[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades":3,"chapter-endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-122":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Endless Winter: My Camp Infinitely Upgrades",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2266548,4425,"Chapter 122","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-122",122,"\u003Cp>Clang… clang… clang… clang… clang…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hssssss…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten days later, inside the forge room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong, Luo Yuan, Xia Chuan, and Zhao Long, bare-chested, struck the iron ingots on the furnace one after another, the hammering never ceasing;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the left of the room, several craftsmen immersed the red-hot iron ingots into wooden barrels filled with clear water, instantly sending up thick smoke; as soon as the ingots cooled, they rushed them back to the furnace for Xia Hong and the others to hammer;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the right of the room, Xiang Mudong directed two men to tighten one end of the Tengjiao spine tendon, while he pulled the other end, installing it onto the already-forged iron bow frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the door, people kept coming and going—some delivering iron ore, others craning their necks to see if any new bows had been forged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tssssss…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After securing the bowstring, Xiang Mudong tugged hard on the iron bow frame, confirming the tension and sound were perfect, then immediately shouted toward the door:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thirty-second iron bow frame finished—come and take it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Coming! Coming! Coming!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he’d even finished speaking, Shi Ping, who had been guarding the door, sprinted over, took the new bow from Xiang Mudong’s hands, and exclaimed in shock:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So fast? It’s only been half the night, and the leader’s already forged two!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s the leader—he’s getting faster at forging the blanks. Tonight, he alone might forge three bow frames, plus the three senior officers Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and Zhao Long—we should finish six tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ping turned to look at Xia Hong by the furnace, his eyes instantly filled with respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The men below are waiting—I’ll take the bow over first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Mudong nodded, watched Shi Ping leave, then resumed with the other two men, preparing the Tengjiao spine tendons for the next bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten days, thirty-two bows—the iron and coal resources have finally caught up with consumption. At this rate, we’ll hit a hundred iron bow frames in just ten more days!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Xia Hong had been hammering nonstop, he’d heard every word Shi Ping and Xiang Mudong exchanged; after a quick calculation, he realized they were only ten days away from completion—the ten days of taut nerves finally began to ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past ten days, he hadn’t just been hammering iron here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After forging two bows on the first night, the second night he took the hunting team to the north slope of the cliff—unfortunately, luck was poor; they didn’t encounter any lone Nie Shu, and luring them with torches was too risky, so they reluctantly abandoned the idea and prioritized hunting Tengjiao instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nie Shu were too numerous to provoke lightly, but Tengjiao were different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the five-hundred-meter perimeter, inside Hongmu Ridge, there were plenty of Tengjiao—he’d seen three before; they’d already taken down one, and that same night Xia Hong led the hunting team to eliminate the other two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After testing, they confirmed Tengjiao sensed enemies through their tails, but the range was limited—roughly ten meters. As long as they kept their distance precise, used bows first, then attacked with the great axe, hunting them wasn’t overly difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the two Tengjiao, they harvested two poison sacs, over forty jin of Tengjiao saliva, and seventy-five meters of spine tendon—adding to the previous thirty-eight meters, Xia Hong now had enough material to forge fifty-six iron bow frames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spine tendon was temporarily sufficient; the next challenge was iron ore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the aid of two Nie Chi drills, the seven men could extract at most 1,300 jin of iron ore per day—and Yuan Cheng’s injury hadn’t healed yet, so with only six men, output was even lower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, Xia Hong knew it would take too long to gather enough ore, so he took the risk: every day he took Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan to the north slope of the cliff, trying their luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, on the third day, their luck arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two more Nie Shu unexpectedly wandered out of the north slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong seized the chance, lured them at the limit of torch range, and successfully hunted both—adding another Nie Chi drill to the camp’s arsenal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With three Nie Chi drills, the seven men’s daily extraction rose to 1,600 jin—enough to forge five iron bow frames per day, with a little left over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, to minimize bow-making time, whenever iron ore was sufficient, only three men remained in the mine to dig; Xia Hong took the other three to forge bows; when ore ran low, they split up—some went back to mining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This greatly improved efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and Zhao Long used the iron hammers Xia Hong had made; initially, they could forge only two bow frames per night, but as they forged more, their skill rapidly improved—now, each could forge one per night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, with the polishing stone’s aid and his superior strength, Xia Hong’s forging skill was even higher; at first, he could only forge two per night, but today, he could forge three alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Resources: Wood 30295 Coal 1021 Iron 40 Silver 0 Gold 0】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Iron ore is about to run out—in three more nights, the Tengjiao spine tendons will be nearly gone. We need to hunt more Tengjiao, and we must check the Nie Shu herd’s movements on the north slope—try our luck again for any lone ones. Ideally, get two more Nie Chi drills—then we can speed up even more!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the dwindling iron reserves, Xia Hong’s expression grew slightly grim; he handed the newly forged bow blank to the craftsmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making bows relied solely on him and the other Dijie cultivators—impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their greatest role was smelting the iron and forging the bow blanks, then handing them to the craftsmen to cool, shape, and string; only after Xiang Mudong personally tested them and confirmed a pull strength of five thousand jin did a bow count as complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The process wasn’t complicated, but it required precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the bow’s curvature wasn’t controlled properly, it couldn’t generate sufficient tension with the string—such bows would severely weaken range and power, rendering them unusable, forced back to the furnace for remelting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tightness of the bowstring was especially critical: too tight, and it snapped under stress; too loose, and it couldn’t generate adequate tension with the frame. The latter was manageable—just readjust; the former, if the string snapped, meant two meters of Tengjiao spine tendon were wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xia Chuan and the others first joined forging blanks, they had many failures; Xiang Mudong had also wasted two Tengjiao spine tendons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, as their bow-making experience grew, mistakes dwindled—recently, they’d achieved a hundred percent success rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Xiang Mudong strung the bow, tested it, and signaled it was fine, Xia Hong’s third longbow of the night was finally complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Xia Chuan and the others had also finished their bow blanks and handed them to the craftsmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Xiang Mudong had strung and tested all three, Xia Hong exhaled, and said to everyone: “We’ve used up nearly all the iron ore—take a break for now. Let’s stockpile two days’ worth before resuming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s expressions relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For ten straight days, not only had Xia Hong and the seven Dijie cultivators worked nonstop, but Xiang Mudong and the craftsmen had barely rested at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stockpiling two days’ iron ore meant two days of rest—naturally, their spirits lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, those who could relax didn’t include Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and Zhao Long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dijie cultivators still had to go mining to stockpile iron ore—that was their duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though exhausted, Xia Chuan and the others showed no signs of fatigue or annoyance; instead, they worked with full vigor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, their leader Xia Hong led by example—he worked faster and harder than any of them, so none dared complain;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, making bows was for fighting the Nie Shu herd—not just for the camp, but for their own safety;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third, each iron bow forged from their own hands gave them a deep sense of accomplishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remember, all camps around Hongmu Ridge combined had produced only eleven iron bow frames in decades—yet in these past ten short days, under Xia Hong’s leadership, they’d forged thirty-six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as progress accelerated, a hundred iron bow frames now loomed within reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sense of accomplishment couldn’t be described in mere words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once over a hundred iron bow frames were forged, the Great Xia Camp’s strength would leap forward—a hundred bows firing together would be an awe-inspiring sight; paired with Tengjiao poison sacs, even the Nie Shu herd on the north slope wouldn’t stand a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xiang Mudong lead the others off to rest, Xia Hong also led Xia Chuan and the others out of the forge room, preparing to head downstairs to the mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as soon as they reached the first floor, a commotion erupted at the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Ning, two hundred meters—one ring hit!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Ning, impressive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong hurried out curiously and found over a hundred people lined up, taking turns shooting arrows at targets set up before the wooden huts in the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Ning had just finished; Shi Ping was recording his score on a wooden board, then handed the bow to the next man, who aimed at the target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man’s skill was inferior to Xu Ning’s—he’d hit the bullseye, scoring a one-ring, but he’d chosen the hundred-meter target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Luo Kai, one hundred meters, ten rings.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far away, Shi Ping stepped out again, confirmed the score, and loudly announced it, then moved to the next shooter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is… a competition?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the targets set up from fifty to two hundred meters, and observing Shi Ping’s actions, Xia Hong immediately understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Xia Chuan remembered Xia Hong didn’t know about the archery contest—he stepped forward to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Xia Hong’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent—this contest will accelerate their archery improvement!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With merit points as reward and public recognition, they could gain both fame and benefit—no wonder they competed so enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We could add a ranking for basic strength improvement—monthly or however often—separate tiers for Famu and Dijie cultivators; those with the greatest gains get merit point rewards.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong instantly realized this contest could extend to cultivation—and many other areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan’s eyes lit up too, nodding eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood, leader—I’ll arrange it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Bingyuan World, every villager was a soldier—cultivation was as essential as eating and drinking; short weapons, archery, wilderness survival skills, and hunting knowledge—all must be mastered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, the camp’s archery practice hadn’t been this large because there weren’t enough iron bow frames—only eleven total; the hunting team used them on expeditions, and Xia Hong had kept just one in camp—so few could train.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with iron bow frames surging to forty-seven, though not enough for everyone, they could easily support over a hundred people taking turns practicing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans are social creatures—once everyone started training, competition and comparison were inevitable; combined with Xia Chuan’s ten-day cycle, this gave them public recognition and merit point rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone won the contest outright, it was a double win—fame and reward—so enthusiasm for archery training soared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fiery competition before them proved it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shi Ping, two hundred meters, ten rings.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoa, Shi Ping’s archery is this strong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—his father, Shi Qing, is our archery instructor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s in Class A now—nine people already in Class A, and we’re only halfway through—Class B won’t make the top ten.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Definitely—Class A will have over ten people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s this contest structured?” Seeing Shi Ping compete and hearing the crowd’s shocked reactions, Xia Hong grew curious about the rules and turned to ask Xia Chuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan had designed the contest—he knew it well: “All Famu and above, except the hunting team, may enter; targets are set at two hundred, one hundred, and fifty meters, each with ten rings; competitors choose their target distance to enter Class A, B, or C.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only hitting the ten-ring counts as a valid score, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only hitting the bullseye counts as a passing score, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Xu Ning and Shi Ping’s scores, along with several others’, all declared as ten rings, Xia Hong immediately understood the rules Xia Chuan had established.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, upon hearing this, Xia Chuan nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong pondered for a moment but said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This rule, though seemingly harsh, was unquestionably beneficial with no drawbacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cruelty of the Ice Abyss World was best known to those like them who ventured out to hunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one couldn’t achieve perfect accuracy in static shooting, they had no business facing the powerful and cunning cold beasts of Red Wood Ridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But what if more than ten people score ten rings?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>=9+Book_bar\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since only ten-ring hits counted as Class A, everyone who qualified would have identical scores, making it impossible to distinguish rankings—yet Xia Chuan’s rewards were all based on rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan clearly had prepared for this question; he pointed to his left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong followed his gesture and saw the wooden training post standing quietly to the left—suddenly, he understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, let them compete. We’ll head to the mine first…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong was about to lead Xia Chuan and the others away, but before he finished speaking, someone behind spotted them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The leader’s here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The leader came to watch our competition!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Make way for the leader!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, why not ask the leader to shoot an arrow for us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I’ve never seen the leader shoot an arrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, let the leader shoot one for us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had been the first to suggest Xia Hong shoot an arrow; instantly, everyone grew excited, for aside from a few in the hunting team, none of them had ever seen Xia Hong shoot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even without seeing it, they’d heard rumors from hunting team members—knowing Xia Hong’s archery was impressive, which was why they urged him on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong smiled and waved his hand, not wanting to demonstrate—but seeing their enthusiasm, even Shi Ping stepping forward to hand him the bow, he could only sigh in resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, since you want to see it, I’ll try—but I won’t compete for ranking. Just watch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since their insistence was hard to refuse, Xia Hong no longer declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took the longbow from Shi Ping, stirred his mind slightly, and the coal stone in the abdominal groove of the wooden post on the opposite side instantly glowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a flash of light, the wooden post transformed into a Bone-Spike Frost Wolf, stepping to the far end of the wooden hut, stopping roughly two hundred meters from Xia Hong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The cold beasts of Red Wood Ridge aren’t static targets. Whether hunting, gathering, or chopping wood, if you encounter them, they won’t stand still waiting for your arrows!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had Xia Hong finished speaking than the other wooden post’s transformed Bone-Spike Frost Wolf surged forward with all four limbs, launching like a cannonball straight at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the five cold beasts he’d encountered so far, Frost Wolves were second only to Rodent Beasts in speed—two hundred meters took them less than ten breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh… shhh… shhh… shhh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the Frost Wolf moved, Xia Hong nocked and loosed four arrows in rapid succession—his first arrow took a full breath, but the next three were fired the instant he drew, without a moment spent aiming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone turned back to the Frost Wolf and sucked in a collective breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first two arrows struck the wolf’s eyes; the immense impact sent its head snapping backward, nearly flipping its entire body into a full rearward somersault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next two arrows predicted its backward flight path, piercing straight through its shoulder blades and pinning its body to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud… thud… roar…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wooden post’s illusion of the Frost Wolf was hyper-realistic; though struck by four arrows, its life had not yet fully faded—it thrashed and roared wildly on the ground, wrenching free from the two shoulder arrows, then began retreating as if trying to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong’s eyes gleamed slightly—this wooden post’s simulation was truly at its absolute limit, perfectly replicating the cold beast’s reactions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, his hands didn’t stop—he stepped forward several paces, drew his bow again, and fired six more arrows at the evasive, darting Frost Wolf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One arrow through the head, four through the body, the last through the tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wooden post’s illusion of the Frost Wolf was finally pinned to the ground by Xia Hong’s arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xia Hong finished his ten arrows, the entire crowd fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stared at the motionless Frost Wolf, utterly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong’s ten arrows had taken no more than a dozen breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those who had just competed, that span wasn’t enough time to even nock an arrow and aim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Xia Hong had not only fired ten arrows—he’d hit every single one, each precisely as he intended, and according to the wooden post’s judgment, he’d successfully hunted a Frost Wolf with his bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His archery’s this good too? Can the leader do anything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The leader’s archery is insane!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t just good—it’s divine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So does that mean the leader could hunt alone with just his bow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gulp…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ping pushed through the crowd to the front, saw that nearly half of Xia Hong’s arrows were buried in the ground, swallowed hard, his eyes filled with shock and awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These arrows had all pierced through the Frost Wolf’s body first before embedding in the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not only is he this accurate—he’s also dozens of times stronger. No wonder the leader said he wouldn’t compete; if he did, none of us would stand a chance for top ten…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ping had always been proud of his archery—he’d trained since childhood under his father Shi Qing, and his talent was no small thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after seeing Xia Hong’s ten arrows, he was suddenly humbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The leader learned archery from my father too, and for a much shorter time—yet his skill dwarfs mine. Clearly, only real hunting, facing real cold beasts, can rapidly improve one’s archery. I must train harder, earn my place in the hunting team, and join the leader and Master Xia Chuan on expeditions!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His once-proud archery now felt pitiful. Shi Ping was slightly crushed—but at the same time, a fiercer determination ignited within him, burning to reach Xia Hong’s level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calming his emotions, Shi Ping looked up and realized that while everyone was still buzzing, Xia Hong had already quietly led Xia Chuan and the others toward the mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Xia Hong’s back, Shi Ping’s eyes burned with reverence and fervor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, continue the competition! The leader’s strength isn’t something we can match—someday, if our archery reaches even half his level, we’ll be blessed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the crowd’s excitement finally subsided, Shi Ping stepped forward and announced the competition would resume.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder you didn’t let the hunting team join—their reactions were way too extreme!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mine entrance, Xia Hong shook his head as he entered, recalling the exaggerated reactions from everyone after his demonstration—his expression was oddly amused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, Leader, they’ve never officially hunted before—they’ve barely even seen a cold beast. How could they have seen such archery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yuan burst into laughter. Xia Hong’s strength was undeniable, but strictly in archery, the hunting team had several who were stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Long, for instance, was one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not quite,” Zhao Long said. “The leader’s archery isn’t weak to begin with, and his base strength far exceeds ours—his arrows carry far greater killing power. Their reaction is perfectly normal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Zhao Long, Xia Chuan nodded and smiled: “If we let the hunting team compete against them, it’d be bullying. I bet even Yuan Cheng could take a top-three spot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone laughed, even Xia Hong chuckled a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the fifteen hunting team members, Yuan Cheng was the worst archer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chuan, your archery’s no better. Wait till I get time to practice a few days—I’ll make you come in last.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four laughing men had unknowingly walked deep into the mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Cheng, who was mining inside, clearly heard Xia Chuan’s teasing and retorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong laughed loudly and led the three forward quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Greetings, Leader!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Cheng, Zhao Hu, and Zhao Bao, who were mining, turned and bowed respectfully as Xia Hong entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong waved for them to rise, then frowned slightly at the ground—only twenty or so iron ore stones lay there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re running low on iron ore and spine tendons. Tonight, first check the north slope of the cliff—see if we can kill a few more Rodent Beasts, then head to Red Wood Ridge to hunt some Tengjiao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daybreak’s coming. Light a fire in the cave—we seven will mine more iron ore today and push the pace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong spoke and immediately picked up a ram’s horn pickaxe to begin digging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yuan and Zhao Long did the same; Xia Chuan went outside and soon returned with others carrying in plenty of firewood. Once the fire was lit and the cave warmed, he too picked up a ram’s horn pickaxe and joined the six others in mining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3509,"2026-06-19T20:30:15.201Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","13e9a42d441374274ac984647848e8bd4ef578a2ca777fe4c11091efdefcdbcf","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-123","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-121",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fendless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-cover.jpg"]