Chapter 452: Changes

As with his last Star Realm teleportation, Gao De's first sensation upon ending the teleport was dizziness.

The strain on the body's functions from long-distance teleportation still existed.

But compared to his first Star Realm teleport, this time Gao De felt perfectly at ease.

Because this time it was the return trip—no need to worry about safety.

The return point of Star Realm teleportation was fixed: Yujia Tixila.

Gao De's chaotic eyes gradually focused.

Above him, leaves rustled crisply, sounding somewhat like wind chimes.

This was Yujia Tixila welcoming Gao De's return, like a mother waiting patiently for her prodigal son.

Gao De looked up, and Yujia Tixila grew as lush and verdant as ever.

Its leaves shimmered with multicolored light, sometimes merging into brilliant patches, sometimes splitting into radiant ribbons, dreamlike and illusory.

A thought stirred in him—he activated Mandora's Magic Eye to observe Yujia Tixila, then stepped forward and pressed his palm against its trunk.

In an instant, detailed information about Yujia Tixila flooded into Gao De's mind through the link.

Quickly, he saw everything that had changed in Yujia Tixila during the two and a half months he'd been away from the Northern Frontier:

【Yujia Tixila】

Rank: First-Rank Demon Plant (619.5/1200 months)

Growth Enhancement Coefficient: 1.4 → 1.42

Star Realm Teleportation: 1 (17/60 days)

Lifespan: 1/3600 years

Territory Expansion (Land Transformation): 14 mu → 29 mu

Height: 15 chi → 16 chi

Magical Energy Concentration in Soil: 10–15 (Basic Spirit Land) → 24–35 (Basic Spirit Land)

The most obvious change was the progress in Yujia Tixila's rank advancement.

When Gao De left the Northern Frontier, it was at 196/1200 months; only two and a half months had passed, yet its rank advancement had leapt to 619.5/1200 months.

Although Yujia Tixila could boost its growth by planting new tree species, such a massive leap was astonishing, especially since Phoenix's first wave of potential had clearly been fully exhausted.

Clearly, something unusual had occurred in Phoenix over these two and a half months.

The Growth Enhancement Coefficient, by contrast, showed little change.

This was because its increase depended primarily on the number of trees within Yujia Tixila's cultivated natural territory.

Without external exchange, in the Northern Frontier, ordinary trees were often fewer in number than demon trees.

Ordinary trees simply could not survive in such extreme cold, whereas demon trees, possessing extraordinary traits, could endure various harsh environments.

The number of Star Realm teleportations had accumulated another charge.

This was expected—Yujia Tixila currently required sixty days to fully recharge for one Star Realm teleportation.

The area of natural territory Yujia Tixila had opened up had doubled.

The magical energy concentration in the soil had risen to 24–35; near Yujia Tixila's core, it was already close to the 46 threshold of a First-Rank Spirit Land.

After understanding Yujia Tixila's condition, Gao De turned his gaze away and scanned his surroundings.

Clearly visible, a dozen or so brand-new demon tree seedlings had sprouted nearby.

They must have been the key contributors to Yujia Tixila's sudden growth surge.

Further out, the camp and watchtowers that had been under frantic construction when Gao De left were now taking shape.

The camp's outer wall, built of ice blocks, stood over two men tall; inside, a ring of tents covered in thick animal hides.

Near the camp stood a newly completed watchtower.

Constructed from massive ice blocks and hard rock, its top featured a circular observation deck surrounded by railings; at its center was a small shelter made of animal hides, offering the sentry shelter from the wind.

From the watchtower, one could overlook vast areas around the camp and detect movements of wild beasts and geopulse creatures in the distance.

Within the camp, many people moved about; aside from the sentries, everyone was busy—some processing food, most engaged in construction.

As the sacred tree's location, its future plan had long been set: it would become the largest and most important port in Phoenix and the Northern Frontier, and Phoenix's second Northern Frontier city.

It was foreseeable that when real construction began, a massive influx of people would arrive; building the camp in advance was prudent preparation.

Clearly visible, the camp's population had already exceeded a hundred.

Gao De's gaze swept across the entire camp.

Normally, human number sense was limited—below five.

Number sense meant the ability to instantly and accurately judge the quantity of objects without counting.

That is, if only five people stood before you, you would instantly perceive "5."

But if there were more than five—say seven—you'd have to count: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7" to arrive at the answer.

But with Mandora's Magic Eye's enhancement, Gao De's number sense had been astonishingly improved in another way; with a single glance, he obtained precise data.

"167" people.

The original hundred-tree-guard team had grown to 167.

"My King!" Elder Gai'en spotted Gao De's return the instant he appeared and hurried over to pay respects.

"Elder Gai'en, no need for formalities," Gao De waved his hand and asked: "Are there any spare snow wolves in the camp? I need to return to Phoenix."

"Of course, My King. Elder Grant's beast companion has been waiting in the camp for your return," Elder Gai'en replied respectfully.

"Good." Gao De nodded.

"My King, are you returning to Phoenix right now?"

"Yes." Seeing Elder Gai'en's hesitation, Gao De asked: "What's wrong?"

"The situation has grown tense. The War Mother specifically instructed me that if you return to Phoenix, I must accompany and escort you personally."

"I see." Gao De pondered, then nodded slightly. "Then let's go together. Tell me what's happened during my absence."

The biting wind cut like knives across the face, whipping up snow into a blinding white haze.

Riding the snow wolf, Gao De noticed another new change during his two and a half months away.

Between Varal Bay and Phoenix, a rough road had appeared—formed by ice-forgers of the Zhenbing Tribe solidifying the snow into an ice path.

The road was not wide—barely enough for two snow wolves to walk side by side; from afar, it resembled a winding ice serpent coiled across the frozen wasteland.

Naturally, the surface was extremely slippery, making travel prone to falls—it was not a proper road.

But with a single 【Ice Skating Spell】 or similar magic, the terrain's disadvantages could be negated, allowing temporary use as a normal road.

At least since the ice road's construction, Gao De's travel time between Varal Bay and Phoenix on snow wolf had dropped from six days to under three.

To further reduce travel time, a proper transportation network must be built—preferably by tunneling through Varal Mountain or acquiring an airship.

After all, the straight-line distance from Varal Bay to Phoenix was only two hundred kilometers; the reason travel took so long was because Varal Mountain blocked the way.

The time spent climbing and descending the mountain was the real burden.

For Phoenix, tunneling was more likely.

As they traveled, Elder Gai'en detailed, as Gao De requested, what had occurred in Phoenix during his absence.

Most of it was within Gao De's expectations—he had designed it all himself.

As anticipated, the appearance of Northwest Wheat No. 1, spread deliberately by the Zhenbing Tribe, quickly stirred massive upheaval across the Northern Frontier.

Food was the most precious resource on the Northern Frontier—even more valuable than oil in Gao De's previous life.

In this frozen wasteland, a stable food source was a guarantee of survival.

It was what the Northern people had sought for ten thousand years without success.

Smaller and medium tribes, intimidated by the Zhenbing Tribe's strength, dared not act despite their desires—only watching.

But the Frostwolf Clan and the Frosthammer Clan, both large tribes bearing names akin to Zhenbing, still had the courage to challenge Zhenbing.

Worse, after capturing a "rat" from the Frostwolf Clan, Zhenbing had demanded an exorbitant ransom: twenty drops of Fourth-Rank Ice Marrow to redeem him.

Eventually, after some unknown negotiations, the War Mothers of both clans arrived in Phoenix under the pretense of visiting and redeeming their captive.

The visit was a cover for pressure.

"They claimed," Elder Gai'en's voice, faint against the wind, still reached Gao De clearly, "that since all Northern people shared the same roots, they were one family, and demanded the War Mother provide them with Northwest Wheat No. 1 seeds and share the planting techniques."

"I underestimated them," Gao De muttered. "I expected them to ally, but not to be this brazen."

"The War Mother naturally refused outright. Then they accused her of being cold-hearted and cruel, claiming Northern people had always stood together, surviving the ice and snow through mutual aid; now that Zhenbing had discovered Northwest Wheat No. 1, they were hoarding it selfishly."

"They said we betrayed our shared heritage and were selfish," Elder Gai'en's tone dripped with disdain for the two War Mothers' hollow rhetoric.

"How did Su Nai respond?" Gao De asked curiously.

"The War Mother replied that if they were so selfless, they should first share Frostwolf taming techniques and Frosthammer's forging methods with Zhenbing and all Northern tribes," Elder Gai'en's lips curled slightly.

"Then they fell silent. When verbal accusations failed, they turned to threats."

"But…" Elder Gai'en spread his hands, a smug smile on his face, "the War Mother fears neither words nor threats!"

"Faced with their threats, the War Mother did not yield an inch—she turned on them instantly. Outside Phoenix, before the eyes of countless tribespeople, she fought both alone and crushed them effortlessly. They couldn't even struggle—let alone escape—only submitting helplessly."

Gao De couldn't help but chuckle.

Threatening Su Nai? That was like an old man hanging himself.

Su Nai, the last pure-blooded Bingyi of this generation, had awakened Zhenbing Magic, and with her exclusive martial art 【Blizzard】, she was nearly invincible among Fourth-Rank cultivators.

After acquiring 【Wilderness Breath】, she had even achieved the impossible feat of defeating a Fifth-Rank cultivator.

The War Mothers of Frostwolf and Frosthammer were merely two Fourth-Rank mages; crushing them was as easy as cutting melons.

"But the War Mother considered long-term consequences," Gao De continued, "believing pure slaughter wouldn't solve anything—it would only breed more hatred and conflict. So after subduing them, she offered a fair price: they must provide sufficient supplies to redeem their War Mothers."

"Once the ransom was delivered on time, the War Mother kept her word and released them," Elder Gai'en added. "Many even praised her for her benevolence."

This, too, had been a decision reached after consultation between Gao De and Su Nai.

To others, grain and ice marrow might seem the most valuable resources, but in Gao De's eyes, population was the most precious resource of all.

Population meant productivity, and it meant potential for growth.

Therefore, unification must never be achieved by force—it would cause casualties and lose too many people; conflict must be avoided as much as possible.

If these two War Mothers were truly killed, it would surely ignite fierce rage from both tribes, potentially sparking a brutal war.

With Su Nai as the absolute military power of the Northern Frontier, and the upgraded Ice Jade Wutong, Phoenix indeed had no fear of war—but casualties were inevitable.

Right now, the top priority for the Ice Crystal Tribe is development. War would not only halt progress but also disrupt the orderly agricultural construction, draining vast amounts of manpower, material, and financial resources, harming production—there was no need for it.

"After they were released, fearing the terrifying power of the War Mother, they certainly wouldn't dare retaliate—but their desire to covet Northwest Wheat No. 1 would never vanish, so they've sent countless rats to spy on Phoenix."

"Although Deputy Director Catherine and Deputy Director Lanwen have already uncovered many of these rats, some always slip through—so the War Mother instructed me that if you plan to return to Phoenix, you must be escorted by me to ensure your safety."

"After all, everyone knows how vital you are to the Ice Crystal Tribe. Since they lack the power to strike at the War Mother, they're very likely to shift their target to you," Elder Gai said seriously.

Su Nai's concerns were entirely reasonable.

"Also, half a month ago, the War Mother herself released a signal, declaring that the Ice Crystal Tribe had resolved its food shortage and was both capable and willing to accept other tribes."

"Since then, six small tribes surrounding our Ice Crystal Tribe have successively sent envoys to make contact, expressing their strong desire to join us."

"These small tribes have long struggled to survive in the harsh conditions of the Northern Frontier; all they seek is a powerful protector and stable food supply. The entire process went smoothly—they agreed instantly, and these six small tribes quickly became part of the Ice Crystal Tribe."

"I don't know the exact details, but their integration brought over ten new magic trees to Valar Bay."

No wonder Yujiatexila's growth had just experienced another major surge—it had reached the stage of absorbing small tribes and integrating resources.

Gao De nodded silently.

Though he had temporarily left the Northern Frontier via Star Realm Teleportation, the more than five hundred thousand people of Phoenix were not mere NPCs waiting for his orders—Su Nai was an outstanding ruler, possessing exceptional talent and decisive leadership.

So even without Gao De, Phoenix was still developing at high speed.

(End of Chapter)