Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 559 Diverting Water to Block the Road, Realizing It After the Facts

Splash splash splash...

About seven or eight kilometers east of the northern exit of the Corrosion Path, there is a large lake with a radius of about three kilometers.

Bang bang bang...

Along the western shore of the lake, a raging fire was raging, and amidst the flames, thousands of people were frantically destroying the ice with iron chisels and giant hammers.

In the extremely cold environment of the Ice Abyss, it is almost impossible to find flowing water. Like the Xinghe River and the White Tiger Pool, wherever there is water, the surface is bound to be covered with solid ice. Moreover, this solid ice is often tens of meters thick. Without the strength to withstand the cold, it is difficult to even leave a mark on the ice surface, let alone break it.

If you only look at one person, it's nothing special. But when thousands of people work together, the situation is completely different. The key is that the campfire on the ice is obviously used to melt the solid ice. With these two factors combined, the speed at which the ice is cut open is quite impressive.

The ice on the lake surface was now cracked everywhere, and some areas on the outer edge even began to crack extensively. The ice blocks began to sink, and slowly the flowing water below could be seen.

Not only were there people on the ice, but tens of thousands of people were also lined up along the western shore of the lake, digging a two-meter-wide ditch. The eastern end of the ditch was right next to the lake, and a simple dam was built in the middle using a lot of trees and boulders. The water level was rising on the east side of the dam, while the laborers were still working on the west side.

"Dongshan Lake, what a wonderful place! The water in this lake comes from the underground river inside Mount Mo'ao. Originally, the water flowed eastward into the main vein of that underground river and then southeastward. But now we've temporarily blocked the east side, so the water is just accumulating in the lake. The ice is cracking so quickly not only because of the campfires and manpower, but also because the water level at the bottom of the lake is constantly rising, and the ice can't withstand the impact!"

Xiang Liang stood atop the dam, watching the cracks in the eastern lake surface grow faster and faster, the water level rising at a speed visible to the naked eye, a flicker of excitement in his pupils.

"Time is still a bit rushed. Half an hour has already passed. The ice should break through without much problem, but the ditch is still about a kilometer away. It will take at least another quarter of an hour. Can those big fires that the adults set really hold off Cai Qiu's army for that long?"

Hearing Xiang Liang's words, Chen Ping showed his agreement, but looking at the construction progress of the western ditch, his expression was still not very optimistic.

In the previous controversy, no one else could come up with any ideas. In the end, it was Xiang Liang who spoke up and gave effective advice. Naturally, everyone regarded him as the backbone and acted in accordance with his ideas.

The most important task for the rebels was to intercept Cai Qiu's army, or at least hold them off until the Xia army caught up.

There was no hope of holding out. In the great battle on the south side of the Bone-Eating Road, even 23 elite Xia troops plus 15 Digging Realm warriors almost failed to stop them. With just a few hundred thousand Digging Realm warriors, there was absolutely no chance of blocking Cai Qiu's army at the entrance.

If we can't tough it out, then we'll have to find other solutions.

The best way to intercept a large army is, of course, to change the terrain. In order to change the terrain on a large scale, in addition to manpower to cut down trees, we can also use the power of water and fire. When Xiang Liang proposed this idea, Chen Ping immediately thought of the defense of Jinyang.

Under Xiang Liang's command, they immediately found the person in the rebel army who was most familiar with the terrain around the Bone-Eating Road. The East Mountain Lake in front of them was told to them by an old man named Su Lie in the rebel army.

The other outlet of Dongshan Lake was blocked, and a temporary ditch was dug on the west side to divert water. Meanwhile, on the north side of the Shigudao exit, tens of thousands of laborers were working hard to dig a huge ditch more than 20 meters wide.

It must be said that this method is highly feasible.

The northern exit of the Bone-Eroding Path is only a little over 100 meters wide. Once the 30-meter-wide ditch is successfully dug and water is diverted, Cai Qiu's 150,000-strong army will have no choice but to wade across the river.

They couldn't even build a bridge, since they had already cut down all the trees inside the valley and set them all on fire. Even if Cai Qiu could find some trees, would the rebels on the other side of the river let them build a bridge to cross?

However, this plan was not without its flaws.

Time is the biggest problem.

The rebel army had very little time, only about half an hour in total. Within that half hour, they had to cut down trees to set up roadblocks; set fire to the valley entrance; dig a huge ditch 5 meters deep, 30 meters wide, and 100 meters long outside the exit; block the other side of Dongshan Lake's exit and build a dam on the west side to store water; and then dig a ditch eastward from the valley entrance to divert water. This short distance was a total of seven to eight kilometers.

These five things, under normal circumstances, would take ten days to half a month to accomplish. When Xiang Liang first brought them up in just half an hour, they seemed like a pipe dream to everyone.

However, Xiang Liang's saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way," was followed by everyone.

The tools were readily available, and there were over 100,000 people to work with, plus a steady stream of laborers coming in. Xiang Liang didn't even bother to subdivide the teams; he simply divided the laborers into five groups, each responsible for a task. With over 100,000 people working together, they managed to get the job done in half an hour.

But half-hearted efforts won't do. The last and most important thing right now is to fill the wide ditch at the mouth of the valley with water. This is the most crucial step in stopping Cai Qiu's army. If we can't do this, all our previous efforts will have been in vain.

According to Chen Ping's observation, the water diversion ditch on the west side is still one kilometer short of being dug, and the water level of Dongshan Lake is not high enough for the time being. The key point is that he just came from the valley entrance, and the wide ditch outside the valley entrance is also a little short.

The current situation is that we're almost there everywhere, but time is running out.

Cai Qiu's army's Xianyang-level scouts had already arrived. They were all watching from the sky. Although they had done some cover-up when they started the work, how long could they keep it a secret?
Once Cai Qiu saw through their intentions, they could be easily cracked.

In fact, if Cai Qiu were to increase his marching speed even slightly at this moment, all the things they had done before would become useless.

That's why Chen Ping was so uneasy at this moment, and couldn't help but ask Xiang Liang, worried that the big fire he set in the valley would not work.

The roadblocks and fires inside the valley entrance were Xiang Liang's idea. He didn't intend to use these things to stop Cai Qiu's army; his main purpose was to buy time for their outer fortifications.

However, Xiang Liang was clearly not as worried as him. Upon hearing this, a smile appeared in his eyes, and he shook his head and said softly, "It's definitely not going to work before the battle at the south exit, but it's different now at this critical juncture!"

Although Chen Ping was straightforward, he wasn't stupid. After thinking for a moment, he immediately understood.

"Does Your Excellency mean that Cai Qiu's army has just suffered a defeat, their morale is low, and they must be suspicious and hesitant to advance when they see that big fire?"

"That's not necessarily true!"

Xiang Liang shook his head and smiled, continuing, "What you said earlier is correct. Cai Qiu's army has just suffered a defeat, and with 100,000 Xia troops hot on their heels, they will inevitably be suspicious and paranoid in their panic. Even if they know that our rebel army is not strong, they will not advance rashly, but will act cautiously..."

He paused for a moment, then smiled and continued, "Of course, no matter how cautious they are, their priority is still to guard against the 100,000 Xia troops behind them. So breaking through the valley is their top priority, and hesitating is impossible. The most likely scenario is that they will slow down their main force's march and send an elite force ahead to scout the way. If that's the case..."

"Then our plan will succeed!"

Having said that, Chen Ping finally understood.

When Xiao Heng came to report last night, he said that the Xia army was accelerating its pursuit from behind, and the difference was at most twenty kilometers. They didn't need to delay for too long. As long as they didn't let Cai Qiu's army leave the valley before the Xia army arrived, they would be fine.

The fact that Cai Qiu's army did not quickly leave the valley but instead sent out elite troops to scout ahead means that they are all in a state of high alert. In this way, even if the defensive fortifications they have built are not completely completed, they can still delay them for a while.

Thinking of this, Chen Ping's face immediately showed a look of amazement. He looked at Xiang Liang and said with admiration, "So, sir, you never thought you could complete so many defensive works from the beginning. You just wanted to scare Cai Qiu's army into panic?"

Xiang Liang nodded slightly, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes.

To be honest, this was the first time he had commanded an operation of over 100,000 men, and the opponent was a 150,000-strong army of a regional military governor. Naturally, Xiang Liang couldn't help but feel excited.

Of course, the grand scale of the event was only one of the reasons. More importantly, Yuwen Sizheng had sent him to Changqing Valley as a spy in order to gain merit. If he could successfully capture Cai Qiu's 150,000-strong army, his achievement would be immense.

It's no exaggeration to say that this is better than killing hundreds of Caiqiu soldiers on the battlefield. Everything depends on whether the commander of Caiqiu's troops is as he thinks.

"Keep urging the laborers to speed up the process. There's only a little bit left. Once the ditch is dug, we'll bring the water over directly. I'll go back to the valley entrance first. You keep a close eye on things here and make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Yes, sir!"

Chen Ping quickly bowed and accepted the order. He looked up and watched Xiang Liang and the others quickly head west. He calmed himself down and turned to the group of laborers, urging them on.

"Only a few hundred meters left, brothers, speed up! If we can get through tonight, Evergreen Valley will be all good days ahead!"

"Hurry up, hurry up! The water level isn't high enough. Don't go too far into the middle. Watch out for the cold beasts underwater. Just break the ice..."

...............

Bone-Eroding Passage, North Exit

Cai Qiuhu spent about fifteen minutes clearing all the roadblocks along the three-kilometer stretch inside the valley entrance. Then, leading dozens of Xianyang-level soldiers and five thousand elite troops, he finally reached the exit. He and the other Xianyang-level soldiers were in the air, about a hundred meters above the ground. Seeing that the five thousand elite troops were close to the valley entrance and the main army headquarters was less than two kilometers away, everyone's faces immediately showed some relief.

Cai Qiuhu himself relaxed considerably, his tense expression from the entire process immediately becoming much more relaxed.

"Is the rest of the army all arranged?"

As Zhu Fang finished clearing the last section of the fire barrier, Cai Qiuhu, seeing the fire gradually receding, immediately turned to ask the nearest general in the rear.

The general immediately nodded and cupped his hands, saying, "Everything has been arranged. The brothers in the vanguard have plenty of boulders. As soon as Lord Zhu blows the fire away, we will fill the area with boulders. The ditches dug by the rebels will be of no use!"

Upon hearing this, Cai Qiuhu's expression immediately softened considerably.

The rebels are digging trenches around the valley entrance, and they have filled the trenches with a large number of dry trees, dead branches, and coal stones. They are obviously trying to replicate the fire that just broke out inside the valley and use the flames to stop the army from advancing.

He had already been informed of this news when the first wave of scouts returned with the message, so he had naturally made preparations well in advance.

According to intelligence, the ravine was over thirty meters wide and five meters deep, blocking the entire exit. If Zhu Fang hadn't been there, the rebels would have set the entire ravine ablaze, and the army wouldn't have been able to pass through smoothly for a while.

Even with Zhu Fang present, there was no guarantee of success. Given the width and depth of that ravine, even if the fire were extinguished, the army would not be able to pass through smoothly.

The idea of ​​burying it with stones was Cai Qiuhu's solution.

It's not that we don't want to use trees, but the rebels' fire just now burned all the trees inside the valley entrance, leaving very little. We can't use them even if we wanted to, so we can only use stones instead.

"First, extinguish the fire. Send 5,000 elite troops to lead the charge. Then, have the main force fill the pit at the valley entrance with stones to ensure the remaining soldiers can pass through smoothly. We can wipe out the rebels in one fell swoop. Finally, we can turn back and set up defenses at the valley entrance to resist the Xia army behind us. Then we will be absolutely safe..."

After a moment's thought, Cai Qiuhu gave Zhu Fang a look.

Zhu Fang understood immediately and flew towards the valley entrance, while also activating his Wind Control Divine Pearl, intending to blow away the last bonfire at the valley entrance.

call…………

The blue tornado rushed horizontally forward, and without any surprise, the last bonfire was instantly blown away, and the hundred-meter-wide valley entrance was completely revealed to the five thousand elite troops.

"what…………"

"Cai Qiu's army is coming! Run!"

"A demonic wind! It's a demonic wind created by Cai Qiu's army! Run for your lives!"

………………

Zhu Fang's blue tornado, in terms of impact, was only about 2 jin (a unit of weight), far less powerful than the demonic wind created by General Black Wind. However, it was still deadly to the laborers digging in the pit.

The tornado first blew away the last bonfire at the mouth of the valley, then swept down, scattering the dry trees, branches, coal, and dust in the pit. Many laborers were blown away and their flesh was dissolved, leaving no trace of their bodies.

The laborers in the back were a little luckier. When they saw the demonic wind and the five thousand elite soldiers of Caiqiu behind it, they were so frightened that they dropped their chisels and shovels, quickly climbed out of the pit, and ran away for their lives.

"Hahahahaha..."

"They're all at the Earth-Digging Realm?"

"There aren't many at the Cold Resistance level?"

"With such limited strength, you dare to rebel?"

………………

Perhaps because they had just suffered a defeat against the Xia army, the soldiers of Caiqiu were feeling extremely frustrated. Seeing the rebels fleeing in disarray from the pit, their mood suddenly improved, and they burst into laughter and mockery.

They were just a bunch of laborers, what's so funny?

Cai Qiuhu frowned, instinctively wanting to angrily shout at the soldiers below, but he noticed that after the laughter, the soldiers, who had been listless, had become noticeably more invigorated, so he held back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Set it on fire! Set it on fire now!"

As Cai Qiu's army sneered and mocked, several loud commands rang out from the rebel army outside the valley entrance.

Upon hearing this, Cai Qiuhu, who was standing in mid-air, frowned slightly and immediately gave a loud order to the group of Xianyang-level cultivators, including Zhu Fang:

"Zhu Fang, continue; Zhang Kai, notify the rear army to speed up; all Xianyang-class soldiers, fly with me to the north side of the ravine and take up a foothold on the other side; Yun Hai, lead five thousand elite troops to follow behind and charge forward."

"Yes, sir!"

After four consecutive commands, everyone immediately responded in unison. Zhu Fang, Zhang Kai, and Cai Yunhai, who were specifically named by him, split up and acted separately, while the remaining fifty-odd Xianyang-level beings followed behind him, flying directly towards the north side of the ravine.

Next, we'll see if this group of rebels is truly supported by the Chencang and Daxia families. If they are just a bunch of peasants, then my 150,000-strong army can rest easy.

As a mere Tribulation Realm cultivator leading over fifty Manifestation Realm cultivators, it's impossible for him to sweep through hundreds of thousands of laborers, but he can hold them off for a while and allow five thousand elite troops to cross the ravine.

If the 5,000 elite troops can occupy the north side of the ravine, the rest of the army can fill it up once they arrive. Then, the hundreds of thousands of troops can walk out of the valley without any hindrance, and it will be easy to deal with this group of rebels.

Xia Jun will arrive in at least 45 minutes.

There's still plenty of time!
As these thoughts flashed through Cai Qiuhu's mind, he was already standing above the north side of the ravine. Looking at the hastily organized rebel army, which numbered no more than 60,000 or 70,000, several hundred meters to the north, his brows furrowed sharply.

"Didn't you say it would be at least 80,000? How come it's only this little?"

"My lord, something terrible has happened! The rebels have dug a long trench on the east side, trying to divert water from a lake on the east side. They have already opened the sluice gates, and the floodwaters are flowing this way."

A figure sped towards them from the east; it was the Xianyang-level scout he had previously dispatched. Upon hearing the report, Cai Qiuhu's breath caught in his throat, then his eye twitched violently, and he turned and roared angrily:

"Yunhai, quickly lead the army out of the ravine! Zhang Kai, quickly bring the main force from the rear! Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry..."

He said "fast" five times in a row, which shows how anxious he was.

The fifty-odd Xianyang-level followers behind him had also realized what was happening and turned to look to the east.

gurgling...

"My lord, it seems... it's too late!"

The sound of rushing water came from the east side, and Cai Qiuhu's expression froze, his face becoming somewhat distorted.

"We've been tricked! We've been tricked! These rebels have no backing at all. They're just here to stall for time! Aaaaaaahh ...

Cai Qiuhu's roar was quickly drowned out by the sound of the flowing water.

The fatal thing is that the five thousand elite troops have only just stepped into the ravine.

They turned to look at the surging water coming from the east, and their faces instantly turned pale.

(End of this chapter)