time it was Jiang Yinglong’s son, Jiangxia’s Town Head Jiang Xinfan, who personally visited the five towns. It should have some effect. Perhaps he can really bring back reinforcements.”

“The three northern towns are strong and far away, so it’s understandable they’d watch from the sidelines. But the five central and southern towns shouldn’t be so foolish, right? If Dajue Temple takes Jiangxia Town, won’t they be next?”

Xia Chuan suddenly asked in a low voice, his face full of confusion.

Li Xuanling, also bewildered, guessed, “Wishful thinking?”

“A bit of both, I suppose! It all depends on whether the five towns will help this time. Jiangxia has already lost half its territory. If they lose Binjiang as well, the remaining Xuyang Camp won’t be of much use. They’ll really have to turtle up in their main town to protect themselves!”

“Then, Big Brother, when will we make our move?”

Xia Chuan finally couldn’t resist asking the most crucial question.

This question had clearly been weighing on his mind for a long time. After asking it, his expression relaxed slightly before he looked up at Xia Hong with anticipation.

“It’s still too early. Don’t be so anxious. As long as the three northern towns don’t move, we won’t move either. I can let you in on something: the fire from Dajue Temple will never burn its way to our Great Xia!”

Hearing Xia Hong’s last sentence, both Li Xuanling and Xia Chuan were stunned for a moment, but they quickly understood its meaning. Surprise and curiosity filled their eyes.

“Over the past forty-odd days, Jiangxia has asked the five towns for aid twice, and they were rejected both times. As they say, third time’s the charm. If Jiangxia fails to secure reinforcements again this time, they should be thoroughly disheartened. I estimate they’ll most likely seek peace with Dajue Temple in the end.”

“Seek peace?”

Xia Chuan shook his head. “Jiangxia is isolated and helpless, while Dajue Temple is in an overwhelmingly advantageous position. Why would they agree to a truce so easily?”

Xia Hong smiled. “There are many ways to sue for peace; it all depends on the terms. Doesn’t Jiangxia still hold half its territory? Eliminating Jiangxia is not Dajue Temple’s core objective. What they truly want is population. And truly annihilating Jiangxia Town would definitely do more harm than good!”

If they destroyed Jiangxia Town, Dajue Temple would certainly gain a massive population, but it would also inevitably arouse greater vigilance from the other eight towns. If the Eight Towns got serious and formed a coalition army to attack, Dajue Temple, no matter how strong, would have to think twice.

Li Xuanling and Xia Chuan instantly understood and nodded lightly.

Xia Chuan suddenly thought of something and said, “This time, Dajue Temple mobilized its troops towards Binjiang Camp at an unhurried pace, completely different from before. They’re clearly deliberately slowing their advance. I feel like they’re intentionally giving Jiangxia time to seek reinforcements.”

With Bai Shanqiu and Xiang Liang, Xia Hong and Xia Chuan had a clear grasp of Dajue Temple’s basic troop movements. Dajue Temple had begun its advance on Binjiang three days ago, and the news had reached Wuyuan the morning before last.

When he saw the news, Xia Chuan couldn’t understand why Dajue Temple would slow its march. Now, it seemed he had an answer.

Hearing this, Xia Hong’s eyes lit up. He turned to Xia Chuan and asked in a testing tone, “The reason?”

Xia Chuan had clearly been pondering this question for a long time and had already formed his thoughts. He uttered four words in a deep voice.

“To divide the Nine Towns!”

Hearing these words, Xia Hong looked at Xia Chuan with a face full of approval.

It wasn’t just approval; he was inwardly marveling at Xia Chuan’s astonishing rate of growth.

“My thoughts are similar to yours. That Chief Monk Yan Xin of Dajue Temple is very cunning. If I’m not mistaken, Binjiang Camp is Jiangxia’s only chance for self-preservation. Whether they bring in reinforcements or negotiate peace with Dajue Temple, as long as they can hold this place, they can protect their foundation and avoid having to retreat into their main town. Moreover, the situation is about to change drastically. A turning point will soon arrive.”

Xia Hong’s words were vague. Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu were a little baffled, while Xia Chuan and Li Xuanling bowed their heads in thought, pondering what Xia Hong meant by “the situation is about to change drastically” and “a turning point.”

…………

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, the twenty-first day of the first month.

Beishuo Town, Main Hall.

Yang Fa was standing below the main seat. Huang Tianxing strode in from outside the hall, and upon seeing Yang Fa, he immediately bowed. “This subordinate greets the Town Head!”

“Any news?”

“Reporting to the Town Head, Jiang Xinfan has returned to Jiangxia from Bashang. Bashang definitely refused. Currently, only Yangqu and Longgu have mobilized their Town Guard Armies. It looks like they plan to support Jiangxia.”

A smile appeared on Yang Fa’s face. “As expected. With Cao Qianhai and Long Mingfeng killed, those two towns hate Dajue Temple to the bone. After holding back for almost two months, they finally couldn’t bear it any longer.”

Each of the Nine Towns had only two or three Sun-Manifestation realm cultivators.

Among the six central and southern towns, Bashang, Jiangxia, Chuishan, and Muyin each had two Sun-Manifestation realm cultivators.

No, Muyin now only had one.

Only Longgu and Yangqu had three.

Because they had three Sun-Manifestation realm cultivators, for many years, Longgu and Yangqu’s status in the central and southern regions was clearly higher than the other four towns.

But now, everything had changed.

How could Longgu and Yangqu not hate Dajue Temple?

Yang Fa was quite surprised that the two towns had managed to hold back from helping Jiangxia against Dajue Temple for nearly two months.

Now, the two towns had finally come to their senses.

“What’s the use of reinforcements from two towns? They are bound to lose against Dajue Temple unless the lords of those two towns personally take action and bring out all their Town Guard Armies and elites. Only then would they have a chance of winning.”

A smile spread across Huang Tianxing’s face. “In that case, all three towns will be dragged into the flames of war by Dajue Temple.”

He clearly knew Yang Fa’s plan. But after speaking, he quickly thought of something else, and his smile vanished. He said in a deep voice, “However, Milord, Dajue Temple’s expansion is indeed a bit too fast. They’ve already taken half of Jiangxia’s territory. If we continue to indulge them like this, will we be rearing a tiger to cause trouble later?”

“Rest assured. From the battle with Dajue Temple, our Lord has already obtained a great deal of useful intelligence. He is currently with Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng in Chencai, seeking a way to counter the anomaly. Things will be fine once they return.”

At the mention of “Chencai,” Huang Tianxing’s pupils constricted slightly, and a look of excitement appeared on his face as he nodded vigorously.

The domain of Fang Bo, a forbidden land of anomalies. Chencai was certain to hold a marvelous method to counter the anomalies.

In that case, Dajue Temple would truly be no threat.

The three northern towns just needed to let Dajue Temple continue to wear down the strength of the six central and southern towns. When the time was right, they could…

………………

Year Eight of Great Xia, the last day of the first month, daytime.

On the Wuyuan stretch of the Xing River, an iron vessel over twenty meters long floated in the water about a hundred meters from the shore.

“Release the bait!”

Splash…

With a loud cry from the leader, the thirty-odd people standing around the ship immediately threw large quantities of an unknown yellowish-white powder into the water. The powder wasn’t very heavy and floated on the surface immediately upon hitting the water.

Five men holding silver harpoons about a zhang in length were constantly changing positions around the hull, clearly searching for underwater targets.

The harpoon shafts were silver, but a closer look revealed it was because they had an immense number of forging patterns—over ten thousand—giving them a silvery appearance, rather than being made of silver.

In contrast, the twelve sharp barbs ringing the head of each harpoon gleamed with a bright silver light. Unless one looked very closely, it was impossible to see any forging patterns. An experienced person could tell at a glance that this was genuine silver.

The tail of each harpoon was attached to a thick chain, also myriad-forged, which connected to the central hub of the ship.

Not a single person on the ship made a sound. Even the five men holding the silver harpoons tried to walk as quietly as possible.

At the front of the vessel, a black-clad youth of about thirty seemed to have discovered something. He looked down at the water, a sharp glint in his eyes.

A man holding a strongbow next to him noticed his unusual behavior and turned to look at the spot on the water he was staring at, instantly holding his breath.

Two fist-sized lights had indeed appeared underwater, and behind the lights was a large shadow, rapidly approaching the surface.

As the shadow grew larger, about a quarter of the size of the ship, the black-clad youth acted swiftly, fiercely throwing his harpoon into the water.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh… Clang…

The harpoon entered the water, instantly pulling the thick chain from its tail. It plunged about ten meters down before the chain reached its full length and stopped with a loud clang. The chain was pulled taut, a testament to the force with which the black-clad youth had thrown the harpoon.

“Gurgle gurgle gurgle…”

At the same time, a strange cry came from underwater. The chain began to swing from side to side, causing the ship to dip violently.

However, the ship was clearly designed for its weight and size; no matter how the creature below pulled, it wouldn’t sink.

The creature underwater quickly realized it couldn’t sink the boat and changed its strategy, swimming south in an attempt to pull the entire ship into the middle of the river.

Clang…

However, after being pulled for less than twenty meters, a giant Thick Iron Chain, half a meter thick and connected to the shore on the ship’s north side, instantly went taut and emerged from the water. It held the ship firmly in place a hundred meters from the shore. No matter how the creature pulled, the ship didn’t budge an inch.

“Got one here, come and help!”

The black-clad youth who had just thrown the harpoon ordered. He gripped the chain connected to the harpoon with both hands, his face flushing red as he gave a mighty heave backward.

Whoosh…

A black, strange-looking fish five or six meters long was forcibly dragged halfway out of the water. The creature was covered in scales as black as ink, which shimmered under the cold light like pieces of black jade, possessing a unique beauty.

“Hahahaha, a new species, a new species! Hurry up, come on, quick!”

Seeing the creature’s appearance, the black-clad youth’s face was filled with joy as he yelled for everyone on the ship to hurry.

Swish swish…

Hearing the words “new species,” the other thirty-odd people on the ship became instantly excited. However, they didn’t forget their task. They all took out their longbows, nocked silver-tipped arrows, and began firing frantically at the black fish monster.

Puchi… Puchi…

At the same time, the other four harpoons flew swiftly towards the black fish monster, piercing straight through its body. The four men who threw the harpoons quickly pulled on their chains, joining the black-clad youth in holding the great fish fast, allowing the others to shoot it.

The blood that flowed from the great fish after being hit by the arrows was actually jade-green, the exact same color as the bones of a high-grade Frost Beast.

Puchi… Puchi…

As over a hundred arrows pierced its body, the black fish monster’s thrashing in the water grew weaker and weaker. The pressure on the five men holding the chains also lessened significantly.

“Haul it in!”

The black-clad youth let go of his chain and then ordered the other four to drag the dying black fish monster to the side of the ship.

The black fish monster was completely exhausted. After being dragged through the water, it couldn’t even move its body.

“A new species, we have the naming rights! What should we call it, everyone?”

“How about Heixuan?”

“Prefect Qiu caught it, so let’s use his name! Let’s call it Xuanpeng!”

“Hahahaha, you’re so creative.”

“This fish monster is strong. Xuansha sounds better.”

………………

Whoosh!

Just as everyone was cheerfully discussing, the underwater monster suddenly opened its eyes. With a powerful slap of its tail, it used the force to flip its body over, then leaped out of the water. It opened its massive mouth wide at the ship and spat out a glob of a black, oily substance.

Splat…

“Get back!”

Qiu Peng was clearly caught off guard, but he still shouted in alarm for everyone to retreat. The problem was that the monster had caught them unprepared, and the black substance it spewed was so voluminous it could almost cover the entire ship. This iron boat had no cabin, only a deck. No matter how fast the thirty-odd people were, it was impossible to dodge it all in an instant.

“I was careless!”

Qiu Peng’s expression was panicked. With his late-Frostwarden realm cultivation and his strength of nineteen Manes, he was fast enough to dodge, but the other thirty-plus people on the boat were not.

Seeing the black substance about to hit everyone, his expression darkened. He could only hope it wasn’t a lethal poison.

Whoosh…

But just at this critical moment, a hundred-meter-high wave crashed in from the north side of the ship. The wave precisely knocked away all the black substance the monster had spat out.

But that wasn’t all. The force of the wave was also terrifyingly powerful. It struck the black fish, sending it flying more than ten meters.

Clang…

Four of the five harpoons were ripped out, and the whole ship shuddered violently several times. If not for the last harpoon still holding on, the monster would have been sent flying much further than ten meters.

The men had an idea of who it was as soon as they saw the wave. Once the wave subsided, they immediately turned to the north and bowed. “Greetings, Lord!”

In the low sky to the north of the ship, Xia Hong stood in mid-air, clad in black. He held a five-to-six-meter-long golden whip and shook his head repeatedly at Qiu Peng.

“It’s been a while since you’ve hunted; you’ve gotten a bit rusty. I taught you back when you were in the Lumberjack realm: you must never be careless with prey until it’s completely dead. It’s only been a few years, and you’ve forgotten everything. This fish monster is only strong because of its agility underwater. Its strength is at most three Manes. If you lose a few men to a creature like this, then the cost of this fishing and hunting operation is far too high. There would be no need for Great Xia to come here in the future.”

Hearing Xia Hong’s stern reprimand, the thirty-odd men all lowered their heads. Qiu Peng, who had been called out by name, was especially flushed with shame.

“The mistake you all made this time has nothing to do with your experience in the water; it was pure carelessness. This black fish won’t count for contribution points. It will be sent to the Logistics Department and confiscated as your punishment. Remember, you only have one life. It was a coincidence I was here today. You might not be so lucky next time.”

“This subordinate will remember the Lord’s teachings and will never make the same mistake again!”

“We will remember the Lord’s teachings and will never make the same mistake again!”

Qiu Peng led the others in cupping their hands and admitting their mistake. When they didn’t hear a reply from Xia Hong for a long time, they bravely looked up, only to find that he was already gone.

“Today was my fault. I almost got you all into trouble. The Lord was right; I’ve stayed in Xiacheng for too long and forgotten everything he taught me. Brothers, I’m sorry!”

Qiu Peng faced the group, bowed deeply, and offered a sincere apology.

“Prefect, what are you doing?”

“This hunt is everyone’s business, not the Prefect’s fault alone.”

“We were foolish too. There’s no need for this, Prefect.”

The men were naturally filled with trepidation and quickly said it wasn’t necessary.

………………

“Lack of experience in hunting on the water is indeed a problem. But there’s no quick way to improve that; we can only take it slowly.”

In the air above the north bank of the Xing River, Xia Hong stood, looking thoughtfully at the hundred-meter-wide stretch of flowing water by the bank.

“Hunting on water is difficult in itself. A hundred meters is enough for now. The water-based Frost Beasts in there are too strong for Frostwarden realm cultivators to handle easily, and it’s dangerous to be too far from the shore. This is about right.”

This hundred-meter-wide stretch of flowing water by the bank had been created by Xia Hong, who had shattered the ice with brute force. The iron ship, the harpoons, the fixed chains—all the subsequent equipment had been gradually developed by Mu Dong and the people from the Artisan Department over the past three months, with Xia Hong’s cooperation, of course.

“The boats built so far basically have no transport capabilities; at most, they can be considered floating fishing and hunting platforms. And they might not be effective against overly powerful water-based Frost Beasts. Even so, one boat takes over a month to build. As for the iron consumption, I remember Mu Dong said it takes at least ten million catties of iron ore to make one. Tsk, tsk…”

Xia Hong looked down at the small boat that was barely twenty meters long and shook his head incessantly.

It was understandable. The Frost Beasts in the water were a completely different species from those on land. In terms of strength alone, even the weakest had the power of one Mane or more. Mid-grade Frost Beasts on land also had one Mane or more of strength, but the two were completely incomparable.

The water was their home turf. The difficulty of hunting them here was definitely more than ten times greater than on land.

As a hunting platform, the ship’s hull not only had to withstand being dragged by underwater Frost Beasts but also had to resist their impacts. Myriad-forged iron was the minimum standard, something Mu Dong had personally tested.

Moreover, because these species lived underwater, human strength was reduced by twenty or thirty percent here. Simple iron tools couldn’t harm them at all. Therefore, the harpoon tips had to be made of silver, and even the archers had to be equipped with silver Bone-Penetrating Arrows to be effective.

“The cost of fishing and hunting is indeed high, but the rewards are also great. The fishing and hunting model has been established. We’ll just take it slow from here on out!”

Xia Hong sighed softly, then seemed to think of something. He looked down at the golden whip in his hand, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

“Driving water and commanding waves, that’s an unexpected surprise. I never thought the golden gills of that red carp anomaly would have such a miraculous effect.”

When he had come to Wuyuan in early October and driven away that red carp anomaly, Xia Hong had sliced off a section of its left, golden, tassel-like gill. It was about thirty meters long. After the Alchemy Pavilion determined it had no medicinal use, Xia Hong had the Weaponry Workshop fashion it into this five-meter-long golden whip.

“A pity. The only weapon I’m not skilled with is the whip. But Xuan Ling is very good with it. This whip can be given to her to use for now.”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, put away the whip, and landed on the north bank. He slowly walked back towards Wuyuan. But after walking for only a short while, he stopped and looked up at Shi Ping, who was hurrying over from the north, a sharp glint in his eyes.

He hadn’t hidden his presence, so Shi Ping saw him from a long way off. With a joyful expression, Shi Ping rushed over to him and cupped his hands excitedly.

“Reporting to the Lord, there’s news! After a long and unsuccessful siege, Dajue Temple has withdrawn its troops from Binjiang Camp. Moreover, two days ago, Jiangxia’s Town Head, Jiang Xinfan, personally went to Hongguan Camp to meet with Dajue Temple’s Chief Monk Yan Xin. It must be to negotiate for peace. Seeing as Dajue Temple is withdrawing its troops, it’s almost certain that he succeeded.”

Jiangxia’s turning point had arrived!

A sharp light shone in Xia Hong’s eyes. He immediately quickened his pace towards Wuyuan.

“We’ll talk back in Wuyuan.”

Chapter 374: Withdrawal and Ceasefire, An Entrustment, Panic in Bashang, A Sudden Turn

Wuyuan was originally supposed to be called Five Ape Mountain.

Because the mountain range had five perilous peaks, resembling a giant, upright hand, and was inhabited by a large number of Frost Beasts called Frost-Lightning Apes, it earned the name Five Ape Mountain.

In April of the first year, Great Xia annihilated the Three Tigers Camp and incorporated the entire Five Ape Mountain into its territory. To simplify things, it was first called Wuyuan, but later, feeling that the character for “ape” was inauspicious, they changed it to a homophone meaning “origin.” Thus, the name Wuyuan was born.

Seven years had passed, and Wuyuan had undergone earth-shattering changes.

This was especially true four years ago, when Xia Hong established it as Great Xia’s bridgehead for eastward expansion and added eight subordinate divisions. The changes here had been happening at an incredible pace ever since.

Then, in October of last year, Xia Hong personally drove away the red carp anomaly and seized fifteen kilometers of the adjacent waters, adding more fuel to Wuyuan’s fire. It had now become the most important and undisputed garrison point within Great Xia’s territory.

Xia Hong led Shi Ping through the snow-covered forest, heading north for three kilometers. From a distance, they could see a fan-shaped city wall stretching fifteen kilometers from east to west.

Wuyuan had already been fortified during Xu Ning’s administration.

The city wall mimicked the original Longshan garrison. Hundreds of five-sided iron stakes, each eight meters thick, were driven into the ground, enclosing a fan-shaped city along the base of Five Ape Mountain. The total length of the wall was three kilometers longer than the one at Longshan.

“Greetings to the Lord and Prefect!”

“At ease. Continue your watch.”

Xia Hong led Shi Ping through the city gate and headed straight for the main hall of the Division Office.

Inside the main hall, Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, and Luo Yuan were in the midst of a heated discussion. Seeing Xia Hong enter, they hurriedly bowed in greeting.

“Greetings, my Lord!”

Xia Hong took the main seat. He saw Xia Chuan about to hand him the letters sent back by Bai Shanqiu and his partner and waved his hand. “I won’t read them. Just tell me the specifics.”

Xia Chuan nodded, put the letters away, and cupped his fist. “On the seventeenth of this month, a total of five thousand Town Guard Army soldiers from Yangqu and Longgu detoured from the east into Jiangxia territory, marching straight to Binjiang Camp. Combined with Jiangxia’s own five thousand Town Guards, that made an army of ten thousand. In addition, Jiangxia transferred ninety thousand Earthforger realm warriors from the main town and conscripted all the Earthforger realm warriors from a further twenty-four village-level camps within its territory, amassing a force of one hundred and fifty thousand. In terms of numbers, they held an absolute advantage over Dajue Temple.

“On the nineteenth, twenty-first, and twenty-third, Dajue Temple launched a total of three assaults on Binjiang Camp—two during the day, one at night—all of which ended in failure. On Dajue Temple’s side, the three Chief Monks, Jinyang, Jukong, and Heiyan, along with over fifty ordained monks, were killed in action. The number of monastery monks has dropped to just over two thousand, and they have about ninety thousand Earthforger realm soldiers left.

“The Three Towns didn’t fare well either. They likely lost over three thousand Frostwarden realm warriors, mostly from Jiangxia. Their ten thousand Town Guard soldiers have been reduced to just over four thousand, and they have about eighty thousand Earthforger realm warriors remaining. Their casualties are comparable to Dajue Temple’s.”

Hearing about the casualties on both sides, Xia Hong raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is that all? What about the Sun-Manifestation realm experts on both sides?”

“I was just about to get to that. During the battle two days ago, on the twenty-third, Binjiang Camp was nearly breached. At the last moment, Jiang Yinglong, Xiahou Zhang, Long Mingyuan, and Cao Qianyang all took action. Although Dajue Temple only sent three Grand Masters—Jingang, Yanlong, and Heiming—they managed to suppress the four of them the entire time.

“According to Bai Shanqiu, Jiang Yinglong and the other three fought for their lives and managed to drag the battle into the night. With the help of a hundred thousand Earthforger realm soldiers, they finally managed to scatter the enemy forces. Seeing no hope of breaking through the pass, the three Grand Masters finally stopped and ordered Yan Xin to withdraw.”

As Xia Chuan finished, the expressions of Yuwen Tao and the others grew somber.

The total forces on both sides had exceeded three hundred thousand, not to mention the thousands of Frostwarden realm warriors and tens of thousands of Town Guard soldiers.

Even seven Sun-Manifestation realm experts had joined the fray!

Just hearing about it, one could imagine how fierce the battle at Binjiang Camp must have been.

Although Xia Hong’s eyes flickered, he showed little surprise when he heard about the outcome of the Sun-Manifestation realm battle.

Eight Sun-Manifestation realm experts had gone to Dajue Temple, and two had perished while three were seriously injured. What could four of them do? It was a good thing this was a life-or-death battlefield battle, different from a one-on-one duel. Furthermore, there were likely some techniques that Dajue Temple’s three Grand Masters wouldn’t dare use in front of so many people. Otherwise, the four from Jiangxia would most likely have died.

It was clear that Bai Shanqiu and his partner had sent back a great deal of information this time. Seeing that everyone had composed themselves, Xia Chuan continued.

“After the great battle on the twenty-third, Dajue Temple’s forces retreated to Hongguan Pass. The next day, the twenty-fourth, Jiangxia’s Town Head, Jiang Xinfan, went to Hongguan Pass for a personal meeting with Chief Monk Yan Xin.

“It’s unclear what Jiang Xinfan and Yan Xin discussed, but that same night, the night of the twenty-fourth, the tens of thousands of Dajue Temple soldiers stationed west of Binjiang Camp all withdrew to Hongguan Pass.”

“They negotiated for peace.”

“It must be a peace negotiation. Dajue Temple has been attacking for so long without success. Continuing would just be a waste of time.”

“The leaders of the Three Towns all showed up. Dajue Temple must be worried that the other six towns might get involved if they keep fighting, right?”

Yuwen Tao and the others immediately chimed in.

Hearing their words, Xia Chuan nodded in agreement.

It was obvious, almost certainly the case.

“Was it a peace negotiation, or did they sue for peace?”

However, at that moment, Xia Hong suddenly posed a question.

Everyone was taken aback and lowered their heads in thought.

A peace negotiation meant both sides were unwilling to continue fighting.

Suing for peace, on the other hand, meant that only one side was unwilling and afraid to fight on and would take the initiative to discuss a cessation of hostilities.

“Jiang Xinfan went to Hongguan Camp on his own initiative. Of course he was suing for peace!”

Xia Chuan was the first to answer, and Yuwen Tao and the others immediately nodded in agreement.

“Big Brother, there’s another piece of important news from our spies in Jiangxia…”

Xia Chuan suddenly produced another letter. He paused, a hint of excitement in his eyes, before continuing, “In the latter half of the night on the twenty-third, Jiangxia suddenly sealed off the main town, allowing no one in or out. All stationed Town Guard soldiers and Frostwarden realm warriors were recalled to the town.”

Spies in Jiangxia?

Last year, Xia Hong had instructed Xia Chuan to send several Frostwarden realm experts to infiltrate the Eight Towns from the Eastern Ridge. Now, these spies were beginning to send back information.

“Sealed off the town in the latter half of the night on the twenty-third, allowing no one in or out…”

Xia Hong pondered for a moment. Then, as if realizing something, he shot a look at Xia Chuan.

“Did something happen to Jiang Yinglong?”

On the twenty-third, Jiang Yinglong and the other three had fought with their lives on the line just to drag the battle into the night. Then, later that same night, Jiangxia sealed its main town. This was clearly an attempt to suppress some major news, most likely something detrimental to Jiangxia.

Other than something happening to Jiang Yinglong, there seemed to be no other reason.

Xia Chuan had clearly considered this possibility as well, nodding excitedly. “It could also be Xiahou Zhang. It must be that something happened to one of them.”

It was most likely Jiang Yinglong.

Xia Hong didn’t say it out loud, but during the battle at Hongguan Pass at the end of November, when he saved Xiahou Zhang from the two Grand Masters Yanlong and Jingang, he had personally seen a heavily injured Sun-Manifestation realm expert flying toward Jiangxia’s main town. That was almost certainly Jiang Yinglong.

Those injuries were far more severe than Xiahou Zhang’s; it was unlikely he could have recovered in just two or three months.

Considering this information, if an already-injured Jiang Yinglong had fought for his life against the three Grand Masters at Binjiang Camp, it was highly probable that something had happened to him.

They sealed the town for fear that the news would spread to the other eight towns.

Yuwen Tao had also figured it out by now and said in a low voice, “That would make sense. Jiangxia is severely weakened and unable to fight on. They must have ceded territory and made a treaty—anything to protect their main town. Dajue Temple, on the other hand, was fighting one against three and also suffered considerable losses, so they didn’t dare push too hard. They simply took the opportunity to accept the terms and withdraw.”

“The troops have withdrawn, but whether the war is over is another matter,” Xia Hong suddenly interjected.

Xia Chuan and the others froze upon hearing this.

But they quickly understood the meaning behind Xia Hong’s words, and their expressions changed drastically.

“So this is what Big Brother meant by a turning point for Jiangxia.”

Xia Chuan, in particular, understood at once what Xia Hong had meant during the family banquet half a month ago when he said Jiangxia would see a turning point.

“It’s been getting colder lately, haven’t you noticed?”

Everyone was a little puzzled by Xia Hong’s question.

“It will be February soon. The cold tide from the Xing River is coming!”

Shi Ping was the first to react, catching on to Xia Hong’s meaning.

Prompted by Shi Ping, Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and the other three understood as well.

Every year in February, the Xing River experienced a two-month-long flood season. During this period, the solid ice on the river’s surface would rise with the water level, and the cold air would spread to the north bank, causing a sharp drop in temperature throughout the entire Five Ape Mountain region.

“Shi Ping, it seems you haven’t been the Prefect of Wuyuan for nothing. Well done!”

Praised by Xia Hong, Shi Ping was visibly excited and cupped his fist. “You flatter me, my Lord. As the administrator of a region, one must understand all local conditions. I notified all divisions in Wuyuan ten days ago to prepare for the arrival of the cold tide.”

Xia Chuan now also understood why Xia Hong had mentioned February and looked up abruptly. “February isn’t just about the cold tide. It’s also the selection period for Dajue Temple’s monks. They’ll start going to the villages to collect six-year-old children…”

He paused, then continued, “Could Dajue Temple have agreed to Jiangxia’s plea for peace because of this?”

“I doubt it’s that significant. Collecting children can be done by sending a few people; it wouldn’t affect the war effort. But aren’t you curious what Dajue Temple ultimately does with all those six-year-old children they take away?”

The faces of Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and the other three stiffened, and they fell into silence.

Since Dajue Temple was connected to anomalies, it wasn’t hard to guess what they wanted with those six-year-old children. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be anything good.

Xia Hong couldn’t possibly be unaware of this.

By raising this question now, Xia Hong’s deeper meaning was clear: did they not want to do something about those six-year-old children?

The five of them hesitated for a long time before Xia Chuan finally broke the silence.

“If anyone should be dealing with it, it should be the Nine Towns first!”

As soon as he spoke, Yuwen Tao and the other three followed suit.

“If the Nine Towns could truly work together, it wouldn’t be our concern. Dajue Temple was able to grow strong precisely because of their indulgence. The troubles they’ve invited should naturally be borne by them.”

“At this critical juncture, for whatever reason, Great Xia cannot reveal itself unless we are fully prepared for an eastward campaign.”

“Indeed. I sympathize with those children, but the timing is not right!”

…

After listening to the five of them, Xia Hong nodded slightly and said nothing more.

He had clearly observed their shift from hesitation to resolve. The fact that they hesitated showed they still held reverence for life.

The cold-bloodedness displayed by the upper echelons of the Nine Towns during their confrontation with Dajue Temple had somewhat disheartened him. They didn’t even treat Earthforger realm warriors as human beings; how could one expect them to have any compassion for others?

He worried that Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and all the high-ranking officials of Great Xia would, as their camp grew stronger and their own power increased, gradually become like those people.

Fortunately, there was no sign of that trend yet.

Xia Hong stood up and gazed east towards Qinghepu, asking in a low voice, “How many in the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies still haven’t had their breakthrough?”

“Three hundred and eighty-six in the Cloud Serpent Army, and three hundred and seventy-five in the Dragon Martial Army.”

Li Xuanling’s prediction from half a month ago was likely accurate. It would take until April at the earliest for everyone to break through to the Frostwarden realm.

Seeing Xia Hong frown, Xia Chuan added, “I’ve already sent a message back to urge them on. Also, any extra slots in the Martial Arts Pavilion have been prioritized for members of the Dragon Slaying Army who haven’t broken through yet.”

When resources were sufficient, rushing cultivation was useless; it still depended on individual fate and opportunity. How could Xia Hong not understand this?

But with a war imminent, there was no other choice but to urge them on.

“Have them speed up as much as possible. We will have need of them soon.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

…

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, the fourth day of the second month.

Inside the main hall of Jiangxia Town, hundreds of people, old and young, were gathered.

Everyone was looking up at the chamber behind the main hall, their expressions fraught with tension. A few seemed to have already sensed what was happening, their eyes filled with tears, their faces etched with grief.

In the chamber behind the main hall, Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan stood vigil by the bedside.

Their faces were gaunt, clear evidence they hadn’t slept for days and nights. Even so, they kept their eyes fixed on the person on the bed, their faces a mixture of fear and hope.

The person lying on the bed was none other than the Lord of Jiangxia, Jiang Yinglong.

There were three cone-shaped wounds on Jiang Yinglong’s left chest, clearly caused by a spear piercing through him. Although the wounds had stopped bleeding, the surrounding area was charred black, as if seared by fire.

Not only his chest, but his right shoulder and forehead each had a large, sunken area, and his body was inexplicably swollen in over twenty places.

Jiang Yinglong’s breathing was as faint as a silken thread, clearly not a normal state of unconsciousness.

“Master!”

“Father.”

Suddenly, Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan cried out in pleasant surprise.

The man on the bed, Jiang Yinglong, had opened his eyes.

But it seemed to be a great effort for him even to open his eyes. He didn’t speak. Looking at his disciple and son by his bed, he seemed to make a decision. A flicker of resolve crossed his eyes, and his body trembled slightly.

“Master!”

Xiahou Zhang clearly sensed something and rushed forward in alarm.

“That’s enough. Don’t waste any more pills on me. If there was any hope of saving me, I would want to live more than either of you. The lifespan of a Sun-Manifestation realm expert is two hundred years. I am already one hundred and fifty-seven. To have lived this long is no loss!”

Hearing these words, both Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan’s eyes filled with sorrow.

“Xinfan, Dajue Temple agreed to a ceasefire. What were their conditions?”

Jiang Xinfan knew his father was beginning to give his last instructions. Pushing aside his grief, he quickly replied, “There were three conditions in total. First, we must cede the thirteen village-level camps around Xuyang Camp to them, and we are not to tamper with the population. Second, we must compensate them with eight thousand sets of Thousand-forged Armor, to be gathered and delivered within two months. Third, from now on, under any circumstances, we must not become enemies with Dajue Temple.

“The third condition applies not only to Jiangxia but also to Yangqu and Longgu.”

Hearing these three conditions, Jiang Yinglong’s face seemed to wither even more. After a few soft coughs, he spoke with sorrow. “My Jiangxia only has a total of forty-seven village-level camps. We’ve lost twenty-one, and now we’re ceding another thirteen. Three-quarters of our territory is gone. I have failed the former Lord and my elder brother!”

Seeing him so full of self-reproach, Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan hurried to console him.

“Master, the enemy is powerful. It is not your fault. There is no need for this.”

“Father, it’s not your fault. It’s all because of Beishuo, Jinshan, Wuchuan, Chuishan, and Bashang! It’s because of the short-sightedness of these five towns, who stood by and watched us burn. Otherwise, how could Jiangxia have fallen to such a state?”

But their comfort clearly had little effect.

The grief on Jiang Yinglong’s face did not fade much. Realizing his time was short, he suppressed his sorrow, turned to the two of them, and began to give his instructions in a grave voice. “After the battle of Binjiang, Jiangxia no longer has a chance to contend for dominance with the Eight Towns. Once the news of my death spreads among them, your situation will be much like Muyin Town’s. Zhang’er, I will be brief…”

Thud…

“Zhang’er listens to Master’s teachings!”

Hearing his master’s form of address, tears streamed from Xiahou Zhang’s eyes. He fell to his knees with a thud before the bed, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Zhang’er” was what his master had called him in his youth. Jiang Yinglong hadn’t called him that in nearly seventy years. To hear it again on his deathbed, how could his heart not be moved?

“Forcing us to cede the thirteen villages of Xuyang Camp reveals the ambition of a wolf. This retreat only grants Jiangxia a brief respite. Disaster will surely strike again in the future. To protect yourselves, an alliance with just Yangqu and Longgu is far from enough. Go to the three northern towns. Surrender to them!”

“Father, if not for the three towns refusing to help, how would Jiangxia have fallen to this state? How can we submit to those scoundrels—”

“Junior disciple-brother, be silent! Listen to Master!”

Hearing his father tell Jiangxia to surrender to the three northern towns, Jiang Xinfan became emotional. But before he could finish, Xiahou Zhang cut him off. He looked up at his father, Jiang Yinglong, on the bed, shuddered, and immediately lowered his head and closed his mouth.

“Trusted by my elder brother, who entrusted the camp and you both to me all those years ago… In just over forty years, I have brought Jiangxia to such a state of ruin. After death, I truly don’t know how I will face the former Lord and my elder brother…”

Jiang Yinglong’s face was filled with self-mockery, his voice thick with regret. He looked at Xiahou Zhang, who was kneeling and sobbing by his side. He reached out and gently stroked his head, his voice tinged with guilt. “Zhang’er, I am not as capable as your father. I can only leave this mess in your hands. The current situation is perilous. You must be careful in all things. Since the chance for dominance is lost, then obediently accept fate. Find a good path for your Xiahou clan and my Jiang clan.

“Though you never say it, I know that, just like Fan’er, you also hate the three towns in your heart. But now is not the time for rash emotions. The lives of over six hundred thousand people in this town rest on your shoulders alone. Do you understand?”

Xiahou Zhang, his hair half-white and nearly a hundred years old, heard Jiang Yinglong’s final words, still filled with guilt towards him and the Xiahou clan. Tears flowed like a broken dam, without a hint of the Jiangxia Military Head’s authority. If any outsider were to witness this scene, their jaw would surely drop in shock.

Thump… thump… thump…

Seeing Jiang Yinglong’s breathing grow fainter, Xiahou Zhang suppressed the grief in his heart, shuffled back two steps on his knees, and kowtowed three times to the ground. He then looked up at Jiang Yinglong on the soft couch, his tone incomparably firm. “Disciple understands. Rest easy, Master. Disciple swears to defend Jiangxia to the death and will certainly find a good path for our two clans’ descendants and the six hundred thousand people of this town.”

Jiang Yinglong, who knew his disciple’s character like the back of his hand, finally relaxed upon hearing these words. He turned his head last to his eldest son, Jiang Xinfan, his face showing even deeper guilt. In a low voice, he said, “Fan’er, for these past forty-some years, although you never said it, I know you have always held a grudge over those five Heavenly Sun Fruits. For that matter, I wronged you.”

At these words, both Jiang Xinfan and Xiahou Zhang trembled. Xiahou Zhang’s face was filled with guilt, while Jiang Xinfan’s expression was incredibly complex.

Over sixty years ago, Jiangxia’s previous lord, Xiahou Ming—Xiahou Zhang’s father—had battled the red carp anomaly that occupied the Heng River to open up the waterway. Though he succeeded in driving away the anomaly, he was left mortally wounded.

At that time, Jiangxia only had two Sun-Manifestation realm experts. With Lord Xiahou Ming on the brink of death, Jiang Yinglong, then the Military Head, became the sole pillar of support. To resolve the crisis, Jiang Yinglong risked his life to venture into Mo’ao Mountain and retrieve five Heavenly Sun Fruits, hoping to cultivate another Sun-Manifestation realm expert.

At that time, both Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan had a chance.

But Jiang Yinglong, without even asking, gave the opportunity directly to Xiahou Zhang.

Jiang Xinfan was now in his nineties. According to the lifespan of a Frostwarden realm expert, he already had one foot in the grave. Hearing his father suddenly bring up the past and apologize to him, the last trace of resentment in his heart completely vanished.

He looked up sharply at Jiang Yinglong and said in a solemn voice, “Rest assured, Father! I don’t have many years left to live. I understand your meaning. From now on, no matter what, I will work with my senior disciple-brother with one heart and one mind. The clan motto of our Jiang and Xiahou clans—to share weal and woe, to be as one body—will never change!”

“It is the same for the Xiahou clan. In the future, if this disciple violates this oath, may my cultivation never advance, and may I be struck down by five thunders!” Xiahou Zhang vowed.

“Good, good, good… The former Lord Xiahou Wu and my father were as united as you two brothers are now, which is how Jiangxia rose from a large camp to join the ranks of the Nine Towns. As long as you two can work together, our two clans will surely endure in the Ice Abyss for a long time. Good… good…”

Jiang Yinglong was extremely agitated. His voice grew louder towards the end, and his face became more ruddy. When he finished the last “good,” a breath caught in his throat, and he could not recover. His hands went limp and fell to his sides.

In his final moments, his eyes were fixed on his disciple and his son, a smile of欣慰 and satisfaction on his face. He clearly had no regrets.

“Master!”

“Father!!!”

The anguished cries of Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan carried out of the chamber.

Outside, the hundreds of gathered people shuddered upon hearing the sounds. Men and women, young and old, all turned towards the chamber and knelt down in unison.

“Grandfather!”

“Maternal Grandfather…”

“Uncle.”

“My Lord!”

“Great-grandfather, waaah…”

The entire hall was instantly filled with the sound of weeping. A chorus of sorrow and lamentation filled the air, and the atmosphere became incredibly somber.

Although Jiangxia’s main hall was built in the very center of the town, there were no other buildings within a half-kilometer radius. Arrangements had clearly been made during this time, and there was no one near the Main Building. Otherwise, such loud crying would have quickly spread throughout the town.

“Keep the death a secret and continue the lockdown. Unless someone holds a Town Decree personally signed by you and me, no one is to take a single step out of this town!”

Inside the chamber, after the initial wave of grief had passed, Xiahou Zhang stood up and sat by the bed. While arranging his master’s remains, he gave orders to Jiang Xinfan.

“Can we keep it hidden, senior disciple-brother?”

Hearing Xiahou Zhang’s words, Jiang Xinfan’s voice was tinged with weariness.

The Nine Towns weren’t like other village-level or giant camps that had no contact with one another. Not to mention the spies and scouts in each town, there were numerous marriage alliances between the upper echelons. In fact, many descendants of the Jiang and Xiahou clans were married to the upper echelons of Yangqu, Longgu, and Muyin. They were standing outside the hall right now.

They could keep this news hidden for a while, but it was impossible to conceal it for long.

“I don’t intend to hide it for long. Just until the tenth will be enough. Didn’t Dajue Temple say they would send people to take over Xuyang Camp and the thirteen surrounding village-level camps on the tenth? Cooperate fully with them and conceal the news from all regions. Until then, do everything possible to keep this a secret!”

Jiang Xinfan’s body trembled as he heard this. He quickly reacted, looking up at Xiahou Zhang with a hint of shock in his eyes.

Xiahou Zhang’s eyes were now filled with hatred. He growled in a low, deep voice, “The three northern towns, plus Chuishan and Bashang—don’t these five towns love to watch a show? Now it’s our turn to watch them. Even if I die, I’ll vent this anger for my master!”

Xuyang Camp bordered Bashang. The ceasefire terms Jiang Xinfan had negotiated with Dajue Temple stated that Jiangxia was not to leak the news of ceding the territory before the tenth. Furthermore, Dajue Temple had made Yangqu and Longgu promise not to oppose them in the future.

It was already quite obvious what Dajue Temple planned to do next.

From Xiahou Zhang’s tone, it was clear he had no intention of following his father Jiang Yinglong’s dying wish to seek refuge with the three northern towns.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Jiang Xinfan’s face. But when he looked up at his father, who lay lifeless on the bed, and recalled his dying words, his gaze gradually hardened. He bowed to Xiahou Zhang.

“As the Lord commands!”

…

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, the tenth day of the second month.

On the southernmost stretch of the Heng River’s eastern bank, there was a city built by the water—

It was named Bashang!

To say Bashang was built by the water wasn’t entirely accurate. Although Bashang Town, like Jiangxia, was on the eastern bank of the Heng River, its overall territory was significantly smaller.

The reason was simple: not far to the west of Bashang was the source of the Heng River, which was the southeastern side of the Mo’ao Mountain Range.

Because it was near the source, Bashang’s western territory was constantly eroded by the river’s flow, causing it to become increasingly narrow. A look at a map would reveal that Bashang was situated with the Heng River’s source in the Mo’ao Mountains to its east and the diverted course of the Heng River to its west. Squeezed between the two, its territory formed an inverted triangle.

And Bashang’s main town was built at the bottom of this inverted triangle, in its narrowest section.

Thus, it was correct to say it was by the water or by the mountains.

The reason for building the town this way was not hard to guess. They wanted both the land resources of the Mo’ao Mountains to the east and the water resources of the Heng River to the west. More resources were always better, and this approach of grabbing both land and water was in line with the normal mentality of most camps in the Ice Abyss.

Tonight, Bashang Town was clearly unusual.

During the day, large numbers of Frostwarden realm experts had arrived from all over. Shortly after nightfall, the two thousand fully armed Town Guard soldiers who had been stationed at Baisong Camp to the east also returned to the town.

The first to sense the changing atmosphere, like the warmth of spring water, were naturally the people living in the town.

Watching group after group of Frostwarden realm experts and soldiers enter the town, many couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread, and could only speculate wildly.

“What’s going on?”

“Why are the troops back all of a sudden?”

“Are we going to war with Jiangxia?”

“Jiangxia is at war with Dajue Temple. How could they fight us too?”

“I don’t know. It seems the Town Head has summoned many people to the Lord’s hall.”

“Something big must be happening. We should stock up on beast meat and grain!”

…

“Town Head, Jiangxia didn’t resist at all. All the village-level camps around Xuyang Camp have been taken over by Dajue Temple. Their ninety-thousand-strong army has already moved into Xuyang. The area within a three-kilometer radius of the camp is on high alert, and we can’t get any more information.”

Bang!

Bashang, the main hall.

“Ahhh…”

Upon hearing the report, Xiang Fanyun’s face flushed red. He slammed his palm down, shattering the table before him, and roared, “Those Jiangxia scoundrels! To sue for peace, they actually ceded Xuyang Camp and deliberately sealed their town to keep the news from getting out! Damn them… Damn them… cough cough…”

The redness on his face was clearly unnatural, not just from uncontrolled anger. Towards the end, he coughed several times in a row, and a slight trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. Although he quickly wiped it away, it was noticed by many people below.

“Military Head, don’t be angry. Dajue Temple is only garrisoned at Xuyang for now. They might not be coming for us. The urgent task is to send troops to Zouyang Camp to keep watch, just in case. Then, we must inform the other towns. If Dajue Temple truly makes a move against us, we’ll need their help!”

Town Head Xiang Tianlin spoke up. But as soon as he finished, everyone in the hall, including Military Head Xiang Fanyun, turned to look at him with strange expressions, tinged with a hint of embarrassment.

Xiang Tianlin clearly understood the meaning in their gazes. Without blushing in the slightest, he said, “When Jiangxia was being attacked by Dajue Temple, six towns didn’t help, not just Bashang. Dajue Temple has the ambition of a wolf. Such indulgence will surely lead to great disaster. I’m sure the Eight Towns understand what is more important.”

Hearing his nephew’s words, Xiang Fanyun’s brow furrowed. After a long pause, he said in a deep voice, “Fine. Then you will personally go to the Eight Towns to request aid this time.”

The three towns of Jiangxia had ended up like this against Dajue Temple. How could Bashang fight alone?

Asking for aid was the only way out. Even though he knew Xiang Tianlin’s words were utter nonsense, he had no choice but to try anything at this point.

“The three towns… We must get the three towns to act. Tianlin’s request for aid will most likely fail. We still need Big Brother to go to the three northern towns!”

Xiang Fanyun deliberated in his mind. Finally, he stood up and walked towards the back of the hall, in the direction of the Lord’s chambers.

…

Great Xia, Year Eight, the twentieth day of the second month, daytime.

In the eastern section of the fifteen-kilometer stretch of water at Wuyuan.

A twenty-meter-long iron boat floated quietly on the dark water.

Xia Hong, dressed in black and wearing a conical hat, sat alone at the bow.

He was holding a pure silver fishing rod connected to a silvery-white, transparent fishing line. The line was nearly two centimeters in diameter; it was more like a rope than a line.

Judging by the thickness of the snow on his hat, he had been holding this position for a long time.

“Another empty-handed day…”

After a long while, Xia Hong let out a soft sigh and abruptly pulled up the line. He looked at the yellowish-white powder bait on the hook and frowned slightly.

“The powder bait Mu Dong developed is made from a mixture of low-to-mid-level beast bones and berries. You have to chum a large area to attract the underwater Frost Beasts. For angling, it’s just not attractive enough. Do I really have to use bait made from Jade Bone?”

Using Jade Bone for bait would be far too expensive.

Xia Hong shook his head slightly, but then he thought about how Great Xia had only been developing its aquatic resources for a little over four months, and he felt more at ease.

“A large number of High-level Hunting Teams are coming to Wuyuan. Mu Dong is leading people to test various baits every day. After some time, we’ll eventually find a suitable bait. For now, empty-handed is empty-handed. I’ll get you all eventually.”

He turned his head to look at another iron boat three or four kilometers to the west, where a Great Xia Hunting Team was bustling with activity. He chuckled, put away his fishing rod, stepped onto the water’s surface, and pushed the boat a hundred or so meters further east. He found a new spot and began fishing again.

For the convenience of fishing and hunting, Great Xia had placed a total of three iron boats in this fifteen-kilometer stretch of water, with a fourth one being built. The one he was on was newly made, and a few chain links were not yet complete, so it couldn’t be used for fishing yet. Having some free time these past two days, he had the Artisan Department make him this fishing rod to enjoy the long-missed feeling of angling.

The rod was made of Thousand-forged silver, and the line was woven from high-level Soaring Serpent tendon and silver thread, capable of withstanding a pull of about twenty Mane.

In terms of fishing gear, Xia Hong had maxed out his specs. Unless he encountered a Beast King, he dared to reel in any water-based Frost Beast that dared to bite.

Unfortunately, he had been fishing for two days with nothing to show for it.

“The bait is no good. It has nothing to do with my fishing skills!”

Xia Hong shook his head, cast his line with a flick, and prepared to try again.

Tap, tap, tap…

But he was soon interrupted.

Xia Chuan, dressed in white, walked across the water from the shore. Seeing Xia Hong still sitting on the boat fishing, a strange look appeared in his eyes.

“It’s been two days, Big Brother. Still haven’t caught a single one?”

“Cough, cough… Who asked you to butt in? This bait from Mu Dong is terrible.”

Xia Hong coughed lightly, reeled in his line, took off his hat, and looked at Xia Chuan, whose face was clearly filled with excitement. A thought stirred in his mind, and he asked, “Is there new progress in the war at Bashang?”

Xia Chuan had obviously come to talk about this very matter. He nodded heavily, his face beaming with joy. “Ten days after Zouyang Camp fell, Bashang lost Qinggu Camp last night. Over half of its territory has fallen. So far, they have lost nineteen village-level camps. And Dajue Temple’s army hasn’t stopped; they’ve already sent scouts to spy on Jiugu Camp. Just as you predicted, Big Brother, Dajue Temple is really aiming to annihilate Bashang Town this time.”

Half a month ago, Xia Hong had predicted that Dajue Temple’s attack on Bashang would be different from their campaign against Jiangxia; they would absolutely fight all the way to the main town until Bashang was destroyed.

Looking at the situation now, it seemed he was right.

Bashang’s territory was smaller than Jiangxia’s, with only forty village-level camps in total and only four major camps: Baisong, Zouyang, Qinggu, and Jiugu. Now two have fallen. Baisong was at the foot of the Mo’ao Mountains to the east, and Jiugu was located north of the main town, serving as its final defensive barrier.

The fact that Dajue Temple was sending people to scout Jiugu confirmed that Xia Hong’s prediction from half a month ago was correct.

Xia Chuan looked at Xia Hong with a face full of admiration.

“Big Brother, you’re truly amazing. Bashang’s attempts to sue for peace were useless. Ten days ago, after Zouyang Camp fell, Xiang Fanyun personally went to ask for peace the very next day. Although we don’t know the specifics of their talk, it’s clear Dajue Temple completely ignored him!”

Xia Hong smiled. “Bashang doesn’t understand the principle that if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Jiangxia was beaten so badly not long ago, yet Bashang, as its neighbor, refused to lift a finger. It was Yangqu and Longgu that sent troops instead. Jiangxia deliberately concealed the news of ceding Xuyang, clearly intending to set them up. Now they can only suffer in silence.

“After this series of moves by Dajue Temple, the Nine Towns are completely fractured. Bashang has no one to turn to for help, and ceding territory to sue for peace is not an option. Their only path is to fight Dajue Temple to the death.”

“Fight to the death? Can they win?”

Dajue Temple had five Grand Masters and eight hundred monks, and as February passed, the number of unordained monks was beginning to surge again.

It seemed that destruction was the only path left for Bashang.

Xia Chuan suddenly thought of something and said, “There is another way, isn’t there?”

Xia Hong’s expression flickered slightly, and he immediately understood.

“Dajue Temple is a force controlled by anomalies. The people below may not know, but can the two brothers, Xiang Fuhai and Xiang Fanyun, and all the high-ranking officials of Bashang Town be unaware? To surrender would mean completely siding against the Eight Towns.”

“But it’s the only way to survive. It’s better than annihilation, isn’t it?”

Xia Hong shook his head without replying, changing the subject. “Is there any new information from Muyin Town?”

“Not at the moment. Murong Chui has likely made contact with people from Beishuo but hasn’t made a final decision. Big Brother, are you thinking of starting with Muyin Town?”

A glint shone in Xia Hong’s eyes. “It’s not that I want to, but we can only start with Muyin Town. Not to mention the three northern towns, Jiangxia, Yangqu, and Longgu have formed an alliance. Chuishan has an ambiguous relationship with Beishuo, and Bashang is on the verge of collapse. Currently, Muyin Town is our only opening.”

“Jinshan and Wuchuan are watching them covetously. Beishuo seems to be wooing them, but in reality, they also want to annex them. The other five towns in the central and southern regions are preoccupied with their own affairs. Murong Chui is now caught between a rock and a hard place, with nowhere to turn.”

As the one in charge of intelligence at Wuyuan, Xia Chuan was well aware of Muyin’s predicament.

Hearing his words, a dark light flashed in Xia Hong’s eyes. He said in a low voice, “At a time like this, if someone were to help Muyin with no strings attached, how do you think they would react?”

Xia Chuan immediately understood, and his expression brightened. “Big Brother, you mean…”

Chapter 375: Chen Hua and Kong Xiu, Chaos in Muyin, the Rout of Bashang

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, the first day of the third month, daytime.

Muyin Town, a residence near the outer perimeter.

A middle-aged man clad in Thousand-forged iron armor knocked on the main gate, then followed with three light coughs.

Creak…

The gate opened from the inside. The middle-aged man quickly strode in, and the gate was promptly shut behind him.

The master of the house was also a middle-aged man. He wore no armor, only common clothes. After closing the gate, he led his guest into the house and sat down in an inner room. Only then did he turn to look at the man’s iron armor, a look of disbelief on his face.

“You really managed to get into the Town Guard Army? How is that possible?”

Clang…

Seeing Chen Hua’s expression, Kong Xiu slapped the iron armor on his chest and couldn’t help but laugh triumphantly. “Hahaha, I told you I could do it, but you didn’t believe me. We’ve been here for less than half a year and have already infiltrated the town proper. This just goes to show that Muyin Town is already riddled with spies, like a sieve. I bet even many of the higher-ups have been bought by outsiders. What kind of strict screening do you expect from two hastily formed Town Guard Armies? I just went to sign up, showed them my cultivation level, and they took me in without a second thought.”

Chen Hua was stunned for a moment, then shook his head repeatedly. “If even the Town Guard Army is this reckless, I’m afraid this Muyin Town is truly doomed.”

He paused, a look of disbelief still on his face.

“The Town Guard Army is the town’s greatest pillar of support. Murong Chui can’t possibly be unaware of this, can he? If they’re this careless, have they truly given up on resisting?”

“It wouldn’t matter even if he knew. Murong Chui is just the Town Head. The position of Military Head of Muyin Town is vacant, with its duties being temporarily carried out by the Lord, Murong Yan. Right now, Murong Yan and the entire first branch of the Murong family are single-mindedly trying to surrender to Jinshan Town. They see their granduncle as a thorn in their side. How could they possibly cooperate with him to properly organize the army?”

Hearing Kong Xiu’s words, Chen Hua’s expression faltered. He thought about what he had learned about the Murong family’s internal affairs over the past two months in the town and nodded lightly, a hint of excitement on his face.

He and Kong Xiu were both from Five Ape Mountain and had only joined Great Xia in the fourth month of the first year.

Kong Xiu had been the leader of the East Peak camp, while he had been the leader of the West Peak camp.

In the seven years since joining Great Xia, although both had successfully broken through to the Frostwarden realm, truth be told, aside from each leading a high-level hunting team, they had accomplished almost nothing else.

A Frostwarden realm cultivation was certainly impressive for an individual, but in the current Great Xia, it meant very little. At most, it could guarantee you the position of a mid-level hunting team captain; anything more was out of the question.

They had both been leaders before and were naturally unwilling to live out their days in mediocrity. After seven years in Great Xia, they hadn’t even made it into the mid-level ranks. Both felt a deep sense of frustration and were desperate to find a chance to stand out.

The problem was, opportunities to get ahead in Great Xia were too rare.

A quick calculation made it clear. Xiacheng currently had twenty-eight external garrisons. Among them, only Wuyuan, Eastern Ridge, and Longshan were major garrisons with their own subordinate Division Offices. Including the nine districts of Xiacheng proper, there were a total of twelve major garrisons and twenty-five minor ones.

Based on the number of garrisons alone, a major garrison had eight subordinate Division Offices, totaling sixteen positions. A minor garrison only had a Garrison Commander and a deputy, two positions. This meant that, all told, there were only two hundred and forty-two garrison positions.

Of course, this didn’t mean there were only two hundred and forty-two positions in all of Great Xia.

There were also the Department Heads and members of the eight departments, the Marshals and Captains of the Department of Military Affairs, the Gate Commanders… but even counting all of these, the total number of ranked positions in Great Xia was probably less than four hundred.

Yet, the number of Frostwarden realm experts in Great Xia had already surpassed six thousand.

As demand outstripped supply, obtaining a ranked position was naturally not so simple.

Moreover, obtaining a rank was only the first step to making a name for oneself. After that came the even more difficult tasks of being ennobled and establishing a clan, which was the highest aspiration for the people of Great Xia.

There were only so many positions available. Whenever one opened up, everyone would fight tooth and nail for it. He and Kong Xiu had broken through to the Frostwarden realm in the third year of Great Xia. Their strength wasn’t considered top-tier, and they had no special advantages, so it was naturally difficult for them to be noticed.

However, when they thought of others, it wasn’t so hard to accept.

Even Xiao Kangcheng, who had joined Great Xia at the same time as them, only became the Garrison Commander of Zhaoyang last year, taking advantage of Shi Ping’s promotion to Prefect of Wuyuan.

And that wasn’t even mentioning Xiao Kangcheng’s father-in-law and son-in-law relationship with Xia Chuan. The man had broken through to the Frostwarden realm in the second year of Great Xia, a year earlier than them, and had performed great deeds during Great Xia’s campaign against Longyou. He was among the first to be enfeoffed as a ninth-rank Dark-Feather Viscount.

If even Xiao Kangcheng had to wait five years to become a sixth-rank Garrison Commander, it was no surprise that climbing the ladder was as difficult as ascending to the heavens for two men like them, who had no foundation and average talent.

Two similarly underappreciated men, upon learning in early October last year that Director Xia Chuan was sending people to infiltrate the Nine Towns to gather intelligence, signed up without a second thought.

Interestingly enough, many people had signed up at the time, several of whom were stronger than them. The reason the two of them were chosen was precisely because they were old enough and not particularly strong.

Since it was an infiltration mission, they couldn’t be too conspicuous. Ordinary Frostwarden realm experts like them, nearly fifty years old, with no battle physique aptitude and average strength, were indeed the most suitable candidates.

In early October, the two of them, along with thirty other Frostwarden realm secret agents, took the hidden tunnel through Hanqiong to reach Eastern Ridge. Following Lu Yang’s arrangements, each town was assigned four secret agents—two to gather intelligence and two to relay it back to Eastern Ridge. He and Kong Xiu were assigned to Muyin Town to gather intelligence.

When they first arrived, they were extremely cautious, blending into a relatively weak village-level camp with the intention of slowly gathering information about Muyin.

But they had only been in that camp for less than two months when the town proper suddenly began conscripting Frostwarden realm and Earthforger limit experts from the various villages. The two didn’t know the specific reason, but they were unwilling to miss such a golden opportunity, so they accepted the summons and entered the town.

Now, they had been in the town for over two months. They had not only figured out the reason for the conscription but had also gathered a large amount of intelligence about the town.

“Murong Yan is basically being led by the nose by his wife, Shangguan Hong. The conscription from two months ago was most likely Shangguan Hong’s idea. Summoning all the Frostwarden realm and Earthforger limit experts from the village-level camps into the town proper was ostensibly to increase the town’s strength and reinforce its defenses. But secretly, it was to bolster the power of the Lord’s first branch of the Murong family, so they could go head-to-head with the second branch.”

Hearing Kong Xiu, Chen Hua smiled. “This Murong Chui is a bit too indecisive. His second branch clearly has the strength to seize the Lordship from Murong Yan, but he’s too concerned with his reputation and keeps giving way to his grandnephew. Now, the boy has grown too powerful to control, and it’ll be difficult to rein him in. I suspect Jinshan Town will be the one to profit from this in the end.”

The Murong family only had two branches.

The first branch was that of the late Lord Murong Ding. This branch was not prolific. Murong Ding’s three sons all died before the age of fifty, leaving only a dozen or so grandsons. The most talented among them, Murong Yan, was the current Lord of Muyin Town.

The second branch was that of the Town Head, Murong Chui. Compared to his elder brother Murong Ding’s line, the second branch was much more prosperous. All five of Murong Chui’s sons were still alive, and he had over thirty grandsons.

The relationship between the brothers Murong Chui and Murong Ding had been solid. During Murong Ding’s years as Lord, with the two brothers keeping things in check, there was little conflict between the two branches. However, ever since Murong Ding passed away four years ago and the Lordship fell to his grandson Murong Yan, the conflict between the two branches could no longer be suppressed.

According to the unspoken rule of the Nine Towns, the positions of Military Head and Town Head could be held by Frostwarden realm experts, but the Lordship had to belong to a Sun-Manifestation realm master. No one knew what arrangements Murong Ding had made before his death, but he had not passed the Lordship to Murong Chui, instead passing it over a generation to his grandson Murong Yan.

Murong Chui had no objections, but the disciples of the second branch were in an uproar.

The first branch was already small, and without a single Sun-Manifestation realm expert, Murong Yan had little more than the title of Lord. He reaped none of the real benefits, as the actual power in the town was still controlled by his uncle, Murong Chui. How could he be content with that?

But no matter how unwilling he was, Murong Yan was helpless. After all, Murong Chui was the only Sun-Manifestation realm expert in the town. He was lucky to have become the Lord at all; what more could he do?

But three years ago, Shangguan Lie, the Town Head of Jinshan Town, suddenly came to visit, bearing a marriage contract personally signed by Murong Ding before his death. The two names on the contract were Murong Yan and his granddaughter, Shangguan Hong.

To show up with a marriage contract at such a time, and to arrange a marriage with the Lord—Murong Chui, at his age, couldn’t possibly fail to see Jinshan Town’s sinister intentions. He tried to refuse time and again, even at the risk of offending Shangguan Lie, willing to pay a sky-high price in silver to annul the contract.

Unfortunately, Murong Yan opened his mouth and agreed!

The party involved had agreed. What could Murong Chui, his granduncle, say?

And so, three years ago, Shangguan Hong successfully married into Muyin Town.

That was the beginning of all the conflict.

With Shangguan Hong as the Lord’s wife, Jinshan Town unscrupulously planted a large number of their people in Muyin Town. Openly, there were two to three hundred Frostwarden realm experts; secretly, who knew how many more?

At the same time, with his father-in-law and all of Jinshan Town as his backer, and his wife advising him, Murong Yan began to try to reclaim his lordly authority, starting to go head-to-head with his granduncle, Murong Chui.

Chen Hua and Kong Xiu had been in the town for over two months and had a good grasp of the situation. Initially, Jinshan Town’s actions had been more restrained; they planted their people secretly, only three to five at a time. But later, they became more and more outrageous. Three days ago, they sent over thirty Frostwarden realm experts in one go.

“Their excuse was flawless—forming a personal guard for the Lord. They even had the audacity to claim they were recruited from outside. Summoning all the Frostwarden realm experts from the camps in the territory was just a cover for their own people to get in. Who doesn’t know those people are from Jinshan Town?

The entire Muyin Town only has about three thousand Frostwarden realm experts. Jinshan Town now has over five hundred here openly, and who knows how many have infiltrated secretly.

If Murong Chui had done something from the beginning, it would have been fine, just a little more effort. But now, it’s probably too late. At least a third of the three thousand-plus Frostwarden realm experts in the town are loyal to Murong Yan. Adding Jinshan Town’s people, the two sides are basically evenly matched. And Jinshan Town is constantly watching. Even if Murong Chui wanted to take control now, he no longer can.”

Hearing Kong Xiu, Chen Hua frowned and added, “The town’s defenses have been far too lax recently. If the two of us, who aren’t even from the Nine Towns, can get in so easily, it must be even easier for people from the Nine Towns. I can’t speak for the other five towns in the central and southern regions, but Beishuo and Wuchuan have definitely sent people in as well.”

Kong Xiu’s expression faltered. After a moment of thought, a grave look appeared on his face. He nodded and said, “Definitely. Wuchuan Town was the first to want to make a move on Muyin. It was only because the other seven towns applied pressure together that Wuchuan finally gave up.

Now Jinshan also wants to annex Muyin. Bashang can’t even protect itself, and Jiangxia has suffered heavy losses. The other three towns in the central-south are all wary of Dajue Temple, so they probably have neither the mind nor the energy to bother with things here. But Beishuo and Wuchuan are different. They have the strength, and they fear Jinshan growing too powerful. They certainly won’t just stand by and watch.”

“So, you’re saying that the three northern towns are all eyeing Muyin now. Should we send this information back tonight?”

“Of course!”

The two conferred for a while, consolidating all the intelligence they had gathered over the past two days, and then waited for night to fall.

Great Xia had placed four secret agents in each of the eight towns. Two were responsible for gathering intelligence, and the other two for relaying it. The two relay agents, one to the north and one to the south, formed a direct line connecting all eight towns, funneling intelligence through Lu Yang in Eastern Ridge before it was finally sent to Xiacheng.

The method of contact had been set before they left Eastern Ridge last year. Unless there were special circumstances, even-numbered days were for receiving intelligence from the south, and odd-numbered days were for sending intelligence to the north. The rendezvous would take place at an agreed-upon location within the first hour after nightfall. This ensured that intelligence would reach Xiacheng as quickly as possible.

Today was the first of the month, an odd-numbered day, perfect for sending intelligence north.

Kong Xiu had already infiltrated the Town Guard Army, so he could no longer leave the town as he pleased.

Therefore, after nightfall, Chen Hua immediately took his weapon and bow, pretending to go hunting, and left the town.

After leaving the town and heading east for three to five kilometers toward Mo’ao Mountain, he confirmed no one was following him before changing direction and speeding northwest. After a swift journey of over twenty kilometers, he soon arrived at the designated meeting point.

The meeting time was within the first hour after nightfall. If the other party didn’t show up within that hour, it meant they couldn’t make it. He wouldn’t have to wait any longer and would come back next time.

There had been many such special situations in the past, so Chen Hua was patient, sitting by a large tree and slowly waiting as he kept track of the time.

But today, he didn’t have to wait long. Someone arrived from the north within ten minutes.

However, when he looked up to the north, his expression changed instantly. He leaped onto the tree and quickly hid himself.

Because more than one person was coming from the north—there were over twenty of them.

“Zheng Qing was captured? Why are there so many people!”

The agents responsible for relaying intelligence from Muyin were Zhang Fan and Zheng Qing. The one to the north was Zheng Qing. They had been working together for nearly half a year and were very familiar with each other.

Meetings had always been one-on-one. The sudden appearance of so many people naturally made Chen Hua wary, and he suspected that Zheng Qing had been caught.

If he had been caught, this would be a major problem.

Chen Hua’s face instantly grew grim. He had considered turning to flee, but he gritted his teeth and stayed, slowly drawing the great saber from his back. He watched the group of over twenty people, trying to see if Zheng Qing was among them.

Fortunately, Zheng Qing was there.

He was in the lead, clearly guiding the twenty people behind him, repeatedly pointing towards Chen Hua’s position.

“Traitor!”

Chen Hua cursed inwardly. Watching the approaching Zheng Qing, his eyes filled with a murderous intent that was thick to the extreme.

But soon, as he got a clear look at the faces of the people behind Zheng Qing, the killing intent in his eyes vanished completely, replaced by astonishment and pleasant surprise.

He quickly sheathed his saber and, without a second thought, jumped down from the tree, rushing directly toward Zheng Qing and the others.

“This subordinate, Chen Hua, pays his respects to the Department Head!”

Among the twenty people behind Zheng Qing, the leader was none other than the Department of Military Affairs’ Department Head, Yuwen Tao. Moreover, Chen Hua happened to recognize the two people behind Yuwen Tao: the Dragon Martial Army’s Deputy Marshal Hou Quan, and the Dragon Martial Army’s Scout Battalion Captain, Yuwen Yong.

Although Yuwen Tao and the nineteen people behind him were all dressed in common clothes, each carried a large pack on their back. From the shape of the packs, it was easy to tell they contained battle armor.

The Dragon Martial Army was on the move?

Innumerable thoughts flashed through Chen Hua’s mind, but in the end, this was the only conclusion he could reach, though his heart was still filled with confusion.

“No need for formalities, Chen Hua. I heard you’ve already infiltrated Muyin Town. Well done. What’s the situation over there? Tell me.”

Yuwen Tao’s praise wasn’t without reason. He had seen Chen Hua from a distance, including the series of changes in his expression.

He could instantly guess what Chen Hua had been thinking, which was why he gave such a positive evaluation. However, he was naturally cold-tempered, so uttering those four words was already a feat for him. After saying them, he immediately began to inquire about the military intelligence.

Judging by Chen Hua’s slightly emotional reaction upon hearing the praise, it was clear how difficult it was to earn a compliment from Yuwen Tao.

Chen Hua quickly reported the latest situation in Muyin Town, focusing, of course, on the Murong family’s internal strife and the fact that Kong Xiu had just joined the Town Guard Army.

Yuwen Tao’s expression didn’t change upon hearing about the Murong family’s internal strife—after all, previous intelligence had already mentioned it. But when he heard Chen Hua say that a large number of Frostwarden realm experts were sneaking into Muyin every day, and that his partner Kong Xiu had become a member of the Town Guard Army, a look of deep satisfaction appeared on his face.

“…Most of the Frostwarden realm experts who have recently entered the city should be from Jinshan Town, but there are also quite a few from Beishuo and Wuchuan. I’m not sure about the nearby towns of Longgu, Yangqu, and Chuishan. In short, the town is currently divided into two factions. One is led by Lord Murong Yan, with the support of Jinshan Town behind them. The other is led by Town Head Murong Chui. The number of Frostwarden realm experts on both sides is roughly equal.”

Murong Chui hasn’t surrendered to Beishuo yet!

After hearing Chen Hua’s report, that thought immediately popped into Yuwen Tao’s mind.

Chen Hua was gathering information in Muyin, so his intelligence was limited. In fact, he knew less than Yuwen Tao did back in Xiacheng.

Beishuo had already extended an olive branch to Murong Chui. If Murong Chui had defected to Beishuo, the situation in the town would not be like this.

“Hou Quan, return to Eastern Ridge immediately. Arrange for the soldiers to come over in batches. Not too many, twenty at a time. Yuwen Yong, you stay here with Zheng Qing and be responsible for receiving them. I will go to Muyin Town with Chen Hua tonight to scout the situation first. If the town’s defenses are indeed so lax…”

Hearing this, Chen Hua looked up abruptly, his pupils filled with shock.

Soldiers coming in batches, twenty at a time.

Yuwen Tao’s meaning was clear. He wanted to sneak the Dragon Martial Army into the town?

Great Xia was also making a play for Muyin Town!

“Twenty men a day… It will take at least fifty days for the entire Dragon Martial Army to arrive. There’s a small portion who haven’t had their breakthrough yet; over these fifty days, they should be able to catch up. If we can really sneak into the town without anyone noticing…”

Yuwen Tao pondered for a moment. Thinking of the order Xia Hong had personally given him before this expedition, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

“Chen Hua, take me to the town to have a look first.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Chen Hua’s heart pounded with excitement. He immediately led Yuwen Tao southeast, toward Muyin Town.

“Everyone, I will take my leave!”

Seeing Yuwen Tao depart, Hou Quan also turned and headed back towards Eastern Ridge.

Zheng Qing cupped his fists towards Yuwen Yong and the others. “Honored sirs, the Department Head probably won’t be back so soon. Why not follow me to Yumen Village to rest for a while?”

Having been here for nearly half a year, he naturally had a regular hiding place. Yumen Village was not strong; even he could hide there, let alone Yuwen Yong and his eighteen Dragon Martial Army soldiers.

“Very well!”

Yuwen Yong returned the salute and followed him with the eighteen soldiers toward Yumen Village, not far to the north.

……………………

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, the twentieth day of the third month, late at night.

Bashang Town, a flood of people was surging towards the city gate like a dark tide.

Everyone scrambled frantically for the gate, afraid of being even a second too late.

“Get out of the way! Get out of my way!”

“Stop pushing! Stop pushing! Everyone stop!”

“Jiugu has fallen! The enemy will be here any moment! Let me in! Let me into the city!”

“Everyone halt! Halt!”

“Calm down! Everyone, calm down! The enemy isn’t in pursuit! Don’t panic!”

………………

Although many soldiers and officers on the city walls and on either side were shouting at the top of their lungs, trying to maintain order, the crowd outside the gate was simply too massive—at least a hundred thousand people by estimation. The few soldiers around the gate were completely ineffective.

“Town Head, it’s no use! We can’t stop them! We can’t stop them at all!”

“Dajue Temple deliberately drove these people here! There must be many enemy spies mixed in. If we let them all in, the consequences will be disastrous!”

“Close the gate! We have to close the gate!”

“Town Head, give the order!”

“Close the gate? How can I close it? The routed army from Jiugu Camp is out there! They’re all at the Earthforger realm! If I close the gate, are we supposed to just let them all die come morning?”

Xiang Tianlin, the Town Head of Bashang, was a far cry from the composed figure who had spoken so eloquently in the main hall a month ago. His face was now filled with panic. Looking down at the defeated soldiers streaming through the gate, he roared back at those telling him to close it.

This time, Bashang had not just been defeated; it had been utterly routed!

On the fourteenth day of the second month, even before he returned from seeking aid from the Eight Towns, Zouyang Camp had already been breached by Dajue Temple.

“Dajue Temple has the ambition of a wolf. If we indulge them like this, it will surely lead to disaster. I trust the Eight Towns understand what is at stake.”

Remembering the words he had spoken to his uncle, Xiang Fanyun, in front of everyone in the main hall on the tenth of last month, Xiang Tianlin now just wanted to slap himself hard across the face.

When he went to the Eight Towns for aid, Jiangxia, Yangqu, and Longgu wouldn’t even let him through their gates. Chuishan and Muyin refused him outright. The three northern towns feigned politeness, but as soon as he mentioned aid, they would immediately become vague and change the subject.

When Jiangxia was attacked by Dajue Temple, they at least had the help of Yangqu and Longgu. Not a single town was willing to lend Bashang a hand. Their situation was even worse.

On the twenty-third of the second month, after Qinggu Camp fell, his uncle Xiang Fanyun had gone to Dajue Temple the very next day to sue for peace. He first offered to cede Baisong Camp but was refused. Then he offered to cede Jiugu Camp as well, along with numerous mines and people. Dajue Temple… still refused.

The moment Xiang Fanyun brought the news back, everyone finally realized: Dajue Temple truly intended to annihilate Bashang.

And at that moment, no one in Bashang Town held onto any remaining illusions.

Xiang Tianlin personally presided over the mobilization, gathering all the Earthforger realm experts from the remaining twenty-one village-level camps. They also dispatched eighty thousand men from the town, amassing a total of one hundred and sixty thousand Earthforger realm fighters. Adding Bashang’s nine thousand Town Guard soldiers, they concentrated all their forces at Jiugu Camp for a decisive battle against Dajue Temple.

With the threat of annihilation before them, the one hundred and seventy thousand-strong army, united in purpose, did indeed display astonishing willpower. From the moment Dajue Temple launched its first wave of attacks on the twenty-fifth of last month, Bashang had managed to repel seven consecutive assaults.

After the seventh assault ended on the twelfth of the third month, when Dajue Temple withdrew its army back to Qinggu Camp, Bashang’s eight thousand Town Guards had suffered over fifty percent casualties, and only about one hundred thousand of the one hundred and sixty thousand Earthforger realm fighters remained.

Of course, Dajue Temple’s losses were not light either. Of their three hundred ordained monks, only half remained. Of the six thousand monastery monks before the war, less than two thousand were left. Their number of Earthforger realm fighters was even less than Bashang’s, with just over ninety thousand.

For the first seventeen days, Dajue Temple had launched an attack almost every other day, never waiting more than two days.

Since Dajue Temple had chosen to withdraw their army, it must have meant they were giving up.

At that time, all the high-ranking officials, including Xiang Tianlin, believed that Bashang had held on. With such heavy losses, there was no way Dajue Temple could continue the attack.

Who knew how wrong they were!

Yesterday, on the nineteenth of the third month.

Dajue Temple had actually brought in five thousand more monastery monks and two hundred ordained monks from their rear. They had set out from Qinggu Camp late at night and launched another ferocious assault on Jiugu Camp during the day today.

The Bashang army had held on through the first seven assaults through sheer will, a ferocious desperation born from facing death. The moment they withstood the seventh attack and saw Dajue Temple retreat to Qinggu Camp, that will had, admittedly, dissipated.

After all, everyone thought they had already won.

The war was over.

Who would have thought that Dajue Temple would return, just seven days later?

And they returned with even greater strength.

Bashang’s disastrous defeat seemed to have begun the moment Dajue Temple withdrew its forces.

Only now did everyone realize that seven days ago, Dajue Temple hadn’t been unable to continue the attack. They had feigned a retreat to lull them into a false sense of security.

Fortunately, Lord Xiang Fuhai and Military Head Xiang Fanyun led a group of high-ranking officials and four thousand Town Guards in a desperate resistance, preventing Dajue Temple’s army from breaking into Jiugu Camp during the day. Otherwise, not only would Jiugu have fallen, but probably all of Bashang’s Earthforger realm fighters would have been wiped out.

And the trouble before them now was a result of that fight.

By the time the Lord and his generals had dragged the battle into the night, Bashang’s losses were already incalculable. The Town Guard Army had just over two thousand men left, and there were just over a thousand Frostwarden realm experts. Even with the hundred thousand Earthforger realm fighters, they were no longer able to fight.

So, as soon as it got dark, Lord Xiang Fuhai had directly led his men in a retreat, simultaneously ordering the Earthforger realm fighters in Jiugu Camp to fall back and head for the town.

And so, the scene before them came to be.

The Frostwarden realm experts were fast and could quickly return to the town. But the Earthforger realm fighters could not. They were numerous and slow, and the Dajue Temple army was in hot pursuit behind them. It had taken them until now to finally make it back.

Normally, when one hundred thousand Earthforger realm fighters retreated, they should have arrived in staggered groups, due to different routes, varying cultivation levels, and familiarity with the terrain.

But the people fleeing back now had gathered together and arrived at the same time.

What did this mean?

Someone had herded them together from all directions, deliberately creating this scene of a massive, simultaneous arrival.

It was obvious who had done it—Dajue Temple!

The purpose was to create chaos so that their own people could mix into the crowd and enter the city.

“They’re already planning to attack Bashang itself, yet the Eight Towns still do nothing…”

Xiang Tianlin gritted his teeth, looking towards the north, in the direction of the Eight Towns.

“Let them in. Let them all in. Dawn is coming soon. No matter what, the vast majority of them are citizens of Bashang. We must give them a chance to live!”

Suddenly, a voice came from the sky. Xiang Tianlin and the others looked up. Seeing the golden figure in the air, they all bowed low.

“Greetings, my Lord!”

Xiang Fuhai and Xiang Fanyun were blood brothers, so they looked very much alike. But Xiang Fuhai’s hair was white, and his face was covered in wrinkles; he was clearly much older than his brother.

Crucially, his body was covered in fresh bloodstains, clearly from his battle with the two Grand Masters from Dajue Temple during the day. Whether it was Xiang Tianlin and the other Bashang officials on the wall, or the tens of thousands of people squeezing through the gate below, everyone who saw him was deeply moved.

The crowded throng at the gate instantly fell silent. After a long moment, someone was the first to bow to the figure in the sky, his voice heavy as he spoke:

“If not for the Lord and the others fighting to the death during the day, we would not be alive. I return to Bashang tonight only to defend the city.”

“We will never forget the Lord’s great kindness. That’s right, brothers, stop pushing! We are not fleeing for our lives. Dajue Temple will attack again. We are entering to defend the city!”

“If Dajue Temple dares to attack, I will fight to the death!”

“I am a citizen of Bashang! Bashang City will not fall!”

“What kind of sight is this, all this chaos? Brothers, one by one! We can’t let those damned thieves from Dajue Temple laugh at us!”

…………

The once chaotic scene at the city gate changed completely with just a single sentence from Xiang Fuhai. As more and more people spoke up, the crowd entering the city not only became orderly, but even the despair caused by the rout was suddenly replaced with a renewed sense of purpose.

Everyone knew in their hearts that another fierce battle awaited them.

This time, Dajajue Temple had come to annihilate Bashang!

Chapter 376: Muyin’s Dead End, Only We Can Help You, The Green and Yellow Pills, The Battle of Bashang Begins

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, Fourth Month, Fifth Day, Daytime

Muyin Town, a side hall on the eastern side.

A half-gray-haired old man sat at the head of the hall, incessantly rubbing his forehead. From his tightly furrowed brow, his irritated expression, and the constant rubbing, it was easy to see that the old man was anxious to the extreme.

He was not alone in the hall; at least a dozen others were seated below him. Three of them looked even older than he, while the rest appeared to be middle-aged.

“All thirty-two of our village-level camps across the territory, all the Frostwarden realm and Earthforger limit experts have been conscripted into the town. In less than four months, the number of Frostwarden experts in the town has surged from just over three thousand to more than five thousand. Do our village-level camps even have that many Frostwarden experts? Jinshan is clearly treating us like fools.”

“That Personal Guard already has over eight hundred men, and at least seventy percent of them are from Jinshan Town. Shangguan Hong has now sealed off the area around the Main Hall. Our people can’t get in at all. We can’t even see the Lord to discuss matters.”

“It’s not just the Personal Guard. The two newly established Town Guard Army regiments also have over four hundred Frostwarden experts, with the rest being at the Earthforger limit. There must be many people from Jinshan Town mixed in there as well.”

“And it’s not just Jinshan. Beishuo and Wuchuan must have infiltrated people in as well.”

“This is just what’s on the surface. Who knows how many are hidden in the shadows. The town is riddled with holes. If we don’t clean it up soon, it’ll be too late.”

“This is all the doing of that vixen from Jinshan Town! Town Head, don’t hesitate any longer! If you let her continue wreaking havoc like this, it won’t be long before Muyin is completely finished.”

………………

Hearing the words of the people below, Murong Chui’s brow furrowed even more. He turned his head to look in the direction of the Main Building to the west, his eyes filled with indecision and inner turmoil.

“Father, we can’t let the Lord continue to act so recklessly!”

Suddenly, a white-haired old man seated closest to him spoke up.

The moment the old man spoke, the others immediately fell silent and turned to look at him.

“That Murong Yan wants to pledge allegiance to Jinshan is not a huge problem, as long as it’s not Wuchuan. But the town’s foundation is still intact, and Jinshan Town has made no public statements. To go to them so proactively, wagging our tails and begging for scraps… Muyin may be weak, but we are not so spineless.”

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded heavily, their faces filled with indignation.

Just as Murong Ping had said, as long as it wasn’t a surrender to Wuchuan, they wouldn’t have objected to whichever power Lord Murong Yan chose to align with. What angered them was never Murong Yan’s desire for an alliance.

Though they were unwilling to accept it, they all knew in their hearts that ever since the death of Lord Murong Ding four years ago, Muyin Town had been in decline, unable to maintain its former status.

Three years ago, Wuchuan had seized twenty-three of their village-level camps. Although Wuchuan returned twelve under the joint pressure of the seven other towns, Muyin’s decline was irreversible without a new Sun-Manifestation realm expert.

Wuchuan remained aggressive. At a time like this, it was no disgrace for Muyin to seek a backer in either Jinshan or Beishuo; it was a practical necessity.

But Murong Yan’s series of actions had been far too hasty.

Of course, they knew why he was doing it.

Murong Yan’s suspicion of Murong Chui had grown increasingly severe since he became Lord. He knew Murong Chui’s faction’s stance well: the vast majority were unwilling to surrender to any of the three northern towns, with a small minority favoring Beishuo. So, using the marriage alliance from three years ago as an opportunity, he had thrown his lot in with Jinshan, using their support to vie with Murong Chui for control over the town.

“Three years ago, Muyin’s foundations were still solid, and we had the support of the five central and southern towns. We had no reason to fear the three northern towns. But that idiot, Murong Yan, was in a rush to lead a wolf into the house, causing internal strife that has left the town demoralized and everyone on edge.

Now, Dajue Temple is advancing menacingly. In the battle at Binjiang, Jiang Yinglong died, and Jiangxia is on its last legs, about to fall—a situation similar to our own. Yangqu and Longgu have also suffered heavy losses. As for Bashang, it can barely fend for itself. None of the five towns can help us anymore.

Pledging allegiance now is not like it was three years ago, where we only needed to bow and scrape a little. Given the nature of the three northern towns, with such a prime opportunity, how could they possibly let us go without devouring us whole?

The town is on the brink of collapse, and I bet Murong Yan is still in the Main Hall, living his grand daydream of being a lord. Pah, what an idiot, an absolute idiot…”

Murong Chui’s second son, Murong Yan, had a temper as fiery as his name. His opinion of Lord Murong Yan was clearly at rock bottom, and he showed him no respect in his words, cursing him as an idiot several times after he finished speaking.

Bang…

Murong Chui slammed his hand on the table, shattering it and cutting Murong Yan off. He stood up, pointing at his five sons, and roared, “He’s an idiot, but you’re not much better! In four years, if just one of you five had managed to make a breakthrough, would I be in this position, trying to hold this up on my own? Would Muyin have fallen to this state?”

Hearing this, Murong Ping and his four brothers all lowered their heads in shame.

Unlike the five of them, the expressions of the others in the hall dimmed slightly.

The onlooker sees more clearly than the players. They could tell from Murong Chui’s words that he was still doing his utmost to protect Murong Yan’s authority as Lord.

This was precisely the biggest problem within the town right now, or rather, the biggest problem for Murong Chui’s faction.

Due to three years of internal conflict between the two factions at the top, the morale of the town had long since collapsed, and the situation was almost beyond repair. If Murong Chui could resolve to take action, there might be a glimmer of hope. But he was afflicted with a streak of blind loyalty and was simply unwilling to completely break with his grandson, Murong Yan.

As Murong Chui’s staunchest supporters, they had tried to persuade him countless times, but he had remained unmoved. Even at this critical juncture, he was still protecting Murong Yan. They couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened.

“Zhang Hai pays his respects to the Town Head!”

Just as a dead silence fell over the hall, a person suddenly rushed in from outside.

Zhang Hai first bowed to Murong Chui. Then, he glanced around, confirmed that everyone present was on their side, and immediately faced forward to report, “Town Head, the fighting at Bashang still hasn’t started. But according to our scouts, Dajue Temple is continuously reinforcing its troops. All the Earthforger realm cultivators from their village-level camps have been conscripted. Bashang has kept its gates shut for half a month and refuses to take the initiative, no matter what. It seems they intend to defend the town to the death.”

The faces of everyone in the hall darkened at these words.

Muyin’s only hope of avoiding being swallowed by the three northern towns was to gain the joint support of the four central and southern towns. But gaining their support was easier said than done.

With the outcome of the Bashang battle still undecided, if Dajue Temple were to actually destroy Bashang, their next target would undoubtedly be the four central and southern towns. If those towns were to support Muyin now and offend the three northern towns, then no one would help them when Dajue Temple came knocking on their door.

In other words, if Bashang could hold off Dajue Temple, making the four towns realize that the temple wasn’t so fearsome and that they didn’t need to fear offending the northern towns, then Muyin Town would surely have a chance.

In short, life or death depended on the outcome of the battle at Bashang.

Either Bashang would be destroyed, and they would obediently seek to pledge allegiance to Beishuo;

Or Bashang would hold on, and they would seek aid or an alliance with the four towns.

What they feared most was the current stalemate.

With Murong Yan and Shangguan Hong’s cooperation, Jinshan’s infiltration of Muyin continued to deepen. The longer this dragged on, the more disadvantageous it was for them.

“Perhaps we should just go to Beishuo…”

Murong Ping finally couldn’t hold back any longer, but he only got halfway through his sentence.

Because another person rushed into the hall.

It was a young woman in a red dress, looking to be about eighteen or nineteen.

The young woman had a touch of playful innocence on her face, and her expression seemed very pure. She showed no concern for barging into the great hall and wasn’t the least bit nervous about being stared at by more than a dozen people. She went straight to Murong Chui at the head of the hall and cupped her hands in a bow. “Yan’er pays respects to Grandfather! Grandfather, Father, Uncles, today, Yan’er wishes to recommend a great talent to you!”

The moment Murong Yan walked in, the expressions of everyone in the hall, including Murong Chui, immediately softened, and a gentle look appeared on their faces.

The Murong family had two branches. If Murong Yan, who had broken through to the Frostwarden realm at eighteen, was the pride of the first branch, then the young woman now standing in the middle of the hall, Murong Yan, was the pride of the second branch.

Murong Yan’s aptitude was not just superior to Murong Yan’s; even across the entire Nine Towns, she was considered exceptional. At seventeen, she had broken through to the Frostwarden realm with a superlative combat physique, immediately possessing the strength of over four Manes—stronger than both Murong Chui and Murong Ding had been in their youth.

When Murong Yan was born nineteen years ago, Murong Chui was already 108. He was already old to be having a grandchild, and she was the daughter of his most beloved youngest son, Murong Yuan. Murong Chui had doted on this little granddaughter since she was a child. After she displayed her astonishing talent, he doted on her even more.

Especially two years ago, when Murong Yan broke through to the Frostwarden realm with a superlative combat physique aptitude. Realizing that this granddaughter might very well be the Murong family’s third Sun-Manifestation expert after himself, Murong Chui gave her anything and everything she wanted, granting her almost every request.

With her grandfather’s affection, Murong Yan naturally did as she pleased in the town. For instance, barging into the great hall like this was something no one else, unless on a matter of extreme urgency, would dare to do even if they had several times the courage.

But not only did Murong Yan dare, but no one was even slightly annoyed.

After all, Murong Chui, seated at the head, was beaming with a smile.

Who would dare to have an opinion?

Of course, someone did dare to speak.

Hearing his daughter say she wanted to recommend a great talent to her grandfather, Murong Yuan shook his head and chided her in a low voice, “A young lady like you, having no sense of propriety. Can’t you see your grandfather is in a meeting with us? Go find someone else to play with.”

Being scolded by her father in front of so many people, Murong Yan instantly flared up. She looked at her father and said, “Dad, don’t look down on people. The great talent I’m talking about might not be weaker than you.”

“Well then, Yan’er, tell me, where did this talent you’re recommending to Grandfather come from? And how did you come to think of recommending him to me?”

Murong Yuan shook his head again and was about to speak, but his father, Murong Chui, beat him to it. He quickly stood up, intending to pull his daughter away, but was stopped by his fourth brother, Murong Ying.

He paused, a little stunned. Seeing his fourth brother motioning toward the entrance, he quickly looked outside. After a moment of sensing, his expression changed drastically.

A Frostwarden expert’s perception could radiate about two hundred meters.

They knew exactly how many people were standing outside the hall.

Just a moment ago, there were only twenty guards, but now there was one more person.

And he couldn’t see through that person’s aura.

So what his daughter had said—that this person might not be weaker than himself—was true!

Countless thoughts flashed through Murong Yuan’s mind. His expression immediately grew somber, and his gaze toward the outside of the hall became hostile.

Meanwhile, Murong Yan was smiling as she answered her grandfather’s question.

“Grandfather, didn’t Brother Yan form a very powerful Personal Guard? I was bored recently, so I wanted to see what that Personal Guard was like. I didn’t expect to run into an interesting incident today. The Personal Guard Commander, Shangguan Qing, and the Vice Commander, Shangguan Xing, were taught a lesson by a common soldier, one against two! Shangguan Xing even had an arm cut off, which infuriated Madam. She has the Personal Guard conducting a massive search for him throughout the town!”

From these words, it was clear that while Murong Yan was naive, she was by no means ignorant of the current situation in the town and the Murong family.

And after hearing her words, the expressions of everyone in the hall changed slightly.

Especially Murong Chui at the head of the hall. He immediately looked up and stared outside, clearly sizing up the person there.

Shangguan Qing, Shangguan Xing. From their names alone, it was clear what kind of force Murong Yan’s new Personal Guard was.

Jinshan Town was certain that Murong Chui wouldn’t dare do anything, which was why they were so brazenly sending their people over.

To injure both men and sever one of Shangguan Xing’s arms…

This person was definitely not from Jinshan Town.

But why would a spy from Beishuo or Wuchuan be acting so high-profile right now?

Murong Chui and everyone else in the hall frowned.

“Interesting. In that case, Yan’er, why don’t you call that person in for us to see.”

Hearing her grandfather’s words, Murong Yan nodded immediately, turned, and shouted toward the entrance, “Big Brother Yuwen, you can come in now!”

Yuwen? It must be an alias.

Murong Chui and the others frowned slightly as they looked toward the entrance.

Soon, a black-clothed young man with sharp features walked in slowly. He carried a giant broadsword on his back and wore a faint smile. He showed no fear as he looked at the people in the hall, and even when he met Murong Chui’s gaze, there was not a hint of nervousness.

“So young!”

“Is he even thirty?”

Although no one voiced these thoughts, the shock in their eyes was impossible to hide when they saw the young man’s face.

Even Murong Chui at the head of the hall was no exception.

“He’s definitely under thirty. Late-Frostwarden realm, the strength of thirty-two Manes. His talent is even greater than Yan’er’s. There’s no way the three towns would send such a genius here as a spy. He’s not from the three towns. He might not even be from the Nine Towns.”

Murong Chui was at the Sun-Manifestation realm, so he could see more than the others. The moment he determined the young man’s cultivation, strength, and age, he instantly deduced a great deal.

“Yuwen Tao pays his respects to Town Head Murong and to all the lords!”

The black-clothed young man was, of course, Yuwen Tao. He first bowed to Murong Chui at the head of the hall, then turned to bow to the others. He took the opportunity of bowing to size up all sixteen people in the hall.

“Yan’er has truly brought me a great talent. It seems Grandfather will have to thank you properly. But another day. For now, let your grandfather and uncles have a good chat with this great talent. You go play somewhere else, how about it?”

Murong Yan seemed to have understood some things. She nodded sensibly, turned, and left without another word.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such an outstanding young talent. May I ask, young brother Yuwen, where have you come from? And what is your purpose in approaching my granddaughter?”

After a brief compliment, Murong Chui wasted no words and got straight to the point, asking about Yuwen Tao’s origins and purpose.

The gazes of everyone in the hall instantly focused on him, their expressions clearly hostile as they waited for his answer.

Yuwen Tao hadn’t expected this, but he reacted quickly. Realizing that Murong Chui had seen that he wasn’t from the Nine Towns, he decided not to waste any more time. He met Murong Chui’s gaze, cupped his hands, and smiled.

“This Yuwen Tao must first apologize to Town Head Murong. My encounter with your granddaughter was an accident, with no ulterior motive. As for where I come from, that question is not important. What’s important is what I can bring to you, Town Head Murong!”

Murong Chui’s expression turned slightly grave. He nodded, signaling him to continue.

“Town Head Murong, your town has long been infiltrated by spies from the three northern towns, turning it into a sieve. Your Lord is ignorant and foolish, using the power of his Jinshan father-in-law to fight you for power, not realizing he is leading a wolf into the house. The town is in a panic, a state of disarray, with everyone looking for a way out for themselves. Forgive me for being blunt, but Muyin Town is currently a leaky, broken ship, on the verge of sinking.”

“Insolence!”

“Who do you think you are, pointing fingers at Muyin Town?”

“Ignorant child, stop your nonsense!”

………………

Before Murong Chui could speak, Murong Ping, Murong Yan, and the others below couldn’t help but shout in anger. A few of the more hot-tempered ones even stood up, looking ready to fight, clearly incensed by Yuwen Tao’s words.

It seems they don’t want their town to be destroyed. They still have some fighting spirit. That makes this easier.

Seeing their reaction, a hint of joy flashed in Yuwen Tao’s eyes, but he continued with a cold smile, “If I’m not mistaken, the situation in the town is still within your control, Town Head Murong. The reason you gentlemen don’t dare to act, or are unwilling to act, is because you’re still waiting for the outcome of the battle at Bashang. You’re all pinning your hopes on Bashang holding off Dajue Temple, freeing up the four towns to help Muyin and prevent the three northern towns from annexing you. Am I wrong?”

Hearing this, Murong Chui’s pupils constricted.

The others, who had been furious just a moment ago, instantly fell silent. They looked at Yuwen Tao, their faces a mixture of suspicion and shock.

The information this man possessed was clearly far more than they had imagined.

“A foolish fantasy…”

Yuwen Tao paused after saying these two words, then continued in a solemn voice, “I dare to declare right now that the day the battle of Bashang begins will be the day Wuchuan and Jinshan make their move on Muyin. When that time comes, you will have only one path left: to surrender to Beishuo. But if you take that path, Muyin Town will be no more. The Murong family, and all of you, will from then on have to live under…”

“Boy, what exactly are you trying to say!”

The more Murong Chui listened, the uglier his expression became. Before Yuwen Tao could finish saying the words “live under someone else’s roof,” he cut him off with a cold voice.

Yuwen Tao looked up at Murong Chui, then glanced at the others in the hall, noticing that their faces were even uglier than Murong Chui’s. A sharp glint appeared in his eyes as he lowered his voice and said slowly, “Town Head Murong, if you want Muyin Town to continue to exist at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain, Jinshan Town cannot help you, Beishuo Town cannot help you, and the four central and southern towns certainly cannot help you. The only ones who can help you…”

At this point, he paused and took out a palm-sized silver token from his robes. He first tossed it to Murong Chui before looking up at him and continuing in a resonant voice, “are us!”

Murong Chui caught the silver token, and his pupils constricted sharply.

Willing to use ten-thousand-forged grade silver to make a token was a display of wealth, but it wasn’t enough to elicit such a reaction from Murong Chui.

The key was the character “Xia” on the front of the token.

He could tell at a glance that it hadn’t been stamped by a tool. Someone had forcefully pressed it in with their finger. And from the fluidity of the character, it had been done in a single, continuous motion.

The weapons used by Sun-Manifestation experts were typically forged from one-hundred-thousand-forged grade silver.

Ten-thousand-forged grade silver was already comparable in hardness to the body of a Sun-Manifestation expert. Murong Chui admitted to himself that he could not do such a thing.

Therefore, the person behind this Yuwen Tao…

Murong Chui took a sharp breath. He looked up at Yuwen Tao, a hint of vigilance rising in his eyes, and asked in a low voice, “Then I wonder how my young friend and the people behind him plan to help Muyin Town survive at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain? And what do you want from my Muyin Town?”

As long as he’s interested, everything else is negotiable!

A smile appeared on Yuwen Tao’s face. He cupped his hands and said, “Rest assured, Town Head Murong. My Great Xia only wishes to make friends with the Nine Towns. We desire nothing from Muyin Town…”

Murong Chui and the others in the hall naturally didn’t take his words at face value. But as Yuwen Tao continued to speak, their expressions grew increasingly strange, and their faces gradually filled with excitement.

Could such a good thing really exist in this world?

This thought gradually emerged in the minds of Murong Chui and the others.

………………

Great Xia, Year Eight, Fourth Month, Twenty-sixth Day, Daytime

Great Xia, Inner City, Stargazer Platform.

Atop the twelve-petaled silver Enlightenment Lotus Platform, Xia Hong sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.

Flames flickered all over his body, and a skeletal phantom hovered behind him. But unlike the thousand-zhang-tall phantom he manifested in battle, this one was only three zhang high.

Being a skeletal phantom, it naturally had no flesh or hide. But unlike a normal white skeleton, Xia Hong’s was crimson, and its surface was covered in a layer of golden patterns that resembled molten lava, giving it a profound and mysterious appearance.

The medicinal power of the green Bone Gathering Pill constantly drifted around the skeleton, being absorbed by the lava-like patterns on the bones. As the medicinal power was absorbed, a process that was continually improving the color and texture of the bones, those patterns became more and more distinct.

Of course, this process was extremely slow and imperceptible to the naked eye.

Whoosh…

After a long while, Xia Hong slowly opened his eyes. He gently exhaled a breath of green medicinal gas, and the lava-like skeletal phantom behind him gradually dissipated.

“My strength has mostly stopped increasing. It’s about what I expected. Only after completing a stage of tempering and passing a critical point will my bones be strengthened and my power increase accordingly. It’s just that this tempering process is a bit too long.”

After a moment of contemplation, Xia Hong shook his head and chuckled.

“I can’t be too greedy. After all, I only broke through last September. If I could complete a stage of tempering in just seven months, then my Sun-Manifestation realm cultivation would be far too cheap.”

He had broken through to the Frostwarden realm in the third month of the first year and reached the Sun-Manifestation realm in early September of last year. His entire Frostwarden realm cultivation had taken a total of six and a half years.

Based on what he currently knew about the ages of the Sun-Manifestation experts in the Nine Towns, this cultivation speed was already heaven-defying.

The cultivation in the Sun-Manifestation realm couldn’t possibly take less time than the Frostwarden realm.

“Among the Sun-Manifestation experts in the Nine Towns, only Yang Zun, Shangguan Yang, and Qin Feng are likely at the late stage. From Xiahou Zhang’s reaction when he saw me fight, I can deduce that my strength is not too far off from those three. With this, I have some confidence to contend with the Nine Towns!”

Xia Hong’s gaze focused slightly, and he suddenly looked up toward the entrance of the Stargazer Platform.

Li Xuanling, dressed in a white palace dress, walked up quickly. Seeing that Xia Hong had finished his cultivation, she said directly, “News has come from Wuyuan. Dajue Temple has moved all the Earthforger realm cultivators from its fifty-plus village-level camps to Bashang. Their total force is now one hundred sixty thousand again. The last three hundred ordained monks have all gone as well. Last night, the Dajue Temple’s army camp moved another five kilometers closer to Bashang. Now they’re less than two kilometers apart. The battle is expected to start in the next few days at the latest.”

Xia Hong frowned upon hearing this. “What’s the situation at Qinghe Village?”

“Qinghe Village is extremely empty right now, with only a thousand Monastery monks on guard. If Xu Ning’s intelligence was correct and they only have eight hundred ordained monks, then this should be the time when Dajue Temple’s defenses are at their weakest. However, according to our spies in Qinghe Village, the Monastery in the east of the village and the Dajue Hall at Chilong Lake are still heavily guarded, and no unauthorized personnel are allowed near. None of the spies from the Nine Towns dare to go there either.”

In the months that Dajue Temple had been fighting Jiangxia and Bashang, the Qinghepu area had been left крайне empty. As the conflict escalated and the number of Frostwarden and Earthforger realm experts from the three villages and eighteen families dwindled, Great Xia had taken the opportunity to plant many spies there.

“The intelligence Xu Ning gave his life for is definitely not wrong. The question is whether Dajue Temple has new ones. If they can mass-produce unordained monks, then perhaps they can do the same with ordained monks. In the past six months, Dajue Temple has conquered over fifty village-level camps and taken at least tens of thousands of children. Who knows what the situation is inside Dajue Hall now!”

In the great battles of the past few months, Dajue Temple had deployed almost all of its eight hundred ordained monks and even added seven thousand Monastery monks. This made one suspect they might have a method for mass-producing these monks.

Although only seven thousand Monastery monks had been added so far, Dajue Hall was a complete mystery to everyone. No one could say for sure what was inside.

Li Xuanling said softly, “So far in this war, Dajue Temple has only revealed three Grand Masters: Jingang, Yanlong, and Heiming. The other two have not shown themselves at all. Probably only those few Sun-Manifestation experts from the Nine Towns who escaped from Dajue Hall know anything about them. How many Grand Masters do you think they’ll dispatch to attack Bashang?”

Xia Hong shook his head, his brows tightly knitted.

“The situation is mostly clear by now. Dajue Temple has deployed all the forces it can. The only unknown is the whereabouts of the five Grand Masters. The Sun-Manifestation experts from the three towns and the others are definitely all watching Bashang. Once the great battle begins, if more than two Grand Masters appear on the Bashang battlefield, they will surely take advantage of the emptiness at Qinghepu to attack Dajue Hall. All you have to do is wait at Qinghepu and pick up the spoils.”

Hearing Li Xuanling’s words, Xia Hong looked up at her and smiled. “The last time at Hongguan Pass, the Sun-Manifestation experts of the Nine Towns had the same idea, and they ended up suffering a huge loss at Qinghepu. Two dead, three heavily injured. Have you forgotten?”

Li Xuanling shook her head and said solemnly, “That was their first encounter; they didn’t know the Grand Masters’ methods. They have experience now, and they must have come up with countermeasures in the past few months. The situation should be different this time.”

Xia Hong didn’t deny her point. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then looked up and said, “Is everything ready at Wuyuan?”

“It’s ready. Apart from the Falcon and Xiongwu armies, the Cloud Serpent, Dragon Slaying, Tiger Leopard, Xuanwu, Shenwu, Longyuan, Shanhe, and Northern Zhao armies are all on standby at Wuyuan Camp. All military supplies are prepared. Moreover, the Xia Direct Road from Wuyuan to Songyang, and then to Baiyang, has been fully expanded. The distance between the three locations is just over seventy kilometers, and they can arrive in just over an hour at the fastest. From Baiyang to Qinghepu is another twenty-plus kilometers, which will take three hours at the fastest.”

Li Xuanling had clearly planned a great deal, even providing the marching distances. Xia Hong smiled faintly. “No need to rush. I’ve already explained everything to Xia Chuan. He knows when to move.”

He paused, remembering something, and continued to ask, “What about the Dragon Martial Army? Have they all gone over?”

Li Xuanling nodded. “The last seven soldiers who broke through to the Frostwarden realm went over the day before yesterday. The entire one-thousand-man Dragon Martial Army is there now. He’s been negotiating quite well with Murong Chui. After seeing your token, Murong Chui and his men have had their fighting spirit rekindled and have already begun to put effort into cleaning up the town.”

“That’s good! All preparations are made. Now, we just wait for the battle at Bashang to begin.”

………………

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, Fifth Month, First Day

East bank of the Heng River, Bashang Town

Regardless of the outside world’s speculations or the plans of the Eight Towns, the two warring parties were currently oblivious.

Even if they knew, they wouldn’t have the mind to care.

Because at this very moment, they were under the greatest pressure.

Like the calm before a storm, as the fifth month began, the temperature actually started to rise slightly. The cold winds on the east bank lessened considerably, as if heaven itself were setting the mood for the great battle.

Three kilometers north of Bashang, nearly two hundred black army tents were densely packed together, dyeing the entire landscape black, an overwhelming presence spread out before the town.

One of the tents at the edge was suddenly opened from the inside.

Two armored soldiers walked out, one after the other.

“This isn’t the temperature rising; the cold snap of the second month is finally over!”

“It lasted for just over two months. The Xing… no, the Heng River’s cold snap is gone, so of course the temperature has risen a bit.”

Xiang Liang had almost let the name ‘Xing River’ slip, but a nudge from Bai Shanqiu made him correct himself in time.

“We’ve been stationed here for almost a month, and they still haven’t attacked. What is Dajue Temple waiting for?”

Xiang Liang looked up at Bashang to the south, his brows knitted.

He couldn’t say such a thing out loud near the army camp, so he could only mutter it to himself.

On the night of the twentieth day of the third month, after conquering Jiugu Camp, they had been stationed there for half a month. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the vanguard unit he and Bai Shanqiu were in arrived at Bashang.

Then came the continuous reinforcements. The Earthforger realm experts from Qinghe Village’s three villages and eighteen families had been conscripted months ago. The ones who came later were all from the village-level camps within Jiangxia’s and Bashang’s territories.

Dajue Temple’s brainwashing techniques were truly formidable. The moment they captured those village-level camps, they could trick all the Frostwarden and Earthforger realm experts from those camps into joining their army to fight for them.

Normally, the number of soldiers dwindles in a war, but Dajue Temple’s army grew larger. If it weren’t for the considerable strength of Jiangxia and Bashang, which had consumed a large portion of Dajue Temple’s forces, Xiang Liang estimated that the army currently stationed here could have easily been twice as large, at least three to four hundred thousand strong.

“It’s a pity that no one except monks can get near the central command tent. If only we could find out how many Grand Masters have arrived!”

Xiang Liang turned to look at the army tents in the centermost area, his expression flickering.

Dajue Temple’s ability to sweep through to Bashang so unstoppable was due to the methods of those few Grand Masters. He had personally witnessed three of them: the Flame Dragon High Master’s Melting Fire Pill and Shurangama Divine Mantra; the Vajra Master’s Zenith Gold Powder and Six Paths Vajra Mantra; and the Heiming Grand Master’s Clear Cold Pearl and Pure Water Divine Mantra.

The Heiming Grand Master’s Pure Water Divine Mantra had been used in the attack on Binjiang Camp.

The Clear Cold Pearl was about the same size as the Melting Fire Pill and was used in the same way. After consuming it, the soldiers would chant the Pure Water Divine Mantra along with the ordained monks, and then on the battlefield, the Dajue Temple soldiers would fight as if they felt no pain. It was utterly perverse.

From Xiang Liang’s observations, the results of Dajue Temple’s three attacks on Binjiang Camp in the first month were not great.

Setting aside the Sun-Manifestation experts, in the first month, the three towns of Jiangxia, Yangqu, and Longgu had gathered a combined force of ten thousand Town Guard Army soldiers, plus one hundred fifty thousand Earthforger realm experts. At that time, Dajue Temple had only one hundred fifty thousand Earthforger cultivators and just over four thousand Monastery monks. Although they later added two hundred ordained monks, their forces were still at a significant disadvantage compared to the three towns.

First, Dajue Temple couldn’t guarantee that the battle would end during the day. Their first two daytime battles ended in failure. In the final night battle, the Heiming Grand Master arrived from Dajue Temple and used the Clear Cold Pearl and Pure Water Divine Mantra. The army did indeed display unimaginable combat strength, and the three Grand Masters suppressed the four Sun-Manifestation experts from the three towns—Jiang Yinglong, Xiahou Zhang, Long Mingyuan, and Cao Qianyang—the entire time. Yet, they still failed to breach Binjiang Camp.

“Fortunately, Dajue Temple can only use one divine mantra at a time. If they could stack them, then forget Jiangxia and Bashang; even the combined forces of the Nine Towns would likely have a hard time fighting them.”

It had been nearly half a year since he started following the army last October, so Xiang Liang naturally knew a lot about the three divine mantras.

What he was most curious about now was the effect of the divine mantras used by the two Grand Masters who had yet to appear.

“The Melting Fire Pill, the Zenith Gold Powder, and the Clear Cold Pearl—I’ve had spies send all three back to Xiacheng. I wonder if the Artisan Department has figured out what materials they’re made of. If Great Xia can use these three divine mantras in the future, then the merit I’ve earned this time will be immense…”

Xiang Liang took a slow breath, a look of excitement in his eyes.

He had put his life on the line to infiltrate Dajue Temple for over a year, all for the sake of earning merit. Whether it was contribution points or military merit, it was all to increase his strength and status. From the look of things, his and Bai Shanqiu’s infiltration mission this time was definitely a massive success.

“Only this final battle remains. The Eight Towns are all watching this place. Dajue Temple seems to have an obsession with destroying Bashang Town; it already has the air of a failing dynasty. After this battle, Old Bai and I should be able to return to Xiacheng.”

Xiang Liang let out a slow breath and exchanged a look with Bai Shanqiu beside him. They instantly understood each other’s meaning, nodding slightly with a smile.

“Xiang Liang, Bai Shanqiu, come in. There’s an announcement!”

A shout came from behind them. The two looked back and saw it was Wang Yu’an, waving at them.

They quickly exchanged a look, their expressions brightening, and hurried toward the army tent.

The moment they entered the tent, Xiang Liang’s and Bai Shanqiu’s pupils contracted sharply.

Because Wang Yu’an, who had entered before them, was holding two cloth bags and distributing their contents to everyone inside.

One bag contained green pills, the other yellow ones.

Melting Fire Pills were red, Zenith Gold Powder was gold, and Clear Cold Pearls were blue.

The two colors before them had never appeared before.

They each received two pills. Xiang Liang squeezed them and felt that their texture was similar to the previous three. A sharp glint immediately appeared in his eyes.

“These are the methods of the last two Grand Masters. The battle is about to start!”

Xiang Liang’s suspicion was soon confirmed.

The two types of pills were distributed during the day on the first.

As soon as night fell, the army began to move.

“The army will assemble to the south by battalions! Move, move, move!”

“The army will assemble to the south by battalions! Move, move, move!”

“The army will assemble to the south by battalions! Move, move, move!”

Three loud shouts echoed from within the tent. Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu had already jumped to their feet, urging everyone to get out of the tent quickly.

Thanks to Wang Yuxiu’s instructions, Wang Yu’an had treated them quite well. Not only did he not restrict them on the battlefield, but he also promoted them to be managers in the battalion. This was why they had been able to follow Dajue Temple’s army for half a year.

Under their urgent cries, the thousand-plus men in the tent quickly got up and assembled, soon opening the tent flap and filing out.

Woom…

The moment they stepped out of the tent, a wave of heat washed over them.

Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu looked up at the sea of over one hundred thousand soldiers rapidly assembling to the south, and their hearts trembled slightly.

This wasn’t any special heatwave. Having fought with Dajue Temple for nearly half a year, it wasn’t the first time they had felt it. They knew very well that this was simply the result of too many Earthforger realm experts gathering, their combined blood and qi radiating outwards.

“Are they starting the assault so soon?”

“The last two methods have been distributed. Everyone who’s coming must be here, right?”

“I wonder how many of the five Grand Masters have come!”

The crowd was extremely noisy, so Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu no longer feared being overheard. They spoke in low voices as they moved toward the assembly point to the south.

They soon reached the assembly area and looked at the gates of Bashang, two kilometers away, their expressions hardening.

The final battle!

Chapter 377: The Fall of Bashang, Xiang Fuhai’s Despair, and the Five Grand Masters

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, the first day of the fifth month, at night.

Over the past six months, starting with the capture of the two villages of Jinbi and Longhe, Dajue Temple had fought three major battles against Jiangxia Town at Hongguan Pass, Fengshan, and Longzhou. Subsequently, they fought another three major battles against Bashang at Zouyang, Qinggu, and Jiugu.

In each of these six great battles, the number of combatants on both sides exceeded one hundred thousand. If one were to include the smaller-scale skirmishes, Dajue Temple had fought nearly a hundred battles in the last half-year.

The battlefield experience of both generals and soldiers was accumulated battle by battle. From this perspective, the army of Dajue Temple had undoubtedly received the best possible training over the past six months.

Although some soldiers were later reinforcements, the commander Yan Xin, the deputy commander Wuchen, the host of monks, the hundreds of Frostwarden realm experts from Qinghepu, and over fifty thousand Earthforger realm soldiers had all been fighting since the battle at Hongguan Pass.

To call them a battle-hardened army would be no exaggeration.

At this moment, these fifty thousand seasoned warriors stood at the forefront of the military formation.

Before them were more than four thousand monks.

Unlike before, they were now all clad in Thousand-forged Armor.

And it wasn’t just the four thousand monks. Commander Yan Xin and Deputy Commander Wuchen, standing at the very front, along with every Frostwarden realm expert in the army, were all wearing a suit of Thousand-forged Armor.

This armor was, of course, courtesy of Jiangxia Town.

“It took us over four hours to assemble our forces. Bashang didn’t even take such a golden opportunity to attack. It seems they’re dead set on defending to the last…”

Standing at the front, Yan Xin stared at the Bashang city gate not far away, his eyes filled with a cold light. He turned to Wuchen and said in a low voice, “With the Grand Masters’ help, breaking through Bashang’s gate won’t be hard. The difficulty lies in completely storming the city. Junior Disciple-Brother, after the Grand Masters give the order to attack, I will lead the vanguard to breach the gate. You will command the rear guard and provide support for me.”

“Understood, Senior Disciple-Brother!”

They exchanged only this single sentence and spoke no more.

From the time the army began to assemble after nightfall to the moment the formation was fully arrayed, more than four hours had passed. A night in the Ice Abyss was only ten hours long, so the first half of the night was nearly over.

For a single person or a small group without any protection against the cold, standing for half a night like this would be unbearable. Fortunately, with one hundred and sixty thousand soldiers standing together, the wave of heat generated by their abundant vital energy raised the temperature in the surrounding area, so they felt little of the biting cold.

The moment there was movement in Dajue Temple’s camp, the garrison inside Bashang immediately mobilized in response. But after waiting on high alert for a long time, the enemy attack never came. As long as Dajue Temple didn’t move, they could only continue to wait.

Time ticked by, second by second. The already tense and murderous atmosphere grew heavier as the temperature rapidly dropped.

Voom…

About three hours later, with only two hours left until dawn, a humming suddenly resonated from the sky in front of the army.

All the soldiers looked up sharply, only to see two yellow-robed old monks who had, at some unknown point, appeared silently in mid-air.

The old monk on the left was exceptionally burly; the one on the right held a crimson spear about a zhang long. The two of them gazed at Bashang from across the distance, their expressions perfectly calm, showing no sign of an impending assault.

“Greetings, Flame Dragon High Master of Dajue!”

“Greetings, Vajra Master of Dajue!”

The one hundred and sixty thousand soldiers below bowed in unison upon seeing the two men. One didn’t even need to see their eyes; the fanaticism they held for these two Grand Masters was palpable in their voices alone.

“Yan Xin, lead the army and attack the city!”

The Flame Dragon High Master wasted no words, directly ordering the assault.

Strictly speaking, each of the nine towns on Mo’ao Mountain possessed a sizable territory. Even Longgu Town, the smallest, governed thirty-nine village-level camps.

The Xuyang Camp ceded by Jiangxia was territory outside its main town. After Qinggu Camp fell, Xiang Fuhai had attempted to sue for peace by ceding land, and that too was land outside the main town. The actions of these two towns revealed their attitude towards the village-level camps under their jurisdiction.

The village-level camps were not important; the main towns were the foundation of the Nine Towns.

With their army at the gates of the main town, Dajue Temple clearly understood that there was no further need for negotiation with Bashang. Thus, the two Grand Masters ordered the attack the moment they appeared.

As soon as the Flame Dragon High Master’s voice fell, before the army could even move, the Vajra Master transformed into a streak of golden light and flew toward the city gate.

His frame was already massive, standing over two meters tall. The knotted muscles all over his body bulged, and his entire frame swelled by thirty to forty percent in an instant. Like a golden giant, he slammed directly into the north gate of Bashang—a cast-iron gate nine meters wide and fifteen meters high.

Bang!

The massive gate shuddered violently. The shockwave from the impact of seven Jun of strength shook not only the city walls but the very earth beneath them. The entire city of Bashang trembled violently in an instant, as if struck by a massive earthquake.

On the wall directly above the gate, at least several hundred defending soldiers were thrown into the air by the shockwave. Some unlucky Earthforger realm soldiers standing directly above the point of impact bled from all seven orifices and lost their lives on the spot.

The thickness of the massive gate was unknown, but the Vajra Master’s strike had blasted a gaping hole roughly half a meter in diameter through it.

Through the hole, the Vajra Master saw the thousands of defenders behind the gate, bracing it with chains and iron posts. A bloody glint flashed in his eyes as he gathered power in his hands and prepared to smash the gate again.

“Old fiend, stop right there!”

This time, however, he was not so successful.

Whoosh…

A furious roar came from above the gate. Before the Vajra Master’s fists could land, a fierce silver glint that stirred the air for over a kilometer around suddenly descended from on high, aimed straight for the crown of his head.

Within the silver light was a silver coiled-dragon pattern staff about a zhang long. The ferocious force of its downward strike had already created a vacuum in the surrounding air. The staff’s immense power was like a collapsing mountain, reaching the Vajra Master’s head in an instant.

The Vajra Master merely lifted his eyes slightly, doing nothing else.

Thud…

Clang…

The instant the staff struck his head with the sound of metal on stone, the Vajra Master’s fists once again smashed into the gate. A tremendous roar erupted. The hole, which had been only half a meter wide, expanded by another thirty percent.

“Old villain, get lost!”

Xiang Fanyun had already witnessed the Vajra Master’s physique at Jiugu Camp, so he wasn’t surprised that his staff had failed to harm his opponent. Instead, he flipped the staff and forcefully swept the Vajra Master away, driving him from the gate area.

Swoosh…

But just as he sent the Vajra Master flying, a colossal fire dragon suddenly descended from the sky. Xiang Fanyun did not divert his attention to block it; instead, he continued to swing his staff at the Vajra Master, pressing his attack relentlessly.

Clang…

Before the spear within the fire dragon could strike Xiang Fanyun’s head, it was swept aside by another staff that flew out from within the city.

The newcomer was Xiang Fanyun’s older brother, the Lord of Bashang, Xiang Fuhai.

“The two Grand Masters should be well aware that the Sun-Manifestation realm experts of the Eight Towns are all watching from the sidelines. Even if you truly breach my city of Bashang today, Dajue Temple will gain nothing in the end. Why must you…”

Xiang Fuhai was still trying to persuade the two.

But before he could finish, the Flame Dragon High Master rushed forward and cut him off.

“So what if they are? A bunch of gutless rats. This Grand Master has never paid them any mind!”

Swoosh… Boom…

The flames trailing the crimson spear were incredibly intense, incinerating the air in their path as the weapon shot straight for Xiang Fuhai’s chest.

“You two old lunatics! Let’s see just how capable you really are!”

With negotiations having failed, the last shred of hope in Xiang Fuhai’s heart was extinguished. His temper flared, and with a furious roar, he swung his staff around in a half-circle to build momentum and then swept it violently toward the Flame Dragon High Master.

The four Sun-Manifestation realm experts were the first to clash above the city gate.

The description takes time, but their exchange happened in the blink of an eye.

“Vanguard, attack the city with me!”

At Yan Xin’s command, the sixty-thousand-strong vanguard surged toward the city gate.

“Kill!”

“Kill…”

“Charge!”

This sixty-thousand-strong vanguard included over four thousand monks from the Monastery and several hundred Frostwarden realm experts. With their superior cultivation, they naturally charged at the very front, quickly closing to within two hundred meters of the city gate.

“Loose!”

“Loose!”

“All forces, loose your arrows!”

The city’s defenders would not just stand by and watch the enemy charge. Xiang Tianlin and the other commanders furiously roared the order to fire. Countless soldiers raised their powerful bows from the crenellations atop the wall and unleashed a frantic volley of arrows.

Swish swish swish swish…

Countless sharp arrows shot down from above the city gate, instantly forming a silver curtain of death that descended upon the attacking soldiers like a dark cloud.

The openings on the city wall were limited, so not every soldier could fire arrows. Thus, those positioned at the crenellations were either Frostwarden realm experts or at the Earthforger limit. Furthermore, as they were defending their main town tonight, Bashang had clearly brought out its best equipment. Almost ninety percent of the arrows being fired were made of white silver.

Normally, the Frostwarden realm experts leading Dajue Temple’s charge would never be able to withstand such a volley!

But in reality, the expressions of Xiang Tianlin, the other commanders on the wall, and even the Bashang soldiers loosing arrows remained grave.

“Release the Zenith Gold Powder! The entire army will chant the Six Paths Vajra Mantra with me!”

Pow… Pow… Pow… Pow…

As Yan Xin’s roar echoed, the monks behind him immediately took out golden pills and smashed them on the ground. The pills burst into clouds of golden mist, instantly enveloping the army formation.

“Om… Ma… Ni… Pad… Me… Hum…”

As the three incantations ended, a golden light erupted from the bodies of the more than fifty thousand soldiers of Dajue Temple’s vanguard who were charging toward the gate. They seemed to feel their bodies strengthen, and their spirits soared. Ignoring the iron arrows flying towards them, they continued their charge.

Clang… Clang…

The silver curtain of arrows was completely blocked!

“With the Grand Masters’ divine might, we are invulnerable! Brothers, charge with me!”

“Breach the city of Bashang!”

“Bows and crossbows are useless against us! Kill!”

…

A closer look at the battlefield would reveal that not all the arrows were useless. A very small number, fired with terrifying force, could still pierce the bodies of the Earthforger realm soldiers. Another portion of the arrows, though unable to penetrate their bodies, still carried enough force to knock them down and slow their charge.

But these were, after all, a minority and could not affect the overall situation.

“Junior Disciple-Brothers, all Frostwarden realm experts, scale the walls and find a chance to break the gate!”

Leading the four thousand-plus Monastery monks and the Frostwarden experts from Qinghepu, Yan Xin soon reached the base of the city gate. With a loud roar, he stomped the ground and was the first to leap onto the wall.

Although Frostwarden realm experts couldn’t fly, leaping onto a city wall over a dozen meters high was not a problem.

Thump…

Yan Xin, his body aglow with golden light, landed on the wall and was instantly engulfed by a storm of arrows.

However, just moments before, even the Earthforger realm soldiers had been able to block arrows from Frostwarden experts with the help of the Vajra Mantra.

How could it harm him, whose base strength exceeded fifty Mane?

Clang… Clang…

Countless arrows struck him and fell harmlessly to the ground. Let alone piercing his body, few even left a white mark on his skin.

“Ah…”

Yan Xin had no intention of letting them continue to fire. He fiercely swung his crimson monk’s staff, unleashing a wave of fire that knocked down countless iron arrows. A savage grin appeared on his face as he charged straight into the crowd.

“Follow me down and help the army break the gate!”

Yan Xin was not the only one to leap onto the wall.

More than four thousand Monastery monks, their bodies shimmering with golden light, had all jumped up. The golden glow on the three hundred ordained monks at the front was clearly much more intense than those behind them. Hearing Yan Xin’s command, they immediately began to fight their way towards the southern edge of the wall.

The walls of Bashang were about twenty meters wide, so after getting on top, one had to continue south to descend. Yan Xin had obviously seen the large number of people inside propping up the gate and wanted to lead his men down to help those outside break it open.

“Frostwarden experts, with me! Block them! Everyone else, continue defending the wall against enemy climbers.”

Xiang Tianlin would not let Dajue Temple have its way. If the gate’s barrier was broken, Bashang would have already lost more than half the battle. His father and second uncle were still fighting for their lives in the sky, holding back the two Grand Masters. Now, it was up to them.

“We must not let them get down, even if we die! Brothers, let’s give it our all!”

“We will never let the demon temple occupy our town! Kill!”

“Hold the wall!”

…

As one of the Nine Towns, the people of Bashang, with their fighting spirit fully aroused, displayed astonishing unity. The moment Xiang Tianlin advanced, Xiang Tiancheng, the Xiang clan disciples, and Bashang’s last three thousand-plus Frostwarden experts all followed suit.

The entire top of the city wall instantly erupted with earth-shaking cries of battle.

The hole that the Vajra Master had punched through the gate at the start of the battle was less than a meter in diameter, allowing at most two people to pass through at a time. Relying on the invulnerability granted by the Six Paths Vajra Mantra, Dajue Temple soldiers were continuously pouring in, but their progress was ultimately too slow.

Moreover, as soon as they entered, they faced annihilation by the waiting defenders. No matter how powerful the Six Paths Vajra Mantra was, it couldn’t stand up to the well-rested Bashang garrison. Thus, they were unable to secure the area inside the gate.

Of course, only a small portion entered through the hole in the gate; the vast majority of soldiers were now using their weapons to climb the city walls.

Earthforger realm soldiers possessed a base strength of over five thousand kilograms. Although they couldn’t leap up directly like Frostwarden experts, climbing a wall over a dozen meters high with the aid of their weapons and strength was still an easy task.

However, that was only if there were no defenders above.

When Xiang Tianlin had been blocking Yan Xin and the other monks, he had ordered all the Earthforger soldiers on the wall to guard against enemy climbers. As a result, neither side could find a weakness in the other. One side attacked, the other defended, both relying on a desperate, reckless ferocity.

As the sixty-thousand-strong vanguard arrived at the base of the wall, Dajue Temple’s Deputy Commander Wuchen also arrived with the one-hundred-thousand-strong rear guard.

Seeing that less than ten thousand of the vanguard had made it onto the wall while over thirty thousand were still crowded below, Wuchen frowned. He drew his sword, swatting away an iron arrow, and gave a cold command to three bald monks behind him: “Jinhe, Heiyuan, Jushan, each of you take twenty thousand men, bypass the gate, and find a poorly defended spot on either side to scale the wall!”

“Yes, Senior Disciple-Brother!”

The three men behind him acknowledged the order and quickly led their twenty thousand troops away, moving around the sides of the gate to find a weak point to climb.

The city wall was fifteen kilometers long in total. Their main objective was, of course, to breach the gate, but with the Bashang defenders concentrated in that area, the fact that Yan Xin and his men had not yet broken through showed the ferocity of Bashang’s resistance.

Since that was the case, they had to find another way.

“Divide our forces! Go and watch those three battalions! Don’t let them get on the wall!”

The Bashang commanders on the wall had already spotted Wuchen’s intention and immediately shouted for their own forces to split up and defend.

Up to this point, it was clear that although Bashang had fewer Frostwarden experts than Dajue Temple, their total number of defenders was greater.

They had more men and were defending from a superior position. In a normal battle, it would never have come to this. The key disadvantage was the Vajra Mantra.

The enemy’s invulnerable bodies were simply too overpowered.

In less than an hour, using only the hole punched by the Vajra Master, a large number of Earthforger soldiers had actually forced their way inside the gate. There were at least one or two thousand of them, and with a continuous stream pouring in from behind, an area of over a hundred meters inside the gate had been occupied by Dajue Temple’s forces.

Thump…

At the southern end of the wall, Yan Xin swung his staff with both hands, clubbing a Bashang Frostwarden expert of over twenty Mane to death. Seeing the edge of the wall just a short distance away, he leaped down without hesitation.

“Follow me off the wall! The time to break the city is now!”

One after another, white-robed monks followed him, gathering their strength and leaping down from the wall. A large group of gray-robed monks followed suit.

“The wall can’t be held! We can’t stop them! They’re all jumping down.”

“We shouldn’t have split our forces! We shouldn’t have!”

“If we didn’t, those sixty thousand Earthforger soldiers would have gotten in from elsewhere, and the gate would have been breached in the end anyway!”

“What’s there to panic about? As long as the gate doesn’t fall, we’ll be fine! Tiancheng, Tiande, take your men and continue to wipe out the enemy on the wall! The rest of you, follow me down to defend the gate!”

Xiang Tianlin’s shout silenced the others. Seeing that two or three thousand monks had already leaped from the wall, he immediately led a group of his own down.

Wuchen’s sixty thousand men were a feint to draw them into splitting their forces, aiming to weaken the defenders at the gate. He had seen through it long ago.

The problem was, seeing through it was useless. He had to respond.

“The gate is the key! As long as we hold the gate, we’ll be fine!”

Xiang Tianlin led his men down from the wall. When he saw the scene behind the gate, his pupils contracted sharply. Without a moment’s hesitation, he drew his saber and charged forward.

Over two hundred meters of the area behind the gate had been completely overrun by the enemy, and they were already starting to assault the gate-control garrison on either side.

On each side of the gate were five chains, each three meters thick in diameter. Numerous smaller iron chains branched off from them. Nearly thirty thousand soldiers were not engaged in the fighting but were clenching their teeth and pulling on these small chains, engaged in a tug-of-war with the enemy outside who were trying to batter down the gate.

The two halves of Bashang’s gate could open either inwards or outwards.

Right now, the enemy was ramming it inwards, and the five thick chains were designed to brace the two halves of the gate and prevent them from opening.

A significant number of the gate-control garrison had already been overwhelmed. If the enemy was allowed to continue their assault, the chains would give way, and the gate would swing wide open.

“Protect the flanks! Secure the gate’s iron chains!”

Xiang Tianlin and his men split into two groups, fending off Yan Xin and the other monks who had just jumped down, which greatly relieved the pressure on the gate-control garrison.

Thump…

“Ah!”

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream from mid-air made Xiang Tianlin and all of Bashang’s Frostwarden experts shudder violently.

They looked up at the sky above the gate, their pupils instantly constricting.

“Yang Zun, Qin Feng, Shangguan Yang, you tricked me! Aaaah!!!”

After the scream, Xiang Fuhai’s desperate roar instantly spread throughout all of Bashang.

The hearts of the hundred thousand-plus defending soldiers and everyone inside the city clenched violently.

…

“The one with the sword, that’s Heiming Grand Master, right?”

Three kilometers west of Bashang, atop a snowy hill, stood nine figures. Xia Hong stood at the front with Li Xuanling. Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, Yue Feng, Luo Yuan, and Shi Ping were in the middle. At the very back were an old man and a young man, Bai Shanqiu and Xiang Liang, their expressions incredibly agitated.

When Xiang Fuhai’s desperate roar reached them, Xia Hong’s eyes glinted. He looked across the distance at the yellow-robed old monk who had suddenly appeared on the battlefield and plunged a sword into Xiang Fanyun’s chest, then immediately posed the question.

Li Xuanling and the other six all turned to look at Bai Shanqiu and Xiang Liang.

“My Lord, Heiming Grand Master’s weapon is indeed a black longsword!”

Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu were only at the early Frostwarden realm. From three kilometers away, they couldn’t see the battle in the sky clearly, so they couldn’t be certain if the newly appeared Sun-Manifestation expert was Heiming Grand Master.

Hearing their words, Xia Hong looked at the new Grand Master. The longsword in his hand was black, which immediately confirmed his identity.

“There are already three Grand Masters here. The Sun-Manifestation experts of the Eight Towns must be at Qinghepu now. Aren’t you going over?”

Hearing Li Xuanling’s words, Xia Hong looked up at the besieged city of Bashang, which was on the verge of being breached, and frowned slightly.

With the sudden appearance of the hidden Heiming Grand Master, who had gravely wounded Xiang Fanyun with a single strike, the situation in Bashang had become clear. Xiang Fuhai’s desperate roar was proof of that.

Xiang Fuhai possessed the strength of nine Jun. In a one-on-one fight, even if he couldn’t win, he shouldn’t fear the three Grand Masters. The problem was his younger brother, Xiang Fanyun.

Xiang Fanyun only had the strength of five Jun. He was already at a disadvantage against the Vajra Master. Now, severely wounded by Heiming Grand Master, he probably wouldn’t last much longer, even if he fought with all his might.

Xiang Fuhai clearly cared deeply for his brother. While fighting the Flame Dragon High Master, he was also trying to help Xiang Fanyun fend off Heiming Grand Master.

Thump… Thump… Thump…

The sound of huge impacts carried over. Xia Hong knew at once it was the sound of the now-freed Vajra Master battering the city gate.

Looking at the city of Bashang to the east, Xia Hong didn’t answer Li Xuanling. Instead, he asked everyone in a low voice, “The Sun-Manifestation experts of the Eight Towns are watching, and Dajue Temple must know it. Yet they’re still attacking Bashang at such a great cost. Why do you think that is?”

Hearing this question, the others were stunned.

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, their expressions changed drastically.

That’s right!

Dajue Temple’s ultimate goal should be to expand its territory and gather a larger population to produce six-year-old children for them.

In that case, they shouldn’t be so fixated on Bashang.

The Nine Towns were fragmented and unlikely to unite. If Dajue Temple were expanding normally, they should have followed their strategy with Jiangxia Town—accept Bashang’s plea for peace and then attack another town, like Chuishan to the north of Hongguan Pass.

Paying such a high price and risking an attack on their home base to conquer Bashang was clearly not worth it.

It was as if… as if…

“They’re in a hurry. There’s something they want in Bashang!”

Li Xuanling was the first to speak. Upon hearing her words, the others’ expressions turned grim.

What could possibly be in Bashang that they wanted?

“People. It’s most likely people. Before Dajue Temple attacked Zouyang Camp, a large portion of Bashang’s population had already fled to the main town. After Qinggu fell and Xiang Fuhai’s attempt to sue for peace failed, he took the initiative to move the people from the village-level camps into the main town. The population of Bashang now is at least one and a half million!”

As Xia Chuan finished speaking, Yuan Cheng, Yue Feng, Luo Yuan, and Shi Ping all froze. Three images flashed through their minds:

The Wooden Puppet Aberration in the valley nine years ago.

The Jing Valley Camp seven years ago.

The Yanglu death zone six years ago.

Li Xuanling had been in Great Xia for many years and was well aware of its past. Seeing their expressions, she instantly guessed what they were all thinking.

“That’s not right. Over the past six months, Dajue Temple has conquered more than sixty village-level camps. Although the majority of the population from these villages was evacuated by Jiangxia and Bashang, they still control a population of at least one point two million. Aren’t those people readily available? Why must they attack Bashang?”

“Who said they don’t want those people? All the Earthforger and Frostwarden experts from those sixty-plus camps have been conscripted into Dajue Temple’s army. Now only ordinary people and Lumberjack realm individuals remain. Setting aside their fanaticism towards Dajue Temple, even if they were to slaughter them all, it wouldn’t take very long!”

Hearing this, everyone swallowed hard. They looked across the distance at the city of Bashang to the east, their faces filled with horror.

“My Lord, we can’t stay here any longer. Who knows what Dajue Temple is planning? It’s definitely dangerous to remain here.”

“Exactly, my Lord! Let’s go to Qinghepu! The Sun-Manifestation experts of the Eight Towns are all at Qinghepu now. They might already be fighting those other two Grand Masters. It’s safer there, and we might even be able to pick up some scraps.”

“My Lord, we shouldn’t linger here. Let’s withdraw!”

…

Hearing their pleas, Xia Hong’s brow furrowed tightly. He turned and said in a grave voice, “You can run, but you can’t hide. No matter what Dajue Temple is planning, based on past experience, any anomaly that is allowed to grow will become terrifyingly destructive. If we just stand by and watch, it will inevitably lead to a major disaster!”

Everyone instantly understood Xia Hong’s meaning. A look of anxiety appeared on their faces, and they all opened their mouths to persuade him further.

But before they could speak, Xia Hong waved his hand to cut them off, shaking his head with a smile. “Don’t worry about me. I won’t act if I’m not confident. I just want to see what on earth Dajue Temple is up to.”

After speaking, a sharp light glinted in his eyes, and he turned to Xia Chuan. “Our men should have control of the entire Hexia Village by now, right?”

Xia Chuan clearly still wanted to persuade him to leave, but seeing that Xia Hong’s mind was made up and that he was asking about Hexia Village, he quickly nodded and replied, “As soon as we received news from Bashang after nightfall, the Cloud Serpent Army set out from Wuyuan. It takes at most four hours to get from Wuyuan to Hexia Village. It’s about half an hour until dawn now, so Liu Yuan has definitely secured the entire village.”

“Good. The eight of you, head to Hexia Village now. On the way, pay attention to the villages controlled by Dajue Temple for any abnormalities. Send someone to secretly monitor the battle at Qinghe Village and see what the outcome is between the Sun-Manifestation experts of the Eight Towns and those two Grand Masters from Dajue Temple. Until I return from Bashang, occupy Hexia Village and do not act rashly.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xia Chuan led the other six in cupping their fists in acknowledgment. But when they looked up, their faces were filled with worry, and they lingered for a long time without moving. Li Xuanling didn’t even reply, her face defiant, clearly unwilling to let Xia Hong stay here alone.

Seeing this, Xia Hong shook his head. “Alright. If you’re really worried about me, then hurry up and break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm. With your current level of strength, do you even need to worry about me?”

At these words, shame immediately appeared on their faces.

“Hmph! I’ll break through as soon as possible.”

Even though she knew Xia Hong was deliberately provoking her, Li Xuanling’s pride was stirred. Knowing her words were useless, she just snorted coldly, turned, and sped away to the north.

“We pray for the Lord’s well-being.”

“This subordinate will await the Lord’s return in Hexia Village!”

Xia Chuan and the others said no more. They all bowed and took their leave.

After the eight of them had left, Xia Hong turned to look at the city of Bashang to the east. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he slowly moved closer.

With Li Xuanling and the other eight, he had worried about being detected by the three Grand Masters and hadn’t dared to get too close. Now that he was alone, he could naturally act more freely.

“My perception range is about five hundred meters. Setting aside the methods of these three Grand Masters, their strength is inferior to mine, so their perception range is definitely not as great as mine. Therefore, the limit should be about five hundred meters. As long as I don’t cross that line and completely conceal my presence, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

After making a rough estimate, Xia Hong slowly approached the battlefield.

His estimate might not be accurate, but he could test it. In any case, he was alone now. If he failed, he could just take action earlier than planned.

…

Bang!

After withstanding more than twenty full-power strikes from the Vajra Master, the gate of Bashang finally succumbed and was completely shattered.

Blasted to pieces along with the gate were the more than ten thousand Bashang gate-control soldiers who had been holding the chains on either side.

There had initially been over thirty thousand gate-control soldiers, but now only ten thousand remained because the area behind the gate had been completely overrun by Dajue Temple’s troops. Despite Xiang Tianlin leading his men to provide continuous cover, they couldn’t turn the tide of defeat. Gate-control soldiers were constantly being killed, and the force being applied to the chains weakened until the gate was finally smashed open by the Vajra Master, a logical conclusion.

“The city of Bashang has been breached! Brothers, kill with me!”

“The Grand Master has broken the gate! Brothers, charge!”

“Bashang is changing hands today.”

“What damn Nine Towns? Before our Dajue Temple, they’re nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs!”

…

The moment the city gate was breached, the morale of Dajue Temple’s army surged once more. Everyone was as invigorated as if they’d been injected with chicken blood. Relying on the protection of the golden light, they charged forward and slaughtered with mad abandon.

They had originally occupied an area five hundred meters wide behind the gate. With this surge in morale, a tidal wave of soldiers poured through the gate. They continuously charged forward, quickly doubling the area under their control.

And it was still expanding.

The city of Bashang had been completely breached…

“We actually breached the city ahead of schedule!”

At the very front of the battlefield, Yan Xin looked up at the sky. Seeing that there were only ten-odd minutes left until dawn, a savage grin flashed across his face.

The Grand Master had chosen to attack two hours before dawn, and he could roughly guess the intention.

If they attacked during the day, although Bashang’s Earthforger realm soldiers couldn’t fight, Dajue Temple also couldn’t use Zenith Gold Powder to enhance their physiques, giving them less of an advantage. Previously, they had been unable to breach even Jiugu Camp in two hours of daylight, being dragged into a night battle by Bashang’s defenders. Now, facing the more heavily fortified city of Bashang, breaking through in two hours was even more unrealistic.

And if they failed to breach the city during the day and were dragged into a night battle, Bashang’s Earthforger soldiers would launch a full-scale counterattack, and Dajue Temple’s situation would become precarious.

By choosing to attack two hours before dawn, they could first use Zenith Gold Powder to gain a battlefield advantage. If they couldn’t breach the city in two hours, they could use Melting Fire Pills to continue fighting, while all of Bashang’s Earthforger soldiers would have to retreat.

In that case, breaching the city would be almost a foregone conclusion.

The Grand Master’s plan was ingenious, but no one had expected their fighting strength to be so astonishing that they would breach Bashang at night, without even having to wait for dawn.

“The Concussion Pills are no longer needed. All we have to do now is wait for dawn!”

Yan Xin clubbed a Bashang Frostwarden expert blocking his path to death with his staff. He turned to look at the sky, which was gradually beginning to glow with a cold light, and a crazed look appeared in his eyes.

Although Dajue Temple’s army had poured into the city, the resistance of Bashang’s garrison continued. However, as more and more people realized that dawn was approaching, a wave of despair instantly spread.

Once the sun rose, the Earthforger soldiers would have to hide.

No one knew exactly how many Frostwarden experts Bashang had left, but it was obvious they could never hold back the enemy.

“Three Grand Masters, I, Xiang, am willing to surrender to Dajue Temple! I only ask that you spare my brother’s life… No…!”

Following Xiang Fuhai’s consecutive pleas and roars of fury, everyone looked up to see Military Head Xiang Fanyun beheaded by Heiming Grand Master’s sword. The despair in their hearts instantly reached its peak.

“We can’t win! We can’t win! I surrender!”

“He’s dead! The Military Head has been killed! I surrender! I surrender!”

“Spare me! I want to live! I surrender too!”

…

In the final moments before dawn, many Earthforger soldiers finally succumbed to the fear in their hearts. Looking at the corpses littering the ground, they began to shout their surrender.

They could already feel the temperature rapidly dropping. If they continued to fight, even if they weren’t killed by the enemy, they would freeze to death.

“I would rather die than surrender! My Lord, Wang Xin will follow you again in the next life!”

“Even the Military Head died in battle! How can this old man shamelessly cling to life? Even in death today, I will tear a layer of skin off you demon monks!”

“The sons and daughters of Bashang only fight to the death! We do not surrender!”

“The Xiang clan would rather die on its feet than live on its knees!”

…

Some chose to eke out a meager existence, while others sought a heroic death.

After all, Bashang had been established on Mo’ao Mountain for many years. There was no shortage of loyalists, especially among the Xiang clan disciples and the elite families of the town. The tenacious fighting spirit they displayed at this moment was also astonishing.

Unfortunately, their fighting spirit failed to move anyone.

The slaughter by Dajue Temple continued.

A closer look would reveal that the surrendering Earthforger soldiers mostly failed to escape the massacre. The Monastery monks were clearly continuing to kill deliberately, while the others were completely lost in a bloodlust. With no orders to the contrary, they simply didn’t care.

Thump…

In mid-air, after Xiang Fanyun was beheaded by Heiming Grand Master, Xiang Fuhai became completely hysterical. He swung his silver staff, fighting the three Grand Masters in a manner that was practically trading his life for theirs.

Squish…

Heiming Grand Master’s sword pierced his left shoulder. Instead of retreating, he advanced, roared through gritted teeth, raised his staff, and brought it down directly on Heiming Grand Master’s head.

Bang!

The staff connected. Not only did it smash Heiming Grand Master into the ground below, but it also knocked the longsword from his left shoulder.

But at the same time, the Flame Dragon High Master’s crimson spear pierced his right shoulder, and the Vajra Master’s fist struck his back.

This was the result after he had deliberately dodged. If he hadn’t, the spear would have pierced his heart, and the fist would have struck his head.

Xiang Fuhai’s right shoulder was pierced by the spear, and then his back took a heavy blow, sending him crashing to the ground. A large chunk of flesh and bone was torn from his shoulder by the spear, revealing the silver-white bone within.

Bang!

Ptui…

After smashing into the ground, Xiang Fuhai coughed up a mouthful of blood and could no longer stand. He looked up at the three Grand Masters in the sky, his eyes filled with despair and resentment.

“Yang Zun, Qin Feng, Shangguan Yang…”

Xiang Fuhai had originally had another option: to lead Bashang in a complete surrender to Dajue Temple.

Of course, for him, the Lord of Bashang, this was a difficult path to accept.

But it was not one he hadn’t considered.

Especially last month, when Dajue Temple marched from Jiugu Camp toward Bashang, he had genuinely entertained the thought of surrender.

But to his utter surprise, at that very moment, the lords of the three northern towns—Yang Zun, Qin Feng, and Shangguan Yang—came to him.

The three promised that if he led the army of Bashang to fight to the death, they would definitely appear to help.

Although their promise was tempting, Xiang Fuhai was over one hundred and thirty years old. He was not so naive as to believe them easily.

The crucial point was that after making their promise, they had immediately threatened him. If Bashang dared to surrender to Dajue Temple, the three towns would immediately join forces to destroy him.

This was the reason Xiang Fuhai had been forced to fight to the death.

But now, how could he not understand?

He had been completely played. Yang Zun and the others had used threats and promises to force him to fight to the death here, wanting Bashang to pin down Dajue Temple’s main force so they could attack Dajue Temple’s home base at Qinghepu.

Thinking of the three who had toyed with him, the resentment in Xiang Fuhai’s heart was about to burst from his chest. But looking at the three Grand Masters slowly flying towards him, his searing hatred could only transform into despair.

“That’s enough!”

A soft voice sounded by his ear. Xiang Fuhai suddenly froze.

Flying towards him from the sky were not only the three Grand Masters.

There were two more people.

When he saw their faces clearly, Xiang Fuhai’s pupils contracted violently.

These two were also wearing yellow robes. Their skin was as smooth as a newborn’s, and two white eyebrows hung above their eyes. Their expressions were calm and peaceful. From their attire and dress to their demeanor, they were identical to the other three Grand Masters.

No, there were some differences.

The old monk on the left had a pair of fluorescent green pupils. He was the one who had just spoken and was now staring at him with immense calm.

The Five Grand Masters were all in Bashang!

What were Yang Zun and the others doing at Qinghepu?

Countless thoughts flashed through Xiang Fuhai’s mind. His heart trembled violently, and his expression suddenly turned to one of terror.

“It’s dawn. Distribute the Origin Soul Pills and begin chanting the Requiem Sutra!”

Chapter 378: Origin Soul Pill and Requiem Sutra, Crimson Blood Demon Dragon, A Sudden Change

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, the first day of the fifth month.

In the final moments before dawn.

More than ten kilometers north of Bashang Town.

After bidding farewell to Xia Hong, Li Xuanling’s group of eight galloped northward.

The journey back to Hexia Village from Bashang required them to first head north through the territories of Jiugu and Binjiang to reach Hongguan Pass. From there, they would cross to the northern bank of the Xing River and then travel west along the river for another fifty-odd kilometers.

The total distance was over two hundred kilometers.

By the time the eight of them reached Hexia Village, it would surely be after daybreak.

“Is that Baiping Village?”

Li Xuanling, leading the group, suddenly reined in her horse. She pointed northeast to a village where numerous bonfires blazed and asked the others.

The seven behind her also stopped. While Xia Chuan was still trying to recall the map, Xiang Liang had already nodded and spoken. “Madam, that is indeed Baiping Village. It’s the westernmost village-level camp of Jiugu Camp. Its population was just over thirty thousand, but it should be down to a little over twenty thousand now.”

Dajue Temple had seized control of Jiugu Camp long ago, conscripting all the Frostwarden and Earthforger realm experts from the village. Naturally, the population had dwindled significantly.

Xia Chuan now remembered as well and nodded in agreement.

Great Xia had long since acquired maps of both Jiangxia and Bashang Towns, but Xiang Liang had been stationed here for half a year and clearly had a much better memory of the area.

“Let’s go take a look!”

With that, Li Xuanling began to move toward Baiping Village.

Xia Chuan glanced at the village and immediately seemed to realize something. His expression changed slightly as he quickly followed her.

“Something’s wrong with this village!”

After saying this, Yue Feng also followed the two. Seeing that the five members of Yuan Cheng’s group, though they had followed, looked completely bewildered, he prompted them, “What time is it?”

Yuan Cheng and the others paled as understanding dawned on them in an instant.

It was almost dawn!

Dawn was when humans rested and slept, but it was also when the Frost Beasts began to stir. For this reason, the people of the Ice Abyss would always minimize light sources before daybreak. They would extinguish the conspicuous bonfires in their settlements, shut their doors and windows tight, and burn coal indoors for warmth. Only then could they sleep in peace.

For Baiping Village to have so many bonfires burning at this hour was clearly abnormal.

In Baiping Village, on the square before the Main Building.

A cluster of bonfires, leaping over ten meters high, burned fiercely.

The firelight illuminated the entire square, where over twenty thousand men, women, and children were gathered. All of them stared with fanatical expressions at the high platform of the Main Building.

On the platform, a gray-robed unordained monk held a cyan pill and addressed the crowd in a loud voice, “Everyone, the Grand Master has decided to open the gates of the Pure Land for us! As long as you take the Origin Soul Pill and chant the Requiem Sutra with me, you will be able to uproot all karmic hindrances, escape suffering for joy, and follow the Grand Master to the boundless Pure Land!”

The monk’s expression was one of extreme fanaticism. After speaking, he swallowed the cyan Origin Soul Pill and looked down at the twenty thousand-plus people below.

Below, every single person, regardless of age or gender, raised a hand. They too held a cyan Origin Soul Pill. Without a shred of hesitation, they followed the gray-robed monk’s example and placed the pill in their mouths.

“He Po Suo… Li Jia Duo Zhi… Na Jia Jia…”

The gray-robed monk on the high platform sat down cross-legged and began to chant an extremely convoluted scripture.

“He Po Suo… Li Jia Duo Zhi… Na Jia Jia…”

The twenty thousand-plus people below followed suit, all sitting down cross-legged and chanting along with the gray-robed monk.

Omm…

As the sound of the chanting spread, a profound green mist suddenly materialized in the sky above the village. A pained look appeared on everyone’s face. Some of the younger children couldn’t help but clutch their lower abdomens, clearly feeling a sharp pain there.

“Duo Lan Jia Pi… Duo Li Mi A… Di Lan Jia Pi… Duo Li Mi A… Pi Po Dan Xi… Duo Li Mi A…”

As the crowd followed the gray-robed monk in chanting the second passage of the sutra, the green mist in the sky grew thicker. A faint light emerged in everyone’s pupils. Their faces contorted further in pain, yet the fanaticism in their eyes did not wane. Their mouths did not stop, continuing to chant with the monk.

“Pi Po Du Li Mi A… Ta Ye Di Duo… Ye Duo Qie Ta Duo…”

As they began to chant the third passage, the gray-robed monk’s tightly shut eyes snapped open. Spiritual light poured from them, frantically gathering in the green mist above.

“Ye Po Duo Mi…”

The gray-robed monk continued chanting, his voice growing more and more excited. From the zeal on his face, it was clear this was the final passage of the sutra.

Pfft…

However, just as the gray-robed monk was about to utter the last few words…

A silver sword light shot out from behind the high platform, plunging straight into the back of his skull. The tip of the sword pierced through his brow, extending out by more than ten centimeters.

The sword was so fast that blood didn’t even have a chance to flow out at first.

“Putting on a show!”

“A Wu Nan…”

Dressed in a white palace dress, Li Xuanling stood behind the gray-robed monk, holding the Tianhua Sword. Hearing him stubbornly try to finish the sutra, a ruthless look flashed in her eyes, and she wrenched the sword upward.

With her immense strength of over fifty Mane, the upward motion of the sword split the monk’s skull clean in half. If not for the flesh holding it together, his entire cranium might have been sent flying.

Omm…

The monk was, of course, as dead as could be.

Yet, as he collapsed, there was not a trace of pain on his face. After he uttered those last three syllables, the spiritual light from his eyes accelerated its escape, surging frantically toward the green mist above.

The twenty thousand-plus people below were now completely stunned.

They had intended to continue chanting the final passage, but with the monk’s abrupt execution by Li Xuanling, they would never know the final words of the sutra.

They were ordinary people, the highest among them only at the Lumberjack realm. They could naturally tell that Li Xuanling’s power was far beyond their imagination. All they could do was stand dumbfounded, staring at each other, not knowing what to do.

“This cyan pill is not the same as the Melting Fire Pill, Zenith Gold Powder, or Clear Cold Pearl that Dajue Temple provided before. This thing is lethal!”

Xia Chuan led Yuan Cheng and the other five onto the platform. His eyes trembled as he watched the spiritual light still seeping from the dead monk’s pupils.

Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu took out the cyan pills Dajue Temple had issued them before the battle, their expressions filled with horror.

“Is it just Baiping Village, or are all of the sixty-plus village-level camps controlled by Dajue Temple doing this right now?”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, Xiang Liang immediately understood and said in a low voice, “Over the past six months, after so many great battles, the power of the Melting Fire Pill, Zenith Gold Powder, and Clear Cold Pearl combined with the sutras has become known throughout the Nine Towns. It’s common knowledge in all the village camps under Dajue Temple’s control. If they issued these cyan pills to everyone in every camp before the battle at Bashang, and then sent monks to lead them in chanting…”

The expression on everyone’s face froze solid.

“The Lord’s earlier guess was correct! Dajue Temple doesn’t just want the one and a half million people in Bashang. They don’t intend to spare the people in these sixty-plus camps either.”

Whoosh…

Just as Yue Feng finished speaking, a violent gust of wind howled from above.

Everyone immediately looked up, their pupils constricting.

Countless streams of green spiritual light were flying in from the north, rapidly converging to the south, toward Bashang Town, which they had just left not long ago.

Even the spiritual light from the freshly deceased gray-robed monk on the ground swirled in the air for a moment, as if sensing something, before joining the other streams of light and speeding toward Bashang Town.

Li Xuanling’s expression shifted from one shock to another. In the end, her worry for Xia Hong won out, and she gave a stern order to the group, “I’m returning to Bashang to inform the Lord. Xia Chuan, you continue to Hexia Village at full speed. Bai Shanqiu, you stay here and watch. The rest of you, split up! Go to the other villages and see what’s happening. Save as many as you can.”

“Yes, Madam!”

Knowing the urgency of the situation, Xia Chuan and the others quickly nodded in agreement.

Li Xuanling returned alone to Bashang Town in the south. Xia Chuan continued north. Aside from Bai Shanqiu, who remained to stand guard over Baiping Village, the other five conferred briefly before splitting up and departing.

As a sky full of green light rose from the sixty-plus villages occupied by Dajue Temple in Jiangxia and Bashang Towns, the twenty villages of Qinghepu were not idle either.

“What is that green light?”

In Hexia Village, Liu Yuan stood on the roof of the Main Building clad in golden Thunder Kui armor. He gazed at the ceaseless streams of green light rising from the north, a look of bewilderment on his face as he watched them all converge toward the southeast.

Bang!

The roof of the Main Building suddenly shook. Two figures clad in Thousand-forged Thunder Kui golden armor leaped onto the roof and strode quickly toward Liu Yuan. They bowed low.

“Scout Battalion Captain Wang Yuan pays his respects to the Vice-Marshal!”

“First Battalion Captain Zhu Xing pays his respects to the Vice-Marshal!”

Hearing their voices, Liu Yuan immediately turned and asked urgently, “What’s the situation in Qinghe Village? How many from Dajue Temple are engaged in battle?”

Only after asking did he notice the profound horror in Wang Yuan’s and Zhu Xing’s eyes. The apprehension on their faces was even greater than his own.

Wang Yuan spoke first. “Sir, the people of Qinghe Village just took those cyan pills and chanted sutras with a group of monastery monks. After the chanting was finished, green spiritual light seemed to be drawn from everyone’s bodies. The light flew out of their eyes, hovered in the sky for a moment, and then all of it flew off to the southeast.

“After the green light was extracted, the people died instantly. Including the monastery monks, they all perished. Not a single person survived!”

All dead…

Hearing Wang Yuan’s words, Liu Yuan’s pupils constricted. He took a cloth bag from his waist, opened it, and stared at the tens of thousands of cyan pills inside. A look of sheer shock spread across his face.

“So, those twenty-odd monastery monks who came earlier intended to distribute these cyan pills to the people of Hexia Village and lead them in chanting. If we hadn’t been here, the fifty thousand-plus people of Hexia Village would have…”

“They all would have died. Not one would have been spared!”

Wang Yuan finished Liu Yuan’s sentence, his voice incredibly deep.

Recalling the scene he had just witnessed in Qinghe Village, he still hadn’t fully recovered. His eyes were still filled with abject horror.

He suddenly remembered something and glanced at Zhu Xing.

Zhu Xing, who had been bursting to speak, saw Wang Yuan’s signal and hastily cupped his fist toward Liu Yuan. “Sir, an hour ago, the Sun-Manifestation realm experts of The Eight Towns directly destroyed Dajue Hall. I was afraid of being discovered by them, so I didn’t dare get close and couldn’t see the specifics clearly. I only vaguely saw fifteen people attacking at the same time.

“After Dajue Hall was destroyed and sank into Chilong Lake, the lake…”

At this, Zhu Xing paused, first exchanging a look with Wang Yuan. Then, with utter horror in his eyes, he continued, “Chilong Lake suddenly started billowing black smoke, and a four-clawed, green-eyed demon dragon with blood-red scales, about a thousand zhang long, flew out of the lake.

“Not only can that demon dragon breathe magma, but it can also summon wind, control water, and command lightning. Its power is absolutely terrifying. The moment it appeared, it summoned thunder and completely surrounded Chilong Lake. The Nine Towns’ fifteen Sun-Manifestation realm experts are all trapped inside, fighting the demon dragon right now. The commotion is huge; you can probably hear it from ten kilometers away.”

What Wang Yuan had just described about Qinghe Village had already filled Liu Yuan’s face with shock. Now, after hearing Zhu Xing’s report, his pupils shook violently, his eyes brimming with horror.

A thousand-zhang crimson blood demon dragon that could breathe magma, summon wind, control water, and command lightning, and had trapped fifteen Sun-Manifestation realm experts the moment it appeared!

Liu Yuan suddenly thought of something and asked Zhu Xing in alarm, “The Lord, the Lord couldn’t be one of…”

He stopped himself before he finished, realizing that Zhu Xing had just said he hadn’t dared to get close for fear of being detected by those Sun-Manifestation realm experts. He certainly wouldn’t have been able to confirm the identities of the fifteen individuals.

“A crimson blood demon dragon… which means there were no Grand Masters in Dajue Hall. Dajue Temple’s attack on Bashang was a lure to draw The Eight Towns’ Sun-Manifestation realm experts to Chilong Lake. This demon dragon is their weapon against them!”

Liu Yuan’s expression turned grim. What he feared most now was that Lord Xia Hong was one of those fifteen Sun-Manifestation realm experts.

Setting aside the thousand-zhang demon dragon’s power for a moment, its sheer size alone far surpassed any Frost Beast they had ever encountered.

Moreover, could anything nurtured beneath the lake by Dajue Temple for seven or eight years be simple?

“Wang Yuan, Zhu Xing, continue to keep watch near Qinghe Village. Report any developments immediately. We currently cannot confirm the Lord’s location, and the Director is not here either. For now, we will hold Hexia Village. If the situation changes, I will send someone to notify you at once.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

The two men descended from the Main Building and headed back toward Qinghe Village to the north.

Liu Yuan turned and scanned all of Hexia Village. His expression hardened slightly as he saw the Golden Armored Soldiers stationed around the Main Building.

He had set out from Wuyuan with the Cloud Serpent Army in the first half of the night. As per the Director’s orders, after gaining control of the population of Hexia Village, he had immediately dispatched Wang Yuan and Zhu Xing to monitor Qinghe Village.

Most of Hexia Village’s Earthforger and Frostwarden realm experts were gone, leaving behind over fifty thousand ordinary people and Lumberjack realm individuals. The Cloud Serpent Army had controlled them with ease. The only unexpected incident had occurred less than an hour before dawn, when over twenty monastery monks had shown up.

Liu Yuan had not hesitated, leading the Cloud Serpent Army to restrain all twenty of them on the spot. The cloth bag filled with cyan pills hanging from his waist had been confiscated from those monks.

“The Lord had better not be at Chilong Lake!”

Even though Liu Yuan didn’t possess all the information that Xia Hong and Xia Chuan did, he could piece together the general situation. All he could do was hope that Xia Hong hadn’t fallen for Dajue Temple’s scheme.

As for the fifteen Sun-Manifestation realm experts from The Eight Towns, he wasn’t concerned about them.

Regardless of the outcome of their battle with the demon dragon, it didn’t seem like it would be a good thing for Great Xia.

“The best outcome would be for both sides to suffer heavy losses, with neither gaining an advantage!”

Anxious, Liu Yuan could only stand where he was and pray for Xia Hong’s return.

Liu Yuan’s prayers did not have much effect.

CRACK…

East of Qinghe Village, at Chilong Lake.

A mass of pitch-black clouds hovered about a thousand meters in the air.

Within the clouds, ten thousand bolts of lightning continuously struck the perimeter of the five-kilometer-wide Chilong Lake, sealing off the entire body of water so tightly that, from the outside, it looked like a spherical prison of thunder.

If one’s eyesight were sharp enough, they would be able to see fifteen figures inside the prison of thunder, wielding various weapons as they jointly battled a thousand-zhang blood dragon.

“ROAR…”

Above the prison, the thousand-zhang dragon’s body coiled and weaved. Its four sharp claws slashed through the air. It suddenly turned and let out a furious roar at a white-robed, middle-aged man wielding a silver spear to its side.

As the roar sounded, the dark clouds above instantly roiled, condensing fifteen more thick bolts of lightning that struck the fifteen Sun-Manifestation realm experts with precision. The largest of these bolts hurtled toward the white-robed man at the flank.

It wasn’t just lightning. The demon dragon also spat torrents of magma, each stream over three meters in diameter and radiating intense heat, which almost instantly submerged the white-robed man.

Just then, a green-robed old man wielding twin sabers dodged a lightning bolt and leaped into the air, descending from the heavens to land on the demon dragon’s forehead.

Descending with him were his twin cyan sabers.

As the sabers struck the dragon’s forehead, a thousand-zhang tall silver skeletal phantom materialized behind the old man. The phantom also held twin sabers and, mirroring his movements, struck down viciously on the dragon’s head.

The moment the cyan sabers landed, two green-faced, tusked malice-ghosts flew out from the blades, opened their mouths, and bit down on the dragon’s forehead.

CRACK… BANG!

However, after the two strikes landed, not a single scratch appeared on the dragon’s head. It had only dipped down a dozen meters from the force of the blow; its body hadn’t even budged.

“ROAR…”

The demon dragon roared furiously and raised its head, instantly flinging the old man from its forehead. It spewed an even more intense pillar of magma, forcing the old man in the air to continuously dodge.

Hiss…

That pillar of magma was over three meters in diameter and the dragon kept adjusting its aim by turning its head. No matter how fast the old man was, he couldn’t guarantee he could evade it forever. After dodging a dozen times, he finally met the same fate as the white-robed man before him, completely engulfed by the pillar of fire.

The temperature of the fire pillar was extraordinarily high. The instant it consumed the old man, it hissed as if from a sudden clash of hot and cold, emitting black smoke. In a flash, it solidified into a giant black rock, which now hung suspended in mid-air.

Swoosh…

With the white-robed middle-aged man and the old man successively engulfed by magma, another man, middle-aged and clad in black, wielding a silver longsword, suddenly charged toward the demon dragon’s face from mid-air. His sword was as swift as a meteor, leaving a hundred-zhang-long silver trail of sword light in the air. With a tearing sound, he stabbed straight at the dragon’s left eye.

As the sword flew, a thousand-zhang tall golden skeletal phantom also condensed behind the black-robed man. It too held a longsword and thrust forward in sync with him, its target also the dragon’s left eye.

“Yang Zun, Shangguan Yang, stop pretending! If we don’t work together to trap this dragon, we’ll all die!”

The black-robed man’s sword had yet to arrive, but realizing this was a perfect opportunity and seeing the dragon already beginning to move its tail to dodge, he immediately roared at the two black rocks suspended in the air.

Bang… Bang…

The two giant rocks suddenly exploded. The white-robed middle-aged man and the green-robed old man who had been sealed inside flew out simultaneously. Their clothes were burned away by the magma, and though they looked disheveled, their faces showed little panic.

Skeletal phantoms materialized behind both of them, each a thousand zhang tall.

But the phantom of the white-robed middle-aged man, Yang Zun, was golden.

The phantom of the green-robed old man, Shangguan Yang, was silver.

“Everyone, let’s trap the dragon together!”

Yang Zun shouted to the others. His spear shot forth, leaving a trail of silver light in the air. His skeletal phantom moved in sync, its own several-thousand-zhang-long spear pinning the dragon’s left abdomen.

Although Shangguan Yang said nothing, his movements were not slow in the slightest. His skeletal phantom, wielding twin cyan sabers, chopped down ferociously from the right, striking the demon dragon’s right back.

At the same time, twelve other figures attacked simultaneously. However, the skeletal phantoms behind them were much smaller compared to the other three, the smallest being just over three hundred zhang and the largest eight hundred.

The twelve attacked from all different directions at once, striking nearly every part of the demon dragon’s body.

Bang… Bang… Bang…

“ROAR…”

Attacked by fourteen people at once, the demon dragon seemed to feel pain. Its massive body began to struggle and writhe in the air.

However, after just a few thrashing movements, it stopped.

Because after their weapons struck the dragon’s body, not one of the fourteen had withdrawn. Everyone unleashed their full power, pinning the dragon down, rendering it immobile.

Swoosh…

At that same moment, the sword light finally arrived.

“Demon dragon, die!”

At the very tip of the hundred-meter-long sword light, Qin Feng held his longsword and stared into the demon dragon’s verdant green pupils, which had remained as placid as an ancient well from the very beginning. His face was filled with ferocity.

This demon dragon’s strength was indeed terrifying, but with its body now suppressed by the combined might of fourteen Sun-Manifestation realm experts, unable to move an inch, death was its only path.

ROAR…

However, just as the sword was less than half an inch from the dragon’s left eye, the dragon suddenly raised its head and let out a roar.

Qin Feng’s expression instantly froze.

He still held his longsword, maintaining his forward momentum. Even the skeletal phantom behind him had not dissipated and mirrored his posture. Yet, neither his body nor the phantom could advance another step.

“Qin Feng, what are you spacing out for!”

“This was a hard-won opportunity!”

“Get on with it!”

…

When Yang Zun, Shangguan Yang, and the other Sun-Manifestation realm experts saw Qin Feng’s body freeze in front of the dragon’s eye, they all roared in fury, urging him to strike.

Gulp…

Qin Feng did not answer them, merely swallowing hard.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to attack; he simply couldn’t.

The dragon’s last roar was clearly different from its previous ones. It had frozen him solid.

Moreover, the demon dragon’s verdant green pupils, which had been emotionless from the start, changed after that roar.

Its left pupil suddenly grew turbid, a hint of gold appearing within it. The gold then spread outward until the entire eye turned a solid gold.

Its left golden eye was wide open, but its pupil held a trace of confusion and bewilderment. It first glanced at Qin Feng before it, then turned to look at the fourteen Sun-Manifestation realm experts behind it, as if pondering something.

Soon, the demon dragon seemed to have figured something out. Its left eye widened in fury. It flexed its body, and with a great shudder, it threw all fifteen Sun-Manifestation realm experts, including Qin Feng, away.

The next second, the demon dragon’s actions stunned all fifteen of them.

“Such audacity, daring to control this great one’s physical body!”

The demon dragon actually opened its mouth and spoke in a human tongue.

The dragon’s voice was thunderous, carrying an air of brutish arrogance and power. After speaking, it immediately turned its head to the southeast, its left eye blazing with rage.

“What does that mean? This dragon is being controlled?”

“I had a feeling earlier. Those verdant green pupils never showed any emotional fluctuation. It must be controlled by Dajue Temple.”

“Then how did it regain consciousness?”

“It must have been Qin Feng’s sword. The dragon felt threatened, so it forcibly expelled the Grand Master’s control and woke up.”

…

“I was only borrowing Your Excellency’s dragon body for a moment. Why be angry?”

Putting aside the experts’ discussion, as soon as the dragon’s voice faded, it spoke again. Only this time, the voice was aged and peaceful, with a hint of detachment, completely different from the brutish and domineering tone from before.

There were clearly two consciousnesses inside the crimson blood demon dragon now. As the old man’s voice faded, the dragon’s own consciousness immediately regained control of its body and spoke in a furious tone, “You little brat from Lingyin Mountain! Even your master, the Five-Viscera Tathagata, would have to kowtow to this great one! You dare to covet my dragon body? Get out of my body!”

“The Dragon Ecdysis Period lasts at least a century. Your Excellency will be dormant for several more decades. There is no need to deceive this humble monk. It is better to obediently surrender your dragon body!”

“Such gall, to threaten this great one! ROAR…”

The crimson blood demon dragon seemed to have been enraged by the old man. Its left eye began to burn fiercely as it roared at the sky. A wisp of black flame even appeared on the already flashing lightning, making it seem even more terrifying than before.

However, no matter how furious the dragon was, it could not change the fact that the golden light in its left eye was gradually fading. The verdant green light was reappearing within, and with its continuous roars, the green portion grew larger and larger.

It was about to be controlled again!

The expressions of Yang Zun and the other fourteen experts grew heavy.

“Ah…”

However, just as the dragon’s left eye was about to turn completely verdant green again…

For some unknown reason, it let out a piercing scream.

It was the old man’s voice!

The faces of Yang Zun and the other fourteen experts tightened. They heard the pain and disbelief in the old man’s voice, and their expressions instantly filled with shocked uncertainty.

Chapter 379: The Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya, the Five Viscera Anomaly-Countering Method, and the Start of Great Xia’s Eastward Expansion

“Ah…”

Mo’ao Calendar, year 132, the second day of the fifth month.

The sky had completely brightened.

The cold light of the frigid sun shone down, illuminating the entire town of Bashang.

But unlike the clamor of battle that had filled the air before dawn, not a single sound could be heard inside or outside the town now, save for the howling frigid wind. The entire town was plunged into a deathly silence.

The whole of Bashang seemed to have become a city of the dead.

A blood-curdling scream suddenly tore through the heavens, shattering the eerie stillness.

High above the town, the vast expanse of blue spiritual light had condensed into the form of a child robed in yellow. This child, however, was three hundred zhang tall—a grotesque giant, scaled up by nearly a thousand times.

Its immense size was not the only anomaly.

The giant child glowed with a blue light, its form not seeming entirely solid. And upon its neck grew a total of five heads.

The faces on the five heads were mostly identical, all with skin as delicate as a newborn’s. Two long, snow-white eyebrows drooped down alongside enormous earlobes. Their expressions were also uncannily uniform: eyes wide, mouths stretched into a gaping laugh, a truly bizarre sight.

Strangely, although all five faces shared the same expression, they each conveyed a completely different feeling.

The central face had pupils of a brilliant green, its smile tinged with a hint of madness, giving off a sense of extreme anger.

The face to its left had golden pupils. It was smiling, yet its smile was steeped in profound sorrow, evoking a feeling of immense grief.

The third face, further to the left, had bright yellow pupils and lips that gleamed with a black luster. Its smile carried a trace of melancholy, as if worrying over something with deep concern.

The fourth face had pupils of watery blue, its smile filled with terror.

The fifth face possessed crimson pupils. Compared to the other four, its joy seemed genuine. But combined with its utterly grotesque features, the more real the smile, the more unsettling it became.

The giant child stood in the northern sector of Bashang. Its central head, the one with the brilliant green pupils, was looking down upon the entire town. It opened its great mouth and took a deep breath, and with every inhalation, it drew tens ofthousands of strands of blue spiritual light from the city below.

But after that scream just now, the giant child’s inhalation came to an abrupt halt. It seemed to be experiencing some intense pain, its pupils filled with terror and rage.

“Insolence!”

“How is there another Sun-Manifestation realm expert here?”

“It’s you! You’re not one of the Nine Towns’ Sun-Manifestation realm experts!”

…

Above the giant child’s other four heads, the four Grand Masters—Jingang, Heiming, Juyuan, and Yanlong—were all staring at the space above the central head, their pupils trembling as they cried out in succession.

Atop that central head, a slender, bright silver saber was plunged into Master Wusheng’s lower right chest. The tip of the blade had already protruded half a meter from his back. Thick black smoke billowed from both ends of the wound. Master Wusheng’s expression was contorted in extreme agony; he had clearly been struck in a vital spot.

“You…”

Master Wusheng withdrew his consciousness from the demonic dragon and looked down at the black-robed man holding the saber before him, and at the thousand-zhang skeletal phantom behind him. His eyes were filled with shock and confusion. But he reacted quickly, realizing this was no time for bewilderment. His brilliant green pupils focused, meeting the black-robed man’s gaze.

The black-robed man was, of course, Xia Hong. The moment Master Wusheng’s eyes met his, he felt something stir in his lower abdomen. Without a shred of hesitation, the pupil of his left eye suddenly contracted, shooting out a blinding ray of intense light that struck Master Wusheng’s left eye directly.

Ding…

Xia Hong didn’t know the full strength of the Spirit-Shattering Light, but so far, it had never failed him in battle.

This time, he hoped, would be no exception.

However, he had clearly overestimated it.

When the Spirit-Shattering Light hit Master Wusheng’s left eye, he did freeze for a brief moment, and the reaction in Xia Hong’s liver area vanished.

But that was all.

“The Yin-Yang Mirror of the Qishan Demon Lord from the Gloom World! It descended into the Ice Abyss too!”

Master Wusheng’s eyes soon regained their clarity. He stared at Xia Hong’s left eye, his expression suddenly becoming wary.

I get recognized everywhere I go.

Looks like the Yin-Yang Mirror has quite the reputation…

Hearing Master Wusheng’s words and seeing the look in his eyes, Xia Hong couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

But a sigh was a sigh. Seeing the giant child’s hands rising to grab him and the other four Grand Masters on its head rushing toward him, he didn’t dare hesitate. Gripping the Dragon Sparrow Saber, he lunged forward with all his might, crashing into Master Wusheng’s body.

Bang…

Three vertical, blood-red sacred sigils had already appeared on Xia Hong’s brow. To be precise, from the moment he had launched his explosive sneak attack on Master Wusheng, he had already unleashed every tool at his disposal.

The sacred sigils on his brow, the skeletal phantom, the Congealing Fire Salve, the new one-hundred-thousand-forged grade silver Dragon Sparrow Saber that Mu Dong had forged for him, the Yang Ruins Cauldron burning fiercely within him—even the posture he had used for his mid-air strike incorporated Long Fist techniques combined with his own self-created Lightning Spear Technique.

With all five Grand Masters present, and having conjured such a terrifying Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya, if he was going to make a move, he couldn’t hold anything back.

The reason he had chosen to act was precisely because of this Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya.

In the final moments before dawn, Xia Hong had already infiltrated Bashang. When he discovered that all five Grand Masters were present, he had actually felt inclined to retreat.

He had a certain degree of confidence in his strength, but he wasn’t so arrogant as to think he could take on five of them at once. Besides, he had no reason to.

What truly compelled him to act were Dajue Temple’s subsequent actions.

He had seen Yan Xin give an order, and all the Dajue Temple soldiers took out a blue pill and swallowed it. Then, they began chanting a scripture called the Requiem Sutra.

Seeing this, Xia Hong had begun to have his doubts.

Bashang had already fallen, and there was hardly any resistance left inside.

Even if they truly intended to slaughter everyone, they should have brought out Melting Fire Pills to give their soldiers the ability to fight during the day, not these blue pills.

What happened next was completely beyond Xia Hong’s expectations.

After the chanting ended, strands of blue spiritual light began flying out from the eyes of every single person from Dajue Temple, as if something was being stripped from their bodies. Once the light was completely drawn out, they all dropped dead on the spot.

And it wasn’t just the people inside Bashang. A continuous stream of blue spiritual light converged on Bashang from all across the north.

Seeing this bizarre scene, Xia Hong understood at once.

He had witnessed such a scene of mass death once before in Jing Valley, so it was not unfamiliar to him.

Over the past six months, while attacking the two towns, Dajue Temple had repeatedly demonstrated the power of taking pills and chanting sutras. Not just the people they controlled, but many from the other seven towns had been swayed. Under these circumstances, who would suspect that the blue pills were actually fatal?

So, as expected, the blue spiritual lights flying in from the north were from all the people in the sixty-plus village-level camps controlled by Dajue Temple. They, too, had been arranged to take the blue pills in sync with the Bashang army and chant the Requiem Sutra.

That was over a million people!

The horror Xia Hong felt at that moment was beyond words. The mass suicide orchestrated by Jing Xian in the first year of the Great Xia calendar had involved just over ten thousand people. This time, the number was over a hundred times greater.

Amidst his horror, Xia Hong also realized that the five Grand Masters of Dajue Temple had created a diversion, luring all the Sun-Manifestation experts of the Eight Towns to Qinghepu while they came to Bashang. By sacrificing the entire population they had controlled for over eight years, they were clearly planning to do something monumental.

As the frigid sun completely rose over the horizon, at the moment of dawn in the Ice Abyss, the sky full of blue spiritual light gradually began to converge. Xia Hong watched with his own eyes as the frigid sun suddenly shot down a beam of blue light, leaving a blue spiritual entity within Bashang.

Initially, the blue spiritual entity was only the size of a fist, its form indistinct. But as it absorbed the vast amounts of blue spiritual light from the sky, it continuously grew larger, eventually transforming into the three-hundred-zhang-tall Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya before them.

The Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya wasn’t a name Xia Hong had given it; it was what the five Grand Masters had shouted in unison the moment it took shape.

Xia Hong remembered it clearly. All five of them had expressions of extreme fervor, shouting, “We welcome the Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya Buddha Venerate’s descent into the Ice Abyss.”

“Buddha Venerate” was clearly a title of respect. Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya was the true identity of this spiritual entity.

From the moment he’d heard about Dajue Temple two years ago, Xia Hong had been fairly certain that Buddhism existed during the Ancient Abyss Era. However, judging from Dajue Temple’s subsequent actions, even if they were disciples of Buddhism, they had undergone an extremely bizarre transformation, just like all the other anomalies originating from the Ancient Abyss Era. They bore no resemblance to the Buddhism he knew from his past life, which was dedicated to guiding people toward good.

The descent of a single spiritual entity required the sacrifice of over a million lives. What kind of benevolent being could this Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya possibly be?

And it wasn’t just over a million.

Dajue Temple only began the sacrifice after breaking into Bashang, which meant the one-and-a-half million people inside Bashang were also their targets.

Subsequent events unfolded just as Xia Hong had predicted. As the Anomaly-Faced Maitreya’s spiritual body grew to three hundred zhang, it seemed to gain a partial consciousness and began inhaling the air within the city. Each breath drew out tens of thousands of strands of blue spiritual light.

The blue spiritual light was souls!

The moment Xia Hong saw the light, he had guessed it. And he could be almost certain that Xu Ning had ended up in his state because a part of his soul had been extracted by Master Wusheng when he spied on Dajue Hall six months ago.

Thus, the Anomaly-Faced Maitreya’s actions were to devour the souls of the more than one million people in Bashang. At this point, Xia Hong had basically figured out Dajue Temple’s entire plan and why they had to conquer Bashang.

Six-year-old children were likely a prerequisite for reviving the Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya. After seven years of scouring Qinghepu, the five Grand Masters should have preliminarily met this condition.

But last September, the appearance of the Nine Towns’ spies put the five Grand Masters on alert. They realized they had been discovered by the Nine Towns and needed to revive the Anomaly-Faced Maitreya ahead of schedule, which led to their proactive attacks on the two towns over the past six months.

The revival was likely at a critical stage, with only the step of acquiring a large number of souls remaining.

The entire population of the sixty-plus village-level camps was not enough for the Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya to fully revive. So they deliberately slowed their offensive rhythm, allowing Bashang to gather its entire population within the city walls, arranged for the people in those sixty-plus village-level camps to be ready with the blue pills, and then staked everything on one final push. The moment Bashang fell, their plan would commence.

So now, the revival of the Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya was just one step away.

Once it absorbed the souls of the million-plus people in Bashang, it would be fully revived!

Having figured this out, Xia Hong no longer hesitated. He realized immediately that he had to act, no matter what.

The act of devouring souls alone was proof enough that this Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya was not an existence he could contend with at his current stage. If it were to revive, not only the Nine Towns but Great Xia would suffer along with them.

“Suffer” was an understatement; the consequences would be far more severe.

Once he decided to act, the next step was to find the right moment!

He could see at a glance that the dominant figure among the five Grand Masters was Master Wusheng, with his brilliant green pupils. So he hid in the shadows, constantly observing Master Wusheng’s condition.

And that’s when a coincidence occurred!

Master Wusheng had been coordinating with the Anomaly-Faced Maitreya’s spiritual body, absorbing the souls in the city. But just moments ago, he seemed to have been struck by something. A glint of gold flickered in his pupils, and his expression suddenly became dazed.

How could Xia Hong, who had been watching Master Wusheng intently, let this opportunity slip by!

Having lurked in the city for a long time, in that very instant, he unleashed all his techniques and attacked explosively, plunging his saber into the lower part of Master Wusheng’s right chest.

The thick smoke billowing from the two wounds on Master Wusheng’s body completely confirmed many of Xia Hong’s suspicions. Now, he was not as worried as before.

Even as he was being pursued by the Anomaly-Faced Maitreya’s spiritual body and the four Grand Masters, he did not let up on Master Wusheng. He directly used his saber to ram into him, carrying Master Wusheng’s body with him as they flew off the spiritual body’s head.

“Evil wretch, unhand him!”

Among the four pursuing Grand Masters, the fastest was Flame Dragon High Master. He caught up to Xia Hong in an instant. With a cold glint in his eyes, he raised his long spear high, conjuring a giant dragon of fire that shot straight for Xia Hong’s back.

Swoosh…

The crimson spear instantly created a vacuum in the surrounding air, forming a fan-shaped spearhead two to three li in radius. The tip of the spear arrived in a flash, pressing against Xia Hong’s back, piercing through his hide and flesh, and stopping dead against his bones.

And it stopped at the bones.

Flame Dragon High Master saw that his spear could not advance another inch. His expression did not change much. He had fought Xia Hong once last year and was the first to realize that Xia Hong was not from the Nine Towns.

Knowing Xia Hong’s strength, he did not try to break through the bone. Instead, he swept his spear sharply to the left, attempting to drive Xia Hong away and rescue Master Wusheng.

His spear’s force was astounding. Although it couldn’t break Xia Hong’s bones, it had no trouble tearing through his flesh and hide. Logically, any normal person would have dodged to the side to avoid such a sweep.

But Xia Hong did not!

Xia Hong clenched his teeth, using his back to forcefully withstand Flame Dragon High Master’s blow, allowing a large chunk of flesh to be carved from his back. Then, his left hand suddenly drew a silver dagger from his waist. Half-turning, he aimed at Flame Dragon High Master’s heart and plunged it in viciously.

Squish…

Xia Hong’s base strength was close to eleven Jun. As the progenitor of a sacred sigil bloodline, he had a fifty percent strength boost. Combined with the thirty percent boost from Long Fist, even when using a dagger without the enhancement of a martial art, his strength reached an astonishing nineteen Jun or more.

With this single stab, he didn’t just pierce Flame Dragon High Master’s heart; he completely blasted through the entire area around it.

The dagger, along with his fist, punched straight through Flame Dragon High Master’s back.

For a normal person, having their heart destroyed like this would mean instant death.

But Flame Dragon High Master was not dead. He looked down at his heart, then back up at Xia Hong, his eyes filled with horror and shock.

“You… how… did… you know…”

His heart was currently being crushed in Xia Hong’s hand.

Unlike a normal human’s red heart, Flame Dragon High Master’s was pure black and bore a grotesque face, identical to that of the Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya.

Sizzle…

Xia Hong’s silver dagger was still embedded within it. Just like when Master Wusheng’s lower right chest was pierced, thick black smoke was now rising, clearly a violent reaction with the silver.

Like a deflating balloon, Flame Dragon High Master instantly wilted. Just like Master Wusheng before him, he could only be held by Xia Hong, seemingly without even the strength to move.

When Master Wusheng was successfully ambushed by Xia Hong, the other four Grand Masters had immediately given chase. Now, seeing Flame Dragon High Master also grievously wounded in a single blow and clearly near death, the remaining three—Jingang, Heiming, and Juyuan—froze in mid-air. They looked at Xia Hong, their eyes filled with apprehension and suspicion.

“I realized it last year when he didn’t dare to take that sword strike to my chest!”

Xia Hong answered Flame Dragon High Master’s question directly, glancing lightly at the Vajra Master with a glint in his eye, and continued, “The lungs store the corporeal soul, correspond to Metal in the five elements, and rule the nose. The Six Paths Vajra Mantra is a method of inhaling Zenith Gold Powder through the nose to strengthen the physique.

“The heart stores the spirit, corresponds to Fire in the five elements, and rules the tongue. The Shurangama Divine Mantra has one hold a Melting Fire Pill under the tongue to condense the fire of the mind and spirit to resist the frigid light.

“The liver stores the ethereal soul, corresponds to Wood in the five elements, and rules the eyes. Although your Requiem Sutra has a different effect from the other two, many aspects still align. Therefore, your vital point is naturally the liver!”

The liver was located on the lower right side of the chest, precisely where he had just pierced with his Dragon Sparrow Saber.

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, the remaining three Grand Masters shuddered violently, their eyes filled with fear and dread.

“Hehehehehehe… To think someone from the mere Ice Abyss would know of my Lingyin Mountain’s Five Viscera Secret Art. A pity you’re still a little too late. The descent of the Maitreya Buddha Venerate’s soul is now irreversible. Even if you…”

Squish!

Xia Hong had no intention of wasting time listening to Master Wusheng’s nonsense. He pulled out the Dragon Sparrow Saber. Impaled on its tip was a mass of black liver, the same color as Flame Dragon High Master’s heart, which was still pierced by the dagger.

Both organs were emitting thick smoke, a clear sign that the anomalous energy within them had not completely dissipated. Xia Hong casually wrapped them in a piece of cloth, then turned to look at the three Grand Masters, his expression changing slightly.

The three Grand Masters were rushing toward the Anomaly-Faced Maitreya’s spiritual body at the same time.

From the moment Master Wusheng died, the spiritual body had clearly become much more sluggish. Originally, only its central head could move, and it had been the one absorbing the souls from the city. The other four heads were in a drooped, motionless state.

But after Master Wusheng’s death, the central head also drooped. The spiritual body began to thin and waver, clearly unable to sustain itself without a sufficient supply of souls.

The three Grand Masters were not fleeing aimlessly. Each went to the top of their corresponding head, extracted something, and only then turned to flee north.

After they took those items, the Anomaly-Faced Maitreya’s spiritual body immediately began to disintegrate at an accelerated rate. Those things were obviously key to its descent into the Ice Abyss.

“Trying to run!”

The descent of the Maitreya Buddha Venerate’s soul is now irreversible.

Recalling Master Wusheng’s last words, Xia Hong’s expression grew exceptionally grave. Without the slightest hesitation, he gave chase.

His primary target, of course, was the slowest of them: the Vajra Master.

The Vajra Master looked utterly panicked. Seeing Xia Hong closing in from behind, a golden light erupted from his body as he gritted his teeth and suddenly threw a ball of light westward.

Swoosh…

He had fought Xia Hong before and knew his physical body couldn’t withstand Xia Hong’s strength. So when the Dragon Sparrow Saber came slashing at him, he merely raised his palm to block his chest, attempting to parry the attack.

Unfortunately for him, his plan failed!

Xia Hong had no intention of wasting time with the Vajra Master. Seeing that the object he threw was a ball of light, most likely soul matter, and that it dissipated and fled after being thrown, he realized he had no means to deal with souls and immediately gave up the chase, focusing solely on killing the Vajra Master.

He was already in a state of all-out attack. Using the Dragon Sparrow Saber like a long spear, he pierced the Vajra Master’s palm and then, accumulating power, slammed him down toward the ground.

Bang…

A loud crash echoed out. The Vajra Master lay on the ground, his hands still trying to shield his chest. He couldn’t even stand up.

Xia Hong’s strength was simply too terrifying.

At full power, his nineteen Jun of strength was nearly three times that of the Vajra Master. How could he possibly resist?

“Ah!”

The Vajra Master was not one to accept his fate. He swept his hands sideways, knocking Xia Hong’s saber away, and his body jolted as he prepared to rise and flee.

However, before he could even get to his feet, a crimson spear pierced straight through his upper chest, precisely at the location of his lungs.

That crimson spear was Flame Dragon High Master’s weapon, and it had been coated beforehand with a layer of black greasy residue, which Xia Hong had obviously applied just moments ago.

Sizzle…

Thick smoke billowed from his lungs. The Vajra Master’s pupils trembled, his eyes filled with hatred and madness as he stared at Xia Hong.

“Hehehehehehe… Killing me is useless! Useless! I have the protection of the Maitreya Buddha Venerate, I am immortal! I will remember you, I will remember…”

“Noisy!”

Xia Hong pulled out the Vajra Master’s blackened lungs, then turned to look at the other two fleeing Grand Masters, his pupils suddenly constricting.

Swoosh…

To the left, Heiming Grand Master was suddenly forced back by a silver long spear. In his panic, he tried to parry the spear’s tip with his black longsword, but the force behind the spear was far beyond his imagination. Not only did he fail to parry it, but his own longsword was sent flying.

After knocking the longsword away, the spear swept downwards fiercely, smashing Heiming Grand Master toward the ground. The spear then thrust downwards, its final target being his kidneys in his lower abdomen.

“Ah!”

At the same time, Juyuan Grand Master on the right let out a furious roar.

A silver sword’s edge had appeared before him, blocking his path. The blade pointed straight at his upper left abdomen, thrusting fiercely towards his spleen.

Juyuan Grand Master’s roar was clearly unusual. Even at a distance, Xia Hong’s consciousness wavered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. Seeing that the spear and sword were both targeting the Grand Masters’ vital points, his expression instantly grew a few shades more solemn.

Simultaneously, the owners of the spear and sword appeared. Both were middle-aged men, one dressed in white and the other in black. Their clothes were tattered and they bore numerous wounds, clear signs of having just come from a major battle.

Yang Zun, Qin Feng. Dajue Temple really did set a trap at Qinghepu!

“Sir, you are not of our Nine Towns. To interfere in the affairs of Bashang without cause, I hope you can give me, Yang, an explanation!”

“That’s Flame Dragon High Master’s spear! Stop wasting words, get him!”

Xia Hong had only just identified the two when Yang Zun and Qin Feng spoke, one after the other. Qin Feng was even more direct; the moment he finished speaking, he charged toward Xia Hong.

Xia Hong had already put away the organs of Wusheng, Yanlong, and Jingang, so the two couldn’t see them. But Qin Feng, recognizing the crimson spear in his hand, immediately concluded that he had killed Flame Dragon High Master.

Attacking Xia Hong without another word, he was clearly planning to seize the spoils.

Yang Zun tried to intimidate him with words, while Qin Feng attacked directly.

These two, one more arrogant than the next!

Xia Hong was currently injured. Seeing the two charge straight for him without a word, a cold smile crept onto his face. He was about to fly up and escape when his brow suddenly twitched.

“Hmph…”

Two large green sabers suddenly chopped down from above. In his haste, Xia Hong could only raise his spear and the Dragon Sparrow Saber to block above his head.

Crack…

The moment he blocked the sabers, two phantom images of green-faced, tusked demons appeared above him and bit down fiercely on his weapons.

Hum!

A violent tremor ran through Xia Hong’s hands. He nearly lost his grip, almost dropping both weapons. Sensing the two green-faced demons still lingering above, a flash of anger crossed his face. He looked up, and his left eye shot a beam of intense light at the golden-robed old man behind the twin sabers.

Swoosh…

“What is that!”

The old man’s voice was filled with alarm. He reacted quickly. Seeing the bright light, he immediately dodged. He managed to get away, but the two green-faced, tusked demons were pierced by the light and instantly dissipated.

At the same time, the two green sabers in his hands felt a massive impact that sent him flying back over a hundred meters.

Clang…

“Shangguan Yang is here too. The other Sun-Manifestation experts are probably on their way!”

After repelling the old man, Xia Hong immediately raised his Dragon Sparrow Saber and spear, blocking the attacks of both Yang Zun and Qin Feng. He felt the blood and qi in his body surge, and the wound on his back tore open. His brow twitched, and he immediately flew north, away from Bashang.

From that exchange, he could already tell that both of their strengths were above thirteen Jun. Shangguan Yang was even stronger, at fourteen Jun.

At his peak, he would have no problem fighting these three.

But not now. And he could feel several other Sun-Manifestation auras rapidly approaching.

If he stayed here, he risked messing up an easy win!

“Trying to run!”

Qin Feng and Yang Zun saw through Xia Hong’s intentions at a glance and immediately attacked to hold him back. But Xia Hong’s speed was far beyond their imagination. Not only did he reach the north of Bashang in an instant, but he even swooped down to rescue someone from the ground.

“That’s…”

“It’s Xiang Fuhai! Why did he save Xiang Fuhai? Something’s not right!”

“It’s no use. He’s fast. Faster than you or me!”

Yang Zun and Qin Feng flew into the air, watching Xia Hong disappear into the distance. Their expressions instantly became much graver.

“Flame Dragon High Master must have been killed by that fellow just now. What about the Vajra and Wusheng Grand Masters?”

Shangguan Yang, who had failed in his sneak attack, looked exceptionally grim. When he noticed the black organs in Yang Zun’s and Qin Feng’s hands, he became furious. He flew straight down into Bashang to find someone and ask what had happened.

Yang Zun and Qin Feng hurriedly followed him down into the city.

The people of Bashang were not all dead. There were still many Frostwarden realm experts who had witnessed the recent events. So when the three of them landed and started asking questions, they quickly learned what had transpired.

“Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya? As expected, Dajue Temple deliberately lured us to Qinghepu. They were after the million-plus people in Bashang!”

“All the villages we passed on the way here were full of dead people. It was all Dajue Temple’s doing.”

“All three Grand Masters died at that man’s hands?”

…

As they learned more and more, the faces of Yang Zun, Qin Feng, and Shangguan Yang grew darker and darker. Shangguan Yang, who had gained nothing from this trip, turned deathly pale upon hearing that all three Grand Masters had died at the hands of that man.

“To kill three Grand Masters in a row, this person’s strength…”

“A Sun-Manifestation expert from outside the Nine Towns, who specifically saved Xiang Fuhai…”

Yang Zun and Qin Feng exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity and worry in the other’s eyes.

No matter how unwilling Shangguan Yang was, he had to accept that he had come away empty-handed. He thought of something and turned to Yang and Qin, saying in a sinister tone, “The Xiang family is gone. The neighboring Jiangxia Town has long lost its spirit and probably won’t dare to try anything. This vast territory of Bashang… the three of us can start discussing it…”

Hearing this, Yang Zun’s and Qin Feng’s expressions flickered.

Just as the three were about to discuss matters, twelve more figures suddenly flew in from the north of Bashang.

They were the same Sun-Manifestation experts who had been trapped with them in Qinghepu.

“Brother Yang, Brother Qin, Senior Shangguan, the three of us were of little help this time. We are truly ashamed.”

Seeing the state of Bashang, three middle-aged men from the group of twelve immediately stepped forward. The leader cupped his hands toward Yang Zun’s group and spoke apologetically.

Yang Zun and the others immediately returned the gesture with a slight air of reverence.

“Brother Chen, Brother Huang, Brother Li, you came from a thousand li away just to help us eliminate the anomaly. How could we possibly blame you? Back at Qinghepu, if not for your help, that demonic dragon would not have been so easy to deal with.”

“Chencang’s righteousness is something I, Qin, will remember. Rest assured, the conditions my Wuchuan promised you three will be fulfilled to the letter.”

“I, Shangguan Yang, will surely visit Chencang another day to thank Lord Fang Bo. Please, feel free to rest in Jinshan City for a few days and allow this old man to fulfill the duties of a host.”

The three men from Chencang, surnamed Chen, were clearly pleased by the words of Yang Zun and the others. However, they seemed to know that they hadn’t played a significant role, so they didn’t continue the conversation. After a moment of silence, the middle-aged man surnamed Chen spoke again.

“You three are too kind. Resting for a few days is out of the question. We must bring news of the demonic dragon back to Chencang and report to Lord Fang Bo. As for the conditions your three towns previously promised, you can bring them to us the next time you visit Chencang. We three will take our leave now.”

“This… very well. In that case, we bid you farewell, Brother Chen!”

“Farewell to you three.”

Seeing Yang Zun, Qin Feng, and Shangguan Yang treating the three from Chencang with such respect, the remaining nine local Sun-Manifestation experts from the Mo’ao region did not dare to be slighting. They too bowed to the three, bidding them farewell.

After the trio from Chencang left, Yang Zun and the other twelve finally began to discuss the division of Bashang’s territory.

But in less than a moment, they were arguing in the sky above Bashang.

These negotiations were clearly not going to be smooth.

…

“Are you injured?”

More than thirty kilometers north of Bashang, Xia Hong flew through the sky. His left arm was around his wife, Li Xuanling, and his right hand held a long spear from whose tip dangled the unconscious Xiang Fuhai. They were speeding toward Hongguan Pass.

“It’s nothing. Those twelve Sun-Manifestation experts must have come from Qinghepu. They almost discovered us. That was close!”

Although Xia Hong said he was fine, Li Xuanling tore a strip from her clean white sleeve and began to bandage his wounds in mid-air.

Seeing the large chunk of flesh torn from Xia Hong’s back, revealing the bone beneath, Li Xuanling’s face was filled with heartache.

She had left Baiping Village before dawn and had arrived at Bashang long ago. But she didn’t know where Xia Hong was and could only observe from a distance. She had witnessed everything: Xia Hong’s sudden sneak attack on Master Wusheng, his subsequent killing of two more Grand Masters, and finally, being attacked by Yang Zun’s group.

When she realized Xia Hong would definitely choose to flee, she had moved away from Bashang ahead of time. Having witnessed his battle with the three Grand Masters and the strength of Yang Zun’s group, she knew very well that staying behind would be of no help to Xia Hong and she would likely become a burden.

Xia Hong had quickly caught up to her. He first hid with her in the snowy woods to avoid the group of Sun-Manifestation experts speeding in from the north, and only then did they set off again, returning toward Hongguan Pass.

“How long until nightfall?”

Hearing Xia Hong’s question, Li Xuanling immediately replied, “About an hour and a half. All five Grand Masters are dead, and Dajue Temple is gone. When we get back, we can notify Xia Chuan to lead the Cloud Serpent Army eastward.”

From Xia Hong’s slaying of the three Grand Masters to the appearance of Yang Zun and the others, less than half an hour had passed in total. It hadn’t taken much time.

Li Xuanling was clearly aware of Xia Hong’s next move, directly suggesting that the Cloud Serpent Army advance eastward.

Xia Hong’s expression brightened at her words, and he nodded. “An hour and a half. It’s nearly fifty kilometers from Qinghepu to Hongguan Pass. The Cloud Serpent Army’s march won’t be affected by the daylight. An hour and a half is definitely enough. We can capture Hongguan Pass before dark!”

Since the sixth year of the Great Xia calendar, the Cloud Serpent Army had been focusing on improving their marching speed on normal snowy terrain. Last year, they could cover over fifteen kilometers in an hour. Now that everyone had achieved a breakthrough to the Frostwarden realm, their overall marching speed had increased by at least three to four times. Fifty kilometers would take an hour at most.

“You only plan to take Hongguan Pass?”

Li Xuanling’s expression was one of surprise.

With Dajue Temple gone, a vast amount of territory had been vacated.

Beyond Hongguan Pass, there were the three major camps of Fengshan, Longzhou, and Xuyang within Jiangxia’s borders, along with over thirty surrounding village-level camps. In Bashang, there were the four major camps of Zouyang, Qinggu, Jiuqu, and Bai Song with thirty-nine surrounding village-level camps. To be more dramatic, even Bashang Town itself was now empty.

And the Lord of Bashang, Xiang Fuhai, was currently dangling from Xia Hong’s spear.

Hearing Xia Hong’s meaning, that he only planned to occupy the fifty-plus kilometers north of the Xing River and the Hongguan Camp, she was naturally a bit puzzled.

Xia Hong shook his head slightly, a sharp glint in his eyes. “We shouldn’t be too hasty. Dajue Temple has only just been defeated. If we show too strong an intention to expand eastward, the Eight Towns might start seeing us as the next Dajue Temple.

“Besides, the territories left behind by Dajue Temple are all empty, the people all dead. Occupying them now serves no purpose. It’s better to leave them for the people of the Eight Towns and let them fight over it.”

He paused slightly, turning to look at Xiang Fuhai behind him, a flicker in his eyes. “Bashang Town alone is enough for the eight of them to tear their hair out over. We can just occupy Hongguan Pass and watch the show.”

Li Xuanling was incredibly sharp. She immediately understood Xia Hong’s meaning. After a moment of thought, she looked at her husband with a hint of admiration in her eyes.

“If Yuwen Tao can successfully defend Muyin Town, then counting Jiangxia, we’ll have two friends in the Nine Towns. As long as we can save Xiang Fuhai, he can count as one too. At that point, regardless of what the three northern towns do, my Great Xia can be considered to have firmly established itself in the eyes of the Nine Towns. Things will be much easier after that.”

The turmoil caused by Dajue Temple had created far too many cracks within the Nine Towns. With the support of two staunch allies, Great Xia would have little to fear from a聯合of the other towns. Establishing a foothold was the first step; further expansion and annexation would come later.

Given Great Xia’s rate of development, Xia Hong was absolutely confident in their subsequent expansion.

“The Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya, Lingyin Mountain, the Five Viscera Secret Art, the Gloom World, the Qishan Demon Lord… this world is far larger than I imagined, and the strength of those powerful existences is far more terrifying than I thought. We must take this one step at a time!”

Chapter 380: Startling News, Deployments, Excitement and Encounter, Striking First

Great Xia, Year 8, April 28

Just past the first hour of the day, Xia Hong returned to Hexia Village with Li Xuanling, Xiang Fuhai slung over his shoulder.

“Greetings, my Lord!”

“My Lord, are you injured?”

“Greetings, my Lord!”

In the Main Building of Hexia Village, Xia Chuan and the others who had returned earlier saw the wound on his back, and their expressions immediately grew tense.

“It’s nothing!”

Xia Hong waved his hand dismissively as he took the main seat. Wasting no time, he turned to face the crowd and swiftly issued his orders:

“Xia Chuan, go now and inform the Cloud Serpent Army to march east. They must occupy Hongguan Camp with all possible speed. Drive away anyone who approaches. Also, send someone back to Wuyuan immediately and have the seven armies of Wuyuan prepare. They are to advance on Hongguan after nightfall and rendezvous with the Cloud Serpent Army.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

“Shi Ping, there probably aren’t many people left alive in the three villages and eighteen families of Qinghepu, or in the two villages of Jinbi and Longgu. I want you to immediately draw men from Wuyuan to take control of these places. Gather all the survivors. You will be responsible for all subsequent arrangements.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

“Yuan Cheng, Yue Feng, Luo Yuan, your armies have not yet arrived, so for now, advance with the Cloud Serpent Army and assist them at Hongguan.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Hearing Xia Hong’s series of deployments, everyone in the hall was instantly exhilarated.

They had also just returned from Bashang. Although Xia Hong had sustained a considerable injury, he had come back carrying Xiang Fuhai. Furthermore, they recognized the crimson spear used to carry him as the one belonging to the Flame Dragon High Master.

Coupled with his three commands, how could they not understand?

Dajue Temple was surely finished.

This meant that Great Xia’s path eastward had officially begun!

“Marshal, this subordinate will lead the army out at once!”

Liu Yuan, the Vice-Marshal of the Cloud Serpent Army, was also present in the hall. After hearing Xia Hong’s orders, he immediately addressed Xia Chuan to request permission.

Xia Chuan naturally nodded in approval. He then waited until Yuan Cheng and the others had all departed before turning back to Xia Hong to report everything he had heard since returning to Hexia Village.

The focus, of course, was the demon dragon of Chilong Lake and the words spoken by the Sun-Manifestation realm experts of the Eight Towns during their battle with it.

Xia Hong had long suspected that Dajue Temple had left behind a contingency plan in Qinghepu. However, upon suddenly hearing that a Crimson Blood Demon Dragon a thousand zhang long was lying at the bottom of Chilong Lake, his expression changed dramatically.

“A dragon’s body controlled by Dajue Temple can display such power?”

Xia Chuan nodded. When he had returned to Hexia Village earlier and heard Wang Yuan describe the scene, his own expression had been just as grave as Xia Hong’s.

“Zhu Xing was too far away to see clearly. Fortunately, the conversation between the demon dragon and Master Wusheng was very loud, so he managed to overhear a good deal. That demon dragon is currently in its Dragon Ecdysis Period. The person controlling its body said that this period lasts for a hundred years at the very least. According to the legends of Qinghepu, the demon dragon came to Chilong Lake over forty years ago. By that calculation, it will be at least another fifty-plus years before it fully awakens.”

The Dragon Ecdysis Period!

Although he didn’t understand its exact meaning, he could guess from the term itself that it meant something akin to evolution or metamorphosis. If the dragon’s controlled body could wield such might even while dormant, how astonishing would its power be once it fully awakened?

“Zhu Xing said that in the end, the lightning vanished, and the fifteen people from the Eight Towns fled. The demon dragon then retreated back into Chilong Lake.”

Xia Hong’s mood, which had been quite good upon his return from Bashang, instantly grew heavy.

The entirety of Qinghepu would henceforth be Great Xia’s territory, and Chilong Lake was no exception. Knowing that such a massive ticking time bomb was buried there, he felt as if a heavy stone was weighing on his heart, making it impossible to feel at ease.

“We can only hope that what Dajue Temple said is true. If it really takes over fifty years for it to awaken, then we don’t have to be so worried…”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, Xia Hong’s brow furrowed, but in the end, he could only nod in agreement.

“Big Brother, what about Bashang?” Xia Chuan finally couldn’t resist asking about the specific situation there.

At his question, Xia Hong temporarily suppressed the gloom brought on by the demon dragon. He took out a small cloth pouch from his robes and slowly opened it, revealing three internal organs—a heart, a liver, and a lung—that had already returned to their normal, bloody color.

Seeing the three organs still twitching strangely, Xia Chuan’s face filled with horror. He looked at Xia Hong and asked in shock, “This is…”

“The abilities of the three Grand Masters—Yanlong, Wusheng, and Jingang—came from these three organs. If I’m not mistaken, for all these years, Dajue Temple has been taking those six-year-old children to harvest their five viscera. Although I don’t know the specifics of how they use them, I imagine the process is horrifically brutal.”

Xia Chuan understood at once. His eyes lit up as he stared at the three bizarre organs.

“It’s a pity I only killed three. Yang Zun took Heiming Grand Master’s Kidney, and the Spleen of Grand Master Juyuan was obtained by Lord Qin Feng of Wuchuan. Those two got off easy. There was no helping it!”

Hearing this, Xia Chuan’s face flushed with shame. “It was our fault for holding Big Brother back. If Great Xia had even one more Sun-Manifestation realm expert, we wouldn’t have let those two towns get away with it for free.”

“It’s not that serious. In the end, we still had the greatest harvest!”

In the past, he was usually the one swooping in for the spoils. To suddenly have others poach from his hands felt rather unsettling for Xia Hong.

Of course, that was only from his perspective.

Xia Hong could roughly guess that once Yang Zun and the other two had inquired with the people in Bashang and learned that he alone had taken the organs of three Grand Masters, they would be furious. Especially Shangguan Yang, the Lord of Jinshan Town who had come away empty-handed; he was probably throwing a tantrum right now.

“This liver from Master Wusheng should be able to restore Xu Ning to normal. I’ll make a trip back to Xiacheng first and have the Artisan Department see to Xiang Fuhai. I’ll try to be back before dark. For now, you lead the Cloud Serpent Army to occupy Hongguan Camp. Once all seven armies from Wuyuan arrive, the entire north bank of the Xing River will be in the hands of Great Xia.”

“I understand, Big Brother!”

Xia Chuan’s expression turned resolute upon hearing this. He had long known of Xia Hong’s plans, so he raised no objections to occupying only Hongguan.

“When I ambushed the three Grand Masters, someone was watching from the vicinity, and it seemed they were also planning to make a move. It was most likely Xiahou Zhang. He would have known the outcome at Bashang earlier than the other seven towns, so Jiangxia should have already begun reclaiming their former territory. We will not interfere anywhere else. Just taking Hongguan shouldn’t be a problem.

“After you’ve secured Hongguan, immediately send someone to Jiangxia to inform them. Give this soft sword to Xiahou Zhang; he’ll understand.”

As he spoke, Xia Hong took a black soft sword from his waist and handed it to Xia Chuan. He had obtained this sword last year above Fengshan Camp when he rescued Xiahou Zhang; it was originally his personal weapon.

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xia Chuan took the soft sword, cupped his hands in a salute, and quickly departed.

“Are you staying here on the North Bank, or are you coming back with me?”

With only Li Xuanling left in the hall, Xia Hong was naturally asking her.

Li Xuanling didn’t hesitate. “I’m going back with you. I need to hurry up and focus on my cultivation.”

“Alright, let’s go back together!”

Xia Hong nodded. With that, he and Li Xuanling returned to Xiacheng together.

Bashang was gone. Of the remaining Eight Towns, apart from Muyin and Jiangxia, the other six basically each had two Sun-Manifestation realm experts. Great Xia had only Xia Hong, which was clearly not enough. Currently, the person in all of Great Xia most likely to achieve a breakthrough first was Li Xuanling. It was only natural for her to feel a sense of urgency.

…

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, the second day of the fifth month, just before nightfall.

In a snowy forest fifteen kilometers north of Hongguan, a fully armed, small-scale army of over three hundred soldiers was rapidly marching south under the cold light. From the slightly heavy breathing of the soldiers, it was clear they had been on the move for some time.

“Hehe, to be able to take Hongguan without shedding a drop of blood—our Chuishan Town has really hit the jackpot this time!”

“Hongguan itself is nothing. The main prize is the over two-hundred-kilometer stretch of the North Bank of the Heng River to its west, and the large territory even further west of there. That’s our greatest gain.”

“That’s right! Dajue Temple is gone. Not only do we get to take all of Qinghepu, but the lands to its west will be ours too.”

“And the key is, we haven’t lost a single person to take such a huge piece of land.”

“Hahaha, with Bashang destroyed and Jiangxia cowering in its town, our Chuishan has truly stumbled upon a heaven-sent opportunity!”

…

At the head of the column, Duan Chang, the commander, couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement as he listened to the discussions around him.

He was the Deputy Military Head of Chuishan Town, in charge of the southern Jiangyan Camp. An hour ago, the Town Head, Mu Longhe, had sent a messenger to Jiangyan Camp, instructing him to immediately lead his troops south and occupy the four camps of Hongguan, Fengshan, Longzhou, and Xuyang.

Upon hearing the news, he had instantly realized that the battle between Bashang Town and Dajue Temple had come to a conclusion. As expected, the messenger told him that Bashang Town had been annihilated, all five Grand Masters were dead, and Dajue Temple was no more.

Armed with this information, Duan Chang quickly grasped the preciousness of the moment and dared not delay in the slightest. Since the full Town Guard Army could not be deployed during the day, he simply pulled out all the Frostwarden realm soldiers from his two-thousand-strong force to set out first, ordering the remaining sixteen hundred men to follow after nightfall.

“Even if Jiangxia knows the outcome at Bashang, their reaction won’t be that fast. Starting from their town, they’ll reach Xuyang Camp first, then Longzhou and Fengshan, and finally Hongguan. If I’m fast enough, I can definitely beat them to it and seize two or three of the camps!

“Besides, Jiangxia suffered a huge blow not long ago; their Town Guard Army was almost completely wiped out. They probably can’t even muster a decent army. As long as I can occupy these camps and wait for the rest of my Town Guard Army to arrive, these territories will all belong to Chuishan.”

The more Duan Chang thought about it, the more excited he became. He couldn’t help but turn back and call out in a low voice to his troops, “Pick up the pace! We’re less than ten kilometers away!”

“Yes, sir!”

“First Hongguan, then Fengshan, Longzhou, and Xuyang.”

“That’s nothing. Jiangxia is relying solely on Xiahou Zhang right now. Once our Lord and Town Head return, I say we can even take Binjiang. We’ll just let Jiangxia stay bottled up in their town forever. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

“Hahaha, you little devil, you’re a cunning one!”

…

The more they talked, the more excited they became, and their pace quickened.

Just as darkness fell, they arrived north of Hongguan Camp.

But as they caught sight of the camp from a kilometer away, the expressions on Duan Chang’s and the others’ faces froze.

“There are lights. What’s going on?”

“Didn’t they say everyone in Dajue Temple’s territory was dead?”

Inside Hongguan Camp, many of the barracks were lit with firelight, and a massive bonfire over ten meters high blazed in front of the main tent. Though they were far away, they could vaguely see a few figures moving about.

It was obviously already occupied.

Jiangxia’s people reacted that fast?

Duan Chang’s expression instantly soured. Town Head Mu Longhe’s order was to occupy the four camps of Hongguan, Fengshan, Longzhou, and Xuyang. If the very first one was already a problem, what was he to do about the other three?

“The rest of you, stay here and await orders. Zichuan, Duan Xu, you two come with me to check out the situation.”

Duan Chang was the Deputy Military Head of Chuishan Town, responsible for the defense of Jiangyan Camp. He had two regiments of the Town Guard Army under his command, and Mu Zichuan and Duan Xu were the Marshals of those two regiments. Both were experts with power levels above Twenty Mane. With his own strength of Thirty-four Mane, just going to scout out the situation shouldn’t be a problem.

The three men first removed their Thousand-forged Armor. Underneath, they happened to be wearing black clothes. With a shared understanding, they stealthily crept toward Hongguan Camp.

When they were still more than three hundred meters away, they could basically make out the situation inside. But what they saw made their expressions freeze in an instant.

“Golden armor? Does Jiangxia have armor like that?”

“Neither Jiangxia nor Bashang has it. And there are only about a hundred of them!”

“I can’t see through them. Let’s get closer and check their cultivation levels!”

Night had completely fallen. They could only see the golden armor, unable to discern the cultivation levels of the hundred or so soldiers. Duan Chang spoke in a low voice and led the other two closer, soon reaching the three-hundred-meter mark.

All three were at the peak-Frostwarden realm, and three hundred meters was essentially the limit of their perception range. The moment they crossed that threshold, they immediately saw the cultivation levels of the hundred-plus golden-armored soldiers.

But what they saw made their pupils contract violently.

“Frostwarden realm!”

“They’re all at the Frostwarden realm.”

“Something’s wrong. Retreat, now!”

Duan Chang suddenly realized something. After a low cry of alarm, he was the first to turn and flee. The other two, though confused, quickly followed.

However, the three had barely retreated a dozen meters.

Whoosh…

A double-bladed great axe suddenly came hurtling toward them. Duan Chang, who was in the lead, saw his expression change drastically as he swiftly dodged to the side.

He was fast enough to evade it, but Mu Zichuan and Duan Xu behind him weren’t so lucky.

Fortunately, both were already on high alert. Realizing they were being ambushed, one raised a great hammer while the other lifted a long saber, striking out to block a an instant.

Clang…

The silver great axe smashed against both their weapons simultaneously, producing a single, deafening clang.

“He’s stronger than us!”

The moment they blocked the axe, their faces changed dramatically. Their bodies were forced back a dozen meters, right back to the spot where they had been spying on the camp.

“Who’s there!”

Duan Chang had already drawn his broadsword and retreated to the side of Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan.

The three of them stared ahead, their expressions exceptionally grave.

A stalwart young man over two meters tall, clad in light-gold armor and wielding a double-bladed great axe, stood where they had been just moments before, a cold smile on his face as he watched them.

“It’s a bit much for the three of you to be skulking about and spying on my Great Xia’s camp!”

Great Xia?

Upon hearing the name, Duan Chang and the other two were filled with confusion and bewilderment.

“No need for talk. They’re from Chuishan. Seize them first!”

Just then, another voice came from behind them. Duan Chang’s group whirled around, only to find that three more figures had appeared on their left, right, and rear.

The man on the left was of a similar build to the axe-wielding youth who had just attacked them, also over two meters tall and clad in a suit of golden armor. His face was calm, and he held a slender, narrow saber that was clearly not of the Nine Towns’ design.

The man on the right was slightly shorter and looked older than the first two, though likely not over forty. He held a long-handled broadsword about a zhang in length with a peculiar design.

“The one is Twenty-four Mane, the two on the sides are over Twenty Mane in strength, and I can’t see through the one behind… Great Xia, where did they come from?”

Duan Chang silently sized up Yuan Cheng and the others, his expression turning grave after he had a rough measure of their strength. When his gaze finally landed on the white-robed youth at the rear—the only one not wearing armor—his pupils revealed a deep sense of dread.

Although he only had a medium combat physique aptitude, he had used external aids over the years to raise his strength to Thirty-two Mane, which was by no means weak in the Nine Towns. Yet, he couldn’t see through the white-robed youth at all.

This could only mean that his opponent was stronger than him.

“They know we’re from Chuishan, and they’re already talking about capturing us…”

Duan Chang looked at the white-robed youth’s attire, which was obviously not from the Nine Towns, and the golden armor worn by the other three. His mind raced, and in an instant, countless possibilities flashed through his head.

But with the limited information he had, he couldn’t deduce anything concrete.

Swish, swish, swish…

Just then, hundreds of silver arrows suddenly rained down from all directions. As the three men swung their weapons to deflect the arrows, their expressions changed dramatically.

“They’re all Frostwarden realm! Split up and run!”

From just one volley, Duan Chang immediately realized that the soldiers shooting at them were all at the Frostwarden realm. At that, he completely abandoned any thought of resistance and directly ordered Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan to flee in different directions.

He was the strongest and the fastest. The moment he finished speaking, he shot off toward the north, while Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan broke out to the left and right, respectively.

“You’re already here, why run? Stay right where you are!”

Whoosh…

This was, after all, his first exchange with a Frostwarden realm expert from the Nine Towns. His initial sneak attack had failed, and Yuan Cheng was already feeling a little embarrassed. Now, seeing Duan Chang dare to break out in his direction, he let out a furious roar and swung his great axe in a horizontal arc, attempting to force him back.

“You think you can stop me? You’re courting death!”

Seeing the axe sweep toward him, Duan Chang’s face turned cold. He charged forward, taking the axe’s long handle square on his back. Then, with a sudden jolt of his body, he sent the axe flying and, in the same motion, brought his saber down on Yuan Cheng’s head.

Yuan Cheng’s brow furrowed sharply. Under normal circumstances, he would never dare to take this blow head-on. But when he saw two transparent threads shooting toward him from behind, he gritted his teeth, tilted his head, and raised his great axe to his shoulder to block.

Clang…

The broadsword smashed into the great axe. As both were silver, ten-thousand-forged grade weapons, there was no chance of one being cut through. However, Duan Chang’s strength of Thirty-two Mane still forced Yuan Cheng to one knee, and the handle of the great axe slammed into his right shoulder with a loud crack.

Normally, having landed the blow, Duan Chang should have immediately retreated.

However, not only did he fail to retreat, he couldn’t even pull his blade back.

“Trying to escape from me? Dream on!”

Yuan Cheng suddenly looked up, a crimson vertical line appearing on his forehead.

Using the downward momentum of Duan Chang’s strike, he shifted the axe’s blade, directly locking down Duan Chang’s broadsword.

His base strength was only Twenty-four Mane, that much was true. But with the thirty percent boost from the Great Xia Sacred Sigil, his strength exceeded thirty Mane.

And that was without even factoring in the Long Fist techniques!

“Ha…”

With a furious roar, Yuan Cheng’s body suddenly leaped and twisted. The tremendous force transmitted through the great axe coiled around the broadsword, nearly throwing Duan Chang completely off balance.

“Damn it!”

Duan Chang looked at his Hanyue Blade, a flicker of reluctance in his eyes. Yuan Cheng’s strength was now a match for his own. If he was toppled by this move, the white-robed youth behind him, who was already his equal in strength, would catch up, and he would never be able to escape.

Though a thousand thoughts raced through his mind, it all happened in an instant.

Duan Chang had not become Chuishan’s Deputy Military Head for nothing. Realizing this was his last chance to escape, he cast aside all attachment, let go of his weapon, and shot up from the ground, fleeing swiftly to the north.

Swoosh…

At the same time, the two transparent threads flew from behind, hitting nothing but air.

“This subordinate has failed in his duty. I ask for the Director’s punishment!”

Seeing Duan Chang escape, Yuan Cheng looked grim. When he saw Xia Chuan walking toward him, he immediately bowed to ask for punishment.

“It’s fine. He was very strong; it would have been difficult to keep him here anyway. Two is enough!”

Xia Chuan gave a slight wave of his hand and turned to look at the other two sides, where Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan were now completely surrounded by hundreds of Cloud Serpent soldiers, struggling desperately against Luo Yuan and Yue Feng. A smile touched his lips.

“Chuishan Town acted just as we expected. It’s a good thing we occupied Hongguan in time. If they had beaten us to it, things would have been troublesome!”

Chapter 381: Upheaval in Muyin, Murong Yan’s Ambition, The Great Victory at Yumen

Mo’ao Calendar, year one hundred and thirty-two, the second day of the fifth month.

Shortly after nightfall, Xia Chuan and his men captured two Frostwarden realm experts from Chuishan, north of the Hongguan Camp.

And at almost the exact same time he made his move.

A dramatic upheaval was taking place in Muyin City to the north.

“The Lord is young and ignorant, bewitched by a demoness! If this continues, our Muyin City will be renamed Shangguan! Brothers, charge in with me!”

“Murong Ping, to attack the Lord’s Grand Hall is treason!”

“Madam Shangguan is the Lord’s properly wedded wife! Daring to lay a hand on her is the highest form of treachery! The previous Lord’s bones have not yet grown cold, how dare you be so outrageous?”

“What damned ‘Madam’! She’s a demoness sent by Jinshan Town to bring chaos to our Muyin City! In three years, look what she’s done to our town! If we let her continue her unscrupulous ways, the day of Muyin’s fall will soon be upon us!”

“Charge into the main hall and seize the demoness!”

“Charge into the main hall and seize the demoness!”

………………

Outside the Lord’s Grand Hall in Muyin City, over ten thousand fully armed and armored soldiers were divided into two opposing factions. The group on the side of the hall was smaller, just over five thousand men, while the faction facing the hall with furious glares numbered over eight thousand.

At the very front of the eight-thousand-strong force stood Murong Chui’s three sons: Murong Ping, Murong Yan, and Murong An. They were the ones who had just been shouting at the hall.

When Murong Yan uttered the final words, “the day of Muyin’s fall will soon be upon us,” the eight thousand soldiers behind them were instantly overcome with righteous fury. They raised their weapons and roared toward the Lord’s Grand Hall, vowing to charge in and capture the demoness, Shangguan Hong.

In contrast, among the five thousand-odd men standing guard at the hall’s entrance, although they too had drawn their weapons in a posture of defending the hall to the death, some had flickering gazes and uncertain expressions. They were clearly lacking in confidence. It was obvious that they were not only outnumbered but also utterly defeated in terms of morale.

“All of you, shut up!”

Suddenly, an angry shout boomed from the high platform above the main hall. The furious yelling in front of the hall ceased abruptly. Everyone looked up toward the platform, and upon seeing the figures there, their gazes hardened.

On the platform stood a young man and a young woman, both appearing to be under thirty. The man wore a crown of pure silver and a red brocade robe, the signature attire of Muyin Town, intricately interwoven with silver threads on the chest, sleeves, collar, and elsewhere, giving him an exceptionally regal appearance. The woman’s dress was no less splendid; the ornaments in her hair were all made of silver, and she wore a magnificent, noble red palace dress, also threaded with an abundance of silver silk.

From the looks on the faces of the crowd below, it was easy to see that this pair was Murong Yan, the Lord of Muyin Town, and his wife, Shangguan Hong.

Murong Yan stared down at the more than eight thousand men, his expression exceptionally grim. When his gaze finally fell upon his three uncles, Murong Ping and the others, a deep killing intent flashed in his eyes.

Unlike him, Shangguan Hong looked down with a scornful expression. Even though she could see that Murong Ping’s side far outnumbered their own, she showed not a hint of panic. Instead, she sneered repeatedly.

“Murong Ping, out of respect for you as my First Uncle, I have always tolerated you. I never thought you would become so arrogant as to dare lead so many men to assault the Lord’s Grand Hall! For such an act of treason, what punishment do you deserve?”

Although Murong Yan was young, he now adopted the demeanor of a lord, directly questioning Murong Ping’s crime. He had a certain imposing aura, especially when he intentionally raised his voice for the final roar. The five thousand men guarding the hall stiffened slightly upon hearing him, and their morale was instantly boosted.

This was the effect of his legitimate authority. No matter what, Murong Yan was still the Lord of Muyin Town. Although over a thousand of the Frostwarden realm experts among the five thousand men below came from Jinshan Town, the remaining three thousand were all from Muyin.

They were all genuinely loyal to Lord Murong Yan.

“Big Brother, there’s no need to waste words on this brat. Jinshan Town sent over one thousand three hundred Frostwarden realm experts. Including those loyal to the first branch, that’s only about two thousand four hundred in total. The rest are all at the Earthforger limit. Let’s just charge them,” the hot-tempered Murong Yan said directly to his elder brother, Murong Ping, requesting to attack.

“No rush. Be patient and wait a little longer!”

Murong Ping, of course, knew his second brother was right. They had a clear picture of how many men Murong Yan had at his disposal long before they made their move.

The eight thousand men behind him were all die-hard loyalists of his father, Murong Chui—or rather, of their second branch. This force included over two thousand six hundred Frostwarden realm experts and two full battalions of the Town Guard Army. The remaining three thousand-plus men were drawn from various institutions in the town, all at the Earthforger limit.

With this kind of strength, they could essentially crush the five thousand men before them in a real fight. At best, the opposing side could rely on their greater number of Frostwarden realm experts to resist for a while, but victory for them was impossible.

Even so, Murong Ping did not agree to his second brother’s request to attack. He simply gestured for him to be patient and wait.

“Second Brother, don’t be anxious. Father should be sending word back soon. Let’s confirm the battle situation at Yumen Camp first,” the third brother, Murong An, who was also quite level-headed, immediately soothed his agitated brother.

Murong Yan had a fiery temper, but he wasn’t a fool. Hearing his third brother’s words, he seemed to realize something, and his expression immediately calmed.

Murong Ping did not answer Murong Yan’s question, nor did he order his men to continue their assault on the Lord’s Grand Hall. He simply stood there silently.

The two sides fell into a standoff.

No one from either side spoke again, and the scene descended into silence.

On the high platform, after shouting a few more curses, Murong Yan looked at Murong Ping’s numerous and powerful faction, a deep worry appearing in his eyes. He finally turned to his wife, Shangguan Hong, and asked in a low voice, “Hong’er, will your grandfather and father-in-law really come to save us?”

When Shangguan Hong looked down at the crowd, her face was full of contempt, but when she turned to her husband, her eyes were filled with deep affection. Seeing that he seemed frightened, she immediately softened her expression and comforted him, “Husband, rest easy. Haven’t you noticed that Murong Chui hasn’t appeared today? He must be held up by my grandfather. Don’t be fooled by Murong Ping and his men’s aggressive posturing. No matter what, they wouldn’t dare to lay a hand on us…”

At this point, Shangguan Hong paused. Seeing that her husband’s expression had not yet eased, she hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Husband, I won’t hide it from you. My father is currently leading troops to attack Yumen Camp. As soon as he takes Yumen, he will immediately press on toward the town city. At that time, with our army and my grandfather’s combined pressure, Murong Chui will have no choice but to surrender to Jinshan.”

Hearing this, Murong Yan’s expression instantly froze.

Muyin Town’s territory was not considered large among the Nine Towns. It contained forty-one village-level camps and was defended by four major camps: Yumen, Fushan, Yunzhao, and Qingyang.

Qingyang Camp, in the far north, had been seized by Wuchuan Town three years ago. So now only Yumen, Fushan, and Yunzhao camps remained, along with the thirty village-level camps around them.

Yunzhao Camp was south of the town city, bordering Yangqu. Fushan Camp was to the northeast, bordering Wuchuan Town. Yumen, however, was north of the town city. It not only bordered Jinshan Town but was also the closest, less than fifty kilometers away.

His wife’s words were blunt. After her father, Shangguan Ning, conquered Yumen Camp, he would immediately lead his army to press on toward the town city. No matter how foolish Murong Yan was, he could now guess Jinshan Town’s intentions.

Seeing her husband’s stiff expression, Shangguan Hong knew what he was thinking and immediately soothed him in a gentle voice, “Hong’er knows that Husband has great ambitions and has always wanted to restore Muyin’s former glory. Grandfather told me before that as long as Murong Chui pledges allegiance to Jinshan Town, Muyin Town can continue as it is, and no one will be able to shake Husband’s position as Lord.

“Once we’ve dealt with Murong Chui and his rebellious faction, and with Jinshan Town as your backer, Husband can focus on uniting the town’s people while diligently cultivating. Once you break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, restoring Muyin’s prestige will be a matter of course!”

Hearing his wife’s words, Murong Yan’s expression softened slightly, and he said gratefully, “Hong’er, thank you. Without you, I truly don’t know how I would have held on. It’s been four years since my grandfather passed away, and many who were once loyal to him have defected to that damned thief Murong Chui. If it weren’t for your and your father’s support, I, as Lord, would probably have been killed by Murong Chui long ago…”

He paused, his expression turning solemn. “Hong’er, rest assured. As long as I can secure my position as Lord, Muyin will henceforth follow Jinshan Town’s lead. When I break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, our Murong family and your Shangguan family will be allies through marriage for generations to come. We will be one family. The moment our child is born, I will immediately name him Young Lord.”

A soft light appeared in Shangguan Hong’s eyes. She gently caressed her lower abdomen, completely missing the dark look that flickered in the depths of Murong Yan’s eyes as he finished speaking.

“No wonder Murong Chui moved all the Town Guard Army from Fushan and Yunzhao camps to Yumen Camp last month. He must have known your father was going to attack Yumen.”

Murong Yan had figured it out by now. Murong Ping was leading over eight thousand men to attack the Lord’s Grand Hall, yet Murong Chui was nowhere to be seen. He must be at Yumen Camp right now, trying to fend off Jinshan Town’s army.

At the thought of the Town Guard Army, Murong Yan’s eyes filled with resentment.

Muyin Town had only six battalions of the Town Guard Army. When Murong Ding was alive, almost all six were controlled by his first branch. But four years ago, as soon as his grandfather Murong Ding passed away, five of the six battalions immediately pledged their allegiance to Murong Chui. The only one that remained was the battalion directly led by his grandfather’s disciple, Deputy Military Head Han Qu. As Lord, he had no command over the others.

Murong Chui’s official position was Town Head, which technically gave him no military authority. After becoming Lord, Murong Yan had deliberately left the position of Military Head vacant to limit Murong Chui’s power. He never expected that his subordinates would ignore official titles and only recognize individuals.

He, the Lord, was completely powerless. If he hadn’t married Shangguan Hong and gained the support of Jinshan Town, he would still have only one Town Guard battalion and the support of just over a thousand Frostwarden realm experts under his command.

Murong Chui had five Town Guard battalions under his command, but he couldn’t station all of them in the town city. The three major camps—Fushan, Yunzhao, and Yumen—all required troops.

Last month, Murong Chui had transferred all the Town Guard units from Fushan and Yunzhao to Yumen. Murong Yan had long guessed that Jinshan Town would soon make a move on Yumen Camp. The surprise he had just shown his wife was merely an act.

“Yunzhao Camp in the south borders Yangqu Town, so there’s very little defensive pressure there. It’s understandable that he moved them. But moving the Town Guard from Fushan as well means he plans to cede Fushan to Wuchuan.

“By concentrating all three external Town Guard battalions at Yumen Camp, he intends to fight Jinshan Town to the death. That damned thief Murong Chui has indeed always been wary of me. He’s so afraid that Jinshan Town will support me as Lord that he would rather sacrifice three Town Guard battalions than submit to Jinshan…”

As Murong Yan sorted through Murong Chui’s series of motives, his eyes practically blazed with fire. His hatred for Murong Chui had clearly seeped into his bones.

“This is for the best. If Murong Chui had been willing to submit to Jinshan directly, I would have been of little use to them. It’s better if they fight to the death. The more they do, the more Jinshan Town will have to rely on me, their Lord. With Hong’er here, as long as I can help Jinshan smoothly take control of the town city, my value will remain. Thus, I can hold on to my position as Lord. One day, once I break through…”

Murong Yan’s expression was grim, his eyes filled with a desperate longing to break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm!

“Yumen is definitely lost. With Murong Chui tied down by Shangguan Lie, it’s impossible for those three thousand Town Guard soldiers alone to stop Jinshan Town. I just have to wait for Jinshan’s army to advance on the town city. Murong Chui’s cause will be lost. Even if he wants to resist, it will be useless. He can only surrender to Jinshan.

“Shangguan Lie promised me before that after Murong Chui surrenders, everyone from the second branch will be sent to Jinshan’s town city. Muyin’s town city will still be mine. As long as I’m given time to break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, I will surely revive Muyin and restore the glory of the Murong family…”

Murong Yan’s elaborate calculations were destined to come to nothing.

“Big Brother, a great victory at Yumen! Hahaha! A great victory at Yumen! Jinshan Town’s five thousand Town Guard soldiers suffered a crushing defeat, with over forty percent killed in action! Deputy Military Head Shangguan Ning was gravely wounded and captured alive by Marshal Yuwen! Jinshan’s army has been routed and has fled!”

A voice from the distance shattered the beautiful dream in his mind.

In front of the hall, Murong Ping, Murong Yan, and Murong An instantly recognized the voice of their fifth brother, Murong Yuan. When the three of them understood the full message, their eyes widened in shock, and their faces lit up with elation.

With the outcome at Yumen decided, Murong Ping no longer had any reason to hesitate. He drew his longsword, pointed it at the Lord’s Grand Hall, and roared:

“You demoness! You bewitched our Lord, brought chaos to our Muyin, and even collaborated with Jinshan Town to plant a large number of spies in the city, intending to seize control of our Muyin Town! As the Head of the Inspectorate, how can I allow you to continue your rampage? Brothers, charge into the hall with me! Seize the demoness, and do not let a single person from Jinshan escape!”

As his words fell, the eight thousand men below, who had long been champing at the bit, reacted as if they had been injected with a potent stimulant. With over one thousand seven hundred Frostwarden realm experts leading the charge, two Town Guard battalions right behind them, and the remaining four thousand at the Earthforger limit bringing up the rear, they swarmed toward the Lord’s Grand Hall.

Already holding a crushing advantage in both numbers and morale, Murong Ping’s side, now bolstered by the powerful momentum of the great victory at Yumen, broke through the defense of the Lord’s Grand Hall almost instantaneously.

As for the defenders of the hall, the men from Jinshan Town had no choice but to take up their weapons and resist. But it was a different story for the Muyin natives loyal to Murong Yan. Seeing the overwhelming power of Murong Ping’s side, their eyes flickered, and they clearly had little will to fight.

“To all my brothers of Muyin Town, if you raise your weapons now to face the outsiders, I, as Head of the Academy, promise to let bygones be bygones! The Town Head will not hold you accountable either!”

Murong Ping was nearly a hundred years old; how could he not see what was in their hearts? The moment he said this, at least several hundred men around the Lord’s Grand Hall defected on the spot. As time passed, this number continued to grow.

The situation, at this point, was crystal clear.

Starting tonight, Muyin Town would be completely under the control of the second branch!

Murong Ping looked up at the deathly pale Murong Yan on the high platform, a cold smile touching his lips.

What he didn’t notice was a young man in black, wielding a broadsword, who was fighting against a Frostwarden realm expert from Jinshan Town while inconspicuously making his way toward the high platform above the main hall.

Chapter 382: Awakening, Promotion, and Expansion; Jiangxia’s Recovery and Decision

In the eighth year of the Great Xia, on the twenty-eighth of April, late at night.

It was less than two hours before dawn.

The streets of Xiacheng were filled with people returning from hunting and gathering. They were either rushing to the Division Offices in various districts to turn in their supplies or heading home after having just done so.

Near the main hall of the Inner City, in Residence No. 15.

In the main hall on the first floor, Xu Ning sat in the seat of honor with vacant eyes and a hollow expression, still in the same state of indifference and confusion he had been in before.

Xia Hong stood before him, holding a liver in his hand.

The liver was black and glossy, pulsing faintly with an extremely slow rhythm, as if it still possessed some life force. It was an incredibly bizarre sight.

There were six other people in the hall: Hong Qiaoru and their three children, Xu An, and Qiu Peng, the Department Head of Logistics. All six of them wore expressions of both nervousness and anticipation.

Xia Hong slowly placed the liver on the lower side of Xu Ning’s right chest, aiming for the spot where his original liver was located, before giving it a sudden push.

As the black liver neared Xu Ning’s body, it seemed to sense something and abruptly began to pulse faster. Then, with Xia Hong’s forceful push, it erupted in a brilliant flash of light upon contact with Xu Ning’s skin and melted directly into his body.

“Ugh…”

Xu Ning, who had been silent for over half a year, constantly trapped in a state of indifference and confusion, suddenly let out a pained groan.

A strong green light flared up from his liver area, spreading rapidly throughout his body before converging at his eyes moments later.

As if sensing that Xu Ning only had a left eye, the green light faltered for a moment upon reaching his eyes. But it quickly recovered and split into two streams, surging towards each eye socket.

Seeing this change, a look of anticipation appeared on Xia Hong’s face.

The others were still confused, but soon their faces were all filled with shock and elation.

Xu Ning’s right eye socket, which had been hollow and completely sunken for over eight years, was actually beginning to fill out again.

Moreover, the cloudiness in his left pupil was rapidly dissipating. As clarity returned to his gaze, the indifference and confusion on his face also began to fade away.

Hum…

After a long while, Xu Ning’s body jolted. Two beams of green light shot from his pupils, and his eyes became completely clear. He looked up and saw Xia Hong, Xu An, and the others before him. His expression was one of bewilderment at first, but then he seemed to remember something. He shot to his feet and said, “Lord, Dajue Temple…”

With his body restored, Xu Ning’s memory was clearly still stuck on the night he had escaped from Qinghepu with his life. He recounted the entire situation with Dajue Temple in one breath. When he finished and saw that Xia Hong and the others remained unmoved, and that his wife, Hong Qiaoru, was weeping with joy beside him, he instantly sensed that something was amiss.

He suddenly noticed his eldest son, Xu Cheng, standing behind his wife. Seeing how much Xu Cheng had changed and sensing that his son’s base strength was already over three thousand catties, his expression froze. “Cheng’er has started cultivating? How long was I unconscious?”

“Father, you finally recognize me!”

“Father…”

Xu Cheng could barely contain himself while Xu Ning was speaking. Hearing his father call his name, he rushed excitedly into Xu Ning’s arms. His younger brother, Xu Ping, followed close behind, joining his brother in embracing Xu Ning from both sides.

Seeing his two sons so emotional, Xu Ning was certain he had been unconscious for a very long time. He quickly looked up at his younger brother, Xu An.

“Big Brother, it is now the twenty-eighth of April in the eighth year of Great Xia. From September twenty-fourth of last year until now, you have been unconscious for a full seven months and four days. Dajue Temple is gone. The Master Wusheng who stole your soul has been slain by the Lord. The Lord used the liver from his body to save you…”

Xu An kept it brief, quickly explaining the events of the past half-year to Xu Ning, with a special emphasis on how Xia Hong had saved him.

When he heard that Dajue Temple had been destroyed and that Great Xia now occupied Hongguan Pass and controlled the eastern passage, Xu Ning was incredibly excited. When he heard that Xia Hong had fought one against five and slain three Grand Masters to save him, he was deeply moved. He walked over to Xia Hong, bowed deeply, and said with a guilty expression, “This subordinate was greedy for merit and acted rashly. I deserve death for causing the Lord to take such a risk to save me!”

“No need for that. It is true you were greedy and reckless, but it was thanks to the intelligence you brought back from Dajue Temple at the risk of your life that our Great Xia was able to gain the upper hand repeatedly in this conflict. Your contribution to our victory at Hongguan Pass and securing the eastern passage was immense. Although you ended up unconscious for over half a year, I suppose this could be considered… a blessing in disguise!”

As Xia Hong spoke the last four words, he sized up Xu Ning with a peculiar expression.

Xu Ning was confused at first, but he soon sensed something. After clenching his fists for a moment, his expression turned to one of shock, which was quickly replaced by sheer ecstasy.

“My eye has recovered! Not just my eye, my strength has skyrocketed by nine Mane, to twenty-seven Mane! This is…”

Xu Ning dazedly realized that his right eye could see again. Just as a look of delight appeared on his face, he grew even more excited as he felt the surge in his base strength.

He remembered clearly that when he had escaped death last year, his cultivation was still a step away from the peak-Frostwarden realm, and his base strength was Eighteen Mane. He had broken through to the Frostwarden realm with a superior combat physique aptitude, starting with a base strength of 2.7 Mane.

By that calculation, without any external enhancements, his base strength at the peak-Frostwarden realm would have been just under twenty-two Mane at most.

Xia Hong had only opened up the Wuyuan waterways last October. Although Great Xia had already developed the Dragon Carp Pill and Green Cod Pill, Xu Ning was completely unaware.

“I can feel that I’m still at the late-Frostwarden realm, which means I now have… a supreme combat physique aptitude!”

Suppressing the ecstasy in his eyes, Xu Ning walked over to Xia Hong and bowed with utmost solemnity. “Lord, I, Xu Ning, will never forget this grace of rebirth!”

“There is no need for such ceremony. Rise.”

Xia Hong gestured for Xu Ning to stand, a look of excitement in his own eyes.

“The organs of the five Grand Masters can actually improve combat physique aptitude.”

Xu Ning had used Master Wusheng’s liver. Xia Hong still had two more: Flame Dragon High Master’s heart and the Vajra Master’s lungs.

This meant Great Xia could produce two more cultivators with supreme combat physiques!

A supreme combat physique aptitude was an absolute rarity!

Great Xia’s population was approaching one million, but so far, only four people were confirmed to have a supreme combat physique aptitude: himself, Li Xuanling, Xia Chuan, and Yuwen Tao.

Crucially, Xia Hong had already broken through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, and he knew just how vast the power gap was between people of different combat physique aptitudes after they reached that level.

Every additional person with a supreme physique was a tremendous boost to the camp’s future.

Although Hong Qiaoru was just a woman, she was not ignorant. She was already overjoyed that her husband’s right eye had recovered. When she heard he now possessed a supreme combat physique aptitude, she was even more ecstatic. When Xu Ning had bowed in gratitude to Xia Hong just now, she had held their young daughter and bowed as well.

The two boys, Xu Cheng and Xu Ping, didn’t understand as much. They were just happy to see their father so happy.

Beside them, Xu An and Qiu Peng were happy for Xu Ning, but their faces also showed a hint of envy. They too possessed superior combat physiques and understood perfectly what a supreme combat physique aptitude meant.

“Master Wusheng’s liver should have more benefits than just improving your combat physique aptitude. You can study it yourself from now on. If there are any special changes after you break through to the next realm, you can let me know.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

After giving his instructions, Xia Hong looked at Xu Ning with a smile. “You’ve rested for over half a year, that’s long enough. Your position as Prefect of Wuyuan has been given to Shi Ping. I need to arrange a new post for you…”

Xu Ning was not the least bit surprised to learn that his position as Prefect of Wuyuan had gone to Shi Ping. After all, he had been unconscious for more than half a year; Wuyuan couldn’t be left without a leader.

However, hearing that Xia Hong was going to assign him a new position, his face showed a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

“There are currently five vacant Vice-Prefect positions: Military Affairs, Garrison, Justice, Civil Affairs, and Artisans. You certainly wouldn’t be interested in Artisans or Civil Affairs. You haven’t led troops, so the Department of Military Affairs isn’t suitable. The Department of Justice requires you to stay in Xiacheng, which you probably wouldn’t like. How about you go to the Garrison Department and partner with Yuan Cheng?”

“Thank you, Lord, for the promotion! This subordinate will clear all obstacles, expand the frontiers of our Great Xia, and go through fire and water without hesitation!”

From Prefect of Wuyuan to Vice-Prefect, a promotion from the fourth rank to the third, was undoubtedly a step up. More importantly, Xu Ning was deeply moved by how thoughtfully Xia Hong had considered his new position. He was so emotional he almost fell to his knees.

“How many contribution points do you have?”

Hearing Xia Hong’s sudden question about his contribution points, Xu Ning was momentarily stunned, but he quickly turned his head subconsciously to look at Qiu Peng.

Qiu Peng clearly knew why Xia Hong was asking. He smiled and said, “Xu Ning is quite wealthy. He’s been lying at home for over half a year and still has over five million contribution points!”

Xu Ning immediately nodded. Before he fell unconscious last year, he did indeed have over five million contribution points. This amount would have been enough for his wife for a lifetime, let alone half a year.

“Master Wusheng’s liver was originally priced at ten million contribution points. I’ll give you a discount and make it eight million. Once you’ve saved up enough, go settle the bill with Qiu Peng at the Logistics Department!”

“Rest assured, Lord. This subordinate will definitely pay back these eight million as soon as possible.”

Xu Ning froze for a second, then turned to see Qiu Peng and Xu An snickering beside him. He replied to Xia Hong with a wry smile, but a wave of warmth washed over his heart once more.

To obtain a supreme combat physique aptitude, forget ten million contribution points; even for one hundred million or one billion, people in Xiacheng would be fighting tooth and nail for it if they could afford it.

Xia Hong was clearly giving him a way to save face, implying that he hadn’t received the liver for free. In the future, even if others found out, he would have an explanation.

Besides, for someone of his high standing in Great Xia, while ten million was not a small sum, it wasn’t an impossible amount to amass. He could save it up in a few years at most.

“Alright, since you’ve recovered, you can’t be idle. After taking the North Bank of the Xing River, the camp has gained many new outposts. Yuan Cheng is stationed at Hongguan Camp with Xia Chuan, so he certainly won’t have time to manage things over here. It’s time for you, as the new Vice-Prefect, to step up. Sort out those outposts and see how to deploy personnel. Also…”

Xia Hong paused, then turned to Qiu Peng and asked, “How many cultivators at the Frostwarden realm and the Earthforger limit does the camp have now?”

“Six thousand four hundred and two at the Frostwarden realm, and eighteen thousand six hundred and twenty-eight at the Earthforger limit.”

Xia Hong frowned slightly. He remembered clearly that when he came out of seclusion last year, those numbers were five thousand and fifty-four, and fourteen thousand five hundred and forty-seven, respectively.

Starting from the Earthforger limit, the pace of cultivation slowed down considerably.

An increase of over thirteen hundred Frostwarden realm cultivators in half a year was actually a bit unusual. The reason was that since last October, all one thousand slots in the Martial Arts Pavilion had been allocated to the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies. Of the newly promoted thirteen hundred, nearly a thousand were soldiers from those two armies.

“How many Frostwarden realm cultivators are in the army?”

As the head of the Logistics Department, Qiu Peng controlled everyone’s contribution point data and was well aware of the disposition of the camp’s elite personnel. He thought for a moment before replying, “There are over four thousand three hundred in the army.”

Great Xia had a total of eleven Armies, with a total of eleven thousand soldiers. If over four thousand three hundred were at the Frostwarden realm, then the remaining six thousand six hundred-odd must be at the Earthforger limit. This meant there were still over twelve thousand reserve soldiers available.

“Yuwen Tao is in Muyin Town, so I will make the decision to expand by four more Armies! Qiu Peng and Xu Ning, you will each command one. In addition, notify Lin Kai in Wuyuan and Lu Yang in the Eastern Ridge. Have them return to Xiacheng when they have time to begin forming their own Armies.”

Four more Armies!

Hearing this command, both Qiu Peng and Xu Ning were visibly shaken.

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xu Ning had wanted to form an army for a long time. His Black Arrow Squad had been promoted to a High-level Hunting Team long ago, but he had never brought it up due to the power disparity with other squads. The same was true for Qiu Peng. He was a former member of the Cloud Serpent Squad, and after leaving, he founded the Flying Roc Squad, which had also long since been promoted to a High-level Hunting Team.

Now authorized by Xia Hong to form their own Armies, both men were thrilled.

Seeing their excited expressions, Xia Hong smiled faintly, then turned his gaze towards Hongguan Pass, a sharp glint in his eyes.

“The seven armies from Wuyuan set out after nightfall. The road from Wuyuan to Baiyang is direct, so it shouldn’t take much time. From Baiyang to Qinghepu, through the Jinbi and Longhe villages, and finally to Hongguan Pass, the total distance is just over seventy kilometers. At a pace of about nine kilometers an hour, they should be arriving right about now. Things over there are about to get lively. I should go and oversee it myself!”

…

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, the second of May.

The sky was already growing pale, and the temperature was dropping sharply. Clumps of snowflakes had frozen into hailstones, clattering as they hit the ground.

In the snowy forest east of Fengshan Camp, the cold wind howled. Xiahou Zhang stared down at the black, flexible sword in his hand, his brow furrowed in thought.

Behind him stood four people: Town Head Jiang Xinfan, the new Military Head Jiang Yuanlong, and two Deputy Military Heads, Xiahou Ying and Jiang Yuandong.

Jiangxia originally had five Deputy Military Heads, but two had died in the battle against Dajue Temple, leaving only three. After Jiang Yinglong’s death, Xiahou Zhang had succeeded him as Lord and appointed Jiang Yuanlong as the new Military Head.

“Great Xia’s strength is unfathomable!”

After a long silence, Xiahou Zhang suddenly turned and spoke to the four behind him.

The four of them were all taken aback by his words.

Xiahou Zhang continued, “I’ve just been to see for myself. There are currently eight thousand troops stationed in Hongguan Camp. Among them, a little over three thousand are at the Frostwarden realm, all clad in golden Thousand-forged Armor. The remaining nearly five thousand are all at the Earthforger limit, wearing golden Hundred-forged Armor. Judging by the distribution of their ranks and their overall morale and spirit, they are elite soldiers with extensive combat experience, definitely not some hastily assembled rabble.”

Hearing Xiahou Zhang’s description of Hongguan Camp, the pupils of Jiang Xinfan and the other three constricted slightly, their expressions instantly becoming grave.

“That Yuan Cheng who came to Longzhou Camp to deliver the sword called himself the Department Head of the Garrison Department, one of Great Xia’s eight departments. I imagine that while he holds some status in Great Xia, it’s likely not that high. He looks to be thirty at most, yet possesses the strength of Twenty-four Mane. For them to casually send such a genius to deliver a message suggests that Great Xia probably has many more like him.”

As Jiang Xinfan finished speaking, the expressions of the others grew even heavier.

But not everyone. Xiahou Ying, who clearly hadn’t considered it so deeply, said with a grim face, “But the news Yuan Cheng brought us was true! Chuishan really did send people south. Great Xia took Hongguan Pass, and since they couldn’t compete, they immediately changed course and occupied Fengshan Camp. If we hadn’t reacted quickly and taken back both Xuyang and Longzhou Camps, those dogs would probably have continued to encroach eastward on more of our Jiangxia territory. Despicable!”

Hearing Xiahou Ying’s words, Xiahou Zhang’s expression faltered slightly.

Xiahou Zhang knew very well that with his Master Jiang Yinglong dead, Jiangxia had lost the qualifications to compete with the other Eight Towns. So he had pragmatically abandoned the operation against Dajue Temple and instead turned to secretly observing the battle at Bashang.

In a sudden turn of events, he, too, had been stunned when he saw all five Grand Masters appear at Bashang on the night of the first.

Of course, what stunned him even more was Xia Hong’s subsequent actions.

He had recognized Xia Hong at a glance as the mysterious person who had saved him from Flame Dragon High Master at the end of last year.

To fight one against five and kill three of them!

This level of strength both shocked and, more importantly, instilled a deep sense of caution in Xiahou Zhang.

There is no such thing as unearned kindness in this world. When Xia Hong saved him last year, he had already suspected the man was after something.

With the battle of Bashang concluded and Great Xia emerging from the shadows, combined with Yuan Cheng delivering the black flexible sword taken by Xia Hong last year just a few hours ago, the answer was obvious.

“To think such a powerful camp has emerged on the west bank of the Heng River and has even begun expanding towards the Nine Towns. Looking back, Great Xia was watching all along during our series of battles with Dajue Temple.

“That Xia Hong ended up killing three Grand Masters at Bashang, saving Xiang Fuhai, and has now taken control of the entire North Bank of the Heng River. Great Xia is the biggest winner from Dajue Temple’s fall. The Seven Towns are still completely oblivious, still fighting over the ownership of Bashang. It’s truly laughable…”

Although Xiahou Zhang’s tone was full of apprehension when mentioning Great Xia, his face turned into a cold sneer as he imagined the Seven Towns’ reaction when they learned of Great Xia’s existence.

He had learned the name of Great Xia’s Lord from Yuan Cheng and could naturally guess it was the same young man in black who had saved him last year.

“Lord, there is no need to hesitate!

“Great Xia’s intentions are not hard to guess. They clearly want to expand eastward. That Xia Hong saved your life, Lord, and is now actively making overtures to Jiangxia. Even if Great Xia is a second Dajue Temple, we should not repeat last year’s mistakes.

“That Yuan Cheng just stated clearly that Great Xia only wants Hongguan Pass. They not only want none of our other territories, but they are also willing to send troops to help Jiangxia reclaim them.

“As for the alliance he mentioned at the end, the terms are so tempting. What is there left to consider?”

Jiang Yuanlong couldn’t help but speak up at this point.

Hearing his words, Xiahou Zhang and the other three fell into a contemplative silence.

Yuan Cheng, who had just delivered the sword, had conveyed the intentions of Great Xia’s Director, Xia Chuan, to form an alliance with Jiangxia before he left.

The terms of the alliance were, as Jiang Yuanlong had said, exceptionally tempting.

As long as they allied with Great Xia, Great Xia would help Jiangxia reclaim all its lost territories from the past half-year, with the exception of Hongguan Camp. Furthermore, if Jiangxia faced trouble in the future, Great Xia would send troops to help. They would even bring Jiangxia along to claim a piece of the pie when Bashang Town’s territory was divided.

The only thing Great Xia asked of Jiangxia in return was to stand with them against the pressure from the three northern towns.

For Jiangxia, this was a deal with no downside, only profit.

Deep down, Xiahou Zhang, Jiang Xinfan, and the others already blamed the Eight Towns for Jiang Yinglong’s death, especially the three northern towns that had watched from the sidelines. The chance to oppose them while reclaiming their homeland with Great Xia’s help—what was there not to like?

Reclaiming their homeland wasn’t the most tempting offer. Thanks to Xiahou Zhang’s quick reaction, he had led his men to retake Xuyang and Longzhou immediately after the Battle of Bashang. Currently, only Fengshan Camp was occupied by Chuishan Town.

The crucial part was the phrase: if Jiangxia faced trouble, Great Xia would immediately send troops to help!

This condition was what held sufficient appeal for Jiangxia.

The war with Dajue Temple had damaged Jiangxia’s foundation. They had less than three full Town Guard Armies left, and only a little over two thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators. With this level of strength, they could forget about maintaining their former status. If Chuishan were to march south and attack them now, their situation would be perilous without outside aid.

Yangqu and Longgu Towns did have old ties with Jiangxia, but they had already helped once during the war with Dajue Temple and had suffered heavy losses themselves.

Bashang was gone, and it was unknown if Muyin Town had changed hands. The three central and southern towns were all in a precarious position themselves. Who would dare to aid Jiangxia?

And Chuishan had Beishuo backing them, so they acted with impunity.

As for submitting to the three northern towns, that was absolutely out of the question for Xiahou Zhang, even if it had been his Master Jiang Yinglong’s dying wish.

From any perspective, allying with Great Xia was the only way out.

Xiahou Zhang took a deep breath, looked at Jiang Xinfan and the other three, and said in a grave voice, “You should all know why I am hesitating. With our current strength, allying with Great Xia—to put it nicely, it’s an alliance; to put it bluntly, it’s finding a backer. Once you have a backer, many things are no longer up to you.

“Unless one of you can break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm in the next few years and put Jiangxia on equal footing with Great Xia, then based on my observations, this Great Xia is likely a ferocious tiger, even more vicious than the three northern towns. If we choose to make a deal with a tiger, then we must be prepared to be eaten clean.

“Are you all prepared for that?”

After Xiahou Zhang posed this question, none of the other four answered immediately. They lowered their heads, lost in thought.

“The situation forces our hand. Cooperating with Great Xia is better than with the northern towns.”

“If they truly are a ferocious tiger, it doesn’t matter if Jiangxia serves as their stepping stone. We no longer have the strength to contend with the Seven Towns anyway. Survival is the top priority.”

“What kind of trash are the Seven Towns? Weren’t the battles at Binjiang and Bashang clear enough? Now that a trustworthy ally has finally appeared, why shouldn’t we seize the opportunity? The so-called ‘Nine Towns share a common destiny’ is just a load of crap. If they can pull their stunts, then so can we. Let Great Xia extend its reach here and throw the situation south of Mo’ao Mountain into complete chaos. Perhaps our Jiangxia can even use the opportunity to make a comeback.”

“In the war with Dajue Temple, if the Eight Towns had been truly willing to help, would our Jiangxia have fallen to this state? I believe this Great Xia is more trustworthy than them.”

“Good! I understand what you all mean.”

Hearing their responses, Xiahou Zhang nodded, having clearly made a decision. But just as he was about to speak again, he suddenly turned to look at the nearby Fengshan Camp, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Someone’s coming. And a lot of them!”

Chapter 383: What is Chuishan Town? A Crushing Defeat, a Flood of Bad News, and Panic Among the Six Towns

The eighth year of Great Xia, the twenty-ninth of April.

Fengshan was, in reality, a small, snowy mountain just over three hundred meters high.

Because the mountain rose abruptly from the snow-covered forest and had a sharp, peak-like shape, Jiangxia had simply named it Fengshan for convenience.

Fengshan was only a little over twenty kilometers from Hongguan Pass. Logically, there was no need to establish a major camp here, but it became understandable when one considered that Fengshan Camp was established by Jiangxia first, while Hongguan Pass was only set up later after scouting the Heng River region.

Fengshan Camp was situated directly north of this mountain.

The camp’s positioning made it clear that Jiangxia’s primary purpose in establishing it was to guard against Chuishan Town to the north.

Unfortunately, all their defenses had ultimately been for naught.

With Duan Chang leading two armies of the Town Guard into the camp last night, Fengshan Camp would henceforth belong to Chuishan.

However, even after capturing Fengshan, Duan Chang couldn’t bring himself to feel happy.

For instance, at this moment, though the sky had brightened, Duan Chang, inside the main tent of the camp, hadn’t dared to close his eyes. His face was etched with fear and panic.

Of course, he wasn’t the only one. The dozen or so army commanders in the main tent, all clad in Thousand-forged Armor, wore expressions much the same as his.

Suddenly, a person burst in from outside, his expression even more frantic than those within. “Lord Duan,” he said, his voice trembling with alarm, “they’re here! The enemy is here! They’re only three kilometers from the camp! They’ll be on us in a few minutes at most!”

Bang!

Duan Chang slammed his hand on the table, shattering it as he shot to his feet. “They’ve gone too far!” he snarled. “We yielded Hongguan Pass to them, yet they dare to press on to Fengshan! Does this Great Xia truly think Chuishan is made of clay? Commanders of the eight Battalions, inform everyone! The Frostwarden realm warriors will meet the enemy with me. The rest will prepare in the barracks.”

“As you command, my lord!”

Eight men in the tent immediately stood, cupped their fists, and responded. Though their voices were loud, the grim looks on their faces as they left the main tent revealed their lack of optimism.

As for the four who remained, their expressions were even darker.

“My lord, if we fight during the day, we’re outnumbered. Our two Marshals have been captured by Great Xia. There’s no way we can win!”

Finally, one of the Vice-Marshals, Duan Yang, spoke up hesitantly.

But the moment he finished, Duan Chang berated him.

“So we don’t fight if we can’t win? The Town Head’s order was to capture four camps: Hongguan, Fengshan, Longzhou, and Xuyang. Now Hongguan has been taken by Great Xia, and Longzhou and Xuyang have been reclaimed by Jiangxia. If we can’t even hold Fengshan, what will we tell the Town Head when he arrives?”

Duan Yang’s expression froze, the words caught in his throat.

“Daylight lasts for only four hours. We have over seven hundred Frostwarden realm warriors. The sixteen hundred soldiers in the barracks, while unable to fight outside, can threaten the enemy by shooting powerful bows from the safety of their quarters. Besides, I’ve already sent a messenger to the town. As soon as the Lord and the Town Head get the news, they will immediately come to our aid. What is there to fear?”

Thinking of last night’s ordeal made Duan Chang’s teeth ache with hatred.

After escaping Hongguan Camp with his life, his first instinct had been to retreat to Jiangyan Camp with his three hundred-some Frostwarden realm warriors, report the situation with Great Xia to the town, and then figure out a way to rescue Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan.

But he quickly realized his folly. Though Hongguan was lost, there were still Fengshan, Longzhou, and Xuyang. He had already inexplicably lost two Marshals. If he failed to secure even one of the four camps, he would have no way to answer to Town Head Mu Longhe.

So he immediately changed his plan. While sending a messenger back, he led his three hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors on a detour to Fengshan and successfully captured it.

He had set out at dawn yesterday, which was why he only brought a little over three hundred Frostwarden realm warriors. The sixteen hundred Town Guard soldiers could only set off after nightfall. Once he confirmed that Hongguan had been taken by Great Xia, he naturally sent word for those sixteen hundred men to change course and come to Fengshan Camp first.

Of course, he hadn’t forgotten the terrifying strength of that Great Xia army. As a precaution, he had also summoned all the available Frostwarden realm warriors from the vicinity of Jiangyan Camp, totaling over four hundred men.

He hadn’t expected these four hundred men to be needed. Given Jiangxia’s current state, they would never dare to attack Fengshan Camp even if they knew Chuishan had taken it. As for the suddenly-appeared Great Xia, they had already captured Hongguan Camp; it seemed unlikely they would continue to provoke Chuishan by attacking Fengshan.

But he had never imagined that Great Xia would be so audacious.

With such a terrifying army just over twenty kilometers away, how could he not have scouts watching them?

Hongguan Camp was heavily guarded, so his scouts didn’t dare get too close. While they couldn’t observe the specifics inside the camp, they could clearly see a large army marching out. Half an hour ago, a scout had returned to report that the golden-armored army was advancing rapidly toward Fengshan Camp. At first, he couldn’t believe it. He sent out three waves of scouts, and only after confirming the military intelligence did true panic begin to set in.

“Covering over twenty kilometers in half an hour… it must be that Frostwarden realm army. They’re deliberately choosing to attack Fengshan during the day. This Great Xia… where on earth did they come from?”

Duan Chang’s face was ashen. To this day, he still couldn’t figure out where this Great Xia had emerged from.

“An army composed entirely of Frostwarden realm warriors… across the Nine Towns, only the three northern powers have such strength and resources. So, it’s almost certain this Great Xia is an external power. How dare an external power take the initiative to invade Chuishan and interfere in the territory of the Nine Towns!”

Given the number of Frostwarden realm warriors in the Nine Towns, never mind one army of a thousand, each town could probably muster four to five such armies. The problem was that no town could afford to conscript all of its Frostwarden realm experts into military service.

For a town to function, normal activities like hunting and gathering couldn’t stop. The various institutions in the town and the administration of all its jurisdictions also required people to govern, and these tasks were all handled by Frostwarden realm experts.

Military service was different. Once one became a soldier, they couldn’t just leave the barracks whenever they pleased.

Moreover, maintaining an army required a significant and constant consumption of resources: armor, weapons, healing elixirs, cultivation supplies, and so on.

All these factors combined meant that among the Nine Towns of Mo’ao Mountain, only the three strongest northern towns could afford to form armies of Frostwarden realm warriors.

As the Deputy Military Head of Chuishan Town, Duan Chang was well-informed. He knew very well that the three northern towns had each secretly cultivated an elite army composed entirely of Frostwarden realm soldiers.

And now, this Great Xia that had appeared out of nowhere had one too.

“I’ll hit them where it hurts—their status as an external power. I refuse to believe this Great Xia, having barely secured Hongguan, would dare to risk universal condemnation by continuing its assault on my Chuishan!”

Last night, the capture of the two marshals north of Hongguan could at most be considered a minor skirmish. But now, for Great Xia to advance on Fengshan and actually attack would be a blatant declaration of war on Chuishan Town, and by extension, on the Nine Towns of Mo’ao.

“Hmph! I refuse to believe Great Xia has the guts. Let’s go out and meet them!”

Duan Chang snorted coldly. With a wave of his hand to the four men remaining in the tent, he strode outside. Over seven hundred fully armed Frostwarden realm warriors were already assembled. Without any unnecessary words, he led the army and rushed towards the camp’s only exit to the north.

Fengshan Camp had only one gate, the north gate. By the time Duan Chang and his men arrived, Great Xia’s golden-armored army had just reached a position a little over three hundred meters from the camp.

“Halt!”

Clang!

A young man in white robes at the front of the army, who wasn’t wearing armor, shouted the command. The thousand-strong golden-armored army instantly stopped in unison, their thousand weapons striking the ground as one, creating a chilling, metallic ring.

At this sight, not just the other men from Chuishan Town, but even Deputy Military Head Duan Chang himself felt his pupils constrict, his face filled with shock and awe.

Although he had realized last night that this army was powerful, he had thought their strength was mainly in terms of cultivation level.

The clash last night had been too brief to reveal much.

But now, with the army before him, that single command to halt spoke volumes. As a man who had led troops for a long time, Duan Chang knew exactly what such perfect discipline implied.

At the front of the army, five golden-armored soldiers stood guard around a flagpole about eight meters tall. From it hung a black banner, two meters wide and four meters long. On the front was a large, golden character for “Xia,” while the back was embroidered with a golden Soaring Serpent. The banner snapped in the cold daytime wind, the Soaring Serpent looking as if it were soaring through clouds and mist, its presence majestic.

Duan Chang’s gaze slowly moved down from the banner, finally settling on the white-robed youth at the very front of the army. His eyes were filled with apprehension.

That white-robed youth was the one who, along with three other golden-armored generals, had captured Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan last night. Duan Chang knew he had only managed to escape because this youth had acted a moment too late. If he had struck earlier, Duan Chang’s fate would likely have been the same as Duan Xu’s and Mu Zichuan’s.

“I am Duan Chang, Deputy Military Head of Chuishan Town. May I ask for your esteemed name, sir?”

At the vanguard of the Cloud Serpent Army, Xia Chuan heard Duan Chang introduce himself and a hint of surprise flickered across his face. He had a good grasp of the situation in the Nine Towns, and Jiangyan Camp was no exception. In fact, when he had made his move last night, he had already guessed Duan Chang’s identity.

Since the other party had spoken, he couldn’t be impolite. Smiling, he cupped his fist in response, “I am Xia Chuan, a Director of Great Xia. A pleasure to meet Deputy Military Head Duan.”

Although Duan Chang didn’t know what rank a Director held in Great Xia, anyone who could command an army composed entirely of Frostwarden realm warriors surely held a high position. His brow furrowed as he questioned angrily, “Director Xia, your Great Xia comes from beyond our domains, yet you occupy Hongguan Pass without consulting the Nine Towns. Last night, you captured two of my Marshals, and now you lead an army to press upon Chuishan territory. Do you wish to go to war with our Nine Towns of Mo’ao?”

What a heavy accusation!

The smile on Xia Chuan’s face didn’t falter. He stared intently at Duan Chang for a moment before suddenly asking, “I remember that Fengshan, like Hongguan, belongs to Jiangxia. When did it become your Chuishan’s territory?”

Duan Chang’s face stiffened. The grand speech he had prepared was instantly caught in his throat, and for a long moment, he couldn’t utter a single word.

But he was quick to recover, quickly formulating a response. “Fengshan was indeed Jiangxia’s territory before, but it was seized by Dajue Temple at the beginning of the year. Now that Dajue Temple has been annihilated, Fengshan naturally became ownerless land. Since it has now been occupied by my Chuishan, it is, of course, Chuishan territory.”

“Then why must my Great Xia consult the Nine Towns for occupying Hongguan?” Xia Chuan deliberately blocked Duan Chang’s argument, enjoying the banter.

“The Nine Towns share a common destiny. The entire southern foothills of Mo’ao Mountain…”

Duan Chang’s words trailed off halfway, his expression rigid. He couldn’t even continue.

He wanted to use the principle of the Nine Towns sharing a common destiny to rebuke Xia Chuan, but with his Chuishan currently occupying Jiangxia’s territory, how could he say such a thing with a straight face?

“What’s the matter, sir? Nothing left to say?” Xia Chuan looked at Duan Chang with a teasing expression, his face full of mockery.

Duan Chang’s face instantly flushed crimson. It was mainly because Xia Chuan was so young, looking to be less than thirty, while he himself was over sixty. To be taunted with such a condescending attitude by a junior—and in front of more than seven hundred of his own Frostwarden realm warriors—how could he, the Deputy Military Head of Chuishan Town, endure such a loss of face?

Flustered and enraged, he roared, “Enough nonsense! The Nine Towns established a pact years ago that no external power may covet a single inch of our territory! Whether your Great Xia can even hold Hongguan is another question. If you dare to attack my Fengshan Camp today, you will be declaring all-out war on my Chuishan Town!”

“What the hell is Chuishan Town?”

Before Duan Chang could finish, Xia Chuan cut him off.

Xia Chuan intentionally turned his head and directed this question to Liu Yuan beside him.

Liu Yuan understood immediately and burst into laughter. “Hahaha! It’s that bunch of idiots who just stood by and watched the show while Jiangxia Town was being beaten back by Dajue Temple, to the point Bashang Town was wiped out! And now they want to use the Nine Towns’ reputation to intimidate our Great Xia? Hahahahaha…”

“Hahahahahaha…”

“Hahahaha…”

The soldiers of the Cloud Serpent Army were all of the Frostwarden realm. To some extent, cultivation equaled authority. They had learned all about Dajue Temple and the Nine Towns while stationed in Wuyuan. So, when Liu Yuan spoke, the entire Cloud Serpent Army erupted in laughter, their voices filled with mockery and contempt.

This time, it wasn’t just Duan Chang. The faces of the seven hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors behind him instantly turned beet red.

Duan Chang’s chest heaved, clearly on the verge of exploding with rage. He repeatedly pointed at the Great Xia army, fire practically shooting from his eyes.

“Silence!”

When the army had laughed its fill, Xia Chuan simply raised his hand. The soldiers immediately fell silent, ceasing their laughter in an instant.

Xia Chuan looked up at the furious Duan Chang, a dark glint in his eyes. He had no more patience for talk. “No more games,” he said with a cold smile. “I have led my army here to reclaim lost land for Jiangxia. Fengshan does not belong to your Chuishan Town. I will give you one hundred breaths to take your seven hundred men and get out of Fengshan Camp. As for the soldiers in the camp, if they surrender their weapons and armor, I can let them leave after nightfall. Listen well, you only have one hundred breaths!”

After speaking, Xia Chuan swung his arm back sharply.

“One… two… three…”

Behind him, the entire Cloud Serpent Army gathered their vital energy and began to count aloud in unison, facing Fengshan Camp.

They were going to count from one to one hundred right in front of them.

“Xia Chuan, you dare to show me such contempt!”

Duan Chang stared at Xia Chuan, now beyond furious.

“Twenty-one… twenty-two… twenty-three…”

But Xia Chuan paid him no more mind. Only the roaring count of the one thousand Cloud Serpent soldiers echoed, their voices resonating with their gathered energy. As the numbers grew higher, the fury in the eyes of Duan Chang and his seven hundred men burned hotter.

“Fire!”

Treated with such disdain by Great Xia, the towering rage in Duan Chang’s chest could no longer be suppressed. At this point, he was trapped. If he chose to retreat now, he would be utterly disgraced.

“There’s still an hour and a half until nightfall. With seven hundred Frostwarden realm warriors and another sixteen hundred shooting arrows from the camp, holding them off for a short while shouldn’t be a problem. As long as we can last until night, we’ll be fine. And the Lord and Town Head could arrive to reinforce us at any moment. I refuse to believe these damned thieves can break me in an hour and a half!”

Swoosh swoosh swoosh…

“Scout Battalion, raise shields! The nine Battalions, fire!”

The moment Duan Chang yelled “Fire,” a flash of delight appeared in Xia Chuan’s eyes. He had already issued his command before the enemy’s volley of arrows was even released.

The Scout Battalion was already in the front rank. At Xia Chuan’s order, they immediately dropped their weapons and raised the golden round shields from their backs, holding them over their heads.

The nine hundred men of the nine Battalions behind them drew their longbows even faster. Pulling silver-tipped arrows one after another from the quivers on their backs, they nocked them and unleashed a frantic volley at Duan Chang’s seven hundred men.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh…

One side had over seven hundred men, the other over nine hundred. The scale of the two volleys wasn’t drastically different, and the arrows were even a similar silver color.

But after they collided in mid-air, the expressions on Duan Chang’s side changed instantly.

The airflow generated by the Great Xia army’s arrow screen directly blew their own arrows aside, causing them to fall harmlessly to the ground.

Pfft…

With their own arrow screen destroyed, the Great Xia volley continued unimpeded, and finally, someone on Duan Chang’s side was hit.

The man grunted, pulled the arrow from his armor, and looked down at it. His pupils immediately shrank, and he cried out in alarm, “They’re made of silver! Their arrows are all made of silver!”

Arrows made of silver?

Duan Chang’s face changed dramatically. He looked up and shouted, “Retreat to the barracks!”

When he first saw that both sides’ arrows were silver, he had subconsciously assumed Great Xia was also using thousand-forged iron arrows.

How could they possibly fight against arrows made of solid silver?

“Trying to retreat now? Entire army, advance! Close in on the camp!”

At Xia Chuan’s command, the front-rank Scout Battalion slung their shields onto their backs, drew their longbows, and joined the archery volley.

The army continued to fire as they advanced, forcing Duan Chang and his men back into the barracks. The Cloud Serpent Army then smoothly entered the camp through the north gate.

Swoosh swoosh…

As soon as they entered the camp, iron arrows began flying out from many of the barracks on both sides.

Xia Chuan flicked aside two arrows aimed at his face with his saber. He turned to look at the barracks, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and commanded loudly:

“Wang Yuan, lead the Scout Battalion and destroy those barracks hiding the enemy!”

“As you command!”

Captain Wang Yuan of the Scout Battalion moved at the word, leading ninety-nine elite scouts. They immediately abandoned their bows, drew their respective weapons, and charged toward the barracks where the soldiers were hiding.

Clang… Clang…

The Town Guard soldiers in the barracks weren’t fools. Seeing the Great Xia soldiers charging towards them, they quickly switched targets, trying to stop them with arrows.

However, their iron arrows struck the armor of the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers and all fell away without exception. They couldn’t even leave a white scratch on the armor’s surface, let alone penetrate it.

Scout Captain Wang Yuan was the first to reach a barracks. A savage grin appeared on his face as he gathered his strength and charged head-on into the building.

Bang!

The barracks used a considerable amount of iron and were indeed sturdier than ordinary houses, but expecting them to withstand the full-force charge of a Frostwarden realm expert was clearly unrealistic.

Moreover, Wang Yuan was at the late-Frostwarden realm, his strength reaching Twelve Mane.

He directly smashed a two-meter-high hole into the barracks wall.

Whoosh…

“Ah…”

“Ah!”

Icy air, accompanied by a chilling light, instantly flooded the small space. The Chuishan Town Guard soldiers inside let out wretched screams. Some, in a fit of desperate madness, tried to rush out and stop Wang Yuan, but their efforts were doomed to be futile, given the disparity in both strength and circumstances.

Bang, bang, bang…

Wang Yuan wrecked the place with glee. In less than ten breaths, without even needing to do much himself, the twenty to thirty soldiers inside were frozen to death by the cold light pouring in from outside.

He wasn’t the only one. The other ninety-nine soldiers of the Scout Battalion were just as efficient.

Chuishan Town’s sixteen hundred Town Guard soldiers were roughly distributed among eighty or so barracks near the main tent. In less than three or four hundred breaths, all these barracks had been destroyed by the soldiers of the Scout Battalion.

“Ah…”

“Military Head, save me!”

“Ah…”

…

For a time, the entire camp was filled with screams of agony.

“Wretched creatures! Wretched creatures! Wretched creatures! Ah, you Great Xia damned thieves!”

Duan Chang’s roar of fury was no less piercing than the screams.

He and his seven hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors were pinned down near the main tent by the Bone-Penetrating Arrows of Great Xia’s nine Battalions. They were completely unable to reinforce the barracks area, forced to watch as their soldiers were slaughtered batch after batch.

His eyes were wide and bloodshot as he swung his great saber, deflecting arrows. Turning his head to see the devastation-strewn barracks around him, he realized that the two Town Guard armies he had spent years painstakingly building were all going to be lost here today. His heart bled.

Of course, what filled his heart even more was hatred for Great Xia.

“Alright, drop the bows! Slay the enemy with me!”

The battle had lasted no more than four hundred breaths. Since the nine battalions of the Cloud Serpent Army were firing only to suppress Duan Chang’s seven hundred men, their rate of fire wasn’t fast, and their quivers weren’t yet empty.

But upon hearing Xia Chuan’s command, the nine Battalions of the Cloud Serpent Army swiftly abandoned their bows, drew their weapons, and charged toward the main tent area with thunderous roars.

At the same time, Wang Yuan rejoined the ranks with his Scout Battalion.

From the Scout Battalion, five Standard Bearers immediately rushed out. The lead Standard Bearer, holding the Cloud Serpent Army’s banner and protected by four deputies, charged all the way to the front of the main tent and slammed the banner into the ground.

“Kill!”

“Charge!”

…

With the army banner planted, the thousand Frostwarden realm soldiers surged toward the main tent area.

Though the soldiers roared and bellowed as if they had lost all control, a closer look would reveal that they had not broken formation. Three hundred men wielding massive Glaives formed the vanguard, six hundred Saber Battalion soldiers flanked them on both sides, and the remaining one hundred elite scouts were dispersed around the main force, focusing on the stronger enemies.

The entire army moved like a sharp blade, following the path of the banner, and drove straight into the center of the seven hundred-plus Frostwarden realm warriors around the main tent.

Once the battle was joined, the Cloud Serpent Army advanced as if through an undefended territory. In less than fifteen minutes, they had completely taken control of the main camp area, forcing Duan Chang’s seven hundred-plus men into a steady retreat toward the eastern side of the camp.

“Our arrows are no match, our armor is no match, our cultivation is no match…”

“We can’t fight! My lord, we can’t fight at all! If we don’t retreat, we’ll all die!”

“Let’s retreat, my lord! The Great Xia army is too strong! We can’t beat them!”

…

Hearing the panicked cries around him, Duan Chang’s pupils became bloodshot. He wanted to roar and berate them, but as he watched his men fall one by one and his forces collapse in a rout, the words died on his lips.

“Retreat!”

“Retreat? Do you think you can?”

Whoosh…

Just as Duan Chang’s voice fell, a black blade suddenly descended upon his head. A look of horror crossed his face as he hastily raised his saber to block.

Clang…

“Over fifty Mane… at his age… how is this possible…”

The instant the web of his hands felt the immense force from the blade, Duan Chang’s pupils quaked, and his face turned ashen.

Crack…

His ten-thousand-forged silver saber managed to block the enemy’s blade, but the bones in his wrist shattered on impact. His grip instantly failed, and his own saber came crashing down on his head.

Thump…

Duan Chang, a peak-Frostwarden realm expert with a strength of thirty-two Mane, whose power and status ranked among the top in Chuishan, was killed in a single blow by that young, white-robed man from Great Xia.

At least half of Chuishan’s Frostwarden realm warriors had been killed in the fighting, leaving only about three hundred. All of them turned to look at the white-robed Xia Chuan, who now stood upon Duan Chang’s corpse, their eyes filled with shock and terror.

Xia Chuan held his black saber. His already indifferent face, complemented by the three vertical blood-red lines on his forehead, appeared even more cold and merciless.

“Lay down your weapons, and you will be spared! Those who resist will be executed!”

It was impossible for all three hundred-plus men to surrender their weapons, but the sight of Xia Chuan killing Duan Chang had shocked the vast majority of them. The moment he finished speaking, at least thirty or forty men dropped their weapons.

The rest had little will to resist. Only a few of the stronger ones were still trying to flee the camp.

Xia Chuan glanced at them, a dark glint in his eyes. He didn’t pursue them but instead led Liu Yuan and the others to continue clearing out the remaining enemies in the camp.

Soon, the battle drew to a close.

“Reporting to the Director, in this battle, we have killed a total of 2,102 enemies and captured 252, all of Frostwarden realm cultivation. Our army has suffered 3 fatalities, 19 severely wounded, and 42 lightly wounded.”

Vice-Marshal Liu Yuan, along with the ten Battalion Captains, quickly tallied the results of the battle and their own casualties.

Hearing these numbers, a look of satisfaction appeared on Xia Chuan’s face.

“Over the past half-year, I have watched nearly every battle between the two towns of Jiangxia and Bashang and Dajue Temple. The armies of the Nine Towns, whether in terms of soldier equipment or battlefield tactics, are not on the same level as Great Xia’s. I was confident I could crush them even with warriors of the same cultivation level, let alone with the Cloud Serpent Army itself.”

Xia Chuan’s eyes gleamed. Though this battle had the advantage of being fought in daylight, it was enough to reveal the disparity in military strength between Great Xia and the Nine Towns.

One thousand against over seven hundred—Great Xia didn’t have a significant advantage in cultivation. With less than three hundred more men, achieving such a kill-to-loss ratio was telling.

“Liu Yuan, go to Longzhou Camp…”

Xia Chuan turned to give Liu Yuan an order, but he stopped mid-sentence, sensing something. His brow furrowed, and he whipped his head around to look at the eastern side of the camp.

He pondered for a moment, and a guess quickly formed in his mind. A smile touched his lips as he cupped his fist and said, “Might I be so bold as to ask if you are friends from Jiangxia?”

As his voice fell, the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers, who had just been reorganizing, immediately went on alert, all raising their longbows and aiming eastward.

The entire camp fell silent, with only the sound of the cold wind howling past.

The stalemate lasted for a dozen breaths before five figures slowly emerged from the snowy woods to the east of the camp.

Seeing the golden-robed man in the lead, his left arm hanging slightly limp, Xia Chuan’s pupils contracted slightly. He hurriedly cupped his fist toward the man. “Director Xia Chuan of Great Xia pays his respects to Lord Xiahou!”

He recognized me at a glance.

Xiahou Zhang looked at the thousand Cloud Serpent Army soldiers before him, the astonishment in his eyes yet to fade. He remained silent for four or five breaths before slightly cupping his fist in return. “Director Xia is too kind.”

After speaking, he gestured to the four people behind him.

“Jiang Xinfan, Town Head of Jiangxia, has seen Director Xia Chuan!”

“Jiang Yuanlong, Military Head of Jiangxia. Greetings.”

“Xiahou Ying, Deputy Military head of Jiangxia.”

“Jiang Yuandong, Deputy Military Head of Jiangxia.”

The astonishment on the faces of Jiang Xinfan and the other three was even more pronounced than Xiahou Zhang’s.

As they introduced themselves to Xia Chuan, their gazes never left the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers. Their eyes were filled not only with shock, horror, and apprehension but also with deep envy.

“You’ve all arrived at the perfect time. I won’t have to send someone to inform you. This Fengshan Camp is hereby returned to its rightful owner!”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, a complex expression flickered across the faces of Xiahou Zhang and the others.

Although they had guessed as much when they saw the Great Xia army attacking Fengshan Camp, hearing Xia Chuan personally say he would return the camp to Jiangxia still touched them in an inexplicable way.

“Lord Xiahou, my brother intends to host a banquet at Hongguan Pass tonight for the Lords of the Eight Towns. By my reckoning, the other seven Lords should be arriving soon. The matter of Fengshan Camp can be handled by a subordinate. Why don’t you accompany us to the banquet at Hongguan now, Lord Xiahou? My brother will surely be very happy to see you.”

A banquet for the Lords of the Eight Towns!

Xiahou Zhang’s pupils constricted. The phrase ‘a feast with ill intentions’ instantly came to mind. But after a moment of thought, he nodded.

“Very well. Yuandong, you return to Longzhou Camp and prepare. Occupy Fengshan Camp immediately after nightfall. Xinfan, Yuanlong, Xiahou Ying, the three of you will accompany me to the banquet at Hongguan.”

“As you command!”

Jiang Yuandong agreed and immediately turned to leave toward the east. The remaining three fell in behind Xiahou Zhang, preparing to return to Hongguan with the Cloud Serpent Army.

The Cloud Serpent Army had reaped a significant harvest in this battle: two thousand three hundred sets of thousand-forged armor and weapons with matching arrows, 252 Frostwarden realm prisoners, and all the various supplies they carried.

Fengshan Camp could be left to Jiangxia, but these prisoners and supplies were spoils of war, and they naturally had to be brought back to Hongguan without exception.

The Cloud Serpent Army worked efficiently and quickly packed up. With about half an hour left until daybreak, Xia Chuan gave the order, and the army began their return journey.

Not long after they set off, Xiahou Zhang, who was walking alongside Xia Chuan, shot a meaningful glance at Jiang Yuanlong behind him.

Jiang Yuanlong understood. He cupped his fist toward Xia Chuan with a smile. “For Great Xia to possess such a powerful army, its home camp must be much stronger than any of the Nine Towns of Mo’ao. If Director Xia doesn’t mind, could you tell us a little about Great Xia’s situation, so that we unrefined folk might broaden our horizons?”

Xia Chuan turned to look at Jiang Yuanlong, a smile in his eyes. He cupped his fist in return and answered, “Since our two powers are allies, we should be open with each other. If you have any questions, please ask. I, Xia Chuan, will answer them truthfully.”

Although the two sides had not officially signed a pact, Jiangxia had just accepted Fengshan Camp from him, which was as good as a de facto alliance. Xia Chuan was naturally willing to show more goodwill toward Jiangxia.

Besides, they were only asking about the strength of his camp.

Contact between Great Xia and the Nine Towns was now inevitable. As their interactions deepened, it was unavoidable that information about their camp’s strength would leak. It was better to tell Xiahou Zhang and the others now to earn some goodwill, and at the same time, to reassure Jiangxia Town and ensure they would cooperate obediently with Great Xia.

…

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132. The third of May, shortly after nightfall.

Bashang City, Lord’s Grand Hall.

On the floor of the hall were precious elixirs for cultivation, special spirit materials for forging, rare spirit ingredients for alchemy, and dozens of precious one-hundred-thousand-forged grade weapons. The dazzling array of valuable resources was truly a sight to behold.

This vast collection of precious resources had been divided into six portions, each placed before one of the six tables in the hall. Seated at these tables were, of course, the twelve Sun-Manifestation realm experts from the six towns of Beishuo, Jinshan, Wuchuan, Yangqu, Chuishan, and Longgu.

From the piles of resources on the floor, it was clear that Jinshan and Wuchuan had received the largest shares. The shares for Beishuo, Yangqu, and Longgu were comparable, while Chuishan Town had received the least.

“Everyone, after a night of plundering and so long spent discussing and arguing, we have finally reached a conclusion. The precious resources in Bashang’s treasury, including thirteen thousand tons of silver reserves and four un-mined silver mines within Bashang’s territory, have all been divided!”

As Jinshan’s Lord Shangguan Yang spoke, the Lords of the other five towns all nodded.

“From this day on, Bashang City and Baisong Camp will belong to Chuishan Town; Jiuqu to Beishuo Town; Zouyang to Longgu Town; and Qinggu to Yangqu Town. All of Bashang’s territory now has an owner. I’ll say this plainly: since this division was decided jointly by all six of us, once we walk out of this hall, no matter what happens later, none of us can go back on our word. Does anyone have any objections?”

The division of Bashang’s treasury had clearly been orchestrated by Shangguan Yang. Hearing his words, the other five Lords nodded lightly in agreement.

“Good. It is rare for us all to agree. A happy outcome for all. The matter of Bashang City is now concluded. It is time for me to return to Jinshan Town.”

Shangguan Yang stood up directly, a look of excitement on his face. He eagerly led Jinshan Town’s Military Head, Bai Hongwu, out of the hall.

The remaining five Lords also led their subordinates out of the hall, their faces showing varying degrees of gloom.

All six towns had brought many Frostwarden realm warriors, so there was no need for these Lords, Military Heads, and Town Heads to move the resources themselves.

The haul from Bashang City was substantial, and all six Lords were in a good mood. They even chatted amongst themselves after leaving the hall. It was only when Shangguan Yang was the first to announce his departure that the conversation died down. They all cupped their fists in farewell, preparing to leave Bashang.

But just then, a person came speeding from outside the city toward the Lord’s Grand Hall. His face was clearly anxious, and his pace was frantic. Seeing the six town Lords, he immediately rushed toward the group from Chuishan.

“Duan Xing, what’s the rush?”

Chuishan’s Lord Duan Hong frowned, while Town Head Mu Longhe, standing beside him, couldn’t help but scold the newcomer.

“Forgive me, my Lord! Forgive me, Town Head! I have an urgent situation, which is why I was so indecorous…”

The newcomer was Duan Xing, the Deputy Head of the Academy of Chuishan Town. He first apologized to the Lord and Town Head, then, seeing the Lords of the other five towns were all present, a look of difficulty crossed his face, and he dared not speak further.

Mu Longhe instantly guessed why Duan Xing was acting this way. He shook his head, not even having the energy to scold him again.

With ten Sun-Manifestation realm experts present, any fool would know that as long as they didn’t leave, anything he said would be overheard. Acting so hesitant would only make him a laughingstock.

Seeing his junior’s wretched performance, Duan Hong shook his head even more and said in a low voice, “If you have something to report, say it now. The sky isn’t falling!”

Duan Xing held his breath for a long moment, clenched his fists, and finally gritted his teeth, leaned in, and whispered to Duan Hong, “My Lord, Jiangxia has already dispatched troops and reclaimed the two camps of Xuyang and Longzhou. Hongguan has been occupied by a camp called Great Xia. Deputy Military Head Duan Chang only managed to capture Fengshan last night. And just now, Fengshan Camp was massacred by a golden-armored army sent by Great Xia. Two thousand Town Guard soldiers have been completely wiped out, along with over four hundred Frostwarden realm warriors. Only a dozen or so Frostwarden realm warriors escaped. I knew the situation was urgent, so I had no choice but to come to Bashang to inform you and the Town Head!”

After hearing his words, the faces of Duan Hong and Mu Longhe changed dramatically.

“What?”

“Great Xia? Where did a ‘Great Xia’ come from?”

The Lords of the other five towns had, of course, heard Duan Xing’s words clearly.

Yangqu’s Lord Cao Qianyang and Longgu’s Lord Long Mingyuan were stunned. But unlike them, Shangguan Yang, Yang Zun, and Qin Feng instantly thought of something, and their expressions changed drastically.

Before Duan Xing could even answer the questions from Duan Hong and Mu Longhe, another person rushed in from outside the city, heading straight for Shangguan Yang.

This person’s expression was also incredibly anxious, but he was much smarter than Duan Xing. After rushing over, he directly cupped his fist to Shangguan Yang and said, “My Lord, Lord Shangguan Ning led five thousand Town Guard soldiers to attack Yumen Camp last night. Everything was going smoothly at first, but Muyin Town had somehow laid an ambush with a golden-armored army inside the camp. The soldiers of that army were all of Frostwarden realm cultivation. Not only were they well-equipped, but their combat proficiency was also extremely high. We couldn’t hold them off at all. More than forty percent of our five thousand-strong army was killed, and Lord Shangguan Ning has been captured alive.”

Smack…

This time, it wasn’t just Duan Hong and Mu Longhe. The faces of Shangguan Yang and Bai Hongwu also changed dramatically, their expressions instantly turning ugly to the extreme.

As fate would have it, bad news seemed to love arriving in succession.

Following the messengers for Chuishan and Jinshan, yet another person came flying from outside the city. The hearts of the remaining four town Lords all skipped a beat, terrified that this one was for them.

Soon, as the person rushed towards Qin Feng’s group, the expressions of Yang Zun, Cao Qianyang, and Long Mingyuan immediately relaxed.

Correspondingly, of course, Qin Feng’s expression grew even more grim.

“Reporting to my Lord, Deputy Military Head Qin Yuanyi led our army to capture Fushan last night. Today at dawn, that golden-armored army from Muyin attacked. The Deputy Military Head had no choice but to surrender his arms. Our entire army is currently being detained by Muyin Town.”

Great Xia, golden-armored army…

No matter how slow Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan were, they understood now.

Yang Zun had also basically pieced things together. His expression instantly became incredibly grave.

Chapter 384: Hongmen, A Display of Power, Allies and the New Nine Towns, The Dominant Great Xia, Shamelessly Defiant

The Eighth Year of Great Xia, the twenty-ninth of the fourth month.

It was shortly after nightfall.

Dressed in black, Xia Hong stood on the northern cliff face of Hongguan Pass, his hand resting on the Dragon Sparrow Saber at his waist. He gazed down with a commanding air, surveying the entirety of the pass below.

Seven figures stood behind him: Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Zhou Yuan, Yue Feng, and Hou Tong. Though they remained silent, their eyes were filled with palpable excitement as they looked down at Hongguan Pass.

With more than an hour to go before dawn the previous night, the seven armies, including Dragon Slaying, had arrived at Hongguan Camp. It was only because these seven armies were garrisoning the pass that Xia Chuan had felt secure enough to lead the Cloud Serpent Army east to attack Fengshan Camp.

Xia Hong turned to the seven men and said in a low voice, “Your seven armies will be stationed here for a long time to come. Starting today, you must familiarize yourselves not only with Hongguan Pass but with all the camp locations of the Nine Towns to the east and their surrounding environments. Know them like the back of your hand; they will be of use sooner or later.

Also, the Department of Military Affairs should have compiled records of all the major battles fought between Jiangxia and Bashang Towns against Dajue Temple over the past half-year. That is a path paved with the lives of those who came before you. You must all study it carefully.”

Hearing this, the seven men’s expressions grew solemn. They cupped their fists and replied in unison, “This subordinate obeys!”

The ambition in Xia Hong’s words was so apparent that the seven men, who understood the underlying meaning, grew even more exhilarated. The fervor in their eyes intensified as they watched his back.

Each of them commanded an army, placing them firmly in the upper echelons of Great Xia. Xia Hong’s ambition undoubtedly showed them that both they and Great Xia had a much broader future ahead.

To follow such a lord was the greatest fortune for men like them who yearned for glory and achievement.

“These folks from the six towns have been dividing the spoils for a full day and night and are still not done. It seems the treasury of Bashang Town was truly well-stocked…”

At Xia Hong’s words, the seven turned to look toward Bashang City to the southeast, their expressions varied.

Yuan Cheng suddenly thought of something and cupped his fists. “Lord, Bashang lies on the east bank of the Xing River, at the southern end of the Nine Towns. Since its treasury has been divided by the six towns, shouldn’t its territory now belong to our Great Xia?”

The other six nodded in agreement.

After nodding, Luo Yuan stated bluntly, “The three northern towns are too far away to reach it, even if they wanted to claim it. As for the three towns in the center and south, unless Jiangxia Town makes way for them, no one can touch Bashang as long as our Great Xia stands in the way!”

Bashang’s unique geographical location meant that as long as Jiangxia and Great Xia blocked the path, none of the six northern towns could lay a hand on it.

It was naturally impossible for Jiangxia to make way for Chuishan. The only ones to worry about were Yangqu and Longgu. After all, when Dajue Temple had caused trouble, both towns had sent troops to help Jiangxia, and the three towns shared an unusually close relationship.

A glint shone in Xia Hong’s eyes. He chuckled lightly. “I estimate the lords of the six towns already carved up Bashang’s territory yesterday. A pity it was all wasted effort. Tonight’s grand banquet is when the true ownership of Bashang will be decided.”

Hearing mention of the grand banquet, Yuan Cheng and the others looked invigorated.

They all knew that Xia Hong was hosting a banquet for the lords of all eight towns tonight.

For Great Xia’s first public appearance on the southern foothills of Mo’ao Mountain to be a banquet for all eight town lords at once—what kind of audacity was that?

Perhaps only their lord, Xia Hong, had the confidence to do it.

Xia Hong looked down at Hongguan Pass and suddenly said with a smile, “Hongguan doesn’t sound good. I’ll give this place a new name. Let’s call it Hongmen!”

Thus, tonight’s grand banquet was to be a Hongmen Banquet.

Seeing the puzzlement on the faces of Yuan Cheng and the others, Xia Hong shook his head with a light laugh. He had no intention of explaining his wicked sense of humor to them.

“Lord, the banquet platform has been prepared!”

Suddenly, a figure climbed up from below the cliff face. It was Qiu Peng, the Department Head of the Logistics Department, who had come specially from Xiacheng during the day with his men to set up the banquet.

“Understood…”

After replying, Xia Hong abruptly turned his head to look east of the camp. With a smile, he continued, “What a coincidence, Xia Chuan is back. It seems he’s brought a few distinguished guests. Let’s go. Come down with me and meet the people of the Nine Towns!”

As he finished speaking, he flew down from the cliff. Yuan Cheng and the others pushed off the cliff and followed behind him.

In front of the main tent of Hongguan Camp, a three-zhang-high circular iron platform had appeared. It was thirty meters in diameter and held nine tables arranged in a circle, with no distinction between primary and secondary seats. Each table was furnished with a single chair.

Except for the chair in the center, which was backed by the main tent and had no inscription, the other eight chairs were marked with the names of the towns. Starting from the central chair and going left, they were: Jiangxia, Yangqu, Beishuo, Jinshan, Wuchuan, Chuishan, Longgu, and Muyin.

Xia Hong had even arranged the seating for the eight towns.

Below the platform, Xiahou Zhang, along with Jiang Xinfan and two others, was looking at the nine tables on the stage, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Lord Xiahou, it’s been half a year. I trust you’ve been well!”

Before Xia Hong had even walked over, he smiled and cupped his fists toward Xiahou Zhang, showing no hint of unfamiliarity.

The great defeat at Hongguan Pass, Xiahou Zhang being pursued by the Vajra Master, and his subsequent ambush above Fengshan by the Flame Dragon High Master, from which Xia Hong had rescued him—all of that had happened on the night of the twenty-ninth day of the eleventh month last year. Indeed, nearly half a year had passed.

But what Xia Hong didn’t know was that this was actually the third time Xiahou Zhang had seen him. The day before, when Xia Hong had slain three Grand Masters in a row in Bashang City, Xiahou Zhang had been watching secretly the entire time.

Looking at Xia Hong’s excessively young face, Xiahou Zhang’s expression was complicated. But he quickly came to a realization and cupped his fists, bowing deeply to Xia Hong. His tone was sincere. “The situation at Fengshan last year was dire. I have not yet had the chance to thank Lord Xia Hong for saving my life. Before I could repay your old kindness, you have added a new one by helping me reclaim my homeland. I, Xiahou Zhang, am truly ashamed!”

Seeing Xiahou Zhang adopt such a humble posture, Xia Hong was slightly surprised, but a smile soon graced his face. He stepped forward to help Xiahou Zhang up and said with a laugh, “Lord Xiahou, you exaggerate. I won’t deny saving you last year, but this time, Great Xia’s assistance in helping Jiangxia reclaim its homeland was based purely on the principle of mutual benefit. There’s no need to speak of a new favor.”

Hearing this, Xiahou Zhang immediately understood. He cupped his fists with a solemn expression. “Rest assured, Lord Xia Hong, Xiahou Zhang understands everything.”

Xia Hong wasn’t surprised by Jiangxia Town’s decision to side with Great Xia. After all, he had been planning and scheming for half a year, and the Nine Towns themselves hadn’t helped their own cause. However, Xiahou Zhang’s perceptiveness still exceeded Xia Hong’s expectations.

“Good. With Lord Xiahou’s words, I can rest easy. Please, take your seat!”

Xia Hong walked to the ramp of the circular platform and extended an inviting hand to Xiahou Zhang.

Xiahou Zhang nodded, cupped his fists, and followed him onto the platform.

Jiang Xinfan and the other two followed behind him.

The moment they stepped onto the platform, a strange fragrance assailed their nostrils. The four men’s expressions flickered with surprise. A closer look revealed that the nine tables on the platform were already laden with all sorts of exquisite dishes they had never seen before.

The Nine Towns possessed the vast resources of Mo’ao Mountain, and Xiahou Zhang and the others were undoubtedly top figures among them. They were not people who hadn’t seen the world. With a single glance, the four could tell that the main ingredients of the dishes on the table were all high-level beast meat.

The key was that they had never seen any of these types of high-level beast meat before.

Moreover, although the Nine Towns had a large population, the mainstream cooking methods were limited to steaming, boiling, and roasting. The available seasonings and side ingredients were also few. But the dishes presented by Great Xia were a dazzling array: some were crispy and golden-brown, some had tender meat in a thick sauce, some were brilliantly colored, and others had a scorched skin that exuded a rich, unique aroma.

It wasn’t just the types of beast meat they had never seen; from seasonings and side ingredients to the specific cooking methods, Great Xia was clearly far more sophisticated than the Nine Towns.

“What is in those pots…”

Xiahou Zhang’s nose twitched sharply. He suddenly noticed three beautiful long-necked pots on the table. The three pots were red, blue, and yellow, with translucent bodies adorned with intricate patterns. They looked as if they were made of jade, and their stunning appearance was truly eye-catching.

Of course, Xiahou Zhang’s focus wasn’t just on their appearance. His perception was far superior to that of Jiang Xinfan and the others, so he could clearly sense that a rich, unusual fragrance in the air was emanating from these three pots.

“Placed with the food, they must be for drinking. They’re probably beverages similar to Monkey Mellow Pulp and Ape Fragrant Liquid. Can Great Xia truly produce three types at once!”

After figuring it out, Xiahou Zhang was slightly astonished. Beishuo’s Monkey Mellow Pulp and Jinshan’s Ape Fragrant Liquid were both divided into low, medium, and high ranks, corresponding to the tree-felling, earth-digging, and Frostwarden realms. Consuming them not only cleared one’s qi and blood and improved cultivation efficiency but also rapidly raised one’s body temperature, which could be life-saving in extremely cold environments.

Crucially, the taste was unparalleled.

Anyone who tasted it once would likely never forget it for the rest of their life.

Such precious medicinal liquids, combined with the deliberate production control by Beishuo and Jinshan Towns, naturally commanded astonishingly high prices. Taking Beishuo’s Monkey Mellow Pulp as an example, one catty of the low-rank version could sell for twenty liang of silver, the medium-rank for one hundred liang per catty, and the high-rank reached a staggering sky-high price of ten thousand liang.

At this price, practically no one outside of the mid-to-high echelons of the Nine Towns could afford it. Xiahou Zhang himself was an avid drinker, yet he only allowed himself to buy fifty catties of high-rank Monkey Mellow Pulp each year, occasionally supplementing with the medium-rank.

If this was the case for him, it was even more so for others. Many Frostwarden realm experts with a craving had no choice but to make do with the low-rank version.

It was not just the food and the medicinal liquids. The tablecloths on the nine tables felt exceptionally silky to the touch and were aesthetically pleasing. Even the chairs, carved from frost-white beast bones, appeared exquisite and beautiful…

This banquet was clearly painstakingly arranged.

Xiahou Zhang looked at the items on the table, then glanced sideways at Xia Hong to his right. A few guesses immediately formed in his mind.

“They’re here!”

Xia Hong, who had just sat down, suddenly looked up at the sky.

Xiahou Zhang sensed it too and immediately looked up. The Great Xia crowd around the platform all raised their heads to look at the sky as well.

Twelve figures were hovering in the sky above Hongguan Camp.

The twelve were surveying the entire camp. As they were floating at a height of less than a hundred meters, the crowd below could clearly see the expressions on their faces.

After scanning the entire camp, the twelve faces clearly showed deep shock. Finally, their gazes fell upon the circular platform below. When they saw Xia Hong in the main seat, their pupils contracted, and their expressions instantly became wary.

Xia Hong remained seated the entire time. While the twelve were surveying the camp, he was also looking up, sizing them up. After roughly identifying each of them, he spoke slowly with a faint smile on his face, “Are you all planning to stay up there indefinitely? Xia Hong has specially prepared a banquet here tonight. Would the lords of the six towns do me the honor of coming down for a seat?”

Of the twelve Sun-Manifestation realm experts, half were glaring at Xia Hong with anger. These were naturally from Jinshan, Wuchuan, and Chuishan, the three towns that had just received bad news in Bashang City.

The other half looked on with apprehension.

Only Yang Fa, the Town Head of Beishuo Town, seemed to recall something the moment he saw Xia Hong. He turned his head and whispered something to his older brother, Yang Zun, who frowned slightly upon hearing it.

Shangguan Yang, the Lord of Jinshan, and Duan Hong, the Lord of Chuishan, both took a small step forward. It was clear they had intended to lash out, but just as the words reached their lips, they seemed to think better of it and held their tongues.

“A gracious invitation from the Lord of Great Xia, how could I not accept? Hahaha!”

Cao Qianyang of Yangqu was the first to speak. He seemed to have figured something out, as the apprehension on his face had vanished. Laughing heartily in response to Xia Hong, he and the Military Head by his side, Yan Chenzhou, descended in a flash.

“Last night in Bashang City, I heard that a man in black fought five alone during the day, slaying three Grand Masters. I was deeply impressed at the time, only regretting that I arrived too late to witness it myself. Now, I finally have the chance. Seeing you in person truly surpasses any reputation. I am Long Mingyuan, Lord of Longgu. It is an honor to meet Lord Xia Hong.”

Long Mingyuan also descended with his Military Head, Li Yangtian.

“To think that Lord Xia Hong visited Beishuo City back in the ninth month of last year. I was away at the time. What a pity!”

Next came the two brothers from Beishuo, Yang Zun and Yang Fa.

Hearing Yang Zun’s words, Xia Hong smiled. “Last year, I traveled through the Nine Towns, and Beishuo happened to be my final stop. Unfamiliar with the customs of the Nine Towns, I had a small misunderstanding with Brother Yang Fa. I hope Lord Yang Zun will be magnanimous about it.”

“Since it was a misunderstanding, there is no need for magnanimity. Brother Xia is too polite!”

Xia Hong nodded with a smile, then turned his gaze to the six who were still hovering in the sky. Though he said nothing, his expression had clearly grown colder.

Shangguan Yang, Qin Feng, and Duan Hong could clearly sense the change in Xia Hong’s mood. They looked down at the three towns that had already taken their seats, a flash of anger in their eyes. But after a moment’s thought, they too descended and took their seats.

Like Xiahou Zhang, the moment the lords of the six towns sat down, they immediately noticed the dishes and wine pots on the table. Their pupils constricted, and numerous thoughts flashed through their minds.

“The last distinguished guest has arrived!”

Not long after everyone was seated, Xia Hong looked up toward the north.

In the northern sky, a red figure was speeding towards Hongguan Camp.

After approaching the camp, the person, like the lords of the six towns, first surveyed the situation within before quickly noticing the circular platform.

He flew down and landed on a platform, glanced at the seven town lords around him, and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. Finally, his gaze came to rest on Xia Hong in the main seat. After a moment of thought, he cupped his fists in a deep bow and said in a solemn voice, “Murong Chui, Lord of Muyin Town, pays his respects to the Lord of Great Xia!”

Hearing Murong Chui call himself a lord, the Lord of Jinshan Town, Shangguan Yang, his expression instantly turned ugly.

The expressions of Wuchuan’s Qin Feng and Beishuo’s Yang Zun also flickered.

“Lord Murong, please take your seat!”

Xia Hong, not at all surprised, gestured to the nearest table to his right, inviting Murong Chui to be seated.

Murong Chui naturally nodded and complied, taking his seat.

“There are roughly forty-eight types of Frost Beasts distributed across the southern foothills of Mo’ao Mountain. Among them, the Snow Shadow Wolf, Rock-Armored Bear, Frost-Mane Ape, Ice-Claw Lizard, Gold-Spotted Tiger, Six-Horned Demonic Sheep, Chiluan, Vermilion Swan, and Wusha Eagle are the nine most common. Am I correct?”

Once the lords of all eight towns were seated, Xia Hong spoke directly.

He completely ignored the fact that his words caused all eight town lords’ faces to change color. He picked up his chopsticks, plucked a piece of meat from the table, and after a few chews, pointed to the dishes on the table and said, “Aged-Spice Fried Gnawer Tips, Stir-fried Mane Meat with Snow Bamboo Shoots, Qingxian-Braised White Bear Paws, Aged-Fruit Roasted Lamb Chops, Crystal-Branch Stewed Kui Ribs, Fragrant Frost-Fruit Tiger Stew… I specially selected these nine dishes on the table. Both the seasonings and the side ingredients are rarely seen in the Nine Towns. Please, feel free to try them. There’s a surprise in store!”

“The aroma of these dishes was tempting me the moment I smelled it. I have always been a lover of fine food. Please excuse me, I will be the first to taste.”

Following a similar order as when they sat down, Cao Qianyang was the first to pick up his chopsticks, followed by Long Mingyuan, then Yang Zun, and finally the people from the other three towns.

After the first bite, the expressions of all eight town lords changed in unison.

As if in disbelief, they each tried another dish.

After tasting all nine dishes, all eight were utterly shaken.

Seeing their expressions, Xia Hong showed no surprise.

Because here in the Nine Towns, there was no salt!

When Lu Yang had relayed this information back to Xiacheng two years ago, Xia Hong had instantly realized there must be a gap in production capability between the Nine Towns and Great Xia.

Subsequent years of continuous investigation confirmed Xia Hong’s suspicion.

It wasn’t just salt. From martial arts techniques, pill and medicine refinement, and the efficiency of utilizing various cultivation resources; to weapon forging, armor crafting, and artifact creation; and down to the basics of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, even food seasonings and cooking methods—the Nine Towns lagged significantly behind Great Xia.

It made sense, on reflection. Not only did Great Xia have the powerful support of the camp system, but it also had him, a lord who had transmigrated from a civilized world. While he might not know the specifics of how to manufacture many things, he could provide Mu Dong and the others with the basic ideas.

The Alchemy Pavilion and Weaponry Pavilion now had appraisal functions. Whenever a new type of material was sent to Xiacheng, Mu Dong would immediately lead the Artisan Department to research its uses. Under these circumstances, Great Xia was constantly creating new things, and its production capabilities were undergoing a frantic leap forward along with its exploration and territorial expansion.

The Nine Towns had been established on the southern foothills of Mo’ao Mountain for over a century, yet their production capabilities were still inferior to Great Xia, which had risen in less than a decade. This showed just how terrifying the camp system’s assistance to Great Xia was.

Since Great Xia’s production capability surpassed that of the Nine Towns, there was so much Great Xia could do.

The most important of these, naturally, was commerce and trade.

The primary purpose of tonight’s banquet for the eight town lords was, of course, to officially introduce Great Xia to everyone on the southern foothills of Mo’ao Mountain. But it was also a deliberate display of Great Xia’s production capability by Xia Hong.

The two items he presented today were the most iconic. As long as the eight town lords were not fools, they would surely try every means possible to buy them from Great Xia.

And the things they desired, Great Xia had far more than just these two.

By mastering advanced production capability and using commerce and trade to acquire the resources of the Nine Towns—this was Xia Hong’s true purpose for the banquet tonight.

A myriad of thoughts raced through Xia Hong’s mind. Seeing the astonishment on the faces of the eight town lords, he gradually grew excited.

But at this moment, the most excited person present was not Xia Hong, but Qiu Peng, the Department Head of the Logistics Department, standing behind him.

He was the first to discern Xia Hong’s intentions for hosting the banquet.

If they encountered an opponent they couldn’t crush with sheer strength and couldn’t seize their territory in a short time, they could use their advanced production capabilities to engage in unequal trade, indirectly making other camps gather resources for Great Xia!

An image suddenly surfaced in Qiu Peng’s mind of a discussion he had with Xia Chuan seven years ago, when Great Xia expanded into the Five Ape Mountain territory. It perfectly described the current situation between Great Xia and the Eight Towns.

As the Department Head of the Logistics Department, he would undoubtedly be responsible for future trade with the Eight Towns. The expressions on the town lords’ faces after tasting the food, in his eyes, meant that a continuous stream of silver and various precious materials would flow into Xiacheng from the Eight Towns in the future. As the man in charge of the camp’s finances, how could he not be thrilled at this moment?

Of course, no matter how excited Qiu Peng felt, he would not dare to show it on this occasion. He simply maintained a calm expression as he watched Xia Hong continue to introduce the fine wine to the eight town lords.

“Everyone, please try these three pots of Xia Liquor. The red bottle is Fengyang Drunk; the blue bottle is Jade Dragon Saliva; and this yellow one has the most interesting name, Fierce Tiger’s Fall…”

Xia Hong paused. Seeing everyone open the wine pots and reveal intoxicated expressions, he smiled and continued, “I have long heard of Beishuo’s Monkey Mellow Pulp and Jinshan’s Ape Fragrant Liquid. Unfortunately, I have not had the fortune to taste them. Please, try these three wines from my Great Xia first, and see how they compare to the Monkey Mellow Pulp and Ape Fragrant Liquid.”

As his voice fell, the eight town lords picked up their cups and began to taste the three types of Xia Liquor.

For these town lords, who spent their years fighting Frost Beasts and anomalies, braving the wind and rain, the allure of fine wine was far greater than that of fine food.

The moment the town lords opened the wine pots, the people standing behind them immediately twitched their noses, their eyes lighting up as they stared at the pots.

“Tsk…”

Xiahou Zhang, feeling the least psychological burden, his eyes lit up after taking a drink. His face was filled with enjoyment and intoxication. After swallowing the liquor, he couldn’t help but smack his lips, as if savoring the aftertaste.

He poured a cup of each of the three liquors before him. After tasting all three, he closed his eyes to savor them for a long while before opening them and cupping his fists toward Xia Hong with a sigh. “To think such fine wine exists in this world. I, Xiahou Zhang, have truly lived my near-century of life in vain. I am deeply grateful for Lord Xia Hong’s hospitality!”

“The effects of this wine are similar to Monkey Mellow Pulp and Ape Fragrant Liquid, but the taste is far superior. It’s too delicious.”

“Great Xia can actually produce such fine wine!”

“And there’s likely more. Didn’t Lord Xia Hong just say these were only three he brought out? There are probably many other types.”

“Good wine.”

“Indeed, it’s not bad.”

“This wine is stronger than Monkey Mellow Pulp and Ape Fragrant Liquid!”

………………

The reactions of the eight town lords spoke volumes.

Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui offered nothing but profuse praise; Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan did not skimp on their compliments either; Yang Zun, Shangguan Yang, and the third lord didn’t look pleased, but they still gave evaluations of “good wine” and “not bad”; Qin Feng directly stated it was superior to Monkey Mellow Pulp and Ape Fragrant Liquid.

Even Duan Hong, whose face was the sourest, said nothing after drinking.

“Haha, it seems all of you from the Eight Towns can appreciate good wine. To be honest, I, too, am a great lover of wine. I will take the liberty of proposing a toast to you all, to mark Great Xia’s formal establishment of relations with the Eight Towns after crossing to the north bank of the Xing River. Might I ask if the lords would grant me this small honor?”

Xia Hong had already raised his cup, but as his words fell, the lords of six of the towns quietly put their cups down.

“I am grateful for Lord Xia Hong’s hospitality. Murong Chui will drink first!”

Although Murong Chui was the first to raise his cup and speak, he wasn’t the first to drink. To his right, Xiahou Zhang didn’t say a word and simply raised his cup and drained it in one go.

Seeing the two of them, the faces of the lords of the other six towns grew uglier.

Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan exchanged a look. A hint of wavering was evident in their eyes. Just as they were about to reach for their cups, the Lord of Chuishan Town, Duan Hong, who had been holding back for a long time, finally spoke.

“If I’m not mistaken, the Xing River that Lord Xia Hong speaks of should be what we in the Nine Towns call the Heng River. As an external power, Great Xia has wantonly seized the territory of my Nine Towns. Do you think you can just gloss over these things with a single banquet? Lord Xia Hong, you are far too naive!”

The moment Duan Hong spoke, Shangguan Yang immediately followed up, “Since when did the conflict between my Jinshan and Muyin become Great Xia’s business to meddle in? You slaughtered over two thousand of my Town Guard Army and captured my Jinshan Deputy Military Head, Shangguan Ning. For a newcomer, Great Xia is being a bit too presumptuous!”

At this point, Qin Feng could no longer restrain himself. He first shot a hostile glance at Murong Chui, then turned to Xia Hong and said, “My Wuchuan Town has no grievance with Great Xia. Why did Lord Xia Hong send troops to attack Fushan without reason and detain two thousand of my Town Guard soldiers? Shouldn’t you give me an explanation as well?”

As soon as Qin Feng finished, he saw Murong Chui stir. He immediately turned his head and stared at Murong Chui, his voice incredibly deep. “I admit, Qin, that Great Xia is indeed powerful. But the road is long and the mountains are high. They won’t always be able to help Muyin Town. I advise Lord Murong to be careful with his words and actions!”

Murong Chui tensed, a flash of anger on his face.

He was about to speak when Xiahou Zhang cut in.

“I forgot to inform you all. My Jiangxia formed an alliance with Great Xia before the war with Dajue Temple began. As such, Great Xia can no longer be considered an external power. Furthermore, Jiangxia has already handed over the Jinbi and Longhe villages, as well as all territory surrounding Hongguan Camp, to Great Xia Town. Therefore, Lord Duan’s accusation of wantonly seizing the territory of the Nine Towns is completely unfounded.”

Hearing this, a crimson flush spread across Duan Hong’s face. He turned to stare at Xiahou Zhang, his eyes filled with rage.

“Thank you for your advice, Lord Qin Feng. My Muyin Town has also allied with Great Xia. Thanks to Great Xia’s generosity, although we are far apart, upon learning that Wuchuan and Jinshan sought to destroy Muyin, Lord Xia Hong still sent troops to our aid. I, Murong Chui, am eternally grateful…”

Murong Chui also spoke up. At this point, he gave a slight bow to Xia Hong, his face full of gratitude. Then he turned to Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng and continued in a deep voice, “Since you two discard the friendship of the Nine Towns, what right do you have to blame me for seeking outside help? From Lord Qin Feng’s words, it seems Wuchuan will continue to spare no effort to destroy my Muyin. In that case, those two thousand-plus men of Qin Yuanyi can forget about returning. Once I return to Muyin, I will order their execution.”

Swoosh…

“You old dog Murong, you dare?”

With a loud slap, Qin Feng shot to his feet, drawing the longsword at his waist. The Wuchuan Military Head beside him, Han Zhaohai, also stood up, drawing a large saber from his waist.

“Then we shall see if this old man dares!”

At such a critical juncture, Murong Chui would not back down. He too shot up and drew his longsword, smirking coldly.

The three Sun-Manifestation realm experts erupted abruptly, their auras flaring. The surrounding temperature rapidly rose, and the entire circular platform shook violently.

Qin Feng’s expression was grim, his eyes filled with killing intent as he looked at Murong Chui. His voice was incredibly deep. “Do you think you can still return to Muyin City?”

“Of course I can. I have long admired the Murong family’s Twelve Blood Meridians Technique. Coincidentally, after this grand banquet, I will be visiting Muyin City. I wonder if Lord Murong would welcome me?”

Xia Hong, who had been silent, finally spoke.

He clearly did not release any aura, yet with just these calm words, Qin Feng and Han Zhaohai seemed to recall something, and their auras immediately weakened.

“I lost my composure. I have made a fool of myself in front of Lord Xia Hong!”

Murong Chui immediately retracted his aura, first apologizing to his host, Xia Hong, for his rash behavior. Then he continued with a smile, “Of course it’s no bother. Thanks to Lord Xia Hong’s righteous intervention this time, once we are in Muyin City, I, Murong Chui, will present the Twelve Blood Meridians Technique with both hands!”

Hearing the two of them play off each other, Qin Feng’s expression became exceedingly ugly.

He abruptly turned to look at Shangguan Yang and Yang Zun beside him. Seeing them deliberately avoid his gaze, his face darkened further.

“Lord Xia Hong has hosted us with sincerity. Let’s not talk about granting honor. Bashang was just destroyed by Dajue Temple. Now that Great Xia has joined us, doesn’t it perfectly complete the number of Nine Towns on the southern foothills of Mo’ao? Yangqu Town is willing to establish good relations with Great Xia. I will drink first as a sign of respect. Lord Xia Hong, please!”

“Longgu Town shares this sentiment. Lord Xia Hong, please!”

Seeing that the accusations from Jinshan, Wuchuan, and Chuishan were resolved by Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui without Xia Hong needing to respond himself, Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan finally saw which way the wind was blowing. They raised their cups and drained them in a toast to Xia Hong.

“I, Yang, also welcome the addition of another town to Mo’ao Mountain!”

Following the two, Yang Zun also relented.

With five of the eight towns having agreed, the lords of the remaining Jinshan, Wuchuan, and Chuishan knew they could no longer stop Great Xia, no matter how ugly their expressions were.

“Since Great Xia has the heart to integrate into the Nine Towns, this old man will naturally not stand in the way. However, time will tell. I only hope Great Xia does not become the next Dajue Temple.”

“Qin Feng also welcomes Great Xia on behalf of Wuchuan. I just hope that Great Xia won’t use the pretense of aiding other towns to secretly annex them. Lord Shangguan is right, time will tell. Wuchuan will be watching Great Xia’s future actions!”

Shangguan Yang’s and Qin Feng’s words were laced with barbs, clearly still looking for trouble. As they spoke, they deliberately looked at Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui.

Seeing their petulant display, Xia Hong shook his head with a light laugh but said nothing. He raised his cup to them from across the platform, and after drinking, finally turned his gaze to the only person who had yet to state his position: the Lord of Chuishan Town, Duan Hong.

Duan Hong’s expression was one of extreme conflict. He knew well that the tide had turned and he could not fight it. The problem was that Great Xia had not only taken Hongguan Pass but had also helped Jiangxia retake Fengshan, slaughtering over two thousand of Chuishan’s Town Guard, and killing his nephew Duan Chang. His grandson Duan Xu’s fate was still unknown.

Most crucially, his Chuishan Town was located just north of Hongguan Pass.

The other towns could afford to be indifferent, but Chuishan could not.

If Great Xia was truly allowed to establish a foothold here, in the future, Chuishan…

“Inviting you all here tonight, apart from formally establishing relations with the Eight Towns, there is one other matter: to discuss the ownership of Bashang’s territory!”

While Duan Hong was still struggling internally, Xia Hong gently set down his cup. He looked up at the lords of the other seven towns and continued with a smile.

To be ignored so directly, Duan Hong’s face flushed slightly. He stared at Xia Hong in the main seat, his fists clenched inside his sleeves.

And when he heard that the ownership of Bashang’s territory was to be renegotiated, Duan Hong’s rage became uncontrollable. He blurted out, “The territory of Bashang was already divided among our six towns last night. What has it got to do with your Great Xia?”

The moment Duan Hong finished speaking, he found Shangguan Yang and the others looking at him with strange expressions. He thought for a moment, and his expression instantly froze.

Of Dajue Temple’s five Grand Masters, three had been killed by Xia Hong alone.

And he had killed them while fighting one against five. At that time, all twelve of them had been trapped at Chilong Lake.

In other words, if not for Xia Hong’s intervention, the more than one million people in Bashang City would have died. Dajue Temple might have even succeeded in reviving that Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya. If that had happened, whether the Nine Towns would still exist was an open question.

His earlier statement, “what has it got to do with Great Xia,” was clearly utterly wrong.

“I know that Bashang’s treasury was likely divided among you yesterday. I will be magnanimous this once and not ask for it back. However, Great Xia cannot yield on the matter of Bashang’s territory…”

Xia Hong paused here, then smiled and continued, “I won’t hide it from you. I witnessed the entire war between Dajue Temple and the Nine Towns. According to the rules, whoever contributed the most gets the largest share of the land.

My division plan is as follows: Bashang City and Jiugu Camp will go to my Great Xia; Zouyang and Baisong camps will go to Jiangxia; Qinggu will go to Yangqu. As compensation, Jiangxia will cede Fengshan and Longzhou camps to Longgu. What do you all think?”

Bang…

Hearing Xia Hong’s division plan, Duan Hong could no longer contain himself. Chuishan Town had already lost Hongguan and Fengshan. Now, even Bashang City and Baisong Camp, which had been assigned to them last night, were gone.

“What right does a newly arrived camp from an external power have to dictate the affairs of my Nine Towns? I did you the honor of attending your banquet, and you divide Bashang’s territory with just a few words. Xia Hong, who the hell do you think you are?”

Having been ignored by Xia Hong earlier, Duan Hong was already full of pent-up anger. Now that he intended to tear off all pretenses, his words held no restraint. By the end, he was directly insulting Xia Hong.

“Insolent!”

“How dare you disrespect the Lord!”

Before Xia Hong, the target of the insult, could even speak, Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, and the other Great Xia Frostwarden realm experts behind him roared in anger.

Duan Hong’s voice had not been quiet. Not only the many Great Xia soldiers around the platform, but nearly all of the eight thousand troops in Hongguan Camp had heard him.

The weight of their lord, Xia Hong, in the hearts of everyone in the camp had grown continuously with Great Xia’s ever-increasing strength.

Today, even if someone were to criticize Xia Hong in private and be overheard by someone from Great Xia, it would be treated as an extremely serious matter.

To be openly cursed at, and by someone from another camp at that, was completely unacceptable.

Whoosh… Clang… Clang…

The reaction of the soldiers from the Cloud Serpent, Dragon Slaying, Tiger Leopard, Xuanwu, Shenwu, Longyuan, Shanhe, and Northern Zhao armies was predictable.

In less than ten minutes, they emerged from their barracks and swiftly assembled. The Cloud Serpent Army, clad in Thousand-forged Thunder Kui Golden Armor, stood in the front rank. The other seven thousand troops, wearing Hundred-forged Thunder Kui Golden Armor, completely sealed off the circular platform.

Upon arriving, they wasted no words. They directly drew their bows, nocked their arrows, and almost simultaneously aimed at Duan Hong and Mu Longhe on the high platform.

Huuu…

After the sound of the great army’s bowstrings tightening faded, the entire area fell silent.

Except for the occasional gust of cold wind, no other sound could be heard. The scene froze.

Let alone the lords of the five towns—Shangguan Yang, Qin Feng, Yang Zun, Cao Qianyang, and Long Mingyuan—even Murong Chui and Xiahou Zhang, who had already decided to side with Great Xia, couldn’t help but shudder at the sight.

As for the targets, Duan Hong and Mu Longhe, their expressions were completely frozen. A closer look would reveal beads of cold sweat on their foreheads, and a flash of alarm in their eyes.

They were Sun-Manifestation realm, true, but they were not invincible.

They didn’t even need all eight thousand troops. Faced with just the one thousand Cloud Serpent Army soldiers in the front rank, their only option would be to flee into the sky.

To put it more seriously, if all eight thousand troops were to swarm them, they would have to flee even if there were twenty more of them, let alone just the two of them.

The question was, would Xia Hong, seated in the main seat, let them escape so easily?

Xia Hong looked at Duan Hong, first showing a hint of confusion. Then he glanced at Yang Zun and the other two and immediately understood.

These three hadn’t told the others that he had rescued Xiang Fuhai.

Xia Hong shook his head with a smile. His gaze returned to Duan Hong, his expression like he was looking at an idiot. He sneered, “If I recall correctly, after Dajue Temple broke through Hongguan Pass, your Chuishan Town did not send a single soldier. Now you want to take advantage after the war? You ask me who I think I am? I should be asking you, who the hell does Chuishan think it is?

Do you really think my division plan was a negotiation? This is an announcement. If you don’t comply, feel free to send your Chuishan army to seize it. But let me warn you now, after tonight, if the Chuishan army makes a single move, it will be a war to the death between our two towns.

You refuse a toast only to drink a loss. Since you have so many opinions, you can forget about keeping what you took from Bashang’s treasury. I give you one month to deliver all of it to Hongmen Camp. You can ignore me if you wish, but you’ll see the consequences. Now, scram!!!”

As Xia Hong spat out the last word, he suddenly drew the Dragon Sparrow Saber resting against the table and, in a flash, hurled it directly at Duan Hong and the other man.

Chuishan Town’s seat was conveniently on Xia Hong’s right, separated only by Muyin and Longgu. So with a single raise of his hand, he aimed right at the two of them.

Swoosh…

Xia Hong used his full strength in this throw. The Dragon Sparrow Saber transformed into a silver streak of light, reaching Duan Hong and Mu Longhe in an instant.

Neither of them expected Xia Hong to attack so suddenly. They hastily raised their weapons in front of them, attempting to parry the incoming blade.

However…

The moment the saber’s tip struck their weapons, the expressions on Duan Hong and Mu Longhe’s faces changed instantly.

Bang!

The immense force of the Dragon Sparrow Saber sent them flying off the circular platform. Their bodies flew backward for over a hundred meters, crashing through five barracks buildings before coming to a stop.

Once they were back on their feet, they stared at Xia Hong with pure terror in their eyes. Not daring to utter another word of nonsense, they shot into the sky and fled north.

And the lords of the various towns who remained at the banquet, seeing that the food and wine on Duan Hong’s seat were still in the exact same position as before Xia Hong had struck, felt a deep chill. Their eyes filled with horror, and their expressions became incredibly grave.

Chapter 385: A Match and an Opportune Moment, Troops at Bashang, a Name Known Through the Nine Towns, Pale with Shock

Eighth Year of the Great Xia, the night of the thirtieth of April.

Muyin City, in a tall building not far from the Lord’s Grand Hall.

At the entrance of the building stood over a hundred fully armed Golden Armored Soldiers on guard duty. Passersby would stop and stare at these soldiers, their faces filled with intense curiosity.

“This is the army that defeated Wuchuan at Fushan yesterday, right?”

“That’s them. I heard they attacked Fushan during the day. The one leading the Wuchuan forces was Deputy Military Head Qin Yuanyi, but he surrendered without a fight. Over two thousand men, along with Qin Yuanyi himself, were escorted back to the town last night.”

“Attacking the Fushan Camp during the day? How is that possible?”

“Why would it be impossible? Look at the cultivation level of these guards.”

“Hiss, even the gate guards are at the Frostwarden realm?”

“The Great Xia’s Dragon Martial Army. All their soldiers are at the Frostwarden realm.”

“This… how is this possible? Even the three northern towns don’t have this kind of strength, do they?”

“This Great Xia Town is definitely stronger than the three northern towns. Our Town Head is truly resourceful to have found such powerful allies.”

“What Town Head? You should be calling him Lord now.”

“Right, right, look at my memory. I almost forgot.”

……………………

The pedestrians’ discussions were not quiet. The Great Xia soldiers at the building entrance, having won two major victories in a row, had already shed their illusions about the Nine Towns. Hearing the talk, a hint of pride inevitably appeared on their faces.

In the main hall on the top floor of the building, Yuwen Tao and eleven high-ranking officers of the Dragon Martial Army were gathered, all looking exceptionally excited.

“I never thought we’d actually kill Murong Yan. Big Brother, you did a fine job!”

Overjoyed, Yuwen Tao couldn’t help but praise his elder brother, Yuwen Yong.

Yuwen Yong was not his blood relative but an orphan his father, Yuwen Hu, had adopted back in their early years at Jing Xian Camp, taking him in as a foster son.

Yuwen Yong was eight years his senior. Although Yuwen Tao acknowledged him as an elder brother, Yuwen Yong never acted like one. He always cherished the kindness of his adoptive father, Yuwen Hu, and was extremely respectful toward Yuwen Tao. Their relationship was actually closer to that of master and servant.

All one thousand soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army had infiltrated Muyin City by early April.

Yuwen Tao had long predicted that Jinshan and Wuchuan Town would move against Muyin Town when the battle for Bashang City began. Upon learning that Murong Chui was confident he could control the situation in Muyin City, he had led the Dragon Martial Army to Yumen Camp in late April to lie in ambush.

When he set out for Yumen Camp, he had left Yuwen Yong behind and given him a special mission: to find an opportunity to kill Murong Yan during the chaos in the town.

Having spent over a month in Muyin City, Yuwen Tao could naturally see that the core problem of Muyin Town lay with its Lord, Murong Yan.

Murong Yan’s cultivation talent was undoubtedly impressive, but he possessed ambition without the means to achieve it. He was bent on colluding with outsiders to guard against his own family. The man seemed to have an almost demonic obsession with the Lord’s position, making him a real piece of work.

Meanwhile, Murong Chui was of an indecisive nature. Out of respect for his deceased elder brother, Murong Ding, he was unwilling to move against his own grandson, no matter what.

Before leaving Xiacheng, Xia Hong had personally instructed that Muyin Town was a nail Great Xia had driven into the heartland of the Nine Towns, one that would play a huge role in the future.

With these instructions from Xia Hong, Yuwen Tao naturally had to find a way to ensure nothing went wrong in Muyin Town. Since Murong Chui and his five sons couldn’t bring themselves to do it, Great Xia had to be the one to play the villain.

Back at Jing Xian Camp, Yuwen Yong’s talent had not been outstanding. But ever since coming to Great Xia, it was as if he had been enlightened. With an abundant supply of all kinds of cultivation resources, his cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. Four years ago, upon breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, his base strength had reached 2.8 Mane, revealing him to be an extremely top-tier superior combat physique.

Four years had passed, and Yuwen Yong’s base strength now exceeded 21 Mane, just a step away from the peak-Frostwarden realm. Within the Dragon Martial Army, his strength was second only to Yuwen Tao and Hou Quan.

Murong Yan’s talent was high, but due to his age, his actual strength wasn’t formidable, only at nineteen Mane. Without even accounting for sacred sigils and martial arts bonuses, it was certainly not difficult for Yuwen Yong to kill him in a one-on-one fight relying on his base strength alone.

The problem was Murong Yan’s status. He was bound to be protected by many loyalists, and Jinshan Town would most likely not let anything happen to him.

Leaving Yuwen Yong in Muyin City was, at best, a speculative move by Yuwen Tao. If it succeeded, great. If not, the loss wouldn’t be significant.

Before he left, he hadn’t held out much hope.

Who would have thought that Yuwen Yong would actually manage to kill Murong Yan.

A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Yuwen Yong was even more austere than Yuwen Tao. Hearing the praise, his face showed no emotional fluctuation. He simply said calmly, “You flatter me, Department Head!”

Yuwen Tao knew his temperament and didn’t mind. He said with a smile, “You’ve rendered a great service this time, but you’ve also drawn too much attention. There are over a hundred thousand people in Muyin City clamoring for you to pay for their Lord’s life. Before Murong Chui returns, you should stay out of sight in the city.”

Recalling the scene from the day before yesterday after he had personally killed Murong Yan, with tens of thousands of people roaring like a tsunami for him to pay with his life, a hint of lingering fear remained in Yuwen Yong’s eyes. He naturally agreed wholeheartedly with Yuwen Tao’s suggestion to stay out of sight.

In any encampment, the Lord’s position was extremely special; it was no exaggeration to say they were a spiritual totem for all the people of the encampment.

Yuwen Yong had slain Lord Murong Yan in front of more than ten thousand people, naturally causing a great commotion. If Murong Ping and his two brothers hadn’t protected him with all their might the night before last, he would never have walked out of the Lord’s Grand Hall alive.

Tap, tap, tap…

As everyone fell silent, the sound of light, quick footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

Yuwen Tao’s expression froze at the sound. The others in the room were stunned for a moment, but they quickly understood and cast mischievous glances at Yuwen Tao, who sat at the head of the room.

“Those footsteps… that must be Miss Murong, right?”

“The young lady has only been back in the city for a day, and she’s already come looking for the Department Head four or five times.”

“In the battles of Yumen and Fushan, he routed Shangguan Ning and captured Qin Yuanyi alive. The Department Head displayed his divine might, and Miss Murong witnessed it all. It’s only normal for her to be smitten.”

“A man like our Department Head, which young lady wouldn’t be smitten?”

“Hahahaha…”

…

“Get lost, all of you! Don’t you have anything better to do? Go and rest.”

Being relentlessly teased by everyone, the habitually stern Yuwen Tao showed a rare hint of annoyance. He waved his hand, telling them to scram.

“The Department Head is twenty-five this year, isn’t he? Don’t be shy!”

“The Xia Code of Rites states that a man should marry when he comes of age, and a woman should do the same…”

“Miss Murong is known as the Pearl of Muyin. Her looks and talent are both top-notch. She and our Lord Department Head are a match made in heaven!”

“Their ages are also suitable. I, Zhu Yang, approve of this marriage.”

“Hahahahaha, if Zhu Yang approves, then it must happen.”

……

As they were leaving, the men couldn’t resist turning back to tease him a few more times.

A rare smile touched Yuwen Yong’s lips. He paused for a moment, clearly intending to say something serious, but seeing Yuwen Tao waving his hand dismissively, not giving him a chance to speak, he could only bow and leave with the others.

Once everyone had left, Yuwen Tao’s expression relaxed slightly.

At the same time, a young woman in red walked briskly into the hall.

Muyin Town favored the color red, and the clothes of the upper echelon were more or less adorned with it. Murong Yan’er was no exception. As she walked in quickly, the hem of her long crimson dress swayed gently. Before she even fully entered, a sweet, charming smile appeared on her bright, pretty face upon seeing Yuwen Tao.

To be called the Pearl of Muyin, Murong Yan’er was not just known for her cultivation talent, which was unparalleled in the entire town. Her beauty was also first-rate among her peers, and she was quite famous throughout the Nine Towns.

From the time Murong Yan’er turned fifteen, countless suitors, not just from within Muyin Town but from the other Eight Towns as well, had come to Murong Chui to ask for her hand. Given Murong Chui’s status, those who dared to come to his door were naturally not simple people, mostly scions of the Sun-Manifestation families of the Nine Towns. Unfortunately, Murong Chui had rejected every single one of them.

“Big Brother Yuwen, my father and my four uncles have all said that no one will trouble your brother anymore. You can rest assured.”

Hearing Murong Yan’er’s words, Yuwen Tao didn’t react much, merely nodding lightly.

This was within his expectations. With Murong Yan dead, the second branch of the Murong family benefited the most. It would be inexplicable if they didn’t protect Yuwen Yong.

“Big Brother Yuwen, you haven’t broken through to the peak-Frostwarden realm yet, have you?”

Yuwen Tao nodded. Although his current base strength was 32 Mane, he was indeed still in the late-Frostwarden realm. He possessed a supreme combat physique of nearly six Mane, which meant he still had about 15 Mane of room for improvement.

Hearing his answer, Murong Yan’er suddenly showed a hint of shyness. She took a small iron bottle from her robes and handed it over.

“Big Brother Yuwen, with your aptitude, you’ll definitely break through before I do. Once you reach the peak-Frostwarden realm, you can only rely on other methods to increase your strength. These are Dragon Carp Pills I’ve saved up over the past few years. There are twenty-one of them. They’re for you.”

As the young woman spoke, her cheeks had already reddened to her ears. The last three words, “they’re for you,” were almost inaudible. If he hadn’t been standing so close, it would have been difficult to hear clearly.

Yuwen Tao looked at the Dragon Carp Pills Murong Yan’er was offering, his expression becoming complicated. He looked up at her extremely nervous face, knowing that she had summoned immense courage to make such a gesture. He didn’t know how to refuse without hurting her.

“Miss Murong, I remember these Dragon Carp Pills are not cheap in your Nine Towns. One costs one hundred and eighty thousand liang of silver. Twenty-one would be worth nearly two million liang. I cannot accept something so valuable. Besides, we also have Dragon Carp Pills and Green Cod Pills in Great Xia Town. I am not in need. Please take them back!”

Under the Ice Abyss system, 10 liang equaled 1 catty. Two million liang of silver was a full two hundred thousand catties of silver, a huge sum of money no matter where you were.

Giving him something so valuable, Murong Yan’er’s feelings were already quite clear, but Yuwen Tao still politely declined.

Rejected by Yuwen Tao, Murong Yan’er’s face, which had been red to the ears, instantly turned deathly pale. She looked up at him, her face filled with disbelief.

She bit her lip, and a hint of stubbornness appeared on her pale little face. She fought back tears, took a step toward Yuwen Tao, and said in an aggrieved tone, “Big Brother Yuwen, we’ve spent nearly a month together day and night. You definitely have feelings for me, I can tell. And if you didn’t like me, why did you risk your life to save me during the Fushan battle when Qin Yuanyi tried to capture me?”

Ever since introducing Yuwen Tao to her grandfather Murong Chui on the fifth of last month, driven by curiosity, Murong Yan’er had been by his side almost constantly. It was a young girl’s first stirrings of love. Upon learning he was only twenty-five, yet his strength and talent far surpassed her own, and that he even commanded such a powerful force as the Dragon Martial Army, Murong Yan’er’s curiosity naturally transformed into admiration.

On the night of the first of May, when Deputy Military Head Shangguan Ning of Jinshan Town led his army to attack Yumen Camp, Yuwen Tao had led the pre-ambushed Dragon Martial Army to strike like lightning, crushing Jinshan’s five thousand Town Guard Army soldiers in a single battle. He himself had slain several of Jinshan’s experts on the battlefield and captured Shangguan Ning alive. At that moment, this brilliant young talent, who could both devise strategies and fight on the front lines, a man of both wisdom and courage, had quietly entered Murong Yan’er’s heart. That admiration quickly began to change into love.

Then, during the battle at Fushan the day before yesterday, Qin Yuanyi, knowing he was no match for the Dragon Martial Army, pretended to surrender before suddenly striking out to capture her, intending to use her to threaten the Dragon Martial Army’s retreat. At that critical moment, Yuwen Tao had used his own body to block a sword for her. It was in that instant that Murong Yan’er had completely fallen for him.

Just for that act of blocking Qin Yuanyi’s sword for her, Yuwen Tao definitely had feelings for her. Murong Yan’er was sure of it.

Murong Yan’er had been doted on since she was a child. Not just her grandfather, but her father, elders, and cousins—who among them would dare to go against her wishes? In all of Muyin City, she could do as she pleased. To have her first active expression of love rejected by Yuwen Tao, her stubborn streak naturally flared up. Even if she was rejected, she was determined to get a clear answer today.

“Big Brother Yuwen, say something!”

Murong Yan’er stared straight at Yuwen Tao, all the shyness from when she offered the gift gone, her eyes filled with nothing but grievance, stubbornness, and defiance.

“Miss Murong, I have matters to attend to. You should go back for now!”

However, the only response she received was Yuwen Tao’s increasingly stiff tone.

“I know what you’re worried about. I’ll go make it clear with Grandfather!”

Seeing Yuwen Tao’s stern expression, Murong Yan’er clenched her fists. She seemed to have thought of something, gritted her teeth and left him with those words, then turned and left.

Left alone in the hall, Yuwen Tao remained silent for a long time before lowering his head and sighing softly.

“You’re worried Murong Chui won’t let her marry into Great Xia, aren’t you?”

A teasing voice suddenly echoed in the hall. Yuwen Tao whipped his head around. Seeing the black figure standing behind him, his expression immediately turned to excitement. He hurriedly bowed. “Yuwen Tao pays his respects to the Lord!”

The newcomer was none other than Xia Hong.

Since coming to Muyin Town through the Eastern Ridge hidden tunnel in early March, Yuwen Tao hadn’t been back to Xiacheng for two months. Seeing Xia Hong suddenly appear here, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

Of course, Xia Hong’s personal arrival in Muyin City meant that all matters on the North Bank of the Xing River, at Hongguan Pass, and at Bashang had mostly been concluded.

“Jinshan and Wuchuan Town have both signed agreements with Murong Chui, guaranteeing no hostilities for ten years. In return, all the prisoners captured by the Dragon Martial Army in the battles of Yumen and Fushan, including Shangguan Ning and Qin Yuanyi, must be released. However, the two towns will exchange them for silver.”

Yuwen Tao hurriedly asked, “What is the price?”

“Five thousand liang for an ordinary soldier, fifty thousand liang for a Frostwarden realm warrior, one hundred thousand liang for a Commander, two hundred thousand for a Marshal, and five hundred thousand liang each for the two Deputy Town Heads.”

Hearing the prices, Yuwen Tao’s eyes lit up instantly.

In the battles of Yumen and Fushan, the Dragon Martial Army had captured a total of 2,794 prisoners. Based on the prices Xia Hong quoted, it would amount to about sixteen million liang of silver.

Great Xia’s regulations stipulated that half of all spoils of war could be kept by the soldiers. This meant that the Dragon Martial Army would receive at least eight million liang of silver from these two battles. Even if it was split evenly, each person would get eight thousand liang.

Eight thousand liang of silver was by no means a small sum for an individual.

Last year, Xia Hong had successively cleared out four silver mines in Longshan, instantly replenishing Great Xia’s silver reserves. The Logistics Department had subsequently adjusted the price of silver, lowering it from the previous 120 contribution points per catty to 80 points per catty.

Submitting eight thousand liang to the Logistics Department could be exchanged for a full sixty-four thousand contribution points.

A windfall of sixty-four thousand contribution points—the Dragon Martial Army’s expedition to Muyin had truly been worthwhile. The brothers would surely be ecstatic when they heard the news.

Yuwen Tao’s expression was ecstatic; he could hardly wait to summon the Dragon Martial Army soldiers downstairs and announce the news.

Seeing Yuwen Tao’s excitement, Xia Hong smiled and waved his hand. “No need to be so excited. The Dragon Martial Army performed very well this time. A little silver is nothing. Record every soldier’s performance and individual kills on the battlefield properly. When you return to Xiacheng later, don’t forget to have the Department of Military Affairs credit them with military merit.”

There would be military merits as rewards too?

Yuwen Tao was taken aback. He immediately looked up at Xia Hong, his face full of confusion.

“Did you think the Dragon Martial Army fought these two battles just to help Muyin?”

Seeing Yuwen Tao’s expression, Xia Hong immediately knew what he was thinking. After asking his strange question, he shook his head and continued, “I’m not that charitable. All battles fought by Great Xia’s army must and can only be for Great Xia. Sending troops to help Muyin was to stabilize the current situation in the Eight Towns. To put it bluntly, it’s to pave the way for Great Xia’s future expansion. You should be able to see that, right?”

Yuwen Tao nodded immediately. He had, of course, been aware of this for a long time.

The problem was, just because he knew didn’t mean every soldier did. The smarter soldiers could naturally see the bigger picture and understand Xia Hong’s deeper intentions, but they were in the minority. The vast majority of soldiers surely thought that this expedition was to befriend Muyin Town, so that Great Xia’s encampment would not be isolated when operating in the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain in the future.

Xia Hong quickly realized this as well. He frowned slightly and said, “There’s no need to hide these things in the future. The origin and reason for every major battle can be directly announced to the entire army. Let every soldier in the army know clearly why they are fighting. Don’t let them go onto the battlefield confused, thinking they are shedding blood for others. It’s not a big deal if the soldiers don’t put in their full effort, but if they lose their lives for no reason, that would be a true injustice. You are the Department Head of Military Affairs yourself; you should understand how important this is, right?”

Yuwen Tao’s body jolted. He hurriedly cupped his hands and said, “This subordinate was derelict in his duty. Rest assured, Lord. Upon returning to Xiacheng this time, this subordinate will immediately have the Department of Military Affairs issue new regulations. Before every major battle begins, the reasons for the battle must be clearly explained to every participating soldier.”

Let the soldiers know why they fight!

That simple sentence was incredibly important. At this moment, Yuwen Tao felt as if he had been enlightened, and he looked at Xia Hong with eyes full of reverence.

He had been in charge of the Department of Military Affairs for several years, so how had he never thought of this?

Seeing Yuwen Tao’s expression, Xia Hong knew he understood. He nodded and continued, “Pack up. The Dragon Martial Army needs to move.”

With the end of the conflict in Muyin, and agreements reached between Jinshan, Wuchuan, and Muyin, there was no longer any need for the Dragon Martial Army to remain there.

“Move?”

However, Yuwen Tao keenly caught the hidden meaning in Xia Hong’s words and asked with curiosity, “Lord, the Dragon Martial Army isn’t returning to Xiacheng?”

“Bashang City and Jiuqu Camp now belong to Great Xia. I’ve decided to have the Dragon Martial Army permanently stationed at Bashang. The supporting eight subordinate departments are already being formed. Bashang City has a special status, so we won’t appoint a Prefect this time. It will be directly managed by Vice-Prefect Xu Ning of the Garrison Department. You will be stationed at Bashang with him!”

Xu Ning had already recovered and been promoted to Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department.

Yuwen Tao understood at once. He cupped his hands and replied in a deep voice, “This subordinate will certainly work together with Vice-Prefect Xu to defend Bashang for the Lord!”

Xia Hong nodded, then suddenly remembered the young lady from before. He turned to Yuwen Tao and asked with a smile, “You still haven’t answered my question from earlier, have you?”

Seeing the smile on Xia Hong’s face, Yuwen Tao naturally knew what he was asking. A hint of helplessness crossed his face. “So many people from the Nine Towns have asked for her hand, including scions of Sun-Manifestation families, but Murong Chui refused them all. He most likely sees this granddaughter as a Sun-Manifestation seed. He probably won’t agree to Murong Yan’er marrying into Great Xia either. Rejecting her now saves trouble in the future.”

Yuwen Tao’s insight was sharp. Thinking of the young lady’s aptitude, Xia Hong didn’t deny his speculation, but simply said with a smile, “The scions of Sun-Manifestation families won’t do, but what if a Sun-Manifestation realm expert himself came to ask for her hand? Your aptitude is much better than hers. Murong Chui sees her as a Sun-Manifestation seed, but are you not also a Sun-Manifestation seed of Great Xia? Muyin Town won’t last for many more years, not even if she breaks through to the Sun-Manifestation realm. I think this young lady is quite good. Even if it’s for the sake of Great Xia, you should seize this chance!”

When he said Muyin Town wouldn’t last for many more years, Xia Hong’s expression was imperious, his tone filled with strong confidence.

This confidence instantly infected Yuwen Tao.

That’s right! The scions of Sun-Manifestation families were not good enough, but if a Sun-Manifestation realm expert came in person to propose, would Murong Chui still dare to refuse? Would he still refuse?

His body trembled slightly, and his expression gradually grew confident. He looked up at Xia Hong with a hint of gratitude. “Lord, I understand!”

“As long as you understand. I’ve already spoken with Lord Cao Qianyang of Yangqu and Lord Long Mingyuan of Longgu. Lead the Dragon Martial Army south through Yangqu Town, then through Longgu Town to reach Jiangxia. Once you’re in Jiangxia, you’ll know the way. Garrison Bashang City as soon as possible. I need to return to Xiacheng first.”

After last night’s Hongmen Banquet, Xia Hong had come directly to Muyin City with Murong Chui. He had studied the Twelve Blood Meridians Technique and gained some insights. Now that he had notified Yuwen Tao to lead the Dragon Martial Army south, there was nothing else for him to do, so it was time to return to Xiacheng.

“Last night at Hongmen, the Lords of the Eight Towns were quite frightened by me, especially those three from the north. They’re probably scrambling to gather information about Great Xia right now. The North Bank of the Xing River should be quite lively recently. They might even send spies to infiltrate Xiacheng. That would be even more interesting!”

Xia Hong mused for a moment, a smile appearing on his face.

The rank five Ancestral Spirit Monument had drastically increased Great Xia’s safe zone to a fifty-kilometer radius. Considering that Xiacheng’s current side length was only twenty kilometers, this meant that not only the city itself but also the thirty-kilometer area around it would be monitored by the Mother Monument, detecting any foreign life forms.

It was impossible for the Eight Towns to send spies to secretly infiltrate Xiacheng.

This opened up too many possibilities for Great Xia to exploit.

For example, they could secretly allow a few spies in, occasionally leaking some truths and falsehoods to them to be passed on to the Eight Towns. Whether to intimidate, confuse, or entice… it would surely have a great effect.

“Lord, since Great Xia has completely revealed itself on the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain, what about our future trade with the Eight Towns…”

“It’s already been arranged. In September and October of each year, Great Xia will open trade routes simultaneously with the other Eight Towns. Hongguan Pass… is now called Hongmen, and it will be the trading port. All rules will follow the old customs of the Nine Towns.

“In addition, Great Xia has signed long-term trade agreements with Jiangxia and Muyin Town. Of course, it will mainly be them coming to Hongmen to trade with us.”

Yuwen Tao’s face lit up with immense joy upon hearing this.

He was not ignorant about trade. He often enjoyed conversing with Qiu Peng and thus understood Xia Hong’s approach to foreign trade. Based on his two months of observation in Muyin Town, with Great Xia’s current productivity, they would surely earn a fortune once trade with the Eight Towns began.

“Alright, I’ll be leaving now. You can lead the army out after they’ve rested and reorganized.”

“This subordinate obeys. I respectfully see the Lord off!”

Yuwen Tao immediately bowed his head. When he looked up, Xia Hong was already gone. Without delay, he summoned Vice-Marshal Hou Quan and told him to have the Dragon Martial Army soldiers pack their things and prepare to march south.

After Hou Quan left, he thought for a moment, took out an Anomaly-warding Jade from his robes, and with a small dagger, gently carved two words onto the front of the jade before calling for Yuwen Yong.

“Big Brother, please help me give this jade to Miss Murong!”

Yuwen Yong was stunned for a moment, but then a smile spread across his face. He took the jade and rushed outside.

The Dragon Martial Army’s movements were not restricted by weather. As soon as Yuwen Tao gave the order, the soldiers quickly packed their gear.

Murong Chui must have already known, for as the soldiers were packing, he brought people to deliver a large supply of dry rations.

It was just what they needed for the march, so Yuwen Tao didn’t refuse. He arranged with Murong Chui that after Muyin completed the prisoner exchange with Jinshan and Wuchuan, he would send someone to personally deliver the silver from the two towns to Hongmen.

With all arrangements made, Yuwen Tao took his leave of Murong Chui and led the Dragon Martial Army out of Muyin City in a grand procession, heading south.

As he walked through the city gates, Yuwen Tao seemed to sense something. He suddenly turned and looked up at the city wall. Sure enough, he saw a figure in red standing there, waving at him from afar.

Yuwen Tao looked at the beautiful figure on the wall, mouthed two words, then finally turned his head to follow the main army south.

Atop the city wall, Murong Yan’er’s face was streaked with tears. She looked down at the silver-black jade in her palm, a gentle look returning to her eyes.

“Big Brother Yuwen, Yan’er will wait for you.”

On the front of the jade, two small words were deeply carved.

【Ten Years】

……

With a single Hongmen Banquet, Great Xia had effectively announced to the Eight Towns that it had replaced Bashang Town to become a new member of the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao.

Although the participants of this banquet were mostly the Lords of the Eight Towns, or at the very least the Sun-Manifestation realm Military Heads or Town Heads of each town.

But one should not forget that a total of four people had come from the Jiangxia side.

Moreover, Great Xia, the host of the banquet, had even more people.

Inevitably, the influence of the Hongmen Banquet, both in the upper and lower echelons of the Eight Towns, was expanding with extreme rapidity.

Xia Hong, Lord of Great Xia Town, fought one against five, slaying three Grand Masters. The main reason for the swift demise of Dajue Temple was him.

Xia Hong’s strength was unfathomable. At the Hongmen Banquet, Lord Duan Hong of Chuishan and Town Head Mu Longhe could not withstand a single casual strike from him, even when they joined forces.

Great Xia’s army was terrifyingly strong, even more so than the three northern towns. Both the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Armies were composed entirely of Frostwarden realm cultivators. The Town Guard Armies of the Eight Towns stood no chance against them and would only be crushed. Don’t believe it? The results of the three great battles at Yumen, Fushan, and Fengshan do not lie.

Jinshan and Wuchuan were successively defeated by the Dragon Martial Army. Both were now afraid of Great Xia and had to pay millions of liang of silver to ransom their people.

The six towns had already divided Bashang’s territory amongst themselves, but at the Hongmen Banquet, Lord Xia Hong of Great Xia forced them to redivide it, taking the best parts—Bashang City and Jiuqu Camp—for himself.

Great Xia Town had tens of thousands of troops. Hongmen alone was garrisoned by an army of eight thousand, a force the other Eight Towns simply couldn’t compare to.

Chuishan had offended Great Xia. Xia Hong had personally declared that Lord Duan Hong of Chuishan must return everything he had taken from the Bashang Treasury to Hongmen, untouched, within one month.

……

Piece by piece, news about Great Xia spread, and the entire Eight Towns of Mo’ao Mountain were instantly plunged into fervent discussion.

This fervent discussion was not limited to the main towns; many village-level camps also joined in after hearing the news.

In fact, any discerning person could see that the rapid spread of the news was undoubtedly fueled by Jiangxia and Muyin Town, and perhaps even Great Xia Town itself was involved.

But the fact remained that everything was true!

Especially after Lord Xiahou Zhang of Jiangxia and Lord Murong Chui of Muyin personally confirmed it on multiple occasions without anyone refuting them, the credibility became even higher.

On the second of June, Lord Duan Hong of Chuishan Town actually delivered everything he had taken from Bashang City to Hongmen.

Once this news spread, the entire Nine Towns instantly erupted.

Bashang Town was destroyed, Dajue Temple was gone, and now a Great Xia had appeared, one with such terrifying strength.

As this news continued to spread and ferment, Great Xia Town’s reputation grew ever more prominent, momentarily overshadowing the three northern towns and even faintly earning the title of the number one town in Mo’ao.

……

Mo’ao Calendar, Year 132, daytime of the tenth of July.

Beishuo Town City, on a main road near the Lord’s Grand Hall.

Yang Ning had just rushed back from the barracks. His face was filled with alarm. Without taking off his Thousand-forged iron armor, he hurried along the road and soon arrived at the door of a house, which he immediately knocked on.

“Who is it?”

“Tiger, it’s me!”

The person inside heard the voice and immediately opened the door.

Yang Ning rushed into the house. Seeing Li Hu in his casual clothes, he didn’t care if he had been sleeping and asked in an extremely low voice, “Have you heard about that Great Xia Town?”

Great Xia Town?

Li Hu, still sleepy, took a moment to process the words before nodding. “Of course, I’ve heard. You’ve been at the barracks recently, haven’t you? This news has been spreading for half a month already.”

“Have you gone mad? Did you forget something?”

Seeing Li Hu’s nonchalant expression, Yang Ning immediately snapped at him.

Seeing Yang Ning’s expression, Li Hu quickly rubbed his face. His brows furrowed, and he soon realized why he was acting this way. He said with a strange expression, “You don’t think this Great Xia Town has anything to do with that Great Xia encampment we encountered nine years ago when we were mapping the North Bank of the Heng River, do you?”

Hearing his question, Yang Ning’s expression froze, and he fell into deep thought.

He had just heard the news about Great Xia at the barracks and, in a moment of panic, had come straight to find Li Hu. Now, faced with this question, he was suddenly struck by the realization that the possibility was indeed too small.

“No, no, the name of the encampment and the Lord match up, and they came from the North Bank of the Heng River. All three points match. How can there be such a coincidence in the world? Although it’s somewhat incredible, I think the two are definitely related…”

Li Hu didn’t even wait for him to finish, shaking his head repeatedly to interrupt. “Nine years. Nine years ago, that Great Xia encampment didn’t even have a decent set of clothes. I remember that Lord, Xia Hong, had just broken through to the Earthforger realm. Nine years later, he’s become a Sun-Manifestation realm expert, commanding an army of tens of thousands, with two elite thousand-man units composed entirely of Frostwarden realm cultivators. Big Brother, if you said that out loud, would you even believe it?”

Forget believing it; if Yang Ning had said that in the barracks just now, people would have probably taken him for a fool.

For many people, nine years wasn’t even enough to complete the cultivation of the Earthforger realm. Given that Xia Hong’s age back then, it would be considered quite good if he had reached the stage of reconstructing the Hide by now. If he had a Frostwarden realm cultivation, he could be considered a genius. Breaking through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, and the kind that could crush Lord Duan Hong of Chuishan Town…

Absolutely impossible!

After these four words popped into his mind, Yang Ning’s brow flickered incessantly. But he gritted his teeth, looked up at Li Hu, and said in a low voice, “Tiger, I admit that under normal circumstances, the two definitely couldn’t be related. But I remember the Lord once said that anything is possible in the Ice Abyss. Can you say with a hundred percent certainty that this Great Xia has absolutely no connection to the one from back then?”

Of course, he could say it with a hundred percent certainty!

Li Hu was about to say so instinctively, but seeing the look on Yang Ning’s face, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

“The Ice Abyss has plenty of powerful anomalies with all sorts of bizarre methods. Tiger, have you ever considered that maybe that Great Xia encampment encountered an extremely terrifying anomaly, which used some special means to nurture them to their current state in a short period of time?”

Li Hu’s expression suddenly tightened. He looked up at Yang Ning, and a bright light instantly flashed in both their pupils.

“If we can confirm this matter and report it to the Lord, then that Great Xia encampment could become a great opportunity for our Beishuo Town. You and I would have rendered a world-shocking service to Beishuo Town!”

A world-shocking service!

Li Hu’s face instantly lit up with excitement. His talent wasn’t strong; he only had a medium combat physique aptitude. He had just broken through to the peak-Frostwarden realm, and his base strength was less than 15 Mane. To improve further, he could only rely on pills.

The problem was, pills that could increase the strength of peak-Frostwarden realm cultivators were too expensive.

Dragon Carp, Green Cod, Tiger Strength—any of these three types of pills would easily cost over one hundred thousand liang of silver for a single one. Even Yang Ning, a member of the Yang clan, coveted them, let alone someone like him who had lost his father at a young age.

If he could truly render such a great service, forget Dragon Carp Pills, the Lord himself might even reward him personally. Would he have to worry about cultivation resources in the future?

At this thought, Li Hu’s spirits instantly soared. He looked up at Yang Ning and asked:

“Big Brother, you mean we should go confirm it first?”

“Of course, we have to confirm it.”

Yang Ning nodded and said in a deep voice, “To be honest, even after saying all this to you, I still can’t believe it myself. If we report it directly to the Town Head, we’ll definitely be treated as fools. We must confirm it ourselves. In a few days, I’ll ask for leave from Marshal Huang, and you ask for leave from Marshal Pei. Just say we’re going to another town to buy some things. We’ll go to Hongmen together to investigate.”

Both of them were Commanders in the Town Guard Army and normally could not be away from the army for long periods. They had to ask for leave.

“Alright!”

Li Hu nodded immediately, his eyes shining brightly.

Originally, he would never have believed it, but after hearing Yang Ning’s analysis, he now hoped that this Great Xia Town was indeed the same Great Xia encampment he had encountered nine years ago.

An encampment that had developed from a small one to a town-level one in just nine years—even just confirming this news and reporting it to the Town Head would absolutely be considered a heaven-sent merit!

……

Of course, Yang and Li from Beishuo were not the only ones with their eyes on Great Xia.

Setting aside the various towns of Mo’ao with their ulterior motives, even an ordinary person would feel some curiosity upon hearing about such a powerful town-level encampment appearing nearby.

The crucial point was that Great Xia had released news in early July that from now on, the trading port of Hongmen would cater not just to the eight main towns, but to everyone within the territory of the Eight Towns.

Moreover, it was open indefinitely!

This meant that anyone within the Eight Towns, whether an encampment or an individual, could bring goods to Hongmen to trade with Great Xia at any time. All were welcome.

As soon as the news came out, the entire southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain was instantly in an uproar.

For a time, the eyes of everyone in the Eight Towns were focused on Hongmen.

Under such circumstances, the number of people coming to Hongmen naturally grew larger and larger.

From Great Xia’s Lord Xia Hong to its Eight Departments, to the Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial Armies, and the seven Armies at Hongmen… more and more information about Great Xia’s internal situation was gradually unearthed by these people from the Eight Towns, whether they came openly or in secret.

Chapter 386: Han Feng Comes Home, New Rules for Travel Passes, Xiacheng Street Vendors, The Black-Robed Child Blocking the Way

If Hongmen was currently the liveliest place in all of the Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao, then Eastern Ridge Village, situated in the far western region of Beishuo Town, was the quietest.

Beishuo itself was the northernmost town at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain, and the Beining Mountain area where Eastern Ridge Village was located belonged to Beishuo’s most remote Western District. Within the entire Western District, it was the village closest to the western cliffs of Double Dragon Mountain. To describe it as quiet was by no means an exaggeration.

To give a simple example, news of the Great Xia Town, which had been the talk of the Eight Towns recently, only reached the Beining Mountain area in mid-July. By the time the people of Eastern Ridge Village received the message, it was nearly August.

It couldn’t be helped.

The more desolate and remote a place was, the slower information traveled.

Great Xia, Year Eight, Fourth day of the eighth month, after midnight.

The bluestone road north of Eastern Ridge Village.

A man in his thirties with a long saber on his back was carrying two four- or five-year-old boys in his arms. He was leading a young woman in a gray cotton coat, hurrying toward Eastern Ridge Village.

It was clearly a family of four.

The young woman’s face was sullen. Already unhappy, she finally couldn’t hold back when she saw her husband quicken his pace.

“Wouldn’t it have been better to stay in Gu Tan Village? We had to make such a long journey. I’ve been asking along the way—this Western District is the most remote area in Beishuo Town. What kind of good place could it be?”

“You were already a deputy leader in Gu Tan Village. The three of us could have lived there peacefully. Wouldn’t that have been comfortable?”

“You went on a long trip at the end of last year, said you were going to see your sisters. You came back a completely different person and wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“Just how wonderful is the place where your two sisters live? Is it so great that the three of us have to leave our home and travel so far to live there?”

“Han Feng, are you deaf? Answer me!”

“Why did we really leave Gu Tan Village?”

“Han Feng, if you don’t tell me the truth, you can go on your own. I’m taking Ming’er and Rui’er back to Gu Tan Village!”

………………

After traveling for two straight days, Tan Rou was already feeling miserable. Seeing her husband ignore her words, her emotions flared up. She snatched the two children from his arms and turned to walk back.

Han Feng naturally wouldn’t let his wife turn back. He blocked her path, thought for a moment, then looked up and said in a low voice, “Rou’er, we’re only two kilometers from Eastern Ridge Village. I don’t really need to hide it from you anymore, but it’s a long story, and I can’t explain it all at once. Just follow me. You’ll understand when we get there. I wouldn’t drag you all so far from home for no reason. I want to give you, Ming’er, and Rui’er a better life. We’ve been married for six years. Don’t you trust me?”

Hearing her husband say this, Tan Rou’s heart instantly softened.

Seeing his wife’s expression soften, Han Feng took the opportunity to take their two sons back into his arms and asked softly, “Ming’er, Rui’er, are you tired?”

“Dad, we’re men. We’re not tired.”

“Mom must be more tired than us. Dad, you should carry her! We can walk by ourselves.”

Although the two children were only four or five, they were exceptionally sensible. They knew their parents had just been arguing and were afraid of causing more trouble, so they both insisted they weren’t tired.

The younger one, Han Ming, even added a thoughtful remark.

The moment he said it, Tan Rou burst into laughter.

“Haha, you’re killing me.”

All of Tan Rou’s resentment was dispelled by her younger son’s innocent words. She laughed for a long while before walking over to pinch his chubby cheek. Then she shot Han Feng a look and said, “Let’s go! I’d like to see just what kind of wonderful place your two sisters live in that you just had to bring us here. Hmph!”

With his wife’s mood improved, Han Feng also felt much more relaxed. As he continued on their way, he gave his two sons a thumbs-up and said with a smile, “You two are smarter than your dad. When we get to Xiacheng, your two aunts will definitely love you when they meet you.”

Hearing their father mention the word “aunt,” a spark of curiosity lit up in Han Ming’s and Han Rui’s eyes.

Ever since their father returned from a long trip at the end of last year, he would occasionally mention their two aunts. Before that, they had no idea they even had two aunts.

The family continued south and soon saw the bonfires of Eastern Ridge Village in the distance.

“Sir, you’re not from our village, are you?”

All villages had patrols at night, and Eastern Ridge Village was no exception.

When Han Feng’s group was still half a kilometer from the village, they were spotted by a patrol.

The group of four clearly looked like a family and didn’t seem like bad people. Moreover, their destination was obviously Eastern Ridge Village, so the patrol team revealed themselves directly.

Han Feng had sensed them long ago and wasn’t surprised. He cupped his hands and smiled at them. “My name is Han Feng. I have an appointment with your village’s Leader Lu. Please inform him for me. Leader Lu will know when he hears my name.”

The two captains of the patrol team tonight happened to be Lu Yang’s two disciples, Zhu Baixu and Wan Qingyu. Hearing that Han Feng was here to see their Master, Lu Yang, Zhu Baixu frowned. He could sense that Han Feng was very strong, most likely at the Frostwarden realm. Not daring to be negligent, he quickly cupped his hands in response, “You’ve come at an inconvenient time, sir. My Master happens to be away from the village recently!”

Away from the village?

Han Feng had come from so far away; he wouldn’t turn back just like that. He immediately continued, “Then may I ask if Lords Lin Fan, Wang Tao, or Zhu Shun are present? They also know me.”

Hearing Han Feng directly state these three names, Zhu Baixu immediately let down his guard and nodded. “Then please wait at the village entrance for a moment, sir. I’ll go inform the three lords.”

Only then did Han Feng nod, taking his wife and sons to wait by the side of the village.

“Brother Han, you’ve finally arrived!”

Soon, a middle-aged man walked out of the village with a smile to greet them.

“Brother Wang!”

Seeing that it was Wang Tao, a smile broke out on Han Feng’s face.

Wang Tao was from the original Longshan encampment, so Han Feng was no stranger to him.

“Leader Lu is away on business recently, so I’ll be the one to receive you. These three must be your wife and sons. What handsome boys. Please, follow me to the Main Building!”

Wang Tao clearly knew that Han Feng was coming. He praised Han Feng’s two sons and immediately extended an invitation, leading the four of them toward the Main Building.

“He can enter the Main Building? Could this Han Feng be from Master’s old encampment too?”

“He must be. That Han Feng has a Frostwarden realm cultivation.”

“The Leader’s old encampment was truly strong. Every person who comes is basically at the Frostwarden realm. Tsk, tsk…”

When Zhu Baixu and the other man saw Wang Tao directly invite Han Feng’s family into the Main Building, looks of astonishment appeared on their faces.

Wan Qingyu, standing beside him, seemed to have thought of something and whispered to Zhu Baixu, “Senior disciple-brother, have you heard? They say the Great Xia Town everyone in the Eight Towns has been talking about has the same encampment structure as our Eastern Ridge. It’s also divided into eight divisions, and the names are exactly the same as ours: Logistics, Hunting, Logging, Garrison, Artisans, Civil Affairs, Prison, and Military…”

Wan Qingyu’s voice grew quieter and quieter until it was almost inaudible.

But upon hearing this, Zhu Baixu immediately turned to meet his gaze. A deep excitement was clearly visible in both their eyes.

They had been in Eastern Ridge for almost a year and had found it strange why Eastern Ridge, unlike other villages in Beining Mountain, used a system of eight divisions. It wasn’t until the end of last month, when news about Great Xia Town gradually reached Beining Mountain and they heard about Great Xia’s eight divisions, that a guess formed in their minds.

Great Xia’s eight “departments” and Eastern Ridge’s eight “divisions” had the exact same names. The only difference was the suffix—one was “department” and the other was “division.”

How could there be such a coincidence in the world?

If it was just a guess back then, their suspicions were almost confirmed when the news spread and Lu Yang immediately abolished Eastern Ridge’s eight divisions, switching to the same management model as the other garrisons in Beining Mountain.

Their Master, Lu Yang, or rather the people of Eastern Ridge, definitely had a connection to that Great Xia Town. To guess more boldly, it was highly likely that their Master himself came from that very town.

They weren’t the only ones with this guess. Lu Yun and the other disciple-brothers had all basically figured it out.

All the disciple-brothers had a tacit understanding not to discuss the matter.

But as Great Xia Town’s fame grew and more and more news about it reached Beining Mountain, their excitement grew with each passing day.

“When Master returns from his business this time, everything will become clear. He will surely tell us himself!”

At the Hongmen Banquet, the Lord of Great Xia, Xia Hong, had frightened away the lord of Chuishan Town, Duan Hong, and its Town Head, Mu Longhe, with a single casual strike. None of the remaining seven town lords dared to speak a word for Chuishan Town.

This piece of news flashed through Zhu Baixu’s mind. He clenched his fists, his eyes filled with longing for Great Xia Town.

………………

“Brother Han, go straight down through the hidden tunnel. Prefect Lu has been staying in your old home for a while now. You should be able to see him when you emerge from the tunnel.”

After leading Han Feng’s family into the Main Building, Wang Tao wasted no time. He directly opened the entrance to the hidden tunnel behind the main seat in the hall and gestured for the four of them to go down.

Unlike his wife, Tan Rou, this was Han Feng’s second time here, so he showed no surprise. After cupping his hands toward Wang Tao, he led his wife and sons down into the hidden tunnel, heading toward the Hanqiong garrison beneath the mountain wall.

The Hanqiong hidden tunnel was opened in the eighth month of the third year of Great Xia, a full five years ago. Naturally, the tunnel had changed.

Upon entering, the four of them saw an iron-paved track. Beside the track were many simple flatbed carts. Seeing the carts, Han Feng understood immediately. He led his wife and sons onto one, gave it a hard push from behind, and the cart immediately slid down the track.

“Dad, this cart is so much fun!”

“It’s so fast, we don’t even have to walk.”

“The wind is so strong, hahaha!”

………………

Children are the most playful. As the flatbed cart sped down the track, they weren’t afraid with their father protecting them. They kept exclaiming how fun it was. Tan Rou, riding such a thing for the first time, also found it convenient and comfortable and couldn’t help but laugh along with her sons.

Unlike his wife and sons, Han Feng had been observing ever since he entered the hidden tunnel.

He had left through this very tunnel six years ago. When he left, he had even used brute force to collapse a long section of it. Now, the tunnel was completely transformed, and it wasn’t just a matter of being cleared out.

The entire tunnel was several times wider. It was five meters high and over three meters wide, and it was reinforced with wood and iron all the way through. Some key sections were even supported by large amounts of pure iron. As the cart slid down at high speed, he couldn’t feel the slightest tremor, which spoke volumes about the tunnel’s stability.

“It would be very difficult to cause a large-scale collapse in this tunnel again. Unless many Frostwarden realm experts stronger than me strike at the same time, it would be impossible. Great Xia has been infiltrating Beishuo Town for four years and has been reinforcing this tunnel so tirelessly. It seems…”

Pulling his gaze back from the tunnel walls, Han Feng’s face was filled with shock. At the end of last year, when the Nine Towns’ Allied Army suffered a major defeat at Hongguan Pass, he had gone straight back to Jinshan Town. A few days later, he came to Beishuo to find Lu Yang.

When he had seen Lu Yang and his thirty-one men at Hongguan Pass, Han Feng had a faint feeling that Great Xia was no longer what it used to be; its strength had surely surpassed his imagination.

But when he arrived at Eastern Ridge Village at the end of the year, he was still stunned.

The entire village had over a hundred Frostwarden realm experts and hundreds at the Earthforger limit.

This strength alone was enough to crush his Gu Tan Village.

The crucial point was that Han Feng knew Lu Yang was merely one of Xia Hong’s subordinates.

How strong must Great Xia be then?

His subsequent trip to Great Xia naturally stirred up monstrous waves in Han Feng’s heart.

Later, in Xiacheng, he met his two sisters, Hanyue and Hanshuang, and saw their Frostwarden realm cultivation. He learned about the kind of life they were living now. After returning to Gu Tan Village from Xiacheng, Han Feng couldn’t stop thinking about it.

For the past half a year, he had been planning to bring his wife and sons back to live in Xiacheng. Of course, besides that, there was also his own personal future.

Han Feng was not a man content with mediocrity. Six years ago, he led his people out of Longyou through the hidden tunnel. When they reached the territory of the Nine Towns, they were unfamiliar with the environment and mistakenly wandered into Jinshan Town’s territory. People died and were injured along the way, and in the end, only three hundred or so of them were left. They were taken in by Tan Yuan, the leader of Gu Tan Village.

In just six years, Han Feng not only broke through to the peak-Frostwarden realm with a strength of 17 Mane, but he also married Tan Yuan’s niece, Tan Rou. With the support of the old Hanqiong veterans, he became the deputy leader of Gu Tan Village.

Ordinarily, his position in Gu Tan Village was not low, and he and his family could have lived a good life there. But for someone who had seen a heavenly palace, how could he be content with an ordinary life?

There was no need to even compare Gu Tan Village to Xiacheng. He had been inside Jinshan City, and from his observation, even Jinshan City was inferior to Xiacheng.

Just to mention one thing, last year in Xiacheng, he saw that children the same age as his two sons were all a full size larger than his own. This point alone was reason enough for him to bring his wife and sons to Xiacheng.

Of course, there was also the matter of his own cultivation.

Han Feng was only thirty-four this year. He was unwilling to be stuck at 17 Mane for the rest of his life. The problem was that it was too difficult to increase one’s strength after reaching the peak-Frostwarden realm.

In Jinshan Town, a single Tiger Strength Pill cost one hundred thousand liang of silver.

Han Feng simply could not afford this price.

As the deputy leader of Gu Tan Village, his authority and待遇 were naturally not low. He had some income of silver, and his strength was considerable, so he would occasionally accept summons from Jinshan City or help out other villages for extra money, but it was all too slow.

On average, he could save at most six thousand liang of silver a year. At this rate, it would take him at least fifteen years to save enough for one Tiger Strength Pill. By the time he was old and gray, he would only be able to buy two or three pills.

How could Han Feng tolerate this?

He had a dream of reaching the Xianyang realm!

Last year, when Dajue Temple caused trouble, Jinshan Town summoned Frostwarden realm experts from all the villages for help. As the deputy leader, he could have avoided it, but he went specifically to earn more silver.

It could be considered fate. A risky trip to Hongguan Pass led him to unexpectedly meet Lu Yang and the others again, where he learned of Great Xia’s recent situation.

“Last year, Hanshuang took me to Great Xia’s Logistics Department. The Dragon Carp Pills and Green Cod Pills there could be exchanged for just 30,000 Contribution points each. Putting aside how to earn contribution points, the Logistics Department exchanges one catty of silver for 80 points. That means 30,000 contribution points is equivalent to 3,750 liang of silver. The silver I have on me right now is enough to buy five pills at once. I must join Great Xia!”

Han Feng contemplated silently, his eyes filled with determination. Joining Great Xia would not only bring his family a better life, but he himself could also continue to increase his strength. It might not even be impossible for him to achieve his Xianyang dream in the future.

“Moreover, if even half of the recent sensational rumors are true, it’s enough to prove that what I saw in Xiacheng last year was not the full picture of Great Xia. Great Xia’s true strength is probably far more terrifying than I imagined!”

Thinking of the news about Great Xia that had reached Jinshan Town last month, Han Feng’s eyes gradually grew fervent, his expression becoming excited.

His mind inexplicably flashed back to the person he had met once six years ago when he was leading his men out of the Hanqiong hidden tunnel. He thought about how he had once launched a sneak attack on that person, and how that person had later personally invited him to join Great Xia. He shook his head repeatedly, a wry smile on his face.

The entire Hanqiong hidden tunnel was 45 kilometers long. If they walked, it would have taken Han Feng and his family at least four hours. But with the flatbed cart sliding down at high speed, the four of them arrived in less than fifteen minutes.

Clang…

“Brother Han, you’ve finally arrived!”

Lu Yang was actually waiting for him at the end of the passage.

Han Feng instantly guessed that Wang Tao had sent a message ahead. He hurriedly led his wife and two children off the flatbed cart and cupped his hands in a bow to Lu Yang, “Han Feng pays his respects to Lord Lu!”

He was already very familiar with Great Xia and knew Lu Yang’s official title. He was here to join Great Xia this time, so naturally he couldn’t address him as casually as before.

Hearing Han Feng’s form of address, Lu Yang immediately understood. He smiled and led the family of four out of the hidden tunnel.

Just like six years ago, the exit of the tunnel was the main building of the original Hanqiong encampment.

Of course, it had now become the Division Office building for Great Xia’s Hanqiong garrison.

Although this was his second time back, returning to the place where he had grown up, Han Feng’s heart was filled with warmth, even though things were no longer the same.

“Kill!”

“Hah!”

“You’re all so weak, have you no strength? Put more force into it.”

“Kill!!!”

“Hah!!!”

…………

Before they even left the Division Office building, several simultaneous shouts suddenly came from the inner valley of Hanqiong. It sounded like soldiers in training, and a flicker of curiosity appeared in Han Feng’s eyes.

“By the way, I’ve been busy training troops recently and haven’t had time to look after Eastern Ridge. Lord Wang has been in charge there lately. Please forgive me, Brother Han.”

“Lord Lu, you flatter me!”

Seeing Lu Yang specifically cup his hands to offer an explanation, Han Feng hurriedly returned the courtesy, shaking his head repeatedly. He then followed him out of the building.

“Kill!”

Walking out of the building, a thousand-man army clad in light-gold Hundred-forged battle armor came into view, causing Han Feng’s expression to jolt.

The army was divided into ten groups, each with a hundred men. In the frontmost group, the soldiers wielded a variety of weapons, and their cultivation was all at the Frostwarden realm. Of the remaining nine groups, three carried oddly shaped giant sabers, while the other six were all equipped with longswords.

It wasn’t just the hundred men in the front row; there were over a hundred other Frostwarden realm auras in the other nine groups. The remaining nearly eight hundred men were all at the Earthforger limit of cultivation.

For a small garrison like Hanqiong, Great Xia had actually stationed an army of the Town Guard Army’s level. It seemed the recent rumors in the Eight Towns that the Lord of Great Xia, Xia Hong, had tens of thousands of troops under his command were not unfounded after all!

Han Feng concealed the shock on his face and looked at Lu Yang with envy. “To be able to command such a strong army, Lord Lu, truly makes me envious!”

“Hahahaha, my Dongyang Army was just formed three months ago. It still has a long way to go to catch up with the other armies of Great Xia!”

Han Feng’s words had scratched an itch for Lu Yang, who couldn’t help but laugh heartily. In the past few months, his greatest pride was the Dongyang Army.

His desire to build an army was not a recent one. When he received the message from Xiacheng at the end of the fourth month and learned that the Lord had personally appointed him to build an army, he was overcome with excitement and immediately rushed back to Xiacheng that very night.

By mid-May, he had already formed the Dongyang Army. To make it easier for him to train and organize his troops, he brought the entire army directly to the Hanqiong garrison. He left most of the affairs of Eastern Ridge to Wang Tao and focused on training his troops here in Hanqiong.

“There’s no need to be envious, Brother Han. Your aptitude is no less than mine. Once you become a member of our Great Xia, you will surely be greatly valued by the Lord. It’s only a matter of time before you lead troops yourself.”

“I hope your words come true, Lord Lu!”

Hearing Lu Yang’s words, a glimmer of hope rose in Han Feng’s eyes. He nodded heavily and continued to follow Lu Yang towards the entrance of the Hanqiong garrison’s direct path.

The journey from Hanqiong back to Xiacheng required traveling south through the Hive and Jing Valley, then passing through the Arrow Bamboo Forest. The total distance was about 90 kilometers. With only six hours left until dawn, they would certainly not make it before daylight if they walked normally, but using the direct path was a different story.

“90 kilometers, all on the direct path. With your speed, you should be able to get there in a little over two hours. This is the travel pass for the checkpoints and the token for entering the city. When Wang Tao sent a message down earlier, I had already sent someone back to Xiacheng to report in advance. The Misses Hanyue and Hanshuang already know you are coming.”

Lu Yang took out two tokens he had prepared. One was a Hundred-forged grade token made of pure iron, a checkpoint pass issued by the Hanqiong garrison. The other was a Thousand-forged grade token, with Han Feng’s name already engraved on it, clearly prepared long in advance.

“A travel pass?”

Han Feng could understand the city entry token; most of the Eight Towns had them. But he was unfamiliar with this travel pass. He looked up at Lu Yang curiously.

Lu Yang didn’t mind the trouble and explained with a smile, “Our Great Xia Town now has nearly forty garrisons. With so many garrisons, there’s frequent movement of personnel between them. This travel pass is to prevent people with ulterior motives. How many people are in your party, where you are from, why you are here, where you are going, and so on… it’s all recorded in detail on the pass. Only officials at the Garrison Guard level or above can issue them. With it, you can travel within Great Xia territory.”

As soon as Han Feng heard this, he immediately realized that with this travel pass system, Great Xia’s control over the movement of people within its territory would be terrifyingly strong.

When each garrison issued a travel pass, they would surely keep a copy. If any suspicious individuals appeared at any garrison, they could immediately check with the issuing garrison to verify. The key was that it could be traced back. If any problems arose, a simple investigation would reveal which garrison and which person issued the pass.

Through this travel pass system, one could get a glimpse of the bigger picture. Great Xia’s control over its territory was something the other eight towns at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain could not compare to.

Thinking of this, Han Feng naturally became even more expectant of the journey ahead.

“Lord Lu, my wife and sons can’t bear the cold. I will take my leave now.”

“Of course. Take care, Brother Han!”

Han Feng bid farewell to Lu Yang and led his wife and children into the direct path towards Xiacheng.

The four of them traveled south along the direct path, passing through the Hive and Jing Valley. After having their travel passes inspected at both locations, they embarked on the final leg of their journey to Xiacheng.

Once they stepped onto the direct path at the southern end of Jing Valley, the number of pedestrians coming and going increased significantly.

This was Han Feng’s second time here, so he naturally knew the reason. This direct path south of Jing Valley connected Xiacheng with the entire land of Longyou, so of course there were more people here than elsewhere.

“Husband, just how many people does this Great Xia Town have?”

Tan Rou had been holding it in for a long time and finally couldn’t resist asking.

Ever since entering Eastern Ridge Village, she had barely spoken a word.

The reason was simple. She also had an Earthforger realm cultivation. Although she couldn’t see many things clearly, she had a general feeling in her heart.

The places they had been to and the people they had seen along the way, from their clothing and appearance to their cultivation auras, were all clearly much stronger than any place she had been before.

Especially on this section of the direct path after leaving Jing Valley, among the many pedestrians, she couldn’t find a single person weaker than herself. Moreover, there were many who actively nodded to her husband in greeting. She didn’t need to guess to know that those people must all be of the Frostwarden realm.

She had originally wanted to ask how strong Great Xia was, but the words felt difficult to answer when they reached her lips, so she asked about its population instead.

Han Feng, walking in front, was silent for a moment before answering, “When I came at the end of last year, the population of Xiacheng was already over 1.03 million. I’m not sure what it is now.”

A population of over 1.03 million?

Gulp…

Tan Rou was stunned, her face filled with disbelief as she asked, “Jinshan City only has around eight hundred thousand people. Xiacheng has even more people than Jinshan City?”

This was not a case of a woman being ignorant. The fact that Tan Rou could state the approximate population of Jinshan City proved that her worldliness was not only not low, but it even surpassed that of most ordinary people.

But even so, she had never heard of a city with a population in the millions in her thirty-plus years of life. To suddenly hear that Xiacheng was so massive, she was deeply shaken.

“I see the exit. Come and see for yourself!”

Han Feng had intended to explain more to his wife, but after walking a few more steps, he suddenly saw light ahead in the passage. A look of joy appeared on his face. He immediately gestured for his wife to quicken her pace, and holding his two sons, he ran ahead toward the exit.

“Ming’er, Rui’er, wake up. We’re here. Look up!”

As soon as he stepped out of the tunnel entrance, Han Feng woke up Han Ming and Han Rui.

The two children were only four or five years old and couldn’t endure the long journey. They had fallen asleep long ago. Awakened by their father, they rubbed their eyes, and when they looked up, their eyes went wide.

It wasn’t just the two of them. Tan Rou, who had just walked out of the direct path, was also stunned.

About five hundred meters directly in front of the tunnel, a massive city wall stretched from north to south, seemingly without end.

Although the material of the wall was unclear, it was pitch black and glossy all over. It was over thirty meters tall. Despite its height, the wall extended so far to the north and south that from a distance, it looked like a black beast lying prone on the ground. Even at night, one could clearly feel its magnificence and grandeur.

“This wall is even bigger than Jinshan City’s!”

“What a huge city!”

“Dad, is this where we’ll live from now on?”

………………

“We’re just simple country folk. Please excuse our behavior.”

There were quite a few people coming in and out of the tunnel entrance at that moment. Seeing that his wife and sons’ words were attracting the attention of those around them, Han Feng immediately smiled and cupped his hands to the crowd. He then led the three of them along with the flow of people towards the city gate.

“It’s so warm, Dad!”

“We’re so far from the fire, but it’s not cold?”

The moment they neared the city gate, the temperature immediately rose. Han Ming and Han Rui, who had been curled up in Han Feng’s arms from the cold, noticed it at once.

Tan Rou noticed it too. She looked up at the snowflakes in the sky, which seemed to be avoiding this giant city entirely. Her face was instantly filled with surprise and curiosity.

The massive city gate was divided into two sections, one for exiting and one for entering. Those leaving the city were barely checked, while those entering had to queue up slowly.

Hundreds of soldiers clad in Hundred-forged golden armor patrolled around the gate, on the watchtowers above, and on the city walls. Others were specifically responsible for checking the travel passes and tokens of those entering the city.

Han Feng adeptly led his wife and children to join the queue.

Soon, it was their turn.

“Newcomers!”

The soldier checking people at the gate saw the family’s attire and recognized they weren’t from Great Xia. However, he wasn’t surprised and simply asked directly, “Do you have a travel pass?”

“Yes, we do. Please have a look, sir!”

Han Feng politely handed over both the travel pass and the token.

The soldier on duty saw Han Feng’s attitude and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. He too was at the Frostwarden realm. Not only had he identified Han Feng as an outsider, but he had also discerned that Han Feng’s cultivation and strength were likely above his own.

For someone so strong to have such a humble attitude naturally created a favorable impression.

“A travel pass personally issued by Lord Lu. Han Feng, a family of four…”

Of course, even with a good impression of Han Feng, the man still carefully checked the information on the pass. Finally, when he saw the token, a smile appeared on his face. He put the travel pass away, returned the token to Han Feng, and said with a smile, “No problem. You may enter the city!”

“Thank you, sir!”

Finally, they could enter the city…

Han Feng, holding his two sons, led his wife and quickly walked through the city gate.

After entering the city, a twenty-meter-wide bluestone road immediately came into Tan Rou’s view. On both sides of the road were various fruit trees and plants she had never seen before. Behind the vegetation was a large open space with only a few scattered buildings, which was a little different from the bustling scene she had imagined.

“The Outer City of Great Xia is divided into four sections: east, south, west, and north. Each section is further divided into 16 districts, with each district accommodating over one hundred thousand people. Currently, only the East City is in use. When I came last time, there were 11 districts. I’m not sure how many there are now. Look ahead, that’s the current core area of the Outer City.”

With her husband’s explanation, Tan Rou immediately looked ahead, in the due east direction. With one look, she instantly understood.

Although there were many trees in Xiacheng, they were all planted on the sides of the main roads. The types of trees were clearly carefully selected and arranged in descending order, likely with the more precious ones planted further in, so the view from the main road was not obstructed at all.

Several kilometers due east of the main road, a large cluster of buildings stood majestically. Lights flickered within the buildings, and smoke from cooking fires curled into the air. Just as Han Feng had said, that was the current core area of the Outer City.

The four of them continued along the main road and soon reached the cluster of buildings.

“Mom, look, what’s that on top of that house? It keeps spinning.”

“What a wonderful smell. Are they cooking? I’ve never smelled anything so fragrant.”

“Dad, look at the clothes they’re wearing. They’re all so beautiful.”

…………

Han Ming and Han Rui, the two little ones, had long been let down from their father’s arms to walk on their own. As soon as they reached the building area, they excitedly broke free from Han Feng’s hand, looking here, asking about that, their faces filled with curiosity and a desire to explore.

As the four of them walked further in, they began to hear shouts from along the street.

“Fragrant Coldtips, two coins a pack! Come take a look, come and see!”

“Sour Crystal Fruit Skewers, five coins a skewer! Sweet and sour, come and have a look.”

“Chen’s exclusive air-dried Mane jerky, made with a secret recipe and refined salt! Salty, delicious, and not greasy. 140 coins a catty. Only 50 catties available today. Honest trade for young and old. Everyone, come take a look.”

………………

Forget Han Ming, Han Rui, and their mother Tan Rou; even Han Feng hadn’t seen such a scene when he came at the end of last year. Hearing the cries from all directions and seeing the dazzling array of goods in the houses along the street, the entire family of four was stunned.

“Dad, this Sour Crystal Fruit Skewer smells so good! I want to eat it…”

Children are the quickest to accept new things. While Han Feng and his wife were still trying to process everything, Han Ming had already brought his brother to a stall, pointing eagerly at a string of red things on the stall and begging his father to buy it for him.

The items on that stall were all on skewers, mostly four fist-sized fruits strung together.

Han Feng recognized them at a glance; they were the most common crystal fruits in Longyou. The problem was that crystal fruits were white and not very fragrant, usually serving as a staple food for weaker encampments to fill their stomachs.

But the crystal fruits on this stall were not only crimson red like jewels, but they also emitted an extremely sweet and fresh fragrance. With that appearance, it wasn’t just Han Ming and Han Rui who were attracted. Even his wife Tan Rou couldn’t help but stop, lean in, and take a sniff.

The owner of the stall was an old man, looking to be in his early sixties, with only an Earthforger realm cultivation. His business was indeed good, and many people were queuing up to buy.

The money people handed to the stall owner were silver-colored round pieces, about six or seven centimeters in diameter, with a square hole in the middle. The character for “Xia” was exquisitely engraved on both the front and back. After staring for a while, Han Feng’s expression shifted slightly.

“A Thousand-forged grade iron piece. The reason it appears silver is because the forging patterns are too dense. For a Thousand-forged iron coin, even one this small probably takes a hundred catties of iron to forge a single piece. Is this the currency used in Great Xia?”

Soon, Han Feng noticed that someone had paid with silver.

The old stall owner took the silver, weighed it in his hand for a moment, and immediately took out a jar from underneath. He then carefully counted out nine slightly larger Ten Thousand-forged grade iron coins, plus five Thousand-forged grade iron coins, and gave them to the customer as change.

“One liang of silver. Here’s your change of ninety-five coins.”

Using the Thousand-forged iron coin as the standard, one liang of silver equals one hundred coins, and one Ten Thousand-forged coin equals ten coins. This was the rule of the Eight Towns’ merchant guild!

Han Feng realized it in an instant. He had been to Jinshan City and had bought things from the Jinshan Town merchant guild. He immediately recalled that the currency system Great Xia was now using was learned from the Eight Towns.

The problem was, the Eight Towns only allowed the merchant guild to use this calculation, and only when they sold goods. They didn’t allow ordinary people to trade directly like this!

Great Xia had completely opened it up, allowing everyone to trade this way…

Han Feng’s expression trembled slightly as his mind instantly made many connections.

At the same time, it was finally his turn in the queue.

With a wave of his hand, he bought four skewers. He took the eight Ten Thousand-forged coins the stall owner gave him as change and continued to walk forward with his wife.

But soon, a small incident occurred.

“You two, stop right there!”

A little fellow wearing a black silk velvet cap, completely covered in a small black robe, with not even his face showing, suddenly blocked the path of the two brothers, Han Ming and Han Rui.

Although the little fellow was quite a bit taller than the two brothers, his voice revealed that he was at most five or six years old.

The two brothers were new to Xiacheng and their excitement hadn’t faded yet. Seeing a peer blocking their way, they were not afraid at all. Instead, they became excited.

“Who are you!”

“Why should we stop?”

As they spoke, Han Feng, who was behind them, stared at the black-robed child, his expression instantly becoming solemn. But then he seemed to sense something, and he looked up past the black-robed child, his expression turning incredibly excited.

“Hmph, hmph, because I’m a bad guy. When I tell you to stop, you have to stop. Now I’m going to ask you a question. If you can answer it, I’ll treat you to something delicious. How about it?”

Han Ming was not shy at all. He waved the Sour Crystal Fruit Skewer in his hand and said, “My dad bought us something delicious. I don’t need you to treat me!”

“Eeeh…”

The black-robed child saw the thing in Han Ming’s hand and couldn’t help but let out a disdainful sound. Then he said mysteriously, “Sour Crystal Fruit Skewers? They’re so sour. How can that be considered delicious? Sweet Syrup Gourd Skewers, one bite is fragrant, sweet, and sour. Now that’s what you call delicious… Tsk, tsk…”

The black-robed child, young as he was, was full of tricks. At the end, he deliberately smacked his lips, as if reminiscing about the wonderful taste of the Sweet Syrup Gourd Skewers.

Han Ming and Han Rui immediately fell for it. They had just tasted the Sour Crystal Fruit Skewers and already thought it was the most delicious thing in the world. Hearing a child in front of them say there was something even better, they were already drooling.

“Just answer my question, and I’ll treat you. How about it?”

“Okay, then ask!”

“How old are you? You have to tell me exactly, years and months.”

No one expected the black-robed child to ask such a question.

Han Feng had already guessed the identity of this black-robed child by now, and his expression became a little tense. But he also realized something and looked eagerly at his two sons, almost wanting to answer for them.

The older brother, Han Ming, spoke first, “I’m five years and one month old.”

The younger brother, Han Rui, followed, “I just turned four.”

“Hahaha, you’re only one month older than me, and you’re a year younger than me. You both have to wait until next year to cultivate. That’s great! Let’s play together from now on!”

Hearing their ages, the black-robed child suddenly clapped his hands happily. He even moved closer to Han Ming and Han Rui, opened the black covering on his face, and invited them to play together in the future.

Hearing the child’s words, Han Feng instantly understood. The black-robed child was frustrated that he couldn’t cultivate because he wasn’t old enough, so he was looking for companions who were in the same boat.

When he saw the black-robed child’s true face, he was stunned, realizing that his guess was correct. Hearing the invitation for his sons to play together in the future, his expression became one of extreme excitement.

End-of-Month Chapter: A Request for Votes, Summary, and Thanks to Coffee Great Demon King! [Vote! Vote! Vote!!!]

This book has been out for almost a year now, and this is the first time I’m dedicating a chapter to asking for votes. Please bear with me!

It’s just that I’m only a little over 200 votes away, and it would be a huge shame not to hit 4,000.

There are seven hours left. To all you big shots with votes to spare, please cast them and let me experience the thrill of hitting 4,000 votes in a single month!

This month, I wrote a total of over 265,000 characters. Quality aside, in terms of sheer volume, this should definitely rank near the top of all currently updating premium novels. Whether or not that’s impressive is up to you all to decide…

Subscription numbers are very stable at the moment. The average subscription count isn’t rising quickly, but it is slowly climbing, and I’m very satisfied with that. Still, I ask for everyone’s continued support. The faster the average subscriptions rise, the more traffic the platform gives the novel, which allows more people to discover this book. My deepest thanks to you all!

Additionally, I’d like to once again thank this month’s Alliance Leader, Coffee Great Demon King. Being able to push through and write so much this month means I’ve fulfilled my promise for bonus chapters. I also want to thank everyone else for their donations. I’ve already thanked you in the group chat, but let me thank you all here as well. Thank you for your support!

Next month, my goal is to surpass this month’s output. I’ll keep the explosive updates coming!

Finally, one last plea for votes. There are seven hours left, and we just need a little over 200 votes. If all you big shots put in the effort, we should be able to do it easily. I’m begging you, begging you, begging you!!!

Chapter 387: His Highness’s New Friends, Settling in the Inner City, Accelerated Cultivation, Fifth Birthday Banquet

The moment the child took off his black hood and revealed his true face.

Not only Han Feng, but Tan Rou, who stood beside him, also froze in place.

Beneath the hood was a cute, delicate face like a porcelain doll.

The child’s skin was utterly fair and smooth, without a single trace of being chapped by the wind and frost. In her thirty-odd years, Tan Rou had never seen such flawless skin, and for a moment, she was simply stunned.

Although he was taller than others his age, his features suggested he was five or six at most.

The black silk-velvet cap on his head was hollow, and his half-long black hair was meticulously tied up at the crown of his head, secured with an exquisite little silver coronet and three silver hairpins.

The three hairpins gleamed brightly, their entire lengths engraved with exquisite patterns. Their ends were even carved into the shapes of three different little Frost Beasts. Though none of the tiny beasts was more than three centimeters in diameter, every detail—from their eyes, foreheads, and bodies, to their limbs and even the fur all over them—was clearly visible and incredibly lifelike.

If the three hairpins used to tie his hair were already so exquisite, the silver coronet on the child’s head was even more so. Except for the solid bottom ring, which was merely engraved with a layer of ornamentation, the rest of the coronet was woven, thread by thread, from silver silk. A golden, thumb-sized bead was even set on top, making it look incredibly fine and magnificent.

Looking beneath the child’s black robe, a faint golden light shimmered from his innermost tunic. As for the custom-made little black suit he wore over it, the faint sheen it gave off was enough to tell that its material was clearly extraordinary, to say nothing of the gold and silver threads woven into its patterns.

The child’s neck, waist, wrists, and even the brim of his cap were all adorned with various accessories.

No, they couldn’t be called accessories.

They had to be treasures!

The brim of the child’s cap was pulled down unusually low, but even so, the pair of bright, confident, and spirited eyes beneath it were exceptionally striking.

Tan Rou was in her thirties and considered herself worldly, but after looking this child over, a deep sense of inadequacy washed over her. Seeing her two sons standing so close to him, she even had the urge to go over and pull them back to her side.

Although it took a while to describe, it all happened in an instant.

“Your Highness, you’ve taken your hood off again. We agreed you wouldn’t do that once we reached the Outer City. If you don’t keep your word, I’ll go back and tell Madam.”

Xia Yusheng had made two new playmates today. Not long after he had taken off his hood and gotten carried away, just as he was about to talk more with Han Ming and Han Rui, Hanshuang’s voice came from behind him.

Hearing Hanshuang threaten to tell his mother, Xia Yusheng swished his hood back down and hurriedly turned his head to plead, “Auntie Shuang, I was wrong! I won’t take my hood off again. Please, you mustn’t tell my mother!”

Hanshuang, who had walked over, first reached out to help Xia Yusheng tidy his black feather cloak. Then, pretending to think, she said softly, “It’s almost dawn. If Your Highness promises me you’ll go back to Stargazer Hall obediently, I won’t tell Madam. How about it?”

“Yes, yes, of course! I’ll go back right now…”

Xia Yusheng agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Tomorrow was his and his two older sisters’ fifth birthday, and his mother, Li Xuanling, would surely come out of seclusion. If Hanshuang really told his mother about him taking off his hood in the Outer City, he probably wouldn’t be allowed out of the Inner City for the next year.

A real man had to know when to yield!

After agreeing, Xia Yusheng remembered something. He turned to the two new friends he had just made and said with a magnanimous air, “Since you two are Auntie Shuang’s nephews, you are now friends of this prince. Auntie Shuang told me you’ll be living in the Inner City from now on. I’ll come find you to play again.”

“Okay, we’ll wait for you.”

Children were not like adults. Tan Rou could tell Xia Yusheng’s status was extraordinary from his dress and demeanor, but Han Ming and Han Rui couldn’t. Although they could sense that Xia Yusheng was different from them, it didn’t escalate to the point of feeling inferior, and they immediately nodded in agreement.

Only then did Xia Yusheng turn away in satisfaction and walk toward the Inner City.

“Nongying, Qiuru, take His Highness back to Stargazer Hall. I’ll be there shortly!”

Hanshuang didn’t leave. She instructed the other maids to hurry and catch up. After watching Xia Yusheng’s group walk into the distance, she turned back to Han Feng’s family, a smile on her face. “Brother, Sister-in-law, you’ve finally arrived!”

She had come to the Outer City tonight specifically to pick up her brother Han Feng’s family. Under normal circumstances, no matter how much of a fuss Xia Yusheng made, she would never have dared to bring him here.

But Xia Yusheng had been lucky today, as it happened to be when Lord Xia Hong was returning from outside.

The boy was as clever as they came. Knowing Hanshuang wouldn’t dare bring him out on her own, he immediately went to beg Xia Hong. Xia Hong wasn’t as strict as Li Xuanling, and seeing his son’s earnest pleas, he quickly relented.

Of course, Xia Hong also asked why Hanshuang was going to the Outer City. Upon learning that she was picking up her brother’s family, he immediately waved his hand and granted Xia Yusheng’s request to play in the Outer City.

And that was what led to the scene just now.

Hearing his sister call him, a smile appeared on Han Feng’s face. But he quickly remembered something and leaned in to ask in a low voice, “Shuang’er, that young highness just now, could he be…”

Hanshuang nodded directly and said softly, “That’s the lord’s eldest son, His Highness Yusheng. He just turned five this year.”

So it was true!

A look of understanding appeared on Han Feng’s face. He looked down at his two sons, his eyes suddenly lighting up. He laughed, “You two are more fortunate than your father. You’ve just arrived in Xiacheng and you’ve already met a person of high station, hahaha…”

After laughing, he remembered something and continued, “Quick, call her Auntie. This is your father’s sister, your young aunt.”

“Han Ming pays his respects to Auntie!”

“Han Rui pays his respects to Auntie!”

Seeing her two nephews bow to her, Hanshuang felt a wave of affection. She smiled and stepped forward to pat both children on the head, then took two silver-black jade stones from her robes and gave one to each of them.

“I heard about you two little rascals at the end of last year. I’ve finally met you in person today. This is a little meeting gift from your aunt.”

Seeing her brother about to decline the gift for his nephews, Hanshuang immediately shook her head and said gently, “Brother, these are just material things. With your abilities, you’ll be able to obtain them easily in the future. Just let me do this little favor for my two nephews first!”

Knowing his sister’s temperament well, Han Feng could only smile helplessly.

But just as Hanshuang said, he had strength on his side. Now that he was in Great Xia, he would surely be able to obtain such things in the future. A surge of confidence welled up in his heart, and he said no more.

He would just have to repay his sister a hundred, a thousand times over in the future.

“Brother, Sister-in-law, come with me. Over the years, my sister and I have accumulated some savings in Xiacheng. There’s a residence in the Inner City that we own. We usually live in Stargazer Hall and don’t use it, so you and your family can live there for now!”

With that thought in mind, Han Feng naturally wouldn’t refuse his sister again. He nodded and followed her toward the Inner City with his wife and two sons.

After walking for a while, he remembered something and said to his sister in a low voice, “Shuang’er, after I returned to Gu Tan Village at the end of last year, I made several trips to Jinshan City and gathered a lot of useful information. Can you find a way for me to see the Lord? This information should be useful to Great Xia!”

Hearing this, Hanshuang shook her head without a second thought, looking at Han Feng with a strange expression. “Brother, what do you take me for? I’m just the head maid of Stargazer Hall. Forget me, even my older sister can’t just bring someone to see the Lord. Prefect Lu has already made arrangements for you. I’ll take you to your residence first. After dawn, Lord Xu Ning, the Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department, will summon you to the main hall of the Garrison Department in the Inner City. You can report anything you have to him then. If it’s truly important, he will relay it to the Lord.”

Han Feng immediately understood and nodded with a wry smile.

The current Great Xia was not the same Great Xia that had just fought its way into Longyou. His 17-Mane strength might be considered decent elsewhere, but in Great Xia, it was clearly not enough to stand out.

Lord Xia Hong was now a Sun-Manifestation realm hegemon whose name was known throughout the Nine Towns. Some enthusiasts had even given him the title of the strongest expert on the southern slopes of Mo’ao.

How could he be someone Han Feng could meet just because he wanted to!

Han Feng took a slight breath and quickly calmed his mind. A spark of fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes as he thought to himself, Just because I can’t see him now doesn’t mean I won’t in the future. I’ll most likely be sent back to Jinshan Town to continue as a spy. As long as I can gather more useful intelligence on Jinshan City for Great Xia, one day, I will earn the Lord’s attention.

Of course, cultivation was the most important thing.

As long as he was strong enough, he would naturally command respect.

Eighth year of Great Xia, fifth day of the eighth month.

Stargazer Hall, usually rather quiet, was bustling with excitement again today.

The reason was simple: three little birthday stars were celebrating on the same day.

As night fell, the beautifully dressed siblings—Xia Yuning, Xia Yuyao, and Xia Yusheng—were already seated at the round table in the main hall of Stargazer Hall.

Of course, the eldest, Xia Yuzong, hadn’t been left out.

A group of maids were setting out dishes and wine by the table. Seeing the three little ones, who had shed their usual mischievousness, sitting with their hands on the table, their backs straight as ramrods, and their eyes fixed forward, in such an upright posture, the maids couldn’t help but cover their mouths and stifle their laughter.

Compared to them, Xia Yuzong, who was usually calm and proper by nature, actually seemed the most normal one there.

These three little ones usually feared nothing, and the only person who could make them act this way was the one on Stargazer Platform.

The maids couldn’t help but glance toward the entrance to Stargazer Platform several times.

“Madam has been in seclusion for a long time this time, hasn’t she?”

“Ever since Madam returned at the end of the fourth month, aside from coming out three times to check on the two princes, she has barely left Stargazer Platform.”

“Three months. That is a long time. Madam cultivates so diligently!”

“I heard a rumor outside that Madam’s strength is second only to the Lord’s in our Great Xia Town. Do you think it’s true?”

“It must be true! I went to Longshan with Madam last year and saw it with my own eyes. She can slay a high-level Frost Beast all by herself. Her power is terrifying.”

While the maids below were chattering, on Stargazer Platform, Li Xuanling quietly opened her eyes, just in time to meet Xia Hong’s gaze as he stared at her.

Xia Hong was less than half a meter away, almost right in her face.

They had been married for nearly six years and could be considered an old married couple, but being stared at so intently from such a close distance still made Li Xuanling blush slightly. “What are you staring at?” she chided.

“Fifty-six Mane. You’ve increased by more than two Mane in just three months. Your cultivation speed is picking up again.”

A smile touched Xia Hong’s face. He remembered clearly that when he came out of seclusion after his breakthrough to the Sun-Manifestation realm last September, Li Xuanling was at 51 Mane. When she went to Qinghepu on business in late April, her strength was over 53 Mane.

An increase of just over two Mane in eight months meant Li Xuanling’s progress was indeed slowing down the further she went. If she continued at that rate, it was about what he had estimated last September—it would take her at least three years to increase her strength to 68 Mane and break through the peak-Frostwarden realm.

But in the past three months, Li Xuanling had managed to increase her strength by more than two Mane during this seclusion. Her cultivation speed had clearly accelerated once more.

“It’s all thanks to the Twelve Blood Meridians Technique you brought back from Muyin City. My cultivation speed is now similar to when I was in the mid-Frostwarden realm. For these last twelve Mane of strength, as long as the supply of Blood Ginseng Pills doesn’t stop, I estimate I can break through to the peak-Frostwarden realm by the end of next year at the earliest. Then I can make a push for the Sun-Manifestation realm!”

At the mention of breaking through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, Li Xuanling’s eyes filled with anticipation.

Xia Hong also smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry about the Blood Ginseng Pills. Muyin Town can sell Great Xia fifty pills a month, which is enough to supply five people for their cultivation.”

Muyin Town’s Twelve Blood Meridians Technique could increase the speed of qi and blood circulation through the twelve meridians, thereby enhancing the body’s efficiency in absorbing medicinal power. This was the reason for Li Xuanling’s increased cultivation speed over the past three months.

Unfortunately, the conditions for cultivating the Twelve Blood Meridians Technique were extremely strict.

First, it had extremely high requirements for the cultivator’s meridians. Even those with a typical supreme combat physique aptitude couldn’t practice it. Xia Hong had roughly estimated that one needed a base strength of at least Five Mane upon breaking through to the Frostwarden realm to meet its cultivation conditions.

Based on this criterion alone, only the two of them, plus Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao, could cultivate it in Great Xia at present. Xu Ning’s case was still unknown and could be tested later.

Second, the principle of this technique was to continuously flush impurities from the meridians with a special medicinal power, thereby increasing the speed of qi and blood circulation. This special medicinal power came from Muyin Town’s exclusive secret medicine, the Blood Ginseng Pill.

According to the technique’s description, one person would need about one Blood Ginseng Pill every three days, which amounted to ten pills a month. Muyin Town selling them fifty pills a month was just enough to supply five people.

“No wonder Murong Chui was so generous, showing me the technique right away. Turns out, seeing the technique is just the first step. Whether one can even practice it is another question. And even if you can, you still have to buy the Blood Ginseng Pills from Muyin Town. He’s treating us like suckers.”

“Is it very expensive?”

Hearing the word “suckers,” Li Xuanling asked curiously.

“180,000 liang per pill. You tell me, is that expensive?”

180,000 liang per pill meant 50 pills cost nine million liang, which was equivalent to 900,000 catties of silver.

And that was just for one month. By that measure, Muyin Town could earn 10.8 million catties of silver from Great Xia every year just from these Blood Ginseng Pills.

It wasn’t just expensive; it was absurdly expensive!

Li Xuanling shook her head repeatedly. “Then we should get Cheng Feng and the Harvesting Department to figure out the recipe for this Blood Ginseng Pill right away!”

Xia Hong smiled and shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Many of the ingredients in this pill come from Mo’ao Mountain, and there are probably some special herbs that are unique to the Muyin section. The other eight towns haven’t been able to replicate it after all this time. How long have we been here? It won’t be that fast.”

The primary function of the Alchemy Workshop was identification. It would record every type of herb it identified and then automatically synthesize various pill recipes based on the properties of these different herbs.

It currently functioned like a database with an automatic integration feature. To maximize its potential, the only way was to continuously feed it new types of spirit plants, allowing its database to grow ever larger. Naturally, the number of recipes it could synthesize would increase over time.

For now, analyzing the components of a new pill still relied on the pharmacists trained by the Alchemy Workshop, so the efficiency was bound to be lower.

Qing Food Pills, Melting Fire Pills, Zenith Gold Powder, Concussion Pills, Origin Soul Pills… They had acquired quite a few new pill recipes from Dajue Temple not long ago, and they were all still in the research and development phase.

Li Xuanling naturally understood this. She nodded and said, “The function of the Alchemy Workshop will grow stronger as our territory expands. Why didn’t you seize that area around Baisong Camp at the Hongmen Banquet back in the fourth month?”

The benefits of having a smart wife were now evident.

Not only did Li Xuanling point out the key to the Alchemy Workshop’s function, but she even questioned Xia Hong about not taking Baisong Camp, which showed her sharp insight.

Baisong Camp was located on the eastern side of Bashang, right next to Mo’ao Mountain. Occupying it would have given Great Xia a passage into Mo’ao Mountain, which would obviously be more beneficial for the camp’s future development.

Xia Hong smiled. “Is Jiugu Camp not important?”

Li Xuanling immediately understood.

At the Hongmen Banquet, Xia Hong had taken two places: Bashang City and Jiugu Camp.

Bashang City was a town-level city, and regardless of its population, it was undoubtedly the most valuable asset in the Nine Towns, bar none.

Jiugu Camp was, of course, also important. It was not only the gateway to Bashang City but also the key to controlling the Bashang waters.

Bashang was located on the east bank of the Xing River, and only fifteen kilometers of its waterways had been developed. Coincidentally, those fifteen kilometers were all within the territory of Jiugu Camp.

Comparing the overall territory of Great Xia at present, the value produced by the waters was indeed much higher than that of the land. Xia Hong’s choice to take Jiugu Camp over Baisong was justifiable.

“However, I want the waters, but I also want the land!”

A domineering look flashed across Xia Hong’s face as he continued, “I already made a deal with Xiahou Zhang last month. Jiangxia Town will cede Heyin Village, at the southernmost tip of Baisong Camp, to us. That includes a twenty-kilometer-wide strip of Mo’ao Mountain east of Heyin Village. That will be Great Xia’s mountain entrance from now on!”

Li Xuanling immediately realized that Xia Hong had deliberately waited until now to tell her. Seeing his smug expression, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him.

The Mo’ao Mountain Range ran from northwest to southeast. The Nine Towns were situated on its southern foothills, and just like with Redwood Ridge back then, the nine towns had long since divided up the entire eight-hundred-kilometer stretch along the range.

Bashang’s strength was not considered strong among the Nine Towns, and it had previously only occupied a stretch of just over sixty kilometers. With the entirety of Baisong ceded to Jiangxia, that sixty-kilometer area naturally went to Jiangxia Town as well.

“Giving us a twenty-kilometer mountain entrance is like giving up a third of it. Xiahou Zhang is truly generous!”

Hearing Li Xuanling’s sigh, Xia Hong smiled. “Jiangxia Town is relying on us to maintain its footing now. It has to be generous.”

Thinking of Xia Hong’s current prestige in the Nine Towns, Li Xuanling had to nod in agreement. She then thought of something and asked curiously, “Who do you plan to give those two organs from Yanlong and Jingang to?”

“Among the existing superior combat physiques in the camp, whoever can come up with ten million contribution points can have them.”

“So that would be Lu Yang and Yuan Cheng.”

Hearing ten million contribution points, Li Xuanling understood instantly.

She had been in charge of Xiacheng’s administration for a time at the beginning of the year, so she knew very well that only four people in Great Xia could afford over ten million contribution points. Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao both had supreme combat physiques and certainly didn’t need them, which left only Lu Yang and Yuan Cheng.

“That’s a pity for Qiu Peng then. I remember his contribution points are over nine million.”

Xia Hong smiled. “Demand outstrips supply, it can’t be helped. But Qiu Peng manages the Logistics Department and is less active outside. His need to increase his strength isn’t as urgent as Yuan Cheng’s and Lu Yang’s. Let him wait! It’s good for him to save up his contribution points. If something good comes up next time, it will be his turn.”

Li Xuanling nodded. She extended her senses to check on the situation in the main hall of Stargazer Hall and immediately frowned slightly. “Alright, let’s go down! Those three little ones are getting restless.”

Xia Hong smiled and led her down from Stargazer Platform.

The main hall of Stargazer Hall was in an uproar.

“I want to go out and play! I want to go out and play! It’s past dinner time, my mother is definitely not coming out of seclusion! Daddy promised me that once I turn five, I can go play in the Outer City!”

“Eldest Highness, please sit a little longer. Madam will be down soon.”

“No, no, no! I’m already full! I want to go out!”

“Eldest Highness, it’s just after nightfall. This is when the city is most crowded. We can’t just run around.”

“I want to go out and play precisely because it’s crowded! I want to go out! I want to go out! I want to go out!”

“I want to go out too.”

“Me too, me too!”

…

After sitting properly for over ten minutes without any sign of her mother, Li Xuanling, coming out of seclusion, Xia Yuyao finally started showing her true colors.

At first, it was just her making a fuss, and maids like Hanyue and Hanshuang could barely manage to placate her. But when Xia Yusheng and Xia Yuning were also incited by her and started clamoring to go out and play, all the maids felt their heads begin to ache.

“Ahem…”

“Big Brother, what are you coughing for? Don’t you want to go out and play?”

Hearing her elder brother Xia Yuzong cough, Xia Yuyao immediately turned her head and saw him frantically signaling with his eyes toward the area behind her. She instantly sensed something and quickly turned to sneak a peek behind her.

That one glance made her pretty little face tense up.

Her father, Xia Hong, was standing at the exit of Stargazer Platform, a wicked smile on his face. And behind him stood her stern-faced mother, Li Xuanling.

“Mother, I was wrong…”

“Hahahaha, only your mother can handle you!”

Xia Hong burst out laughing. He went over and scooped up his little niece, Xia Yuning, in one arm. After sitting down, he gently pinched her little nose and asked softly, “Yuning, your parents are busy at Hongmen, so First Uncle will celebrate your birthday with you this year, okay?”

“Okay…”

Xia Yuning had also been startled by the sudden appearance of her aunt, but being held by Xia Hong, her fear immediately vanished. She gave a crisp “okay.”

“Good, then let the feast begin!”

The Hongmen port had opened in the fifth month, and its opening to all residents within the Eight Towns’ territories had only just been announced in the seventh month. Things there were currently incredibly busy. Qiu Peng couldn’t handle it all alone, so Xia Chuan had also stayed behind. Half a month ago, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu had gone over to help as well.

None of the three could make it back to celebrate the children’s birthday.

With Xia Hong’s announcement, the family of two adults and four children—six in total—began to eat in a joyous and harmonious atmosphere.

Chapter 388: Trade, Han Peng’s Party, Arrival at Hongmen City

First day of the ninth month, eighth year of the Great Xia.

The deep integration of the Nine Towns at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain was not merely superficial.

Of course, things like travel, intermarriage, alliances, and treaties could deepen the connections between the Nine Towns, but the most crucial measure of their integration was, in fact, trade.

Because of trade, the Nine Towns could exchange goods, filling each other’s needs. This ranged from precious high-level cultivation resources, to weapons and armor for hunting, down to all sorts of daily necessities. The flow of these goods gave the people of each town more choices. For instance, the people of Bashang in the far south could wear the unique Red Luo Garments of Muyin Town, while the people of Beishuo in the far north could use the Dragon Carp Pills exclusive to Jiangxia Town.

Because of trade, the Nine Towns could learn from one another. This included everything from the grand administrative systems and official positions of the towns, to the martial arts techniques, hunting skills, and common problems encountered in cultivation, down to small, everyday life hacks. The exchange of information driven by trade brought great convenience to the people of every town, both in life and in cultivation.

Because of trade, the Nine Towns could integrate their resources, not only leading to a great leap in productivity but also occasionally giving rise to new inventions.

There were many examples of this surge in productivity, such as Ling silk:

Ling silk was a specialty of Beishuo Town. Its main material was mulberry silk, and because of its soft and fine texture, coupled with its windproof and insulating properties, it was considered one of the most premium fabrics for clothing among the Nine Towns.

Mulberry silk came from white mulberry trees, which were quite common on Mo’ao Mountain. The problem was that each tree only produced three to five catties of silk per year, and it took thirty catties of mulberry silk to produce one meter of Ling silk.

In the early years, when Beishuo Town had just developed Ling silk, one meter sold for fifty liang of silver. Considering that a full set of adult clothing required at least two meters of fabric, the cost of the raw materials alone was astronomical, to say nothing of the finished garment.

Back then, a piece of clothing made from Ling silk would sell for at least 120 liang. If a famous artisan crafted it, the price would be thirty to fifty percent higher.

However, once the Nine Towns opened their trade routes, mulberry silk from all Eight Towns flooded into Beishuo. The production of Ling silk in Beishuo Town immediately surged. At first, Beishuo tried to keep it under wraps, hoping to continue selling Ling silk at high prices for a hefty profit. But as the other Eight Towns gradually discovered that mulberry silk was the raw material, they all raised their prices. Furthermore, when Wuchuan Town also managed to develop the technique for producing Ling silk, Beishuo had no choice but to lower its price.

Now, the price of Ling silk has dropped to five liang of silver per meter, a tenfold decrease from its original price.

A lower price meant more people could afford it. When it was fifty liang per meter, only those at the Frostwarden realm in each town could wear Ling silk. After the price dropped tenfold, many at the Earthforger limit, and even some at the Earthforger realm, could now afford it.

Of course, the sign of increased productivity wasn’t just output; it was also the new things born from resource integration. The most representative example was the Tiger Strength Pill from Jinshan Town.

For cultivators at the peak-Frostwarden realm who wanted to improve further, there were now three options: the Tiger Strength Pill, the Dragon Carp Pill, and the Green Cod Pill. But if you went back more than fifty years, there was only one option: the Green Cod Pill from Bashang.

Over sixty years ago, Xiahou Ming, the father of Xiahou Zhang, risked his life to open up a body of water for Jiangxia Town. Thanks to that, Jiangxia Town successfully developed the Dragon Carp Pill, finally giving all peak-Frostwarden cultivators in the Nine Towns a second choice.

The Tiger Strength Pill from Jinshan Town, however, was entirely a product of resource integration.

The pill Jinshan Town had originally developed for Frostwarden realm cultivation was called the Tiger Yang Pill.

More than twenty years ago, Longgu Town discovered a spirit plant called Tiger-Patterned Grass deep within Mo’ao Mountain. After years of research yielded no results, they had no choice but to sell it to the other Eight Towns for them to study.

When Jinshan Town got their hands on the Tiger-Patterned Grass, they researched it for several years and unexpectedly developed the formula for the Tiger Strength Pill.

And just like that, the peak-Frostwarden cultivators of the Nine Towns had their third option.

………………

“The Nine Towns officially began trading with one another over seventy years ago. This measure both enhanced the strength of the nine towns and enriched the material lives of all their people. It also raised the average cultivation level of the Nine Towns’ population by a significant margin.”

“It’s no exaggeration to say that the entire process of human civilization at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain began to develop rapidly only after the Nine Towns started trading. You youngsters are too young to know how hard things were seventy years ago.”

“Back then, the Nine Towns had no contact with each other. Any contact meant war. It was common for several village-level camps to be wiped out, and from time to time, a few anomalies would appear, causing great suffering and devastation to the people. It was a miserable time for humanity.”

At night, on the bluestone road north of Hongmen.

A party of about a hundred people was escorting two giant four-wheeled supply carts, moving slowly south through the wind and snow.

Since the party was now within the territory of Great Xia Town, the snow on the bluestone road was not thick, a clear sign that it was regularly cleared by the nearby village-level camps.

Most of the people in the party were busy pushing and pulling the carts. Only about ten people, dressed in relatively fine clothes, were leading the way at the front. The leader, an elderly man in his sixties, was telling a group of young people beside him about the history of the Nine Towns’ trade.

The dozen or so people listening to the old man nodded slightly in agreement.

Only two young men in plain clothes seemed distracted, their gazes fixed on Hongmen to the south.

Another middle-aged man, after hearing the story, pondered for a moment before shaking his head and sighing softly at the old man, “Old Han, what you say is true, but it’s a pity that the lion’s share of the benefits from the Nine Towns’ trade has been taken by the nine towns themselves. We village-level camps only get the scraps. We haven’t enjoyed much of the real benefit. Strictly speaking, we’re all just working for the towns.”

As the middle-aged man finished speaking, the expressions of the crowd instantly became complicated.

A dark glint flashed in the old man’s eyes. He discreetly glanced at the two young men in the party and, seeing their brows furrow, immediately said, “Leader Yue, you can’t just say things like that! The trade was originally established jointly by the Nine Towns. It’s understandable that the towns get the most profit.”

“You should think about it the other way: if it weren’t for the Nine Towns’ trade, how would people like us ever get to see so many good things?”

“We only get to see them. We can’t afford them. What’s the use of that?”

“Normal trade only exists between the nine towns. Without a trade certificate issued by a town, you’re not even qualified to buy goods from another town. For people from village-level camps like us, even if we show up with silver, we have to be sneaky. If we’re lucky, we get ripped off but at least get the goods. If we’re unlucky, we get killed and robbed, losing both our lives and our money. There are countless examples!”

“That’s right. The goods the nine towns get from trading with each other are sold to us village-level camps at a twenty percent markup. Except for some low-level, cheap items, we can only look at but not buy anything even slightly expensive. As for some of the high-level goods, we don’t even have the right to buy them.”

………………

Yue Long’s words ultimately resonated with more people.

The old man had clearly tried to remedy the situation, but his words had the opposite effect, stirring up even more resentment toward the towns as more people began to speak out.

This brought to mind the three trade rules established by the Nine Towns.

First, trade was limited to the nine towns. Second, not just anyone could participate in trade. Besides the Nine Towns’ merchant guilds, anyone else wishing to trade across towns had to have a trade certificate issued by a guild. Finally, there was the time limit: trade did not happen year-round. Only in the ninth and tenth months of each year, when the Nine Towns simultaneously opened their trade channels, would large quantities of goods, silver, and minted coins begin to circulate.

With these three restrictions, combined with the fact that all village-level camps at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain could only trade within their respective towns, the ultimate effect was not hard to deduce.

The production capabilities of the towns and the village-level camps were inherently unequal.

For example, for the same Ten-forged weapon, a town’s craftsmanship could certainly crush that of a village-level camp. To improve their combat strength, the people of the camps had no choice but to spend more basic resources to purchase them from the town.

This disparity in productivity naturally led to the exploitation of the village-level camps by their respective towns. This exploitation was severe even in normal times, but after the Nine Towns began trading, it undoubtedly intensified—whether due to the increased demand for various basic resources, other costs incurred during trade, or a host of other factors.

For instance, Beishuo Town had a pill for treating severe cases of wind-chill called the Reviving Yang Pill. Because of its gentle properties, it was suitable for both adults and children, making it a life-saving medicine in village-level camps with weak means of fending off the cold.

The main ingredient of the Reviving Yang Pill was Warming Grass. Originally, one pill cost twenty liang. Later, when the Nine Towns began trading, Beishuo discovered that similar pills made by the other Eight Towns were not only less effective but could only be used by adults. Seeing that their pill was in high demand, they immediately raised the price to forty liang per pill.

This price increase didn’t just target the other Eight Towns; it applied to the village-level camps within Beishuo’s own jurisdiction as well.

Since the Reviving Yang Pill’s price went up, it would be logical for the price of its main ingredient, Warming Grass, and the other medicinal herbs in its formula to rise accordingly.

The problem was, did these village-level camps dare to raise prices on the town?

Therein lay the crux of the issue. They didn’t dare. And because the Reviving Yang Pill had become so popular in the Eight Towns, Beishuo City’s demand for Warming Grass became enormous. Unwilling to pay so much for it, they ended up deliberately suppressing the purchase price.

Faced with such blatant bullying, the village-level camps could only swallow their anger and suffer in silence.

Beishuo’s Reviving Yang Pill was just one example.

Countless other items were used by the various towns to exploit the villages under them.

The people of the village-level camps were not fools. Over time, they all came to realize that while they did enjoy some of the benefits of trade, the lion’s share was undoubtedly taken by the towns.

The crucial part was that to obtain those few benefits, they were exploited even more severely. When the two were offset, it was as if they received no benefits at all. For some villages without special products, the disadvantages directly outweighed the advantages.

That was why Yue Long’s words had immediately struck a chord with everyone.

“Everyone, be careful with your words, please be careful!”

Seeing the two young men in the party frowning even more deeply, Han Peng couldn’t help but advise them again. Then, he immediately smiled and changed the subject, “But isn’t there Great Xia Town now, willing to open its trade channels to all of us? It seems all of us village-level camps in the Nine Towns have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel…”

At Han Peng’s words, everyone’s spirits lifted.

Yue Long nodded emphatically and said, “Old Han is right. Since Hongmen opened for trade in the seventh month, we village-level camps have truly been saved!”

He paused, his expression growing more and more excited as he continued, “I’ve heard that the rare treasures for sale in Hongmen are innumerable, and the variety of cultivation resources is staggering. Just the pills alone number over seventy types, from the Beast Origin Pill for six-year-old children starting their body tempering, to the Dragon Carp Pill and Green Cod Pill for peak-Frostwarden cultivators to increase their strength. They have everything! And Great Xia doesn’t care about your status when they sell these things. As long as you have the silver, they’ll sell you anything!”

As soon as Yue Long finished, everyone started talking at once, their voices a-buzz with excitement.

“It’s not just that they’re willing to sell. The key is that their prices are cheaper than in the Eight Towns. For example, the Dragon Carp Pill and Green Cod Pill Brother Yue just mentioned cost at least 120,000 liang in the other eight towns, but Great Xia only charges 100,000 liang. And if you buy in bulk, they might lower the price even more.”

“Those are Dragon Carp Pills and Green Cod Pills! People would fight to the death for them anywhere. Which of the Eight Towns doesn’t treat them like precious treasures? It’s a miracle if they’re willing to sell 100 pills a year. But Great Xia releases 200 pills every month, and that doesn’t even seem to be their limit.”

“It’s definitely not their limit. Think about it, Hongmen just opened in the seventh month. Great Xia surely has to reserve a lot of goods for trade with the other Eight Towns in the ninth and tenth months. What they’re selling to us village-level camps is probably just their surplus.”

“And after the Tiger Strength Pill, Dragon Carp Pill, and Green Cod Pill, Great Xia introduced a fourth kind of pill last month that can help peak-Frostwarden cultivators continue to improve their strength. I think it was called Black…”

“Black Fiend Pill!”

“Yes, yes, the Black Fiend Pill! I heard about it. They just started selling it in Hongmen last month. When the peak-Frostwarden cultivators in our Jinshan Town heard about it, they all went crazy and rushed to Hongmen to get their hands on it.”

“It’s not just the variety of pills. They have plenty of other things too. Like Xia Silk, Xia Cloth, Xia Liquor, Xia Salt, Xia Paper… I’m acquainted with Han Feng, the deputy leader of Gu Tan Village. You all probably know him too. He let me try a sip of Great Xia’s Frostblood Wine at the end of last month. The taste… I don’t think I’ll ever forget it for the rest of my life. I have to buy some when I get to Hongmen this time.”

“Hahaha, I’ve tried Xia Liquor too! The taste is truly tempting. Once you have it, you can never forget it. The key is that it’s not just delicious; it also helps boost qi and blood circulation to increase cultivation speed, and it has a powerful warming effect. In extremely cold environments, you could even use it to save your life. It’s truly good stuff!”

“There are more than thirty types of Xia Liquor, ranging from superior to inferior. The Frostblood you mentioned is just one of them. And it’s not that expensive either, only 7,000 liang per catty.”

Hearing the price of 7,000 liang per catty, everyone nodded. One of them, thinking of something, sneered, “The high-grade Monkey Mellow Pulp produced by Beishuo City sells for 10,000 liang of silver per catty, and they deliberately release only 500 catties each year. Now that there’s Xia Liquor, let’s see if they still dare to charge so much.”

The party tonight was composed mostly of people from Jinshan Town. They didn’t have a very favorable view of their own town, so naturally, they had an even worse attitude toward Beishuo City.

A middle-aged man to the side, seemingly reminded of an unpleasant memory by the mention of Monkey Mellow Pulp, snorted coldly, “I’ve tasted Monkey Mellow Pulp. Compared to Xia Liquor, that stuff is no better than wolf piss. Only the people of Beishuo treat it like a treasure. I wouldn’t drink it even if you gave it to me for free.”

The Snow Shadow Wolf was one of the most common Frost Beasts in the outer regions of Mo’ao Mountain. It liked to mark its territory with hot urine. The man’s jibe was clearly intended to disgust Beishuo.

The others found his comment amusing and burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha, a Snow Shadow Wolf’s piss is warm! You can use it to melt snow and ward off the cold. If that Monkey Mellow Pulp didn’t improve cultivation speed, who would drink it!”

“Truly no better than wolf piss, hahaha!”

………

The taste of Monkey Mellow Pulp was certainly not as good as Xia Liquor’s.

But for it to be so sought after by the upper echelons of the Nine Towns, it surely couldn’t be as bad as the crowd was making it out to be. In fact, most of those who were mocking it had probably never even tasted it.

Beishuo only sold 500 catties to the other Eight Towns each year. Those who could buy it were basically the upper class of each town; it was impossible for these Frostwarden cultivators from village-level camps to get any.

Their mockery was laced with strong emotion, clearly stemming from a sour grapes mentality.

These people were merely a microcosm.

They were hardly the only ones with a grudge against the towns. Nearly every village-level camp at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain had long suffered under the towns’ rule. If not for the protection the towns provided, and the lack of any better place to go, why would they willingly submit to exploitation?

Using the opportunity to curse Beishuo’s Monkey Mellow Pulp, the group vented their grievances against the towns one after another, completely oblivious to the fact that the faces of the two young men on the flank of the party had become as dark as thunder.

“Those two… must be from Beishuo Town!”

Han Peng’s peripheral vision inadvertently swept over the two young men. Noticing their increasingly grim expressions, he immediately understood.

“Everyone, look! We’re almost there! Hongmen City!”

Han Peng thought for a moment. Seeing that the others were getting more and more out of line, he knew he would have a hard time smoothing things over if the two young men decided to act. He looked ahead and quickly interrupted everyone.

The crowd fell silent at once and looked south. Their pupils suddenly constricted.

About a kilometer away to the south, a massive city wall spanning five or six kilometers from east to west loomed in the darkness, with numerous coal stoves and bonfires hanging above it.

Looking at those stoves and bonfires, the eyes of everyone in the party filled with yearning. They were full of anticipation for the coming trip to Hongmen City.

Everyone, that is, except for the two young men from Beishuo.

“We’re finally here. We’ll soon find out if this is the same Great Xia from Redwood Ridge!”

Yang Ning stared at Hongmen City, a dark glint in his eyes. He felt a sense of anticipation, yet also a strange complexity welling up within him.

Chapter 389: Entering the City, an Alias, and Those Who Don’t Follow the Rules

Clang… Clang… Clang…

When Han Peng’s caravan of over a hundred people was still three or four hundred meters from the city wall, they heard the sound of massive objects being struck, as dense as falling rain.

Looking up, they saw that for about a hundred meters on either side of the city gate, hundreds of people stood atop the wall, wielding heavy hammers and frantically pounding the structure beneath them.

Under the continuous, heavy blows of several hundred people, the nearly twenty-meter-tall city wall was slowly sinking into the ground.

“They’re replacing the wall. Look at the walls in the distance—they’re made of wood. They must all be getting replaced with these four-sided iron piles!”

Han Peng’s gaze was the sharpest. Noticing the difference in the walls’ colors and seeing a long row of four-sided iron piles lying on the ground further away, he understood at a glance what those people were doing.

At his words, the others immediately understood, and looks of astonishment appeared on their faces.

“Each of those four-sided iron piles must be ten meters on a side and twenty meters tall. How much iron ore would it take to smelt just one of them?”

Yue Long couldn’t help but ask. Hearing his question, everyone lowered their heads and fell into deep thought.

Most village-level camps had iron mines, so they were no strangers to iron.

The iron ore from the Ice Abyss was astonishingly dense; a fist-sized piece weighed forty to fifty catty. Assuming a fist was an eight-centimeter cube, the weight of one of these four-sided iron piles would be at least seventy-five thousand tons.

Gulp…

The first person to finish the calculation couldn’t help but swallow hard. He looked at the length of Hongmen City’s northern wall, and his pupils filled with shock.

Seventy-five thousand tons—that was practically the entire output of a small iron mine!

Just one of the iron piles Hongmen City was using for its wall was equivalent to a miniature mineral vein?

And the crucial part was, a single pile weighed seventy-five thousand tons.

Each of Hongmen City’s four walls was over five kilometers long, meaning it would take at least two thousand of these four-sided iron piles to replace all the wooden walls.

“Can Great Xia even produce that much iron ore?”

“They definitely can. After all, it’s a town-level encampment. Which of the Eight Towns at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain doesn’t have hundreds of iron mines?”

Hearing Yue Long’s question, the crowd paused for a moment before nodding in agreement. Their leader, Han Peng, answered him directly.

But after speaking, Han Peng couldn’t help but shake his head and continue, “But the Eight Towns use most of their iron ore in their own town-cities. Hongmen is just a trading port for Great Xia. Is it really necessary to spend so much to build it up like this? This is almost a third of the scale of a town-city.”

Han Peng was old and had been to all of the Nine Towns of Mo’ao Mountain. The smallest of the nine town-cities was Longgu City, but even its walls were fifteen kilometers long.

That was why he said Hongmen City was a third of the scale of a town-city.

“Stop staring at the wall. Look at those artisans!”

The caravan had now reached the city gate. Someone in the group suddenly noticed something and gestured for the others to take a closer look at the artisans working on the wall.

Everyone looked up, and their bodies trembled.

Even if they were working together, to be able to move iron piles this heavy, how could those artisans be ordinary people?

They were already mentally prepared after seeing the iron piles, but when they sensed that every artisan atop the wall was at the Frostwarden realm, their hearts still couldn’t help but shudder.

There were roughly the same number of artisans on the left and right sides of the wall, more than two hundred on each side, totaling over four hundred people.

“Over four hundred… Frostwarden-realm artisans?”

As Yue Long’s words fell, the entire party instantly went silent.

A weaker village-level camp might only have three to five Frostwarden-realm cultivators. More than ten was considered decent. Having more than thirty likely made a camp the undisputed leader among its neighbors. And with over fifty, they would be well-regarded even in a town-city.

And Great Xia had over four hundred Frostwarden-realm artisans alone?

The key was that these were just the ones sent to build Hongmen City; they were likely only a fraction of Great Xia’s total number of artisans.

It wasn’t just Han Peng, Yue Long, and the other Frostwarden-realm cultivators from the villages of Jinshan Town who were dumbfounded. Even the disguised Yang Ning and Li Hu’s pupils contracted slightly.

The power of Great Xia had truly far exceeded their imagination.

“Alright, what’s so special about building a wall? If you’re here, hurry up and enter the city. Who’s the leader? Come over and register.”

A voice suddenly rang out from ahead, pulling everyone’s attention to the city gate.

It turned out that while they were gaping in amazement, the caravan had already arrived at the foot of the gate.

At the gate, over a hundred soldiers in Thousand-forged Golden Armor and armed with sabers were patrolling back and forth. Dozens of people in plain clothes were responsible for registering the information of those entering and exiting the city.

The person who had shouted at them was also wearing Thousand-forged Golden Armor, but unlike the hundred-plus soldiers who were uniformly equipped with sabers, he wore a longsword at his waist. From his posture, it was clear his status was higher than the others.

Han Peng glanced around and saw that all of the hundred-plus soldiers were at the Frostwarden realm. Thinking of the hundreds of artisans he had just seen, he felt no surprise this time. He quickly lowered his stance, put on a humble smile, and stepped forward, cupping his hands. “This old man is Han Peng. Greetings, Sir. We are a merchant caravan from Jinshan Town.”

As luck would have it, the trading season for the Nine Towns of Mo’ao Mountain had officially begun in September. Xia Chuan knew that a large number of people from other towns would be entering and exiting Hongmen City over the next two months. To ensure the smooth flow of trade and for the sake of the city’s security, he had raised the security level at the city gates. Not only was Vice-Marshal Liu Yuan personally overseeing things, but the ten battalions of the Cloud Serpent Army were also taking turns on guard duty.

Liu Yuan was taken aback by Han Peng’s words and asked with a look of suspicion, “The people from the Jinshan Chamber of Commerce just arrived last night. Did you send two groups?”

“Sir, you misunderstand…”

Mistaken for the Jinshan Chamber of Commerce’s party, Han Peng immediately explained.

It was no wonder Liu Yuan was mistaken. His caravan had over a hundred people, including seventeen Frostwarden-realm cultivators, and they were pulling such a large cart. The scale was indeed comparable to a caravan from a town-city’s chamber of commerce.

“We are from Shady Crane Valley in Jinshan Town. You may laugh, Sir, but our caravan was hastily formed by nine village-level camps from Shady Crane Valley after we heard that Great Xia Town was opening up trade to everyone. It was partly for safety, and partly because we wanted to pool more resources and silver in one go, hoping to trade for more fine goods from Hongmen to bring back.”

“Shady Crane Valley, so that’s how it is!”

Hearing Han Peng’s explanation, Liu Yuan nodded.

Ever since Hongmen had opened for trade in July, many joint caravans formed by multiple village-level camps, like this one from Shady Crane Valley, had appeared. He wasn’t surprised.

“Jinshan Town has nine jurisdictions. Your Shady Crane Valley is the westernmost one, correct?”

Hearing Liu Yuan’s words, a hint of surprise appeared on Han Peng’s face. He cupped his hands and said, “I didn’t expect you to be so knowledgeable about Jinshan Town, Sir.”

Liu Yuan realized he had said a bit too much. He cleared his throat and tried to cover his slip. “Great Xia is now one of the Nine Towns, so naturally we are familiar with the other eight. The journey must have been long and hard for you. Go and register first! The number of people in the caravan, each person’s name, age, and place of origin must all be written down clearly. They will be checked again upon your departure.”

Is Hongmen City this strict?

Han Peng was slightly alarmed but didn’t dare to voice his thoughts. He turned to call the others over to register, one by one, while he stepped forward to be the first.

“Name, age, place of origin?”

“Han Peng, eighty-one years old, from Jinyang Village, Shady Crane Valley, Jinshan Town.”

“Let me offer a word of advice to all of you: it’s best not to fabricate anything, unless you are confident it will never be discovered. If we find out that any of the information you’ve provided is false, that person will be blacklisted by Great Xia, and they will be forever barred from entering Hongmen City.”

Han Peng had just answered the first question. Hearing Liu Yuan’s words, his expression tensed slightly before he continued answering.

Many people in the line behind him wore serious expressions upon hearing Liu Yuan’s warning, though a few looked indignant.

Yang Ning and Li Hu frowned slightly, but after exchanging a look with Han Peng, who had already finished registering, their faces immediately relaxed.

“Name, age, place of origin?”

It was finally Yang Ning’s turn. He glanced at Han Peng from a distance, then answered, “Liu Ning, thirty-two years old, from Jinyang Village, Shady Crane Valley, Jinshan.”

“Liu Hu, thirty-two years old, from Jinyang Village, Shady Crane Valley, Jinshan Town.”

Li Hu was right behind him. The registrar wrote down their information, made a rough note of their appearances, and waved them through into the city.

The hundred-plus people finished registering quickly. They all followed Han Peng and walked into the city together.

As soon as they passed through the gate, Yang Ning immediately sidled up to Han Peng. He took out a fist-sized silver ingot from his bundle and discreetly passed it over, whispering with gratitude, “Many thanks for your help, Old Han. This is just a small token of my appreciation from me, Liu.”

Han Peng silently accepted the silver ingot, his expression unchanging. He just smiled and said in a low voice, “It was nothing to me. No need to mention it. You two must have your own difficulties.”

Liu Ning and Liu Hu were, of course, not from Shady Crane Valley.

The two had joined the caravan midway through its journey in Chuishan’s territory.

Even before entering the city, Han Peng could tell that the two were likely disciples from Beishuo Town’s city. He certainly wouldn’t offend them needlessly, especially since this Liu Ning was so understanding. The silver ingot he had just received was at least five hundred liang.

“Stop!”

“Stop right there!”

Having received the money, Han Peng was in a good mood and was about to say more when a sudden roar interrupted him.

The area near the city gate was relatively quiet due to the sparse crowd, so as soon as the roar sounded, everyone immediately looked toward its source.

Three panicked and disheveled figures were dashing from the city center toward the gate. They all held weapons, their expressions filled with alarm. They knocked over many street vendors and pedestrians along the way, causing a series of angry shouts and threatening to throw the scene into chaos.

Behind the three, hundreds of soldiers in golden armor were giving chase. Although the soldiers had drawn their longbows, they dared not shoot due to the crowded streets and could only continue the pursuit.

“What’s going on?”

“Thieves? Doesn’t look like it. All three of them are empty-handed.”

“They’re all Frostwarden-realm soldiers. Is that Great Xia’s Cloud Serpent Army?”

“Thousand-forged Thunder Kui Golden Armor, same as the hundred men at the gate. They must be.”

…………

The people near the city gate saw the three fleeing toward them. Their eyes flickered, but no one made a move to stop them; they all chose to step aside.

“Everyone, move away!”

Even Han Peng’s expression turned grave as he hurriedly signaled for the caravan to get out of the way.

Han Peng was at the peak-Frostwarden realm with a base strength of Thirteen Mane. He could tell at a glance that the three fleeing men were all stronger than him, so he immediately made the same choice as everyone else.

“There are Xia soldiers at the gate! Split up!”

When the leader of the three fugitives was still several hundred meters from the gate, he suddenly realized there were more soldiers ahead. His face turned ugly, and with a furious shout, he turned and ran toward the west.

The other two reacted upon hearing him and immediately split up as well.

“Hoooo…”

However, the leader running west had barely gone a dozen meters when a heavy and fierce whoosh suddenly sounded in front of him.

A silver, double-bladed great axe over two meters long suddenly came crashing down from above his head.

The man reacted quickly. Without stopping, he swiftly raised his sword and swung it diagonally upwards, clearly intending to parry the great axe and continue his escape.

Crack…

However, he had underestimated the power of that great axe.

Far from parrying it, his longsword couldn’t even complete the motion upon contact. The web of his hand instantly split open. If he hadn’t reacted quickly enough to twist his wrist and deflect the force, the sword would have certainly been knocked from his grasp.

Although he managed to hold on to his sword, his escape speed was greatly reduced. The owner of the double-bladed great axe naturally wouldn’t let such a good opportunity slip.

A burly figure suddenly appeared behind the man. Seizing the moment after his opponent had just dodged the axe and hadn’t yet recovered, he gathered power in his right fist and punched directly at the man’s chest.

Bang…

The man desperately tried to raise his sword to block, but before he could, the fist had already landed. With a loud bang, he spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward for more than ten meters. He lay motionless where he landed, his fate unknown.

“Daring to snoop around the Division Office Building with such meager strength? You’re courting death!”

The burly young man was, of course, Yuan Cheng. Clad in a crimson robe, he pulled his great axe from the ground and snorted coldly.

“Who is that?”

“That’s the Department Head of the Garrison Department, one of Great Xia’s Eight Departments, Lord Yuan Cheng!”

“I heard Lord Yuan also commands a Dragon Slaying Army, which is on par with the Town Guard Army.”

“That man’s strength was at Eighteen Mane, and he couldn’t even take one hit. Is Department Head Yuan that strong?”

“I’ve heard people say Department Head Yuan’s strength is at least Thirty Mane or more.”

“Hiss…”

……………

Just as many people recognized Yuan Cheng, loud noises came from the other two directions, interrupting the crowd’s discussion.

In less than ten breaths, two people walked over from where the sounds had originated. Each was carrying a person—the other two fugitives who had split up.

Both looked miserable. The one on the left had his brow pierced and was already dead; the one on the right had a mangled left shoulder and was barely breathing. Even if he survived, he had likely lost half his life.

“The one with the saber on the left, isn’t that the Commander from the gate earlier?”

“What Commander? That’s the Vice-Marshal of the Cloud Serpent Army, Lord Liu Yuan.”

“The Cloud Serpent Army? The one that slaughtered two thousand of Chuishan’s Town Guard Army and captured over two hundred of their Frostwarden-realm cultivators?”

“Nonsense. Besides Great Xia, who else would dare use that designation?”

“No wonder all those Golden Armored Soldiers at the gate were at the Frostwarden realm. They were Cloud Serpent Army soldiers.”

“What about the one on the right?”

“I don’t know him, but judging by his clothes, his status in Great Xia should be similar to Department Head Yuan’s.”

…………

With Liu Yuan’s identity revealed, the crowd turned their curious gazes to the man on the right.

Since Hongmen opened for trade in July, much information about Great Xia had gradually spread. However, Great Xia’s people rarely operated in the Eight Towns, so besides Lord Xia Hong, people only knew of a few famous figures, like Director Xia Chuan, the Department of Military Affairs Head Yuwen Tao, and the other department heads who had appeared in Hongmen City.

The man on the right had never appeared in Hongmen City before, but his attire clearly indicated he was another important figure in Great Xia.

“Ning, what are you doing back from Bashang?”

Yuan Cheng’s face lit up with pleasant surprise when he saw the person on the right.

The newcomer was actually Xu Ning.

Ever since being appointed as the Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department, Xu Ning had been stationed in Bashang City with Yuwen Tao and hadn’t been back for several months. It was a surprise to see him in Hongmen tonight.

“Greetings, Vice-Prefect Xu!”

Xu Ning first tossed the half-dead fugitive in his hand to a saluting Cloud Serpent soldier, then turned to Yuan Cheng with a smile. “I’m bringing three people back to see the Director tonight.”

Yuan Cheng paused, then turned to look toward the city gate.

Indeed, three middle-aged men were slowly walking through the gate. Recognizing their faces, Yuan Cheng understood immediately. Seeing the crowd, he didn’t question Xu Ning further. He first signaled for the Cloud Serpent soldiers to drag all three fugitives away, then turned to face the crowd. A domineering look crossed his face as he spoke in a deep voice, “When you all entered the city, the Gate Commander should have already told you the rules of Hongmen City.

“Let this Department Head add one more thing: once you enter the city, you must follow the rules. As long as you are here to trade in good faith, Great Xia welcomes you with open arms, regardless of your background or strength. But if you harbor ill intentions, you’d better have some skill, or your fate will be the same as those three!”

A shudder went through the crowd. The miserable state of the three fugitives was still fresh in their minds, and Yuan Cheng’s words were extremely intimidating.

After speaking, Yuan Cheng’s domineering gaze swept over the crowd once more.

During that sweep, he clearly noticed something. His pupils suddenly constricted. Then, without a change in his expression, he turned around. A playful smile touched the corners of his mouth as he pulled Xu Ning along and headed for the Division Office Building.

Chapter 390: The Undeterred Duo, the Xiang Clan’s Tragedy, and Yuan Cheng’s Suspense

“Vice-Prefect Xu, was that man just a Vice-Prefect?”

“His strength is probably around thirty Mane. After Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Yue Feng, Lin Kai, and Shi Ping, Great Xia has yet another top-tier expert with over thirty Mane. That’s eight of them already. Just how many experts does Great Xia have?”

“The key is that this Lord Xu isn’t even old. His aptitude is astonishing!”

“There must be more. I heard that very few people have actually been to a Great Xia town city—only some of the core upper echelons of the Eight Towns. They must know more than we do.”

“You can tell just by the Eight Towns’ attitude toward Great Xia!”

“Exactly. Great Xia dares to open trade completely to village-level camps like ours, which is clearly draining the lifeblood of the Eight Towns. It’s been over two months since they opened their ports, and the Eight Towns haven’t dared to react at all. Isn’t that enough to tell you everything?”

“These eight experts must be just the tip of the iceberg for Great Xia. I estimate their true strength is far beyond our imagination.”

………

The base strength of an Earthforger realm expert ranges from ten thousand catty at the initial breakthrough to a difference of at most a hundred thousand or so catty at the Earthforger limit, barring extreme cases.

Unlike the Earthforger realm, the base strength of the Frostwarden realm is measured in Mane. One Mane is equivalent to one hundred thousand catty. Coupled with the limitations of one’s battle physique aptitude, the power disparity at this stage can be immense.

For example, while both a one-Mane and a fifty-Mane individual are considered to be in the Frostwarden realm, the difference in their strength is like a heavenly chasm.

The Nine Garrisons of Mo’ao have unofficially divided the Frostwarden realm into three tiers based on strength: those above eight Mane are called skilled fighters, those above twenty-four Mane are called experts, and those above thirty Mane are referred to as top-tier experts.

Anyone with a basic understanding of combat physiques would quickly see the reasoning behind this division. Without the aid of medicinal enhancements, an ordinary Frostwarden’s strength caps out at eight Mane. Those who can increase their strength to over twenty-four Mane are already comparable to a peak Frostwarden with a supreme combat physique. And those who can reach over thirty Mane can essentially dominate the Frostwarden realm, regardless of their combat physique aptitude.

Within the Eight Towns, the number of Frostwarden experts with strength exceeding thirty Mane could practically be counted on one’s fingers. On average, each town probably only had about ten.

Great Xia had only just made its mark on Mo’ao Mountain in April, and they had already revealed eight such individuals. Who knew how many more were in their town city?

It was understandable, then, that shock was written all over everyone’s faces.

As the crowd murmured, Yuan Cheng and Xu Ning had already walked off with the Cloud Serpent Army soldiers. Yang Ning and Li Hu remained rooted to the spot, staring at each other, their eyes filled with shock and horror.

“It’s him! Although his clothes and demeanor have completely changed, I’m certain that the burly young man just now was one of the six that Xia Hong brought to Rogge Camp that night nine years ago!”

Li Hu whispered to Yang Ning, his tone absolutely certain.

Though Yang Ning didn’t reply, the tremor in his eyes showed that he was even more certain of this than Li Hu.

Nine years wasn’t a particularly long time.

Moreover, their trip nine years ago to map Redwood Ridge, crossing the North Bank of the Heng River with the help of Chuishan Town, had been a life-or-death experience. The memory was deeply etched in both their minds.

If Li Hu could recognize Yuan Cheng, he naturally could as well.

“Over thirty Mane… How is that possible? How? Nine years ago, that Xia Hong was only in the Earthforger realm himself. The six he brought with him were only at the Lumberjack realm. Nine years… It’s only been nine years…”

Yang Ning’s mind went blank. Although he had mentally prepared himself before coming, the confirmation that the now-famous Great Xia was the same small camp they had encountered at Redwood Ridge nine years ago still dealt a massive blow to his psyche. He was even beginning to doubt himself.

He was thirty-three this year, at the peak of the Frostwarden realm with a strength of twenty-one Mane. He was definitely a prodigy among his peers in Beishuo, but what did that amount to compared to the Yuan Cheng from just now?

And the crucial part was, Yuan Cheng was just one of the six young people that the Great Xia camp leader, Xia Hong, had brought to Rogge Camp nine years ago.

What about the other five, and… what about Xia Hong?

Thinking of the rumors surrounding the Great Lord of Xia, Xia Hong, Yang Ning couldn’t help but tremble.

“It’s an anomaly. It must be an anomaly. A normal camp could never develop at this speed. Big Brother, didn’t we come here to confirm this very thing? Now that we have our answer, we should be happy!”

Hearing Li Hu’s words, Yang Ning looked up at him and saw a trace of fear mixed with the shock on his face. After a moment of thought, he immediately understood what Li Hu was afraid of.

Nine years ago, over the ownership of that Wooden Puppet Aberration, Li Hu had nearly killed one of Xia Hong’s subordinates.

At this thought, Yang Ning’s brow furrowed.

It wasn’t just Li Hu. He, too, had wanted to bring that subordinate of Xia Hong’s to Beishuo City. It was only due to the collective pressure from everyone at Redwood Ridge that he had grudgingly retreated with Li Hu.

“It’s fine. That Yuan Cheng didn’t recognize us just now. Since we’ve snuck in with fake identities, let’s find out everything we can. The more information we bring back, the happier Town Head will be!”

Li Hu’s eyes lit up at his words, and he nodded vigorously.

Both he and Yang Ning were Commanders in the Beishuo Town’s Garrison Guards, so they knew quite a bit. Great Xia had been in the spotlight far too much recently, and its actions, such as opening its ports for trade, had severely damaged the interests of the various towns. Currently, apart from Muyin and Jiangxia, the other six towns were extremely hostile toward Great Xia, with the three northern towns viewing it as a thorn in their side.

Furthermore, as Great Xia’s reputation as the number one town of Mo’ao spread, another rumor had begun to circulate among the Eight Towns.

The rumor was that Xia Hong had replaced Beishuo’s Yang Zun as the strongest expert at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain.

It was unclear how the other seven towns had reacted, but Beishuo Town’s reaction was extreme.

How could the name of the Great Lord Yang Zun be slandered?

The moment this rumor reached Beishuo City in mid-July, Town Head Yang Fa had flown into a rage, immediately executing over a dozen of the primary spreaders. He then issued a strict order forbidding anyone in the city from repeating the message.

When Yang Ning first heard the rumor from a soldier in the Barracks, his reaction had been just as violent. He had almost killed the man. In the end, considering the soldier was just spreading gossip, he only punished him with a hundred military lashes, leaving him severely injured.

Now, Beishuo’s core leadership, including Yang Ning and Li Hu, harbored extreme hostility toward Great Xia.

The two had traveled thousands of kilometers to Hongmen to gather information on Great Xia, partly to resolve the doubts in their own hearts, and partly to ease the worries of their Lord and Town Head.

“Of the three people who followed that Vice-Prefect Xu into the city just now, I recognize the one in the middle. His name is Xiang Tianyang. The two beside him resemble him, so they must be Xiang clan disciples as well.”

Having decided to remain in Hongmen to gather intelligence, Yang Ning pushed other thoughts aside. Remembering the three people Xu Ning had escorted into the city, a dark look appeared in his eyes.

“At the Hongmen Banquet at the end of April, Great Xia first snatched Jiugu Camp from us in Beishuo, then took Bashang City from Chuishan Town. Now, inviting Xiang clan disciples over… it must be about the one million plus people in Bashang City who are refusing to relocate.”

Li Hu immediately nodded in agreement.

He had also heard about the refusal of Bashang’s people to move.

“Those people from Shady Crane Valley should be staying in Hongmen for a few days. During this time, we should stick with Han Peng as much as possible and see if we can spot any other familiar faces besides that Yuan Cheng.”

“Alright!”

Li Hu immediately agreed.

Nine years ago, Xia Hong had brought a total of six lumberjacks to Rogge Camp. Confirming Yuan Cheng’s identity alone wasn’t enough. If they could confirm a few more familiar faces, their case would be much more solid.

As the two schemed in hushed tones, they did not stray from Han Peng’s group.

They failed to notice that at the head of the group, Han Peng’s gaze swept over them, a similarly dark glint flashing in the depths of his eyes.

Hongmen City, Division Office Building, top-floor main hall.

Xiang Tianyang led his two clan younger brothers, Xiang Tianqing and Xiang Tianyu, behind a Golden Armored Soldier, slowly entering the main hall. All three wore exceptionally grim expressions, their thoughts unreadable.

“Gentlemen, our Prefect is occupied with other matters and will be here to see you shortly. Please wait a moment.”

The soldier who led them in gave a customary bow, explained the situation, and then quickly exited the hall.

The three of them stood in the main hall, silent for a long time. No one spoke.

Finally, Xiang Tianqing, on the left, could not hold back any longer.

“Big Brother, Fourth Brother, no matter how strong Great Xia is, it’s absolutely impossible for them to make our Xiang clan move from Bashang!”

Xiang Tianqing was in his early forties, the youngest of the three, and apparently the most hot-headed. After stating his position, he continued in a low voice, “Not just our Xiang clan, but the Zhang, Zheng, and Wang clans… a dozen or so families, large and small, in the city, plus the other six hundred thousand people, have all lived in Bashang for generations. Great Xia wants all one million plus of us to move with a single sentence? That’s unreasonable!”

Xiang Tianyang and Xiang Tianyu both instinctively moved to respond, but then something seemed to occur to them, and their faces froze as they remained silent.

Bashang City originally had a population of just over eight hundred thousand. Due to successive defeats in the war against Dajue Temple at the beginning of the year, they had been forced to relocate everyone from their village-level camps to the town city, causing the population to swell to over one and a half million in a short time.

Later, the five Grand Masters of Dajue Temple unleashed that monstrous Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya, which took the lives of another third of the city’s population. As a result, Bashang City now had just over a million people left.

The fall of Dajue Temple did not bring the dawn of victory for Bashang City.

Lord Xiang Fuhai’s body was never found, Military Head Xiang Fanyun and Town Head Xiang Tianlin had both died in battle, the upper echelons were all but wiped out, and countless Xiang clan disciples had been killed or wounded. Of all the Frostwarden experts in Bashang Town, only just over five hundred remained alive—a mere one-sixth of their pre-war numbers.

In the aftermath of the war, Bashang City could only watch as the six towns emptied their treasury, carved up all their territory, and even their very own Bashang City was ultimately given to Chuishan Town.

But less than a day later, they received news that Bashang City had changed hands again, this time to Great Xia.

Amidst their shock and sorrow, it had to be said that most people in Bashang City were actually quite happy, especially after learning that Xia Hong was the one who had dealt with the Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya and saved their city. Their resistance to the idea was minimal.

In early May, the Dragon Martial Army entered Bashang City without any opposition, which was clear proof of their lack of resistance.

But in mid-May, when the Vice-Prefect sent by Great Xia to oversee Bashang, Xu Ning, proposed that all one million plus people of Bashang should relocate to Xiacheng, their resistance immediately flared up.

The five hundred-odd Frostwarden experts, along with tens of thousands of Earthforger realm warriors and all the residents of Bashang City, almost unanimously refused.

They were living perfectly fine in Bashang City; why would they be willing to move somewhere else? No matter how wonderfully Xu Ning and the people of Great Xia described Xiacheng, not a single person agreed.

The dozen or so families in the city, along with the five hundred Frostwarden experts and all the Earthforger warriors, united. No matter how Great Xia tried to persuade them, they simply would not move. Even when Great Xia allowed them to send representatives to tour Xiacheng, and though some were successfully persuaded to move, they were almost all people from the former village-level camps. The vast majority of Bashang’s original residents did not budge. The number of people remaining in Bashang City was estimated to be just over nine hundred thousand.

“Four months of dragging this on… Great Xia’s patience must have run out!”

This thought surfaced in Xiang Tianyang’s mind, and he sighed softly.

He had come to Hongmen this time at the invitation of Prefect Xia Chuan.

Great Xia’s patience had been exhausted, and they were preparing to use force to make them move. Other than that, he could think of no other reason why a Prefect like Xia Chuan would personally invite him to Hongmen.

Among the “Tian” generation disciples of the Xiang clan, Xiang Tianyang’s talent and cultivation were not outstanding. He was over sixty years old, with a cultivation of only twenty-eight Mane. In the old Bashang City, he would have been a nobody.

But now, he not only represented the entire Xiang clan, but along with his two clan brothers, he also served as a representative for the over one million people of Bashang City to negotiate with Great Xia. In the past, this was an honor he could never have dreamed of.

If he could choose, Xiang Tianyang would rather such an honor never fall upon his shoulders.

“Tianqing, you can’t fight an overwhelming force. Killing, co-opting, threatening… Great Xia has too many ways to deal with us. The fact they haven’t used force yet means they’re giving us a way out. If we continue…”

“Big Brother, I know what you’re saying makes sense, but no matter what, I’ve lived in Bashang for decades. Every blade of grass, every brick and tile here was accumulated step by step by the people of Bashang, led by our Xiang clan for generations. By what right, what qualification, does Great Xia have to make us move from here?”

Xiang Tianyu, who had been silent until now, could no longer hold back. He nodded and added in a deep voice, “Bashang’s fall is a foregone conclusion, and we accept the fact that we are now part of Great Xia. But Great Xia shouldn’t force us to leave Bashang. I know Xiacheng is wonderful—you can tell from the variety of cultivation resources from the Bashang Logistics Division. But even so, in my heart, it can’t compare to Bashang…”

Seeing the usually cool-headed Xiang Tianyu speak with such passion, Xiang Tianyang shook his head with a sigh and fell into deep thought.

In the end, it came down to four words: it’s hard to leave one’s homeland.

Once people get used to an environment, it’s very difficult to make them willing to move elsewhere. The hardship and danger of a long journey, adapting to and integrating into a new environment, changes in lifestyle, the feeling of living under someone else’s roof…

The reasons were varied, but the situation was now at a stalemate.

The last nine hundred thousand plus people in Bashang City absolutely refused to move.

The words of Xiang Tianyu and Xiang Tianqing basically represented everyone’s attitude. Even though Xiang Tianyang knew in his heart that Great Xia was being patient with them, he would never dare to go against the will of all his people.

“Alright. Since both of you younger brothers are so determined, I won’t say any more. No matter what conditions the Lord Prefect proposes later, we will not agree to relocate. If not for ourselves, then for the more than nine hundred thousand…”

“You must be Tianyang?”

Before Xiang Tianyang could finish, he was interrupted by an old, weak voice. Hearing this voice, he and the other two men shuddered violently, their expressions instantly turning to excitement.

The three quickly turned toward the source of the voice. When they saw the aged figure slowly walking out from the side room behind the main seat, their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably. Without a second thought, they rushed forward and fell to their knees before the man.

“First Uncle, you’re still alive!”

“Tianqing pays his respects to the Lord.”

“Tianyu pays his respects to the Lord! This is wonderful! The Lord is still alive!”

The person who walked out of the side room was none other than the Lord of Bashang, Xiang Fuhai.

Although Xiang Fuhai’s face was pale and he was clearly very weak, Xiang Tianyang and the others, kneeling on the ground, were too emotional to speak.

After looking up, Xiang Tianyang quickly realized something. Tears began streaming down his face, and he started wailing loudly at Xiang Fuhai.

“First Uncle, they’re dead! They’re all dead! In the battle for Bashang, our Xiang clan lost over six hundred people! The other dozen or so families suffered similar losses! In total, over eighty percent of our Frostwarden experts died, and over seventy thousand Earthforger warriors were killed! The treasury was looted by the six towns, and our territory has been completely carved up…”

He had thought Xiang Fuhai was dead, his body simply lost.

Now, suddenly discovering that he was alive, Xiang Tianyang, amidst his ecstatic excitement, couldn’t help but pour out all the pent-up frustration and pain from the past four months.

A man in his sixties, kneeling on the ground, wept without restraint, recounting over and over the fate of Bashang after its fall. He showed none of the composure expected of an elder.

Beside him, Xiang Tianqing and Xiang Tianyu were clearly infected by Xiang Tianyang’s words, and tears welled up in their eyes as well.

One-third of over one and a half million people had died. To the other Eight Towns of Mo’ao, including Great Xia, it was just a simple statistic. But the pain it brought to the people of Bashang was something they would likely never be able to erase in their lifetime.

Because the ones who had died were all their relatives.

And this was especially true for the Xiang clan and the other core high-level families who had formed the main defense in the battle for Bashang.

The Xiang clan had risen during Xiang Fuhai’s grandfather’s time, prospered under his father’s, and then reached its zenith under Xiang Fuhai himself. They had been deeply rooted in Bashang for over seventy years. Throughout this time, the clan had grown to nearly seven hundred members. The battle for Bashang had killed over six hundred of them—a truly devastating blow.

If the two of them were like this, one could only imagine how Xiang Fuhai felt.

In fact, from the moment he saw that the visitor was Xiang Tianyang, Xiang Fuhai’s heart had already been struck by a heavy hammer.

Xiang Tianyang had mediocre aptitude among the twenty-odd “Tian” generation disciples. The fact that he could come to Hongmen as Bashang’s representative meant that in the great battle at the end of April, not only his Xiang clan, but also the Frostwarden elites of the other dozen or so families in Bashang, had all been wiped out.

Xiang Fuhai’s face was already pale, his condition extremely weak. After hearing Xiang Tianyang’s words, his expression became one of profound grief, and his body swayed precariously.

“First Uncle, what’s wrong?”

The three men immediately stood up and supported him, their faces full of worry.

Xiang Fuhai closed his eyes and regulated his breathing for a moment. When he had recovered slightly, he opened his eyes to look at his three cousins’ sons. With a pained expression and a trembling voice, he asked, “How many in the clan are still alive? Are Wentian, Wendao, Wenhong, and Wenlong among them? How many of the ‘Wen’ generation and ‘Yu’ generation disciples are alive?”

The “Tian” generation was Xiang Fuhai’s nephews’ generation. The children of him and his brother Xiang Fuhai were certainly all dead. He could only ask about his four direct grandsons and the even younger “Yu” generation of great-grandsons.

Wentian, Wendao, Wenhong, and Wenlong were not only his and his brothers’ direct grandsons but also the most talented of the “Wen” generation. They were all only in their forties, with strengths above twenty Mane. The latter three all had superior combat physiques, and his eldest grandson, Xiang Wentian, even possessed a supreme combat physique. He had always been the one Xiang Fuhai valued most.

At this question, deep sorrow appeared on the faces of all three men. Looking at their First Uncle’s tottering body, they all chose to remain silent.

“Just tell me. I have lived for over one hundred and forty years. What storms have I not seen? I can withstand something as small as this!”

Seeing Xiang Fuhai’s determined expression, Xiang Tianyang’s face froze. He finally spoke through his tears, “Wendao, Wenhong, and Wenlong… the three of them died at the city gates that night. Wentian was lucky enough to escape, but the next day, when the six town lords were forcibly dividing the Bashang Treasury, Wentian couldn’t bear it and argued with them. His words accidentally angered Yang Zun, and Beishuo’s Town Head, Yang Fa, personally acted…”

“Go on. What did Yang Fa do to Tian’er?”

Seeing Xiang Tianyang’s hesitation, Xiang Fuhai’s heart trembled. He clenched his fists and urged him to continue.

A look of deep pain appeared in Xiang Tianyang’s eyes as he continued, “Yang Zun and Yang Fa must have both seen that Wentian has a supreme combat physique. That Yang Fa struck directly and severed both of Wentian’s arms.”

“Ah… cough…”

Xiang Fuhai could no longer suppress the rage in his chest. With a long roar, overwhelmed by fury, he spat out a large mouthful of blood. His face turned deathly pale, and his body went limp.

“First Uncle…”

“Lord!”

The three men had been supporting Xiang Fuhai all along, so they naturally didn’t let him fall, quickly propping him up.

“Yang Zun, Yang Fa! One day, if I do not slaughter every last disciple of your Yang clan, I swear I am not a man! Shangguan Yang, Qin Feng, for forcing my Bashang into a death match with Dajue Temple, as long as I live, Jinshan and Wuchuan will never have a peaceful day! And Chuishan, Longgu, Yangqu—not a single one of you is any good! As long as I draw breath, my feud with the Six Towns is one of death!”

The chill in Xiang Fuhai’s eyes was sharp to the extreme. His words seemed to be squeezed through gritted teeth, his tone dripping with fury and hatred.

However, a careful observer would have noticed that as he spoke, his gaze inadvertently flickered toward the side wing of the main hall.

“Sir, Xiang Fuhai is pledging his loyalty to our Great Xia!”

In the Quiet Room in the side wing of the main hall, Qiu Peng remarked to Xia Chuan with a smile.

“He’s still in a half-crippled state and is counting on Cheng Feng and the Alchemy Workshop to help him recover his Sun-Manifestation realm cultivation. Pledging some loyalty is only normal.”

Xia Chuan didn’t speak, but Yuan Cheng chimed in with a grin.

Xu Ning, who had just personally escorted Xiang Tianyang’s group to Hongmen City, was also seated there. Hearing Yuan Cheng’s words, he also smiled and said, “It’s true he needs something from us, but Beishuo’s actions were indeed a bit excessive. The experts of Bashang’s ‘Tian’ generation are almost all dead. That Xiang Wentian was practically the one among the survivors most likely to break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm. For Yang Fa to sever his arms, he was clearly trying to cut off the Xiang clan’s roots. It’s normal for Xiang Fuhai to be this angry.”

“Seven parts truth, three parts pretense, I’d say!”

Xia Chuan, seated in the main chair, finally spoke. After defining Xiang Fuhai’s speech, he continued with a smile, “The three northern towns jointly pressured Xiang Fuhai, forcing him and his people into a death match with Dajue Temple. That’s the root cause of Bashang Town’s demise. How could Xiang Fuhai not hold a grudge?

“Even without the incident with Xiang Wentian, his feud with those three towns would be to the death.

“As for Chuishan, Longgu, and Yangqu, since they participated in looting the Bashang Treasury and territory, it’s only natural that he would resent them.

“Xiang Fuhai is quite shrewd. He has likely guessed why Great Xia saved him, so he’s deliberately saying he has a death feud with the Six Towns to increase his own value and the value of the Xiang clan disciples.”

Qiu Peng thought for a moment, then immediately understood, nodding with a smile. “He’s lost his Sun-Manifestation realm cultivation now, and the Xiang clan is reduced to just a few kittens. This is indeed the only way he can increase his value.”

After speaking, Qiu Peng remembered something and asked Xia Chuan in a low voice, “Sir, if Cheng Feng successfully develops a pill to help him recover his cultivation, are we really going to help him recover?”

At this question, Xia Chuan’s brow furrowed slightly, but he quickly thought of something, and his expression relaxed into a smile. “That will depend on his and Bashang’s people’s performance from now on.”

Hearing this, smiles immediately appeared on the faces of Qiu Peng and the others.

“The matter of the Bashang relocation can finally be resolved smoothly!”

Xu Ning let out a huge sigh of relief. He had been stationed in Bashang since early May, for over four months now, and the population relocation had been his biggest headache.

Just as Xiang Tianyang had guessed, if Great Xia really wanted to forcibly relocate those one million-plus people, there were of course many ways to do so. The problem was that Xia Hong had given prior instructions that the relocation had to be completely voluntary for everyone. This meant that many methods were off the table for him.

“Bashang is truly different from the camps our Great Xia has annexed before. A total population of over a million, and they’ve identified as people of Bashang for generations. Getting them to integrate into Great Xia is extremely difficult. It’s all thanks to the Lord’s foresight, leaving such a brilliant move as Xiang Fuhai in reserve…”

Xu Ning couldn’t help but exclaim. Xia Chuan, Qiu Peng, and Yuan Cheng all nodded in agreement, a look of admiration on their faces.

Thinking back now, when Xia Hong saved Xiang Fuhai in Bashang, he must have already anticipated today’s outcome. Such strategic thinking was truly impressive.

“By the way, Prefect, two very interesting people have snuck into Hongmen. I think you’ll be interested…”

Yuan Cheng suddenly remembered something and spoke to Xia Chuan with a smile.

“Snuck into Hongmen? What people?”

Xia Chuan and the other two looked at him with curiosity.

“Just as Xu Ning was bringing Xiang Tianyang’s group into the city, a trade caravan also happened to be entering. That caravan was jointly formed by nine village-level camps from Jinshan Town’s Shady Crane Valley. The leader’s name is Han Peng!”

Yuan Cheng didn’t directly state the two people’s names. Instead, he first mentioned the group that entered the city today, deliberately emphasizing the name Han Peng.

“Han Peng from Shady Crane Valley…”

Hearing Han Peng’s name, Xia Chuan first looked puzzled. After a moment of thought, he quickly remembered something, and a glint of understanding flashed in his eyes. “This Han Peng was on the list that Han Feng brought from Jinshan Town in August, right?”

“That’s right, that’s him. The Leader of Jinyang Village in Shady Crane Valley, Han Peng!”

Qiu Peng also reacted upon hearing the name. Seeing Xu Ning’s confused expression, he immediately explained, “You remember Han Feng, don’t you?”

Xu Ning’s brow creased slightly, but he quickly recalled. “You mean Han Jiuli’s son, the one who escaped from the Hanqiong camp six years ago, Han Feng?”

Qiu Peng nodded. “That’s him. After he escaped through the hidden tunnel six years ago, by a twist of fate, he joined Jinshan Town’s Gu Tan Village and even became its deputy leader. At the end of last year, the seven towns sent people to reinforce Jiangxia, and he happened to be among them, where he ran into Lu Yang.

“The Lord’s head maid, Hanyue, and her deputy, Hanshuang, turned out to be his two younger sisters. He visited Xiacheng once at the end of last year, and at the beginning of last month, he brought his wife and children to join Great Xia. Besides bringing some information about Jinshan’s town city, he also gave us a list.”

Xu Ning quickly understood the circumstances of Han Feng joining Great Xia and asked curiously, “What list?”

“A very interesting list. Han Feng spent six years in Gu Tan Village and got to know many Frostwarden experts from the surrounding camps. he discovered that five people in this group had an abnormally fast rate of cultivation growth, and they were extremely keen on gathering information about the various town cities, even willing to pay a high price for it. He sensed that there was something very wrong with these people, so he told us their names and situations. Jinyang Village’s Leader, Han Peng, is one of them!”

“From outside the Nine Towns?”

Xu Ning pondered for only a moment before he understood. He shot a look at Xia Chuan, a hint of shock on his face.

Xia Chuan didn’t answer, but his expression was grim and serious.

At this moment, Yuan Cheng continued with a smile.

“This Han Peng would certainly interest you, Sir, but he’s not the one I wanted to talk about today. I’m talking about two others.”

“Stop keeping us in suspense. Just give us the names,” Xia Chuan said, unable to resist urging him on after seeing Yuan Cheng’s smug look.

Yuan Cheng let out a chuckle and finally spoke.

“Yang Ning, Li Hu!”

Hearing these two names, Qiu Peng and Xu Ning immediately shot to their feet.

“It’s those two mongrels!”

“They finally came! When Lu Yang brought back the news a few years ago, I almost couldn’t stop myself from going to Beishuo to slaughter them. And now they’ve delivered themselves to our doorstep!”

Chapter 391: Spies and Agents from the Eight Towns, Xia Chuan’s Bearing, and News from Beyond the Domain

It was in August of the third year of Great Xia, a full five years ago, that Lu Yang and his men broke through the hidden tunnel in Hanqiong and last heard news from Beishuo.

During these five years, Lu Yang had used the Eastern Ridge as his base, with Great Xia at his back, to either control or infiltrate Beining Mountain and the entire Jingxi District, making no small achievements.

However, to avoid alerting the higher-ups in Beishuo and to ensure the absolute safety of the Hanqiong hidden tunnel, Lu Yang had always maintained a respectful distance from Beishuo City. He didn’t even attempt to infiltrate, and he was extremely cautious even when gathering information.

Even so, five years of even indirect inquiries was enough time for him to piece together a clear picture of the situation in Beishuo City.

He had gathered and sent back intelligence on Yang Ning and Li Hu two years prior, in September of the sixth year of Great Xia.

From their origins and ages to their approximate cultivation levels and strength, and even their positions in Beishuo City, Xia Chuan and the others knew everything.

Qiu Peng’s reaction was intense because he had been one of the witnesses back then. He clearly remembered Yang and Li’s arrogant and insufferably haughty attitude at Redwood Ridge from beginning to end, their disrespectful words toward Lord Xia Hong, and how they later severely wounded Xia Chuan and almost took him away. All of it was etched in his memory.

People tend to have profound memories of humiliations suffered when they were insignificant, and Qiu Peng was no exception. His impression of Yang and Li was exceptionally deep. When Lu Yang had sent back information on them two years ago, Qiu Peng had indeed declared he would go to Beishuo City to kill them himself. But at the time, his strength was still lacking, and both Xia Hong and Xia Chuan had stopped him, so he’d had to let the matter go.

It was worth mentioning that on the night the Wooden Puppet Aberration was exterminated in Double Dragon Valley nine years ago, Xu Ning was not present, his right eyeball having been blinded by a Demonic Sheep.

Although he wasn’t there, Yuan Cheng and the others told him everything that happened that night after they returned to the camp. Thus, he was fully aware that Xia Chuan had nearly died at Li Hu’s hands and was almost taken to Beishuo City by Yang Ning.

Given the status Xia Hong and Xia Chuan held in his heart, Yang and Li’s actions back then more than warranted a death sentence in his eyes. It was only natural for him to react the same way as Qiu Peng.

“No need to get so worked up. Sit down first!”

Unlike the other two, Xia Chuan’s reaction was exceptionally calm. His expression didn’t even ripple as he raised a hand to placate them. Smiling, he gestured for them to sit before looking at Yuan Cheng. “They snuck in with that Han Peng, all using false identities?”

Yuan Cheng nodded. “They used identities from Jinyang Village. Their aliases were even simpler—just Liu Ning and Liu Hu. When I saw their names and faces, I was already eighty percent certain. I just went to the Garrison Division and cross-referenced the information on all the Frostwarden realm individuals from the nine villages in the Shady Crane Valley jurisdiction. When I couldn’t find any information that matched their situation, I basically confirmed it.”

“Then it must be them!” Qiu Peng immediately added with a firm nod.

Before entering Hongmen City, everyone had to register their personal information strictly. This wasn’t merely for ease of management within the city; more importantly, the Garrison Division used this information to verify and screen the registrants’ true identities.

Lu Yang had been in Beishuo for five years, and the spies Great Xia had sent to infiltrate the various towns last October had long since begun their work. They might not be able to gather intelligence on the core situations of the eight town-cities, but mastering the basic conditions of all the village-level camps within the Eight Towns’ territories was not difficult.

As the intelligence network became more complete, Xiacheng was already well aware of how many jurisdictions each of the Eight Towns had, how many villages were in each jurisdiction, how many Frostwarden realm cultivators were in those villages, and even the specific strength of some of them.

In the two months since Great Xia announced the opening of Hongmen Port in July, a continuous stream of people from the various towns had arrived, totaling over twenty thousand. Although the vast majority used their real identities to trade with Great Xia openly and honestly, a small portion with ill intentions had snuck in using false identities.

Yuan Cheng had been stationed in Hongmen for the past two months. Relying on Great Xia’s dense intelligence network spanning the Eight Towns, he had personally led the Hongmen Garrison Division to root out over three hundred people who had infiltrated with false identities. He was quite experienced, which was probably part of the reason he could see through Yang Ning and Li Hu at a glance today.

“I remember those two. They’re both Commanders in the Beishuo Town’s Garrison Guards and have nothing to do with any chamber of commerce. What are they doing here in Hongmen?”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, Yuan Cheng immediately replied, “What else could it be? Just like the others, they must be spies sent by Beishuo Town to probe our Great Xia’s strength.”

Xia Chuan didn’t speak, just shook his head slightly.

Qiu Peng had calmed down by now. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then also shook his head at Yuan Cheng. “What’s the use of sending people to Hongmen City to probe Great Xia’s strength? Hongmen is already open to the Eight Towns. There’s no need to use false identities to get in.”

Yuan Cheng immediately understood, his expression turning slightly grim.

Hongmen City was not only a trading port and the gateway to the north shore but also a window for Great Xia to display its strength. Its status was of course paramount. Not only were the Cloud Serpent Army and Dragon Slaying Army, along with others totaling eight thousand troops, stationed here, but high-ranking officials like Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng were also personally overseeing it.

But no matter how important it was, in the end, it was just an outpost of Great Xia. It was unrealistic to try and probe Great Xia’s true strength from here.

The only way to truly investigate Great Xia’s specific situation was to go to Xiacheng. The Eight Towns would not be ignorant of this.

In fact, the Eight Towns were doing exactly that. Ever since the Hongmen Banquet ended in April, their espionage attempts on Xiacheng had hardly ceased.

“Over the past four months, Department Head Li of the Department of Justice led his men and captured over a hundred Frostwarden realm spies from the Eight Towns outside Xiacheng. Jiangxia and Muyin were slightly better; they only sent one wave. We let that group go, and after the Director personally sent a letter of warning, those two towns didn’t dare send anyone else. The other six towns, however, have shown unyielding persistence! They send wave after wave of spies, as if it’ll never end. The Department of Justice hasn’t caught many spies recently. I reckon it’s because those people have figured out Xiacheng’s safe distance by now.”

Qiu Peng’s words were amusing, and smiles appeared on the faces of Xia Chuan and the other two.

“The Lord’s Mother Monument is truly miraculous. Within fifty kilometers of Xiacheng, any outsiders who intrude are immediately monitored. Those spies from the Eight Towns can’t even get close to Xiacheng, let alone sneak into the city to gather information.”

Qiu Peng had been traveling between Xiacheng and Hongmen recently, so he knew a lot about the situation at home. He mentioned the Mother Monument with a face full of admiration, but then his expression turned solemn as he thought of something. “The only pity is that this monument can’t be used to identify spies within the city. Xiacheng is constantly seeing large influxes of population now. It’s hard to guarantee that there aren’t spies pre-arranged by the Eight Towns, mixing in with the others to enter the city.”

Yuan Cheng and Xu Ning nodded in agreement, their expressions turning slightly grave.

The Mother Monument’s surveillance over a fifty-kilometer radius of Xiacheng could only target foreign life forms not from Great Xia’s camps. This meant that once people from other camps successfully joined Great Xia, they were no longer under its surveillance.

As long as the Eight Towns were smart about it, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to send people to mix into some normal camps in advance, and then use the opportunity of Great Xia’s expansion and annexation of these camps to feign becoming a member of Great Xia and slip into Xiacheng.

This problem was basically unsolvable.

They couldn’t possibly hope for Lord Xia Hong to produce another divine artifact that could discern whether others had genuinely and sincerely joined Great Xia, could they?

Thinking of this, the three of them suddenly looked up and noticed that Xia Chuan, sitting in the main seat, was smiling. A glimmer of hope rose in their hearts.

“I know what you’re thinking. Regarding the issue of spies from the six towns, I already asked the Lord about it in early June. He said that as our Xiacheng’s population grows, it’s inevitable that spies from other camps will sneak in. We can only strengthen our defenses; completely preventing it is impossible. However, compared to other camps, our Great Xia does have a method of screening…”

At this point, Xia Chuan paused, closed his eyes, and his body trembled slightly. Three vertical, blood-red cloud patterns immediately appeared between his eyebrows.

“It’s the sacred sigil!”

Seeing Xia Chuan reveal the Great Xia Sacred Sigil, the eyes of Qiu Peng and the other two lit up as a vague guess formed in their minds.

Xia Chuan pointed to the sacred sigil and continued, “You should all have the sacred sigil bloodline by now. The Lord said that only those who sincerely join Great Xia and have their bodies transformed by the Sacred Cauldron’s furnace for more than half a year can obtain the latent Great Xia Sacred Sigil bloodline…”

Xia Chuan didn’t continue past this point.

Because Qiu Peng and the others all wore excited expressions, it was clear they understood.

Amidst his excitement, Xu Ning couldn’t help but speak up. “The Lord mentioned in the Chapter of Rites and Regulations that all people of Xia have a latent sacred sigil bloodline in their bodies. There are only two ways to awaken the bloodline and grow a sacred sigil. One is to rely purely on one’s bloodline talent to grow it naturally. The earlier it appears, the higher one’s talent, like the Director’s two young lords. The other is through cultivation. After breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, the bloodline will automatically become manifest, and a sacred sigil will inevitably grow between the eyebrows.”

Hearing Xu Ning mention the Director’s two sons, Qiu Peng and Yuan Cheng couldn’t help but turn to look at Xia Chuan, their faces full of envy as they nodded.

Qiu Peng had three children. His most talented eldest son, Qiu Hong, only grew his sacred sigil at the age of five. Yuan Cheng currently had a son and a daughter; his son, Yuan Shao, also grew his after his fifth birthday last year.

To be able to grow a sacred sigil at age five meant the aptitudes of Qiu Hong and Yuan Shao were certainly far ahead of their peers in Xiacheng. But compared to Xia Yuzong and Xia Yuning, they were definitely found lacking.

Those two were born with sacred sigils.

So far, there hadn’t been a third case in all of Great Xia.

Of course, all this was excluding the two Highnesses.

Not many people in all of Xiacheng knew about Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng’s aptitude, but it just so happened that Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, and Xu Ning were among the few who did.

To compare their own children to the two Highnesses… not to mention they wouldn’t even harbor such a thought, if they truly were to compare, not only themselves but also their children would suffer a blow to their self-esteem. What was the point?

Of course, this was all a digression.

The most important part of what Xu Ning just said was the last part: as long as they were people of Great Xia, upon breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, their bloodline would automatically become manifest, and a sacred sigil would inevitably grow between their eyebrows.

Combined with what Xia Chuan had just said, the meaning was already obvious.

Yuan Cheng’s expression brightened with pleasant surprise. “That is to say, anyone who has joined the camp for more than half a year and has a Frostwarden realm cultivation but hasn’t grown a sacred sigil can basically be identified as a spy from another camp.”

Qiu Peng also looked excited. “That’s right! This way, over time, any spies from the six towns who have snuck into our town-cities and have a Frostwarden realm cultivation will reveal themselves. We just need to conduct regular screenings.”

Xia Chuan smiled and nodded, a cold glint in his eyes.

“In the past four months, a total of 218 Frostwarden realm cultivators have joined Great Xia through various channels. These people are all being closely monitored. As soon as the six-month period is up, we’ll immediately be able to find out whether they’re humans or ghosts!”

This screening method wasn’t foolproof, of course. For example, it couldn’t be used on those at the Earthforger realm.

The four of them naturally wouldn’t have overlooked this point, but they tacitly avoided mentioning it. The reason was simple: cultivation level meant authority. With Great Xia’s current strength, Earthforger realm cultivators were bound to not have access to much. Even if the Eight Towns did send Earthforger spies to infiltrate the city, they wouldn’t be able to achieve anything. Moreover, with Great Xia’s current abundance of resources, as long as these people weren’t fools, they would inevitably switch allegiance over time. There was no need to worry.

“In that case, Yang Ning and Li Hu are definitely not spies sent by Beishuo Town. So what are they here for?” Qiu Peng brought the topic back. He had just said that if Beishuo wanted to probe Great Xia, they wouldn’t choose Hongmen in the first place, and it was even more unnecessary to send people in under aliases. This basically led to the conclusion that Yang and Li were definitely not sent by Beishuo Town specifically for espionage.

“The Beishuo Chamber of Commerce’s caravan arrived on August 27th, two days earlier than the Jinshan Chamber of Commerce. Those two haven’t gone to look for the Beishuo Chamber of Commerce people since they entered the city. It’s unlikely they had a prior arrangement.”

Hearing Yuan Cheng’s words, Xia Chuan looked even more puzzled. These two were commanders of the Beishuo Town’s Garrison Guards and had no connection to the Beishuo Chamber of Commerce. It was indeed baffling that they would suddenly come all this way.

“They came on their own? Those two idiots, could it be…”

Qiu Peng suddenly thought of something, his expression turning strange. Seeing Xia Chuan look at him, he ventured a guess, “Since we remember what happened nine years ago, they probably do too. In nine years, our Great Xia has developed from a small camp to its current scale. The speed is indeed somewhat incredible. Any normal person would let their imagination run wild after hearing about it. Could it be that after hearing the news about Great Xia, those two wanted to come and confirm something for themselves?”

Case closed!

Xia Chuan was stunned for a moment when he heard Qiu Peng’s words, but soon his expression became just as strange as Qiu Peng’s, and then he nodded and laughed.

“It really is like that. Those two probably still think our Great Xia is like Dajue Temple, a camp supported by some anomaly. Once they confirm it, they’ll immediately go back and report to Yang Zun and Yang Fa, then think of a way to deal with us.”

Yuan Cheng seemed to have figured it out as well and chimed in.

Hearing this, Xia Chuan was basically certain.

Qiu Peng’s guess was probably right!

Those two, relying on their decent backgrounds and having seen more than the average person, were prone to being overly clever and obstinate. The signs were already apparent at Redwood Ridge nine years ago. For instance, how they tricked Luo Ming and a group from the surrounding camps to act as bait for the Wooden Puppet Aberration; or how after he unexpectedly killed the aberration, the two of them first wanted to kill him, then said they wanted to take him back to Beishuo…

Thinking that they had come for this reason, Xia Chuan laughed despite himself, shaking his head with a trace of helplessness.

“Director, if that’s the case, it’s perfect. Let’s capture them first, then take them back to Xiacheng and have some fun tormenting them…”

Before Yuan Cheng could finish, Xia Chuan cut him off with a wave of his hand.

“There’s no need for that. Killing these two won’t achieve anything. Didn’t they want to confirm if we’re the same Great Xia from nine years ago? Let them confirm it properly. We can use the mouths of these two idiots to give Yang Zun and Yang Fa a good scare.”

Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, not just Yuan Cheng, but Qiu Peng and Xu Ning also showed a trace of surprise on their faces. They all turned to look at him, puzzled.

Li Hu’s kick back then had nearly killed Xia Chuan. Yang Ning later said he wanted to take him to Beishuo, but everyone knew what sinister thoughts were hidden behind those words.

Seeing these two again nine years later, not only was Xia Chuan’s reaction incredibly calm, but he didn’t even have a shred of thought for revenge. The three of them were naturally full of confusion.

“Don’t look at me like that. If these two were a bit stronger, killing them would be one thing. But one is 21 Mane and the other is 14 Mane. With that little strength, they really don’t pique my interest anymore. My Great Xia’s focus is now on the entire territory of the Eight Towns. Why should I bother with a little personal grudge? Besides, with more and more spies from the six towns, many of Great Xia’s secrets can’t be kept anyway. We can use these two to spread the word and intimidate the riffraff from the six towns to prevent them from trying anything funny later on!”

One’s perspective determines one’s mentality—this was probably the truest reflection of Xia Chuan’s words.

Nine years ago, Great Xia had a population of only one or two hundred. Back then, he was only at the Lumberjack realm. Together with his Big Brother Xia Hong, their daily worries were about getting enough to eat, withstanding the cold, hunting Frost Beasts for more meat to cultivate, and ensuring the safety of their camp…

But now, once this round of migration from Bashang was complete, Great Xia’s total population would surge to over 2.5 million. Including Bashang City and Jiugu Camp, its total territory would be nearly 20,000 square kilometers. It would have over 7,500 Frostwarden realm cultivators, over 200,000 at the Earthforger realm, and command fifteen armies, including the elite Cloud Serpent and Dragon Martial armies… and much more. It was no longer comparable to the past.

Great Xia was not the Great Xia of nine years ago, and he was naturally no longer the Xia Chuan of nine years ago. He was now the Director of Great Xia, in charge of eight departments.

In terms of power, he was below one person and above ten thousand. His every word and action could affect everyone in Great Xia. A casual order from him could decide life and death. Any regulation he issued could determine the honor or disgrace, wealth or poverty of countless families. To say his power was immense was no exaggeration.

In terms of strength, he was currently the undisputed third strongest person in all of Great Xia. Besides his Big Brother Xia Hong and sister-in-law Li Xuanling, he feared no one. Once he broke through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, he would be on equal footing with all the other lords of the Eight Towns. From then on, he could practically swagger across the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain.

As for wealth, there was even less need to elaborate. On certain issues, Xia Chuan considered his own views to be much more extreme than his brother’s. It was clear from Xia Hong’s many actions and words that he still saw Great Xia as a home built by everyone together, and that everything produced within this home should be shared by all. Xia Chuan was different. To this day, he still believed that Great Xia was Xia Hong’s private property. Without Xia Hong, Great Xia’s rise would have been impossible to begin with.

The increase in power, strength, and wealth had long since elevated Xia Chuan’s perspective to a height that ordinary people could hardly reach, and his mentality had quietly changed. In fact, when he heard the news about Yang Ning and Li Hu from Lu Yang two years ago, his heart was barely stirred.

Casually killing two Frostwarden realm cultivators from Beishuo Town was certainly not a great burden for him. But if he could use these two to accomplish other, more important things for Great Xia, he would naturally choose the latter.

The current situation was exactly that!

As more and more spies infiltrated Great Xia’s territory, its situation would be exposed sooner or later. Take, for example, the simple matter of the year count. Anyone with a bit of intelligence who heard the era name “eighth year of Great Xia” could follow the clues and quickly discover the problem.

Since it would be exposed sooner or later, they might as well use these two to give Beishuo Town a scare first.

“Among the Eight Towns of Mo’ao, especially the three northern ones, what they want to know most right now is Great Xia’s overall strength, particularly the number of Sun-Manifestation realm experts. Before, they could only confirm my big brother. Once the Bashang migration begins, they will definitely assume Xiang Fuhai has recovered. This way, Great Xia can rest easy for a long time. My sister-in-law will break through soon, and once I and Yuwen Tao break through, the situation at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain will be pretty much clear!”

Xia Chuan pondered for a moment, a glint of ambition flashing in his eyes. He then turned to Qiu Peng and Yuan Cheng and said, “You two call Lin Kai and have him cooperate. First, let Yang Ning and Li Hu properly confirm that this Great Xia is the same Great Xia from nine years ago. Then, expose their false identities and expel them according to the rules of Hongmen City. Let them go back to Beishuo and report.”

Lin Kai was originally stationed in Wuyuan. After Hongmen was established as a port city, he was promoted to Prefect here.

Qiu Peng and Yuan Cheng had already understood Xia Chuan’s plan. Their faces were full of admiration, and they nodded immediately upon hearing his order.

“Also, keep a close eye on this Han Peng! According to Han Feng, this Han Peng has very average aptitude. He only broke through to the Frostwarden realm in his forties and has no battle physique aptitude. He reached the peak of the Frostwarden realm at seventy-two, and his base strength was always Eight Mane. Then, five years ago, his strength suddenly began to increase, and since then, it’s been increasing by one Mane almost every year. Given the poverty of Jinyang Village, he absolutely couldn’t afford the pills used to increase strength at the peak of the Frostwarden realm. Moreover, he’s keen on gathering information about the various towns. He even went when the seven towns supported Jiangxia at the end of last year. In the middle of it, he spent money to buy information from Frostwarden realm cultivators of other towns and was accidentally discovered by Han Feng. There’s definitely something wrong with this person. Find an opportunity to make contact with him. We might really be able to dig up some information about external powers.”

“This subordinate obeys!” Qiu Peng and Yuan Cheng immediately cupped their fists in reply. They knew this matter was more important than dealing with Yang Ning and Li Hu, and their expressions became much more serious.

“Alright, Xu Ning, come with me to see Xiang Fuhai. It’s time to move those nine hundred thousand-plus people from Bashang over!”

Xia Chuan gestured to Qiu and Yuan, then called Xu Ning and walked directly towards the main hall next door. The conversation between Xiang Fuhai and Xiang Tianyang was almost over. It was time for him to make his appearance.

Qiu Peng and Yuan Cheng also walked out, preparing to call Lin Kai to go and “meet” Yang Ning and Li Hu.

…

Like the other settlements within Great Xia’s territory, the tallest building in Hongmen City was, of course, the Division Office Building in the center, representing Great Xia’s rule.

But there was one difference from other settlements. Besides the Division Office Building, in the southern part of Hongmen City, there was a massive five-story wooden building of the same height.

Being as tall as the Division Office Building was one thing, but the length of a single wall of this wooden building was a staggering one hundred meters. Its scale was at least ten times that of the Division Office Building.

According to the Great Xia’s Chapter of Rites and Regulations, this wooden building had technically violated the codes.

However, considering that this wooden building was personally planned and constructed by Xia Hong, the claim of it violating regulations was naturally out of the question.

And at this very moment, Han Peng, along with all the Frostwarden realm members of the Shady Crane Valley merchant caravan, stood before this wooden building.

【Myriad Treasures Tower】

Everyone looked up at the three large characters on the banner of the top floor of the wooden building, their expressions incredibly excited, their eyes filled with yearning.

“So this is the Great Xia Myriad Treasures Tower that’s being talked about all over the Nine Towns! Rumor has it that it has everything, from pills and weapons for Sun-Manifestation realm cultivation, down to auxiliary pills for six-year-old children’s cultivation, as well as all sorts of new products created by Great Xia!”

Chapter 392: Myriad Treasures Tower, Reshaping Minds, Astonishing Profits, and Meeting Two Buffoons

The Myriad Treasures Tower had five floors in total, built in the shape of a pyramid.

The first floor was the largest, a full one hundred meters wide. Each subsequent floor decreased in width by ten meters, leaving the top floor sixty meters wide.

The main structure of the building was constructed from the unique, massive Glimmerwood of Redwood Ridge. At night, illuminated by torchlight, the entire building shimmered with a faint golden light. Its luxury was imbued with a grand and solemn majesty, inspiring a sense of reverence in all who beheld it.

All five floors featured the unique flying eaves characteristic of Great Xia architecture. The four corners of the roof curled upwards as if in flight, resembling a bird spreading its wings. It was light and lively, adding a touch of gentleness to the building’s dignified grandeur.

“Look, the Frost Beast statues at the corners of the eaves…”

Yue Long suddenly pointed at the eaves and exclaimed in surprise. Han Peng and the others followed his finger, their eyes widening in shock.

On the eaves above, every ten meters, there was a small Frost Beast statue about thirty centimeters tall. Among them were familiar creatures like the Snow Shadow Wolf, Rock-Armored Bear, Frost-Mane Ape, and the Six-Horned Demonic Sheep, but there were also species they had never seen before—a rabbit-like Frost Beast with powerful hind legs, a swine-like one covered in barbs, and a serpentine one coiled sinuously.

These Frost Beast statues were in various poses—some roaring with open mouths, some resting quietly, and others baring their fangs and claws, hind legs tensed as if about to pounce.

Not only were their forms diverse, but their craftsmanship was also exquisite. From the smallest details like the fur and scales on their bodies to larger features like their eyes and limbs, different colored materials were used, clearly replicating the Frost Beasts in their original form. They were so lifelike and beautifully detailed it was almost unbelievable.

If that were all, it wouldn’t have been enough to elicit such shocked expressions from Han Peng and his companions. Great Xia’s statues were indeed more refined than those of the Nine Towns, but these people from village-level camps, while envious, wouldn’t lose their minds over such impractical things.

The main reason for their shock was that under the illumination of the night’s torches, the main bodies of these sculptures all radiated a mesmerizing silver glow. Without even touching them, they could tell the material just by looking.

Gulp…

“These statues are about three fists in size, which means each one weighs nearly five hundred catties. Is that five thousand liang of silver?”

As Yue Long said this, the realization that each statue cost almost five thousand liang of silver to cast caused looks of astonishment to appear not just on the faces of Han Peng and his group, but also on Yang Ning and Li Hu, who were at the back of the team.

Five thousand liang of silver was an enormous sum, whether for the fifteen Frostwarden realm experts like Han Peng from village-level camps or for Yang Ning and Li Hu from Beishuo.

And that was just the weight of the main body. The materials used weren’t limited to silver; the other substances for the eyes, manes, scales, horns, and claws were clearly not ordinary either.

Factoring in Great Xia’s carving and casting techniques, the value would have to be increased by another twenty to thirty percent. This meant a single statue was worth at least eight thousand liang.

And with such statues placed every ten meters along the eaves, the Myriad Treasures Tower’s five floors, with a total of twenty eaves, had one hundred and forty of them. The total value was at least one point one two million liang of silver.

And this was just the decoration on the outside for anyone to see!

“I’ve scraped and saved for decades, risked my life for Jinshan Town countless times, and only managed to save two hundred thousand liang of silver. If I hadn’t met a benefactor six years ago and made a bit of extra money as a spy for Cai Qiu, my net worth would be two hundred and fifty thousand liang at most. It’s not even enough to decorate one eave of this Myriad Treasures Tower…”

Han Peng looked up at the statues, his heart filled with a mix of lament and unwilling resentment, his fists clenched tightly beneath his sleeves.

It wasn’t just Han Peng; the leaders of the other eight families from Shady Crane Valley and the other Frostwarden experts behind him also wore extremely complicated expressions.

They were all at the Frostwarden realm, and most had been to Jinshan City. They were by no means inexperienced, but they had never seen anything like Great Xia’s Myriad Treasures Tower, which so brazenly displayed over a million liang of silver on its exterior for all to see.

“Is Great Xia showing off its wealth to us outsiders?”

“Definitely. This Myriad Treasures Tower is mainly aimed at the eight major towns, not people from village-level camps like us.”

“If the outside is like this, how luxurious must the inside be?”

Yue Long’s words immediately piqued everyone’s curiosity.

Although it was already dawn, there were many people coming and going, not just their group. They first calmed themselves down, then followed the people in front of them toward the main entrance.

“Even the doors are made of myriad-forged iron, with silver engravings and edging, tsk tsk…”

Each floor of the Myriad Treasures Tower was about six meters high. The two main doors on the first floor were about five and a half meters tall, half a meter thick, and about three and a half meters wide.

What was astounding was that the main bodies of the doors were made of ten-thousand-forged grade iron, and their surfaces were covered in dense silver engravings, with silver edging all around. The value of one of these doors alone was probably equivalent to the entire wealth of many village-level camps.

One had to know that except for experts from good backgrounds or those with great strength, the weapons used by most Frostwarden realm cultivators were merely made of myriad-forged iron. According to the current market price in the Eight Towns, a normal myriad-forged weapon, excluding special types, cost around two hundred liang of silver.

Ignoring the silver, the amount of myriad-forged iron used for these two doors could probably be smelted into over a thousand myriad-forged grade weapons. This meant the iron alone was worth at least two hundred thousand liang of silver.

Sighing inwardly once more, the group followed the crowd and walked inside.

Contrary to what they had expected, the first thing they saw upon entering was not a dazzling marketplace but a green wall. From either side of the wall extended a long corridor, leading to unknown places.

“Welcome to the Great Xia Myriad Treasures Tower. Please follow Xiao Rou to a Quiet Room.”

Many young men and women in green robes stood around the corridor, immediately greeting anyone who entered. When Han Peng’s group came in, a fair-skinned young woman in her early twenties approached them with a smile.

“I am Han Peng of Jinyang Village. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Xiao Rou!”

Although Zeng Rou had approached with an exceedingly warm smile, Han Peng’s first reaction was to bow somewhat reservedly in return.

The reason was simple: clothes make the man. Like the other staff of the Myriad Treasures Tower, Zeng Rou wore a green robe. From a distance, it looked ordinary, but up close, one could see it was clearly made of high-grade silk, the fabric appearing even more luxurious than Beishuo’s Ling silk.

Furthermore, though Zeng Rou looked to be only in her early twenties, her cultivation had already reached the Earthforger limit. Her skin was fair and delicate, an obvious sign that she rarely went outdoors and had not suffered from the wind and frost. She spoke to their group of seventeen Frostwarden experts with a calm and confident demeanor, possessing an unusually refined air.

Standing before her, their group of Frostwarden experts from the villages seemed like ordinary people who only had the cultivation of the Earthforger realm.

“It seems this is everyone’s first visit to our Great Xia Myriad Treasures Tower. Old Han, there’s no need to introduce yourself. With the exception of the eight town merchant associations, everyone who enters the Myriad Treasures Tower is treated equally. We don’t ask for identity or wealth; we only discuss transactions. Please, follow me to a Quiet Room to change your clothes first!”

Noticing the group’s apprehension, Zeng Rou immediately knew it was their first time at the Myriad Treasures Tower. After a smiling explanation, she led them down the right corridor.

We have to change clothes to enter the Myriad Treasures Tower?

Han Peng and the others exchanged glances but were too embarrassed to ask further. They could only continue following Zeng Rou towards the end of the corridor.

As they walked, Han Peng and the others noticed that the corridor was lined with small doors every three meters. Many people, just like them, were being led into these rooms by attendants in green robes. It was clear that the Quiet Rooms were behind those doors.

Soon, Zeng Rou led them to the entrance of a Quiet Room, pushed open the small door, and guided all seventeen of them inside.

The Quiet Room was furnished with seats. Zeng Rou first invited everyone to sit down before unlocking a wardrobe on the inner wall. From it, she took out a black robe and a red mask, turned, and introduced them to the group, “To protect the privacy of all our guests, the Myriad Treasures Tower has specially prepared these breath-concealing black robes and vermilion wood masks. Please, feel free to try them on.”

Upon hearing this, Han Peng and the others’ eyes lit up instantly. They took the two items from Zeng Rou’s hands and, after a moment of examination, their expressions grew even more excited.

“It can conceal one’s aura.”

“This mask is special too. My perception can’t penetrate it.”

“This is great stuff!”

…

Ever since Hongmen opened for trade in July, everyone’s greatest concern was their own safety.

The eight towns at the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain were already at odds with one another. Besides, as fellow Frostwarden experts, who among them hadn’t fought for their lives hunting and gathering in the wilderness? Who didn’t have a few enemies? Even if you had none, when you came to Hongmen to trade with so much silver and other important resources, wealth could stir men’s hearts. There was no guarantee that someone wouldn’t be watching you.

Why hadn’t Han Peng come alone? Why had he gathered the other eight village-level camps from Shady Crane Valley to form a caravan to Hongmen? Wasn’t it precisely out of consideration for his own safety?

In fact, ever since entering Hongmen City, he and the Frostwarden experts from the other eight camps had been constantly worried.

Would it be safe during the transaction?

What if someone targeted them?

What if they bought too many good things? Would the return journey be too dangerous?

If they really managed to buy some pills, should they just consume them in Hongmen City?

…

To think that Great Xia had already arranged everything for them.

Clutching the two items, Han Peng looked up excitedly and asked, “Miss Xiao Rou, if I may ask, can we use these robes and masks freely?”

Zeng Rou smiled and shook her head. “Old Han, you jest. This breath-concealing black robe and vermilion wood mask are not cheap. Naturally, they won’t be provided for free. The rental price is two liang of silver per use.”

Two liang of silver per use. Hearing this price, the group nodded lightly at first. But when they recalled the amount of traffic they had seen at the entrance and did a quick mental calculation, a look of shock appeared in their eyes.

The number of people entering and leaving this Myriad Treasures Tower every day was massive!

Given the effectiveness of this robe and mask, apart from a few incredibly powerful individuals or those with strong backing who weren’t afraid of being targeted, almost everyone else would surely rent them. By that calculation, the Myriad Treasures Tower could make a fortune every day just from renting out these two items alone.

“Then, Miss Xiao Rou, can we buy this black robe and vermilion wood mask?”

At Han Peng’s question, Zeng Rou’s eyes instantly brightened. She quickly nodded and replied, “Of course, you can buy them!”

She paused, glanced at the attire of Han Peng and his group, and her excitement quickly subsided. She continued, “To be frank with you, esteemed guests, this breath-concealing black robe and vermilion wood mask are available at the Xia Clothing Store on the second floor. However, the prices there are a bit higher—three hundred and twenty liang for the robe and ninety for the mask. If you buy from me, the robe is three hundred liang, and the mask is eighty-five. You can go look around first. If you’re interested in buying, you can come find me again when you leave.”

As Zeng Rou expected, upon hearing the prices of the robe and mask, Han Peng and the others’ expressions stiffened. It was clear that their desire to purchase had instantly diminished by more than half.

Zeng Rou was one of the first staff members to come from the Logistics Department in Xiacheng after the Myriad Treasures Tower was completed in August. She had served at least seven or eight hundred people, if not a thousand. Although her cultivation level didn’t allow her to discern their strength, she had developed her own method of judging people.

Those who traveled all the way from other towns to buy things at the Myriad Treasures Tower were, without exception, at the Frostwarden realm. But even among them, there were huge disparities in wealth.

She judged their financial standing based on three main points:

First was their attire. Those dressed in fine fabrics were likely from a major town or had connections to one. These people generally had good finances and might be willing to spend a few hundred liang on clothing.

Second was their demeanor. The silver statues on the outer eaves served as the first filter. Those who were stunned by them most likely had limited funds. It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford items worth a few hundred liang, but rather that they didn’t have much silver on hand and would carefully choose to buy the most useful things, such as cultivation resources like beast meat, Beast Blood, refined salt, Xia Liquor, and pills, or items that could enhance their combat power like weapons, armor, and gear.

The last was a gut feeling, which was subjective and unpredictable. For example, Zeng Rou knew that early last month, a shabbily dressed man had bought ten Dragon Carp Pills and over three hundred thousand liang worth of other goods in one go. The staff member who had served him, Zeng Rou’s good friend Kong Xiu, had earned thirteen thousand liang of silver in a single day, which converted to a whopping one hundred and thirty thousand contribution points.

The story of Kong Xiu becoming rich overnight had long since spread throughout Great Xia, making everyone incredibly envious. The Myriad Treasures Tower, a subsidiary of the Logistics Department, had now become a highly sought-after posting in all eight departments, and many people were fighting tooth and nail for a position.

Thinking of the many people in Xiacheng eyeing the positions at the Myriad Treasures Tower, Zeng Rou’s expression immediately became more serious. She smiled at Han Peng and the others and continued, “Esteemed guests, once you’ve changed your clothes in here, please exit and follow the corridor inward. You will soon arrive at the first floor of the Myriad Treasures Tower. Allow me to give you a brief overview of the tower…”

The Myriad Treasures Tower was divided into five floors. The first three floors were for selling goods, the fourth was for purchasing items, and the top fifth floor was an auction area that was not usually open.

The first and second floors were the largest, so they contained the widest variety of goods. There were products made from beast hides and bones, woodwork, iron and ceramic wares, hunting tools like longbows, various weapons and armor forged by Great Xia, as well as Xia Paper, Xia Cloth, Xia Brocade, and more… an exhaustive collection.

Although the items on the first two floors were varied, they had one thing in common: most of them had substitutes that could be found in the eight towns.

Of course, since Great Xia dared to put them up for sale, it meant that the craftsmanship and quality of the vast majority of these items far surpassed those of the Eight Towns. Even for items of comparable quality, Great Xia’s would certainly have a price advantage.

The third floor was different. It sold goods unique to Great Xia, most of which were related to cultivation resources. For example, the Xia Silk, Xia Liquor, and Xia Salt that all eight towns were now fighting over, more than seventy types of Spirit Pills, Great Xia’s specially made Thousand-forged Armor, and weapons of ten-thousand-forged, one-hundred-thousand-forged, and even silver grades…

The fourth floor was specifically for purchasing goods from outsiders. People like them, from various village-level camps, could sell anything they wanted on the fourth floor. From basic mineral resources like coal, iron, and silver to unique local specialties, and even new species of unknown origin—they could take it all to the fourth floor. After appraisal, the Myriad Treasures Tower would offer a price. The final decision to sell or not was still theirs.

After hearing Zeng Rou’s final words, Han Peng and the leaders of the other eight families looked thrilled.

The main reason people from village-level camps like them had traveled thousands of miles to Hongmen was, of course, to buy cultivation resources. Other goods were secondary. But their financial resources were not as abundant as those of the major towns. How could they buy more?

Through trade!

Each of their village-level camps was rooted in its own area, and each family had at least a few unique local resources to offer. In the past, they had no choice but to sell to their respective towns, where they were not only exploited at every level but also denied access to many of the towns’ precious cultivation resources.

Now, not only was Great Xia willing to make these resources available to them, but they were also willing to purchase their local goods. For all the village-level camps in the Eight Towns, this was simply wonderful news.

Only now did Han Peng and the others suddenly realize why news of Hongmen’s opening for trade had spread to every village-level camp in the Eight Towns in just two short months.

“Just based on the fact that Great Xia is willing to open trade to all camps, they don’t even need to offer a reasonable price. Even if they lowered their purchase prices, everyone would still be happy to accept. But in that case, wouldn’t all the village-level camps in the entire Mo’ao Mountain region only be willing to trade with Great Xia in the future?”

The thought flashed through Han Peng’s mind, and he froze.

“In the future, will our village-level camps listen to our respective towns, or will we listen to Great Xia?”

Han Peng wasn’t the only clever one. Yue Long had also figured it out. After asking himself that question internally, he was stunned.

“Great Xia is clearly pulling the rug out from under them! The eight towns won’t just let them continue like this, will they?”

Many of the leaders had now come to the same realization.

At the back of the group, Yang Ning and Li Hu’s expressions were extremely grim. They too had recognized just how ruthless Great Xia’s move to open trade truly was.

“Old Han, you should all be from the same place. You can explore the tower on your own, or if you don’t mind the trouble, I can guide you. The choice is yours.”

“We are new here and unfamiliar with the place. We’ll have to trouble Miss Xiao Rou to lead the way.”

“You’re too kind, Old Han. Please, follow me!”

Zeng Rou naturally wouldn’t refuse; this was one of her main duties. She was the one who had received Han Peng’s group, and she would get a one percent commission on everything they spent in the tower.

Just as Han Peng’s group followed Zeng Rou into the first floor of the Myriad Treasures Tower, in a Quiet Room on the top floor, Qiu Peng, Yuan Cheng, and Lin Kai were sitting together, enjoying a drink.

The three had clearly been discussing something, and smiles graced their faces.

Lin Kai couldn’t help but say excitedly, “Brother Peng, I didn’t get it before. We’re a little short on cultivation resources in Xiacheng ourselves, so why did the Lord have you allocate a portion from the Logistics Department specifically to trade with these village-level camps from the Eight Towns? Now I see the main goal is to win their hearts. It all makes perfect sense now!”

Qiu Peng raised his cup for a small sip and shook his head with a smile. “Not quite. Winning their hearts is just the most superficial layer. Reshaping their minds is the real goal.”

Reshaping their minds?

Lin Kai was taken aback, and Yuan Cheng also looked at Qiu Peng with curiosity.

“With the wealth of the Frostwarden experts from these village-level camps, my Logistics Department only needs to allocate a very small portion of cultivation resources each month to meet their needs. Making them feel favorable toward Great Xia is just the first step. The other things the Myriad Treasures Tower sells them are what’s most important…”

Qiu Peng paused here, a flicker of excitement in his eyes before he continued, “Think about it. If the Myriad Treasures Tower continues to operate like this, sooner or later, everyone in the Eight Towns will be wearing clothes made of Xia silk, Xia brocade, and Xia cotton, wearing accessories made by Great Xia, using various wood and iron products from Great Xia, eating refined salt produced by Great Xia, and drinking fine liquor brewed by Great Xia. Their lifestyle habits—their clothing, food, housing, and transportation—will all become identical to ours. When that time comes, do you think they will still consider themselves people of the Eight Towns?”

Upon hearing Qiu Peng’s words, Yuan Cheng and Lin Kai were both stunned.

They bowed their heads in thought for a moment, and soon, the meaning became clear. When they understood, their expressions turned to excitement.

A change in lifestyle was the beginning of assimilating into Great Xia and becoming its people.

They all remembered Xia Hong once saying this.

Setting aside the major towns for a moment, just considering the people from the village-level camps of the Eight Towns, once they experienced Great Xia’s current way of life, absolutely no one would want to go back to their old lives.

Once they adopted this mindset, if Great Xia then extended an olive branch to them, the result would be obvious.

“Wait, wait. The people of the Eight Towns aren’t stupid, are they? It’s been since July that trade opened. Has no one seen through this yet?”

This time it was Lin Kai’s turn to be confused. Yuan Cheng reacted a bit faster and immediately interjected, “It’s useless even if they see it. The Eight Towns are already in a position where they can’t back down. They’ve always exploited the village-level camps below them. If they now forcibly prohibit these people from coming to Hongmen to trade with Great Xia, it will only cause a greater backlash, and might even push some of them to defect directly to Great Xia!”

Qiu Peng nodded. “The Eight Towns currently have only one way to solve this problem: to open up trade completely with the village-level camps below them, just like us. But whether it’s resources or productivity, none of the eight can compare to our Great Xia individually. Even if they open trade, they can’t offer the variety of goods we have. For the things they can offer, their prices would have to be higher than ours. So ultimately, this problem has no solution!”

“Hahaha, so the Eight Towns can only watch as our Great Xia wins over all the village-level camps in their jurisdictions, one by one. And as the scope of our influence continues to spread, Great Xia’s power in the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain will grow stronger and stronger, even penetrating into the heart of the eight towns themselves. In the future, once our strength is sufficient, the Eight Towns will…”

“Collapse without a fight!”

Lin Kai finally caught on. After saying those four words, the more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He couldn’t help but turn to Qiu Peng and exclaim in awe, “Brother Peng, this Myriad Treasures Tower of yours is worth several tens of thousands of troops, isn’t it?”

“This Myriad Treasures Tower wasn’t my idea; it was the Lord’s. When I first heard it, I was also stunned for several days.”

Hearing Qiu Peng’s words, Yuan Cheng and Lin Kai were slightly taken aback but quickly returned to normal. If it was the Lord’s idea, then it wasn’t surprising at all.

Yuan Cheng suddenly thought of something and asked Qiu Peng, “By the way, are those merchant associations from Beishuo and Jinshan still haggling over prices?”

Qiu Peng nodded with a smile. “The three northern towns have always been arrogant. They’re used to making money off others. Now that it’s Great Xia’s turn to profit from them, they’re naturally displeased. They all want us to lower the prices for salt and liquor. I don’t have the time to deal with them. The representatives from the Wuchuan and the other three towns’ merchant associations will be here soon. Anyway, I only allocate five thousand catties of salt and three thousand catties of various grades of liquor each month to be divided among their six towns. If they want it, they’ll have to pay up honestly.”

Yuan Cheng laughed at this and continued to ask, “What were the prices you gave to Muyin and Jiangxia?”

“Three thousand liang per catty of salt, one thousand per catty of low-grade liquor, three thousand for mid-grade, and sixty-five hundred for high-grade. The two towns each took one thousand catties of salt, two hundred catties of low-grade liquor, two hundred catties of mid-grade, and one hundred catties of high-grade.”

Yuan Cheng’s expression grew animated. This meant that, not counting pills and other goods, just from salt and liquor alone, Great Xia had earned four point four five million liang of silver from the two towns of Muyin and Jiangxia in a single transaction.

Supply and demand dictated that the other six towns couldn’t win against Great Xia. They would eventually have to accept the prices set by Great Xia.

Once those six towns began to yield, Great Xia would earn even more.

And this was only the first day of the ninth month; the nine-town trade fair had just begun. This trade fair would last for two more months.

He could already foresee that from this day forward, the silver of the eight Mo’ao towns would continuously flow into Great Xia.

Knock, knock, knock…

As Yuan Cheng was lost in thought, a knock suddenly came from the door of the Quiet Room.

“Sir, Han Peng and his group have reached the third floor.”

“Understood!”

Qiu Peng called out a response, then turned to Yuan Cheng and Lin Kai with a smile. “Alright, let’s go meet those two buffoons.”

Yuan Cheng and Lin Kai nodded, rising with smiles to follow Qiu Peng downstairs.

Chapter 393: Haggling, an Entrance and Building Momentum, Clowns and Expulsion

On the third floor of the Myriad Treasures Tower, in the bustling pill and elixir section.

“Miss Rou, could you lower the price of this ordinary Blood Spirit Pill? 700 liang apiece is really too expensive. I’m embarrassed to say it, but we’re all from small villages and truly don’t have much silver on us.”

Han Peng and his group of seventeen were rooted to the spot before a display stand for medicinal pills, unable to move. Only two pills were on display; the one on the left was a jade-like green, while the one on the right was as crimson as blood.

Above them, coal-fired lamps hung every ten meters, so there was no shortage of light. But even so, the myriad light sources could not conceal the luminescence radiating from these two pills. The one on the right, in particular, remained intensely brilliant—clearly no ordinary item.

Both pills had descriptions below them:

[Ordinary Blood Spirit Pill, 700 liang: For those at the Earthforger limit. This pill significantly increases the amount of Beast Blood used and its conversion efficiency during hide reforging, accelerating the process and greatly shortening the time needed to break through to the Frostwarden realm.]

[High-level Blood Spirit Pill, 1200 liang: Three times as effective as the ordinary Blood Spirit Pill. Also enhances the user’s hide tolerance with a chance to improve one’s battle physique aptitude.]

Yue Long couldn’t help but ask Zeng Rou if the price could be lowered.

His eldest son, Yue Yong, had just reached the Earthforger limit last year and was currently in the hide reforging stage using Beast Blood. Seeing this Blood Spirit Pill, he was naturally tempted to buy it.

There was someone in charge behind the counter, but seeing a familiar face nearby, he decided to appeal to Zeng Rou for a favor.

It wasn’t just Yue Long; Han Peng and the others also hoped Great Xia would cut the price. As soon as he spoke, Han Peng and the rest turned to Zeng Rou, chiming in one after another.

“That’s right, Miss Rou. We can’t compare to those from the main towns. We truly aren’t wealthy, and this price is a bit too high.”

“It would be great if the price could be reduced.”

“Indeed, 700 liang for an ordinary one and 1200 for a high-level one is too expensive!”

………………

Zeng Rou had experienced such scenes countless times, so her expression remained unchanged. She simply smiled at the group and said, “Old Han, esteemed guests, according to our knowledge in Great Xia, there are currently only three types of Spirit Pills on the entire southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain that can be used for cultivation at the Earthforger limit. They are Beishuo Town’s Blood Velvet Pill, Wuchuan Town’s Crimson Blood Pill, and Jinshan Town’s Blood Coagulation Pill. The prices of these pills from the three towns have risen and fallen over the years, but they are rarely sold for less than 900 liang.

“To be honest with you all, we have tested all three of those pills. Their effects are inferior even to our ordinary Blood Spirit Pill, let alone the high-level one. A price of 700 liang is absolutely more than worth it!

“If you don’t believe me, you can buy one to try for yourselves, or feel free to ask other customers in the tower!”

After Zeng Rou finished speaking, Han Peng and the others looked rather awkward.

Pills and other precious cultivation resources weren’t like other goods. Firstly, finding a substitute was difficult. Secondly, even if one was found, the efficacy would vary.

The moment they saw the Blood Spirit Pill, they had immediately thought of the three pills Zeng Rou mentioned, so they knew in their hearts that the price set by Great Xia wasn’t high at all.

Zeng Rou hadn’t even spelled it all out. While it was true that the lowest price for the Blood Velvet Pill, Crimson Blood Pill, and Blood Coagulation Pill was 900 liang, that was the trading price between the main towns. When the towns sold them to village-level camps like theirs, the price would increase by another twenty percent. So for them, the lowest price was actually 1080 liang.

They weren’t fools. Having browsed for so long, they could tell from the prices of many items that Great Xia had already thoroughly investigated the prices of goods in the Eight Towns. The only reason Zeng Rou didn’t state it plainly was to save them some face.

Seeing their embarrassed expressions, Zeng Rou’s face remained impassive. After a moment of thought, she continued, “If you wish to buy at a lower price, there are other ways. The Myriad Treasures Tower has a policy: any individual whose single transaction amount reaches 200,000 liang will receive a discount of 5,000 liang; for 500,000 liang, the discount is 15,000 liang; for one million liang, it’s 40,000 liang. The larger the transaction, the larger the discount…”

Han Peng and the others clearly didn’t look like they could produce so much money at once, so Zeng Rou stopped after mentioning one million.

Yue Long stared at the Blood Spirit Pill, his eyes filled with hesitation. He quickly made a decision, took a step forward, and was about to speak when a commotion suddenly erupted in the crowd.

“Greetings, Department Head Qiu, Department Head Yuan, Prefect Lin!”

“Greetings, Tower Lord Qiu!”

“Tower Lord?”

“Department Head Qiu is not only one of the Eight Departments’ heads, but he is also the Lord of the Myriad Treasures Tower. He is the one who sets the prices for all transactions with the Eight Towns’ chambers of commerce, including every single item in this tower.”

“Doesn’t that mean Department Head Qiu has immense power?”

“Nonsense. He’s the Department Head of the Logistics Department, one of Great Xia’s Eight Departments, in charge of all the supplies for the entire town. Do you think his power isn’t immense?”

“Department Head Yuan of the Garrison Department is here too. There are only eight department heads in total, and two of them are here at once. Is something special happening at the Myriad Treasures Tower today?”

“The third one is Prefect Lin.”

“Greetings, Tower Lord Qiu.”

…………

The crowd suddenly parted to form a small path. Three young men dressed in crimson Great Xia robes walked slowly toward the Blood Spirit Pill display amidst the respectful greetings of the onlookers.

Within the Myriad Treasures Tower, everyone was either a customer in a black robe and mask or a staff member in blue robes attending to guests. There were virtually no other colors, so the three men stood out starkly in the crowd. It was no wonder they were recognized long before they drew near.

News about Great Xia had long been circulating wildly throughout the Eight Towns. Han Peng and the others were perfectly clear on what positions like “Department Head” and “Prefect” signified.

Seeing that the three men were clearly heading for their display stand, Han Peng instinctively glanced at Yang and Li behind him, then mimicked the others by bowing in salute and quickly stepping aside.

“Greetings, Tower Lord, Sir Yuan, Sir Lin!”

Zeng Rou’s expression was also tinged with excitement. Although she was a member of the Logistics Department, she had been stationed at the Logistics Division in the Outer City’s East District Two. Whether it was Lin Kai, Yuan Cheng, or her direct superior Qiu Peng, these were all major figures she would never normally get to see.

Since coming to Hongmen City, she had only seen Qiu Peng from a distance once, on the day of the tower staff’s training. This was the first time she was face-to-face with them, mere meters away. She was naturally thrilled.

“No need for formalities. Rise!”

Qiu Peng had already walked up to Zeng Rou. He first beckoned for her to rise, then reached out and picked up the Blood Spirit Pill from the display. He turned to Han Peng’s group with a smile and said, “I saw that you all have been lingering at this display for quite some time. You must be very interested in this Blood Spirit Pill. Yet, you have not purchased it. Could it be that you find the price Great Xia has set a little too expensive?”

Han Peng and the others were stunned.

It wasn’t just them; even Zeng Rou was stupefied by the question.

Who was Qiu Peng?

He was the Department Head of Great Xia’s Logistics Department, the Lord of the Myriad Treasures Tower. The deals he negotiated with the eight towns’ chambers of commerce involved sums in the tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions.

Was an issue as minor as the price of a Blood Spirit Pill worth his personal attention?

But Zeng Rou quickly realized what was happening. She turned to look at Han Peng’s group, her expression instantly becoming wary.

Although Han Peng’s group wore masks, hiding their faces, their bodies trembled slightly, a clear sign that they, too, had realized something.

Many people had already taken notice when Qiu Peng’s group descended, and now, many of them also understood. All eyes converged on Han Peng’s party.

“Is there something wrong with this group?”

“Definitely. They probably used false identities. Last month, more than a dozen such cases were uncovered in the Myriad Treasures Tower. People who snuck in with fake identities were all caught.”

“Great Xia knows the situation in the Eight Towns a bit too well, don’t they? They can confirm the identities of every Frostwarden realm warrior from every village-level camp?”

“What’s so hard about confirming it? Great Xia might not know every Frostwarden realm warrior in the main towns, but the village-level camps under each town aren’t that numerous. The largest, Jinshan Town, has only 72. Even if we assume an average of 15 Frostwarden realm warriors per camp, that’s only 1080 people. Across all Eight Towns, there are less than ten thousand in total. Information on these village-level camps isn’t hard to gather. It’s very easy to confirm.”

“I see. So what happens when they’re found out?”

“What can happen? They’ll be dealt with according to the rules. Didn’t they say it when we entered the city? Anyone caught will be expelled and banned from ever entering Hongmen City again.”

“That… that’s quite miserable!”

…………

Since everyone in the tower wore black robes, no one could identify Han Peng’s group. But based on the actions of Qiu Peng and the other two, they could pretty much guess what was going on.

It was human nature to love a spectacle. Once a few clever people spelled it out, the rest naturally stared with great interest, eager to see how things would unfold.

Hearing the chatter around them, the faces of Han Peng’s group under their masks grew even more tense, even showing a hint of fear.

Of course, not all seventeen of them felt this way.

Yang Ning and Li Hu, for instance, were merely frowning as they looked at the three men, waiting for their next move.

As soon as they got a clear look at Qiu Peng and Lin Kai, they were one hundred percent certain that the Great Xia Town of today was the same small camp they had encountered at Redwood Ridge nine years ago.

Upon confirming this, their feelings went from complicated to excited. But when they realized Qiu Peng’s group was most likely here for them, their excitement immediately cooled.

Although it seemed like a lot of time had passed, it had only been a moment since Qiu Peng posed his question. Seeing that Han Peng’s group didn’t answer, Qiu Peng smiled and continued, “Whether it’s expensive or not isn’t really for you to say, nor for Great Xia to say. The transaction volumes from the Eight Towns are what truly tells the story…”

Qiu Peng paused, thought for a moment, and then recalled, “If I remember correctly, the quota of Blood Spirit Pills my Myriad Treasures Tower prepared for the Eight Towns this month was 6,400 in total. 4,000 of them were ordinary, priced at 750 liang each. 2,400 were high-level, priced at 1,400 liang each. I won’t hide it from you—all 6,400 of these Blood Spirit Pills have already been bought up by the six towns that arrived early. And that includes the Wuchuan Chamber of Commerce!”

Everyone, including Han Peng and his group, was instantly dumbfounded.

“The price for the Eight Towns’ chambers of commerce is higher than ours?”

“The ordinary ones are 50 liang more expensive, and the high-level ones are 200 liang more. It’s not just a little bit higher, is it?”

“But doesn’t buying more mean it should be cheaper?”

“That applies to us. It’s different for the Eight Towns!”

“This… How is this possible?”

“Why would it be impossible? This must be right. How could Great Xia be willing to sell something that enhances strength to the other Eight Towns at a low price?”

“People like us from village-level camps can’t buy much anyway, so Great Xia wouldn’t earn much even with high prices. The town chambers of commerce are different. They have plenty of silver, so of course Great Xia will fleece them.”

“Doesn’t Wuchuan Town have the Crimson Blood Pill? They’re buying too?”

“Goes without saying. Its effects must be inferior to the Blood Spirit Pill.”

“To think Great Xia sells to us at a lower price. How honorable!”

“If Tower Lord Qiu hadn’t said it, I would have never known.”

………………

Qiu Peng’s words stirred up a storm. The tower instantly erupted in a furor, with everyone clamoring to join the heated discussion.

Upon hearing that Great Xia’s prices for the Eight Towns’ chambers of commerce were even higher than theirs, most people reacted with schadenfreude. A few praised Great Xia’s integrity, while others remained silent—most likely those with connections to the main towns.

Qiu Peng looked around at the crowd, a glint in his eyes, and continued in a loud voice, “It’s not just the Blood Spirit Pill. For everything in this Myriad Treasures Tower, as long as you come to purchase as an individual, you can enjoy lower prices than the Eight Towns’ chambers of commerce. If any of you doubt this, you can go and find out for yourselves.”

Whether one was from a main town or a village-level camp, as long as they came as an individual, they could enjoy lower prices than the Eight Towns’ chambers of commerce.

The crowd quickly grasped the key point of Qiu Peng’s words. Their expressions turned eager, their minds clearly scheming.

A very small number of perceptive individuals pondered Qiu Peng’s words a little deeper. Soon, they seemed to understand something. Their bodies jolted, and as they looked up at Qiu Peng, their pupils were filled with horror.

When Great Xia first opened trade to all the village-level camps of the Eight Towns, many had already seen it as a move to undermine the Eight Towns at their foundation. Now, they were even setting different prices for the chambers of commerce and individuals. This was clearly aimed at the Frostwarden realm warriors within the eight towns themselves. This was an attempt to make their undermining even more thorough.

Once this policy was out, it was almost predictable that the Frostwarden realm warriors from the eight towns would flock to the Myriad Treasures Tower to buy things.

Of course, this policy had a loophole. The upper echelons of the Eight Towns could simply send individuals to bypass the chambers of commerce and acquire Great Xia’s pills and supplies at a low price.

The problem was, what an individual could buy was up to Great Xia. They just had to set individual purchase limits and carefully verify buyers’ identities to easily plug this loophole.

And if the upper echelons of the Eight Towns resorted to such methods, they would completely lose the ability to stop their own people from coming to the Myriad Treasures Tower. They couldn’t very well say, “We, the higher-ups, can come, but the rest of you can’t,” could they?

Of course, just buying things didn’t mean much, but over time, as the people from the towns had more and more contact with Great Xia, who could guarantee that problems wouldn’t arise?

So, as trade continued, Great Xia’s infiltration of the Eight Towns would become more and more complete, until finally, the Eight Towns would no longer have the strength to contend with Great Xia.

Clever people were, after all, a small minority. Even if they saw through it, they wouldn’t shout it from the rooftops. But when they looked at Qiu Peng and the other people from Great Xia, there was a clear flicker of interest in their eyes.

Qiu Peng, of course, had no idea that the strategy taught to him by Director Xia Chuan had already been figured out by a small number of astute people. He scanned the crowd, his face suddenly turning respectful. He cupped his hands and said in a solemn voice, “Our Lord Xia Hong has a benevolent heart and often thinks of the hardships of the human race in the Ice Abyss. Since Great Xia has the ability, we naturally have the obligation to help more humans become stronger and live better lives.

“Our Lord knows that your village-level camps are not like the main towns. Resources are already scarce, and daily life is difficult. Since we have opened trade to you, if we were to set the prices of goods too high, it would be of no help to you. That is why he commanded me to set the prices lower than those for the main towns.”

Qiu Peng not only deliberately raised his voice, but his tone was also filled with emotion. Almost everyone on the third floor heard him. The tower fell silent in an instant, and most people wore expressions of shock, their hearts clearly shaken.

“Lord Xia Hong is already looking at the entire human race of the Ice Abyss?”

“With ability comes the obligation to help more people…”

“Then what does it make the Eight Towns, who sold things to us at high prices?”

“Exploitation, what else could it be? Which of the lords of the other eight towns has the magnanimity of Lord Xia Hong?”

“No wonder Lord Xia Hong is so powerful, yet he hasn’t led Great Xia to annex a single camp. He has only acted once so far, and that was to exterminate those anomalies from Dajue Temple and save all of us in the Eight Towns.”

“Such strength, such magnanimity… I, Chen, have never submitted to anyone in my life, but today, I am utterly convinced by Lord Xia Hong!”

“Having Lord Xia Hong is a blessing for the human race on the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain!”

“I, Du, have made my decision. As soon as Great Xia starts accepting people from other towns, I will be the first to join with my wife and children.”

………………

Hearing the words of the crowd below, Qiu Peng turned to exchange a look with Yuan Cheng and Lin Kai. A faint smile crossed all three of their faces.

Building momentum for the Lord in the Eight Towns was Director Xia Chuan’s idea. It had started right after the Hongmen Banquet. What they were doing now was just one part of it.

A reputation might not be of much use in the short term, but over time, once it was deeply ingrained in people’s hearts, it would be a different story.

Qiu Peng’s gaze shifted to rest behind Han Peng’s group, casually sweeping over two individuals before quickly looking away. He then faced the crowd and said, “I seem to have gotten a bit carried away. Back to the matter of the Blood Spirit Pill. I trust you no longer find its price too expensive?”

“Of course not! It’s only 700 liang. Compared to those three northern towns, this price is as conscientious as it gets!”

“That’s right. The effect is better than the three towns’, and the price is twenty to thirty percent cheaper. If we still complain, we’d be ungrateful.”

“To be able to buy a Spirit Pill for breaking through to the Frostwarden realm for 700 liang, one with better effects than those of the northern towns… what more could we ask for?”

………………

Hearing this, the smile on Qiu Peng’s face grew wider. He suddenly changed the subject, “Setting aside other matters, let’s talk about Beishuo’s Blood Velvet Pill. I have personally tested it before, and it is inferior to Wuchuan’s Crimson Blood Pill and Jinshan’s Blood Coagulation Pill. Compared to our Great Xia’s Blood Spirit Pill, it is not even as good as garbage.

“For a Spirit Pill of such low quality, only those people from Beishuo would treat it as a treasure. To dare and sell it at the high price of 1,300 liang shows that Beishuo’s Yang clan doesn’t see the Frostwarden realm warriors of their subsidiary village-level camps as human at all. They care only for amassing wealth and exploitation. Such despicable behavior… We, Great Xia, are ashamed to stand on the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain alongside Beishuo!”

Thud…

As Qiu Peng’s words fell, the entire floor instantly went silent.

This time, it was even quieter than before. Everyone looked up at Qiu Peng. Their expressions were unclear, but their eyes held obvious surprise and confusion.

The effect of the Blood Velvet Pill was indeed the worst of the three pills for breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, but it wasn’t so bad as to be called “not even as good as garbage.”

As for Qiu Peng’s second statement—that Beishuo’s Yang clan didn’t treat the Frostwarden realm warriors from their village-level camps as human and only cared about exploitation—there was really nothing wrong with that. Hearing it did feel quite satisfying for many.

The problem was, it wasn’t just Beishuo’s Yang clan who didn’t treat them as human!

Jinshan’s Shangguan clan, Wuchuan’s Qin clan, Yangqu’s Cao clan…

From the time of the Dajue Temple disaster, when the Eight Towns directly drafted Frostwarden realm warriors from their villages to be sent to their deaths, it was pretty clear.

Among all the Eight Towns of Mo’ao, who truly treated the Frostwarden realm warriors of their village-level camps as human?

Why did Qiu Peng single out Beishuo’s Yang clan?

And that last sentence, “Great Xia is ashamed to stand on the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain alongside Beishuo”—wasn’t that a bit too deliberate?

Soon, the crowd understood!

“A small camp whose founding doesn’t even go back ten years, from a crude and lowly place, who only got to the town-level by sheer luck, dares to prattle on about Beishuo and insult the Yang clan? Nine years ago, this old man should have slaughtered you!”

From the very back of Han Peng’s group, Yang Ning could finally hold back no longer and stood out.

He threw off his black robe and took off his mask.

From the moment Qiu Peng’s group had appeared, he had a nagging feeling that his and Li Hu’s identities had been exposed. Then, when Qiu Peng so awkwardly shifted the topic to the Blood Velvet Pill and used it to slander and defame the Yang clan, how could they not understand? This was clearly all meant for them.

Since they were already exposed, there was no need to hide anymore.

Besides, what Qiu Peng had said had already crossed his bottom line.

He himself was a disciple of the Yang clan. how could he stand by and watch an outsider insult Beishuo and slander his clan like this?

Li Hu also reacted at this point. He followed Yang Ning’s example, undoing his black robe and removing his mask. He deliberately raised his voice and sneered at the three men, “In just over nine years, you, Great Xia, have grown from a small camp of just over a hundred people into a town-level encampment. If it wasn’t by using the power of anomalies, I’ll write my name backward from now on! Misleading others, winning people over… you and Dajue Temple are cut from the same cloth!”

The two of them had some quick wits, but unfortunately, they had misunderstood the situation.

Yang Ning and Li Hu both clearly believed that they were going to die today, so before they died, they wanted to expose the fact that Great Xia’s founding was less than ten years old, hoping to spread the news through the mouths of everyone present.

How could Qiu Peng not see their intentions?

Before coming downstairs to meet Yang Ning and Li Hu, Qiu Peng had actually considered many things. He had prepared at least three or four ways to humiliate and take revenge on the two of them.

But now, truly face-to-face with them, his mentality had completely changed.

He instantly understood why the Lord Director held such contempt for these two.

When one’s perspective changes, it was indeed hard to muster any hatred for such leaping clowns.

“Founding is less than ten years?”

“Great Xia has only been developing for just over nine years?”

“This… this… how is this possible?”

“Nine years… then how old is Lord Xia Hong this year?”

“No one knows!”

“I have relatives in Muyin City, and I heard them say that the Department Head of Great Xia’s Department of Military Affairs, Yuwen Tao, might not even be thirty this year.”

“Gulp…”

“I hadn’t noticed until you mentioned it, but Director Xia, Department Head Qiu, Department Head Yuan, Prefect Lin… none of the high-ranking members of Great Xia who have appeared in Hongmen so far look that old!”

“The Sun-Manifestation realm can be explained by their cultivation, but these people are only at the Frostwarden realm, so their appearance should be close to their real age?”

“This…”

……………………

Yang Ning and Li Hu were instantly stunned senseless.

The reaction of the crowd was completely different from what they had expected.

Anomalies! Why was no one concerned about the anomalies?

Great Xia was connected to anomalies!

How could they possibly develop from a small camp to a town-level one in just over nine years?

“A couple of leaping clowns. What are your identities? If Yang Zun or Yang Fa were to say this, maybe some fools would believe it. With your meager strength, you think to frame and slander our Great Xia Town?”

Lin Kai couldn’t help but sneer.

Qiu Peng stood to the side, shaking his head without a word.

Meanwhile, Yuan Cheng, who had the worst temper of the lot, already had anger rising on his face when he heard them sully Great Xia’s name. As soon as Lin Kai finished speaking, he unleashed his full aura and began walking slowly toward the two men.

“Originally, I was just going to expel you. But you two scumbags dare to slander our Great Xia as being involved with anomalies. It seems I’ll have to teach you a lesson!”

Boom…

Yuan Cheng’s body shot forward like a cannonball, passing through the layers of the crowd and closing in on Yang Ning and Li Hu in an instant.

Weapons were forbidden in the Myriad Treasures Tower, a rule that applied to everyone. So, just like Yang Ning and Li Hu, Yuan Cheng was unarmed.

Although he bore no weapon, his body seemed like a giant piece of steel carrying an unstoppable force. Not only did he stir the air on the entire floor, but a faint golden glow also emanated from his palms. He brought them down from left and right, smashing them violently toward Yang Ning and Li Hu below.

Bang…

Chapter 394: The Yang Clan Disciples, Rising At Beishuo’s Expense, The Shocking News of Cai Qiu, A Sudden Upheaval

Whoosh…

The roar of rushing air from the golden palm attack sounded from above. Instantly on high alert, Yang Ning and Li Hu raised their hands to block while quickly dodging to the sides.

Their reactions differed according to their strength.

Li Hu’s base strength was only Fourteen Mane, so he didn’t dare be careless, raising both hands to block with all his might.

But Yang Ning’s strength was as high as twenty-one Mane. He only used his left hand to block. Seeing Yuan Cheng attacking them both simultaneously, trying to subdue them in a single strike, a cold glint appeared in his eyes. He actually drew a small, silver dagger from behind his back and, with a flash of cold light, thrust it viciously toward Yuan Cheng’s chest.

Swish…

Seeing Yang Ning pull out a dagger, Yuan Cheng’s eyes showed not a hint of surprise.

Although the Myriad Treasures Tower had explicit rules against carrying weapons, people entering would, at most, leave their conspicuous main weapons downstairs. It was inevitable that easily concealed weapons like daggers would be brought inside.

Therefore, the surrounding onlookers showed no surprise either. The moment Yuan Cheng had attacked, they had already scattered. Now, seeing Yang Ning counterattacking with a dagger, a look of shock finally appeared on their faces.

Bang… Bang…

Yuan Cheng’s palms ultimately landed on Yang and Li’s heads, creating two massive thuds.

Crack… Crack…

This was followed by the crisp sound of shattering bones.

The weaker Li Hu’s arms were directly broken by the impact, his body driven like a nail straight into the third floor’s wooden planks, with only the upper half of his body left exposed.

The stronger Yang Ning, having used only his left arm to block, only had that arm broken. He was also slightly faster and had dodged part of the blow, so his body fell diagonally to the left.

Yet, his body never fully hit the ground.

Because Yuan Cheng’s left hand was now gripping his small silver dagger, holding his entire body suspended in mid-air. Yuan Cheng looked at him with a mocking, playful expression.

“Department Head Yuan is this strong?”

“That man from Beishuo is holding a silver dagger, right? It actually couldn’t pierce Sir Yuan’s Hide?”

“It’s the speed, the speed is the key! That man’s strength should be above twenty Mane, yet after striking the other man, Department Head Yuan was still able to grab his dagger in a flash. This proves their strength is on completely different levels!”

“All Department Head-level figures in Great Xia have a strength of at least thirty Mane. I thought it was just a rumor, but it turns out to be true.”

…

Bang!

Yuan Cheng certainly wouldn’t miss such a good opportunity to establish his authority. He clenched his fist around Yang Ning’s dagger and sent him flying with a single kick.

Pfft…

Yang Ning’s body slammed hard into the wall. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and struggled for a long time without being able to free himself. Then, he looked up and met Yuan Cheng’s arrogant and mocking gaze. He instantly clenched his fists, his heart filled with resentment and indignation.

Only nine years. It had only been a short nine years!

He remembered it clearly. Nine years ago, he and Li Hu had looked at that group from Great Xia with this very same expression. In just nine short years, their roles had completely reversed.

And the worst part was that this Yuan Cheng was just a subordinate Xia Hong had brought to Rogge Camp nine years ago.

The intense shame from this role reversal nearly drove Yang Ning mad. But realizing the immense gap in strength that had formed between him and the three from Great Xia, his fury could only turn into helplessness. All he could do was glare at them.

“No need to look at me like that. Nine years have passed, and I’ve gotten stronger. I thought you would have made some progress too, but you’re still such trash. It seems this Beishuo background you’re so proud of is nothing special after all!”

Yuan Cheng picked up the unconscious Li Hu and slowly walked over to Yang Ning. Seeing the latter’s death glare, he wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he shook his head with a slight smile, suddenly feeling bored.

“I, Yang Ning, accept my defeat today. Enough with the nonsense, just do it!”

The moment he realized their identities had been exposed, Yang Ning had accepted that death was certain today. Having already lost in strength, he couldn’t afford to lose face for Beishuo as well.

His fearless acceptance of death actually drew gasps of admiration from many in the crowd.

“Yang Ning, from the fourth generation of Beishuo’s Yang clan, right?”

“The fourth generation disciples… I don’t think there’s a Yang Ning among the Six Stallions of the Yang clan, is there?”

“The Six Stallions are Yang Bao, Yang Gong, Yang Xuan, Yang An, Yang Shou, and Yang Ding. There really is no Yang Ning.”

“Not very famous. He must be from a side branch.”

“Even a side branch is still a member of the Yang clan! Why did he come to Hongmen?”

…

Hearing the crowd’s murmurs, Yuan Cheng frowned slightly. He hadn’t made a move today to give these two any glory. After a moment of thought, he pulled Yang Ning out of the wall. Then, like carrying two chickens, he held Li Hu in his left hand and Yang Ning in his right and tossed them both out the window.

Strangely, after the two fell from the window, they made no sound at all.

Yuan Cheng approached the window and looked down, a smile appearing on his face. He jumped out of the window directly.

Qiu Peng and Lin Kai followed close behind. The busybodies in the building also went out, while the rest crowded around the windows, eager to see the rest of the show.

“May I ask Department Head Yuan, what great crime did my two grandsons commit to warrant you personally acting and injuring them so severely?”

The crowd first heard a questioning voice from below. As they got closer to the windows, they saw that thirteen white-robed figures had rushed to the front of the building. The reason Yang Ning and Li Hu had made no sound when thrown down by Yuan Cheng was that the leader of the white-robed group, an old man, had caught them.

The white-robed elder must have checked their injuries, for his expression was now incredibly grim. He was looking up, glaring at Yuan Cheng’s group of three, who had just exited the building. The question had clearly come from him.

The Myriad Treasures Tower was always bustling with people. When two injured men suddenly fell from a window, it immediately attracted the attention of many, who stopped to look over.

“Those thirteen are from Beishuo Town, right?”

“Nonsense. That’s the Head of the Beishuo Chamber of Commerce, Yang Fan, Yang Fa’s eldest son.”

“The twelve behind him are all high-level members of the Beishuo Chamber of Commerce. See the two youngest ones at the back? Those are Yang Shou and Yang Ding of the Six Stallions!”

“Why are they here?”

“The Beishuo Chamber of Commerce arrived in Hongmen City long ago. They probably haven’t settled on a price with Great Xia yet, so they’re still here. Someone must have seen what happened in the tower and notified Yang Fan.”

“It’s not just Yang Fan. Look over there, people from the other seven towns’ chambers of commerce seem to have arrived too. They’re probably here for the show.”

“I see them. Cao Tianhong, Long Wenyan, Murong Shang, Jiang Yuanqing.”

“Qin Yuanfu, Shangguan Ying, and Duan Zhao are here too.”

Hongmen City wasn’t large to begin with, and the Myriad Treasures Tower was a place of great interest, so any slight disturbance would spread like wildfire.

Today was the first of the ninth month. Strictly speaking, the trade between the Eight Towns and Great Xia had only just begun. Although some important resource transactions were complete, that was only a fraction of it. Many other deals still needed to be negotiated, so the heads of the Eight Towns’ chambers of commerce had mostly remained in Hongmen City.

It was understandable for Beishuo to arrive quickly, as they were the party involved.

The people from the other seven towns were clearly here just to watch the spectacle.

“What? These two who hide their identities are Elder Yang’s grandsons?”

Putting aside the reactions of the others, upon hearing Yang Fan’s question, Yuan Cheng immediately feigned a look of astonishment before smiling. “Elder Yang should probably confirm that carefully. When these two rats entered the city, they both claimed to be from Jinyang Village in Shady Crane Valley, Jinshan Town. One was called Liu Ning, the other Li Hu. How could they be Elder Yang’s grandsons?”

Yang Fan’s expression froze. Seeing Yang Ning lower his head and avert his gaze, he instantly understood that his own people were in the wrong.

But looking at their miserable state, he still couldn’t swallow his anger, especially when he noticed people from the other seven towns surrounding them. He turned to glare at Yuan Cheng and said in a low, furious tone, “Even if they entered under false names, Sir Yuan had no need to be so heavy-handed, did he? Yang Ning is my grandnephew, a disciple of the Yang clan without a doubt, and Li Hu is also a disciple of Beishuo. For you to injure them both so severely without cause, you must give this old man an explanation today, no matter what!”

After hearing Yang Fan’s words, the smile remained on Yuan Cheng’s face, but his gaze lowered slightly. He pointed at Yang Ning and Li Hu on the ground and continued, “If these two fools had merely snuck in under false names, then I would have simply expelled them from the city as before. But they dared to slander Great Xia in front of so many people in the Myriad Treasures Tower, claiming we are connected to anomalies. The fact that I only injured them today was already an act of extraordinary mercy, considering their youth and ignorance…”

Youth and ignorance. Hearing those words, the expressions of the surrounding crowd turned incredibly strange. Li Hu and Yang Ning, lying on the ground, looked to be about the same age as Yuan Cheng, perhaps even older. Yuan Cheng’s words were a blatant humiliation.

Yuan Cheng spoke in a calm tone throughout. After a pause, his expression suddenly turned grim. He looked directly at Yang Fan, his tone shifting sharply. “Let’s put that aside for now, Head Yang. Forget your two grandsons. Even you yourself, and everyone from your Beishuo Chamber of Commerce, if you dare to sneak in under false identities and I catch you, I can kill you just as easily. Did you really think the rules Great Xia established at the city gates are just for show?

“No matter what, I must give you an explanation? Then why don’t you tell me right now, Head Yang, what kind of explanation do you want today?”

As Yuan Cheng finished speaking, the entire area fell silent. Everyone’s gaze converged on Yang Fan and the other fourteen people from Beishuo.

Great Xia was clearly using Beishuo to establish its dominance.

Anyone with a bit of intelligence—the people from the seven towns’ chambers of commerce, the guests at the Myriad Treasures Tower today—realized this.

If others could see it, how could Yang Fan, a man nearly a hundred years old, not? He instantly recognized Yuan Cheng’s malicious intent. He knew that if he backed down now, Beishuo’s reputation would be ruined, and they would become the laughingstock of the Eight Towns. He immediately let out a low, cold laugh.

“It has been barely four months since Great Xia set foot in the Mo’ao region. Just because you got lucky and took over what was left of the destroyed Bashang, you dare to be so arrogant.

“My Beishuo gave you face by traveling thousands of kilometers to trade with you. I never thought this is how Great Xia treats its guests.

“Yuan Cheng, don’t be so arrogant. You want to intimidate this old man? Isn’t this Hongmen City Great Xia’s territory? If you have the guts, kill all fifteen of us from Beishuo right now. Let’s see if this old man even blinks.”

Age and experience were truly formidable!

With just one sentence, Yang Fan had backed Yuan Cheng into a corner, causing his expression to freeze instantly.

Did Yuan Cheng dare to kill people in Hongmen City?

Not really. At least, not in this situation.

Hongmen City was both a source of continuous, immense economic benefit for Great Xia and its main window for showcasing its power to the outside world. Ensuring everyone’s safety was the top priority. Without sufficient reason, they could absolutely not kill indiscriminately, especially not in a way that everyone would know about.

These were Xia Hong’s exact words to Xia Chuan and the others when he left Hongmen some time ago. Yuan Cheng had been present then.

With the Lord’s instructions, Yuan Cheng certainly couldn’t kill anyone. However, Yang Fan’s words had still stoked his anger. He couldn’t help but shout in a low voice:

“Old man, you really think I don’t dare to kill you!”

“Then…”

“Head Yang just said that Beishuo was giving Great Xia face by traveling thousands of kilometers to trade with us?”

Seeing that Yuan Cheng’s anger was getting the better of him and worried that he might actually act on impulse, Qiu Peng finally couldn’t help but speak up.

He first posed a question. Then, without waiting for Yang Fan’s reply, he smiled and continued, “I was wondering before why trade with the other six towns was going so smoothly, but not with Beishuo and Jinshan. I thought perhaps the two towns had limited financial resources and was considering lowering some prices. Now I understand what Head Yang has been thinking all along.”

The moment Qiu Peng spoke, Yang Fan’s expression already showed a hint of regret.

But the die was cast; it was too late for him to say anything now.

“Words spoken by someone of Head Yang’s status can surely represent Beishuo Town. Since Beishuo believes that Great Xia is begging you to trade, then I suppose Great Xia’s goods are not worthy of Beishuo’s notice. From this day forward, our two towns shall cease all trade. The Beishuo Chamber of Commerce, along with everyone from your town, need not come to Hongmen City in the future!”

Hwaa…

No one had expected Qiu Peng to announce, in front of so many people, that Great Xia would sever all trade relations with Beishuo. And not just the Beishuo Chamber of Commerce—anyone from Beishuo Town was now banned from Hongmen City!

An uproar immediately swept through the crowd. The people from the seven towns’ chambers of commerce were stunned.

Yang Fan himself trembled. He remembered the pills and resources he had seen in the Myriad Treasures Tower over the past few days and clenched his fists under his sleeves, his heart pounding.

First, he hadn’t expected Qiu Peng’s reaction to be so absolute.

Second, he hadn’t expected Qiu Peng to have such authority.

As far as he knew, Qiu Peng was merely the Department Head of the Logistics Department, one of Great Xia’s Eight Departments. Although he managed supplies and finances, he was able to make such an autocratic decision on a matter as significant as trade with the Eight Towns. This was far beyond his expectations.

And Qiu Peng wasn’t even finished. He looked toward the representatives of the seven towns’ chambers of commerce, found Shangguan Ying, and asked with a smile, “Jinshan and Beishuo seem to have similar ideas. Head Shangguan, perhaps you would like to…”

“Department Head Qiu, I, Shangguan Ying, guarantee that my Jinshan Town has never had such thoughts. We in Jinshan truly desire Great Xia’s goods. The price can be discussed slowly. After sunrise, I promise to give Sir Qiu a satisfactory answer. How about it?”

With a clear precedent before him, Shangguan Ying immediately became obedient. He quickly distanced himself from Beishuo and gave a firm reply, patting his chest.

“Then I shall await Head Shangguan’s visit!”

Seeing Shangguan Yang being so sensible, Qiu Peng nodded with a broad smile. He saw the heads of the other six towns politely bowing to him and nodded back to each of them, a trace of pride rising in his eyes.

This was the unequal trade relationship brought about by superior productivity!

The Eight Towns had to ask of Great Xia; Great Xia would not ask of the Eight Towns.

Did Great Xia need things from the Eight Towns?

Of course. Great Xia needed all of the unique basic resources from the Eight Towns, such as medicinal herbs, spiritual plants, ores, Frost Beast materials, and so on—any new species of resources that couldn’t be found within their own territory.

The thing was, Great Xia wasn’t in a hurry for these things.

With Great Xia’s current strength, obtaining them wasn’t too difficult. Acquiring them through trade was merely a way to save some effort and see if they could get their hands on anything particularly precious.

Great Xia’s true needs were the coal, iron, and silver from the Eight Towns.

But what the Eight Towns needed from Great Xia was a long list!

From basic necessities like cloth, grain and oil, porcelain, clothing, machinery, and tools; to mid-tier goods like refined salt, fine wine, weapons, and armor; to high-end items like various precious pills and other cultivation resources. These were almost all essentials. The three items related to cultivation—refined salt, fine wine, and pills—were of paramount importance.

As long as you wanted to continue developing, you had to buy them.

After the Eight Towns bought these things, they would certainly try to replicate what they could. As for what they couldn’t, or couldn’t replicate in a short time, they could only obediently continue to buy from Great Xia.

Regardless of whether they replicated them or not, in the end, Great Xia would reap the benefits!

A dark glint flashed in Qiu Peng’s eyes. He pushed aside his thoughts and turned his gaze back to Yang Fan and the fifteen from Beishuo, saying coldly, “Since this Department Head has already announced that no trade relationship exists between Great Xia and Beishuo, it is no longer convenient for Hongmen City to host you. Head Yang, please take your people and leave immediately!”

“You…”

Yang Fan’s face was flushed with anger, and he subconsciously started to retaliate. But seeing the many Golden Armored Soldiers that had already arrived, he immediately shut his mouth. He stood in place, his face alternating between pale and livid, but in the end, he didn’t dare say another word. He turned and walked toward the city gate.

“Let’s go, back to Beishuo!”

Seeing Yang Fan obediently leading his people away, the coldness on Qiu Peng’s face gradually faded. He then turned to survey the crowd and said in a warm voice, “Rest assured, everyone. As long as you follow the rules, Great Xia will not target anyone. For anyone who has purchased items in the Myriad Treasures Tower, as long as you do not leave Hongmen City, Great Xia will guarantee your safety one hundred percent, no matter who you are.”

Even Beishuo, which was implicitly regarded as the number one town in Mo’ao, had been used by Great Xia to establish its dominance. The sight of Yang Fan’s group of fifteen retreating in disgrace was still fresh in everyone’s minds. At this moment, no one would dare question the truth of Qiu Peng’s words.

“Is Great Xia going to replace Beishuo as the number one town in Mo’ao?”

“What do you mean ‘going to’? They clearly already have!”

“They already replaced them four months ago at the Hongmen Banquet. If Yang Zun truly dared to clash with Great Xia, why would he wait until now?”

“Just you watch! Yang Fan was clearly unwilling to back down when he left just now. I bet this isn’t over. There will definitely be more to come.”

“Probably. Great Xia is using Beishuo as a stepping stone. Yang Zun has quite a temper; he’ll definitely try to get his reputation back later.”

…

The number one town in Mo’ao!

Hearing these words from the crowd, a sharp glint flashed in the eyes of Qiu Peng, Yuan Cheng, and Lin Kai. In their minds, from the moment Great Xia officially set foot in the territory of the Nine Towns, this title had to, and could only, belong to Great Xia.

As the farce below concluded, Han Peng and his group on the third floor of the Myriad Treasures Tower were drenched in cold sweat.

They exchanged glances, seeing only tension and panic in each other’s eyes.

After all, Yang Ning and Li Hu had snuck into the city with their merchant party. Although the problem with those two was resolved, they still didn’t know if Great Xia would hold them responsible.

The most nervous of all was Han Peng!

Because when Yang and Li registered to enter the city, they had used the identity of his Jinyang Village in Shady Crane Valley.

If Great Xia decided to investigate, he would definitely be held accountable.

“Miss Rou, you have to put in a good word for us! We don’t even know those two…”

Seeing Zeng Rou approaching from a distance, Yue Long immediately went up to her with a pleading tone, begging her to speak on their behalf, terrified of being held responsible by Qiu Peng’s group. The others followed suit, all eager to distance themselves from Yang and Li.

However, before they could finish, Zeng Rou interrupted them with a smile.

“There’s no need to worry. Department Head Qiu gave instructions when he came up just now. He said he won’t be holding you accountable for your oversight. He wants you all not to worry and to continue browsing in the Myriad Treasures Tower.”

Hearing this, Yue Long and the others were ecstatic. If Qiu Peng had been there, they probably would have knelt down in gratitude on the spot.

Han Peng was also overjoyed. Among the group, he was in the most trouble. Learning that Qiu Peng would not pursue the matter, he was naturally the happiest.

But his happiness did not last long.

Yue Long and the others all asked Zeng Rou to convey their thanks to Qiu Peng, then gradually dispersed to continue browsing elsewhere.

Han Peng started to leave with the crowd, but as soon as he moved, Zeng Rou came up behind him and stopped him in a low voice.

“Old Han, please wait. Our Department Head has some questions for you. He has arranged for a private room on the top floor and asked me to bring you there now!”

The expression under Han Peng’s mask stiffened slightly. He could only nod gently and follow Zeng Rou towards the top floor.

“Are they still going to hold me accountable?”

“No, that can’t be right. If they were, they wouldn’t need to invite me to the top floor. She even said he’s arranged a private room. It must be about something else.”

“What other business could I possibly have that would attract Great Xia’s attention?”

Although Han Peng’s strength was only thirteen Mane, he was already eighty-one years old, and his life experience far surpassed that of an ordinary person. In the short time it took to follow Zeng Rou upstairs, he had already sorted through the problem in his mind.

What other business could he have that Great Xia would be interested in?

As this question arose in his mind, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his expression became tense.

Soon, Zeng Rou arrived at a Quiet Room on the top floor. After knocking, she spoke softly to the person inside, “Sir, I’ve brought Old Han.”

“Come in!”

Zeng Rou helped push the door open and gestured for Han Peng to enter with a smile.

Thump…

Han Peng had already removed his mask and black robe. He walked slowly into the Quiet Room, and before Qiu Peng, who was seated, could speak, he first took out a silver ingot from his robes and then, with a thump, knelt directly on the floor.

“Sir Qiu, this old man was blinded by greed! I was bribed by that Yang Ning with a silver ingot, which is why I didn’t expose him at the city gate. This old man is guilty and begs for your forgiveness! I don’t want this silver ingot anymore. I only ask that you see that this old man is eighty-one this year, with young children and grandchildren at home, and spare my life!”

Thump, thump, thump…

Han Peng actually started kowtowing on the floor.

He even cried as he did so, as if he was truly terrified.

Qiu Peng was completely baffled by this move. He was stunned for a good ten breaths before he hurried to his feet and helped the old man up.

He looked at Han Peng with a strange expression, noticing that there were real tears in his eyes, which stunned him again for a few moments. He guided Han Peng to a chair, sat him down, and then said slowly, “Old Han, you’ve misunderstood. I asked you here not to pursue your offense at the city gate.”

Han Peng immediately stopped crying and looked up with a blank expression, his face filled with confusion, as if asking Qiu Peng why else he would have been summoned.

Qiu Peng frowned, staring at him for more than ten seconds before continuing in a low voice, “Old Han, at your age, I won’t waste time. As far as I know, you’re from Jinyang Village. You only broke through to the Frostwarden realm in your forties, and you have no battle physique aptitude. At seventy-two, you reached the peak of the Frostwarden realm. Your strength was always at eight Mane until five years ago, when it began to increase. Now, you’re at thirteen Mane.”

Hearing Qiu Peng describe his cultivation so clearly, Han Peng’s face was filled with astonishment. But the shocks were far from over.

“I know of Jinyang Village. Among the nine village-level camps in Shady Crane Valley, it’s not considered prosperous. All these years, you’ve only had two iron mines. Your entire village has a total of eight Frostwarden realm cultivators. Of the other seven, four are your sons, two are your nephews, and one is your grandson, Han Li. He seems to be only twenty-three this year. Such talent wouldn’t be considered poor even in Jinshan Town.”

In reality, breaking through to the Frostwarden realm at twenty-three was definitely not up to Qiu Peng’s standards, but he still offered a small compliment when mentioning Han Li. He then looked at Han Peng and said with a smile, “Actually, the growth of your own strength is already very strange. Not to mention that in all of Jinyang Village, all the Frostwarden cultivators have come from your family. That’s even stranger…”

“May I ask Sir Qiu, this old man believed he has hidden it quite well over the years. Plus, Jinyang Village is located in the most remote western area of Shady Crane Valley. Even Jinshan City hasn’t noticed me. How did Great Xia find out about me?”

With things laid so bare, Han Peng naturally stopped pretending. He maintained a respectful expression, cupped his hands, and voiced the confusion in his heart to Qiu Peng.

“You don’t need to worry about that question. You just need to tell me your contact’s name, which camp they are from, and how far it is from Jinshan Town.”

Among the information about Han Peng, there was one detail: he was extremely keen on gathering news from all the towns, even willing to pay for it. Based on this alone, Qiu Peng could basically deduce that he was connected to an external power. So now, he wasted no more words and directly asked about his handler.

Hearing these three questions, Han Peng’s expression finally changed. He looked up at Qiu Peng, a hint of Malice in his eyes. “This old man advises Sir Qiu to stop asking. Knowing the answers will likely bring no good to Great Xia.”

Qiu Peng raised an eyebrow. “And what if I insist on asking?”

Han Peng looked up, a resolute expression in his eyes. “Sir, it would be a waste of effort. This old man will not speak, no matter what!”

Not only was his gaze firm, but his expression was also that of someone facing death, showing a certain degree of integrity.

Swish…

Qs unheard of until now—Cai Qiu, vassal state, Regional Lord—continuously poured into his ears, Qiu Peng’s expression gradually grew solemn.

iu Peng said nothing. He simply drew the saber from beside his chair. In a flash, the blade sliced past the old man’s temple, and a lock of white hair drifted to the ground.

Along with that lock of white hair, Han Peng’s integrity also fell to the floor.

“To be honest with you, Sir, I am actually a secret agent for Cai Qiu. I’ve been gathering intelligence on the Nine Towns for the northern Cai Qiu vassal state. It has been six years now…”

Hearing this, Qiu Peng’s interest was immediately piqued.

Han Peng was extremely cooperative, answering almost every question he was asked. He even volunteered information on some topics Qiu Peng hadn’t brought up.

As he continued to speak, words a

…

Having unexpectedly obtained information about an external power, Qiu Peng was naturally ecstatic.

However, Yang Fan’s group, who had just left Hongmen City, were not in such a good mood.

The group of fifteen was traveling through a snowy forest. Everyone had a grim expression, focused only on heading north, with no one speaking a word.

The heavily injured Yang Ning and Li Hu were being carried by others. Both were still in bad shape. Li Hu was completely unconscious, which conveniently spared him from the awkward atmosphere.

Yang Ning didn’t have it so easy. He was only feigning unconsciousness. From time to time, he would open his eyes to look at his third grand-uncle, Yang Fan, at the very front, his face full of guilt and remorse.

He now naturally realized what a huge disaster he had caused. He also understood that the plan he and Li Hu had cooked up to gain merit was utterly idiotic.

Just as Yuan Cheng had said, given their identities, no one would believe them if they claimed Great Xia was connected to anomalies. It would only serve to enhance Great Xia’s prestige.

Whoosh…

As Yang Ning was lost in thought, a violent gust of wind suddenly came from ahead.

Bang!

“Who’s there!”

“Ambush!”

A fierce sword light suddenly shot out from the side of the snowy forest, heading straight for the leader, Yang Fan.

Yang Fan hastily raised his spear to counter. Although he blocked the sword light, the disparity in their strength was clearly immense. His spear was sent flying, and the sword light pierced through his brow in an instant, a fatal blow.

“Run… Split up and run…”

Yang Fan’s pupils dilated in terror. With his last ounce of strength, he instantly realized what was happening, turned his head, and struggled to say these words to the others.

The owner of the sword light was a middle-aged man dressed in black. He had a simple and honest face and even smiled after killing someone. After finishing Yang Fan, he showed no hesitation, turning to charge at the four strongest among the remaining fourteen.

Yang Fan, with his thirty-one Mane strength, had been killed in a single blow. How could the others have any will to resist? Their faces filled with panic, they turned and fled in different directions.

Puchi, puchi…

Unfortunately, the simple-faced, middle-aged man was simply too strong.

The four strongest hadn’t gotten far before he caught up and slaughtered them one by one. As for the remaining ten, it was even more of a lost cause. In less than a hundred breaths, all but Yang Ning and Li Hu, who had been thrown to the ground, were dead. Among them were Yang Shou and Yang Ding of the Six Stallions of the Yang clan.

This sudden, shocking turn of events left Yang Ning completely stunned.

He had been thrown to the ground by his kinsman earlier. Now, heavily injured, he couldn’t run far even if he tried. He could only watch helplessly as his clansmen were massacred, his body trembling violently, his pupils filled with terror.

“Kid, you were so brave back in the city, weren’t you? What are you so afraid of now?”

Chapter 395: Giant Tiger Mountain, Slaying the Flood Dragon at White Tiger Pool, Obtaining the Heavenly Sun Fruit, Overwhelmed with Gratitude

Eighth Year of Great Xia, Ninth Month, Tenth Day.

In the southeastern reaches of Mo’ao Mountain, approximately sixty kilometers deep.

Unlike most of Mo’ao Mountain, which was covered in snow, there was a large area here where not a single snowflake could be seen.

Not only that, but the temperature in this corner of the world was significantly higher than the outside. This was evident from the thickness of the ice crystals coating the trees and the length of the icicles hanging from the branches.

If one were to stand on the ground and look up, they would discover that the sky above this region was covered by a vast section of a mountain.

This mountain body extended from a majestic peak to the east, like a magnificent giant extending its thick arms in an embrace, completely shielding the dozens of square kilometers below.

Of course, upon closer inspection, one would find that the giant’s arms were actually supported by many vertical rock pillars. These pillars were densely packed, perfectly blocking the cold winds blowing from the north and south. Thus, the space below the mountain was semi-enclosed on three sides, with only the west side open, creating the effect of a giant grotto.

The entire grotto was open only on its western side. Not only was falling snow from the sky kept out, but the vast majority of the cold air was blocked as well. As such, it was not difficult to understand why the temperature inside was higher than elsewhere.

Outside the western side of the grotto, a colossal snow-capped mountain lay recumbent.

Given the sheer scale of Mo’ao Mountain, there weren’t many peaks that could be described as colossal.

But the one before them was absolutely deserving of the title.

It ran from north to south, about sixteen kilometers long and four to five kilometers wide from east to west. The peak was roughly two kilometers high. From a distance, it looked like a giant rectangular block that had abruptly risen from the ground.

However, a closer look would reveal that the entire snow mountain was actually composed of three different mountain bodies. The northern section was about five kilometers long, the highest and widest part; the middle section was ten kilometers long, its altitude gradually increasing from north to south; the southernmost section was the smallest, only a kilometer in length, with its end slightly upturned, just like the tail of a huge beast.

If one were to look down from the sky north of this gigantic peak, they would recognize it at a glance. The entire snow mountain looked just like a colossal tiger-shaped beast, crouching low to the ground with its tail raised high, ready to pounce.

What one sees is determined by their field of vision, which in turn is determined by their vantage point. This meant that only a very small number of Sun-Manifestation realm experts who could fly would be able to discern that this snow mountain resembled a fierce tiger.

And at this very moment, in the sky above the northern part of this snow mountain, the Tiger Head Peak region, three Sun-Manifestation realm experts were locked in a frantic battle with a black flood dragon that was nearly a thousand meters long and covered in dark scales.

“ROAR…”

The black flood dragon’s eyes were wide with fury, its vertical golden pupils filled with bloodthirsty killing intent. Following its skyward roar, the heavens above Tiger Head Peak were quickly shrouded in dark clouds. In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Silver serpents danced wildly as lightning bolts struck downward relentlessly. The ambient temperature plummeted severalfold. The snowflakes that had been drifting in the sky quickly condensed into hailstones the size of fists, smashing down onto the ground below.

The three Sun-Manifestation realm experts confronting it each had their own distinct characteristics:

On the left was an old man with half-white hair. He wore a crimson robe and wielded a crimson-silver longsword. Although he was surrounded and shielded by countless sword lights, one could vaguely see a red glow flowing rapidly through the meridians on his face and arms. Anyone with knowledge would recognize it at a glance as the sign of having cultivated the Twelve Blood Meridians Technique.

On the right was a thin, rather tall middle-aged man. He was dressed in golden brocade robes and held a twelve-ringed silver great-saber with both hands. The blade was as black as ink, continuously slashing out silvery blade-lights dozens of meters long. They clashed wildly with the black flood dragon’s claws, which seemed capable of tearing space itself, producing sounds that almost drowned out the roar of thunder.

The man in the center was the youngest, looking no older than his early twenties. He wore a richly textured black robe, adorned with much gleaming gold thread embroidery. The cuffs and collar were trimmed with silver silk, giving him an incomparably noble air. His attire alone was clearly superior to the other two.

As for his weapon, because the young man in the black robe was erupting with a layer of fierce flames, his blood-red saber in his right hand reflected the firelight, giving it a glazed, brilliant luster. While it was dazzling, it also conveyed a bewitching sense of extreme bloodlust.

Swoosh…

The black flood dragon’s right claw tore through the air, creating a black claw-mark that stretched for over a hundred meters. In terms of length alone, it had already crushed the three Sun-Manifestation realm experts.

Not to mention its power.

Bang… Bang…

Although the two men on the left and right hastily raised their longsword and great-saber to block, when they were struck by the black claw-mark, their bodies plummeted toward the ground like meteors, crashing into the pool on Tiger Head Peak below and sending up a water spout over a hundred meters high.

“Lord Xia Hong, this black flood dragon is too strong. We can’t do this!”

“Let’s come back another day. The three of us can’t beat it!”

After flying back into the air from the pool, Xiahou Zhang’s and Murong Chui’s clothes were already tattered.

Of course, the flood dragon had torn more than just their clothes. A massive claw mark had appeared on each of them. The former was across the chest, from the left shoulder to the right waist; the latter stretched from the right shoulder down the entire right arm.

Beneath the claw marks, not only was flesh and blood visible, but even the bones and the cracks on them could be clearly seen, a testament to the flood dragon’s immense strength.

Strength was one thing, but more importantly, black vapor was rising from around the claw marks, continuously eroding their flesh and bones. The black flood dragon’s claws were actually poisonous, and it was a potent toxin that could threaten even Sun-Manifestation realm experts.

With the black flood dragon being so terrifyingly strong, it was understandable that Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui were now having second thoughts, urging Xia Hong to leave first.

Swoosh…

However, Xia Hong, who was still in mid-air, did not reply to them.

He had already flown above the black flood dragon’s head. He ignored the lightning bolts striking him from the sky and single-mindedly raised his saber, slashing toward the space between the flood dragon’s eyes.

“ROAR…”

But this black flood dragon was indeed too powerful. A casual twist of its thousand-meter body could stir the surrounding airflow into a violent gale. Forget about hitting its eyes; Xia Hong found it extremely difficult to even get within ten meters of it.

“Fifteen Jun. This is the strongest Beast King I’ve ever encountered. Flood dragons should also be considered Water-based Frost Beasts, so are Frost Beasts in the water generally stronger than those on land?”

Xia Hong pivoted his saber to block one of the flood dragon’s black claws and retreated over a hundred meters. He first glanced down at the shallow claw marks on his arm and chest, then looked up at the black flood dragon before him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Roar…

The black flood dragon looked at Xia Hong, its eyes filled not only with rage but also a clear trace of apprehension. Its skyward roar was no different from before, but all three men present could hear the threat within it.

The black flood dragon was telling them to leave immediately.

Xia Hong’s expression was calm, but on the other side, Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui exchanged a look, their expressions becoming a little unsettled.

The Beast King’s act of roaring to threaten them to leave could be interpreted in several ways. One was that if they didn’t go, it would get serious. The other was that the flood dragon wasn’t confident it could kill them; otherwise, it wouldn’t need to resort to intimidation.

“Lord Xia Hong’s strength must be at least thirteen Jun or more.”

“No, it’s definitely more than that. It should be over fifteen Jun, even stronger than Shangguan Yang, Yang Zun, and Qin Feng!”

Hearing this, Murong Chui’s face showed a hint of disbelief. Then he remembered that Xiahou Zhang had witnessed the Battle of Bashang with his own eyes and certainly knew more than he did. A look of shock instantly appeared on his face.

“Then should we…”

“I must ask the two Lords to help me block this wretched creature’s flanks. I, Xia, shall slay this flood dragon today!”

Murong Chui was about to speak to Xiahou Zhang to coordinate their next move, whether to fight or flee, but before he could finish, Xia Hong’s voice reached them first.

“Go!”

Xiahou Zhang was far more decisive. Upon hearing Xia Hong’s words, he rushed forward without the slightest hesitation, brandishing his saber. A skeletal phantom over five hundred zhang tall materialized behind him. The twelve-ringed great-saber slashed out a dozen blade-lights in mid-air, all of them striking the left side of the black flood dragon’s body.

Clang clang clang…

The dark scales on the black flood dragon were obviously not for show. Xiahou Zhang’s dozen or so slashes only managed to knock off a dozen scales.

Even so, Xiahou Zhang possessed a strength of over five Jun. With a dozen full-powered strikes, although the flood dragon wasn’t seriously injured, its body was inevitably pushed back several dozen meters to the right.

“ROAR!”

The black flood dragon had just let out a roar of anger when a dozen crimson sword lights slashed fiercely at its right side. Who could it be but Murong Chui?

Since Xiahou Zhang had charged in, Murong Chui was naturally not one to be left behind.

A skeletal phantom over five hundred zhang tall also appeared behind him. Wielding his longsword, he unleashed a dozen slashes at the right side of the flood dragon’s body. Like Xiahou Zhang, he couldn’t break through the flood dragon’s defense and only managed to cut off a dozen scales, but it was enough to restrict the flood dragon’s movements.

With both men in position on the left and right, the flood dragon’s escape routes were sealed.

Next, it was time for Xia Hong to make his move!

Boom…

The moment the thousand-zhang skeletal phantom appeared behind Xia Hong, the temperature of the entire world suddenly shot up. He held the Cold Blood Saber and charged forward through the air, reaching the top of the black flood dragon’s head in an instant.

“Die!”

In mid-air, Xia Hong switched from a one-handed to a two-handed grip on his saber. The blade circled half-way around his shoulder, was raised high above his head, and with a furious roar, he brought it down towards the flood dragon’s forehead, drawing out the last syllable of his war cry.

The skeletal phantom was merely an external projection of Xia Hong’s power. It too held a narrow saber several hundred zhang long. As Xia Hong brought his saber down on the flood dragon’s forehead, the skeletal phantom mimicked the action, cleaving downwards.

Whoosh…

As the blade descended, the surrounding airflow was instantly devoured. The blade’s radiance stretched for over a hundred meters, momentarily eclipsing the cold light from the heavens. It seemed as if nothing existed in this world but this single saber strike.

Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui on either side had not stopped their attacks, continuing to restrict the flood dragon’s movements. But the blade-lights they unleashed could no longer condense into tangible forms. Realizing that the power of Xia Hong’s strike was so immense it had vacuumed up all the surrounding air, both men’s brows twitched violently, their pupils filled with shock and horror.

“That wasn’t his true strength just now!”

“He was holding back before? How is that possible?”

Bang…

Setting aside the shock in their hearts, Xia Hong’s Cold Blood Saber, under the black flood dragon’s horrified and desperate gaze, finally struck its forehead.

This time, the black flood dragon was not so lucky.

The scales on its forehead instantly burst apart, dozens of them scattering in all directions. Next, the flesh on its forehead was torn open, and crimson blood spurted out for hundreds of meters, nearly spraying all over Xia Hong’s face.

But it wasn’t over!

Crack…

Roar!

The crisp sound of bone shattering echoed through the world. In agony, the black flood dragon opened its mouth and let out a furious roar at Xia Hong. From its maw, it spewed a thick pillar of black mist, which instantly shot out three to four hundred meters.

“What the hell is this!”

Xia Hong’s expression changed drastically. Recalling the black vapor rising from the claw marks on Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui, he realized this black mist must be problematic. Not daring to be careless, he quickly dodged to the left.

Swoosh…

Then, an astonishing scene occurred.

The pillar of black mist spewing from the flood dragon’s mouth rapidly solidified in a very short time, like a black sword over three hundred meters long.

There was a reason for calling it a sword.

The pillar of black mist actually had sharp edges. Just as Xia Hong dodged to the left, the black flood dragon violently whipped its head left, and the long, sharp mist instantly struck Xia Hong’s left shoulder.

Crack…

The flesh on Xia Hong’s left shoulder was instantly torn open. Black smoke immediately billowed from the wound, and the flesh on either side rapidly turned black, a clear sign that the toxin was taking effect.

It was a good thing Xia Hong’s bones were far stronger than an ordinary person’s. Otherwise, he would have ended up like Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui, with the toxin even tainting his bones.

“You wretched creature, to think you had a trick like this up your sleeve!”

Caught off guard and injured, Xia Hong’s face flashed with alarm before he quickly rallied, turning to charge at the black flood dragon once more.

The black flood dragon’s massive head was already stained red with blood. Staring at the approaching Xia Hong, especially at the Cold Blood Saber in his hand, its pupils were filled with nothing but apprehension and fear.

The moment its forehead had been split open, although the sensation was brief, the black flood dragon had clearly felt that the red saber was absorbing its blood.

“ROAR…”

Without much thought, the black flood dragon violently twisted its body, sweeping aside Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui with the pillar of black mist from its mouth. Then, it contracted its abdomen slightly and roared up at Xia Hong.

Bang…

The three-hundred-meter-long pillar of black mist suddenly exploded, turning into a sky full of black smoke that instantly enveloped the entire Tiger Head Peak. The area, five to six kilometers in radius, was plunged into darkness, and nothing could be seen.

“There’s something wrong with this smoke. Control your Hide, don’t breathe it in!”

While Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui were still stunned, they heard Xia Hong’s warning. They quickly sealed all the pores on their bodies and tore off pieces of clothing to bandage their wounds.

“These are Great Xia’s high-level antidote pills. They can counter most toxins. This black flood dragon’s poison is too strong; a complete cure will be difficult, but it should be able to alleviate the effects!”

As soon as they finished bandaging themselves, Xia Hong flew over. He took out three brown Spirit Pills from his robes, swallowed one himself, and then gave one to each of them.

The two took the pills, exchanged a look, and then swallowed them directly.

After taking the pill, Murong Chui noticed that the black smoke rising from his wound had indeed diminished. His expression immediately became excited.

Xiahou Zhang’s face showed more than just excitement. As he watched the black smoke on his wound lessen, something seemed to come to mind, and his eyes even grew slightly red, his expression incredibly complex.

The three of them silently resisted the poison, neither leaving nor speaking.

The black mist lasted for a long time, more than twenty minutes in total. It was almost dark before it finally began to dissipate.

When the black mist had almost cleared, Murong Chui looked down at the calm, ripple-free surface of White Tiger Pool below. He was stunned for a moment, then turned to ask Xia Hong:

“Lord Xia Hong, that black flood dragon?”

“It escaped!”

Seeing Xia Hong’s grim expression, Murong Chui’s heart sank. He hurriedly wore a look of shame and cupped his hands. “This old man was useless. I hope Lord Xia Hong can forgive me.”

Xiahou Zhang had also regained his composure by now. He too cupped his hands toward Xia Hong apologetically. “I have implicated Lord Xia Hong and caused the failure to slay the flood dragon. Xiahou Zhang is ashamed!”

From start to finish, the two of them had contributed little to the battle. Worse, they had repeatedly required Xia Hong’s help. In the end, they even failed the task Xia Hong had given them, to block the flood dragon’s flanks.

If it weren’t for their lack of strength, given the power Xia Hong had displayed in the final phase, slaying this black flood dragon would have been almost a certainty.

Both of them were well aware of this.

“What are you two saying? The information about the black flood dragon in White Tiger Pool was provided by Lord Xiahou in the first place. Lord Murong volunteered to come and help. I, Xia, don’t have enough time to thank you, how could I possibly blame you!”

Letting such a huge black flood dragon escape naturally put Xia Hong in a bad mood, but he wasn’t about to vent his anger on the two of them. He turned, smiled, and helped them up, then looked down at White Tiger Pool below and said with a laugh, “Since this black flood dragon has fled, White Tiger Pool is now ours. Come, let’s go down and have a look!”

After speaking, Xia Hong flew directly down toward White Tiger Pool.

Sensing that Xia Hong truly did not blame them, both men were visibly moved. They exchanged a look and followed him down.

White Tiger Pool was located on Giant Tiger Mountain’s Tiger Head Peak. It was called a pool, but its diameter was at least three to four kilometers.

As Xia Hong descended, he took in the full size of White Tiger Pool and couldn’t help but smile at Xiahou Zhang. “This body of water is not small. Shouldn’t it be called a lake?”

Xiahou Zhang nodded and explained, “The reason it’s called a pool is that my father, Xiahou Ming, discovered Giant Tiger Mountain by accident while flying past here long ago. At the time, he looked down from afar and thought this body of water was very small, so he named it White Tiger Pool.”

Xia Hong nodded. He recalled the complex expression on Xiahou Zhang’s face when he had taken out the antidote pills, and he understood immediately.

Xiahou Zhang’s father, Xiahou Ming, had died from the frost poison of that red carp anomaly. His high-level antidote pill must have reminded him of his father. Furthermore, this White Tiger Pool was the very place where Xiahou Zhang’s master, Jiang Yinglong, had risked his life to pick five Heavenly Sun Fruits. With these two factors combined, it was no wonder Xiahou Zhang’s heart was filled with reminiscence.

When Xia Hong was still over a hundred meters from the water’s surface, he saw a bright light emanating from the core area of the pool. His eyes lit up at once, and he immediately led the other two toward the glowing area.

In the very center of the pool, a spirit plant was growing directly out of the water.

Its main trunk was straight, about half a meter in diameter, and rose more than thirty meters above the water before it began to branch out. Its leaves were round and massive, each with a diameter of over three meters, like large cattail fans.

The most astonishing thing about this spirit plant was its color. From its trunk to its leaves, it was entirely black, without a hint of any other color. What was even more amazing was that although it grew up from the extremely cold water of the frost pool, its trunk and leaves radiated intense heat.

Snowflakes from the sky didn’t even have a chance to land on it; they would melt and evaporate when they were still five or six meters above its leaves, a testament to its intense temperature.

“So this is the Heavenly Sun Branch. What a marvel!”

Xia Hong drew closer and touched a black leaf, his eyes full of wonder.

Murong Chui, beside him, was the same.

Only Xiahou Zhang, familiar with the place, flew a circle around it. He soon returned, holding thirteen precious fruits, each the size of a fist and emitting a brilliant light, and walked toward Xia Hong.

“Congratulations, Lord Xia Hong. The black flood dragon hadn’t finished this batch of fruits. There are actually thirteen left!”

Xia Hong took the thirteen fruits, his eyes instantly filling with joy.

The Heavenly Sun Fruits were his!

At the end of last year, when Lu Yang sent the news about the Heavenly Sun Fruits back to Xiacheng, Xia Hong had kept it in mind. Great Xia was in urgent need of new Sun-Manifestation realm experts, and he naturally thought of the Heavenly Sun Fruits.

He had arrived in Jiangxia Town at the beginning of this month, nominally to visit and experience the local culture. But after a few days of sightseeing, he got straight to the point with Xiahou Zhang, asking about the Heavenly Sun Fruits.

Originally, Xia Hong had thought Xiahou Zhang would surely be uncooperative with something so important. He had even prepared a list of conditions, determined to make Xiahou Zhang relent no matter what.

To his surprise, Xiahou Zhang was extremely cooperative. Not only did he directly tell Xia Hong the location of White Tiger Pool, but he even took the initiative to suggest inviting Murong Chui, saying that with the three of them acting together, their chances of success would be greater.

Of course, along with the surprise, Xia Hong quickly figured out the reason.

Great Xia lacked Sun-Manifestation experts, but Jiangxia lacked them even more!

Secondly, the strength of that black flood dragon was indeed too formidable.

Xiahou Zhang surely knew in his heart that his master, Jiang Yinglong, had managed to pick five fruits back then through some unknown method. But based on the battle just now, luck must have played a huge part. It would be impossible for him to replicate that success. So, rather than guarding a treasure trove he couldn’t touch, he might as well use it to repay the life-saving grace Xia Hong had shown him earlier.

His earlier hesitation and suggestion to retreat showed that he had never held much hope for success. Succeeding was clearly a great surprise to him.

Xia Hong looked at the thirteen Heavenly Sun Fruits in his hand, picked out six, and then gave three each to Murong Chui and Xiahou Zhang.

“You two accompanied me here today, so you can’t leave empty-handed!”

Staring at the three Heavenly Sun Fruits presented to them, both Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui were momentarily stunned. Then, a flicker of excitement appeared in their eyes. They opened their mouths to refuse, but no matter what, the words wouldn’t come out.

Because Xiahou Zhang had never really believed they would succeed, he hadn’t made any demands to Xia Hong before setting out. He had only considered providing the location as repaying the life-saving debt he owed Xia Hong.

As for Murong Chui, Muyin Town’s debt to Great Xia was no less than Jiangxia’s. Before they left, he had made it very clear that he was purely there to help and wanted nothing in return.

Setting all that aside, based on their contributions during the fight against the black flood dragon, they were no match for Xia Hong at all.

Was Xia Hong unaware of the value of these Heavenly Sun Fruits?

That was impossible!

Yet now, Xia Hong was actually taking out nearly half of them and giving them away for free.

“Alright, there’s no need for you two to refuse. You each take three, and I’ll take all of the fifty-odd scales the black flood dragon dropped. Is that all right?”

Seeing the two of them hesitate, Xia Hong smiled, having roughly guessed their thoughts. He directly tossed the six fruits to them.

Xiahou Zhang’s and Murong Chui’s hearts truly wanted to refuse, but looking at the three Heavenly Sun Fruits, and thinking of the current situation in their respective towns, they ultimately gritted their teeth and tucked the fruits into their robes.

After exchanging a glance, they bowed in unison to Xia Hong.

“Lord Xia Hong’s great kindness will be remembered by Xiahou Zhang for the rest of my life. From this day forward, Jiangxia Town will never take the initiative to oppose Great Xia!”

“What Lord Xiahou said is what this old man says. From now on, my Muyin Town will look to Great Xia for leadership!”

Their expressions were solemn, and their tones were utterly sincere.

Xia Hong turned and smiled, raising a hand. “There is no need for this. Our three towns are meant to help each other. Great Xia is new here, and we do indeed need the support of your two towns. Please rise!”

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, both men wore wry smiles.

Not to mention the strength Great Xia had shown over the past four months, just looking at the Hongmen Banquet from this year, it was clear that at most, Great Xia only needed their two towns to shout some support. When would they ever truly need their help?

On the other hand, Great Xia’s previous support for their two towns was real and substantial: helping Muyin fend off the invasion from Jinshan and Wuchuan, helping Jiangxia recover its former territory, and ceding the land of Bashang to Jiangxia.

However, Xiahou Zhang also knew what Great Xia needed. So after a moment of thought, he cupped his hands and said with a serious expression, “Rest assured, Lord Xia Hong. I don’t care what the other towns think, but no matter what conditions others offer, my Jiangxia will never stand against Great Xia in the future!”

Murong Chui followed suit, nodding and bowing. “The founding of my Muyin Town was saved by Great Xia’s hand. Though this old man is but decaying wood, I still understand some propriety and honor. If Muyin were to oppose Great Xia in the future, may I, this old man, die a horrible death!”

With this attitude, the six Heavenly Sun Fruits just now had not been wasted.

The smile on Xia Hong’s face grew wider. He sized up the Heavenly Sun Branch before him, a glint in his eye, and turned to Xiahou Zhang. “Lord Xiahou just said that this Heavenly Sun Branch matures once every twenty years, yielding about thirty fruits each time, is that correct?”

Xiahou Zhang nodded. Giant Tiger Mountain, White Tiger Pool, and the Heavenly Sun Branch before them had all been discovered by his father, Xiahou Ming, over sixty years ago. Although only his father and his master, Jiang Yinglong, had successfully harvested the Heavenly Sun Fruits over the years, they had been observing it constantly, so they had long figured out the maturing patterns of the Heavenly Sun Branch.

“For heavenly materials and earthly treasures such as this, I suspect that now that the black flood dragon is gone, other Beast Kings will come in the future. My Great Xia has a Medicinal Field that can hasten the growth of transplanted spirit species. If Lord Xiahou doesn’t mind, I would like to transplant this spirit plant to my Xiacheng. In the future, the fruits it bears will be divided equally among our three families. What do you think?”

After speaking, Xia Hong worried that Xiahou Zhang might have reservations and quickly added, “If the two of you don’t trust Great Xia, you can stay in Xiacheng yourselves, or send someone to stay, just to keep an eye on this Heavenly Sun Branch…”

“How would Xiahou Zhang dare? If not for Lord Xia Hong, this Heavenly Sun Branch would just be sitting here for us to look at. If Great Xia possesses such miraculous methods, then it should be transplanted as soon as possible.”

“This old man is already deeply indebted to Great Xia for receiving these three Heavenly Sun Fruits today. What’s there to divide? Lord Xia Hong, please feel free to transplant it. If the transplant is successful in the future, it will be a blessing for all of humanity on the southern foot of Mo’ao Mountain.”

After receiving those six Heavenly Sun Fruits, Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui were now agreeable to almost anything Xia Hong said, without the slightest objection.

It made sense when you thought about it. It only matured once every twenty years, and in the meantime, it might attract terrifyingly strong Beast Kings like the black flood dragon. The transplant itself carried great risks, and looking at the growth environment of the Heavenly Sun Branch, the success rate of transplanting was clearly not high. Naturally, neither of them held much hope.

That’s right, these two were still unaware of Great Xia’s capabilities!

Xia Hong naturally wouldn’t explain further. He just chuckled and nodded. Then, as if remembering something, he pointed at the Heavenly Sun Fruits in their hands and said, “It’s a waste to eat these Heavenly Sun Fruits directly. The effects should be better if they are refined into pills. If you two trust me, you can hold onto the fruits for a while. My Great Xia has a few skilled Alchemists who should be able to develop a pill formula from these. I will notify you both when I have news.”

Great Xia’s pills were already famous throughout The Eight Towns. Hearing this, the two immediately nodded, feeling another wave of gratitude toward Xia Hong.

“Alright, that’s all for today. I still need to collect the scales dropped by the black flood dragon. If you two have nothing else to do, you can head back first!”

Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui enthusiastically offered to help Xia Hong clean up, but he declined with a smile. After seeing them off, Xia Hong collected all fifty-eight flood dragon scales from the pool and the surrounding area.

Each of these scales was about half a meter in diameter. Neither Murong Chui nor Xiahou Zhang could break them even with their full-powered weapon attacks. Their defensive capabilities were self-evident, and crucially, they were not heavy, making them excellent materials for combat armor. Moreover, a flood dragon was still a type of dragon, so dragon scales might have medicinal uses. Xia Hong would naturally not let such a good thing go.

After collecting the scales, Xia Hong was about to leave when he suddenly thought of something. On a whim, he turned his head and looked at the surface of White Tiger Pool.

Like the Xing River, the surface of White Tiger Pool was frozen year-round. However, the three of them had already shattered all the surface ice earlier to force the flood dragon to appear, so now only a large layer of broken floating ice remained.

The Xing River was deep and looked dark, while the White Tiger Pool before him was clearly not as deep. The water was a turquoise green color.

“The Crimson Blood Demon Dragon in Qinghepu chose to slumber at the bottom of the lake, and this black flood dragon also lived at the bottom of White Tiger Pool. These dragon-type Frost Beasts all seem to prefer these smaller bodies of water as their lairs…”

Xia Hong rubbed his chin, a thoughtful look on his face. Then, a guess emerged in his eyes. He quickly tied the scales together, slung them on his back, and with a splash, he dived toward the bottom of White Tiger Pool.

“Legends all say that dragons love to hoard treasure. That big one in Chilong Lake is too strong for me to dare go down. But going down here to have a look should be fine!”

…

Chapter 396: A Bountiful Harvest in the Flood Dragon’s Lair, the Rising New Generation

The chill of the Ice Abyss waters was far more aggressive than that on land.

Xia Hong had experienced this firsthand when he developed the waters of Wuyuan.

On land, humans could at least fend off the cold with fire and clothing. Upon breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, one could rely on their reforged hide to resist the cold air and frigid light from the outside, essentially eliminating any fear of the cold during the day.

But it was a different story in the water!

First, once in the water, both fire and clothing became useless.

Second, the waters of the Ice Abyss were covered by a layer of transparent, solid ice year-round. Normally, this should insulate them from the outside cold. But one must not forget that the vast majority of the cold in the Ice Abyss originated from the sun in the sky. That sun projected a frigid light; in other words, the light source was the greatest source of the cold.

The transparent ice surface, far from blocking the cold light cast by the sun, actually acted like a magnifying lens due to its transparency, causing the water below to absorb the frigid light at an accelerated rate.

Moreover, the thicker the ice, the stronger the magnifying effect, and the more frigid light the water below absorbed. As a result, the temperature of the water beneath the ice dropped to an unimaginably low level.

Last year, when Xia Hong drove out the red carp anomaly and seized the Wuyuan waters, he had explored them immediately. So now, as he descended into White Tiger Pool and felt the bone-chilling cold of the water, his face showed no surprise.

“Even I find it bone-chilling, let alone someone at the Frostwarden realm. They could probably only last for a few minutes at most. Any longer, and they would definitely freeze to death.”

From this, it seemed to explain why Water-based Frost Beasts were generally stronger than their land-based counterparts. They were likely forged by their environment; those without skill simply couldn’t survive.

With that black Flood Dragon occupying this area, there could be no other powerful existences underwater. White Tiger Pool was very deep; Xia Hong dove for about five hundred meters before reaching the bottom, where he began a careful search.

Soon, he found a massive underwater cave entrance.

The entrance was located on the left side of the pool floor. It was about fifty meters in diameter, with the water only submerging the lower half, clearly leading into a huge cavern within.

Seeing the sharp claw marks around the entrance, Xia Hong’s eyes lit up instantly.

That black Flood Dragon really had made a lair for itself underwater!

Xia Hong took a deep breath and quickly swam toward the cavern. He soon broke the surface at the entrance and unleashed his full bone-deep aura, first using the high heat to evaporate the water from his body, then stepping onto the water’s surface and walking directly into the cave.

Upon entering, a cavernous space over three hundred meters high and five to six hundred meters wide came into view.

Xia Hong scanned the interior. When his gaze swept to the far left of the cave, his pupils constricted, and his expression turned to one of utter excitement.

In the depths to the left of the cave, there were twenty-four precious, fluorescent spirit plants. Their stalks were incredibly thick, some reaching heights of tens or even a hundred meters. Scattered all around them was a floor littered with special ores of various colors. The largest were five or six meters in diameter, while the smallest were only the size of a fist.

And that wasn’t all. Behind those spirit plants, a black Flood Dragon was coiled up, lying prone on the ground.

Who else could it be but the one he had just fought?

The black Flood Dragon had returned!

Xia Hong’s mind tensed in an instant, and he immediately raised the Cold Blood Saber in his hand.

But seeing that the Flood Dragon wasn’t moving, he looked closer with suspicion.

One look, and he immediately relaxed.

But just a few seconds after relaxing, his expression turned even more ecstatic.

It was a complete Jiao shedding—from the bulge on its forehead to its four sharp claws, to the black scales covering its entire body, it was identical to the black Flood Dragon he had just fought.

“Dragons are hoarders by nature. The legends are true after all. That black Flood Dragon left so many treasures in its old lair. I’ve struck it rich. This time, I’ve really struck it rich!”

Xia Hong rarely lost his composure like this, mainly because in leading the Great Xia from a small earthen hill to where they were today, he had truly never stumbled upon such a massive windfall.

If one had to make a comparison, the Silver Mine on the Northern Slope of the Cliffs counted as one, but with his strength at the time, he was already just a step away from obtaining silver anyway. That silver mine was, at best, adding flowers to a brocade. How could it compare to what lay before him now?

Setting aside the multicolored ores covering the ground, just the twenty-four spirit plants alone were astounding. Among them was a black Heavenly Sun Branch, identical to the one on the surface of White Tiger Pool, and it still bore nine Heavenly Sun Fruits that had not yet been picked.

Although Xia Hong didn’t recognize the other twenty-three plants, the fact that the black Flood Dragon had hidden them in its lair alongside a Heavenly Sun Branch was enough to know they were certainly precious.

A thought flickered in Xia Hong’s mind. He quickly began to sift through the ores on the ground, inspecting all the gold-hued stones one by one. A look of disappointment appeared in his eyes.

“What a pity!”

The system could detect resource-type ores. Clearly, none of these golden-gleaming stones contained any gold.

Xia Hong shook his head slightly, mentally cursing himself for being too greedy. He continued forward to inspect the Jiao shedding.

Although the black scales on this shedding weren’t as hard as the fifty-eight he had just collected, their defensive capability was at least around two Jun, making them perfectly suitable for crafting battle armor for Frostwarden realm warriors.

Crucially, this dragon shedding was enormous, at least six hundred meters long. He could probably strip over four thousand scales from it. Each scale was about forty centimeters in diameter; using iron as a supplementary material, he could make at least a thousand sets of battle armor.

And there was more than just the scales. Beneath them lay a soft membrane as thin as a cicada’s wing, an excellent material for either protective gear or clothing.

It might even be usable as a medicinal ingredient!

Suppressing his excitement, Xia Hong looked at the giant Jiao shedding before him. A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he grew pensive.

“So not all Beast Kings are small in size. For instance, that red carp anomaly in the Wuyuan waters was over two hundred meters long. The black Flood Dragon just now was also over a thousand meters long. This shedding must be from its previous stage, which means it was already over six hundred meters long in its last stage!”

When he fought the red carp anomaly last time, Xia Hong had been puzzled.

The Beast Kings he had fought before basically had two forms: a true form, which was very small, and a combat form, in which their bodies could expand by hundreds of times in an instant.

But that red carp anomaly, from its appearance and the ensuing battle to its final escape, had maintained a length of over two hundred meters, clearly different from other Beast Kings.

Of course, the same was true for today’s black Flood Dragon.

“That Crimson Blood Demon Dragon at Qinghepu was also over a thousand zhang long, but it’s definitely a realm above Beast King, so it offers little for comparison. Therefore, I can draw two probable conclusions.

“One is that Water-based Frost Beasts and land-based Frost Beasts are completely different species, so their body sizes are completely different when they reach the Beast King realm.

“The other has to do with bloodline. The more advanced the bloodline of a Frost Beast, the larger its body will be at the Beast King realm!”

The Red Carp, the black Flood Dragon, and if one included Qinghepu’s Crimson Blood Demon Dragon—in terms of bloodline, these three were clearly more advanced than any Beast King he had fought before. This was why Xia Hong had arrived at his second conclusion.

“It’s a shame that I still haven’t managed to successfully kill a Beast King from the water. If I could kill one and see if its bones have changed, I could probably find the answer!”

Xia Hong’s brow furrowed slightly. In terms of raw power, neither last year’s red carp anomaly nor today’s black Flood Dragon was his match.

The problem was that these water-dwelling Beast Kings were extremely intelligent. The moment they realized they couldn’t win, they would flee. They also had numerous escape methods, and the water was their home turf, making them astonishingly difficult to kill.

“I can only take it slow. I should take these things away first. The Heavenly Sun Fruits and other ripe spirit plants, including the small ores and the soft shedding, I can take those now. As for the rest…”

Looking at the scales on the Jiao shedding and the twenty-odd giant ores on the ground that were over half a meter in diameter, Xia Hong was faced with a dilemma.

“I’ve been in the Ice Abyss for almost ten years and still haven’t gotten my hands on a storage ring. Am I the most pathetic transmigrator ever?”

Xia Hong suddenly mocked himself, then shook his head with a low chuckle, thinking that it was questionable whether storage rings even existed in this world. He was overthinking things.

“Heyin is the closest place to here. I’ll have to get Xiao Kangcheng to send some people over to transport these things back to Bashang for now!”

Heyin was originally a village-level camp at the southernmost tip of Baisong Camp, located right next to Mo’ao Mountain. In July, Jiangxia Town had ceded it to the Great Xia, so it was now a Great Xia outpost.

Xiao Kangcheng had done well in Zhaoyang over the past eight months. Taking advantage of the Heyin incident in July, Xia Chuan had promoted him to Hunt Master of the Bashang Hunting Division, while also making him the Garrison Commander of Heyin.

Xia Hong had been staying in Xiacheng recently, so he was well aware of these personnel changes.

Having made up his mind, he wasted no more time and began to pack.

……

Great Xia, Year 8, September 10th, First Half of the Night.

In a snow forest about twenty kilometers deep within the southeastern part of Mo’ao Mountain.

“Roar…”

The originally silent snow forest was suddenly awakened by a furious roar.

Icicles on the surrounding trees fell with a rustle, making crisp sounds as they hit the ground.

A Rock-Armored Bear, standing upright, its body about seven or eight meters long and covered in yellow mane, was roaring incessantly beside a large tree.

The Rock-Armored Bear’s left leg was caught in a beast trap more than half a meter in diameter. The roar was clearly a result of the intense pain the trap was causing it.

“Luo An, Luo Cheng, Zou Ping, pull the ropes! The rest of you, fire your arrows!”

Before the Rock-Armored Bear’s roar could die down, a command rang out.

From a large tree nearby, three young men clad in golden armor immediately leaped down. Each of them held a rope. Hearing the command, they stuck their weapons into the ground and then yanked backward in unison.

Shhh…

The three ropes were all connected to the beast trap.

With the three young men pulling with all their might, the beast trap immediately slid southward, naturally dragging the Rock-Armored Bear’s left leg with it.

Not only was the Rock-Armored Bear seven or eight meters tall, but its frame was also extremely burly; one look was enough to tell it was heavy. Crucially, its strength was clearly not weak either. Its left leg had only been pulled half a meter before it reacted. It stomped down hard, forcefully pinning the beast trap in place, refusing to budge no matter how hard the three young men pulled.

“Roar…”

Not only did it not budge, but the Rock-Armored Bear let out another roar and began to retract its left leg, actually managing to drag the three young men back a short distance.

Swish swish swish swish…

Unfortunately for the bear, it had more than just these three young men to deal with.

From a dozen surrounding trees, over ten sharp silver arrows suddenly flew out, aimed straight for the Rock-Armored Bear’s various weak points—its eyes, armpits, mouth, neck, and so on.

Bang!

The Rock-Armored Bear was not one to sit and wait for death. It first swatted away the arrows flying toward it, then planted both its forelimbs on the ground. Using its back to block the arrows, it gave a powerful leap and charged directly at the three who had been pulling the ropes.

However, seeing the Rock-Armored Bear charging toward them, Luo An, Luo Cheng, and Zou Ping showed not a hint of fear on their faces. Instead, all three simultaneously revealed eager expressions.

“This Rock-Armored Bear’s hide is too thick, arrows can’t pierce it. Let’s just fight it head-on. Let me handle it alone!”

Luo An had been itching for a fight. A glint of excitement appeared in his eyes as he shouted, dropped the rope, and drew the saber he had just stuck in the ground. He stared down the charging Rock-Armored Bear and leaned his body forward slightly.

His vital energy and blood surged. He gripped his saber tightly with both hands. Just as the Rock-Armored Bear was one or two meters away, he pushed off the ground, leaping high into the air in his iron armor. Raising his saber above his head, he brought it down in a vicious chop.

Shuu…

The saber had a narrow blade, so the sound it made as it cut through the air was exceptionally sharp.

Of course, the sharpness of the sound depended on the force behind it.

Luo An’s strength was clearly astonishing.

The sound his saber made as it descended was almost a sharp whistle.

The saber in his hand was a Thousand-forged weapon. The silver blade arc it created as it fell momentarily lit up the night before fiercely striking the Rock-Armored Bear’s forehead.

Crack…

The downward slash landed. Hearing the sound of the Rock-Armored Bear’s skull fracturing, a flicker of joy appeared in Luo An’s eyes.

But this joy did not last long!

The Rock-Armored Bear’s forehead had indeed been split open, but instead of slowing down, its forward momentum became even more ferocious from the pain. The immense force knocked aside his saber and slammed directly into Luo An’s legs.

Bang…

The force of the Rock-Armored Bear’s charge was terrifying. The impact on his legs sent Luo An spinning. His upper body immediately pitched forward, and he found himself sprawled on the bear’s head.

The Rock-Armored Bear was extremely cunning. Seeing Luo An off-balance, it violently shook its body, throwing him to the ground. Then it reared up again, its two huge paws smashing down toward Luo An’s head.

Bang…

Even with a helmet, a direct hit like that would leave him maimed, if not dead. How could Luo An possibly let it connect?

In the brief moment before the paws landed, Luo An rolled sideways to dodge. A vicious glint appeared in his eyes. As the Rock-Armored Bear’s four limbs touched the ground again, he quickly scrambled to his feet and fiercely kicked at the bear’s side.

Bang…

The Rock-Armored Bear’s massive body was actually kicked onto its side.

“Good chance!”

Luo An seized the moment. Before the Rock-Armored Bear could get up, he dashed to its neck, reversed his grip on the saber, and plunged it straight into its left eye.

The 1.2-meter blade almost completely disappeared into the pupil of the Rock-Armored Bear’s left eye.

Splurt…

The Rock-Armored Bear’s forehead had already been severely wounded. Now, with the blade buried deep in its left eye and Luo An pressing down hard on his arm, blood shot out from within its skull. After struggling on the ground five or six times, it fell silent.

Thump…

“He killed it all by himself?”

“That Rock-Armored Bear’s strength was nearly one and a half Mane, wasn’t it?”

“The beast trap injured it, and it was hit by a few iron arrows in the neck and armpit before, so it probably couldn’t use its full strength. But it could still exert at least one Mane. For Luo An to kill it single-handedly, that’s impressive!”

“No wonder he doesn’t want to join a Hunting team. He can almost kill a mid-grade Frost Beast independently. Luo An must be deliberately holding back from breaking through to the Frostwarden realm, trying to aim for a higher-grade combat physique.”

“Nonsense. Who among the sixteen of us here tonight isn’t doing the same?”

……

As Luo An slew the Rock-Armored Bear, the other thirteen people all emerged from their positions.

“Luo An, are you okay?”

Luo Cheng and Zou Ping, who were closest to Luo An, walked right up to him. Zou Ping immediately asked about his condition. Luo Cheng was colder by nature, but a trace of concern was clearly visible on his face as well.

Luo An jumped down from the Rock-Armored Bear’s neck. He put his left foot on the ground and stomped, grimacing in pain, but he still forced a grin for the two of them. “I’m fine,” he chuckled. “It’ll be better in a few days.”

Zou Ping had grown up with Luo An and knew his friend’s personality inside and out. He rolled his eyes but still hurried forward to support him, asking with a slight smile, “What’s your base strength now?”

“Sixty-one thousand!”

“You’re too fast. Are you already at the inferior combat physique?”

Seeing the astonished looks on not only his good friend Zou Ping but also Luo Cheng, Luo An couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.

When he went to the Eastern Ridge for the tournament last October, his base strength had already been over thirty-six thousand catty. To increase it by twenty-five thousand catty in a year was a speed that ranked him in the top five among all those at the Earthforger limit in the entire camp.

“Luo An, if you keep disobeying orders like this, I’ll report you to the Lord Guardian when we get back to Heyin Village!”

The smile on Luo An’s face froze instantly. He turned to look at Xiao Heng, who was approaching slowly from behind, and his gaze turned cold. “Xiao Heng, I was only temporarily assigned to the Heyin Village Survey Team. I’m not your subordinate. Why should I listen to your commands?

“Besides, your so-called energy-saving hunt is completely useless. Arrows alone would never have been enough to take down that Rock-Armored Bear. Instead of wasting time here, it’s better to kill it quickly so we have more time for surveying!”

“I think Luo An is right. It’s just a mid-grade Frost Beast. Why waste time on it? Kill it and get it over with!”

“We’ve only surveyed twenty-one kilometers. Zhao Yuanwu and Zhao Yuankong’s squad had already reached twenty-seven kilometers yesterday. We have to speed up if we want to catch them.”

“Xiao Heng, as the team leader, your most important task should be leading us to make progress in the survey. If we lose the competition, nothing else matters.”

“That’s right, I agree with Luo An.”

……

Seeing that apart from his own family members—Xiao Lin, Xiao Jing, and Xiao Yan—the rest of the team members were all speaking out against him, Xiao Heng’s expression immediately darkened.

Chapter 397: The Prospecting Competition, Winning Respect Isn’t That Easy

“The ones participating in this prospecting competition are all hotheads. Winning their respect won’t be that simple. The only reason you’re the captain is because you’re older. When it comes to talent, none of these troublemakers are inferior to you. You’ve got a lot of headaches coming your way!”

Recalling the words his father, Xiao Kangcheng, had told him at the beginning of August when the prospecting competition officially started at the Heyin encampment, Xiao Heng’s expression darkened. He couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of agreement with his father’s assessment.

Heyin was no ordinary encampment. It bordered the Mo’ao Mountain to the east. The territory Jiangxia had ceded to Great Xia in July included not just Heyin Village, but also a twenty-kilometer-wide mountain entrance on its eastern side of Mo’ao Mountain.

After the battle at Dajue Temple, the populations of all the villages within Bashang’s territory had been virtually wiped out. So, as soon as Great Xia acquired Heyin, they immediately sent personnel to garrison it.

Logically, with a twenty-kilometer mountain entrance to the Mo’ao Mountain Range, Heyin met the requirements to be a major encampment. However, considering its straight-line distance to Bashang Town City was only twenty-seven kilometers, well within Bashang City’s sphere of influence, Xia Chuan ultimately decided against establishing it as one.

Nevertheless, to underscore its importance, he didn’t appoint a dedicated Garrison Commander. Instead, he had the Hunt Master of Bashang City’s Hunting Division—his own father-in-law, Xiao Kangcheng—manage it. This was, in effect, placing Heyin under the direct jurisdiction of Bashang City.

With Heyin and its twenty-kilometer mountain entrance secured, Garrison Commander Xiao Kangcheng naturally wasted no time organizing hunting teams to begin prospecting Mo’ao Mountain.

Mo’ao Mountain was the fourth resource point under Great Xia’s control. A new resource point meant a vast number of new species. Although Lu Yang had brought back many new species from Mo’ao Mountain during his four years at the Eastern Ridge, those had been acquired through trade. How could that compare to obtaining them by entering the mountain personally?

Great Xia now had over seven hundred high-level hunting teams alone, with countless more mid-level and low-level ones. When the establishment of the Heyin encampment was announced in July, many hunting teams immediately scented opportunity and swarmed in. In no time, the Heyin encampment had gathered at least a hundred high-level hunting teams. If Xiao Kangcheng hadn’t imposed limits on the number of mid-level and low-level teams for safety reasons, the Heyin encampment would have been instantly overwhelmed.

Two years prior, the Garrison Department had set clear limits on the population of all external encampments within Great Xia. Small encampments were capped at a permanent population of ten thousand, and large ones at thirty thousand, with a ten percent buffer. If these limits were exceeded, the governing Prefect or Garrison Commander would face penalties such as demotion and fines.

Fortunately, Xiao Kangcheng’s instincts were sharp. Sensing the explosive popularity of the Heyin encampment, he immediately imposed restrictions. Otherwise, as the newly appointed Garrison Commander of Heyin, he would have undoubtedly faced punishment from the Garrison Department.

Yet even with his swift action, by the tenth of July, the total population of the Heyin encampment had already broken ten thousand. The encampment had only been announced on the third; to have so many people arrive in just seven days was astounding.

With the influx of a massive number of hunting teams, Great Xia’s prospecting progress in Mo’ao Mountain advanced by leaps and bounds. In just over twenty days, they had explored fifteen kilometers deep into the mountains. Countless new types of materials—Frost Beasts, plants, spiritual herbs, ores, special materials, and more—were transported back to Bashang City.

The vast majority of hunting teams were raking it in. High-level squads, needless to say, were doing well, but even members of mid and low-level hunting teams were earning at least a thousand contribution points a day.

Not only were Great Xia’s material reserves replenished, but they also acquired a massive amount of new resources. Now, they just had to wait for those materials to be transported from Bashang back to Xiacheng for subsequent identification and research by the Artisan Department. The camp’s productivity was bound to take another great leap forward, with new products continuously rolling out.

Unfortunately, for every silver lining, there is a cloud.

This win-win situation soon encountered a problem.

Because too many of Great Xia’s high-level hunting teams had arrived at once, the prospecting pace was simply too fast. By late July, Great Xia’s hunting teams inevitably ran into Jiangxia’s hunters in the mountains.

The division of the Mo’ao Mountain Range among the Nine Towns wasn’t actually that detailed. The so-called division was really just portioning out the eight-hundred-plus-kilometer stretch of mountain entrances along the range.

The Nine Towns had a prior agreement: besides an outer fifteen-kilometer zone where no one was allowed to trespass into another’s area, the restrictions in the deeper regions were much looser.

Now that Great Xia had replaced Bashang as a new member of the Nine Towns, it naturally had to abide by this rule. For the first fifteen kilometers, all the hunting teams were very disciplined and didn’t cross north into Jiangxia Town’s territory.

But once they passed the fifteen-kilometer mark, people’s minds began to wander.

Keep in mind, Heyin Village had over a hundred high-level hunting teams.

With so many high-level squads hunting in the mountains every night, how could a twenty-kilometer-wide strip of snowy forest possibly be enough?

Thus, some squads began venturing north into Jiangxia Town’s territory.

They weren’t technically breaking any rules, since the Nine Towns’ agreement only stipulated the outer fifteen kilometers. Beyond that depth, it was all about individual capability.

For any encampment, hunting was an extremely sensitive matter.

First, it was inherently a life-threatening, dangerous activity. Second, it was tied to the acquisition of cultivation resources, which concerned the personal interests of every individual. Lastly, because it took place in the wilderness, it easily bred greed. Therefore, whenever hunting territories were involved, everyone was on edge. You even had to be wary when you ran into one of your own hunting teams, let alone people from another encampment.

Consequently, when the hunting teams of the two towns ran into each other deep in the mountains, conflict was unavoidable.

Jiangxia had been severely weakened since its battle with Dajue Temple at the end of last year, losing at least three to four thousand Frostwarden realm cultivators. The entire town now had fewer than two thousand of them. They also had to cover over a hundred kilometers of mountain entrances, so the total number of high-level hunting teams they could assign near Baisong Camp was just over thirty.

Meanwhile, Great Xia had over a hundred high-level hunting teams in Heyin Village.

When conflict erupted between the two sides, Jiangxia was naturally on the losing end.

The first five or six conflicts were mostly just verbal disputes. Plus, Jiangxia’s higher-ups had likely given orders, so their hunters kept exercising restraint, and the situation never escalated.

But gradually, things started to take a different turn.

Great Xia’s high-level squads began snatching Jiangxia’s kills. Later, they grew more and more arrogant, even starting to stake out territory within Mo’ao Mountain and forbidding people from Jiangxia Town from hunting there.

As a result, the situation grew increasingly serious.

By the end of July, one of Great Xia’s high-level hunting teams saw a squad from Jiangxia enter the hunting ground they had marked out and immediately tried to drive them away. The Jiangxia team, angered, talked back. No one knew how the argument turned into a brawl.

Of course, it was Great Xia that threw the first punch.

The outcome was a foregone conclusion. Though the group from Jiangxia was also a high-level hunting team, their entire team of twenty-five people only had four Frostwarden realm cultivators. The high-level squad from Great Xia, on the other hand, had thirty-nine members and seven Frostwarden realm cultivators.

Fortunately, Great Xia’s side didn’t use lethal force and only seriously injured a few of them.

But the more the group from Jiangxia thought about it after they left, the angrier they got. That very night, they sought help from Baisong Camp to settle the score. Catching the Great Xia hunting team off guard, they seriously injured a few of their members as well.

With this back and forth, the situation blew up completely!

It eventually escalated to the point where over thirty of Great Xia’s high-level hunting teams stopped doing anything else and spent all their time searching the mountains for Jiangxia’s hunting teams. When they found them, they would not only steal all their prey but also give them a sound beating and threaten them not to enter the mountains to hunt.

It got so bad that Jiang Yuandong, Jiangxia’s Deputy Military Head stationed at Baisong Camp, personally came to Bashang City to find Vice-Prefect Xu Ning.

Due to Bashang City’s special status, it had no Prefect. Instead, it was personally overseen by Yuwen Tao, the Department Head of the Department of Military Affairs, and Xu Ning, the Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department.

Yuwen Tao was busy with military affairs all day and had no time to spare, so the one actually governing Bashang was Xu Ning.

Xu Ning was shocked when he first heard what had happened in Heyin Village. He was well aware of Xia Hong’s future plans for Jiangxia Town, so upon learning of such a major conflict between the two sides’ hunting teams, he immediately summoned Xiao Kangcheng, the Hunt Master of Bashang’s Hunting Division and Garrison Commander of Heyin Village, right in front of Jiang Yuandong to ask him what was going on with the hunting teams in Heyin Village.

“I have no idea! I haven’t been to Heyin Village in half a month.”

Xiao Kangcheng was completely unaware of the matter!

The whole affair in Heyin Village had been organized spontaneously by those high-level hunting teams from Great Xia. When Jiang Yuandong learned this, his feelings were naturally extremely complex, and his perception of Great Xia’s strength rose to a new level.

In the end, Xu Ning gave Jiang Yuandong a satisfactory answer. The two towns were now as close as family; how could they let a small matter like hunting create discord? He immediately ordered Xiao Kangcheng to get the situation in Heyin Village under control.

Xiao Kangcheng naturally had no objections. While he didn’t know as much as Xu Ning, he could guess the Lord’s plans for Jiangxia, so he knew very well that he couldn’t let these minor issues affect the Lord’s grand strategy.

Thus, he immediately went to Heyin Village, put a stop to the actions of those high-level hunting teams, and imposed strict rules on them: they were forbidden from initiating conflicts with members of Jiangxia Town’s hunting teams in the future. He also had the person who first attacked Jiangxia apologize to the other party, and only then was the matter considered closed.

Even so, Xiao Kangcheng felt it wasn’t a thorough enough solution. To prevent further conflicts between the high-level hunting teams of the two sides, he divided the twenty-kilometer mountain entrance into two sections from north to south. All high-level squads could only enter through the southern ten kilometers. The northern ten kilometers adjacent to Jiangxia were restricted to mid and low-level hunting teams.

With that, the conflict between the two towns was finally resolved for good.

But solving one problem created another.

The prospecting speed in the northern area suddenly plummeted!

This was only to be expected. After all, it had been high-level hunting teams before, and now that they were replaced by mid and low-level squads, the prospecting efficiency naturally dropped.

Prospecting efficiency was tied to the discovery rate of new species. It also determined the size of the operational area for the encampment’s personnel and the efficiency with which they could acquire resources. All of these were important factors that would determine Heyin Village’s monthly Creation Value.

The Creation Value, in turn, was tied to the year-end evaluations of all Garrison Commanders.

Due to the discovery of a large number of new species in Mo’ao Mountain, Heyin was currently one of the most popular encampments in all of Great Xia. Though it was only established in July, its Creation Value for that month shot straight to fifth place among all encampments.

At this rate, breaking into the top ten by year-end was a sure thing.

Xiao Kangcheng had finally managed to get transferred from Zhaoyang to Bashang, not only being promoted to Hunt Master of Bashang’s Hunting Division but also serving concurrently as Heyin’s Garrison Commander. He was currently in the limelight. Rumors were already circulating in Xiacheng that he had landed such a good post only because he was the Director’s father-in-law. Many people had their eyes on his position, just waiting for him to make a mistake.

Under such circumstances, Xiao Kangcheng was naturally treading on thin ice, wishing he could handle every aspect of the Heyin encampment to perfection.

He couldn’t tolerate the slowdown in prospecting efficiency.

But if he sent the high-level hunting teams back, it would cause conflict with Jiangxia again. What was he to do? Besides, wouldn’t changing his orders so whimsically just prove his incompetence as a Garrison Commander?

So, after much thought, he came up with a prospecting competition.

He would select elites at the Earthforger limit from all the mid and high-level hunting squads to form temporary teams. He would then divide the entire northern ten-kilometer mountain entrance into different zones, with these teams specifically responsible for prospecting deeper into them.

As a Garrison Commander, he naturally didn’t have the authority for such a thing. He went to Xu Ning, the governor of Bashang, who immediately voiced his support upon hearing the idea. He even personally helped him send a message back to the Logistics Department in Xiacheng to apply for a batch of supplies to be used as rewards for the competition.

Coincidentally, Xia Chuan found out about this.

Xia Chuan added more fuel to the fire, having the Logistics Department directly put up pills and various cultivation resources worth a total of three hundred thousand contribution points for the competition. He then announced the competition publicly in Xiacheng.

Just like that, the Heyin prospecting competition exploded in popularity.

After all, three hundred thousand contribution points were at stake, and the Heyin encampment was already a hot spot. In an instant, every Earthforger limit elite from the mid and high-level hunting teams in the camp who had any confidence in themselves swarmed to Heyin.

The Earthforger limit elites in Great Xia now were a far cry from a few years ago.

Nowadays, everyone was very clear about the key elements for cultivating to the Frostwarden realm. In order to obtain a higher-grade battle physique aptitude, anyone with a bit of talent and sufficient financial backing would choose to hold back from breaking through, determined to push the process of reconstructing their Hide to its absolute limit.

And those who met both conditions were basically the youngest, most outstanding, and well-born individuals in Xiacheng.

From what Xiao Heng understood, of the more than four hundred people who came to Heyin to participate in the prospecting competition, most were around twenty years old. The youngest was fifteen, and the oldest was no more than twenty-five.

Age was secondary; the crucial thing was their cultivation level!

The base strength of these people was basically all above fifty thousand catty, with a few even exceeding one hundred thousand catty.

Take Xiao Heng himself, for example. His current base strength was already over ninety thousand catty, which was considered top-tier for a medium combat physique aptitude. He originally thought he was quite impressive and should be able to rank in the top five, if not the top three.

But the reality was, he couldn’t even make it into the top ten.

And that was without even considering age!

For instance, Luo An, standing before him, had a base strength of only sixty-one thousand catty, but he wasn’t even sixteen years old yet. Meanwhile, he himself was already twenty-two this year.

There were sixteen people in his small squad. Thirteen of them had a base strength of over fifty thousand catty.

And that wasn’t all. The most fatal part was their age.

He was the oldest among the sixteen of them.

Thinking of this, Xiao Heng turned to look at his younger cousin, Xiao Yan, a flicker of defeat in his eyes.

His cousin, Xiao Yan, wasn’t yet sixteen this year, but his base strength was already forty-six thousand catty. At this rate, unless his battle physique aptitude was poor, it was only a matter of time before he surpassed him.

Sigh…

At this thought, he let out a soft sigh, too embarrassed to even refute the others’ words.

Chapter 398: A Change of Approach, Goodwill and Pride

Xiao Heng knew full well how he’d become the team captain.

Over four hundred people were participating in this Prospecting Competition, divided into more than twenty teams. The captains were chosen purely based on strength, which naturally gave the older participants an advantage.

That was how he had landed the position.

It was a headache, but whether by coincidence or his father Xiao Kangcheng’s design, not a single member of his team was easy to deal with.

Luo An, Lu Dong, Zou Ping, Luo Cheng, Liu Peng, Hong Ye, Zhao Yuanwu, Zhao Yuanshan, Zhao Yuankang, Qin Feng, Liu Ming, and Zhu Shen. Including himself and his three clansmen—Xiao Lin, Xiao Jing, and Xiao Yan—the team totaled sixteen people.

Anyone who had lived in Xiacheng for more than a few days would instantly recognize these names. Every last one of them was a well-known figure in the Inner City.

Their fame stemmed not only from their prominent family backgrounds but also from their own talent and cultivation. After all, several of them had set breakthrough records in the Martial Arts Pavilion.

It was understandable, really. A prominent family meant an ample supply of resources. Given Great Xia’s current ability to provide cultivation resources, unless someone’s talent was truly abysmal, these individuals were bound to make a name for themselves.

Xiao Heng lived in the Inner City himself and was part of this circle. He had heard of Luo An and the others before and was well aware of their backgrounds. However, due to their age difference, they didn’t run in the same crowds, so their interactions had been minimal.

Only after being grouped together did he realize just how difficult they were.

The Prospecting Competition had started in early August. After nearly forty days together, Xiao Heng had a good grasp of the twelve’s personalities.

With their high talent, good breeding, and Inner City upbringing, they were more worldly than most. It was inevitable that they carried a certain air of pride. While not quite arrogant enough to look down on everyone, they were all fiercely independent, and getting them to obey was no simple task.

Although he was their captain and stronger than them, they knew he had an age advantage, so they obeyed him in word but not in spirit.

Take tonight, for example, with the Rock-Armored Bear. Xiao Heng knew perfectly well that if everyone charged, a direct kill wouldn’t be difficult. But for safety’s sake, he had opted for a conventional hunting method, hoping to minimize injuries and conserve strength for the subsequent prospecting.

Even now, facing so much opposition, Xiao Heng didn’t believe his initial idea was wrong. The problem this revealed was that he, the captain, held very little weight in the eyes of Luo An and the others. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have ganged up to oppose him like this.

“You want to start your own hunting team? Do you see the ten thousand-plus hunting teams in the encampment and think leading one is easy? Why don’t you figure out how to manage the Xiaoshan Squad first before you talk about starting your own!”

He recalled his father Xiao Kangcheng’s words from two years ago, when he had wanted to leave the Xiaoshan Squad and form his own hunting team. At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it.

Now that he was leading a team himself, he finally understood the immense weight behind his father’s words.

Leading a team was, indeed, not easy.

Setting other things aside, just earning the respect of the entire team and getting every member to follow orders was a herculean task.

While the defiant nature of Luo An and the others was part of the problem, hunting and prospecting in the wilds was inherently a life-and-death affair. It was only natural for team members to have their own ideas. You couldn’t expect everyone to be a puppet, obeying you for no reason. In a real crisis, that would only lead to bigger trouble.

So, in the end, it was because he, the captain, hadn’t demonstrated sufficient strength and ability. Naturally, his team members were unconvinced and wouldn’t listen to him.

Xiao Heng didn’t respond immediately to the group’s objections. Instead, he led his three clansmen to start processing the kill on the ground.

Disgruntled as they were, Luo An and the others didn’t shirk their duties. Seeing Xiao Heng take the lead, they immediately joined in.

The Rock-Armored Bear was a mid-grade Frost Beast. Its blood, hide, and bones were all extremely valuable. They quickly drained its blood, then hoisted the carcass into a tree to hide it, making a special mark on the tree before they were done.

It was only the first half of the night, and they still had to press deeper. They would have to retrieve the Rock-Armored Bear on their way back to the Encampment.

“Are you all truly not afraid of danger?”

An awkward silence fell over the group after the carcass was dealt with, the recent argument still fresh in their minds. Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, Xiao Heng couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.

Luo An and the others clearly wanted to speed up the prospecting, hoping to catch up to the other teams and place in the competition.

Since his team members had voiced their opinions, he, as the captain, couldn’t just ignore them. Otherwise, the conflict would only escalate.

“Of course. Isn’t that why we came to Heyin? For the competition?”

“The rewards for this competition include pills worth three hundred thousand Contribution Points alone, not to mention other supplies. The total value is at least over a million. Your father… Sir Xiao, the Garrison Commander of Heyin, said that only the top three will be rewarded. As far as I know, we aren’t even in the top five yet. If we don’t pick up the pace, we’ll have no chance of placing.”

“That’s right. The competition ends on the first of December. Today is already the tenth of September. We’re almost halfway through. We have to speed up.”

“Coming to the wilderness is an adventure in itself. If you’re afraid of danger, why come at all?”

…

Hearing their replies, Xiao Heng seemed to make up his mind. He nodded and said in a grave voice, “Alright. Since none of you are afraid of danger, our team will take a more aggressive approach. We’ll prospect three kilometers deeper every night. We’ll avoid any Frost Beasts we encounter along the way if we can. If we can’t, we won’t use my previous method. We’ll face them head-on and hunt them together. We’ll use the most time-efficient method to save as much time as possible for prospecting!”

Their main task was prospecting, not hunting.

In some ways, prospecting was even more troublesome than hunting.

Hunting only required searching for a target within a designated area and killing it. Prospecting, however, was about exploring unfamiliar territory—charting the terrain, vegetation, climate, and environmental features of a new area, as well as the general distribution and even habits of Frost Beast species. Every single aspect had to be figured out.

The unknown often meant danger. Moreover, the Frost Beast species in the Mo’ao Mountain region were unfamiliar to the people of Great Xia. Therefore, the competing teams usually set a distance goal for each night’s prospecting.

Previously, Xiao Heng had set a goal for his team to push one kilometer deeper each night. Yet, from early August until now, their total progress was only twenty-one kilometers. This meant they rarely met their goal, averaging only about five hundred meters of progress each night.

And there were reasons for this.

First, Xiao Heng liked to plan before taking action. Whenever they entered a new area, he would have the team gather together to confirm it was safe before starting any prospecting work.

Second, his style was cautious. When they encountered a Frost Beast blocking their path, like the Rock-Armored Bear just now, he would opt for a safer, less strenuous hunting method to ensure no team members were injured. While this guaranteed safety, it also wasted a lot of time.

Xiao Heng’s words now clearly indicated a change in his leadership style. Upon hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up.

“We have to be more aggressive!”

“We’re already six or seven kilometers behind. How are we supposed to place if we don’t catch up?”

“That’s more like it!”

“With the strength of our sixteen members, we should be fine unless we run into a high-grade Frost Beast.”

“Now that’s how a captain should act.”

…

Seeing their satisfied expressions, Xiao Heng gave a slight wave of his hand. He wasn’t sure if his decision was correct, but making a choice after considering his team’s opinions was a necessary part of managing internal conflicts. It was his duty as captain.

“Alright, since you all agree, let’s start now. We’ll split our sixteen members into three groups. Luo An, Luo Cheng, Lu Dong, Zou Ping, and Liu Peng will be with me in the vanguard. The remaining ten will be split into two groups, led by Xiao Lin and Xiao Jing respectively. Xiao Lin’s group will be in the middle, and Xiao Jing’s will bring up the rear. We will advance at full speed. Signal with the whistle immediately if there’s any trouble.”

“Sounds good!”

Everyone readily agreed.

Xiao Lin and Xiao Jing were around the same age as Xiao Heng. One had a base strength of eighty-two thousand catties, the other eighty-five thousand. They were the strongest members of the team after Xiao Heng, so no one had any objections to them leading the other groups.

The sixteen of them quickly formed three squads in a six-five-five formation and began to cautiously probe deeper into the eastern snowy forest.

Xiao Heng had completely changed his previous approach. Not only did he boldly lead the way, but he also no longer required everyone to stay clustered together. As expected, their prospecting speed increased dramatically.

Mapmakers drew maps, scribes took notes, and scouts surveyed the area. In just over three hours, the team managed to advance more than a kilometer without disturbing the Frost Beasts sleeping in the trees.

Instantly, everyone’s mood lifted.

Even Luo An and the others looked at Xiao Heng with much friendlier eyes.

“Brother Xiao, what’s your base strength now?”

Xiao Heng looked surprised at Luo An’s whispered question.

They had been a team for over a month, but they had rarely made small talk. This was the first time Luo An had initiated a conversation with him.

“Ninety-three thousand catties.”

A look of shock crossed Luo An’s face at Xiao Heng’s answer.

He knew Xiao Heng was stronger than him, but he had assumed his base strength was at most in the eighty-thousands, likely indicating a medium combat physique aptitude.

Ninety-three thousand catties was only seven thousand shy of the threshold for a superior combat physique.

“Brother Xiao, can you aim for a superior combat physique?” Luo An couldn’t help but ask curiously.

Those at the peak of the Earthforger realm could sense the progress of their own hide reforging. While there might be some margin of error, it was usually small. So, as they progressed, everyone had a rough idea of their battle physique aptitude, barring external assistance.

This was a rather private question. If a stranger had asked, Xiao Heng would have ignored them. But it was clear Luo An held no ill intent, so he let his guard down. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “It should be close. I think I can make it.”

A superior combat physique!

Luo An’s expression turned serious, and his respect for Xiao Heng grew instantly.

His previous knowledge of Xiao Heng was limited to the fact that his two older sisters were married to Directors. He knew almost nothing else.

As for Xiao Heng’s demonstrated talent, to be blunt, Luo An had always looked down on it a little.

Xiao Heng was about to turn twenty-three this year. Whether he was deliberately holding back to build his battle physique aptitude or not, to have not yet broken through to the Frostwarden realm at his age was, in the eyes of their group of Inner City youths, somewhat problematic.

But now, learning that he had a chance at achieving a superior combat physique, Luo An could no longer hold his previous disdain.

Because his father, Luo Yuan, was a Department Head in the Hunting Department, Luo An had some understanding of the overall combat physique situation in the encampment.

Great Xia currently had over nine thousand individuals at the Frostwarden realm, but fewer than three hundred possessed a superior combat physique. This alone showed how precious a superior battle physique aptitude was.

“Then I must congratulate Brother Xiao in advance!”

Hearing Luo An’s congratulations, Xiao Heng shook his head humbly. “You already have a base strength of sixty-one thousand. That’s already an inferior combat physique. Your aptitude might be even better than mine in the future.”

A flicker of pride appeared in Luo An’s eyes, but he quickly concealed it, saying modestly, “Not necessarily. Although Brother Xiao is a bit older than me, your battle physique aptitude isn’t necessarily worse.”

“That’s right, our hide reforging has just begun. We’re not necessarily stronger than Brother Xiao!”

“A superior combat physique… even we can’t be certain.”

“My talent isn’t necessarily better than Brother Xiao’s!”

“My base strength is only fifty-eight thousand right now, not even at the inferior combat physique level.”

Lu Dong, Liu Peng, Luo Cheng, and Zou Ping had all overheard the conversation between Luo An and Xiao Heng. Seeing Luo An offer words of comfort, they quickly chimed in as well.

Hearing their five sets of clearly insincere words of comfort, Xiao Heng chuckled to himself.

The seven-year age gap was quite significant after all.

Compared to him, Luo An and the others were still a bit naive.

He could tell that their words were a gesture of goodwill, but their acting skills were subpar. Even as they tried to be comforting, they couldn’t hide the pride in their eyes. Xiao Heng knew they all probably believed their own aptitude couldn’t possibly be worse than his.

Of course, Xiao Heng didn’t take this childish behavior to heart. He simply smiled, nodded, and graciously accepted their words.

Naturally, he didn’t believe he was truly inferior to Luo An and the others either.

Cultivation was a marathon. Being older didn’t mean much, especially only by seven years. Those in the Frostwarden realm lived past a hundred, and those in the Sun-Manifestation realm past two hundred. The future was long; who could say for sure what would happen?

“You all…”

Beeeep—

Just as Xiao Heng was about to speak again, a sharp blast from a bone whistle suddenly pierced the air from the rear left of the snowy forest, cutting him off.

One blast meant they had encountered a Frost Beast and needed assistance; two meant an anomaly; three meant there was still time to retreat with supplies; four meant everyone should retreat immediately without delay.

The tradition of using bone whistles in Great Xia hunting teams had existed since the first year. After so many years, it was ingrained in the very bones of everyone in the encampment. Xiao Heng and the others understood instantly.

“One blast. They’ve run into a Frost Beast!”

“Rear left. That’s Xiao Lin’s group!”

“Something’s happened. Let’s go check it out.”

Xiao Heng’s expression changed drastically. He quickly led Luo An’s group of five, turning back and racing toward the rear left, in the direction of Xiao Lin’s team.

Chapter 399: A Rescue, Xiahou Qingqing, and Unexpected Setbacks

Although the sixteen men had split into three teams, they kept the distance between each other within two hundred and fifty meters, which was how they were able to hear the bone whistle.

Xiao Heng, leading Luo An and the other four, quickly turned back. Following the sound of the whistle into the snowy forest to their left rear, they soon found Hong Ye blowing the whistle under a large tree.

At the same time, Xiao Jing’s team from the rear also arrived, their faces tense.

“What’s going on? Where are Xiao Lin and the other three?”

However, seeing that Hong Ye’s face was devoid of any anxiety, Xiao Heng and the others felt the worry in their hearts immediately dissipate. They asked what was happening.

Hong Ye lowered the bone whistle and replied in a low voice, “There’s a situation to the west. Xiao Lin is keeping an eye on it with the other three. Follow me!”

After speaking, he turned and headed west. The other eleven men followed behind him, their faces full of confusion.

Roar… Roar…

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…

However, after walking about three hundred meters west, a dense volley of beast roars and arrow shots came from not far away. The expressions of Xiao Heng and the others changed instantly.

This was clearly a sign of people fighting Frost Beasts. Judging by the sound, there was likely a considerable number of them.

“To the trees and see!”

Hong Ye quickly found a large tree and took the lead in climbing it.

The eleven men had already spotted the figures of Xiao Lin’s group of four at the top of the tree, so without wasting words, they all followed Hong Ye up.

The trees in the Ice Abyss were all massive, with trunks often around ten meters in diameter and branches two to three meters thick. Over a dozen people could stand on them without it being crowded at all.

Climbing to the top and looking west, Xiao Heng’s gaze immediately hardened.

In the snowy forest more than two hundred meters to the west, over thirty tiger-shaped Frost Beasts covered in golden spots were ferociously besieging a group of people.

That group, clad in iron armor and fully armed, numbered just over twenty—the standard configuration of a hunting team.

“They must be a hunting team from Jiangxia Town!”

“Mid-level Gold-Spotted Tigers. Their strength is mostly between 1 and 1.3 Mane. Though not as strong as Rock-Armored Bears, they’re more agile and nimble, making them extremely formidable in combat. All in all, they’re a bit stronger than the bears.”

“They only have twenty-three people. Even though two are in the Frostwarden realm, they’re quite average. It looks like their strength is not even two Mane.”

“The remaining twenty-one are all at the Earthforger limit. They seem even weaker than us. They must be an Intermediate Hunting Team from Jiangxia Town.”

“Thirty-two Gold-Spotted Tigers. This is trouble. Without help, they’re all going to die!”

“Their luck is terrible. They’re not even thirty kilometers deep, yet they ran into a pack of Gold-Spotted Tigers.”

…

Thanks to Lu Yang’s infiltration of the Eastern Ridge over the past few years, information on common Frost Beast species within Mo’ao Mountain had long been recorded in the Great Xia Frost Beast Annals. Coupled with their prospecting over the last month, Xiao Heng and his team had encountered Gold-Spotted Tigers before, so they recognized them at a glance.

As for encountering a hunting team from Jiangxia Town within the Mo’ao Mountain Range, that was even less surprising.

The agreement among the Nine Towns for dividing the Mo’ao Mountain hunting grounds only restricted the outer fifteen kilometers. Beyond that depth, it was all a matter of skill. As long as you weren’t afraid of the danger, you could go wherever you pleased.

Their current position was already about twenty-three kilometers deep into Mo’ao Mountain, so running into a hunting team from Jiangxia Town was perfectly normal.

However, stumbling upon them while they were being besieged by a pack of Frost Beasts was quite a coincidence.

“People are going to die. We have to help!”

Upon hearing Xiao Heng’s words, everyone’s expressions faltered slightly.

But soon, Luo An was the first to nod in agreement. “We should. Jiangxia has a good relationship with us now. The conflict between our hunting teams in July already caused a rift between the two towns. If we can save these people, it will help improve our relations.”

“I also agree to save them.”

“Jiangxia Town is currently supported by our Great Xia. As disciples of Great Xia, it’s our duty to maintain the relationship between the two towns.”

“Jiangxia might even become one family with us in the future. Let’s do it!”

“I agree as well, but we need a foolproof plan. Those Gold-Spotted Tigers are strong. Just the sixteen of us probably isn’t enough.”

…

Although Luo An, Zou Ping, Luo Cheng, and the others were young, their fathers and brothers held some status in Great Xia, so they naturally knew more than the average person and understood the current relationship between the two towns very well.

Liu Peng, in particular, by saying “Jiangxia might even become one family with us in the future,” had clearly learned something from his brother, Liu Yuan.

However, Xiao Heng wasn’t concerned with that at the moment. He was feeling a little excited, because since his temporary team had been formed, a scene like this had never occurred.

It was the first time that every member of the team had unanimously agreed with his command.

This was clearly thanks to his recent change in prospecting methods. Luo An and the others were beginning to accept him as their captain. Indeed, by simply changing his approach during decision-making and fully respecting the opinions of his team members, he could gradually unite them. Everything his father had taught him was correct.

Gaining the full approval of his team for the first time, Xiao Heng’s confidence swelled. He nodded and said grimly, “Lu Dong is right. There are too many tigers. We need a foolproof plan…”

He turned his head to look west and saw that someone from Jiangxia had already died in the jaws of a tiger. After a moment of rapid thought, he commanded Xiao Jing, “If I remember correctly, Yuan Bai’s prospecting team is near us. Second Brother, go find Yuan Bai and tell his team to come help immediately. The rest of you, with me. We’ll help the Jiangxia team hold them off for a while.”

The scope of this Prospecting Competition was limited to ten kilometers to the north, and all teams had been assigned exclusive prospecting areas. Xiao Heng happened to know that Yuan Bai’s team was in the zone right next to his.

“Alright, I’ll go right now!”

Xiao Jing was Xiao Heng’s cousin, the second-eldest among the Xiao clan disciples of their generation. Hearing Xiao Heng’s words, he nodded immediately and headed straight east.

“Plug your ears with cloth balls and ready your bows. Let’s go!”

Xiao Heng didn’t waste any time either. Once the decision was made, he signaled for everyone to stuff their ears with cloth balls and ready their longbows. Then, he took the lead and dashed towards the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack, with the others close behind.

In the area of the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack, five of the twenty-three people from Jiangxia Town had already lost their lives. The remaining eighteen were almost all wounded. If it weren’t for two stronger individuals desperately holding the line for the others, they would have likely been wiped out long ago.

In contrast, the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack, which had started with thirty-two, still numbered thirty-two. Although eight heavily injured ones had retreated to the rear, they hadn’t fled. Instead, they were tightly sealing the gap in their formation, preventing the people of Jiangxia from breaking through.

Swoosh…

“Qingqing, you run first! Don’t worry about us anymore!”

“There are too many tigers! If this goes on, we’ll all die here.”

“Go! Captain, take Qingqing and break out of here!”

Xiahou Qingqing slashed a Gold-Spotted Tiger across its forehead with her longsword. Hearing the cries from behind, she tightened her grip on her sword and turned to her brother, Xiahou Yong, shouting, “We live together, or we die together! I won’t abandon you and run by myself!”

“Stop wasting time! Everyone, group together! Qingqing, charge with me towards the eight heavily injured tigers! As long as we break through them, we can escape!”

Jiang Shouping’s voice was also laced with panic, but he was the captain, after all. With his rich hunting experience, he had identified the only weak point in the tiger pack’s formation and immediately ordered Xiahou Qingqing to break through with him.

Xiahou Qingqing’s Thousand-forged iron armor had already been torn by tiger claws in a dozen places, and the white lining underneath was stained red with blood. Her injuries were clearly not light. Though a woman in her early twenties, she had a decisive personality. Noticing the lining was getting in her way, she tore it off with her hands, wadded two small pieces of cloth into balls, and stuffed them into her ears. Then, biting her lip, she quickly charged alongside Captain Jiang Shouping towards the position of the injured Gold-Spotted Tigers.

“Roar…”

The tiger pack evidently saw through their intentions. They threw their heads back and let out a unified roar. In an instant, the snowy forest shook, and the solid ice encasing the outer layers of all the surrounding trees was shattered by the sound and fell away.

Frost Beasts all had unique killing moves, and Gold-Spotted Tigers were no exception.

Their unique killing move was their roar.

The roar of a Gold-Spotted Tiger could resonate with the eardrums, meridians, and flesh of humans. At close enough range, it could even kill someone in the Earthforger realm. Only those at the Earthforger limit who had begun Reconstructing the Hide could withstand it to some degree.

In a one-on-one fight, Xiahou Qingqing, even at the initial stage of the Frostwarden realm, would not be afraid. The problem was that she was facing a pack. With over thirty Gold-Spotted Tigers roaring in unison, even she was dazed for a moment, let alone the sixteen remaining team members who were only at the Earthforger limit.

When the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack let out this unified roar, Xiahou Qingqing and Jiang Shouping were not greatly affected and successfully charged to the location of the heavily injured tigers. However, the sixteen team members behind them were not so fortunate.

“Yiqing, watch out!”

Puchi…

“Ah!”

Seeing his friend Jiang Yiqing get snagged by a Gold-Spotted Tiger’s claw, Xiahou Yong shouted a warning. Then, without thinking, he drew his saber and slashed at the tiger’s right paw, attempting to rescue his friend.

Unfortunately, the Gold-Spotted Tiger was too agile. The moment Xiahou Yong raised his saber, it noticed him. It quickly released Jiang Yiqing and swiped its right paw straight at Xiahou Yong’s face.

Xiahou Yong’s base strength was only just over seventy thousand catty, no match for this Gold-Spotted Tiger. Coupled with the fact that he was raising his saber in a panic to block, the outcome was predictable.

The tiger’s paw slashed across his face, not only sending him flying several dozen meters but also gouging out his left eyeball in the process.

With his eyeball ripped out by a tiger’s claw, the pain was unbearable. Xiahou Yong couldn’t help but let out a bloodcurdling scream.

“A Yong!”

Seeing his friend’s gruesome state, Jiang Yiqing’s pupils instantly filled with blood. He rushed over, scooped up Xiahou Yong, and quickly retreated to the center of the group.

“It’s over! We can’t break through!”

At the same time, Jiang Shouping and Xiahou Qingqing, the two Frostwarden realm experts, had also retreated from the outer perimeter. Seeing the Gold-Spotted Tigers still standing their ground firmly, their breakout plan had clearly failed.

“These wretched creatures have a leader. The eight heavily injured tigers are constantly shifting their positions to keep us away. Qingqing, you have to…”

“Brother!”

Jiang Shouping saw that their situation was hopeless and wanted to persuade Xiahou Qingqing to escape, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by her mournful cry.

Xiahou Qingqing was now supporting her brother, Xiahou Yong, clutching his bloody left eye socket, her expression one of utter panic.

“Brother, I was wrong! If I had known, I would never have come to your side. It’s Qingqing who has harmed you, harmed everyone, sob…”

It was likely the first time she had seen her brother in such a miserable state. After a few words, tears began to stream down her face, her cries filled with remorse.

Xiahou Yong was optimistic by nature. Even knowing he would surely die today, he didn’t want his sister to live with guilt. He gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and tried to comfort her, “It’s alright, Qingqing. I just lost a left eye, that’s all. Listen to me, go with the captain first. When you get stronger in the future, just kill a few more dens of Gold-Spotted Tigers to avenge us!”

Hearing her brother say this, Xiahou Qingqing’s heart ached even more.

She wasn’t actually a member of Jiang Shouping’s hunting team. Her cultivation had just improved recently, and hearing that the hunting teams at Baisong Camp were being bullied by people from Great Xia, she had volunteered to come.

Jiang Shouping’s team was only an intermediate one. As long as they hunted in familiar territory, controlled their distance, and carefully chose their targets, they shouldn’t have been in any danger.

Today’s accident was her doing.

It was because of her repeated suggestions earlier, saying that since Great Xia’s hunting teams were coming into Jiangxia’s territory, they should return the favor and go to Great Xia’s side.

Jiang Shouping had initially refused, but he couldn’t resist Xiahou Qingqing’s pleading. Thinking about Jiangxia’s recent decline in morale, he had finally agreed.

Who would have thought that they had only gone east less than two kilometers before they unexpectedly ran into this pack of Gold-Spotted Tigers, resulting in their current predicament.

“Qingqing, go with the captain! Don’t waste time here. You’re far more valuable than any of us!”

Seeing his sister still crying, Xiahou Yong endured the excruciating pain in his left eye and roared. Then he looked up at Jiang Shouping and shouted, “Captain, take Qingqing and go! I’ll lead the others to hold back the tiger pack…”

He didn’t wait for Jiang Shouping’s response, but instead raised his head and continued to shout to the other members, “Brothers, life and death are fated! Since we came out to hunt, this day was always a possibility. If we’re going to die, let’s die like men! Let’s preserve a spark for our Jiangxia and let the captain take Qingqing back!”

The fifteen team members trembled slightly upon hearing this.

Jiang Yiqing, who had just been saved by Xiahou Yong’s sacrifice, nodded and echoed loudly, “The vice-captain is right! The captain is in the Frostwarden realm, and Qingqing’s aptitude is better than any of ours. We must give our lives to ensure they both get out.”

“Agreed!”

“We’re dead either way. Better to save who we can.”

“We’ll follow the vice-captain’s lead.”

…

“Brothers, charge with me! Open a path for the captain and Qingqing!”

Hearing his team members’ furious roars one after another, Captain Jiang Shouping’s eyes also reddened. He had just clenched his fists, about to scold them, when Xiahou Yong spoke first, raising his great saber and leading the charge.

The fifteen members, whether injured or not, followed Xiahou Yong like madmen, charging headfirst toward the pack of Gold-Spotted Tigers.

“Brother, don’t!”

Xiahou Qingqing cried out in alarm at her brother’s action and instinctively started to rush forward, but she was pulled back by Jiang Shouping at her side.

“Qingqing, calm down! Don’t let everyone’s sacrifice be in vain!”

Jiang Shouping was a fourth-generation disciple of the Jiang clan. Now in his forties, he had over a decade of hunting experience and had been leading teams for seven or eight years. This wasn’t the first time he had faced such a scene. Seeing the actions of Xiahou Yong and the other team members, his heart felt as if it were being torn apart, but he still made the correct decision.

His own life didn’t matter, but Xiahou Qingqing’s aptitude was vital to Jiangxia Town. He truly could not let her die here.

“Come with me!”

The effect of Xiahou Yong and the sixteen men’s desperate attack was surprisingly strong. They actually managed to tear a small opening in the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack’s encirclement.

Seeing this, Jiang Shouping immediately pulled Xiahou Qingqing along, trying to escape through the gap.

“Roar…”

Although the two moved quickly, just as they were about to break through the opening, the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack used the same trick again, roaring in unison.

Jiang Shouping and Xiahou Qingqing were instantly dazed, their footsteps slowing to a crawl. Then, a robust Gold-Spotted Tiger suddenly pounced from behind the pack, its sharp golden claws aimed straight for Xiahou Qingqing’s head.

Rip…

The Gold-Spotted Tiger’s roar wasn’t its only special skill. Its fan-like, sharp golden claws were also an extremely deadly weapon.

The claws sliced through the air, creating three streaks of golden light in the dim light. The piercing shriek from them tearing through the air was enough to tell how terrifyingly powerful they were.

“Qingqing, watch out!”

Just as the claws were about to reach her head and a look of terror appeared on Xiahou Qingqing’s face, her brother Xiahou Yong, using every last bit of his strength, threw himself in front of her.

“Brother!”

This scene was not unfamiliar to Xiahou Qingqing.

When her father, Xiahou Lin, died, she was only a little over five years old, while her brother Xiahou Yong was already thirteen. Ever since she was a child, no matter what happened, her brother Xiahou Yong had always been the first to stand in front of her like this.

But how could those situations compare to this one?

Even she wouldn’t dare to take this blow from the Gold-Spotted Tiger head-on. With Xiahou Yong’s strength of just over seventy thousand catty, if he was hit, he would undoubtedly die.

Xiahou Qingqing’s eyes filled with panic. She frantically reached out, trying to pull Xiahou Yong back, but it all happened too fast. She was too late.

“No…”

Swoosh!

In the nick of time, a silver iron arrow suddenly shot out from the snowy forest to the east, heading straight for the left eye of the attacking Gold-Spotted Tiger.

“Roar…”

With a squelch, the arrow struck with incredible force. More than half of its seventy-plus-centimeter shaft plunged in. Blood immediately spurted from the Gold-Spotted Tiger’s left eye. It roared in pain and instantly retracted its claws.

“Spread out, use arrows to save them!”

“Brothers from Jiangxia, run this way! Quick!”

Seeing her brother saved, Xiahou Qingqing’s face was filled with joyful surprise. Hearing the voices from the east, she immediately helped her brother, Xiahou Yong, and ran eastward with Jiang Shouping.

Of course, it wasn’t just the three of them. Jiang Yiqing and the other fourteen members also fled eastward at once.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh…

Countless iron arrows rained down from all directions. Although not as precise as the first one that hit the eye, they caused considerable trouble for the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack, and for a moment, they actually managed to rescue all eighteen people from Jiangxia.

“Golden Armor, it’s a Great Xia hunting team!”

“We’re saved.”

“Wait, there aren’t many of them, only fifteen.”

“There’s only one in the Frostwarden realm… no, there are none at all.”

…

Jiang Shouping led everyone to the east and immediately saw the situation clearly. Fifteen people wearing Golden Armor and holding powerful bows were spread across five or six large trees, firing arrows furiously at the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack.

The situation was urgent, so he didn’t have time for a detailed look. He only briefly observed their cultivation levels and discovered that all fifteen were at the Earthforger limit, without a single one in the Frostwarden realm. His expression instantly soured.

“Jiang Shouping, Captain of the Baisong Camp hunting team from Jiangxia Town, I thank everyone from Great Xia for saving us! However, there’s quite a lot of these Gold-Spotted Tigers. We should flee first!”

“Xiao Heng of Great Xia. We can’t escape anymore, Captain Jiang. Let’s join forces and hold off these wretched creatures. I’ve already sent a team member to gather others. Reinforcements will arrive soon. We just need to hold on for a moment!”

Hearing Xiao Heng’s words, Jiang Shouping turned his head and realized that the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack was already charging towards them. This time, they hadn’t just surrounded his group; they had encircled the fifteen Great Xia members as well.

However, his expression wasn’t as grim as before, since Xiao Heng had said he had sent for others to come.

“Yiqing, stay in the center and take care of the wounded. Qingqing and everyone else who can still fight, with me! Let’s cooperate with our brothers from Great Xia to hold back these wretched creatures!”

Jiang Shouping reacted quickly, immediately giving orders to his team. Then, he led Xiahou Qingqing and the other uninjured members to fend off the relentless attacks of the Gold-Spotted Tigers.

“We’re out of arrows! Everyone group up! Just hold them off!”

Xiao Heng and his men had used their arrows to help Jiang Shouping’s group break out, so they had practically emptied their quivers in one go. Seeing that the tigers had completely surrounded them, and some were even starting to climb the trees to get at them, he immediately ordered everyone to jump down and group together.

The fifteen of them jumped down from the trees and joined Jiang Shouping’s group from Jiangxia, fighting side-by-side against the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack.

With more people, the pressure on Jiang Shouping’s group instantly lessened.

This was even more true for Xiahou Qingqing. Her base strength had already reached one hundred and ten thousand catty. In terms of individual strength, she was no weaker than these Gold-Spotted Tigers. With the pressure reduced so drastically, she could seize opportunities to wound them.

Thinking of how these wretched creatures had blinded her brother Xiahou Yong’s left eye, Xiahou Qingqing’s eyes filled with hatred. Spotting a Gold-Spotted Tiger with its right eye shot out carelessly approaching, she seized the chance, flipped her longsword, and thrust it straight into the tiger’s left eye.

Puchi!

Rip…

Her longsword successfully pierced the tiger’s left eye, with half the blade sinking in. But at the same time, another tiger’s claws slashed toward her face.

Her combat experience was clearly lacking. Her first instinct wasn’t to let go, but to try and pull her longsword out from the tiger’s eye.

In a life-or-death battle, making the right choice at the right moment is key.

This oversight was essentially a fatal mistake.

Seeing the tiger’s claws barely half a meter from her face, Xiahou Qingqing’s face filled with terror. She was, after all, only in her early twenties, a young, unmarried woman. If she were hit by this, she might not die, but she would certainly be disfigured.

Bang…

A loud bang echoed, and the tiger’s claws ultimately failed to strike her face.

It turned out that a man in Golden Armor from Great Xia had rammed the tiger from the side, knocking it away.

“Miss, be careful!”

“Thank you, Captain Xiao!”

Hearing the voice, Xiahou Qingqing immediately recognized it as Xiao Heng, the one who had spoken to Jiang Shouping earlier. She quickly cupped her hands in thanks. However, when Xiao Heng turned his head and she saw his face, she was momentarily stunned.

So young!

When she heard Xiao Heng talking to Jiang Shouping earlier, she had assumed he was around the same age as Jiang Shouping and must also be a captain of a Great Xia hunting team, which was why she addressed him as captain. But Xiao Heng’s face was clearly that of someone only in his early twenties, obviously around her own age.

“This Xiao Heng must be a genius from Great Xia!”

Xiahou Qingqing was well aware of her own aptitude. Although she hadn’t broken through to the Frostwarden realm yet, her base strength was already one hundred and ten thousand catty, marking her as having a superior combat physique aptitude. This was why her brother Xiahou Yong and the others had been willing to die to protect her.

The strength Xiao Heng had displayed when he knocked away the Gold-Spotted Tiger was definitely above ninety thousand catty. Considering his age and the fact that he hadn’t yet broken through to the Frostwarden realm, it was only natural for such a thought to form in Xiahou Qingqing’s mind.

But this was not the time for curiosity. Although everyone was fighting hard, the Gold-Spotted Tigers’ encirclement was shrinking ever smaller.

“Brother Xiao, where are the reinforcements…”

Swoosh…

In his anxiety, Jiang Shouping couldn’t help but ask Xiao Heng when the reinforcements would arrive. But before he could finish, he was interrupted by a silver iron arrow flying from a distance.

That silver iron arrow was also well-aimed, striking a Gold-Spotted Tiger precisely in the throat. With its throat pierced, the tiger tried to roar, but as it threw its head back, it stumbled, and the roar that came out was barely a whimper.

“I was almost muddled! The Gold-Spotted Tiger’s weak point is the throat! Everyone, if you can injure its throat, its ferocity will be halved!”

Gold-Spotted Tigers were one of the most common types of Frost Beasts in Jiangxia’s hunting grounds, so Jiang Shouping was very familiar with their weaknesses. But the chaos of being besieged by the pack had thrown his mind into disarray, and he had forgotten to remind everyone.

Now that he remembered, he naturally shouted out to inform the others.

“Xiao Heng, I’ll open a path for you! Bring your men and keep running towards me!”

Reinforcements had arrived!

Over twenty more people from Great Xia, clad in Golden Armor, had come. The leader was a burly man of about the same age as Xiao Heng. It was Yuan Bai, who was leading a team prospecting in the area near him.

Xiao Heng had truly made a name for himself in Xiacheng at the Martial Arts Tournament held in the second year of Great Xia. He had broken into the top one hundred of the Lumberjack realm division, ranking eighteenth.

Yuan Bai had also made it into the top one hundred that year, ranking ninth, even higher than him.

Looking back now, the annual Martial Arts Tournament was essentially a talent assessment. The top hundred and top ten from each year would quickly make a name for themselves in the battalions.

Yuan Bai was a year older than Xiao Heng and was also currently at the Earthforger limit. However, his base strength had already reached ninety-nine thousand catty. It was said that he was constantly trying to achieve a superior combat physique, which was why he was deliberately holding back from breaking through.

Yuan Bai and his twenty men did the same as Xiao Heng had done earlier. They used their bows and arrows to tear another opening in the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack’s encirclement. Then, Xiao Heng, Jiang Shouping, and the others escaped through that opening and joined up with Yuan Bai’s group.

“They still dare to chase?”

With the arrival of Yuan Bai’s team, their total number was now over fifty. The Gold-Spotted Tiger pack had also suffered significant losses after fighting for so long and was now down to twenty-seven. Logically, they should have stopped chasing.

But this pack of Gold-Spotted Tigers was still relentlessly pursuing them.

Seeing the Gold-Spotted Tiger pack’s unusual behavior, Xiao Heng’s brows furrowed.

“Something’s not right. Have these Gold-Spotted Tigers gone mad?”

“Let’s run, I have a bad feeling!”

Yuan Bai spoke after Xiao Heng, directly signaling for everyone to flee.

They had already broken out of the encirclement. As long as they continued to flee east and encountered other prospecting teams, their numbers would grow, and the tiger pack would naturally pose no threat.

If they could even run into one of the camp’s High-level Hunting Teams, then this pack of Gold-Spotted Tigers would be no problem at all.

“Flee quickly! The injured go first, we’ll cover the rear!”

Yuan Bai naturally understood this logic and immediately made arrangements.

Xiao Heng’s group had just fought the Gold-Spotted Tigers for a long time and had injuries. His team had just arrived and was at full strength, so they were suited to cover the rear.

The fifty-odd people quickly formed up and fled eastward.

“Roar…”

Unfortunately, they had only fled less than a hundred meters east.

From the snowy forest ahead, a deep tiger roar suddenly erupted.

As this roar sounded, a haze flickered through the pupils of the fifty-plus people who were fleeing. Some of the injured even coughed up blood directly, and the wounds on their Hides widened.

“What is this…”

“Look ahead!”

“Stop! Don’t run anymore!”

“It’s a high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger! We’re done for!”

“How can there be a high-level Frost Beast here?”

…

Jiang Shouping, the first to regain his clarity, had a face full of despair. Hearing everyone’s confusion, he explained in a low voice.

As if to confirm his words, after Luo An’s last questioning cry, everyone looked ahead to the east, and their expressions instantly froze.

On a large tree fifty to sixty meters away, a ferocious tiger over a meter long and glowing with golden light was staring at them with a pair of crimson eyes.

“A high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger. Its strength is at least fifteen Mane!”

Chapter 400: A Narrow Escape from Death, Shock, an Appearance, and the Supreme Combat Physique

The moment the high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger appeared, it wasn’t just Jiang Shouping whose expression filled with despair; Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, and the other Great Xia members they led felt much the same.

They were certainly strong, but they weren’t arrogant enough to believe they could take on a high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger whose strength was at least fifteen Mane.

“Didn’t the Bashang Town hunting guide say there are basically no high-level Frost Beasts within forty kilometers? How did a high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger show up?”

“Over a hundred high-level teams came through recently and only managed to hunt seven high-level Frost Beasts in total. Our luck is just the worst.”

“We’re dead for sure this time. How about we split up and run?”

“It’s the only way. If we split up, a few of us might survive.”

………

“All of you, shut up!”

Yuan Bai’s authority within the company was clearly much greater than Xiao Heng’s.

Hearing the clamor and suggestions erupting from behind him, he immediately turned and roared at them to be quiet. Then, he turned back to Xiao Heng, his face grim. “Xiao Heng, we can’t split up. Gold-Spotted Tigers are known for their speed. Splitting up will only get us killed faster. I sent someone to notify Ji Hong before I came. If we can hold out for a while, we might have a chance!”

Having learned from Xiao Jing that there were more than thirty mid-level Gold-Spotted Tigers, Yuan Bai would not have recklessly led his team here. There was another Survey Team nearby led by Ji Hong, and he had dispatched a team member to ask for his assistance before setting out.

“Ji Hong? Good! Then let’s work together and hold on for a bit!”

Hearing Ji Hong’s name, Xiao Heng’s spirits lifted slightly. He nodded at once, then turned to Jiang Shouping beside him. “Captain Jiang, we’ll have to hold on. We might survive if we can last until reinforcements arrive!”

Jiang Shouping was in a complete panic. Hearing Xiao Heng’s words, he could only nod in agreement.

“Roar—”

While they were talking, the high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger drew closer. When it was only twenty to thirty meters away, it let out another furious roar.

The roar shook the snowy forest, causing the surrounding trees to tremble violently. The snow on the ground was blown away in waves. The men’s minds were thrown into chaos once more. Forget about fighting back; they were finding it difficult to even grip their weapons tightly.

“How are we supposed to hold on against this? It’s over!”

Xiao Heng’s expression turned incredibly dark. The power of the high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger far exceeded his imagination. This was just its roar. If it actually lunged at them, their group wouldn’t last a second.

As the high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger roared, its muscles swelled abruptly. Its body length shot up from one meter to over thirty meters. Its thick limbs looked like four colossal pillars, and its massive body crouched low as it snarled. A pair of blood-red pupils stared them down, its long, sharp, bone-white fangs trembling slightly, as if it would pounce in the very next second.

“High-level Gold-Spotted Tigers are graded by the number of golden spots on their fur. The fur on this one is almost completely golden. Its strength is probably…”

Jiang Shouping’s despairing voice rang out again, but this time, before he could finish, he was interrupted by the high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger’s actions.

To be precise, he was interrupted by the actions of the entire tiger pack.

The thirty-meter-long tiger’s blood-red pupils suddenly widened. Its eager, predatory posture came to an abrupt halt, and it whipped its head around to look northward.

It wasn’t just the alpha. The other twenty-odd Gold-Spotted Tigers did the exact same thing. They all seemed to have sensed something to the north, and an incredibly intense greed and desire rose in their eyes.

“There’s a fire! There’s a fire to the north.”

“What is that?”

“It’s a fire! Are the tigers attracted by the fire?”

“I don’t think it’s just the fire. Is there something over there by the fire?”

………………

Jiang Shouping, Xiahou Qingqing, and the rest of the Jiangxia group quickly spotted the source of the fire over a hundred meters to the north. They exclaimed in low voices, their faces a mixture of joy and astonishment.

Of course, they weren’t the only ones to see it. Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, Luo An, and the other Great Xia members had noticed it long ago. However, they seemed to know exactly what the source of the fire was, and their eyes held only pleasant surprise.

“Roar—”

Chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp…

The high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger let out a low growl and transformed into a golden gust of wind, pouncing toward the fire’s source. The other twenty-plus Gold-Spotted Tigers swiftly followed, also racing southward.

A series of sharp whistles from a bone whistle to the east sounded almost simultaneously with the tiger’s growl. Hearing the whistle, Yuan Bai’s face lit up with joy.

“It’s Ji Hong’s team! They’re here!”

“It must be them! Don’t waste time, run!”

Xiao Heng reacted just as quickly. He shouted a warning to the others, then led the charge eastward. The rest scrambled to follow.

Having barely escaped with their lives, no one dared to waste a moment. They ran eastward for a kilometer and a half or two without stopping, only daring to halt when the firelight was no longer visible.

“A high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger. You two are really something else!”

Just as the fifty-odd men were about to catch their breath under a tree, a company of men came running from the east. The leader looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five, with a powerful build and an air of arrogance in his eyes. He walked up to the panting group and teased Xiao Heng and Yuan Bai.

Yuan Bai’s company gave a wry smile and turned to look at Xiao Heng. Xiao Heng, Luo An, and the others wore similar expressions, their gazes shifting to the group from Jiangxia.

Jiang Shouping was still immersed in the overwhelming joy of his narrow escape. Seeing everyone looking at him, he immediately walked up to Xiao Heng, cupped his hands, and said gratefully, “Brother Xiao—”

He only managed to get out the first two words before his expression froze. In the next instant, he realized something. He looked closely at Yuan Bai and the newly arrived Ji Hong, his face instantly turning wooden. Then his eyes went from one gold-armored Great Xia member to the next, and his pupils began to tremble uncontrollably.

“How could they be… so young!”

The situation had been so dire, and since the Great Xia members were all clad in Golden Armor with helmets on, Jiang Shouping had never gotten a clear look at their faces.

Now that the crisis was over and he could relax and observe them properly, he discovered that Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, and the newcomer, Ji Hong, were all only in their early twenties. Ji Hong, who looked the oldest, was at most twenty-four or twenty-five.

And it wasn’t just the three of them. The others following behind them looked even younger. Luo An, Liu Peng, and Lu Dong, for example, were clearly only sixteen or seventeen—a bunch of youngsters who were barely adults.

Jiang Shouping was already forty-three this year. At his age, he could have easily fathered this group of young men. He hadn’t seen Xiao Heng’s face clearly during the fight, so calling him “Brother Xiao” was fine. But now, seeing how young Xiao Heng was, he couldn’t bring himself to say those words again.

He wasn’t the only one. The rest of the Jiangxia group had now noticed how absurdly young Xiao Heng and the others were, and their faces were all masks of astonishment.

“Captain Jiang, just call me Xiao Heng!”

Xiao Heng saw his confusion and spoke with a smile.

He wasn’t the only one who noticed the change in the Jiangxia group’s expressions. Yuan Bai, Ji Hong, and the others saw it too. They naturally understood the reason, and a touch of pride surfaced on their faces.

“Xiao Heng… young brother, and all you talented prodigies of Great Xia, thank you for saving our lives tonight. I, Jiang, will surely… repay this debt handsomely in the future!”

Jiang Shoping was tripping over his words, clearly at a loss for what to say.

There were fifty-nine people from Great Xia in total, and he could see clearly that the oldest was Ji Hong. The rest were mostly around twenty, and some were even as young as sixteen or seventeen.

The most crucial part was their cultivation levels!

“You’re too kind, Captain Jiang. How could we ignore a friend in need? Our two towns are like family now; talk of repayment is too formal. In the future, if you run into any of our Great Xia people in trouble in the snowy forest, just lend them a hand in turn.”

Xiao Heng was the one who had initiated the rescue, so it was only right for him to respond to Jiang Shouping. His well-phrased words deepened the gratitude on the faces of Jiang Shouping and his people.

“May I ask who these two talented young men are…”

“Yuan Bai of Great Xia. A pleasure to meet Captain Jiang.”

“Ji Hong of Great Xia!”

Jiang Shouping mulled this over for a moment, then asked speculatively, “If I may be so bold as to ask, young brother Xiao Heng, could you be the son of Lord Xiao Kangcheng, the Garrison Commander of Heyin? And this young brother, Yuan Bai, you share a surname with Lord Yuan Cheng, the Head of Great Xia’s Garrison Department. Could you also be from the main family?”

If they all came from powerful backgrounds, their high aptitude would make sense.

Jiang Shouping didn’t notice that after he asked his questions, the members of the Great Xia group guessed what he was thinking, and their expressions turned a little strange.

“Xiao Kangcheng is indeed my father!”

After Xiao Heng replied, Yuan Bai quickly shook his head. “Although I share a surname with Lord Yuan, we are not related. You’ve misunderstood, Captain Jiang.”

Ji Hong’s gaze swept discreetly over Luo An and the others, a smile emerging in his eyes. Jiang Shouping had clearly mistaken Xiao Heng and Yuan Bai for descendants of Great Xia’s high-ranking officials, little knowing that the backgrounds of Luo An, Liu Peng, Lu Dong, Hong Ye, and the others were no less impressive than their own.

“So you are a descendant of a famous family. No wonder. I will be sure to bring Qingqing and the others to pay a personal visit and express our thanks another day.”

Hearing that only Xiao Heng had a powerful background, Jiang Shouping was a little stunned. He still wanted to ask about the origins of Luo An and the others, but now was clearly not the right time.

“That pack of Gold-Spotted Tigers is very close, so the danger hasn’t passed. We need to head back to Heyin and notify the High-level Hunting Teams to deal with this. I see that your people are badly injured. Captain Jiang, it would be best if you led them back to Baisong Camp soon!”

Half of the eighteen members of the Jiangxia party were injured, and the young man Xiahou Qingqing was carrying on her back was still unconscious. It was clear they weren’t fit to remain in the snowy forest.

Jiang Shouping understood this as well. He nodded and said to Xiao Heng’s group, “Then I shall take my leave. Thank you once again, young brothers!”

“Thank you all!”

Xiahou Qingqing and the rest of the Jiangxia group bowed along with Jiang Shouping. If Xiao Heng and his people hadn’t intervened today, they would have certainly lost their lives here. Their voices were filled with sincere gratitude.

After expressing their thanks, Jiang Shouping led his people away, quickly retreating to the west, toward the outer edges of the snowy forest.

“Uncle Ping, what was that Ji Hong’s strength? Did you get a clear look?”

The eighteen of them traveled in silence, running west for three or four kilometers. Once they were reasonably certain they were safe, Xiahou Qingqing, who was carrying her brother, finally couldn’t hold back her question to Jiang Shouping.

Her base strength was already 110,000 catties, and she could gauge the strength of most of the fifty-plus Great Xia members.

She had seen Xiao Heng fight earlier; he was likely just over 90,000 catties. Although Yuan Bai hadn’t fought, she could sense from his physique that he was probably over 100,000 catties, not far from her own. As for the others, their base strength was generally above 50,000 catties, all at the stage of Reconstructing the Hide.

Only Ji Hong was an enigma to her.

“One hundred fifty thousand. He must be just a little shy of one hundred fifty thousand. That Ji Hong is probably deliberately holding back his breakthrough to strive for a supreme combat physique!”

Jiang Shouping had been bottling this up for a while and finally couldn’t help but say it.

Hearing this, a look of shock appeared in the eyes of everyone from Jiangxia.

That, of course, included Xiahou Qingqing.

“A supreme combat physique…”

Xiahou Qingqing’s pupils trembled violently at his words.

Although her base strength was over 110,000 catties, she could feel that she had more or less reached her limit. A supreme combat physique was definitely out of the question for her.

Jiang Shouping’s voice was low as he asked, “That Ji Hong is one thing, but did none of you notice the ages of that group from Great Xia?”

This question opened the floodgates, and the team members all spoke up, their voices laced with astonishment.

“I noticed it just now. They’re almost all around twenty years old!”

“Not just that. Some of the younger ones, I estimate they’re sixteen at most.”

“I noticed it too. A lot of them are younger than Qingqing.”

“Is the talent of Great Xia’s youth really this good?”

“It would be understandable if they all had powerful backgrounds, but Captain just asked. Only that Xiao Heng has some background. If that Yuan Bai was related to Department Head Yuan, he’d have no reason to hide it from us. As for that Ji Hong, there don’t seem to be any high-ranking officials in Great Xia with the surname Ji. He probably doesn’t have a background.”

“That’s impossible! Are all the young people in Great Xia this talented?”

“That can’t be. If it were, it’d be too terrifying.”

“I observed all those young people. They all had a touch of pride about them. Most of them probably do have some kind of backing. It’s just that the situation wasn’t right for us to ask too many questions.”

“We must have run into some kind of elite team of geniuses from Great Xia.”

………………

Hearing their discussion, Xiahou Qingqing also realized that the ages of the fifty-plus Great Xia members they had just met were indeed ridiculously young.

And it wasn’t just that they were young—they were all so powerful!

It wasn’t that Jiangxia didn’t have people who could reach the Earthforger limit by fifteen or sixteen. She herself was one such example.

The problem was that in Jiangxia Town, people like her were treasured like precious gems, almost kept under lock and key in the town. Who would be willing to let them hunt in the snowy forest on their own, let alone in such large groups?

“It seems the many rumors about Great Xia are not baseless!”

At Jiang Shouping’s words, Xiahou Qingqing and the others all turned to look at him, their faces full of curiosity.

Seeing their gazes, Jiang Shouping continued in a grave voice, “It is rumored that Great Xia has been on the rise for less than ten years. The four Department Heads who have been publicly acknowledged—Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, and Luo Yuan—the oldest, Luo Yuan, is not yet forty. Among them, the Head of the Department of Military Affairs and Marshal of the Dragon Martial Army, Yuwen Tao, isn’t even twenty-seven this year…”

Gulp!

A distinct swallowing sound came from somewhere within the group.

Everyone’s expressions were completely stunned. Xiahou Qingqing, who had always considered herself highly talented, was particularly frozen, her eyes filled with horror.

However, Jiang Shouping was still speaking.

“The one who governs Great Xia’s Eight Departments, second only to one and above all others, Prefect Xia Chuan, is said to be the same age as Yuwen Tao…”

Jiang Shouping paused here, turned to look at everyone, and asked in a low voice, “That Xia Chuan is the full-blooded younger brother of Lord Xia Hong. He is only twenty-six this year. So, how old do you guess his older brother is?”

“How… How is that… possible?”

The horror in Xiahou Qingqing’s eyes reached its peak, and she began to stutter.

Of course, she wasn’t the only one. The rest of the team also wore looks of utter shock and disbelief.

“They say the Department Heads of Great Xia’s Eight Departments are all above forty Mane in strength. Among them, Department Head Yuwen Tao and Prefect Xia Chuan might even be above fifty Mane. At twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, how is that possible? How?”

“That’s Xia Hong we’re talking about! The number one figure on Mo’ao Mountain right now! If Xia Chuan is only twenty-six, how old is his older brother? Thirty? Early thirties? Even forty seems impossible, right?”

“My older brother works at the merchant guild. He’s been to Hongmen City. He said that not just Prefect Xia Chuan, but Tower Lord Qiu of the Myriad Treasures Tower, who is also Department Head Qiu Peng of Great Xia’s Logistics Department, they both look like they’re only in their early twenties.”

“How can that be?”

………………

The group was filled with voices of disbelief. In fact, it wasn’t just them; even Jiang Shouping himself held a skeptical attitude toward those rumors.

Jiangxia had been established on Mo’ao Mountain for many years, and their understanding of many things had become ingrained.

Take age, for example. Everyone had a basic understanding:

Barring special circumstances, the lords of the various towns and the Sun-Manifestation realm powerhouses were generally over a hundred years old. They were the cornerstones.

The core upper echelons of the towns were at least seventy or eighty. Anyone who managed to reach that level in their fifties or sixties could be considered “young.”

Below them, the regular upper echelons were mostly in their fifties and sixties.

This was what matched their conventional understanding.

The current Jiangxia Town was a prime example.

The first generation of Jiangxia, meaning Jiang Yinglong, Xiahou Ming, and their contemporaries, were all dead.

The current leadership was composed entirely of second-generation members. From the Hou family, there was the Lord, Xiahou Zhang, who was the current cornerstone of Jiangxia Town. From the Jiang family, it was the “Xin” generation, represented by the ninety-two-year-old Town Head, Jiang Xinfan. Their ages were generally over eighty, and this group constituted the core upper echelon.

The third generation was represented by Xiahou Ying of the Hou family and the “Yuan” generation of the Jiang family, such as Jiang Yuanlong and Jiang Yuandong. They were mostly around sixty years old and formed the regular upper echelon.

Then came the fourth-generation members, which included Jiang Shouping himself. They were around forty years old. With the exception of a few with exceptional talent who had already entered the upper ranks, most, like Jiang Shouping, served as the main force in various town institutions. They were the young and strong backbone of Jiangxia Town.

Xiahou Qingqing was Xiahou Zhang’s great-granddaughter. At twenty-one, she was already part of the fifth generation.

“If this is true, doesn’t that mean Great Xia’s potential is terrifyingly high?”

“If these rumors are true, then it’s not surprising at all that those young people were so talented!”

“I don’t believe it. It’s impossible. It must be a falsehood!”

…………

“Alright, that’s enough of this wild speculation. We can just ask around when we get back. I only heard these things through the grapevine. I need to ask someone next time I return to town as well.”

Jiang Shouping cut off their guessing. Seeing that Xiahou Qingqing next to him seemed a bit dazed, he thought for a moment and said, “Qingqing, regardless of whether those rumors about Great Xia are true, what we saw just now is fact. Among those fifty-plus young people from Great Xia, there are probably quite a few whose aptitude is better than yours. You need to train diligently when you get back. Jiangxia is already in a precarious position. The Lord is counting on talented young people like you to grow up quickly. Otherwise, whether we can maintain our current status in the future is another question…”

Hearing Jiang Shouping’s words, the expressions of the group turned much more solemn.

“I understand, Uncle Ping!”

Xiahou Qingqing replied with a serious nod. Looking back at her unconscious brother on her back, a new resolve filled her eyes.

She didn’t even need to consider the unbelievable aptitude of the Great Xia youths. The fact that her brother, Xiahou Yong, had lost his left eye because of this incident was an experience that would leave an indelible mark on her heart.

The Ice Abyss has countless treasures. It’s not impossible to restore an eye. I must train hard and become stronger, so I can help my brother get his left eye back!

After making a silent vow, Xiahou Qingqing followed the others toward Baisong Camp. In the final moments before leaving the snowy forest, Xiao Heng’s face inexplicably appeared in her mind.

That Xiao Heng, he saved my life, after all. When Uncle Ping goes to Heyin to pay his respects later, I must go with him to thank him too.

………………

“Ji Hong, how far are you from a base strength of one hundred fifty thousand catties?”

“A little over a hundred catties. I just can’t seem to get it to go up!”

Back in the snowy forest, after the Jiangxia group had left, Xiao Heng couldn’t help but ask Ji Hong about his progress. When he heard Ji Hong was only a little over a hundred catties short, a look of deep envy appeared on his face.

Of course, he wasn’t the only one.

Yuan Bai, Luo An, Liu Peng, Zou Ping, Lu Dong, and all the other young people from Great Xia had expressions of envy.

If Jiang Shouping had overheard them just now, they would have probably couldn’t help but praise his keen eye.

Jiang Shouping’s guess was correct. Ji Hong, who was twenty-four this year, was delaying his breakthrough to the Frostwarden realm precisely because he was striving for a supreme combat physique.

The fact that Ji Hong was aiming for a supreme combat physique was no secret; almost everyone in the Inner City knew about it.

Ji Hong was a veteran from Great Xia’s early days on the mound, so he already had a decent reputation in the camp. But because his cultivation speed was rather average, he had never been in the spotlight. People just knew of him.

In the first Martial Arts Tournament of the second year of Great Xia, Ji Hong took third place in the Lumberjack realm division and instantly became famous. From there, his rise began.

In just six years, he went from having just broken through to the Earthforger realm all the way to the Earthforger limit, and then began using Beast Blood to reconstruct his Hide. That year, the first and second place winners from his tournament division, Tie Xinchuan and Zhou Yalong, had both broken through with superior combat physiques, yet he still held back.

At first, everyone thought he had hit the limit of his talent.

But who would have thought that in this year’s Martial Arts Tournament, in the Earthforger limit division, he would defeat dozens of opponents who had just broken through to the Frostwarden realm, securing a spot in the top 100 and finishing in 42nd place.

This year’s Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament was the seventh one. After seven consecutive competitions, the rules had naturally changed quite a bit. As the number of Frostwarden and Earthforger realm cultivators in Great Xia grew, Qiu Peng had added an Earthforger limit division last year. So now there were four divisions in total: Frostwarden, Earthforger limit, Earthforger, and Lumberjack.

The top one hundred participants were ranked in each of the four divisions. Given Great Xia’s current population and cultivation levels, anyone who could make it into the top hundred of any division could be called a dragon among men. This was especially true for the relatively fierce competition in the Earthforger limit division, and Ji Hong’s rank was quite high.

The rewards for the Martial Arts Tournament were so generous each year that all the participants had learned to be smart about it. They almost all competed at the very peak of their cultivation levels. The participants in the Earthforger limit division were mostly on the verge of breaking through, with many achieving their breakthrough on the tournament stage just to secure a better ranking.

For Ji Hong to defeat so many newly-ascended Frostwarden realm opponents as an Earthforger limit cultivator without breaking through himself, it was obvious to any discerning eye that he was intentionally holding back to aim for a supreme combat physique.

Intentionally holding back at the Earthforger limit had its prerequisites.

Not everyone could stall their breakthrough. If your own innate aptitude wasn’t enough, no matter how much you endured the pain of Reconstructing the Hide, your potential would eventually be exhausted, and you would break through automatically.

Being able to intentionally stall a breakthrough was, in itself, proof of one’s aptitude.

So everyone was waiting to see if Ji Hong could make it.

A supreme combat physique was truly rare!

Currently, the widely known people in Great Xia with supreme combat physique were the Lord and the Lady, followed by Prefect Xia Chuan and the Head of the Department of Military Affairs, Yuwen Tao. In their eyes, if Ji Hong broke through, he would undoubtedly be the fifth.

Of course, that was the perception of the vast majority of people in Great Xia.

Those like Xiao Heng, Luo An, Zou Ping, Lu Dong, and Liu Peng, who had lived in the Inner City for a long time and mostly had some background, knew a little more than others.

“My brother, Department Head Yuan, and Department Head Xu, I heard they received a great treasure from the Lord and now have supreme combat physiques as well. And the Prefect’s two sons were born with sacred sigils, so they’re most likely supreme combat physiques, too. Of course, there are also the two little Highnesses, whose aptitude can only be higher!”

Lu Dong thought to himself, but the gaze he directed at Ji Hong was still filled with intense envy.

Even including the people he listed, that was only eleven individuals. The supreme combat physique was still as rare as a phoenix feather in Great Xia.

And Ji Hong was about to become the next one. How could they not be envious!

“Don’t look at me like that. To be honest, I have no idea if I can raise my base strength by these last hundred-odd catties. My potential is pretty much at its end. If I don’t succeed in the end, a whole lot of people in the Inner City will be laughing at me!”

Seeing the looks in Xiao Heng’s and Yuan Bai’s eyes, Ji Hong shook his head repeatedly, a helpless look on his face. This wasn’t the first time he’d received such looks. At first, he had enjoyed it, but as it became harder and harder to increase his base strength, seeing such looks only brought him pressure and anxiety.

Hearing this, the others understood the pressure Ji Hong was under, and their expressions sobered considerably.

“Under normal circumstances, your own aptitude wouldn’t be enough. But you’re quite lucky today!”

As silence fell, a voice suddenly sounded from behind them in the snowy forest.

The fifty-odd men immediately turned to look behind them.

Over a hundred meters away, three figures, one in front and two behind, were slowly striding toward them. They were too far away to make out their faces, so the group simply watched them with wary eyes.

But as the three figures drew closer, the expressions of Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, Ji Hong, and the other fifty-plus men all turned to excitement.

“Greetings, Lord, Lord Xu, Lord Xiao!”

“Greetings, Lord, Lord Xu, Lord Xiao!”

………

Before the three figures in the distance could even get close, the group quickly put down their weapons and bowed respectfully. They were so overcome with emotion that a slight tremor could be heard in their voices.

The man in the center of the trio was dressed in black robes, a faint smile on his face. At his waist hung his signature pair of narrow blades, one long and one short. Who else could he be but Lord Xia Hong?

To Xia Hong’s left was a man who looked to be under thirty, holding a longsword. He wore a crimson uniform embroidered with a ferocious, baring-fanged Golden-eyed Demonic Ram. This was Lord Xu Ning, the Vice-Prefect of the Garrison Department stationed in Bashang.

The man on his right looked a bit older, perhaps around fifty. He wore the same crimson uniform, but his was embroidered with a blue Frost Wolf. He was none other than Xiao Heng’s father, Lord Xiao Kangcheng, the Hunt Master of Bashang’s Hunting Division and concurrent Garrison Commander of Heyin.

“All of you, rise!”

After Xia Hong approached with the two men, he first smiled and motioned for everyone to stand.

Even after rising, the group’s expressions remained excited. They clearly hadn’t expected to run into the Lord himself here in the snowy forest.

“We’ve been watching for a while. You brats are really reckless. You just rush in to play the hero without assessing the situation. Daring to provoke a high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger… If the Lord hadn’t sensed it, you’d all be dead!”

Seeing his son’s excited face, Xiao Kangcheng couldn’t help but scold him.

Xiao Heng ducked his head at the reprimand. The others also realized now that Xia Hong and his companions had been watching from the shadows the whole time. A flicker of warmth passed through their hearts, quickly followed by a sense of trepidation.

“Ji Hong did well, knowing to use little torches to lure the enemy and save people. The rest of you have had it too easy in the Inner City. The moment you step into the snowy forest to fight Frost Beasts, you forget everything you’re taught in the camp!”

Xu Ning first praised Ji Hong, then looked at Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, and the others, shaking his head incessantly.

Ji Hong showed no reaction to the praise. He merely stared fervently at Xia Hong, clearly anticipating something.

“Under normal circumstances, your own aptitude wouldn’t be enough. But you’re quite lucky today!”

Those words had been spoken by Xia Hong.

Ji Hong knew that Lord Yuan Cheng, Lord Xu Ning, and Lord Lu Dong had been transformed into supreme combat physiques. Hearing Xia Hong’s words now, how could his heart not be filled with anticipation?

Chapter 401: Generous Rewards and Joint Pressure from Three Towns

“You must have used many kinds of Beast Blood already, haven’t you?”

Xia Hong naturally noticed Ji Hong’s gaze and asked with a smile.

Ji Hong nodded emphatically and cupped his hands in reply, “My Lord, when my base strength reached one hundred and twenty thousand catties, it became very difficult to improve. The blood of common Frost Beasts in the Longyou region, like the Snow Mane, Frost Wolf, and Demonic Sheep, no longer has any effect on my Hide. I had no choice but to seek out other types of Beast Blood. To date, this subordinate has used seventy-four different kinds.”

“The Great Xia Frost Beast Annals currently records a total of only seventy-six types of Frost Beasts. Good heavens, have you tried almost all of them?”

Hearing Ji Hong’s words, everyone’s faces filled with astonishment. Xiao Kangcheng couldn’t help but blurt out, his voice trembling with shock.

The human body would continuously develop an immunity to the same type of beast meat. If one cultivated using only a single type of meat, they would eventually be unable to convert its energy. Therefore, everyone in the camp did their best to cultivate with a variety of beast meats.

After years of relentless research by Great Xia and an increasing number of test subjects at the Earthforger limit, it had long been understood that Beast Blood followed much the same principle as beast meat.

The Hide would also develop immunity to a single type of Beast Blood. Once a certain blood reached its limit for enhancement, it had to be replaced with another.

Moreover, Beast Blood varied in quality. For instance, high-level Beast Blood was several times more effective than mid-level blood. Beast King-level blood, a tier higher, was not only more potent but could also partially enhance one’s potential even after the Hide had become completely immune to ordinary Beast Blood.

“You’ve already used Beast King-level blood, haven’t you?”

Xia Hong himself was the first to discover this, so he was well aware of the details. He stared intently at Ji Hong for a moment and could immediately tell that he had even used Beast King-level blood.

Ji Hong nodded, his face full of gratitude. “Sir Qiu knew I was aiming for a supreme combat physique. Two months ago, he specially granted me a quota to exchange for five catties of Beast King-level blood. Unfortunately, my potential is limited. My strength stopped increasing after the fourth catty. I’m just short of this final hundred-odd catties, but I can’t seem to break through no matter what I do!”

Currently, Xia Hong was the only one in Great Xia capable of hunting Beast Kings. He had killed a total of sixteen so far. A single Beast King yielded about a hundred catties of blood, which meant the Logistics Department’s current stock of Beast King-level blood was only around sixteen hundred catties. Allocating a five-catty quota to Ji Hong was already quite generous.

Beast King-level blood could only help to a certain extent; the individual’s own potential was the primary factor. Furthermore, using blood of this level to reconstruct the Hide involved considerable pain and risk, so it couldn’t be distributed without limit.

The fact that it stopped working for Ji Hong after the fourth catty proved that his potential had mostly been exhausted, which matched Xia Hong’s observation.

“The Beast Kings I hunted before were all common species. It’s already impressive that you’ve reached this level. If you want to continue improving…”

Xia Hong smiled as he spoke, then turned his head and gestured to Xu Ning behind him.

Understanding immediately, Xu Ning took out a string of beast-hide pouches from his back. There were over twenty of them. He selected one and tossed it to Ji Hong, congratulating him, “It’s your lucky day, kid. The Lord just heavily wounded a Beast King-level Flood Dragon and happened to obtain about twenty catties of its blood. I just examined it, and the quality is far superior to other Beast King-level blood. Take one catty and give it a try. You should be able to break through this last hundred-odd catties!”

The Lord just heavily wounded a Beast King-level Flood Dragon…

Upon hearing this, Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, and the others all felt their pupils constrict. The way they looked at Xia Hong was instantly filled with adoration and fervor.

Ever since the incident with the Crimson Blood Demon Dragon at Qinghepu had spread through Xiacheng, everyone had a clearer understanding of dragon-type Frost Beasts. They knew that any Frost Beast associated with the word “dragon” was bound to be incredibly powerful.

Learning that Xia Hong could severely injure a Flood Dragon naturally left them deeply shaken.

Of course, amidst their shock, they couldn’t help but cast looks of immense envy at Ji Hong.

“Ji Hong, thank you, my Lord, for your gift!”

As the recipient, Ji Hong clenched the beast-hide pouch tightly, feeling the scorching heat of the Flood Dragon blood within. Overwhelmed with emotion, he bowed deeply to Xia Hong. If not for the Xia Code of Rites forbidding its people from kneeling casually, he would have certainly kowtowed in gratitude.

“There’s no need for that. Your strength increasing is a good thing for Great Xia. Consider this catty of Flood Dragon blood an extra gift from me; you don’t need to report it to the Logistics Department.”

“My Lord’s grace… Ji Hong will never forget this for the rest of his life…”

Ji Hong’s expression was full of emotion, and his voice began to crack.

He was one of the old-timers from the Earthen Mound period. His parents had both died in the disaster caused by the Wooden Puppet Aberration ten years ago. Great Xia had started from humble beginnings at the Earthen Mound, nearly wiped out by the anomalies, and had since expanded its territory hundreds of times over, not only joining the ranks of the Nine Towns but also establishing itself as the foremost town in the southern Mo’ao foothills. He was not just a witness to all of this but also a deeply involved participant.

The depth of his feelings for Xia Hong as his Lord, and for the entire Great Xia camp, was far more intense than that of others.

He was already overwhelmed by the favor when Qiu Peng specially allocated him a quota for Beast King-level blood. Now, with Lord Xia Hong personally gifting him such precious Flood Dragon blood, how could his heart not be moved?

“I remember your sister, Ji Jiang. Her aptitude is quite good too. How old is she this year?”

Xiacheng’s population was already approaching 1.3 million. The migration from Bashang had begun, and once it was complete, the total population was estimated to reach over 2.5 million.

With so many people in Great Xia today, it was naturally impossible for Xia Hong to know everyone.

However, back in the Earthen Mound period, Great Xia’s total population was just over 150. Xia Hong still remembered most of them.

He happened to remember the siblings, Ji Hong and Ji Jiang.

If Ji Hong’s aptitude had been lukewarm at first, only starting to shine after the first Martial Arts Tournament in the second year of Great Xia, then his sister, Ji Jiang, was the type of genius who had always been dazzling.

From Xia Hong’s perspective, it was normal for him to remember the siblings.

But from Ji Hong’s perspective, it was completely different. Xia Hong not only remembered him and his sister but could even recall his sister’s name accurately. His expression instantly turned to one of extreme excitement, and he hurriedly cupped his hands. “My Lord, my sister Ji Jiang is nineteen this year. She broke through to the Frostwarden realm last year. When she broke through, her base strength reached one hundred and thirty thousand catties. She also has a superior combat physique aptitude.”

At the mention of Ji Jiang’s name, Luo An, Zou Ping, Liu Peng, Lu Dong, Zhao Yuankong, and the other sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds all flinched, clearly recalling some unpleasant memories.

Xia Hong keenly noticed the change in their expressions and immediately remembered Qiu Peng once telling him that Ji Jiang was not only talented but also had a fiery temper, often chasing Luo An’s group around the Inner City to beat them up. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Then you and your sister both have dazzling aptitudes. Excellent!”

Hearing that Ji Jiang only had a superior combat physique aptitude, Xia Hong felt a slight sense of disappointment. During this time, through his conversations with Murong Chui and Xiahou Zhang, he had deduced a great deal.

All the current Sun-Manifestation realm experts in the Nine Towns, without exception, had possessed supreme combat physiques before their breakthrough. To date, not a single person had broken through to the Sun-Manifestation realm with just a superior combat physique aptitude.

Although nothing was absolute, this led to the basic conclusion that a supreme combat physique aptitude was likely the minimum requirement for reaching the Sun-Manifestation realm. Without it, breaking through would probably be incredibly difficult.

If that was the case, then the once-dazzling Ji Jiang was actually less promising than her late-blooming brother, Ji Hong.

Disappointed as he was, Xia Hong naturally didn’t let it show. After praising the siblings, he turned to Xiao Heng and the others, smiling. “Your actions in saving those people were very risky, but I’ve always been one to judge by results. Since you succeeded, it counts as a meritorious deed. Let me think about how to reward you…”

Hearing this, Xiao Heng and his group’s expressions immediately turned to excitement.

Not just Ji Hong, but they were also getting a reward!

“That Dragon’s Shedding has so many scales. There are fifty-nine of them in total, so give each of them one. It’s a good chance for them to go with the hunting teams to White Tiger Pool and help move things.”

“My Lord, that’s too valuable. Perhaps…”

“That’s enough. It’s decided. There are over four thousand dragon scales; giving away a few is no big deal!”

Xiao Kangcheng subconsciously tried to refuse, but Xia Hong cut him off. Seeing this, he could only nod.

“Thank you, my Lord!”

Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, and the rest were ecstatic. They quickly bowed to thank Xia Hong. Even without knowing the exact effects, the words “dragon scales” alone assured them that it was an incredibly rare treasure.

Xia Hong smiled and waved his hand, signaling for them to rise.

He hadn’t brought Xu Ning and Xiao Kangcheng here just to watch Xiao Heng and his group. After leaving White Tiger Pool in the first half of the night, he had immediately gone to Bashang to inform Xu Ning, telling him to dispatch ten high-level hunting teams to bring back the items from there.

The three of them had set out ahead of the teams. While passing through this area, Xia Hong sensed that Xiao Heng’s group was in trouble and brought Xu Ning and Xiao Kangcheng to observe their response from the shadows.

By his calculations, the ten high-level hunting teams should be arriving soon.

“They’re here. Xu Ning, Xiao Kangcheng, take them to meet up with the high-level hunting teams. You can find the location of Giant Tiger Mountain and where the items are hidden using the map I gave you!”

Xia Hong scanned his senses briefly and detected a large group of people heading deep into Mo’ao Mountain from the east. He immediately turned and instructed Xu Ning and Xiao Kangcheng.

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xu Ning and Xiao Kangcheng bowed in unison and immediately prepared to lead Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, and the other fifty-nine young disciples eastward.

“Wait a moment!”

Xia Hong suddenly thought of something and stopped them. He then turned to look into the depths of the snowy forest, and his body vanished before everyone’s eyes.

Xu Ning and Xiao Kangcheng, clearly in the know, exchanged a glance and stood waiting obediently.

Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, and the others, however, wore puzzled expressions, completely baffled.

Bang…

They had waited for less than twenty breaths when a golden object suddenly plummeted from the sky, landing right in front of them with a thunderous crash that sent snow flying more than a dozen meters into the air.

As the snowy mist settled, Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, and the others saw the golden object clearly. Their expressions went completely slack, their eyes wide with horror.

Lying on the ground was a Gold-Spotted Tiger over a meter long. Its fur had almost entirely turned gold. Its eyes were wide open, filled with terror, and its jaws were still agape. Apart from a tiny blade wound between its brows, there were no other injuries on its entire body.

“It’s that high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger!”

“Twenty breaths, and that’s not even counting the travel time. Did the Lord spend any time at all killing this high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger?”

“It must have died the instant he saw it, right? The Lord’s strength is terrifying!”

“This is a high-level Gold-Spotted Tiger!”

“It couldn’t even withstand a single encounter?”

“Just how powerful is the Lord?”

…

“Alright, what’s all the fuss about a single high-level Frost Beast? It doesn’t even take the Lord that long to deal with a Beast King.”

Seeing everyone’s commotion, Xiao Kangcheng couldn’t help but scold them.

Xu Ning had been looking up the entire time. Seeing that Xia Hong had already turned into a streak of light and flown off toward Hongmen, he immediately turned to the group and said, “Let’s go. Don’t waste time here. We need to get the items from White Tiger Pool and transport them back safely!”

The Lord had called those items from White Tiger Pool great treasures, so they were certainly not simple. His most important task tonight was to ensure those items reached Bashang City safely.

The group nodded and hurriedly followed behind Xu Ning, heading deeper into Mo’ao Mountain toward the White Tiger Pool area.

…

[Resources: Wood 872.61 million | Coal 908.72 million | Iron 986.25 million | Silver 21.82 million]

“The tenth day of the ninth month. The first round of trade with the Eight Towns… no, Seven Towns, should be complete. According to Qiu Peng two days ago, the total silver earned from the first round of trade was four hundred and twenty million liang, which converts to 8.4 million system resource points. Adding that to what we’ve mined ourselves over the past year, we finally don’t have a shortage of silver!”

In the skies above the outskirts of Mo’ao Mountain, Xia Hong flew toward Hongmen City while inventorying his system’s silver resources.

He had known about the trouble Yang Ning and Li Hu caused in Hongmen City on the first of the month even before he went to White Tiger Pool, and he was also aware of Qiu Peng’s refusal to trade with Beishuo Town.

Of the three northern towns, Xia Hong was wariest of Beishuo, so he was quite supportive of Qiu Peng’s decision.

Great Xia’s external trade had two core objectives:

One was to use Great Xia’s goods to change the lifestyles of the people in the Eight Towns. Whether you called it winning them over or reforming them, the goal was to use trade as a pretext for infiltration.

The other, naturally, was to earn the Eight Towns’ silver.

Regardless of Great Xia’s motives, selling those cultivation resources to the Eight Towns would ultimately have the effect of strengthening the enemy. Xia Hong was most wary of Beishuo Town, so not trading with them was a good thing.

Qiu Peng had planned the goods sold externally meticulously. He treated the merchant guilds from all seven towns equally: a certain quantity of precious cultivation resources bundled with a large amount of daily necessities. If they wanted to buy, they had to take the entire package. The seven towns had no choice but to agree for the sake of those cultivation resources.

The trade volume for each of the seven towns was fixed at sixty million liang of silver, which was how Xia Hong could instantly arrive at the figure of four hundred and twenty million liang.

The things Great Xia bought from the seven towns were basically negligible. After all, Lu Yang had spent the previous four years thoroughly investigating the products of the Nine Towns. Apart from a few special resources like Muyin Town’s Blood Ginseng Pills, Great Xia had almost no need to buy anything from the seven towns.

“The trade with the seven towns’ merchant guilds is definitely the main source of income. The silver that the remaining village-level camps in the Eight Towns can offer is probably quite limited. But every little bit counts. The core objective is to make the people in these village-level camps dependent on Great Xia’s goods, so we must continue!”

Looking at the 21.82 million silver resource points he had, Xia Hong finally felt much more at ease. From first encountering silver to no longer having to worry about it, it had taken him nearly seven years. It certainly hadn’t been easy.

These twenty-million-plus points of silver resources had been mined by the camp from the silver mines he discovered in Longshan when he came out of seclusion last year. This didn’t even include the silver currently being earned from the seven towns.

“Now that the seven towns have had a taste of the benefits, as long as nothing unexpected happens, the trade should continue uninterrupted. In the future, we can earn nearly one billion liang of silver from the seven towns’ merchant guilds annually, which converts to twenty million silver resource points. We truly won’t be short anymore. We can proceed with planning upgrades for the Martial Arts, Weaponry, and Alchemy Pavilions. Saving up for the Iron Wall and Black Earth in a few years won’t be a problem either.”

[Unlocked Buildings 8: Yang Ruins Cauldron (Lv. 5), Martial Arts Pavilion (Lv. 4), Alchemy Pavilion (Lv. 4), Weaponry Pavilion (Lv. 4), Iron Wall (Lv. 3), Ancestral Spirit Monument (Lv. 5), Black Earth (Lv. 3), Enlightenment Lotus Platform (Lv. 4)]

[Locked Building 1: Thick Iron Chain]

The Level 5 Yang Ruins Cauldron, Level 4 Enlightenment Lotus Platform, and Level 5 Ancestral Spirit Monument all required gold for further upgrades.

Of course, there was also the Thick Iron Chain.

[Thick Iron Chain: Silver 1,000, Gold 5,000]

Seeing the resources required to unlock the Thick Iron Chain, Xia Hong’s expression darkened.

He still hadn’t even seen what gold looked like. Five thousand points was an astronomical figure for him, not even worth thinking about.

“When I get back, I’ll upgrade the three Pavilions first and properly digest the massive number of new species obtained this round. With the Martial Arts Pavilion’s capacity soaring, the number of Frostwarden realm cultivators in Great Xia will grow faster and faster. Once the next surge comes and Xuan Ling breaks through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, the Eight Towns will be basically powerless against us. Then I can finally leave the camp and see for myself what that legendary Cai Qiu vassal state is really like!”

Thinking of the report on external powers that Qiu Peng had given him five days ago, Xia Hong’s eyes filled with curiosity.

“A Regional Lord governs a vassal state; a forbidden land of anomalies. These eight words should mean that in a camp at the vassal state level, even anomalies dare not intrude. ‘Regional Lord’ should be a title higher than Leader and Lord, which means it likely refers to an expert above the Sun-Manifestation realm!”

Besides curiosity, a deep sense of caution also arose in Xia Hong’s heart.

A powerful external force had been eyeing the Nine Towns of the southern Mo’ao foothills for a long time and had even planted spies who had been lurking for several years.

Qiu Peng had only accidentally uncovered Han Peng in Jinshan Town’s Jinyang Village. It didn’t mean that the Cai Qiu vassal state had only suborned this one secret agent in the Eight Towns. Now that Great Xia had publicly revealed itself in the southern Mo’ao region, it was highly likely that it had already attracted the attention of that Cai Qiu vassal state.

“According to Han Peng, this Cai Qiu vassal state is extremely powerful, enough to crush the Nine Towns. Yet, they haven’t attacked for so many years. Either they look down on this area, or they’re facing some other difficulty. The latter is more likely.”

For any camp in the Ice Abyss, regardless of its level of development, population was always paramount, followed by resource sites. The combined population of the Nine Towns was at least fifteen million, not to mention that they controlled over eight hundred kilometers of mountain passes into Mo’ao Mountain and the Xing River to the south. No matter how strong the Cai Qiu vassal state was, it was unlikely they would look down on all that.

Therefore, there had to be some difficulty restraining Cai Qiu, preventing them from sending a large force south to annex the territory and population of the Nine Towns.

“It’s a pity. That Han Peng was merely bribed by the Cai Qiu vassal state. He only knew it was to the north but not its exact location. Otherwise, I could have gone to investigate the situation myself.”

At this thought, Xia Hong shook his head slightly. “No, I almost forgot. I can’t be too far from Great Xia. At least not before Xuan Ling breaks through!”

Great Xia currently having only one Sun-Manifestation realm expert—himself—was a critical weakness.

And as Great Xia traded with the Eight Towns, with a large influx of traders into Hongmen City and its territories, the fact that he was the only Sun-Manifestation expert would soon become known to the other Eight Towns.

This matter was both significant and insignificant.

It was significant because a Sun-Manifestation expert was the bedrock of a camp. Once the Eight Towns, especially the three northern towns, learned of this, they would certainly try to target Great Xia, and might even unite for a proactive invasion.

It was insignificant because Great Xia’s overall strength was already firmly number one among the Nine Towns. As long as it wasn’t a multi-town alliance, Great Xia could handle any single town without issue. Even if two or three towns joined forces, Xia Hong wasn’t too worried.

His only concern was an alliance of the three northern towns.

Chuishan generally followed Beishuo’s lead. Yangqu and Longgu, being fence-sitters, would inevitably side with the stronger coalition if they saw a four-town alliance forming. By then, six towns would have come together, all targeting Great Xia, and that would be troublesome.

Moreover, once a six-town alliance formed, it was hard to say what the attitude of Jiangxia and Muyin would be.

“Fortunately, I still have the card of Xiang Fuhai up my sleeve. Even if the Eight Towns find out I’m the only Sun-Manifestation expert in Great Xia, they’ll still have to be wary of Xiang Fuhai’s existence. They should exercise some restraint!”

The moment he had rescued Xiang Fuhai from Bashang City, Xia Hong had already anticipated this day. Li Xuanling still needed time to break through to the Sun-Manifestation realm, let alone Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao.

With only one Sun-Manifestation expert, Great Xia’s deterrent force was indeed insufficient!

Bringing a strange Sun-Manifestation expert back to Xiacheng temporarily was not only a matter of finding one, but even if he did, Xia Hong wouldn’t feel at ease leaving them in Xiacheng.

The heavily injured Xiang Fuhai, however, was the perfect choice.

Xiang Fuhai’s injuries had not recovered, so he posed no threat while staying in Xiacheng. At the same time, the Eight Towns were unaware of this and would inevitably be wary of him. He was the most suitable choice imaginable.

“Once this round of population migration from Bashang is complete and the remaining Xiang clan disciples have all moved to Xiacheng, Xiang Fuhai’s loyalty will be essentially secured. All that’s left is for Cheng Feng to develop the pill. Then I’ll help him recover his cultivation immediately. By then, Great Xia’s security will be mostly guaranteed!”

With a thousand thoughts racing through his mind, Xia Hong soon arrived above Hongmen City. Looking down at the endless stream of people entering and exiting the city gates below, a broad smile appeared on his face. With a slight shift in his focus, he flickered and flew toward the Division Office Building in the city center.

…

Hongmen City, Division Office Building, top floor conference hall.

Xia Chuan sat in the main seat, his brows tightly furrowed.

Qiu Peng and Lin Kai sat below him, their expressions somewhat grave.

Yuan Cheng stood in the center, holding a golden document. After reading its contents, he roared in anger, “Isn’t this Yang Zun just slandering me? Even if I were to kill someone, it would be Yang Ning and Li Hu at most. Yang Fan and his group never provoked me. Why would I kill them?”

After saying this, he paused and continued, “Besides, there were fifteen people in their team. Yang Fan’s strength was thirty-one Mane, and the other fourteen were mostly above twenty Mane. You’re telling me I killed thirteen of them in one go and let two injured ones escape? How can Yang Zun believe such nonsense from Yang Ning?”

“Sit down and calm down first!”

Xia Chuan gestured for Yuan Cheng to calm down, then said in a deep voice, “When you clashed with Yang Fan and the others in the city on the first of the month, many people from the Eight Towns saw it with their own eyes. They also personally heard you threaten to kill those fifteen people. Now that something has really happened to them, coupled with Yang Ning’s personal testimony, how could Yang Zun not come after you?”

Qiu Peng, sitting to the side, also nodded, his brow slightly furrowed. “Whether Yang Zun believes it or not is irrelevant. The crucial point is that Yang Fan’s group did indeed die near Hongmen City. It doesn’t matter if Yang Ning is spouting nonsense. This formal letter from Yang Zun directly identifies you as the murderer and demands that we hand you over. It’s even co-signed by Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng. This is clearly the three northern towns using this incident to jointly pressure us!”

Yuan Cheng’s brow furrowed deeply.

He wasn’t worried that Xia Chuan would hand him over, of course.

The key was that he now realized the words he had spoken in front of so many people in Hongmen City nine days ago seemed to be the root of the current problem.

His impulsiveness had clearly brought Great Xia a great deal of trouble!

Chapter 402: Beishuo’s External Decree, Xiang Fuhai’s Injuries

Yuan Cheng stood frozen, his expression grim as he looked at the formal letter. A sliver of guilt rose in his heart. Clenching his fists, he finally stepped forward and said to Xia Chuan in a low voice:

“Director, if the three northern towns truly use this to blackmail us, to force Great Xia into doing something, we must not agree. I, Yuan Cheng, will bear the consequences of my own actions. I made this mess, so I should be the one to take the fall. At worst, just hand me over…”

“What formal letter? Let me see!”

Before Yuan Cheng could finish, he was interrupted by a voice from the doorway.

“Greetings, my Lord!”

Hearing the voice, Yuan Cheng didn’t hesitate for a moment, turning to bow respectfully. Xia Chuan, on the main seat, and Qiu Peng and Lin Kai, seated below, also rose quickly and bowed toward the door.

“Greetings, my Lord!”

Without dallying, Xia Hong walked over and took the golden document directly from Yuan Cheng’s hands. He then sat down in the main seat that Xia Chuan had vacated and lowered his head to examine the missive.

[External Decree of Beishuo: Herein, Yuan Cheng, Department Head of the Garrison Department of Great Xia Town, did, on the night of the first day of the ninth month, in the snowy forest thirteen kilometers north of Hongmen City, lead an ambush and murder the President of our Beishuo Town Chamber of Commerce, Yang Fan; Vice President, Yang Pu; and members Yang Yun, Yang Shou, Yang Ding, Zhu Yiqing, Zhang Hewen, Li Kang, Li Xinyan, Zhou Ying, Zhou Longhai, Zhu Long, and Bai Dong, for a total of thirteen people.

Yang Ning personally witnessed the atrocities committed by Yuan Cheng and his men; Great Xia cannot deny this. Beishuo and your esteemed town are both part of the Nine Towns of the Mo’ao Southern Foothills. We should set aside our divisions and advance together to build a common home. Yet, Great Xia has committed such a heinous act, which is truly despicable.

Beishuo has issued this external decree to inform all towns. On the eighteenth of the ninth month, we will all gather at Hongmen. We hope Great Xia will hand over the main culprit to give justice to Beishuo and to all the towns of Mo’ao!

—Yang Zun, Qin Feng, Shangguan Yang]

“This external decree is actually very well-written!”

Hearing Xia Hong’s first words after reading the document, the four men below stared at him, stunned.

Seeing their reaction, Xia Hong smiled and waved the decree from Beishuo. “What, did I say something wrong? This external decree from Beishuo is well-reasoned and well-supported. It allows them to claim the moral high ground and win over public opinion. Setting aside Muyin and Jiangxia for a moment, when the Lords of the other five towns see this, from the standpoint of the Nine Towns, it will be difficult for them not to support Beishuo.

“Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang have both signed their names to it. Even if Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan don’t support them, they probably won’t oppose the three towns. It looks like they will all be coming over on the eighteenth.”

Hearing this analysis, the expressions of Xia Chuan and the others instantly grew much graver.

“According to the regulations of the Nine Towns of the Mo’ao Southern Foothills, internal orders are called Town Decrees, while diplomatic orders are External Decrees, which are customarily made public. It won’t be long before this document from Yang Zun spreads throughout the territories of the eight towns. On the eighteenth, many people will certainly come to watch the spectacle. Yang Zun is clearly putting us on the spot!”

Qiu Peng said in a heavy tone. After a moment of thought, everyone’s face darkened slightly.

If they really handed Yuan Cheng over in front of so many people from the eight towns, Great Xia’s reputation would be utterly ruined. Of course, they had no intention of handing him over.

But if they didn’t, with the evidence being so conclusive, and with Yang Zun having already communicated with the other seven towns and deliberately published an external decree to make it known to all, Great Xia would inevitably be branded as tyrannical. The good reputation they had painstakingly built over the past two months would be completely destroyed.

Losing their reputation was a secondary concern. If they refused to hand over the man, would Yang Zun let the matter rest? Both Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang had put their names on this decree, which meant that Wuchuan and Jinshan would fully support Beishuo.

At this thought, Xia Chuan couldn’t help but speak in a low voice, “It’s not just the three northern towns. Duan Hong was humiliated by the Lord at the Hongmen Banquet and already hates Great Xia to the bone. Coupled with his ambiguous connections to Beishuo, Chuishan will definitely side with them. As for those two fence-sitters, Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan, upon seeing the might of four towns, they won’t dare oppose them, even if they don’t offer support. In that case, we will have to face four towns at once!”

“Won’t Muyin and Jiangxia support us?”

Yuan Cheng suddenly asked. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he saw the looks in the eyes of Xia Chuan and the others and immediately fell silent, his expression growing even more somber.

Muyin and Jiangxia were indebted to Great Xia, but it was uncertain what choice the two towns would make under these circumstances. Furthermore, one could not decide the choices of others. Besides, Great Xia had never been in the habit of entrusting its survival to outsiders.

“It seems my feeling was correct. This Yang Zun is the most difficult one to deal with among the three northern towns. Hongmen has only been open for a little over two months, and he’s already this eager to unite the other towns against us. Interesting!”

Xia Hong muttered to himself, head lowered. Looking at the contents of the decree, he asked Xia Chuan, “These five—Yang Fan, Yang Pu, Yang Yun, Yang Shou, and Yang Ding—are they all direct descendants of the Yang clan? What is their relationship to Yang Zun and Yang Fa?”

Xia Chuan, already thoroughly familiar with the situation in the eight towns, immediately replied, “The second-generation members of the Yang clan are Yang Fan, Yang Pu, and Yang Yun. Among them, Yang Fan is the eldest son of Town Head Yang Fa, Yang Pu is Yang Zun’s fifth son, and Yang Yun is the eldest son of the third brother, Yang Jian. Yang Shou and Yang Ding are fourth-generation members of the Yang clan, also direct descendants. Both are in their early thirties with strength above twenty-five Mane. Due to their excellent talent, they are known as the Six Stallions of the Yang clan and have some fame in the eight towns.”

Hearing this, Xia Hong’s brow furrowed slightly.

All five of them were direct descendants. No wonder Yang Zun was being so ruthless.

“The two Yang Zun brothers wouldn’t go so far as to use the lives of five direct descendants to frame us. So, the murder of Yang Fan’s group of thirteen is a fact. Since Yuan Cheng didn’t do it, it must have been people from another town deliberately framing us.”

Seeing that Xia Hong didn’t even question him and directly declared his innocence, Yuan Cheng was deeply moved.

Xia Hong paid no mind to Yuan Cheng. After speaking, another thought occurred to him, and he continued, “No, not necessarily another town. It could also be that Cai Qiu vassal state, or some other external power that has already infiltrated the Nine Towns!”

At this speculation, the expressions of Xia Chuan and the others turned grave.

Yuan Cheng hesitated for a moment before slowly stepping forward again. “My Lord,” he began in a low voice, “with four towns allied against us, Great Xia…”

“Enough. This isn’t for you to worry about. Do you think handing you over would solve the problem? If I really gave you up, the prestige Great Xia has painstakingly amassed since April would be gone. After this first compromise, a second would soon follow, and the second time, it won’t be as simple as just handing someone over.”

Interactions between towns were quite pragmatic.

The moment one side showed weakness, the other would inevitably press its advantage.

Ever since the Hongmen Banquet at the end of April, Xia Hong had been diligently cultivating an image of Great Xia as an incomparably powerful entity, strong enough to crush the eight towns of Mo’ao. This was why he had been able to seize Bashang City from Chuishan and Jiuqu Camp from Beishuo so smoothly, and why subsequent ventures like the opening of Hongmen City and trade with the eight towns had proceeded without a hitch.

Ultimately, the eight towns of Mo’ao, including Muyin and Jiangxia, were all afraid of Great Xia now. The three northern towns, in particular, must feel a deep sense of apprehension mixed with their fear. After all, in the past four months, Great Xia had practically transformed the entire ecosystem of the Nine Towns, relegating them, who were once high and mighty, to the roles of supporting characters.

The opening of the city and trade, in particular, were undermining the very foundations of their territories. With so many people from their village-level camps flocking to Hongmen City, where would the authority of their eight town centers lie in the future? How could they effectively manage those below them?

And among these people, who knew how many had been bought by Great Xia?

As more and more people came to Hongmen, the eight towns became increasingly transparent to Great Xia. For any camp in the Ice Abyss, this was a terrifying prospect.

They were now effectively held hostage by Great Xia.

Even if they now opened up their town centers’ cultivation resources to the people from the village-level camps, it was too late. The people would only credit Great Xia for it.

They couldn’t just issue an order to forbid their people from buying things in Hongmen City either. After all, they themselves were trading with Great Xia. If they tried to revert to the old ways of trading among town centers and selling resources at a markup, it would only drive more people to Hongmen City.

But to just let things be was even more unacceptable!

There were certainly intelligent people in the eight towns, and Great Xia’s strategy of using trade as a pretext for infiltration and recruitment was not particularly subtle. Someone was bound to see through it.

Once the people from the village-level camps in the eight towns got used to coming to Hongmen City to buy cultivation resources and other goods from Great Xia, who would they consider themselves loyal to in the long run? Would they be people of the eight towns, or people of Great Xia?

The three northern towns must have been trying to figure out a counter-strategy during this time. Xia Hong had long been aware of this. It was just that the timing of the murder of Yang Fan and his group was indeed a bit unexpected.

“If the four towns want to unite, then let them! At least Yang Zun had the decency to send an external decree to notify us first. As long as they play by the rules, everything is negotiable!”

Xia Hong wasn’t the least bit afraid of an open confrontation. What he feared most were those who didn’t play by the rules, for instance, recklessly using their Sun-Manifestation realm strength to cause trouble. That would give him a bit of a headache, since Great Xia currently had only him at that level.

“Have Yuwen Tao lead the Dragon Martial Army back to Hongmen first. Then, recall all the other armies scattered across our territory. I also need to make a trip back to Xiacheng. Before the eighteenth, arm Hongmen to the teeth. Since they’re putting on a show of force, we’ll make an even bigger scene. It won’t be that easy to make Great Xia yield.”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Xia Chuan’s expression brightened at the words, and he immediately cupped his fist in acceptance.

A cold glint appeared in Xia Hong’s eyes as he continued, “No matter who killed those thirteen people, since Yang Zun dares to make such a big, public scene, he must be completely confident that he can make everyone else believe Yuan Cheng did it. If that’s the case, arguing probably won’t do any good. We’ll just wait for them to arrive on the eighteenth. I’m eager to see just how powerful the lords of these three northern towns really are!”

Recalling their brief clash at Bashang City, a hint of fighting spirit rose in Xia Hong’s eyes. He had a rough measure of their strength. If the opportunity arose, a bout with the three of them wouldn’t be out of the question.

“I just hope Murong Chui and Xiahou Zhang don’t disappoint me.”

After this thought, Xia Hong shook his head and mentally cursed himself for his foolishness in placing his hopes on others.

“I need to return to Xiacheng first. The Martial Arts Pavilion, Weaponry Pavilion, and Alchemy Pavilion are about to undergo a major change.”

At Xia Hong’s words, the faces of Xia Chuan and the others lit up with excitement.

They were all keenly aware that every change to the camp buildings in Xiacheng brought about world-altering transformations.

The training slots in the Martial Arts Pavilion, the weapon-forging techniques and efficiency of the Weaponry Pavilion, the pill-refining and appraisal efficiency of the Alchemy Pavilion… once these buildings underwent a major change, Great Xia’s overall strength would experience a leap forward.

Xia Hong gave a slight wave to the group and, without lingering, left the council hall and flew west toward Xiacheng.

“We respectfully see you off, my Lord!”

Only after Xia Hong was far in the distance did Xia Chuan and the other three look up, exchanging excited glances.

“The number of training slots in the Martial Arts Pavilion should increase again by a lot. What Great Xia lacks now is time, so we can only use this to make up for it. As long as more people can cultivate simultaneously, the number of those breaking through to the Frostwarden realm will grow. Our number of Frostwarden realm experts already surpasses the three northern towns. If this new increase in slots is big enough, I estimate it won’t be long before our number of Frostwarden experts surpasses the total of all eight towns combined!”

The allocation of training slots for the Martial Arts Pavilion was handled by the Logistics Department, so Qiu Peng, as its Department Head, was naturally well-informed.

Hearing his words, Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, and Lin Kai all looked slightly thrilled.

Great Xia alone having more Frostwarden realm experts than the other eight towns combined… if that day truly came, what a magnificent sight it would be!

“In the future, the entire Mo’ao Southern Foothills will surely become the territory of Great Xia!”

Xia Chuan spoke these words with a look of utter conviction.

Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, and Lin Kai all nodded immediately, their eyes filled with unshakable belief.

……………………

Year 8 of Great Xia, Ninth Month, Eleventh Day

By the time Xia Hong hurried back to Xiacheng, it was already dawn.

He went directly to the Alchemy Pavilion and found Cheng Feng, who was in the middle of refining medicine.

“Who—my Lord! Cheng Feng pays his respects to the Lord!”

Cheng Feng was so engrossed in his work that he only noticed when Xia Hong was standing right behind him. He hastily tried to rise and bow.

“Focus on your medicine for now!”

Seeing the pill in the cauldron on the verge of completion, Xia Hong immediately pressed him down with a hand, signaling for him to continue, before asking, “Xiang Fuhai’s injuries—what’s the exact situation? Are you confident you can heal him?”

At this question, a look of excitement appeared on Cheng Feng’s face. He first retrieved the newly formed pill from the cauldron before cupping his fist and replying:

“My Lord, Xiang Fuhai’s injuries are primarily to his meridians. I have already identified the cause. This cauldron of Sacred Meridian Pills was refined specifically for his condition. I can’t be certain of the exact effects; he’ll have to try it to know. I actually refined a batch two days ago but didn’t dare give it to him on my own initiative. It’s just the right time to hand it over to you.”

UNTITLED

Chapter 230: Tricking the Gate, The Third Party, Yuwen Tao of Great Xia

Chapter 231: A Just Cause and the Full Story of the Infiltration

Chapter 232: The Dust Settles, the Hive Secured

Chapter 233: Next Step, Submission, and Departure for Yanglu

Chapter 234: A Daytime Scout of Yanglu, Who Do We Help?

Chapter 235: Rescue, Deception, and a Stir in Xiacheng

Chapter 236: The Grand Army Mobilizes, Changes in Yanglu, Mid-Frostwarden Realm

Chapter 237: Probing, Arrangements, and Hou Hu’s Confidence

Chapter 238: The Might of the Longyou Army, Yanglu’s Desperate Plight

Chapter 239: The White Dew Aberration, Despair, and the Origin of Yanglu

Chapter 240: Rescue and the Fall of Wushuang

Chapter 241: A Great Victory, an Admonishment, and Hou Tong’s Plan

Chapter 242: A Changing Situation, the Great Xia Special Envoy

Chapter 243: An Irresistible Offer, a Narrow Escape

Chapter 244: A Message, a Rebellion, and the Strange Wu Xiong

Chapter 245: Longshan’s Meddling, You’re Too Late

Chapter 246: The Great Battle of Hanqiong, A Belated Realization

Chapter 247: Ambushed and Rescued

Chapter 248: Cause and Effect, Strategic Vision, and the Return to the Hive

Chapter 249: The White Dew Aberration and Hanping Jade Dew, a Chilling Smile in Hanqiong

Chapter 250: The Undying Wu Xiong, Give Up

Chapter 251: Li Hu and Yang Zhong, Saving Lives and Slaying an Anomaly

Chapter 252: Secret Passage, Han Feng, The First Step

Chapter 253: Rescue, Deterrence, Surprise

Chapter 254: Understanding, Win Their Hearts First, The Next Step

Chapter 255: A Thousand Gold for a Horse’s Bones, Yang and Li Pledge Allegiance

Chapter 256: A Shortage of Meat, a Shortage of Manpower, a Timely Delivery

Chapter 257: Alchemy, Special Envoys, and the Tripartition of Longyou

Chapter 258: A Profiteering Frenzy, a Dangerous Thought, and Perfect Timing

Chapter 259: Yuwen Tao’s Speculation, the Jade Bone Elixir

Chapter 260: Building the Direct Road and the Meat Problem

Chapter 261: Construction Bottlenecks, Screening, and the Idea of an Army

Chapter 262: Mission, Powerlessness, The Screening is Underway

Chapter 263: Alchemy Workshop Upgrade, Population Explosion, Resource Relaxation

Chapter 264: The Shock of Peng and Chen, The Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament

Chapter 265: Garrison Candidates, Tournament Fever, and the Eve of the Breakthrough Tide

Chapter 266: Strategizing, an Elder Brother is like a Father

Chapter 267: Supplies Arrive, News from Longshan

Chapter 268: The Martial Arts Tournament Officially Begins, Impossible to Advance

Chapter 269: The Assessment Target, Hell-Level Difficulty

Chapter 270: Scared Witless, the Stunning Zhao Yuankong

Chapter 271: Advancement, Rebuke, Inspection

Chapter 272: An Unexpected Surprise, the Rapidly Growing Xu Ning

Chapter 273: The Terrifying Red Carp and the Precious Plant

Chapter 274: Elimination, the Breakthrough Tide, and the Green Hibiscus Grass

Chapter 275: Disappointment and Surprise, a Surge in Frostwarden Numbers

Chapter 276: The Top Hundred Emerge, Entering the Hall, The Unit Designation is the Team Name

Chapter 277: Weakness and Strength, The Final Battle Begins

Chapter 278: The Stunning Saber Puppet, Vindicating His Name, the Cloud Serpent Army

Chapter 279: Soldier-Hunter Integration, the Military System, and a Call to Hunt

Chapter 280: The Terrifying Hundred-Eyed Demonic Sheep

Chapter 281: Thousand-Eyed Demonic Sheep, Terrifying Strength, Spirit Herbs

Chapter 282: Winning Loyalty, Expanding Territory, and the Vanishing Army

Chapter 283: The Vanished Beast Tide, Ten Times the Marching Speed

Chapter 284: The Frustration and Resentment of Yang and Li

Chapter 285: Humiliation, and the Founding of a New Army

Chapter 286: Breakthrough, New Army, High-Intensity Training

Chapter 287: Astonishing Training Results and a Spy

Chapter 288: Movements from Two Factions, What Does the White Dew Aberration Want to Guard?

Chapter 289: Zhou Yuan’s Dilemma, Long White Gully

Chapter 290: The Cloud Serpent Army’s First Battle, Zhou Yuan’s Bloody Fight, a Great Victory and a Windfall

Chapter 291: On the March, a Furious Hou Hu

Chapter 292: A Crushing Defeat, a Delaying Tactic, and a Great Victory at Ningyuan Hill

Chapter 293: A Bountiful Harvest: To Save the Land or the Men?

Chapter 294: Internal Strife in Longshan, Li Tiancheng’s Caution

Chapter 295: The White Dew Aberration’s Open Scheme, Longshan Marches

Chapter 296: A Lion Hunting a Rabbit: Luring the Enemy into a Trap

Chapter 297: An Empty Fortress, A Late Realization

Chapter 298: Deploying to the Hive, Splitting the Army

Chapter 299: Acuity, Rallying the Troops, Bai Qiucheng’s Wishful Thinking

Chapter 300: Hou Jing’s Strange Behavior, Hou Kong’s Choice

Chapter 301: Hou Jing’s Surrender, Baiyuan’s Fall, and Zhaoyang’s Change of Allegiance

Chapter 302: The Army Arrives, The Search, Helplessness

Chapter 303: Unyielding Persistence, Gnawing Rats Breach the Walls

Chapter 304: The Two Armies Clash, a Desperate Fight to the Death

Chapter 305: Signs of Defeat Emerge, the Snow Bamboo’s Gambit

Chapter 306: The Thwarted Longyou Army, The Great Xia Army Cannot Escape, Sacred Cauldron

Chapter 307: Twists and Turns, a Severed Arm and a Head, a Helpless Retreat

Chapter 308: Rebel Inside Agent, Chaos and Opportunism, Longshan Changes Masters

Chapter 309: Helplessness, Losing the People’s Hearts, Total Annihilation, and a New Territory

Chapter 310: News of a Silver Mine, and Successive Mutinies

Chapter 311: Sudden Turn of Events, Grievous Injuries, Wavering Hearts

Chapter 312: The Last Gamble, the Li Family’s Swan Song

Chapter 313: The Leader Is Still Ruthless, The Price of a Lost Bet

Chapter 314: Expulsion and Unease, Xia Chuan’s Extreme Measures

Chapter 315: Winning Hearts, Executions, Astonishment, and Submission

Chapter 316: Migration Preparations, Population Boom, and Placement of the Frostwarden Experts

Chapter 317: The Longshan New Policy, the Frost Apple Trees, and the Silver Mines

Chapter 318: The Peculiar Frost Apple Tree, The Occupied Silver Mine

Chapter 319: The Blood Jade Fox and the Tease, Xiacheng in an Uproar, the Migration Begins

Chapter 320: End of the Migration, Grandeur of Great Xia, Stargazer Hall

Chapter 321: A Changed Li Xuanling, Reforms, and the Ninth-Rank Viscount

Chapter 322: Ennoblement by Military Merit, an Exciting Prospect

Chapter 323: The Rudiments of a State and Hectic Arrangements

Chapter 324: Cleansing the Yanglu Territory, the Dragon Martial Army Approaches Formation

Chapter 325: A Pack of Frost Beasts Banding Together for Treasure, the White Dew Aberration’s Panic

Chapter 326: Imminent Labor, the Talented Xiao Clan, Emergency Assembly

Chapter 327: Early Training, a Surge in Frostwarden Realm Numbers

Chapter 328: Assembling at the Hive, But Where are the Divine Arm Bows? Full Mobilization

Chapter 329: Divide and Conquer, Spirit-Shattering Light, The Trump Card Appears!

Chapter 330: The Beast Tide War: Wolf King and a Trump Card, the White Dew Aberration’s Dead End

Chapter 331: An Unsettling Feeling, the Jade Dew Stone, and Li Xuanling’s Panic

Chapter 332: Refining the Jade Dew Stone, Eve of the Frigid Origin Festival

Chapter 333: The Longshan Faction Gathers, A Simplified Clan System

Chapter 334: Zhu Shun and Huang Tianxi, The Year Three Frigid Origin Banquet, Xia Yuzong

Chapter 335: Chen Ying’s New Discovery, Xia Yuning, and a String of Good News

Chapter 336: A Silver Mine from the Heavens; Yu Yao and Yu Sheng; No Need for a Butcher’s Knife to Kill a Chicken

Chapter 337: Hanqiong’s Seven Divisions, Mo’ao Mountain, and News of Beishuo

Chapter 338: Songyang Ridge, Seven Houses Submit, First Batch of Silver Arrives

Chapter 339: Cultivation, the Enlightenment Lotus Platform, and a Major Building Upgrade

Chapter 340: Xiacheng’s Major Changes, the Richest Person in All of Great Xia

Chapter 341: Leaps and Bounds, Martial Arts Techniques, a Two-Pronged Push East, and a Period of Dormancy

Chapter 342: Li Hu and Yang Zhong’s Changes, The Hou Family’s Opportunity, Offering Advice

Chapter 343: Seclusion, The Growing Yu Generation, Family Banquet, Rapid Development

Chapter 344: The Nine Towns of Mo’ao Mountain, the Inspectorate System and Town Decrees, Li Hu and Hong Yuru

Chapter 345: Establishing a Clan, Childhood Sweethearts, Stargazer Hall is on Fire?

Chapter 346: Five Rounds of Bone Tempering, the Sun Manifestation Realm of a Thousand-Mane Burning Bone

Chapter 347: Jing Valley’s Garrison Commander Luo Ming, the Beast Tide, and the Six Armies of Great Xia

Chapter 348: A Powerful Army, One Against Three, and the Reason for the Beast Tide

Chapter 349: Council in Jing Valley, Soaring Strength, Dajue Temple, and the Eight Battalions Tournament

Chapter 350: Zhu Ling’s Dire Straits, the Eight Battalions Tournament, a Five-Year Bet, Eastern Ridge is Done For!

Chapter 351: Scheming and Being Schemed Against, The Five from Eastern Ridge, Zhu Yang’s Threat, The Dust Settles

Chapter 352: Trying to Renege, Eastern Ridge’s Strength, and Lu Yang’s Methods

Chapter 353: The Way to Advance at Peak-Frostwarden, the Tenth Garrison of Mo’ao, Yang Fa of Beishuo, the Nightmare Object, and Lu Yun of Eastern Ridge

Chapter 354: Lu Yang’s Plan, A Sudden Upheaval in Xiacheng, Sumeru Nightmare, a Word from Her Highness

Chapter 355: No Need to Rush a Breakthrough, A Tender Moment, and a Stubborn Little One

Chapter 356: Yu Yao’s Little Scheme, Xu Ning’s Conflict

Chapter 357: Volunteering for Danger

Chapter 358: An Old Acquaintance from Great Xia, Chaos in Qinghe Village, the Vajra Master, and a Delighted Xu Ning

Chapter 359: The Eight Hundred Monks, a Narrow Escape, and the Message Delivered

Chapter 360: Losses of the Eight Towns, Xiahou Zhang’s Certainty, the Fourth Army Arrives at Longshan

Chapter 361: The Rapidly Growing Army, Unrivaled Among Beast Kings

Chapter 362: Four Silver Mines, Army Rotation, Urgent News from Xiacheng, the Third Seventh-Rank Viscount

Chapter 363: Xiang Liang and Wang Yuxiu, a Buddhist Edict, Passing a Message, and Setting a Strategy

Chapter 364: The New Prefect of Wuyuan, a Breakthrough and an Assembly Date, the First Foray into the Waters

Chapter 365: Hostages and Disciples, Beishuo’s Intentions, Dajue Temple Makes Its Move

Chapter 366: Melting Fire Pills and the Shurangama Divine Mantra, the Great War Begins

Chapter 367: Yan Xin’s Ploy, The Five Chief Monks, Ceding Territory, A Startling Realization

Chapter 368: Hongguan, the Town Head’s Ultimatum, Reinforcements and Discord Among the Nine Towns, Locking Eyes

Chapter 369: Reinforcements Gather, a Disorderly Mob, an Unexpected Joy, the Battle Begins

Chapter 370: Evasion and Surprise Attack, Jiangxia’s Complete Victory, Secret Message, Counterattack

Chapter 371: The Battle of Hongguan Pass, Zenith Gold Powder and the Six Paths Vajra Mantra, the Shortsighted and Foolish People of the Eight Towns

Chapter 372: A Double Defeat, Dajue’s Flame Dragon High Master, Two Dead and Three Injured, an Unexpected Encounter

Chapter 373: Yuzong’s Birthday, the Fall of Jiangxia, the Fishing and Hunting Model, and a Turning Point

Chapter 374: Withdrawal and Ceasefire, An Entrustment, Panic in Bashang, A Sudden Turn

Chapter 375: Chen Hua and Kong Xiu, Chaos in Muyin, the Rout of Bashang

Chapter 376: Muyin’s Dead End, Only We Can Help You, The Green and Yellow Pills, The Battle of Bashang Begins

Chapter 377: The Fall of Bashang, Xiang Fuhai’s Despair, and the Five Grand Masters

Chapter 378: Origin Soul Pill and Requiem Sutra, Crimson Blood Demon Dragon, A Sudden Change

Chapter 379: The Five-Headed Anomaly-Faced Maitreya, the Five Viscera Anomaly-Countering Method, and the Start of Great Xia’s Eastward Expansion

Chapter 380: Startling News, Deployments, Excitement and Encounter, Striking First

Chapter 381: Upheaval in Muyin, Murong Yan’s Ambition, The Great Victory at Yumen

Chapter 382: Awakening, Promotion, and Expansion; Jiangxia’s Recovery and Decision

Chapter 383: What is Chuishan Town? A Crushing Defeat, a Flood of Bad News, and Panic Among the Six Towns

Chapter 384: Hongmen, A Display of Power, Allies and the New Nine Towns, The Dominant Great Xia, Shamelessly Defiant

Chapter 385: A Match and an Opportune Moment, Troops at Bashang, a Name Known Through the Nine Towns, Pale with Shock

Chapter 386: Han Feng Comes Home, New Rules for Travel Passes, Xiacheng Street Vendors, The Black-Robed Child Blocking the Way

End-of-Month Chapter: A Request for Votes, Summary, and Thanks to Coffee Great Demon King! [Vote! Vote! Vote!!!]

Chapter 387: His Highness’s New Friends, Settling in the Inner City, Accelerated Cultivation, Fifth Birthday Banquet

Chapter 388: Trade, Han Peng’s Party, Arrival at Hongmen City

Chapter 389: Entering the City, an Alias, and Those Who Don’t Follow the Rules

Chapter 390: The Undeterred Duo, the Xiang Clan’s Tragedy, and Yuan Cheng’s Suspense

Chapter 391: Spies and Agents from the Eight Towns, Xia Chuan’s Bearing, and News from Beyond the Domain

Chapter 392: Myriad Treasures Tower, Reshaping Minds, Astonishing Profits, and Meeting Two Buffoons

Chapter 393: Haggling, an Entrance and Building Momentum, Clowns and Expulsion

Chapter 394: The Yang Clan Disciples, Rising At Beishuo’s Expense, The Shocking News of Cai Qiu, A Sudden Upheaval

Chapter 395: Giant Tiger Mountain, Slaying the Flood Dragon at White Tiger Pool, Obtaining the Heavenly Sun Fruit, Overwhelmed with Gratitude

Chapter 396: A Bountiful Harvest in the Flood Dragon’s Lair, the Rising New Generation

Chapter 397: The Prospecting Competition, Winning Respect Isn’t That Easy

Chapter 398: A Change of Approach, Goodwill and Pride

Chapter 399: A Rescue, Xiahou Qingqing, and Unexpected Setbacks

Chapter 400: A Narrow Escape from Death, Shock, an Appearance, and the Supreme Combat Physique

Chapter 401: Generous Rewards and Joint Pressure from Three Towns

Chapter 402: Beishuo’s External Decree, Xiang Fuhai’s Injuries