Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 460 The Real and Fake Yang Zun, Strength and Trial, A Minor Team-Up Interlude, Cai Qiu's Hidden Resources

"Alright, you can go and cultivate now!"

Xia Hong waved Su Xing'er away, then looked down at the Heavenly Ranking book in his hand and shook his head slightly.

Since arriving in Changqing Valley from the Bone-Eating Path last August, he has been in Caiqiu for over a year. During this time, he spent four months in Qinghua City, one month along the way, and another four months in Linchu County. As a result, he has gained a considerable understanding of Caiqiu and even the entire Four Feudatories.

The number of Xianyang-level beings in Caiqiu is conservatively estimated to be over one hundred; considering that he has not yet been to the core town of Caiqiu, even if the number doubles, it would not exceed three hundred at most.

Following this line of reasoning, the total number of Xianyang-level officials in the four vassal states combined could not possibly exceed three digits.

According to Xia Hong's on-site observations, the population of Caiqiu is definitely over 20 million, and even if the total population of the four prefectures is not over 100 million, it is probably not much different.

With a population of over 100 million, there are fewer than 1000 Xianyang-level individuals. Such an astonishing ratio naturally determines that the status of Xianyang-level individuals in the Four Feudatories, while not as supreme as in the Nine Garrisons, is still basically at the top level.

Among this group of people, if you were to pick out the 100 strongest individuals and rank them, there would be no other force besides the four major regional military governors who would have both the qualifications and the ability to do so.

Making the list now is undoubtedly direct proof of this.

Looking at his brief information on the ranking page, Xia Hong shook his head.

Many people did witness his battle with Cai Yunzhou, but in the entire Qinghua City at the time, the only person who could tell that he had won was Cai Yunzhou himself. Therefore, it is no surprise that he was able to be listed on the Heavenly Ranking because Cai Yunzhou leaked the news.

Just as Su Xing'er said, once he made it onto the list, he became a big celebrity in Mo'aochuan. The name Hong Yu was probably already known to everyone in the four kingdoms.

Xia Hong was not one to seek the limelight, and besides, his purpose in coming to the Mo'aochuan region was not entirely pure. But now that the die is cast, there's no point in blaming Cai Yunzhou.

He shook his head first, then continued flipping through the pages with a curious expression.

Since this list is officially compiled, it must have some reference value. Just how strong are the top Xianyang-level experts in the Four Domains?
Xia Hong wasted no time and started reading directly from the first page:
[Number one on the Heavenly Ranking: Li Dingyang, the Heavenly Demon Blade, from Cangyang County, Weibo, a fifth-generation descendant of the Fangbo lineage, possessing peak Xianyang Realm cultivation. In the 289th year of the Caiqiu calendar, at the age of 58, he slew the Azure Demon Dragon, a water-evolving beast at the Five Elements Realm, along the shore of Hanbo Lake in northern Weibo, achieving godhood in a single battle. He is recognized by the four vassal states as the strongest person below the Tribulation Body Realm.]

The higher the cultivation level, the more likely one is to kill a beast king whose cultivation is one level higher than their own?

"Is Li Dingyang really that abnormal?"

Xia Hong couldn't hold back any longer after reading the first page; his face was filled with horror.

He can also cross borders to fight the enemy.

But he transcended a minor realm, and that was in the case of humans.

Human cultivation levels correspond to the levels of Frost Beasts, and the general rule in the Ice Abyss is that, at the same level, the strength of Frost Beasts basically crushes that of humans.

For example, low-level cold beasts crush the lumbering realm; mid-level beasts crush the earth-digging realm; high-level beasts crush the cold-resistant realm; and beast kings crush the manifesting sun realm.

Humans first broke this rule during the Cold Resistance level, continuing to improve their strength through combat physique aptitude to bridge the gap with high-level cold beasts. If combat physique aptitude was insufficient, they could also rely on elixirs.

Then it goes back to the Yang level and returns to normal.

So far, the beast king-level cold beasts that Xia Hong has dealt with have a strength of at least 9 jun. Based on his experience when he broke through, if he had only broken through at the level of normal iron bones, his final strength would only be 3 jun. If even he was like that, then others would be even more so.

When estimating the strength of a realm, Xia Hong generally does not use himself as a reference, because his situation is too special and it is difficult to find a second example.

Despite his exceptional talent, even after breaking through to the Manifestation Yang level, his strength was only 10 jun, barely comparable to the weakest Beast King level. And so far, he had not encountered anyone with talent stronger than himself.

Therefore, just like during the Cold Resistance level, when a normal person breaks through to the Manifestation level, they will inevitably be crushed by the Beast King level cold beast. To narrow the gap in strength, they can only rely on elixirs to cultivate and continue to improve their cultivation.

Following this rule, the Beast King's strength must also be able to crush ordinary Tribulation Realm experts.

And this Li Dingyang, he doesn't even have the cultivation level of the Tribulation Realm yet.

He was only at the peak of the Manifestation Yang Realm!

This is equivalent to killing a beast king-level cold beast when one is at the peak of the Cold Resistance cultivation level, which is simply impossible.

Xia Hong's pupils were filled with horror as he continued to look at Li Dingyang's information. He found that apart from killing the Beast King, there was no other description of his strength. He quickly calmed himself down and continued to flip through the pages.

[Second place on the Heavenly Ranking: Li Wuji, the Sword God of Hebei, from Hebei County, Weibo, a fourth-generation descendant of the Fangbo family, uncle of Li Dingyang, with a peak Xianyang Realm cultivation. In the 287th year of the Caiqiu calendar, at the age of 68, he was hunted by three Wood-type Beast King-level Snow Phoenixes around Qinghua City, Baishui County, Caiqiu, but ultimately escaped.]

Another one who has fought against the Beast King, and this time it was at Snow Phoenix Mountain!
Xia Hong had visited Xue Luan Mountain when he was in Qinghua City. The Five-Colored Demonic Sound Zither that Su Xing'er had was obtained from Bai Feng Forest at the foot of Xue Luan Mountain by him.

Surrounded by a three-headed beast king-level snow phoenix and then successfully escaping, Li Wuji's record was obviously not as impressive as Li Dingyang's. However, Xia Hong had personally hunted down a high-level snow phoenix, and he knew very well that the snow phoenix's greatest strength was its speed.

The speed of a high-level Snow Phoenix is ​​already comparable to that of an ordinary Manifestation-level Snow Phoenix, not to mention the Beast King level, and then there's the Beast Emperor level Snow Phoenix...

Surrounded by three speed-oriented Beast King-level Snow Phoenixes, he escaped with his life!

Recalling the feeling of standing atop the Ice Sword Tree in Baifeng Forest eight months ago, being stared at by those sharp gazes from the mountaintop, Xia Hong not only didn't think Li Wuji's record was bad, but also felt that its value was even greater than that of Li Dingyang, who ranked first.

However, there was still no description of Li Wuji's specific strength. Xia Hong frowned and continued reading patiently:

[Third place on the Heavenly Ranking: Li Baobao, the Azure Divine Sword, from Qingmu County, Wei Bo, a fifth-generation descendant of the Fangbo family. He and Li Dingyang are known as the Twin Prodigies of Wei Bo. He has the peak cultivation of the Manifestation Yang Realm. In the 291st year of the Caiqiu calendar, at the age of 39, he defeated Fu Qianming in Hezang Town. At that time, Fu Qianming had the cultivation of the First Tribulation Body Realm and his strength was about 105 jun.]

Finally...

A first-stage Tribulation Realm cultivator, possessing 105 jun of strength!
Finally, there was a benchmark for those at the Tribulation Realm. A hint of excitement rose in Xia Hong's eyes. After carefully reading the information of the third-place winner, he couldn't help but show surprise:
"At only 45 years old this year, with the peak cultivation of the Manifestation Realm, this Li Baobao's talent is on par with mine and Xuanling's. As expected of a regional governor, it truly is a place where dragons and tigers are hidden!"
However, this Wei Bo…

A strange light appeared in Xia Hong's eyes. After pondering for a moment, he continued to quickly flip through the pages and soon finished reading the top twenty.

"The top three are all from Weibo, and they occupy thirteen of the top twenty spots. We don't know the overall strength of Weibo, but in terms of top talents, both in terms of quality and quantity, it is almost precipitous ahead of the other three vassal states. Is it true that more disasters and hardships can temper people better?"

Xia Hong's final sigh was not without reason.

Over the past five days, among the many books he had perused in the library, there happened to be one called "A Century of the Four Feudatories," which roughly recorded some of the major events that had occurred in the four feudatories of Mo'ao River over the past century.

What impressed Xia Hong the most were the two catastrophic monster invasions: the Mountain-Shaking Nightmare more than eighty years ago and the Beekeeper more than thirty years ago. The former caused the loss of most of the territory of the Hezang vassal state and killed more than seven million people, while the latter caused the death of no less than five million people in the Weibo vassal state. Both vassal states were severely weakened and it is said that they have not fully recovered to this day.

In comparison, Hezang seems to be in a worse situation, but that is not the case. Because Weibo is adjacent to Baihu River, the largest river system in Mo'aochuan, apart from the beekeepers' rebellion more than 30 years ago, its entire territory has been plagued by natural disasters such as floods, plagues, cold waves, and beast tides for nearly a hundred years. These disasters would occur every three to five years. It is no exaggeration to say that it has suffered many disasters.

"Such an environment has actually given birth to more top geniuses. Disasters can temper the resilience of a race. Our ancestors were right!"

Xia Hong shook his head slightly, then looked down at the Heavenly Ranking Book in his hand, a hint of understanding in his eyes.

"Among the top 20, the most valuable reference should be Wan Qinghe, the governor of Hezang, who is ranked 18th. He has the peak cultivation of the Xianyang level, and his last appearance was two years ago, when his strength was 51 Jun!"

Based on the old man in blue robes he saw in the library, Xia Hong could basically deduce that the weakest Tribulation Body Realm cultivator had a strength of over 100 jun, while the strength of the peak Manifestation Yang Realm cultivators varied greatly, with the weakest being unknown and the stronger ones all having a strength of over 50 jun.

"If we keep reading, the data should become more accurate..."

After thinking for a moment, Xia Hong continued to flip through the pages, but he was immediately stunned.

[Rank 21 on the Heavenly Ranking: Yang Zun, the Spear Demon of the Southern Wilderness, from Yanling County, Chencang, is a military advisor in the county governor's office. He has the peak cultivation of the Xianyang Realm. Although he comes from the Southern Wilderness, he has amazing talent. His talent in spear fighting was once praised by the governor of Chencang. In the 295th year of the Caiqiu calendar, he fought six beast kings alone in the Blood Miasma Plain with only a spear, and finally killed four of them. His strength is 41 jun.]

Yang Zun, the Gun Demon of the Southern Wilderness, at the peak of the Xianyang realm, possesses a strength of 41 jun...

Did you read that right?

Xia Hong checked the name again, then frowned when he saw the sentence "born in the Southern Wilderness but with amazing talent".

"The Southern Wilderness is the name given by the four vassal states to the southern foothills of Mo'ao. So this Yang Zun is most likely the one from Bei Shuo. With a strength of 41 jun, he fought six beast kings alone. When did he acquire such strength?"

It's impossible!

If Yang Zun had that kind of strength, then winning the Battle of Hongmen two years ago wouldn't have been so easy for me.

"No, no, Cai Qiu's year 295 is exactly the year of the Battle of Hongmen, it's impossible, so there must be two Yang Zun..."

Xia Hong's expression froze. He suddenly remembered a message that Lu Yang had brought back when he infiltrated Beishuo in his early years. The Yang family originally started with three brothers: the eldest, Yang Zun; the second, Yang Fa; and the third, Yang Jian. However, in recent years, the third brother, Yang Jian, had hardly shown his face in the Nine Towns. There were rumors that he was almost a hundred years old and had not yet broken through to the Xianyang level, so he was probably dead.

"No, most likely, the one in Beishuo is Yang Jian, while the one who stayed in Chencang is the real Yang Zun. This is quite interesting!"

After Xia Hong thought it through, his expression became strange, and his wariness of Bei Shuo intensified.

Yang Zun remained in the Four Feudatories and even became a military advisor in the Chencang Yanling County Prefectural Office. This shows that the relationship between Beishuo and Chencang is very deep.

"The military advisor of Yanling County can command troops now; we need to be careful!"

I never expected to make such a wonderful discovery while looking at the Heavenly Ranking.

Xia Hong shook his head, stopped thinking about it, and continued reading the list.

Of the 100 people on the entire Heavenly Ranking, all those ranked 30th and below were at the late stage of the Manifestation Yang realm.

“Cai Yunzhou’s strongest power is 24 jun, which is actually the late stage of cultivation. This proves that the power improvement at the Mingyang stage is much more difficult than I imagined. In that case, the fake Yang Zun in Jiuzhen can unleash the strongest power of 20 jun in the middle stage. His talent is also amazing. I guess he is not much different from Yang Zun in Chencang.”

Xia Hong's mind stirred slightly, and he carefully compared the list again.

This comparison indeed led to new discoveries.

Chen Cang Chu Renfeng, ranked 30th, has a peak cultivation level of the Manifestation Realm and a strength of 40 jun. Then, He Cang Ning Yuqiu, ranked 31st, has a cultivation level of the late Manifestation Realm, but his strength is only 29 jun.

In other words, a cultivator at the late stage of Xianyang's cultivation level would generally not exceed 30 jun in strength, but once they break through to the peak, their strength would approach 40 jun and above.

Therefore, for most people, 30 jun (a unit of weight) is a threshold in the later stages!
"Then we basically have the answer. Those on the list are the most talented group among the four powerful individuals at the Yang level. Most of them broke through with Golden Bone aptitude, and they had 5 jun of strength upon breakthrough. The slight increase in strength through other means is negligible. In the middle stage, they had more than 10 jun, in the later stage, they had more than 20 jun, and then when they broke through to the peak, they had more than 40 jun of strength. That's why the list looks like this!"

Case solved!
Xia Hong felt a sense of relief after the approval.

Simply put, compared to these people, he still has a precipitous advantage.

"In the four months I've been at the Prefect's residence, I've only gone out seven times, all to assist the eldest son, Cai Yunlan, in hunting. The rest of the time I've been cultivating with the Divine Lotus, but my progress has slowed down to only 47 jun."

When Xia Hong first encountered the Cleansing Pill in Qinghua City, and with the help of the Twelve Blood Scripture Technique, his strength increased by 4 jun in four months, from 41 jun to 45 jun. However, in the four months since he came to Linchu County, he has only increased by 2 jun.

The effects of elixirs will gradually decrease, and the potential of the meridians will also decrease as they are released, so the speed of strength improvement will naturally slow down, which is not surprising.

It will definitely get slower and slower in the future.

Xia Hong quietly brought out the lotus platform, sat cross-legged on it, and took out two pills from his bosom: the Cleansing Pill and the Bone-Removing Pill.

He deliberately kept both of them on his person, intending to take them back to Daxia and hand them over to Chengfeng and the pharmacists to develop a formula.

"Breaking through to the later stages is definitely not that fast, so we can only try to find a solution through pills. High-grade Bone Removal Pills and Meridian Cleansing Pills have fixed quotas, and it's impossible to buy them through normal channels anymore."

If we want to continue obtaining pills, there are only two ways: one is to pin our hopes on the invitation letter from Zhangyang City, and the other is to go to Chencang…”

Neither of these two methods seems to offer much security!

"Finding a way to obtain elixirs and investigating the situation in the Blood Miasma Plains are the two most important things next. If there's an opportunity to witness the strength of a Tribulation Realm or Five Elements Realm Emperor-level Frost Beast, that would be even better!"

After pondering for a moment, Xia Hong sighed softly. Seeing that the sky outside was gradually darkening, he stopped thinking about it, took out a Bone Gathering Pill and swallowed it, then closed his eyes and entered a state of cultivation.

He didn't have any high-grade Bone-Transforming Pills, but he still had plenty of Bone-Gathering Pills, so his cultivation would never stop. Otherwise, breaking through to the late stage of Manifestation Yang would be even more distant.

…………

Xia Hong's cultivation period lasted only twenty days.

On the first day of the eleventh month of the 297th year of the Caiqiu calendar.
Before dawn, Su Xing'er and her three siblings, dressed early, waited excitedly outside Xia Hong's secluded residence.

"Xing'er, how much strength do you have now?"

The last one to arrive, the third brother, Su Zhi, couldn't help but ask about the fourth brother's strength as soon as he arrived. Upon hearing this, Su Jing and Su Xu immediately turned their heads to look over, their faces full of curiosity.

13 bristles, 12 bristles, 12 bristles...

Su Xing'er saw the strength of her three older brothers and her face was full of joy. When she heard her third brother ask about her strength, she couldn't help but show a hint of pride and said, "I already have 17 manes."

17 bristles!
Upon hearing this, Su Jing and the other two were immediately filled with surprise. While they were happy for their sister, they exchanged glances and saw a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes.

They set off from Qinghua City on April 20th. Whether on the way to Linchu County or during the nearly five months they lived in the county government, they had hardly slacked off and were cultivating almost all the time.

The reason they had such a crazy passion for cultivation was twofold: first, they didn't want to disappoint their master Hong Yu's expectations; second, they knew that their aptitude was far inferior to Su Xing'er's, and if they relaxed even a little, they would immediately fall behind their younger sister.

After all, they are the older brothers, and they don't want to need their younger sister, Su Xing'er, to protect them someday.

Unexpectedly, despite such efforts, the gap continued to widen.

When they set off from Qinghua City, the gap between them and Su Xing'er was only a little over 2 zhang, but now it has doubled.

"Brother, don't worry. Sister Shiqin told me that the Blood Miasma Plains Trial lasts for two months. In previous years, many people have seen their battle physique aptitude improve to varying degrees after participating in the trial. You all have superior battle physiques, so maybe after this trial, you can also advance to the top-grade battle physique aptitude!"

Upon hearing his sister's words, Su Jing and the other two were slightly shaken, and a strong fighting spirit immediately shone in their eyes.

The third brother, Su Zhi, said excitedly, "I asked the servants a few days ago, and they told me that the cold beasts in the Blood Miasma Plains are different from those in other places. Their flesh and bones are highly poisonous and cannot be used normally. However, the blood jade beads that grow between their eyebrows are different. Not only can they be used to improve cultivation, but those at the Cold Resistance level can also use them to reshape their skin membrane and continue to improve their battle physique!"

“I’ve also inquired about it. That’s why the spots for the Blood Miasma Plains Trial are extremely precious. There used to be a maximum of 200, but since last year, the situation has changed. I heard that Cai Qiu sent a large number of troops there the year before last and cleared out a large safe zone. Last year, the number of spots increased to 500, and this year there are even more, a full 1000. All the young men from the four prefectures and the five major cities below have come.”

Clearly, Su Zhi wasn't the only one who put in the effort to find out; the second brother, Su Xu, did too.

Even Su Xing'er was a little confused by the "safe zone" Su Xu mentioned, and quickly asked, "Second Brother, what does 'safe zone' mean?"

Su Xu's expression turned serious upon hearing this, and he was about to answer when the door to the main room was quietly pushed open.

"When I came out of the Bone-Corroding Path, I questioned those soldiers. Weren't you all there? Have you forgotten what the Blood Miasma Plains is so quickly?"

"Meet the Master!"

The four siblings, Su Jing and his sister, quickly bowed to Xia Hong. After a moment's thought, they recalled the words spoken by the soldiers in Changqing Valley. The Blood Miasma Plain, named for the blood-red miasma that had long shrouded the snowfield, was inhabited by beasts and monsters several times stronger than their counterparts outside, both in ferocity and power. Moreover, the blood-red miasma could corrupt the mind, making people violent and bloodthirsty. Those at the Cold Resistance level would either go mad or die if they inhaled it, and even those at the Yang Realm could not stay there for long.

"The so-called safe zone is an area that Cai Qiu's army has cleared using special methods. The concentration of miasma is relatively low. You cold-resistant level cultivators can hold out for a while with the help of pills and silver..."

After hearing Xia Hong's explanation, Su Jing and the other three finally understood.

However, Xia Hong clearly hadn't finished speaking.

He turned to look at the four siblings and said in a serious tone, “Although I don’t know exactly how long the Cold Resistance level can last, I had contact with the Caiqiu disciples who participated in the trial at the beginning of the month, and their strength is at least 20 or above.”

I've already inquired. The 200 people who participated in the trial the year before last all had a strength of 40 or higher, and the mortality rate was 20%. Last year, 500 people participated, and while their strength was slightly lower, it was still above 30, but the mortality rate was even higher, at 30%..."

He paused, noticing the fear on the faces of the four, before continuing in a deep voice, "This year there are 1000 spots. Even if we only maintain last year's mortality rate, at least 300 people will die. You are basically the weakest among them, and you will most likely be one of those 300."

Hearing Xia Hong's words, the fear on the faces of the four siblings deepened.

"I was invited to the Blood Miasma Plains this time to hunt with the eldest prince, Cai Yunlan, so I won't have time to look after you... This trial is too dangerous, the four of you should give up!"

After a pause, Xia Hong directly told the four of them to give up the trial.

Upon hearing this, Su Jing and the other two immediately clenched their fists, but considering the alarming death rate and their own strength, they quickly loosened their fists, their faces turning completely gloomy.

“Master, Xing’er and her brothers are not afraid. We’ll take 30% of the chance. If we really die in the Blood Miasma Plain, it will prove that the four of us siblings are not qualified to be your disciples.”

This little girl is incredibly clever...

Su Jing and the other two were all intimidated by him, except for Su Xing'er, who saw that he was testing her. When she spoke, she deliberately put on a look of being ready to die, and Xia Hong couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle to himself.

"Yes, we're not afraid!"

"Su Xu isn't afraid. Master, please let us participate in the trial!"

“If I really die, then that’s fate. Su Zhi is willing to participate in the trial.”

Su Jing and the other two weren't stupid; they immediately realized what was going on and hurriedly followed behind Su Xing'er, speaking one after another.

Ultimately, it was all about timing. Although Su Jing and the other two were a bit dull, they had Su Xing'er, their younger sister, to guide them, so Xia Hong naturally wouldn't be too demanding.

"Since you have this ambition, then go ahead!"
However, I must first remind you that what I just said was absolutely true. The 30% mortality rate is real; it's also true that you are the weakest among all those participating in the trial; and it's even more true that I have something to do and cannot look after you. Therefore, participating inevitably carries the risk of death..."

After Xia Hong finished speaking, he took off the yellow mustard bag behind him, took out eight pieces of fire-condensing oil and eight yellow candles, and handed them to the four people respectively:
"This is fire-condensing oil, which ignites upon contact with evil spirits. It can be applied to weapons or smeared on the body. These two yellow candles can also be used to deal with evil spirits. In addition, if you encounter anything mysterious or incomprehensible, lighting them will have a miraculous effect. However, remember that its flame covers a range of three meters and can only burn for a maximum of half an hour. It will become ineffective immediately after burning out."

This was the first time Xia Hong had spoken so solemnly. The four siblings solemnly accepted the yellow candles and condensing oil, and bowed in unison to Xia Hong.
"Thank you Master for the treasure!"

This isn't exactly a treasure...

Thinking of the mountains of fire-condensing oil piled up in the Great Xia Prefecture's treasury, Xia Hong's expression became slightly strange. He shook his head and continued, "Let's go when we're ready! There are already many people gathered at the entrance of the prefectural government. They should be leaving soon. I'm going to the Crown Prince's residence."

"Yes, Master!"

Su Xing'er bowed respectfully, but when she looked up, she realized that Xia Hong had already disappeared.

The four of them had already packed their bags and set off immediately.

Having lived in the prefectural government for half a year, the four of them naturally knew how to get around, and after a few twists and turns, they soon arrived at the entrance of the prefectural government.

Upon arrival, the four were immediately dumbfounded.

At the entrance of the prefectural government, there were thousands of people standing in a huge crowd.

These thousands of people were mostly between fifteen and twenty-five years old; anyone older would be hard to find. They were all dressed in brocade robes, and their accessories were all in accordance with the regulations for the first-class hereditary status of Caiqiu.

In fact, you don't even need to look at their accessories; you can get a general idea just by looking at the arrogance and demeanor in their eyes.

Of course, these were not enough to leave Su Xing'er and her three siblings dumbfounded.

The main problem was that none of these thousands of young people were concealing their auras at the moment. They were releasing their blood energy without restraint, as if they were deliberately showing off. Although it was daytime, the heat wave of blood energy from the thousands of people rose into the sky, turning the sky above the county government gate red.

"Master really didn't lie!"

“We can’t see through any of them. Look over there, that little kid. Is he fifteen years old? Xing’er, what level of strength do you think he has?”

"Gulp... I can't tell. Your Qi and Muscle Movement are at least 30% stronger than mine. You are at least at the level of 21."

"How is that possible? He looks no more than thirteen years old!"

………………

The four siblings all focused their attention on the right, on a young boy dressed in crimson brocade robes with an arrogant expression, his pupils filled with shock and horror.

"Xing'er, come here quickly!"

While Su Xing'er was in a daze, she heard someone calling from the side. She turned her head and saw a beautiful young girl in a jade-green dress waving at her from the left. Who else could it be but Cai Shiqin?

"Brother, come with me quickly!"

Upon seeing Cai Shiqin, Su Xing'er's face was full of smiles, and she quickly led her three older brothers toward her.

There were thousands of people at the entrance of the prefectural government, and they did not stand in a fixed position according to the rules. However, if you look closely, you will find that they were divided into different small groups.

Cai Shiqin's side was no exception.

There were twelve people standing next to her, nine men and three women, all around the same age as her. Among them were two young people in their early twenties who even looked about seven-tenths like her.

Unlike Cai Shiqin, most of the twelve people showed disdain when they saw Su Xing'er and her three siblings walking towards them, with only a few remaining expressionless.

Considering that the trial involved hunting, and observing the expressions of the people around Cai Shiqin, Su Xing'er immediately had some guesses.

"Sister Shiqin, are we going to team up for this hunt?"

Cai Shiqin nodded and smiled, "Xing'er is so smart, that's right! Going out hunting definitely requires teamwork, especially since the Blood Miasma Plain is so dangerous. Look at these people at the entrance, they are deliberately releasing their qi and blood to show their strength and hope to find a team."

Su Xing'er nodded, then turned her head and noticed that some small teams had nearly sixty members each. Her brow furrowed immediately. "We're going to hunt high-level cold beasts. Isn't it a bit much to have too many people in our teams?"

Hunting teams are different from armies. Their primary target is individual cold beasts, not hordes of beasts. Too many people would create too large an area, which could attract unexpected cold beasts. Their hunting experience and teamwork are not as good as those in the army, so the number of people should be strictly controlled.

Under normal circumstances, 30 people should be the limit for hunting high-level cold beasts.

Those small teams of about 50 people are clearly unreasonable.

"Tch, ignorant..."

However, Su Xing'er's words immediately drew ridicule from several people around Cai Shiqin, and one young man even directly called her ignorant.

"Qi Feng, if you speak rudely to Xing'er again, you're going to another team!"

Before Su Xing'er could say anything, Cai Shiqin objected, stepping forward to reprimand the person in an extremely stern tone.

Upon hearing this, Cai Qifeng's face turned angry, and he instinctively wanted to speak, but when he met Cai Shiqin's gaze, he immediately deflated like a punctured balloon.

Seeing that he stopped speaking, Cai Shiqin didn't say anything more. She gently took Su Xing'er's hand and explained, "Xing'er, the cold beasts in the Blood Miasma Plains are different from those outside. With our strength, we can only hunt some mid-level cold beasts at most. We might have a chance if we encounter some weaker high-level cold beasts, but such opportunities are rare and hard to come by..."

After speaking, she paused, looked at the small group of fifty or sixty people over there, and continued softly, "That is Cai Shibai's team, the fourth son of Baishui County. They brought so many people, just to hunt high-level cold beasts. The weakest member of that team has more than 40 manes. We can't compare to them."

Even the weakest among them has over 40 manes...

Upon hearing this, Su Xing'er and the other three froze, their expressions instantly turning to shock as they watched the group grow to nearly sixty people.

"Shiqin, come with us! It'll be safer, and if we encounter high-level cold beasts, we'll have a better chance with more people."

Before Su Xing'er could recover, a young man in his early twenties, dressed in blue with a long sword at his waist and a silver crown on his head, quickly approached. He completely ignored Su Xing'er and extended an invitation to Cai Shiqin.

Wearing a silver crown, a regalia reserved for princes, Su Xing'er glanced at the characters "Lin Chu" on the other man's chest and immediately guessed which prince he was.

"Thank you for your kind invitation, Young Master. I didn't plan to hunt any high-level cold beasts this time, and I'm also going to bring a few friends with me, so I won't keep you from going."

Upon hearing Cai Shiqin's address, Su Xing'er immediately recognized the person in front of her: Cai Shiyan, the youngest son of the prefectural governor of Linchu County.

Upon hearing this, Cai Shiyan immediately looked down at Su Xing'er and her three siblings, his brows furrowing slightly. He was about to say something when Su Xing'er spoke first.

"Sister Shiqin, the four of us are too weak. Being with you will only hold you back. This trial opportunity is rare, and we can't let it ruin your plans because of me."

Su Xing'er's tone was full of sincerity. After speaking, she didn't even wait for Cai Shiqin to give a reply. She gestured to Su Jing and the other two and was about to leave.

"Xing'er..."

Unfortunately, Cai Shiqin grabbed her arm and spoke with a reproachful tone, clearly not intending to let her go.

"Who said you're dragging me down? I'd say they're dragging me down! I don't care if the others don't team up with me, but if you don't team up with me, I'd rather not go to this trial!"

Su Xing'er turned her head upon hearing the sound and met Cai Shiqin's incredibly sincere gaze, her face immediately showing a touch of emotion.

Cai Shiqin's title of princess was not given lightly. Although she was the same age as him, both under seventeen, her strength had already reached 52, which proved that she was someone who attached great importance to cultivation.

But for her own sake, she was willing to give up her spot in the trial.

Su Xing'er froze on the spot, her face showing difficulty.

"Never mind, I won't participate then! I have other things to do..."

Cai Shiqin noticed the difficulty on Su Xing'er's face and realized that she really didn't intend to participate. However, before she could finish speaking, Cai Shiyan, who hadn't left, spoke first.

"Shiqin, it's fine to bring the four of them along."

Cai Shiqin was taken aback when she heard this, then her face lit up with joy. She turned to look at Su Xing'er, her face full of hope and pleading.

At this point, Su Xing'er couldn't say anything more. Although she could tell that Cai Shiyan didn't want to team up with the four of them, she had no choice but to agree for Cai Shiqin's sake.

Su Jing and his two companions turned to look at the group of twenty-odd young men that Cai Shiyan was sizing them up with unfriendly expressions, their brows furrowing slightly.

"Trouble has already arisen before the trial has even begun!"

"There's nothing we can do. The four of us joined halfway through. Apart from us, half of the other nine hundred or so people are from the Cai family, and the rest are all from the six clans. They are stronger and have better backgrounds than us. No matter who we team up with, we'll probably get the cold shoulder."

"We still have to thank Princess Shiqin. Without her, there probably wouldn't be anyone to team up with the four of us. So be it! If we're not strong enough, we'll just be more diligent and help out in whatever way we can."

The three brothers whispered amongst themselves for a moment, then quickly followed behind Su Xing'er.

While a group of people below were busy forming teams;
High above the entrance to the prefectural government building, at a height of about three or four hundred meters, more than ten figures stood in mid-air. Leading them was a broad-faced, burly middle-aged man dressed in a blue brocade robe, a crimson longsword hanging at his waist. He asked Xia Hong beside him with a slightly arrogant air:

"Well? Do I, a disciple of Caiqiu, meet Brother Hong's approval?"

Upon hearing Cai Yunlan's question, Xia Hong looked down at the thousand people below, a hint of disdain in his eyes, but he still cupped his hands politely and said, "As expected of a prominent family and a powerful local force, the Cai family is truly remarkable!"

They didn't even offer a single comment. Hearing Xia Hong's utterly perfunctory response, the thirteen people behind him twitched in shock.

"Hahaha……"

Cai Yunlan, however, remained calm and showed no reaction. After laughing a few times, he continued, "These younger talents may have some talent, but I imagine Brother Hong wouldn't think much of them. Why don't you come with me to the Zhenyuan camp and witness the might of my Caiqiu army?"

"I can't ask for it!"

A smile appeared on Cai Yunlan's face, as if he was already looking forward to it. Xia Hong saw Cai Qiujunwei's expression, nodded and reached out, then transformed into a streak of light and sped towards the south side of the county city.

The other thirteen immediately followed. Xia Hong glanced down at Su Xing'er and her three siblings on the ground, then transformed into a beam of light and followed.

Xia Hong caught up with Cai Yunlan almost instantly, while the thirteen people behind him were clearly struggling, hanging hundreds of meters behind the two.

Looking at Cai Yunlan on the flank, a strange light flickered in Xia Hong's eyes.

Caiqiu has some unique rules. Each of the four prefectures has five heirs, but even among the heirs, there are vast differences.

In summary, the eldest son holds the most special position, usually held by the most outstanding third-generation descendant, who is essentially the next prefect; the second and third sons are reserved for descendants of the Xianyang level; and finally, the positions of the fourth son and the youngest son are given to descendants of the Yuhan level.

Note that the position of the eldest son is generally held by the most outstanding third-generation descendant, but not necessarily by any third-generation descendant, so one must also rely on their own abilities to become the heir.

Cai Yunlan, standing before them, clearly possessed the necessary strength.

"Ranked 16th on the Heavenly Ranking, nicknamed Crimson Shadow Sword God, with peak cultivation at the Manifestation Yang Realm and a strength of 42 jun... No, the information on the list is from two years ago. His strength is now 45 jun!"

Xia Hong's eyes flickered slightly. As he saw Cai Yunlan's strength, his mind stirred slightly. Sure enough, it wasn't just him; others also had methods to continue improving their strength without relying on cultivation breakthroughs.

"The Crimson Shadow Sword, it's said to be a weapon infused with the fire elemental energy. Just what kind of power does it possess? I didn't see it used during the previous hunting trips. I should have a chance to see it now that we're in the Blood Miasma Plains..."

Xia Hong's gaze subtly swept over the crimson longsword at Cai Yunlan's waist, his heart filled with curiosity about the fire elemental aura and Cai Yunlan's strength.

"No rush, no rush, the opportunity will come soon!"

While he was pondering, he followed Cai Yunlan and flew south for more than two hundred kilometers.

Soon, at the edge of the field of vision, a streak of blood slowly appeared.

As the crimson color gradually intensified, Xia Hong's gaze flickered slightly.

We've arrived at the Blood Miasma Plains!
(End of this chapter)