Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 468 Bad News, Confidence, and Invitation; Shocking Speculation and Chu Tianxu
December 27th, 297th year of Caiqiu calendar, during the day
On the west side of the Caiqiu Trial Area, the cold current has completely disappeared. Although a thin layer of blood-red miasma still lingers in the air, the ice on the ground has gradually begun to melt, and the trees, mountains, and everything else that was frozen around are clearly starting to recover.

The most compelling evidence is probably the presence of snow on the ground.

The cold wave is really over!
boom…………

Su Xing'er and her three siblings, along with Cai Shiqin and her group of five, who had just emerged from the cave, all showed strange expressions upon hearing the enormous roar coming from inside the cave behind them.

Currently, only Ji Hong remains inside. The roaring sound clearly indicates that he is deliberately damaging and collapsing the cave. The five men are not stupid; considering how many Chencang disciples Ji Hong has killed in the past forty days, they immediately realized what was happening.

He's disposing of the body!
"Brother Ji, he must have some deep-seated grudge against Chen Cang..."

Thinking back on the past month or so, Ji Hong had occasionally expressed his overwhelming hatred for Chen Cang, and Su Xing'er's heart stirred slightly.

She tried to ask him indirectly, but Ji Hong always chose to avoid answering. After several attempts, fearing that it would offend Ji Hong, she had no choice but to give up.

Because of her kind nature, she felt somewhat uncomfortable about Ji Hong's previous act of luring and killing the disciples of Chencang. However, firstly, Ji Hong had saved their lives; secondly, Ji Hong had also given them so many Blood Jade Beads; thirdly, Ji Hong clearly had a deep relationship with her master, Hong Yu; and Ji Hong's repeated expressions of great hatred for Chencang indicated that there must be a hidden story behind it all.

With many factors combined, Su Xing'er was somewhat afraid of Ji Hong's behavior, but she didn't really dislike it; she was more curious.

Thinking of this, she felt a slight stirring in her heart, turned to look at Cai Shiqin beside her, and whispered, "Sister Shiqin, Cai Shiyan and the others..."

"Xing'er, Cai Shiyan, Cai Zizheng, Qifeng, and Yuwan all brought this upon themselves. Don't worry, I won't say anything false!"

Cai Shiqin, with her keen mind and intelligence, immediately saw through Su Xing'er's thoughts. Although she took the initiative to relieve Su Xing'er's worries, she still couldn't help but sigh slightly when she thought of her cousins, Cai Qifeng and Cai Yuwan.

"Okay, let's go!"

Just then, Ji Hong also came out of the cave, carrying three bags of blood jade beads. He first gave Cai Shiqin a deep look, then tossed the bags to Su Xing'er and said with a smile, "You five have all reached the perfection of your skin membranes. Although you can't use these beads, they can still be sold for a lot of money."

Upon hearing Ji Hong's words, Cai Shiqin's expression stiffened slightly, and a chill ran through her heart.

Ji Hong was clearly reminding her that in the past month and a half, not only Su Xing'er and her three siblings, but she had also used a large number of Blood Jade Beads, so theoretically she was also responsible for the deaths of those Chencang disciples.

No wonder Ji Hong didn't stop Su Xing'er from giving her the Blood Jade Bead in the cave earlier. So that's why. What a vicious person he is!
Su Xing'er wasn't stupid either. Seeing Cai Shiqin's expression, she instantly understood Ji Hong's unspoken meaning and felt a chill in her heart.

“Brother Ji, we’ve used so many Blood Jade Beads, and we don’t know how to repay you. These three bags could sell for a lot of money, we can’t accept them…”

"Take it if I tell you to. I don't need the money. Let's set off first! I'll go with you to the Zhenyuan Camp to pay a visit to... your master, Lord Hong Yu!"

Seeing his firm tone, Su Xing'er didn't say anything more. After putting away the bag, the six of them quickly headed towards the Zhenyuan camp in the southeast.

Two days ago, when they were preparing to set off, Ji Hong told them in advance that he would be going with them to visit their master, Hong Yu. The five of them had already figured out that Ji Hong had a relationship with Hong Yu, so they naturally did not refuse.

The trials for the two vassal states this year had already been disrupted by this cold wave. It was estimated that six or seven out of ten of the disciples who came to participate in the trials had died. Naturally, the five of them had no mind to pay attention to the trials at this moment.

Cai Shiqin was worried about the situation at Caiqiu Zhenyuan Camp; Su Xing'er and her three siblings were concerned about the safety of their master, Hong Yu, so the six of them did not go to the trial camp, but instead headed straight for Zhenyuan Camp under Cai Shiqin's guidance.

The Blood Mist Plains region pioneered by Cai Qiu is only 400 square kilometers in total. The Zhenyuan Camp is located in the very center. The cave where they are located is on the western edge of the trial area, only about 12 or 13 kilometers away.

The six men were eager and quickly traversed five or six kilometers across the snowfield.

However, they were stopped by an old man when they had only gone halfway.

The old man flew over, wearing a blue brocade robe in the style of Cai Qiu. When he landed and saw Cai Shiqin, his wrinkled old face was instantly filled with wild joy.

"Shiqin, you're still alive!"

"grandfather!"

Cai Shiqin was only seventeen years old after all. Perhaps she had been too tense during the time she was hiding in the cave. When she saw the old man, her eyes instantly reddened. She called out "Grandpa" and rushed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"It's good that you're alive, it's good that you're alive... Your two uncles and I searched the snowfield for more than half a month. As long as we didn't find the body, there was hope. I knew it, I knew it. Sure enough, you're still alive, hahaha..."

The old man's eyes were filled with deep fatigue, showing that he had indeed searched for a long time in the snowfield. When he saw that Cai Shiqin was still alive, he became extremely excited and couldn't help but burst into laughter as he spoke.

But there was clearly a hint of pain mixed in with the laughter...

"Grandpa, you know Xing'er and the others. This is Ji Hong from Chencang. I was able to be rescued this time thanks to Brother Ji's help."

Su Xing'er had lived in the prefectural government for half a year, so her grandfather knew about it. Cai Shiqin skipped the introduction and only emphasized Ji Hong. Then she turned to Ji Hong and the others and continued, "Brother Ji, Xing'er, this is my grandfather, the second elder of the sixth branch of the Linchu Prefectural Government, Cai Yuheng."

"Greetings, Second Elder Yuheng!"

The Cai family of Linchu County has seven branches, and the heads of the seven branches are the seven most outstanding sons of the prefect Cai Qiuyang. Each branch has three elders to manage the members of their own branch. Cai Yuheng was able to become an elder and rank second, so he must have some ability.

Although Cai Shiqin is young, she is of a high generation, being the eighth generation of the Cai family. Cai Yuheng is her grandfather, making her the sixth generation. The head of the sixth branch is Cai Yunbo. Although Cai Yuheng looks old and frail, strictly speaking, he is already Cai Yunbo's great-grandson.

Although Su Xing'er and her three siblings had never met Cai Yuheng, they had lived in the prefectural governor's mansion for so long that they had long heard of his name. They quickly bowed to him. Knowing that the old man was a Xianyang-level expert, Ji Hong behind them naturally followed suit and paid his respects as well.

"Chen Cang's..."

"I am Ji Hong, a junior disciple of Chen Tianhong, a military advisor in Yanling County, Chencang!"

Seeing Cai Yuheng looking him up and down, Ji Hong quickly introduced himself.

"As expected of Chen Tianhong's disciple, a great master produces a great student. I had dealings with your master a few times in my younger days. I am very grateful to you for saving Shiqin. I will definitely prepare a generous gift and personally visit you another day to express my gratitude!"

Cai Yuheng's expression was unusually solemn. He disregarded his social status and bowed slightly to Ji Hong, offering a perfunctory greeting.

"Senior, you absolutely mustn't!"

The sight of a powerful expert at the Manifestation Yang level bowing to him startled Ji Hong. He waved his hands repeatedly to avoid them, and his impression of Cai Yuheng and Cai Shiqin improved considerably.

Cai Yuheng didn't seem to care at all. After waving his hand, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked Cai Shiqin, "Qin'er, I heard that you joined the young master's group, including Qifeng, Yuwan, Zizheng, and Shiyan..."

Seeing the sadness on his granddaughter's face, Cai Yuheng didn't finish his question. He already knew the answer in his heart and sighed heavily.

"As expected, at the beginning of the month, the prefect personally led his men to drive away the Xuanbing Old Ghost. The four prefectures sent twenty Xianyang-level warriors to search this area continuously. After searching for half a month, they only found a little over a hundred people. The situation in Chencang was similar, with only a little over a hundred surviving."

"Both of the two major warlords suffered huge losses in this trial..."

Upon hearing Cai Yuheng's words, the expressions of the six people all froze slightly.

For more than a month, they had a premonition that many people would die in this trial, but at that time they thought it would be at most 60% or 70%. Now, according to Cai Yuheng, more than 80% of them died, which is more than 800 people.
These 800-plus people are not just some roadside cabbages; they are all the most talented members of the Cai family from the four prefectures and three cities, seven branches, plus the six aristocratic families of Cai and Qiu.

Even if they don't know the situation in Chencang, they estimate it's not too far off.

Right now, they've all been lost in this inexplicable cold wave!
This is far more than a huge loss; the top talents of the two major military governorships of Cai, Qiu, and Chencang have almost completely died out, leaving a whole generation without them...

Cai Shiqin first showed a sorrowful expression, but when she turned her head and saw Su Xing'er's worried face, she immediately asked, "Grandpa, how is the situation at the Zhenyuan camp?"

Her father, Cai Tianzheng, was a captain in the Silver Scale Army, so during this period of time, not only was Su Xing'er worried about the situation in Zhenyuan Camp, but she was as well.

Upon hearing this question, a look of sorrow immediately appeared on Cai Yuheng's face.

Seeing her grandfather's expression, Cai Shiqin immediately understood. Remembering that her grandfather had only said that he was looking for her with his two uncles, her face turned pale instantly.

"This year, the monsters of the Blood Miasma Plain launched a full-scale counterattack, and both vassal states fell into their trap. On the third day, the outer army of the miasma zone and the Zhenyuan camp were attacked by the beast tide at the same time. The 50,000 troops of the Trial Camp rushed to the aid of Zhenyuan at the first time, which is why you Trial disciples were left unattended."

The two waves of beast tides, one at Zhenyuan Camp and the other on the outskirts of the miasma zone, were both too large and seemingly endless. Sending troops from the vassal states would be too slow, so we had no choice but to request reinforcements from Chencang…”

As Cai Yuheng recounted his story, Cai Shiqin, Su Xing'er, and their three siblings, along with Ji Hongquan, learned everything that had happened in the previous month and a half.

Behind the beast tide lies a strange monster. Based on the principle of mutual dependence, upon learning that Cai Qiu's two armies were surrounded, Chen Cang immediately sent reinforcements.

But the moment the reinforcements moved, they fell right into a treacherous trap.

Chen Cang also established a Tuoyuan Camp in the area controlled by the outer perimeter of the Blood Mist Plain. The army stationed in the camp was comparable to that of Cai Qiu, with only 200,000 troops. If 100,000 troops were sent to aid Cai Qiu, only half of his own troops would remain.

As soon as Chen Cang's 100,000 reinforcements arrived in Zhenyuan, the beast tide on Caiqiu's side immediately began to retreat. Then, the Tuoyuan camp was immediately surrounded by the beast tide, and the scale of the beast tide surrounding them was even more terrifying than that encountered on Caiqiu's side, with a total number of more than 30,000.

It was only upon arriving at these two major vassal states that they suddenly realized the true target of the monster was Chencang. By the time they learned that the trial area had been hit by the cold wave, the two vassal states had no time to spare. Each of them sent five Xianyang-level warriors, while the rest of them were focused on rescuing Chencang's Tuoyuan Camp.

This counterattack by the monsters of the Blood Miasma Plains began on the third day of the eleventh month and lasted until the tenth day of the twelfth month, when the Tuoyuan camp was relieved. The entire process lasted a total of thirty-seven days.

Cai Qiuyang, the prefect of Linchu County in Caiqiu, and Cai Qiuning, the prefect of Qingcang County; Chu Tianxu, the prefect of Yanling County in Chencang, and Chen Tiandong, the prefect of Donglin County—the top four experts of the Tribulation Realm from both vassal states—along with more than two hundred experts of the Manifestation Yang level, plus a total of 400,000 troops including the 70,000 Red Dragon Army from Chencang and the 50,000 Silver Scale Army from Caiqiu.

However, because they were led by the nose by the monsters the whole time, the result was a complete and utter defeat.

First, of the two thousand top geniuses from the two vassal states who came to participate in the trial, more than 1,600 died, resulting in a direct talent gap. Although we may not see any changes at the moment, the impact on the future will be enormous.
Secondly, Caiqiu's 50,000 Silver Scale Army suffered 30% casualties, and nearly half of its 150,000 Garrison Army was killed in action, totaling more than 90,000 deaths. Chencang Tuoyuan Camp was directly destroyed by the beast tide, and nearly 80% of the 100,000 troops left behind were killed. The 100,000 troops transferred to support Caiqiu suffered slightly fewer casualties, totaling 20%. Therefore, the cumulative number of deaths was slightly more than that of Caiqiu, approaching half.

This only accounts for the casualties of the main force. According to Cai Yuheng, 13 of Cai Qiu's Xianyang-class soldiers died, and 51 others are still missing. Chencang, as the main target of the monsters' counterattack, suffered an even worse fate, with a total of 53 soldiers killed, which can be described as a major blow to its strength.

Finally, the miasma launched a full-scale counterattack. Taking advantage of the fact that the two major warlords were severely weakened in this round, and that the beast tide had not been gone for long, the blood-red miasma spread northward by five or six kilometers. This instantly wiped out the efforts of the two warlords over the past few years. Now, the two warlords are heavily reinforcing their troops in the Blood Miasma Plain to prevent the miasma from spreading further north.

"When the army of 100,000 was besieged by the beast tide on the outskirts of the miasma zone, Tianzheng took the lead and unfortunately died from exhaustion in battle..."

Despite having already suspected it, when Cai Shiqin heard her grandfather say that her father had died in battle, her already pale face instantly became even more tragic, her face was on the verge of tears, and large tears immediately rolled down her cheeks.

Cai Yuheng immediately hugged his granddaughter with heartache, then, as if remembering something, turned to look at Su Xing'er and her three siblings, and said in a deep voice, "Your master, Hong Yu, went into the miasma zone with Admiral Fan before the battle. When I said that there are currently 51 Xianyang-level missing persons in Caiqiu, I was referring to Admiral Fan's group of 51 people..."

"Master..."

Not only Cai Shiqin, but Su Xing'er's body also jolted. If Su Jing and the other two hadn't caught her in time, she would have fallen down immediately.

Although the three Su brothers managed to support their sister, their faces were filled with anxiety, clearly shocked by the bad news.

"The miasma has spread five or six kilometers northward, and the area where Admiral Fan and the others are located is even deeper. It seems that there have been major changes in the Blood Miasma Plain this year. No one dares to go in right now. We can only wait for the two prefects to free up their time. Only if they go in personally will we have any hope of finding Admiral Fan and the others."

Upon hearing Cai Yuheng's next words, a glimmer of hope appeared on the faces of Su Xing'er and her three siblings.

Cai Shiqin was gentle but not weak. Seeing Su Xing'er's anxious face, she suppressed her grief, stepped forward, took Su Xing'er's hand, and gently comforted her, "Xing'er, don't worry. The Prefect Ancestor will not sit idly by and watch Admiral Fan and the others perish. He will definitely go in to look for them. Maybe your master will be back soon. Come with me to the Zhenyuan Camp to wait!"

Su Xing'er and the other three had no objections and immediately nodded.

"I'll go too!"

Ji Hong, who had been standing to the side with a somewhat uneasy expression, couldn't help but speak up, saying that he wanted to go along too.

Su Xing'er and Cai Shiqin both nodded and did not refuse.

The group of six, following Cai Yuheng, soon arrived at the Zhenyuan camp.

Upon arriving at the Zhenyuan camp, the six of them truly realized the extent of the damage this bizarre counterattack had inflicted on Cai Qiu.

"Father, Father, I haven't even had a chance to fulfill my filial duties, why are you leaving us so soon?"

"Waaaaah, my husband, my husband, wake up, wake up!"

"Father, I've brought my second brother to pick you up, sob sob sob..."

"My husband, didn't you promise to watch our son grow up? How could you leave us like this? My husband, wake up, wake up, waaaaah..."

The entire Zhenyuan camp was filled with wailing and howling.
The ground was densely covered with corpses covered by blue linen cloth;
People continued to enter the camp from the north. Under the instructions of some soldiers, they went to various places to identify the bodies. Some found the bodies of their relatives and were able to lie on them and wail. Others had no remains of their relatives and could only stand helplessly at the centralized resettlement point in the camp, silently shedding tears, as if someone had choked them.

“Those who could join the army in Caiqiu were all third-class military personnel. Almost every one of them was the pillar of their family. If nearly 100,000 were killed in battle, it would be equivalent to nearly 100,000 families being torn apart.”

Clearly, this was the first time Su Xing'er and the other three had witnessed such a scene, and they were all immediately stunned; Ji Hong, on the other hand, had a slightly calm expression, and even when talking about the shattering of 100,000 families, his expression did not fluctuate much.

Ji Hong turned his head to look at the expressions of Su Xing'er and the other three, and his heart stirred slightly.

After spending more than forty days together, he had a general idea of ​​the situation of Su Xing'er and her three siblings, even though he hadn't asked them in detail.

"These four shouldn't come from high social standing, so why would the lord accept them as disciples? Leaving aside Su Jing and the other two's aptitude, they barely managed to achieve top-grade battle physiques thanks to the Blood Jade Bead; Su Xing'er's aptitude is even inferior to mine. It's really strange. Could it be like before, just something he said casually, and these four took it seriously..."

Having a humble origin has its advantages. Ji Hong has followed Xia Hong from the Tupo era all the way. He has seen similar scenes of widespread suffering before, such as the beast tide attacking the camp before the Jingxian were incorporated in the early years; or the great battles that took place in Hanqiong, Fengchao and other places during the Longyou War.

"Let's wait here patiently! Princess Shiqin just said that she will stay here as long as there is news. She will inform us immediately. Lord Hong will definitely be able to return safely."

Su Xing'er could only nod in agreement after hearing Ji Hong's words of comfort.

Besides waiting, there was really nothing she could do, but Ji Hong's tone, filled with strong confidence, made her feel much better.

So the four siblings and Ji Hong, a total of five people, settled down in the Zhenyuan camp. It was a military camp, and ordinary people could not stay there casually. However, since the news of their master Hong Yu's death had not yet been confirmed, and with Cai Shiqin's connections, the five of them did not encounter any difficulties.

Unfortunately, this stay lasted for more than three months.

From the 27th day of the 12th month of the 297th year of the Caiqiu calendar until the end of March of the following year, the five of them still did not see their master, Hong Yu.

Such an endless wait naturally made Su Xing'er and her three siblings increasingly desperate. The four even contemplated suicide. If it weren't for Ji Hong's patient persuasion, they would have already risked their lives to break into the Blood Miasma Plain, either to find their master or to die for him.

It wasn't until the fifth day of the fourth lunar month that Cai Shiqin finally brought new news.

However, this news was like a bolt from the blue for the five of them.

"The two prefects have rescued Admiral Fan and his party. Of the 51 people who went in, only 21 survived, and the remaining 29 died. According to Admiral Fan, Lord Hong Yu was switched by a monster as soon as he entered the plains last year. Although I didn't see his body with my own eyes, I estimate that..."

Seeing the despair on Su Xing'er's face, Cai Shiqin ultimately couldn't bring herself to say the last four words: "The odds are against her."

Upon hearing this news, even Ji Hong, who had been patiently comforting the four siblings, became unsettled.

Ji Hongteng stood up abruptly, staring at Cai Shiqin with eyes full of astonishment and shock. He kept repeating her words in his mind, muttering repeatedly, "Impossible, impossible..."

He repeated it more than a dozen times before suddenly looking up and saying, "Admiral Fan said he didn't see Lord Hong's body with his own eyes, right?"

Cai Shiqin nodded. She originally wanted to say something more, but when she saw the renewed hope in Su Xing'er's eyes, she immediately shut her mouth.

"The master will be alright, he will definitely be alright!"

After a moment of doubt, Ji Hong's expression quickly hardened, and he turned to Su Xing'er, saying, "If you trust me, you can come with me to Chencang and continue waiting for the master!"

The lord's trip here is definitely to spy on the situation of the vassal states. He has already learned from Su Xing'er that Xia Hong has been active in Caiqiu for more than a year. If he can escape from the Blood Miasma Plains, he will definitely come to Chencang.

Of course, Ji Hong couldn't say these things to Cai Shiqin's face, so he could only invite Su Xing'er to go to Chencang with him in a confident tone.

Su Xing'er still looked flustered, but seeing the certainty in Ji Hong's eyes, she thought for a moment and then nodded.

The Zhenyuan camp has confirmed that their master will not be returning, so there is no point in the four siblings staying in Caiqiu any longer. Ji Hong clearly has a deep relationship with their master, so going to Chencang with him might actually offer some hope.

Seeing that Su Xing'er had decided to leave, Cai Shiqin was naturally reluctant to part with her. Although she had only known Su Xing'er for a year, she regarded her as a sister from the bottom of her heart. Coupled with the friendship they had formed through life and death in the trial area last year, their relationship had already become incredibly deep.

No matter how reluctant she was, she knew in her heart that Su Xing'er was worried about her master, and since Ji Hong was so confident, she would definitely not stay.

So, Cai Shiqin had no choice but to prepare to see her off with tears in her eyes.

On the night of the fifth day of the fourth month, Su Xing'er packed her things, bid farewell to her best friend Cai Shiqin, and left Zhenyuan Camp with Ji Hong, heading to Chencang Yanling County.

Unbeknownst to the five, the moment they left, someone in the main tent of the Zhenyuan camp received the news.

"Greetings to the Prefect, greetings to the Commander-in-Chief. Su Xing'er and her four siblings, along with Ji Hong, have all left the camp. Ji Hong's attitude is unusually firm; he doesn't believe Hong Yu has perished in the Blood Miasma Plain. Judging from their words, they are probably going to Chencang Yanling County to continue waiting for news of Hong Yu."

In the main tent of the camp, a middle-aged man dressed in yellow brocade robes, with a robust build and broad face, sat upright in the main seat. A faint yellow light surrounded his body. In front of his table was a heavy, giant ruler. The ruler was completely black, 1.5 meters long, about half a meter wide, and 20 centimeters thick. It had a silver handle attached to the bottom, clearly indicating that it was a weapon.

On the lower left, there was a middle-aged man with white cloth wrapped around both arms and chest. He was none other than Fan Qinghu, the commander of the Caiqiu Silver Scale Army who had led Xia Hong into the Blood Miasma Plain earlier.

"Okay, you can step back first!"

Fan Qinghu waved away the soldier who had come to report the news. His tone was noticeably weak. After the soldier left, he turned and bowed respectfully to the person above him, saying, "My lord, Hong Yu is definitely dead. Now that I think about it, we were already being targeted by that Thousand Faces before we entered the Blood Miasma Plain last year. This has never happened before. In my opinion, that Thousand Faces was probably lured here by this Hong Yu..."

He paused, a look of anger on his face, and said, "That Qin vassal state, it seems, is indeed true. Hong Yu must have provoked some powerful monster, leading it all the way to our Caiqiu..."

What's the point of worrying about this now?

The middle-aged man at the head of the table spoke. His voice was deep and heavy, like a thunderclap, immediately interrupting Fan Qinghu. He then opened his eyes, a hint of suspicion flashing in his pupils, and said, "Whether that Qin vassal state is real or fake is no longer important. I now hope it is real. If this Prince Hong dies in the Blood Miasma Plain, that vassal state will definitely send people over, and perhaps we can get another powerful ally."

At this point, his face was filled with worry again, and he shook his head, saying, "Previously, seeing that the Blood Miasma Plain was ten times larger than the outside world, I thought that at most, there was just a powerful Nightmare Demon behind it; I never imagined that it could even control the flow of time at will, making one day inside the plain equivalent to ten days outside..."

Fan Qinghu felt a slight tremor in his heart upon hearing these words.

Simply because he was a firsthand witness to this tenfold increase in the speed of time.

Three days ago, when he and the others were rescued by Cai Qiuyang, they were stunned to learn that it was already the second day of the fourth month of the 298th year of the Cai Qiu calendar.

There is no day or night in the miasma zone, but they are not some wilderness novices. They naturally have their own way of keeping track of time. Although he was made a mess of things by that Thousand Faces in the miasma zone, he remembered very clearly that from the night of the second day of the eleventh month last year to the moment he saw Cai Qiuyang, he had only stayed in the miasma zone for a maximum of half a month, or even less.

After spending less than fifteen days in the miasma zone, I emerged to find that almost five months had passed outside...

Having experienced something so unbelievable for the first time, Fan Qinghu and the others who were rescued were completely stunned. Even after learning that Cai Qiu and Chen Cang had been tricked by monsters this year, they were not particularly moved.

The flow of time inside the miasma is ten times slower than outside. If you hadn't experienced it yourself, no one else would believe it even if you beat them to death.

"The power of the monsters behind this Blood Miasma Plains is probably far beyond what anyone in Mo'aochuan could imagine. I already sent someone to report this matter to Lord Fangbo yesterday. If this Blood Miasma Plains is not dealt with soon, it will surely cause a great disaster..."

Fan Qinghu nodded emphatically upon hearing this, then seemed to realize something and asked with a puzzled expression, "That monster wouldn't change the flow of time for no reason. What is its purpose?"

"For what..."

Cai Qiuyang pondered softly for a moment, then said in a low voice, "It's not just about simply changing the flow of time..."

At this point, he paused slightly and continued, "One day inside is actually ten days in fact, but the blood-red miasma is too profound and strange. Not to mention you, even I find it difficult to perceive its influence on time."

Is one day inside equivalent to ten days outside...?

Upon hearing this, Fan Qinghu's brows furrowed slightly. He seemed to have grasped something. After pondering for a moment, he quickly understood the key point. His expression suddenly changed, and he looked up in horror, saying, "That monster is short of time?"

If you think about it this way, then everything becomes clear!
Changing the flow of time, making one day inside equal to ten days outside, is clearly an attempt to make time pass faster.

The supernatural has revived!
The moment those four words popped into Fan Qinghu's mind, his face instantly became serious.

The resurgence of monsters is nothing new in the vassal states. Many unknown areas of the Ice Abyss are hiding all sorts of monsters and cold beasts. The weak ones are not a big deal, but when they encounter the powerful ones, even those beyond imagination, it is an extremely terrifying disaster.

These strange creatures are either hidden, dormant, or sealed away. The reasons for their failure to revive are varied and require a lot of time. This is one of the more common examples.

They've seen plenty of strange creatures, but one that can alter the flow of time and affect such a large area is probably the first time Cai Qiu, no, the entire Mo'aochuan region, has encountered such a thing.

This bizarre power...

"It's beyond the calamity level, and possibly even more. Without gathering the full power of the Mo'ao River, there's definitely no way to resolve it. Even if the four vassal states join forces, it's not certain..."

Cai Qiuyang's low murmur deepened the solemnity in Fan Qinghu's eyes. The joy of surviving the Blood Miasma Plain vanished in an instant, replaced by worry and confusion on his face.

………………

Blood Miasma Plain, western section
The environment here is almost identical to that in the eastern section. Blood-red miasma fills the sky, and visibility is extremely low. The surrounding mountains, the snow on the ground, the trees on the plains, and even the snowflakes falling from the sky are all stained with a layer of blood, making it look very eerie.

In such a strange environment, an uninvited group of guests suddenly arrived at the eastern foot of an unknown mountain.

“Prefect, it’s true. One day here is really equivalent to ten days outside. I remember this patch of Blood Sun Flowers very clearly. They used to bloom only once every ten days. We picked some when we passed by, and they’ve already bloomed again in just one day.”

A group of six people slowly walked from south to north.

At the end of the line, a middle-aged man in white saw a cluster of blood-red plants on the snow to his left and couldn't help but speak up in surprise.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately looked towards the Blood Sun Flower. When they saw that the Blood Sun Flower, which had been picked when they arrived, had now grown back, their faces were instantly filled with astonishment.

The leader of the group was also a middle-aged man in white. He was tall, fair-skinned, and beardless, with a rather handsome posture. He had a dark longsword at his waist. He did not show any surprise when he heard what the person behind him said.

"I just told you that the blood miasma has changed a lot this year. I made an exception and brought you to such a deep place because we were collecting herbs. You can't come here on your own in the future. When you are on the outer perimeter, you must always be careful and not be careless."

"Yes, Prefect!"

Upon hearing the middle-aged man's words, the five men immediately nodded respectfully.

The second person in the group was an old man in black. He looked up at the high mountain to the west, suddenly remembered something, and asked, "Father, I remember that behind this mountain is the territory of that Jade Toad, isn't it?"

Chu Tianxu, who was leading the group, turned his head to look at the high mountain to the west when he heard his son's question. He smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right, that Azure Jade Toad is a single Water Element Five Elements Realm Beast King. Its strength isn't too great..."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xuanfeng and the other four immediately showed signs of interest.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Chu Tianxu immediately knew what they were thinking. He shook his head repeatedly and said, "Don't dream. If it were a one-on-one situation, I wouldn't be afraid of this Jade Toad. With the help of the five of you, killing it wouldn't be too difficult. But the problem is..."

Chu Tian paused here, pointed southwest, and continued in a deep voice, "About ten kilometers southwest of the Azure Jade Toad's territory, there dwells a Crimson Gold Demon Tiger. It's a Five Elements Realm Beast King with both gold and fire attributes. If it's disturbed, even if another one of me comes, I'm afraid..."

Although he hadn't finished speaking, the five people behind Chu Xuanfeng had already lost all interest when they heard about the Golden Fire Twin Beast King.

Even with Chu Tianxu present, the Beast Kings were only willing to give it a shot.

If they really provoked a dual-realm Five Elements Beast King, then of the six people, apart from Chu Tianxu, the other five would probably all die without a doubt.

"Alright, that's enough, let's get out of here!"

After Chu Tian finished speaking, he led the five people on their journey north.

boom…………

However, before they had gone more than ten meters, a loud bang suddenly came from the southwest direction they had just pointed.

The six men turned to look southwest, their faces instantly filled with horror.

(End of this chapter)