Chapter 140: Attempting a Breakthrough, Dispute [Combined Three Parts]

“Sssss……”

“What a massive snowmane! How could it be this big?”

“This is a mid-grade cold beast!”

“Mid-grade cold beast… we actually killed a mid-grade cold beast…”

“Why is the leader’s flesh all mangled?”

“He got injured. Zou Yuankai and Zhu Shun are unconscious too.”

………………

At the Great Xia encampment, as Xia Hong led his team back into the valley, those waiting outside immediately burst into exclamations of shock.

At their cries, people inside the wooden huts rushed out as well.

Everyone gathered around the enormous corpse of the snowmane, eyes filled with awe and emotion.

The snowmane’s eyes had both been shot out; though motionless and clearly dead, the sight still sent a chill down their spines.

Its two-to-three-meter-long fangs, stained crimson with blood;

Its body riddled with cuts and punctures;

And its skull, riddled with holes;

All bore witness to the harrowing battle the hunting team had just endured.

Most knew the hunting team had gone out tonight to seek a mid-grade cold beast.

When they left, many in the camp had been worried.

But they’d thought: they were only searching, not hunting—surely nothing serious would happen.

Who could have imagined they’d actually attempt to kill a mid-grade cold beast…

And succeeded!

All eyes shifted from the snowmane to the hunting team, then settled on Xia Hong at the front, brimming with admiration and reverence.

Even a hint of fanaticism.

Of course, some noticed Zhu Shun and Zou Yuankai, severely wounded and unconscious, as well as their leader Xia Hong, whose face was scorched beyond recognition by beast blood.

“Don’t crowd here. Carry Zhu Shun and Zou Yuankai inside and treat their wounds first; Xia Chuan, take men to haul the prey up and process it; anyone else on the hunting team with injuries, return immediately to rest; Mu Dong, make a wooden barrel two meters in diameter and bring it to my room.”

No sooner had Xia Hong spoken than he rushed upstairs, clutching the bag of blood.

The others stood bewildered; only Xia Chuan and the hunting team looked up at him, faces etched with worry.

Inside the Redwood Ridge, the dim light and rush to move had concealed it—but once outside, they saw clearly: Xia Hong’s exposed skin was blistered and burned by the cold beast’s blood.

“Will the leader be alright?”

Luo Yuan couldn’t help asking softly.

Xia Chuan paused, then shook his head. “He’ll be fine. If he were truly in danger, he wouldn’t have held out this long. Go drain the blood—Brother should be ready to attempt breaking through to Cold-Resistant level soon.”

Luo Yuan’s worry vanished, replaced by excitement.

The leader’s going to break through to Cold-Resistant level!

………………

“Sssss…”

On the third floor, Xia Hong returned to his room.

As soon as he sat on the chair, he touched his facial skin.

The moment he did, searing pain shot through his mind.

“All my skin’s been burned off—I’m truly unrecognizable now!”

Xia Hong walked to the small wooden barrel in his room, glanced at his reflection in the water, and his pupils widened in horror.

His face was covered in extensive burns; not a single patch of intact skin remained—only raw flesh, his features exposed. Had it not been for the blood, it would have been far more horrifying.

“Though it hurts, I can clearly feel my skin membrane healing—and the speed is increasing. But the burning sensation hasn’t faded at all; it’s growing worse…”

Xia Hong looked down at his body. A few tiny white spots had appeared on his skin. Slow, but clearly spreading.

And as the white spots spread, he could distinctly sense his base strength rising.

Xia Hong clenched his fists, felt the surge of power, and a flicker of excitement crossed his pained expression.

“Indeed, my strength can still rise. Luo Ming said the Cold-Resistant level standard is being able to expose oneself fully to sunlight—clearly referring to those four daylight hours. That means breaking through to Cold-Resistant isn’t instantaneous; it requires constant reshaping of the skin membrane with mid-grade cold beast blood, until it’s perfected.”

“And perfection means enduring those four daylight hours!”

This wasn’t Xia Hong’s wild guess—he’d already suspected it when he saw Yuwen Tao in the Redwood Ridge.

Now, sensing his skin membrane was still in its initial stage of reshaping, he was certain.

Yuwen Tao’s base strength was higher than his, yet he still hunted at night and hadn’t broken through to Cold-Resistant—this alone proved it.

“This bag holds over thirty jin. Add the snowmane’s blood—nearly a hundred jin of cold beast blood. How much reshaping will it achieve?”

The pain was fading, yet Xia Hong showed no joy—only a hollow emptiness inside.

For as the pain receded, so did the sensation of rising strength.

That exhilarating feeling—once you’ve trained, no one could refuse it.

“Leader, the blood’s drained. The barrel’s ready.”

“Come in.”

Xia Chuan and Mu Dong carried a large wooden barrel inside.

The barrel was two meters in diameter, over a meter tall, half-filled with deep crimson blood—clearly from the snowmane they’d brought back.

Afraid of spilling, they moved slowly, carefully lifting it to the center of the room before setting it down gently.

“Brother, are you alright?”

Xia Chuan set down the barrel and turned to Xia Hong. Seeing his face normal, he felt somewhat relieved—but worry still lingered.

“I’m fine. Go tend to your duties. For the next few days, no one is to disturb me unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Yes, Leader!”

Xia Chuan nodded and withdrew with Mu Dong.

Once they left, Xia Hong carried the leather sack to the barrel, opened it, and poured all thirty-plus jin of the demon sheep’s blood into it.

He plunged his hand into the barrel—immediate burning sensation, yet simultaneously, the tingling, numbing, pleasurable sensation of skin membrane reshaping surged forth.

In this tingling process, his muscle strength rose sharply—far more intensely than after consuming cold beast meat and letting it dissipate.

Even on his pained face, Xia Hong couldn’t suppress a look of ecstasy.

“This must be what they mean by pain and pleasure combined. A hundred jin—let’s see how far this reshapes my skin membrane!”

Murmuring to himself, Xia Hong could hold back no longer—he stripped naked and leapt into the barrel.

“Ugh… Ah….”

The instant his body was submerged in blood, searing pain exploded through his mind—he felt every inch of his skin being sliced open, one cut at a time. Veins bulged violently.

From low groans to screams, then to convulsive roars.

His agonized cries echoed throughout the wooden hut.

Xia Chuan, who had just descended to the second floor, and the other hunting team members heard the noise, turned pale, and rushed upstairs.

“Brother, what’s wrong?”

“Leader, are you alright? We’re coming in!”

Xia Chuan shouted once, ready to kick the door open.

Inside, Xia Hong’s voice came again—broken, intermittent groans.

“N-no… don’t… don’t… Ugh… Ah… don’t come in… I’m… fine… Ah…”

The crowd gathered outside stared at each other in silence.

“D-don’t worry… I’m… fine… go back to your duties…”

Though Xia Hong’s voice had grown calmer, those outside still heard the pain and suppression beneath it.

Everyone’s faces showed concern, yet none dared enter—they turned their eyes to Xia Chuan at the front.

“The leader says he’s fine—he’s fine. Go back to your tasks. I’ll stay here. I’ll call you if anything changes.”

Xia Chuan dismissed the crowd and remained outside.

Though worried, they could do nothing—so they left.

“Ugh… Ah… Sssss…”

Outside, Xia Chuan heard his brother’s agonized cries. Though he knew Xia Hong was using cold beast blood to attempt a breakthrough to Cold-Resistant, worry still gnawed at him.

“No precedent exists. No one knows the correct way to use mid-grade cold beast blood. Brother’s risking everything by attempting this so recklessly—if only that damned Mirror Immortal encampment hadn’t appeared…”

Xia Chuan clenched his fists, hatred slowly kindling in his eyes.

If not for the sudden appearance of the Mirror Immortal encampment forcing Xia Hong to rush his breakthrough, he wouldn’t have taken such a risk.

With time, he could’ve gone to the Beehive encampment, learned the proper method, then attempted the breakthrough.

Thinking this, Xia Chuan had no fondness for the Mirror Immortal encampment.

But now, no matter how much he hated it, he could do nothing but wait for Xia Hong to finish.

“Sssss… Ah…”

Though Xia Hong’s cries grew fainter and less frequent over time, the low, suppressed groans of pain never ceased.

From nightfall to dawn, then back to night.

Until the twenty-sixth day of the first month of Great Xia Year One.

The two-day-long screams finally stopped.

The moment the noise ceased, Xia Chuan’s worry returned.

But when he pressed his ear to the door and heard Xia Hong’s rhythmic breathing, he immediately relaxed.

In fact, sensing that Xia Hong’s breath had grown even longer and steadier than before, a hint of anticipation appeared on his face.

Unfortunately, Xia Hong did not come out immediately.

Xia Chuan could only continue waiting by the door.

………………

North of the Arrow Bamboo Grove, the terrain was generally a vast, endless plain.

But along the eastern edge of the plain lay a sunken, oval basin.

The basin was roughly five to six li in diameter, with a maximum depth of over ten meters below the surrounding ground, encircled by a dense ring of artificially transplanted arrow bamboo that sealed it off completely.

At the front and back of the basin, each had been built a straight path leading to the surface, only two meters wide, flanked on both sides by arrow bamboo—barely wide enough for two or three people to walk side by side.

Clearly, there was a human settlement within this basin.

Indeed, inside the basin stood dozens of houses built from green bamboo and round logs, arranged in two rows of four, each row containing five houses; paths had been constructed between every five houses front, back, left, and right, in orderly fashion.

People came and went in and out of the wooden huts, laughing and talking—there were many of them.

In the center of these huts stood a towering bamboo structure over twenty meters tall; unlike the green bamboo used in other huts, this one was made of snow-white bamboo.

Snow-white bamboo sounded strange.

Judging solely by its exterior construction, it certainly was.

Each stalk had a diameter of about one to two meters, not only snow-white but also densely covered with spikes ten centimeters long; only the thick layer of snow on top made them less obvious.

The bamboo tower was over ten meters wide, divided into three stories, with a massive iron pillar, over three meters in diameter, inserted vertically from the base to the roof.

At the bottom of the iron pillar, a slot had been carved, where coal stones burned fiercely, continuously supplying heat throughout the entire tower.

The tower was extremely well-sealed; not a single warmth escaped outside. Though thick snow covered the exterior, the interior remained warm as spring, utterly free of cold.

On the third-floor hall of the bamboo tower, over a hundred people now gathered densely.

Yuwen Tao’s group, returning from Redwood Ridge, had just finished recounting everything that had happened, and several others immediately rose in righteous fury.

=9+Book, okay?

“Second Leader, that Xia Hong is so arrogant—should we still endure him?”

“A mere Digging Realm cultivator dares to show such disrespect to our Mirror Immortal Camp? If this can be tolerated, what cannot? Their settlement must lie east of Redwood Ridge—what are we waiting for?”

“Young Master Tao also said that Xia Hong had already entertained thoughts of murder—still tolerating him like this is sheer cowardice!”

“That Great Xia is just a large camp at most. In my view, no need for words—just go straight there, kill Xia Hong, and absorb the rest of their people.”

“The First Leader himself said we must expand the camp and increase our population. We’ve just crossed the Arrow Bamboo Grove and encountered this Great Xia camp—Heaven itself favors us! Second Leader, this opportunity won’t come again!”

………………

“Enough. Shut up. Your tempers have been growing too strong lately!”

Above the hall stood two large snow-white bamboo chairs.

The one in the center was empty; the one slightly lower and to the left was occupied by a middle-aged man.

The man had thick eyebrows and a broad face, his demeanor calm, dressed entirely in black, with a massive broadsword resting beside him; his features bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Yuwen Tao.

From his appearance and his command for silence, it was clear he was Yuwen Tao’s father—the Second Leader of the Mirror Immortal Camp, Yuwen the Guardian.

Yuwen the Guardian scanned the agitated crowd below, his gaze lingering on He Meng at the front; his brows furrowed slightly, then he turned to his son Yuwen Tao, paused, and asked softly:

“Are you certain that Xia Hong’s strength is even inferior to yours?”

After a moment’s thought, Yuwen Tao nodded: “Though I was injured at the time and my perception may not have been precise, his qi and muscle movements were clearly weaker than mine in full condition—no more than just over thirty thousand jin in limit.”

“Later, when I offered him half the cold-beast blood, he accepted immediately—this alone proves he’s still in the phase of reshaping his skin membrane, and his progress is likely even behind mine!”

Yuwen the Guardian shook his head, looking puzzled: “The Digging Realm’s limit is barely reshaping the skin membrane—how could someone with such weak power dare send you back with a message demanding we keep our waters separate?”

Yuwen Tao’s face also showed confusion as he speculated:

“Perhaps he doesn’t know the true strength of our Mirror Immortal Camp?”

He then glanced at He Meng, still furious, and continued: “He Meng said before that Great Xia has over a hundred Chopping Realm cultivators, each armed with bows—perhaps they have ample iron tools and many Digging and Chopping Realm cultivators.”

…………

Upon hearing this, Yuwen the Guardian immediately shook his head.

Could having many Chopping and Digging Realm cultivators compare to the Mirror Immortal Camp?

On the other side, He Meng couldn’t help sneering:

“Young Master Tao, you’re too quick to inflate their strength. What makes this Great Xia worthy of comparison with our Mirror Immortal Camp? Even if they had a hundred Digging Realm cultivators, before our camp they’d crumble like dirt and dogs.”

“In my view, he’s just a fool who got a bit of confidence and lost all sense of self—Lu Shang said the eastern side of Redwood Ridge originally had only one medium-sized camp, Luo Ge. Great Xia started as a small camp.”

“Likely, during the previous Wood Puppet Ghost incident, Xia Hong contributed significantly, took advantage of Luo Ge’s heavy losses, and swallowed them whole—thus allowing Great Xia to rise to dominance on the eastern side of Redwood Ridge.”

“Once he gained power, he naturally grew arrogant and lost sight of his own limits—it’s perfectly normal!”

The man who spoke after He Meng was He Gang, one of the fifteen who had crossed the Arrow Bamboo Grove with him last time.

As soon as he spoke, many nodded in agreement.

This theory seemed the most plausible.

Even Yuwen the Guardian couldn’t help feeling somewhat convinced.

Only Yuwen Tao, after listening, shook his head directly and said to his father:

“Father, that Xia Hong acts with thorough caution, is extremely prudent in character, and shows no arrogance—he is nothing like what He Gang describes!”

He Gang’s face darkened with anger, about to retort—but Yuwen Tao added:

“Moreover, I believe Xia Hong is no arrogant or overbearing man—he even explained to me that the rodent swarm was a misunderstanding. So He Captain’s earlier words must have been biased!”

This time, He Meng could no longer sit still.

“Young Master Tao, that Xia Hong nearly killed you tonight—I’m speaking for you, yet you defend him so fiercely—have you accepted some bribe from Great Xia Camp?”

He Gang’s eyes gleamed as he followed up coldly:

“I knew it—why did Young Master Tao sneak out hunting late at night without informing the Leader? There must be something suspicious!”

…………

Hearing He Gang and He Meng’s words, Yuwen Tao’s previously calm expression instantly changed. He turned to them, suppressing his rage, and spoke in a low, firm voice:

“I went hunting to avoid taking more than my fair share of the camp’s cold-beast blood, so you wouldn’t whisper behind my back saying I rely only on my father.”

“Whether I received any benefit from Great Xia Camp—ask the men who went hunting with me. Some of them are yours.”

“Oh, right—you’re already lying about me, so you won’t bother to ask!”

After speaking these last words with biting sarcasm, Yuwen Tao stepped beside He Gang and He Meng, ignoring his shoulder wound, drew his broadsword, and pointed it directly at them, roaring:

“Also, I warn you both: from now on, call me by my name. Whoever dares to call me ‘Young Master Tao’ again—even if the First Leader is present—I will drag them onto the arena and settle it Shengsi !”

“Young Master Tao” was not a respectful title—it was a nickname He Meng had deliberately coined to mock Yuwen Tao for relying entirely on his father, Yuwen the Guardian.

At first, it was only whispered privately; Yuwen Tao disliked it but could do nothing. But tonight, He Meng and others had openly shouted it—how could he tolerate it?

Yuwen Tao’s voice was loud, his anger intense—no one doubted he would enforce camp rules and drag anyone who used the nickname onto the arena for a Shengsi duel.

Normally, at a meeting that had turned this tense, He Meng, even if unmoved by Yuwen Tao’s fury, would have held his tongue.

But he did not. Instead, he met Yuwen Tao’s rage head-on, refusing to yield: “You think I’m afraid of the arena? Yuwen Tao, who are you trying to scare? Why not settle this right now?”

Though he claimed he wasn’t afraid, He Meng dared not utter the three words “Young Master Tao” again—but his defiant stance made Yuwen Tao instinctively step forward.

Just as Yuwen Tao was about to accept He Meng’s challenge, he glanced sideways and saw his father gently shaking his head above him. He immediately calmed down, paused, and finally said nothing, stepping back.

“Heh…………”

To He Meng and the others, Yuwen Tao’s posture looked like surrender. He sneered triumphantly.

“Enough. Say less, all of you!”

Above, Yuwen the Guardian ended the quarrel and continued:

“No matter what hidden strength Great Xia Camp or Xia Hong possesses, they cannot simply seize Redwood Ridge without cause.”

“Since we’ve already made contact, let strength speak.”

“No matter what ties or agreements existed between Luo Ge and Great Xia, the land formerly held by Lu Shang’s camp belongs unquestionably to our Mirror Immortal Camp.”

“All hunting activities proceed as usual. Redwood Ridge remains open to us.”

“If you meet Xia Hong again, deliver this message: if he truly wishes to claim Redwood Ridge alone, let strength decide!”

Hearing this, He Meng’s face broke into a smile.

Letting strength decide suited him perfectly.

Suddenly thinking of something, He Meng’s expression turned cruel as he stepped forward to ask:

“Second Leader, Great Xia has many people. The First Leader previously said we must rapidly expand our population—why not just kill Xia Hong and absorb all of Great Xia Camp into ours?”

Yuwen the Guardian did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned to look behind the bamboo tower, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face.

“Killing them outright is unnecessary. First, try persuasion—let Xia Hong voluntarily bring his people into our Mirror Immortal Camp. That would be best…”

He Meng cut him off before he finished, pressing further:

“What if persuasion fails?”

Yuwen the Guardian looked at He Meng, his brows furrowing. He knew exactly what answer He Meng wanted—but it contradicted his own principles, so he said nothing.

Seeing Yuwen the Guardian remain silent, He Meng grew increasingly impatient, about to speak again.

At that moment, a voice as smooth as jade came from behind the bamboo tower.

“Tao’er did well tonight—led a team to slay two medium cold-beasts, still wounded, yet managed to outmaneuver opponents and return safely with both kills. Courage and strategy—you’ve raised an excellent son, second brother!”

At the sound of the voice, everyone in the hall bowed deeply to the ground.

“Thank you, Leader, for your praise!”

Facing the praise from behind the tower, Yuwen Tao immediately bowed his head in response, his expression composed, his face utterly expressionless.

Beside him, He Meng clenched his fists tightly, his face filled with envy.

Yuwen the Guardian, seated at the very top, also stood up at once, bowing his head slightly toward the direction of the voice.

“Your leadership flatters me!”

The voice from behind the bamboo pavilion fell silent for a moment, then spoke again.

“Starting today, the camp will add a new intermediate hunting team, led by Yuwen Tao, tasked with hunting mid-tier cold beasts.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd in the hall erupted into heated discussion.

The Mirror Immortal Camp’s hunting teams are divided into three tiers: high, intermediate, and low.

As the name implies, each tier of hunting team handles cold beasts of corresponding rank.

The low-tier teams need no explanation—there are plenty of them in the Mirror Immortal Camp.

Currently, there is only one high-tier team, with twelve members, personally led by the leader and second-in-command, both Cold-Resistant experts; the other ten are the camp’s ten strongest Earth-Digging experts.

Previously, there were only two intermediate teams, each composed of some of the camp’s stronger Earth-Digging experts.

He Meng was the captain of one such team.

Now, a third is being formed, and it will be led personally by Yuwen Tao.

Though it seems merely the position of intermediate hunting team captain, the added influence, the leader’s favor, and the improved status—these three things are precisely what every Earth-Digging expert in the camp dreams of.

In a single sentence, the leader has granted Yuwen Tao all of it!

Everyone turned to look at Yuwen Tao, their eyes brimming with envy.

He Meng, whose face had already been twisted with jealousy, now looked utterly contorted.

Yuwen Tao, clearly unprepared for such favor from Leader He Yuanhun, froze in shock.

“Whether by killing or persuasion, I don’t care how you handle the Great Xia Camp—just bring all of them into our Mirror Immortal Camp. This matter, I leave in your hands, younger brother.”

After speaking these final words, He Yuanhun did not wait for Yuwen the Guardian’s reply; behind the bamboo pavilion, a clear silence settled.

“Yes, Leader!”

Yuwen the Guardian bowed in response; everyone else also bowed respectfully. After a long while, realizing the leader was no longer paying attention to the hall, they slowly raised their heads.

“Alright, do you two understand the leader’s meaning?”

Hearing Yuwen the Guardian’s question, He Meng and Yuwen Tao both nodded.

They turned to face each other, their eyes thick with hostility.

(End of Chapter)