Chapter 151: Mysterious Guest, Unlocking the Cold-Resisting Secret [Request Monthly Votes]

As soon as Yuwen the Guardian left, the entire dense forest fell silent.

"Leader, weren't you saying you hadn't broken through to the Cold-Resisting level yet?"

Luo Yuan's slightly reproachful question caused everyone to turn and stare at Xia Hong.

Xia Chuan, Yue Feng, and Luo Yuan shared similar expressions, also tinged with blame.

Clearly, all three believed Xia Hong had deceived them earlier.

The other fourteen faces, however, wore only joy and excitement.

He had faced Yuwen the Guardian head-on—and nearly landed a killing blow.

Even if Xia Hong claimed he hadn't broken through to the Cold-Resisting level, no one would believe him.

Watching their gazes shift from jubilant to reverent and fervent, Xia Hong shook his head slightly, thought for a moment, and ultimately gave up on explaining.

"Gather the gear—we're heading back!"

Everyone snapped back to attention, turned to the corpses of He Meng and the others, and broke into relieved, satisfied smiles.

"From now on, the Mirror Immortal Camp won't dare look down on us again!"

"Not just that—they probably won't dare enter Redwood Ridge anymore."

"Not necessarily. With an entire hunting team of twenty-five wiped out, they might react even more fiercely—we still need to be cautious."

"True. Our leader's strength doesn't mean we're strong too. The Mirror Immortal Camp is a massive camp with a huge population—if they truly come with everyone, we'll be in serious trouble."

"What's to fear? With our leader, five wooden stakes, and torches, even if they do come with a force, we're completely unafraid!"

"Their two strongest Cold-Resisting experts couldn't touch our leader—what else can they do? If they want to outnumber us, we'll just lure in the Frost Beasts. Either way, they won't dare bully the Great Xia Camp!"

"Hahaha, you little rascal, you're ruthless."

…………

Hearing the relaxed chatter of the group, Xia Hong's gaze sharpened slightly, but his heart was utterly at ease.

That Yuwen the Guardian held partial influence in the Mirror Immortal Camp proved his strength was not far from He Yuanhun's.

At 31% progress, his strength was already nearing seventy thousand catties; once the Skin Reformation stage was complete, his base strength would be at least one hundred fifty thousand.

A normal Cold-Resisting expert's base strength barely exceeded one hundred thousand catties—he'd reach that once his progress hit 60%.

If that was the case, what did he have to fear?

"Let's end today's matter here. If the Mirror Immortal Camp doesn't come looking for trouble again, I won't provoke them. But if they dare come back…"

Xia Hong gazed northward, his eyes chilling slightly.

The fastest way to expand Great Xia's population was clearly to annex other camps.

If the Mirror Immortal Camp continued to harass them, he wouldn't mind swallowing a massive camp with over five thousand people.

Xia Chuan led the group in swiftly collecting all the weapons of He Meng and his men, along with the prey they'd hunted.

"Two Snowmanes, one Demon Goat, twenty-five greatswords, twenty-five bows and arrows, and five Lei Kui shields—Hahaha, we're rich!"

Hearing such a haul, Xia Hong couldn't help but smile.

Not to mention the three beasts—if they'd hunted them themselves, it would've taken tremendous effort and risked injury; even the swords and bows alone, accounting for mining and forging, would've taken them days.

Yet now, they'd acquired it all in one night!

Killing, arson, and gold belts—indeed, an eternal truth.

"The greatswords and bows use roughly the same amount of iron as our own forging, but these bowstrings don't seem to be Tengjiao sinew?"

Hearing Zhao Long's remark, Xia Hong's attention stirred—he took the bow from him and examined the bowstring closely.

Unlike the half-centimeter-thick Tengjiao sinew, this bowstring was woven from hundreds of thin white filaments.

Moreover, the filaments emitted a faint, elusive fragrance.

Xia Hong pulled gently, testing its resilience—it was nearly identical to Tengjiao sinew, and his interest immediately waned.

"Take it back and study it later!"

Different camps used different materials based on their environments—using Tengjiao sinew for bowstrings in Redwood Ridge didn't mean others did the same.

Everyone nodded, quickly gathered all the supplies, assigned several men to carry the three beasts, and set off on the return journey.

"So this is how Lei Kui skulls are used—five are needed to make one shield. That means each shield requires killing five Lei Kui. The difficulty is too high."

Xia Chuan played with the shield He Meng and the others had used, studied it for a moment, then recognized it as a Lei Kui skull.

The last time Xia Hong returned from the north with a Lei Kui, Xia Chuan had been present during its processing at the Camp Supply Office—hence his recognition.

The Lei Kui's head had a bony protrusion, half a meter long and ten centimeters wide, extending from its body—this bone was incredibly hard, leaving no mark even under any iron tool.

Xia Chuan had once wondered why such a small piece could be useful—now he understood: five pieces combined formed a shield.

Of course—it would be impractical to carry such a large shield daily; dividing it among five men allowed partial protection of vital areas, and they could combine them into a shield when needed—far more practical.

"The crafting is difficult, but it's effective—this shield can block arrows fired by Cold-Resisting experts. No wonder they hunt Frost Beasts so easily!"

As Luo Yuan spoke, everyone remembered: Xia Hong's arrows had been blocked by this very shield.

All eyes turned to the golden shield, blazing with desire.

"Let me see it too."

Remembering how his own arrows had been blocked, Xia Hong took the Lei Kui skull, squeezed it hard, then scraped it with his Yi Dao—no mark remained. His eyes widened in surprise.

His three previous arrows had stretched the bow to its limit—those weren't his maximum strength; he estimated they carried no more than forty-five thousand catties of impact.

But now, his static base strength was nearly seventy thousand catties—yet the Lei Kui skull remained unscathed.

"Too bad we can't dismantle it—if we could turn it into armor, it'd be even better. As a shield, it's still excellent—even if it can't fully block Cold-Resisting attacks, it's close."

After his assessment, Xia Hong tossed the skull back to Xia Chuan.

Xia Chuan caught it, then said:

"Xiang Mudong already examined it. Lei Kui hide isn't as hard as the skull, but its defense is still strong—can withstand twenty to thirty thousand catties of impact. It's suitable for armor. Last time's Lei Kui yielded over ten meters of hide—enough for five sets. He's been busy with it lately."

Hearing this, Xia Hong's expression brightened slightly—good news indeed.

Lei Kui hide was indeed tough. Twenty to thirty thousand catties meant little against Cold-Resisting experts, but it could easily defend against most Earth-Digging experts.

Imagine two Earth-Digging experts fighting— if one wore Lei Kui hide armor, even with lesser strength, his odds of victory would be far higher.

As they chatted and walked, they soon reached the edge of Redwood Ridge. Through several large trees, they spotted the camp valley ahead.

Suddenly, a man leapt down from a tree ahead and sprinted across the snow toward them.

"Leader, you're finally back!"

"Shi Ping, what are you doing here?"

Xia Chuan was the first to recognize the man—Shi Ping.

Seeing Shi Ping's anxious expression, Xia Hong's gaze grew curious.

"Leader, a stranger has come to the camp!"

Hearing this, Xia Hong froze, then his expression changed sharply. He quickened his pace toward the camp, frowning as he asked Shi Ping in a low voice:

"Who is he? Has he entered the valley?"

The hunting team's expressions shifted rapidly as they hurried after him.

Shi Ping hurried to keep up, answering gravely: "I don't know him. His clothes are refined—not local. He came straight down from the mountain, bypassed the passage, yet touched the Ignition Oil—and entered our wooden huts without showing any abnormality."

Hearing Shi Ping's words, Xia Hong and the others slowed their steps, their expressions calming.

As long as it wasn't a Ghoul, anything was manageable!

Shi Ping clearly understood Xia Hong's concern—he added: "He says his name is Gao Yu. He got lost on the mountain and stumbled into the valley by accident. We were going to drive him off, but…"

As they neared the valley entrance, Xia Hong noticed Shi Ping's hesitant expression and asked: "But what?"

"That man… is just too polite…"

As Shi Ping spoke, Xia Hong's expression grew increasingly peculiar.

When he descended the mountain, he wasn't empty-handed—he carried four Frost Beasts, all mid-tier, and Shi Ping had never seen their kind before.

Upon arriving, he immediately offered to give the four beasts to Great Xia, asking only to stay temporarily.

Even with such tempting prey, Shi Ping and the others dared not agree without permission—they said they couldn't decide.

He understood, didn't press them, and said he'd wait for the leader's return to speak directly—if refused, he'd leave immediately.

Shi Ping had no choice but to leave others to guard the camp and came to the edge of Redwood Ridge to wait for Xia Hong.

"Let's go inside and find out."

At the valley entrance, Xia Hong listened, said nothing, glanced at the towering mountain behind, thought for a moment, then led everyone into the passage.

A lone man descending from the mountain, carrying four mid-tier Frost Beasts unknown to them—this alone suggested his strength far exceeded their expectations.

Such a man—even if he were rude, Shi Ping and the others could do nothing.

No, better to say: it was fortunate he was polite.

Had he been eccentric or murderous, those left in the camp might have suffered a terrible fate.

…………

"Hey, no—your fist technique is good, but training fists alone won't do. The Wood-Cutting stage is the critical time to lay the foundation—you must train all five areas: fists, legs, head, torso, and back."

Only by expanding the limits of each body part will your progress accelerate toward the Earth-Digging stage—and even later…"

As they entered the passage, before reaching the valley, Xia Hong heard a strange voice—calm, soothing, carrying a uniquely reassuring quality. Even before seeing him, Xia Hong felt a faint liking.

The voice sounded… around thirty.

"Greetings, Leader!" Xia Hong entered the valley, waved to the guards at the entrance, then looked toward the wooden hut, his expression tightening slightly.

Outside the hut, dozens of children, all six years or older, were practicing fist forms.

Among them stood a middle-aged man in white robes, his back to Xia Hong—his face unseen, but Xia Hong could see a black-as-ink longsword slung diagonally at his waist. His hands were just raising a round log before him.

The man seemed unaware of their arrival—he was repeatedly striking the log with his fists, legs, head, torso, and back, clearly teaching the children how to forge their bodies.

"Leader!"

"The leader's back."

"The hunting team's all back!"

………………

Children are too young to keep secrets; seeing Xia Hong and the hunting team enter, they immediately began to clamor.

"Alright, alright, dawn's almost here—everyone, go inside and train!"

=9+ Shu _ Ba

Hearing Xia Hong's words, the children thought dawn was truly near, and immediately turned, laughing, back toward the wooden huts.

Only then did the middle-aged man turn around to face Xia Hong and the others.

The instant he saw the man's face, Xia Hong froze slightly, and eight characters flashed unbidden into his mind: "face like a jade crown, eyes like bright stars."

It was strange—in this world of Binghe, such a man could exist!

Years of nocturnal activity and the brutal, freezing environment made it nearly impossible for anyone to remain good-looking—even those born with fine features couldn't escape nature's punishment.

Add to that the constant battles against cold beasts and monstrous things; whether himself or anyone he'd met, everyone carried a rough, savage, even brutal and cruel aura.

Yet this middle-aged man in white robes exuded an aura of gentleness, composure, nobility—and even… refinement?

That such a word had surfaced in his mind made Xia Hong momentarily dazed; his suspicion deepened.

Beishuozhen was, as far as he knew, the most prosperous and advanced place he'd ever encountered—yet even Yang Ning and Li Hu from there had never given him this feeling.

Even without considering strength, this man's aura alone could reduce Yang and Li to dust.

Of course, the moment he drew near and realized he could sense no fluctuation in the man's Qi or muscle, Xia Hong immediately understood: this man's strength far surpassed his own.

"I, Gao Yu, had assumed the leader of this Great Xia encampment—capable of forging such a paradise in this barren land—must be an elderly, wise elder. I never imagined Brother Xia Hong would be so young. Clearly, my experience is still too limited!"

…………

"That man is far too courteous…"

Xia Hong's expression turned strange; only now did he understand Shi Ping's earlier words.

He praised them outright upon meeting, and with his handsome appearance to boot.

Such a man made it nearly impossible to harbor ill will.

"Gao…"

"I'm a few years older than you, Xia Hong. If you don't mind, let's address each other as brothers, shall we?"

He offered a ladder before I'd even finished speaking—how sharp-eyed!

Xia Hong's expression grew even stranger. Thinking of the man's strength, his heart began to pound. After a moment's thought, he walked to the hut's entrance and invited:

"Brother Gao, why not come inside and talk at ease?"

Sensing Xia Hong had many questions, Gao Yu smiled lightly and nodded, following Xia Hong and the others into the hut.

He led Gao Yu all the way to the first-floor main hall, beside the smelting furnace. Seeing the man show no trace of surprise at its appearance—just as Shi Ping had said—Xia Hong finally lowered most of his guard.

Not a monster… good.

"Xia Hong brother, this furnace isn't ordinary!"

Hearing this, Xia Hong lifted his head, eyes sharp, searching Gao Yu's face for any hidden meaning—but found only a casual glance at the furnace, no reaction at all. His mind shifted slightly; he asked casually:

"Oh? Brother Gao, what makes my furnace so unusual?"

Gao Yu stepped to the furnace, studied it closely, even reached out to touch its surface, feeling the heat from the coal stones, then turned back and praised: "I can't tell its exact structure, but its heating efficiency is extraordinary—and coal consumption is low. If this could be widely adopted, how many lives might it save?"

At these words, the tension in Xia Hong's chest instantly dissolved.

The furnace's heating effect did far exceed ordinary iron furnaces; considering its range—covering a hundred-meter radius—and its daily coal consumption of four hundred catties, it was indeed efficient.

But most crucial was the man's final sentence.

"If this could be widely adopted, how many lives might it save?"

Xia Hong felt the sincerity in Gao Yu's tone—that was why he truly relaxed.

"Pity—this device was something I stumbled upon by accident. Widespread adoption seems impossible…"

After this reply, Xia Hong cut straight to the point:

"Brother Gao, where are you from? What brings you to Hongmuling? Could you enlighten us?"

Those seated here weren't just Xia Hong—the rest of the hunting team were present too.

All eyes fixed on Gao Yu, awaiting his answer.

"Shenwu Village, Gao Yu."

Gao Yu clearly had prepared for Xia Hong's questions; his expression remained calm and composed, as if he weren't the center of attention.

After introducing himself, he showed a hint of helplessness, bowed slightly to Xia Hong, and shook his head: "You may find it hard to believe, but I truly got lost while hunting, accidentally passed through Shuanglong Mountain, and wandered into your encampment by chance. I meant no offense—please forgive me, Brother Xia!"

"Village"—so it was a large human settlement, between encampment and town.

Shenwu Village—what an impressive name.

Shuanglong Mountain must refer to the two towering peaks flanking the valley's east and west.

Passed through Shuanglong Mountain?

Xia Hong looked up at Gao Yu, his heart giving a slight jolt.

It was laughable: though Great Xia's encampment lay right in the valley, Xia Hong had never once climbed either of the two towering peaks on either side.

He knew only that they stood over two thousand meters high. Everything else—the tree species, cold beast types and distribution, terrain, even whether humans lived there—he knew nothing.

The reason was simple: Hongmuling lay right before him; there was no need to venture into unknown territory. Besides, nothing unusual had ever occurred atop the peaks—no reason to bother.

But after Wang He's incident, while applying Ninghuo oil to the cliff wall, he'd climbed up once and glanced far eastward—toward the valley's rear.

Shuanglong Mountain's scale dwarfed Hongmuling; he estimated its east-west span at over two hundred kilometers.

This Gao Yu claims he crossed Shuanglong Mountain?

That means his Shenwu Village lies beyond Shuanglong Mountain.

He hunted alone, crossing a two-hundred-kilometer range…

Never mind hunting alone.

What did it mean to cross two hundred kilometers alone?

In the year since he arrived, even including the outer two or three kilometers beyond Hongmuling, Xia Hong's entire range of movement hadn't exceeded ten kilometers.

This was utterly impossible!

"May I ask, Brother Gao, what…"

Xia Hong started to speak, then instantly realized it was inappropriate and fell silent.

"You don't believe I crossed Shuanglong Mountain alone—you're wondering what level I've reached, correct?"

This Gao Yu wasn't just courteous—he was a sharp one!

He knew exactly what I was about to ask before I'd finished speaking!

Xia Hong silently admired him, then met his gaze and nodded sincerely.

Probing another's strength was indeed impolite.

But since the man had seen through him, there was no need to hide it.

Gao Yu didn't answer. Instead, he studied Xia Hong for a moment, then said clearly: "If I'm not mistaken, Brother Xia, you're currently reshaping your skin membrane to break through to the Cold-Resistant level, correct?"

Before Xia Hong could reply, Gao Yu continued: "I was fortunate—I broke through to the Cold-Resistant level several years ago."

So he was Cold-Resistant!

Though he'd suspected it, hearing it confirmed directly from the man's lips, Xia Hong finally exhaled deeply.

Since returning to camp, despite Gao Yu's courteous demeanor, he'd never fully let his guard down.

After all, the man's strength towered over his own—whether he was friend or foe ultimately rested in his hands. This lack of control made him uneasy, especially with his true intentions unknown.

He'd roughly sensed Gao Yu's Qi and muscle fluctuations—stronger than Yuwen the Guardian, but still within the Cold-Resistant range.

But that was guesswork. Now, with Gao Yu's own confirmation, he could truly relax.

Xia Hong's mind shifted slightly—and the five wooden dummies descending from the second floor froze mid-motion.

After a brief pause, he rose, face filled with surprise, and bowed: "Then I must call you Elder!"

Gao Yu waved his hand quickly, shaking his head: "No need, no need—it's just luck. I see your skin membrane progress is still modest, yet your Qi is long-lasting, your flesh robust—you have the makings of a Battle Body. Once your skin membrane reaches the Perfect Seal state, your breakthrough to Cold-Resistant will be a quantum leap. I could never accept the title of Elder!"

Battle Body… Perfect Seal…

Hearing two unfamiliar terms, Xia Hong instantly grew curious.

Not just him—Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and the rest of the hunting team all wore expressions of interest.

Gao Yu's perceptiveness needed no mention. Seeing their reactions, he smiled and began explaining without being asked.

"The normal path to breaking through to Cold-Resistant…"

As Gao Yu spoke in detail, the group's faces lit up with sudden understanding.

Xia Hong's expression shifted—from daze, to dread, to finally, overwhelming excitement.

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(End of chapter)