Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 462 An Interlude Before the Palace: A Touching Pace of Progress - Bloodfrost Beast and Copper-Bone Corpse Demon

"Your Highness, Admiral Fan requests that you bring your men in!"

Just as Xia Hong was feeling alarmed by Cai Qiujun's military prowess, a middle-aged voice suddenly came from the main hall behind them.

Cai Yunlan immediately turned and walked into the main hall. Xia Hong also hurriedly turned around and followed behind the thirteen Lin Chu County Xianyang-level officials, slowly entering the main hall.

He didn't show much expectation on his face, because Cai Yunlan had already told him on the way here that the current supreme commander of Zhenyuan Camp was not his father Cai Qiuyang, but Fan Qinghu, the eldest son of Fan Zijing, the governor of Donghe County.

The position of Admiral is a military post in the city, responsible for commanding the Silver Scale Army, the personal guard of the Governor. According to Cai Yunlan, there are only two such positions in the entire Caiqiu. Fan Qinghu is one of them, which speaks volumes about his own strength. More importantly, it shows that the Fan family is highly valued by Governor Cai Qianshan and holds a pivotal position within the regional military governorship.

Besides the Cai family, which is descended from the Fangbo lineage, there are six other aristocratic families in Caiqiu. Although Xia Hong has never been to the town, he can deduce from this fact that the Fan family should be the one with the highest status among these six aristocratic families.

The entire territory of Caiqiu consists of four prefectures and three large cities, which is the so-called four prefectures and seven cities. Among them, Qingcang, Baishui and Linchu prefectures are governed by second-generation members of the Cai family. Only the prefect of Donghe prefecture is held by Fan Zijing, a person from another family.

The prefects of Caiqiu and other counties all held both military and political power. The four prefects each commanded two military branches: the garrison guard and the county guard. Within their respective counties, they were practically local emperors. The fact that they could appoint a member of a different surname as a prefect showed the high regard that Fangbo Cai Qianshan held for the Fan family.

Of course, this also indirectly demonstrates the profound heritage of the Fan family!

Upon entering the main hall, Xia Hong had many thoughts, but ultimately, what came to mind was Fan Qinghu's ranking on the Heavenly Ranking.

"Fan Qinghu is a third-generation member of the Fan family, nicknamed the 'Eastern River Overlord Blade,' ranked 15th on the Heavenly Ranking, with a peak cultivation level of the Manifestation Yang Realm. According to the ranking, his strength is approximately 55 jun. If we only consider the amplification from martial arts, his strongest strength would be around 72 jun. However, someone like him certainly wouldn't only have such limited abilities..."

While he was pondering, Xia Hong had already entered the main hall.

No bonfire was lit inside the main hall, but as soon as you entered, an intense heat immediately hits you. This was the unique high-temperature field created by the unrestrained release of bone energy by the Xianyang level.

Xia Hong looked up and saw 148 people in the hall, some sitting, some standing, some wearing armor, and some in ordinary clothes. You should know that the energy field inside the hall at this moment was so high that he could describe it as extremely hot. It goes without saying what level of cultivation those people who could stand inside must have.

"Wow, so luxurious..."

Xia Hong, who appeared expressionless but was actually churning with emotion, noticed the unfriendly scrutiny in the eyes of everyone in the hall. He knew that this high-temperature field was a show of force from the Zhenyuan Camp. He immediately sneered and continued to move forward while quietly releasing the energy from his bones.

boom…………

The already extremely high temperature rose several degrees in an instant because of Xia Hong. Almost everyone in the hall was slightly shocked. Even Cai Yunlan, the eldest son of Linchu County who was walking in front of Xia Hong, couldn't help but pause.

“The strength he displayed when he went hunting with me in the first four months was not even his strongest. This Hong Yu is stronger than me!”

At this moment, Cai Yunlan's mind was a little dazed.

He and Cai Yunzhou were cousins. Before Hong Yu arrived in Chu County, Cai Yunzhou had already given him the news, which is why he invited Hong Yu to the prefect's mansion as soon as possible.

Over the past four months, he had tested this Qin prince more than a dozen times. The prince's highest displayed strength was only 41 jun, which was slightly weaker than his 43 jun.

Before reaching the Manifestation Yang level, a person's strength is concentrated in their skin, muscles, and blood. Therefore, as long as one's strength surpasses that of the opponent, one can accurately judge the opponent's strength by observing the movement of their Qi and muscles.

But things are different at the Xianyang level. Unless the difference in strength is too great, at least 10 jun or more, you can only guess roughly what the opponent is like if they don't release their bone energy, no matter how close you are.

Therefore, in Cai Yunlan's view, the strength of this Qin prince should be slightly weaker than his own, or even on par with his own.

Realizing that Hong Yu had never revealed his true strength to him, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of shock.

"Yunlan, could this be the young master Hong from Qinghua City?"

However, he only hesitated for a moment. When he heard a middle-aged general in black armor pointing at Xia Hong and asking a question, he immediately smiled and cupped his hands in reply: "Admiral Fan has a good eye. This is none other than Hong Yu, the heir of the Great Qin who defeated Yunzhou in Qinghua City!"

Xia Hong received a look from Cai Yunlan, smiled and took a few steps forward to stand next to him. Then he looked up and met Fan Qinghu's gaze at the head of the table. Without changing his expression, he cupped his hands and said, "I have heard of the name of the 15th on the Heavenly Ranking, the Overlord of the East River, several times since I came to Caiqiu. Seeing is believing, so I am very grateful!"

The members of the Manifestation Yang level in the hall all twitched their lips slightly, but said nothing. They seemed not at all surprised by Xia Hong's somewhat perfunctory, even rude, greeting.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Fan Qinghu was even less concerned. He laughed loudly, quickly stepped forward to get closer to Xia Hong, and then cupped his hands, saying, "Although Prince Hong has only been in Caiqiu for less than a year, his reputation has already spread throughout the entire Mo'ao River region. I have long wanted to meet him, and today I have finally seen him..."

At this point, he paused suddenly, then looked directly at Xia Hong and continued, "To be able to cultivate someone like Brother Hong, the strength of this Qin vassal state must surely surpass that of my Caiqiu. Young Master Hong, could you tell us just how strong Qin is? It would be good for us to broaden our horizons, wouldn't it?"

The atmosphere in the hall instantly quieted down, and everyone, including Cai Yunlan, couldn't help but turn to look at Xia Hong.

Wherever they went, they were bound to be tested. After all, these were high-ranking officials of the regional military governorships and powerful experts at the Xianyang level. It wasn't that easy to fool them...

Recalling the tests he had encountered in Qinghua City and Linchu County, and now Fan Qinghu's immediate probing behavior upon their first meeting, Xia Hong couldn't help but sigh inwardly. However, his face remained expressionless. After pondering for a moment, he smiled and spoke:
"Actually, to be precise, although the Great Qin is far from Caiqiu, there are some similarities. For example, the Great Qin also has three provinces and nineteen counties under its jurisdiction, and the territory and population of each county are basically the same as those of the four counties under Caiqiu's jurisdiction..."

Upon hearing these words, Fan Qinghu and the others did not change their expressions in the slightest.

Xia Hong was not surprised, because he had said this in Qinghua City.

Since his actions had been noticed by the high-ranking officials of the regional military governorship, all his public statements and actions were naturally being watched. Fan Qinghu and his ilk were clearly aware of this long ago.

Therefore, we have to use some drastic measures.

Xia Hong was thinking, but he kept talking.

"The strongest among the generals of our Great Qin are the governors of the three provinces: Bai Qi, governor of Qing Province; Lü Buwei, governor of Yu Province; and Wang Jian, governor of Yang Province. These three..."

He paused for a moment, and seeing the intense curiosity in everyone's eyes, he continued, "They are all experts at the Fifth Stage of the Tribulation Realm!"

call…………

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

Along with Fan Qinghu, the pupils of the other hundred-plus Xianyang level cultivators visibly trembled, and their gazes all focused on Xia Hong, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"It seems I wasn't wrong. The highest cultivation level among the four regional governors is only the fifth level of the Tribulation Body Realm. In the entire Mo'ao River region, no one has yet broken through to the Venerable Minister Realm!"

It's impossible to make people completely believe a bunch of random, fabricated nonsense, especially since the hundred-plus people in the hall are all top-level core figures of the regional military governorship, and none of them are fools.

Therefore, the reactions of the crowd were not unexpected by Xia Hong.

The key point is that he never intended for these people to completely believe him. As long as everyone remained skeptical, his fabricated story would have worked.

Therefore, the current results are exactly what he wanted.

Moreover, he could even deduce the strongest fighting force on the side of the vassal state from the reactions of the crowd, which was a win-win situation.

"With such strength, we must pay a visit to Great Qin another day. However, I have heard that Great Qin is located east of Lulong. I wonder how Prince Hong managed to cross Hanbo Lake and come to my Caiqiu?"

He's still probing; this Fan Qinghu is really relentless!

After hesitating for three or four breaths, Xia Hong sighed softly and said, "Alas! I know that these things are just empty words, and I'm afraid no one will believe them. I'm really annoyed by Cai Qiu and the others' repeated probing, so I might as well just tell you the truth..."

He showed a hint of impatience, shook his head and continued, "It was my uncle Lu Junyang, the governor of Lulong, who personally escorted me to Caiqiu. This matter is rather secretive, and Uncle Lu does not want too many people to know. I hope you all can help me keep it a secret."

Upon hearing this, everyone present froze.

Fan Qinghu's pupils narrowed slightly, but he quickly smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Please forgive me, Prince Hong. The Ice Abyss is dangerous. Fang Bo has repeatedly taught us to be extremely cautious of outsiders. It's just a matter of habit. My father is Fan Zijing, the prefect of Donghe County. He lives very close to Hanbo Lake. I will send a letter back to him and ask him to verify the matter with the Lulong Prefecture. The answer will be clear then."

"That's only right. Your repeated probing makes me seem like some kind of fraudster. It seems that Brother Yunlan's invitation to me to help in the Blood Mist Plains was a pretense, and his real purpose was to have Admiral Fan test me again. In that case, I won't bother you any longer and will return to the county town now. Hmph!"

Xia Hong's tone was not only filled with anger, but his face also clearly showed a deep rage. He didn't even look at Cai Yunlan, and after a cold snort, he turned and walked directly towards the palace gate. "Brother Hong..."

Fan Qinghu was initially stunned, but after a moment of thought, a hint of panic gradually appeared in his eyes. He called out but Xia Hong did not respond, so he immediately turned and gave Cai Yunlan a look.

"Brother Hong, please wait... Brother Hong, please wait... I swear, this invitation to Brother Hong to come to Blood Miasma Plains was purely out of sincerity, and I have no other motives. Admiral Fan's words and actions have nothing to do with me. I am truly sorry..."

Cai Yunlan strode forward and grabbed Xia Hong, then launched into a heartfelt apology.

"Alright, although we haven't known each other for long, I know Brother Yunlan's character well. After all, I'm all alone, and it's understandable that you all are distrustful and wary of an outsider who has come so abruptly. Fortunately, I haven't done anything wrong so far. Since you don't welcome me, I'll leave in a few days!"

Xia Hong remained unmoved and still acted as if he was about to leave.

"This matter is entirely my fault. I hope Prince Hong will forgive me. The Blood Miasma Plains threaten the survival of Caiqiu. I hope Prince Hong will spare us and help us for the sake of the millions of lives lost in Caiqiu."

As soon as Fan Qinghu spoke, many others immediately followed suit:

"Yes! Your Highness is very magnanimous, please stay."

"With such strength, the young master must have gained a great deal from entering the Blood Miasma Plains!"

"The millions of lives in Caiqiu are now deeply threatened by the Blood Miasma Plains. We hope that Prince Hong can stay and help us!"

“Admiral Fan has personally apologized. The heir comes from a prestigious family of a great domain, so he should also have some tolerance.”

………………

"Brother Hong, please stay!"

Xia Hong stood there, a hint of hesitation on his face. Finally, seeing Cai Yunlan's sincere eyes beside him, he sighed slightly and said, "Well, so be it! I won't be staying in Caiqiu for much longer. I'll help if I can."

After saying that, he turned around and looked at Fan Qinghu, saying, "I, Hong, can stay and help, but I have one request. Since Admiral Fan just said that he would send a letter back immediately to have someone verify it, please send the letter now! It's good to confirm it as soon as possible..."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning grim, and said, "However, once in Qinghua City, once in Linchu County, and this is the third time. As the saying goes, things shouldn't happen more than three times. I, Hong, will make this clear from the start: before my identity as the young master is confirmed, anyone who wants to test me should think twice about their own strength. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Hearing the strong threat in Xia Hong's tone, the more than one hundred people in the hall lowered their heads and pondered for a moment before looking at Fan Qinghu with surprise.

Upon hearing this, Fan Qinghu's expression froze for a moment. Noticing that everyone was looking at him, he immediately regained his composure, seemingly oblivious to Xia Hong's implied meaning. He smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "As expected of a son of a great vassal state, Prince Hong is truly righteous. I admire you!"

And so, this brief interlude of probing before the palace came to an end.

Everyone present exchanged glances. They knew very well that Xia Hong's words were clearly aimed at Fan Qinghu, implying that Fan Qinghu had no right to test him.

Fan Qinghu couldn't possibly have missed it, yet he managed to hold back!
"I have some feelings for you, but I'm afraid you won't be able to resist..."

Like everyone else, Xia Hong showed no outward expression, but he was somewhat surprised that Fan Qinghu could remain silent in the face of such obvious provocation.

"I don't know how to cross Hanbo Lake, but the fact that the four vassal states and Lulong have basically no contact shows that it is by no means easy. You think you can just ask Lu Junyang, the governor of Lulong, to confirm my identity? Not to mention you can't do it, even your father would probably have a hard time. Even if you could, the two places are still a hundred and eight thousand miles apart. By the time you confirm it, I will most likely have already left."

Having spent almost a year in Caiqiu, Xia Hong had been constantly trying to cover up the loopholes in his identity. Fan Qinghu's so-called verification through letters was clearly a bluff to deceive people. How could he not know this? He could take advantage of the situation to add another layer of insurance to his identity. Why not?

With the probing interlude over, it's time to get down to business.

Fan Qinghu first gave a look to the crowd, then asked Cai Yunlan, "Have all the disciples participating in the prefectural trial set off?"

Cai Yunlan nodded and replied, "We were already assembled when we arrived. I put Yun Kai in charge of leading the team. We should be able to get there before dawn, which is over 200 kilometers away."

While he was answering, a middle-aged man behind him carried a sand table to the front and placed it directly in front of Fan Qinghu.

Xia Hong was stunned the moment he saw the sand table.

The sand table was made of white, light red, and dark red sandstone. It included mountains, lakes, snowfields, forests, and even a miniature military tent representing the Zhenyuan Camp. All the elements were present and almost all were reproduced in proportion. The simulation was extremely high, but the overall design was not complicated and easy to understand.

Of course, no matter how exquisite the sand table was, it wouldn't have caused Xia Hong to react like this. He was stunned because, through this sand table, he could roughly deduce Cai Qiu's current overall progress in developing the Blood Miasma Plain.

In the entire sand table, the area decorated with dark red sandstone occupies at least eight layers. Although there are no markings on it, it is obvious that it represents the Blood Miasma Plains area that has not yet been explored.

At the northeastern end of the sand table, less than 10% of the area is decorated with light red sandstone, where the military tents representing the Zhenyuan Camp are placed.

Further northeast, in the corner of the sand table, is an area decorated with ordinary white sand and gravel, which is clearly a normal area outside the Blood Miasma Plain.

Last year, when we left the Bone-Eating Path, a soldier said that Cai Qiu had only transferred elite troops from Baishui County to Xuezhang Plain to start the war the year before last. After Xia Hong inquired about it, he basically confirmed his statement.

Based on this calculation, it means that after two years, Cai Qiu's progress in exploring the Blood Miasma Plain is less than 10%.
Of course, it is said that Chencang next door started its development a long time ago, and its progress is probably higher than that of Caiqiu. The problem is that the two major warlords are about the same strength. If Caiqiu is at this progress, how much higher can Chencang be?

Moreover, before Cai Qiu came here, Chencang could only rely on its own strength, so the development efficiency was definitely much slower than it is now, and the overall progress was probably not much better.

This development progress is truly touching!
Of course, Blood Miasma Plain is the biggest barrier between Mo'aochuan and Jiuzhen. The fact that the two major vassal states have joined forces and made such impressive progress in their expansion is naturally the best news for Xia Hong, which immediately put him at ease.

However, while he relaxed, he also became more curious.

With such formidable military strength, and with both sides joining forces, why is the expansion progress so slow?
Just as Xia Hong was filled with curiosity, Fan Qinghu pointed at the sand table and spoke.

"The miasma area we have cleared so far is about 400 square kilometers, starting from the north end, extending 20 kilometers in depth and 20 kilometers in width. Zhenyuan Camp is located right in the middle of this area."

The trial area for the princes of the vassal states is bounded by the Zhenyuan Camp. The area to the north, spanning 200 square kilometers, is open for hunting; everyone must be warned not to cross this line. The southern half, while the miasma has been mostly cleared, still harbors a significant number of Bloodfrost Beasts, at least a dozen hidden Beast Kings. Each of their respective clans has numerous high-level Bloodfrost Beasts; if they encounter a large-scale attack without military reinforcements, those youngsters will all be doomed.

"Don't worry, Admiral, I'll go back and tell them right away!"

Cai Yunlan immediately nodded in response with a solemn expression.

"No rush, they'll be here a while. Also, although the intensity of the blood-red miasma on the outer perimeter has decreased this year, to ensure their safety, we still need to give each of them 30 Heart-Clearing Pills. The trial will last for two months in total, and at one pill every two days, that should be enough..."

At this point, Cai Yunlan paused, then continued, "This year's trial is different from the past, with thousands of disciples participating. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances and ensure safety, I will send 50,000 garrison troops tomorrow to set up a new camp in the very center of this 200-square-kilometer area in the north. I will instruct them to patrol various districts daily. Before the trial officially begins, everyone must be clearly informed that if any situation arises that cannot be dealt with, they should retreat to the camp if there is an opportunity, and if there is no opportunity to retreat, they should send out a command arrow to request reinforcements."

These thousands of people were, after all, the elite descendants of the entire vassal state. Fan Qinghu's arrangements were also reasonable. It can be seen from this that although Cai Qiu's method of cultivating his descendants was extreme, it was not cruel. At least within his capabilities, he would still ensure their safety.

"According to Fan Qinghu, the 200 square kilometers in the north have been basically cleared out, and the miasma danger is not great. The only ones left are high-level cold beasts. Is it because of the 30% mortality rate last year, or is it because the Blood Frost Beast is indeed too strong..."

Xia Hong had already perked up his ears when Fan Qinghu mentioned the Bloodfrost Beast. On the way here with Cai Yunlan, he had already seen the thin blood-colored miasma in the northern area of ​​the camp, and Cai Yunlan had also given him a general introduction to Cai Qiu's methods for dealing with the miasma.

This bloody miasma is actually not difficult to clear. There is only one way: burn silver with coal. It's not enough to just burn it into silver molten material. You have to keep burning it. The silver smoke generated by the complete vaporization of the silver molten material can slowly dilute it.

Of course, this is a relatively efficient method. Another method is to burn silver directly as fuel, but this has a lower efficiency, the silver smoke produced is not as effective, and the dilution efficiency is much slower.

"Sure enough, not only does the system use silver as a fuel resource, but the other humans in the Ice Abyss do the same. Melting silver and then vaporizing it is beyond the normal comprehension. Only the Ice Abyss world can do this!"

As Xia Hong sighed, Fan Qinghu had already arranged everything regarding the trial and began to discuss the second matter:

"Let Yun Kai lead the team to handle the trial. Yun Lan, the fourteen of you are here to cooperate with the Silver Scale Army and go south with me into the Blood Miasma Zone to deal with those Copper Bone Corpse Demons..."

At this point, Fan Qinghu glanced at Xia Hong and continued in a deep voice:

"The number of bronze-boned corpse demons on the outskirts is increasing, and their methods are becoming more and more bizarre and their strength is also growing stronger. After the New Year, Lord Fangbo should order all counties and cities to continue to transfer more Xianyang-level demons here!"

(End of this chapter)