Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Mirror Immortal Camp, a three-story snow-white bamboo building.

The main hall on the top floor was packed with twenty or thirty people.

The top two chairs were empty, and most of the people below were discussing enthusiastically with joy on their faces, occasionally looking up at the compartment behind the chairs.

“It's been four days, and the people of Great Xia dare not come to Redwood Ridge anymore. This area in the north should be ours from now on, right?”

“Haha, this area in the north? You're too timid. How can Great Xia's strength compare with our Mirror Immortals? What do you think the two leaders are gathering us here for today?”

“Are you saying we're going to continue south?”

“Hmph, that Xia Hong killed so many of our people, and he thinks he can settle the matter by giving up such a small piece of land in the north? Dream on!”

“Within Redwood Ridge, there are many cold beasts, precious trees, and countless amounts of wood and coal mines. It's a waste of resources to let that Great Xia occupy such a treasure land.”

“Here in the Arrow Bamboo Forest, the vegetation is too uniform, the reserves of coal and iron ore are low, and there are usually not many cold beasts. Every four months, we have to worry about the cold beast tide. If we can take Redwood Ridge, we'll be comfortable in the future!”

The surrounding people nodded with lingering fear when they heard this.

This place, the Arrow Bamboo Forest, must be a bit evil.

Usually, there are not many cold beasts inside, but a cold beast tide comes every four months. Before they had completely surveyed the entire Arrow Bamboo Forest, they didn't know where those cold beasts came from.

Now they know that they all gather from Redwood Ridge.

The cold beast tide is not a migration of a single species of cold beast, but all species and levels, tens of thousands of cold beasts, gathering in one place as if they were mad.

You should know that even the weakest low-level cold beast is three or four meters long, and the impact force it can instantly unleash is at least around ten thousand.

Even a group of three or five such cold beasts is enough to threaten a low-level hunting team, let alone tens of thousands of them. Their destructive power is far beyond ordinary people's imagination.

Not to mention, there are many intermediate and even advanced cold beasts among them.

Although the Mirror Immortal Camp is strong, it is still very weak in the face of the cold beast tide.

The twenty or thirty people sitting here are all considered pillars of the Mirror Immortal Camp.

Most of them have personally witnessed the cold beast tide erupting in the Arrow Bamboo Forest, so they can't help but feel lingering fear when they think about it.

“Taking Redwood Ridge shouldn't be a big problem. I estimate that we might even move our base over there in the future.”

“I've seen Great Xia's valley base from afar. It's located in the crevice of Shuanglong Mountain. The east, north, and south sides are all cliffs of Shuanglong Mountain, so cold beasts basically won't come down. There's only one opening in the west, which directly faces Redwood Ridge, making it convenient to enter and exit, and easy to defend but difficult to attack. The leader will definitely not let go of such a good place!”

“It's just that Xia Hong is a bit troublesome. Even the second leader can't take him down, and he even killed so many people last time. Hmph…”

“What are you afraid of? The big leader hasn't made a move yet. As long as he makes a move, that Xia Hong won't be able to turn the tables.”

“The Great Xia camp only has a little over a thousand people in total, and there are less than twenty Earth Burrowing Realm cultivators combined. Their strength isn't strong, so there's no need for the big leader to make a move. As long as all of us move out together and directly surround the valley, are we still afraid that Xia Hong won't surrender?”

“I just don't know why the big leader didn't give the order before!”

“I heard that the second leader and his son both spoke good words for that Xia Hong. The leader is a person who loves talent, so he gave him chances again and again. This time, I estimate he won't tolerate it anymore.”

“How many people have been killed by that Xia Hong, and we're still tolerating it? Where will our camp's face be? The second leader and his people can tolerate it, but I can't.”

“He Meng and He Gang were the big leader's own nephews, and they were killed. The big leader hasn't been able to cure them for so long, and it's unknown if they can be revived!”

“The second leader brought the Yuan Zhou camp to join Mirror Immortal only a little over a year ago, and he's speaking up for that Xia Hong everywhere. In my opinion, he, his son, and those people from the Yuan Zhou camp are not on the same side as us at all.”

… … … …

The content of the discussion of most people in the hall gradually evolved from hatred for Great Xia to accusations against Yuwen Hu and his son, and even the old people of Yuan Zhou.

Embarrassingly, Yuwen Tao was among these twenty people.

Hearing the low accusations from the crowd, Yuwen Tao's expression remained unchanged, but the fist under his sleeve clenched slightly, his breathing gradually became heavier, and his emotions were obviously fluctuating.

Not only him, but five people were sitting beside him. Although their ages were similar to Yuwen Hu's, they were a generation older than him, but their ability to maintain composure was not as good as his. At this moment, their faces were flushed red, and their emotions were obviously on the verge of erupting.

“Shut up!”

Suddenly, an angry voice came from the compartment at the head of the main hall.

Everyone's expressions changed slightly, and they closed their mouths with displeasure.

Yuwen Tao and the other six people raised their heads with a hint of joy on their faces.

Yuwen Hu slowly walked out of the compartment, his eyes swept over the few people who had just spoken, and his face was a little unsightly.

Obviously, he had heard the discussions of the people in the hall just now.

“The leader has ordered that ten days later, at nightfall, we will besiege the Great Xia base…”

Ten days later?

Upon hearing this, everyone below simultaneously showed a hint of confusion on their faces.

Before Yuwen Hu could finish speaking, someone directly interrupted him.

“Why ten days later, Second Leader? Can you explain?”

“That's right, since we plan to besiege the base, why wait ten days? Great Xia is nothing more than a crumbling dog, except that Xia Hong has some strength. Why not take action as soon as possible and annex them in one fell swoop!”

“These past few days, the brothers have seen it very clearly. Not to mention hunting, their people only dare to move around within a kilometer of the valley, and they don't even dare to enter the depths of Redwood Ridge. It can be seen that they are afraid of us to the bone. Since this is the case, what are we waiting for ten days later? We should leave immediately.”

… … … … … …

Yuwen Hu's face became even more unsightly. He was, after all, the Second Leader of the Mirror Immortal Camp. He had not even finished speaking when he was refuted like this. It could be seen that the people in front of him had no respect for him at all.

“Could it be that the Second Leader has advised the Big Leader again?”

“Young Master Tao was like this before, and now even the Second Leader is starting to speak up for that Xia Hong. Could it be that the Yuan Zhou camp had some relationship with this Great Xia before?”

“Thinking about it, that Xia Hong has not broken through the Cold Resistance level, but the Second Leader, with such strong strength, has failed to take him down again and again. Could it be…”

The few people below continued to ridicule him, one after another, as if they didn't see his expression.

It was obvious that they were blaming him for waiting ten days.

Pa… … … …

“Are you all deaf? It's the leader's order!”

Seeing his father being ridiculed, Yuwen Tao finally couldn't bear it any longer. He slammed the table angrily and stood up directly.

The five uncles beside him also stood up with him immediately, glaring at the few people who had just spoken.

If it were a different environment and different people, Yuwen Tao would definitely be able to control the situation, but the people present today didn't even give Yuwen Hu, the Second Leader, any face, let alone him.

“Yo, Young Master Tao…”

The leading person was about to ridicule Yuwen Tao, but as soon as he said three words, a sharp whistling sound came from behind the compartment at the head.

Shoo…

A sharp white stream of air passed directly through the person's left ear, like a sleeve arrow, but the speed was countless times faster than a sleeve arrow.

Before everyone could see it clearly, the stream of air had already been nailed to the wall of the bamboo house when they heard the sound.

The person who had just spoken stood in place with a blank expression, not knowing what had happened.

Everyone else also didn't know what had happened, and just stared at his ear.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths…

Thud…

The person's left ear fell directly to the ground.

The ear fell off, revealing a straight and neat wound. The blood in the wound even flowed out one or two seconds later.

At this time, everyone turned to look at the wall and realized that the white stream of air had actually been brought out by a small snow-white bamboo leaf.

A small bamboo leaf no bigger than a thumb directly cut off the ear of an Earth Burrowing Realm cultivator who was starting to reshape his skin and membranes. This was already outrageous enough.

After cutting it off, it fell off after three breaths, and the wound bled after five breaths.

The speed and power of this bamboo leaf when it was just shot out…

Only Yuwen Hu looked at the bamboo leaf, his pupils trembling non-stop.

Bang… … … …

The person who had just spoken, including the few people who had ridiculed Yuwen Hu and his son together, changed their expressions in shock and immediately knelt down.

“Who lent you the courage to be so disrespectful to the Second Leader?”

The gentle and jade-like voice in the compartment only carried a slight hint of anger, but it made everyone in the hall dare not even breathe.

The people kneeling on the ground trembled even more.

Only Yuwen Hu's expression was slightly more normal, but even he bowed slightly after the voice in the compartment sounded.

“Second Brother, continue!”

Hearing the voice inside, Yuwen Hu straightened up, turned to look at the people below, and said in a deep voice, continuing what he hadn't finished saying:

“Within these ten days, no one is allowed to approach the Great Xia Valley. Ten days later, the leader will personally lead all 271 Earth Burrowing Realm cultivators from the camp to besiege Great Xia. The rest of you will stay behind and guard the camp with me!”

As Yuwen Hu's voice fell, everyone kneeling on the ground showed joy on their faces, including the person who had just had his ear cut off.

As for Yuwen Tao and the other six, their expressions were initially puzzled, but after a moment of contemplation, their faces immediately turned gloomy.

Yuwen Hu, who issued the order, looked even worse.

"Alright, all of you, step back and prepare!"

"Yes, leader."

Voices echoed from within the compartment, and the group bowed and took their leave, quickly dispersing.

In the empty compartment, a sharp, piercing roar faintly echoed.

"Heh heh heh heh heh, just watch, just watch, it's all mine, it's all mine, you can't succeed, you can't succeed."

… … … … … …

Next to the bamboo house was a wooden cabin.

As soon as Yuwen Hu returned, his son, Yuwen Tao, approached him with a grim expression.

"Taking two hundred and seventy-one Earth Burrowing Realm cultivators is clearly excluding you, and including me, the forty-three Earth Burrowing Realm cultivators who haven't worshipped Mirror Immortals. Father, what exactly does the leader mean?"

Yuwen Hu didn't answer his son's question. He simply sat down in a chair, staring at the silver-inlaid circular jade pendant in his hand, his brow furrowed in thought.

Seeing the circular jade pendant, Yuwen Tao's expression immediately shifted. He leaned closer to Yuwen Hu and asked in a low voice, "Father, is the jade pendant reacting?"

Yuwen Hu gently shook his head and said, "No."

"Then they're purely excluding us. In the year or so since joining the Mirror Immortal sect, which one of us—you, me, Uncle Hong, and the others—hasn't fought tooth and nail for the camp? Just because of such an absurd reason as not worshipping Mirror Immortals, the leader is now actually joining them in excluding us?"

"Do you think the leader made this decision to exclude us?"

"What else could it be?"

Yuwen Tao subconsciously retorted, but seeing his father shaking his head in silence, he lowered his head and began to think. Soon, his expression underwent a subtle change.

No, such exclusion really isn't necessary.

What's the purpose then?

To make them worship Mirror Immortals as well?

He Yuanhun never forced them to worship Mirror Immortals in the first place. Using exclusion to force them to worship is not as direct as forcing them directly.

If he really wanted to force them, frankly, they couldn't resist.

Even if Yuwen Hu could resist, could he, and the other forty-two Earth Burrowing Realm cultivators in the Yuan Zhou camp, resist?

If it's not exclusion, then they're deliberately preventing them from participating in the siege of Great Xia.

But what's the reason?

Seeing his father's expression, Yuwen Tao immediately knew that his father was seeing much further than him. Clearly, he had already begun to consider this question.

"Based on the strength of the Great Xia camp, as long as the leader personally takes action, there definitely won't be any problems. In fact, whether or not we go won't make much of a difference, but according to common sense, more people means more strength. Our presence would at least reduce some casualties, and even put more psychological pressure on Great Xia."

Hearing Yuwen Hu's words, Yuwen Tao immediately followed the train of thought and said:

"Deliberately not letting us go, conversely, means that our presence might produce a negative result for this siege?"

"Could it be that those who have worshipped Mirror Immortals won't die, and the leader is worried that we, who haven't worshipped Mirror Immortals, will be afraid of death and not fight effectively?"

Yuwen Hu immediately shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Who says those who have worshipped Mirror Immortals won't die? He Meng and He Gang still haven't survived until now. The leader says he's trying to save them, but who knows if he can save them?

Moreover, I've been sworn brothers with him for so many years, he wouldn't think of me like that!"

"Could it be that he's worried that we might see something?"

Yuwen Tao's slightly bold guess caused Yuwen Hu's expression to freeze.

Father and son exchanged a glance, a faint glimmer flashing in their pupils.

… … … … … …

Great Xia Year 1, March 15th.

Deep within the southern side of Redwood Ridge, in a poisonous mist area, Xia Hong covered his face with a piece of animal hide, wielding a giant axe, and forcefully split the head of an intermediate Teng Serpent in two.

With the Teng Serpent dead, Xia Hong didn't hesitate. He hoisted the corpse and rushed out of the poisonous mist area.

After running three or four hundred meters, Xia Hong stopped, caught the blood spilling from the Teng Serpent's wound in his hand, and then smeared it on his body, his expression somewhat excited:

"Thirty-second, should be, enough!"

Originally, it was estimated that it would take half a month to collect thirty intermediate Frost Beasts, but unexpectedly, it only took eight days to complete.

Not only completed, but exceeded the target.

From March 7th to today, in eight days, he hunted a total of thirty-two intermediate Frost Beasts.

It's hard to imagine that after being a lone wolf for only a little over half a month, Xia Hong's hunting efficiency was actually faster than when he led a hunting team before.

In fact, the reason is very simple, just as Xia Hong had guessed before, the speed of improvement in combat experience when hunting Frost Beasts one-on-one is unimaginably fast.

Moreover, hunting experience with similar types of Frost Beasts is common.

Especially in one-on-one situations, Frost Beasts often show signs of underestimating the enemy. It seems that they are born with a contemptuous attitude towards humans, feeling that they cannot possibly lose in a one-on-one fight.

When dealing with intermediate Frost Beasts with a hunting team before, it was often necessary to prevent the Frost Beasts from escaping towards the end.

Now that he's alone, this situation rarely occurs.

Of course, the most important reason is Xia Hong's own strength improvement.

[Cultivation: Earth Burrowing Realm Completion (Skin Membrane Reshaping Progress 70%)]

In these eight days, he certainly didn't dare to use too much beast blood at once, but even using it slowly while sticking to the limit, the progress still increased by fourteen points.

It was previously estimated that one point of progress could increase his base strength by about 1250 pounds, and fourteen points converted is 17500 pounds.

"My strength is already 120,000 pounds, and there's enough beast blood. Next, I'll bring up the last thirty points of progress and officially break through to the Frost Resistance level!"

Xia Hong clenched his fists. Thinking that his base strength would also usher in a leap after breaking through to the Frost Resistance level, he added a few touches of excitement to his face, hoisted the Teng Serpent, and quickly returned towards the valley.