Chapter 159: Mirror Immortal Ten Days, Gather Enough Beast Blood

Mirror Immortal camp, a three-story bamboo building in snow-white color

On the top floor's main hall, twenty to thirty people were densely gathered.

The two chairs at the head were empty; most below wore pleased expressions, discussing eagerly, occasionally glancing toward the partition behind the chairs.

"Four days already—none of the Great Xia dare come to Redwood Ridge. This northern stretch should be ours from now on, right?"

"Hah! This northern stretch? You're too timid. With Great Xia's pitiful strength, how could they possibly match the Mirror Immortals? Don't you think the two leaders summoned us for something else today?"

"You mean we're moving further south?"

"Hmph. That Xia Hong killed so many of us and thinks he can settle things by giving up just this tiny northern patch? Dream on!"

"Inside Redwood Ridge, there are abundant cold beasts, precious trees, and countless timber and coal deposits. To let Great Xia hold such a treasure is sheer waste."

"By the Arrow Bamboo Grove, vegetation is too uniform, coal and iron reserves are low, cold beasts are rare, and every four months we still have to fear the cold beast tide. If we take Redwood Ridge, life will be easy from now on!"

Those around him nodded, still shaken by the thought.

The Arrow Bamboo Grove was definitely cursed.

Normally, few cold beasts dwelled inside, yet every four months, a cold beast tide would erupt. Before they fully explored the grove, they didn't know where those beasts came from.

Now they knew—they all gathered from Redwood Ridge.

A cold beast tide isn't a migration of any single species—it's thousands upon thousands of cold beasts of every rank and type, all going mad, converging on one place.

Even the weakest low-rank cold beasts are three to four meters long and can unleash an impact force of at least ten thousand.

Just three or five of such beasts together can threaten a low-rank hunting team, let alone thousands— their destructive power far exceeds ordinary imagination.

Not to mention the many mid- and even high-rank cold beasts among them.

Though the Mirror Immortal camp is strong, it remains powerless against a cold beast tide.

The twenty or thirty people seated here are all pillars of the Mirror Immortal camp.

Most of them have witnessed firsthand the cold beast tide erupting in the Arrow Bamboo Grove, so recalling it now, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Taking Redwood Ridge shouldn't be a problem—I suspect we'll even have to relocate our base there."

"I saw Great Xia's valley base from afar—it's nestled between the Twin Dragon Mountains, with cliffs on three sides—east, south, north—so no cold beasts can come down. Only the western entrance faces Redwood Ridge, making access easy and defense strong. Such a perfect spot? The leaders won't let it slip away!"

"The only trouble is Xia Hong—he's troublesome. Even the second leader couldn't take him, and last time he killed so many of us… Hmph…"

"What's to fear? The head leader hasn't even moved yet. Once he does, Xia Hong won't stand a chance."

"Great Xia's camp has barely a thousand people total, and fewer than twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators combined. Their strength is weak. No need for the head leader to act—just have all of us move together, surround the valley, and won't Xia Hong be forced to surrender?"

"I just wonder why the head leader didn't order it earlier!"

"I heard the second leader and his son pleaded on Xia Hong's behalf. The head leader is a man who values talent, so he gave him multiple chances. This time, I doubt he'll tolerate it anymore."

"How many have been killed by that Xia Hong? If we still tolerate this, where's our camp's face? The second leader and his crew can endure it—I can't."

"He Meng and He Gang were the head leader's own nephews—and they were killed. The head leader hasn't healed them yet, and we don't even know if they can be revived!"

"The second leader only joined the Mirror Immortals a year and change ago with the Yuanzhou camp. He's always defending that Xia Hong. I think he, his son, and the Yuanzhou crew aren't even on the same side as us."

…………

Most of the hall's discussion shifted from hatred toward Great Xia to accusations against Yuwen the Guardian and his son, even the former Yuanzhou camp members.

Embarrassingly, among these twenty people was Yuwen the Guardian himself.

Hearing the murmured accusations, Yuwen the Guardian's face remained unchanged, but his fists clenched beneath his sleeves, his breathing grew heavier, his emotions clearly stirred.

He wasn't alone—five others sat beside him, all roughly his father's age, a generation older, yet their temper control was inferior. Their faces flushed red, emotions teetering on the edge of explosion.

"Enough!"

Suddenly, a furious voice rang out from the partition at the head of the hall.

Everyone's expressions shifted slightly, and they fell silent, still resentful.

Yuwen the Guardian and the other six raised their heads with faint relief.

Yuwen the Guardian slowly stepped out of the partition, his gaze sweeping over those who had spoken, his face dark.

Clearly, he had heard every word.

"The head leader's order: at nightfall ten days from now, surround Great Xia's base…"

Ten days?

Below, everyone's faces twisted in confusion.

Before Yuwen the Guardian could finish, someone interrupted outright.

"Why wait ten days, Second Leader? Can you explain?"

"Exactly! If we're going to attack the base, why wait ten days? Great Xia is nothing—except Xia Hong, the rest are crumbling dirt and crumbling dogs. Why not strike now and swallow them whole?"

"For the past few days, we've all seen clearly—they dare not even hunt beyond one kilometer from the valley, let alone enter Redwood Ridge's depths. They're terrified of us. So why wait ten days? We should move now!"

………………

Yuwen the Guardian's face darkened further. He was the Mirror Immortal camp's second leader—yet his words were cut off like this. Clearly, these men held not an ounce of respect for him.

"Could it be… again, the second leader petitioned the head leader?"

"First it was Young Master Yuwen, now even the second leader defends that Xia Hong. Could it be… the Yuanzhou camp had some prior connection to Great Xia?"

"Think about it—Xia Hong hasn't even broken through Cold Resistance. Yet the second leader, so powerful, keeps failing to take him. Could it be…"

Those below continued their mocking remarks as if they hadn't noticed his expression.

Clearly, they blamed him for the ten-day delay.

Pah…

"Are your ears deaf? It's the head leader's command!"

Seeing his father mocked, Yuwen the Guardian could no longer hold back—he slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

His five elder uncles immediately rose with him, glaring furiously at those who had spoken.

In another setting, among other men, Yuwen the Guardian's outburst would have silenced them. But today's crowd didn't even respect the second leader—how much less him?

"Oh? Young Master Yuwen…"

The lead man was about to mock Yuwen the Guardian, but as soon as he spoke three words, a sharp whistling sound came from behind the partition.

Shhh…

A thin white stream of qi shot past the man's left ear like a hidden dart—but far faster than any dart.

No one saw it clearly; by the time they heard the sound, the qi had already pierced the bamboo wall.

The man who had spoken stood frozen, expressionless, unaware of what had happened.

Others stared at his ear, confused.

One breath… two breaths… three breaths…

Plop…

His left ear dropped cleanly to the floor.

The severed ear revealed a straight, neat wound—the blood inside didn't flow for another one or two seconds.

Only then did everyone turn to the wall and realize: the white qi had come from a tiny snow-white bamboo leaf.

A bamboo leaf no bigger than a thumb had severed the ear of a Foundation Establishment cultivator whose skin was already regenerating. That alone was absurd. The ear fell after three breaths; blood didn't flow until five.

The speed and power of that leaf's launch…

Only Yuwen the Guardian stared at the leaf, his pupils trembling violently.

Poom…

The man who had spoken, along with the others who had mocked Yuwen the Guardian and his son, turned pale and immediately knelt.

"Who gave you the audacity to disrespect the second leader?"

The warm, jade-like voice from the partition carried only a trace of anger—yet everyone in the hall held their breath.

Those kneeling trembled uncontrollably.

Only Yuwen the Guardian maintained a slightly normal expression—but even he bowed slightly when the voice spoke.

"Second brother, continue."

=9+book_bar

Hearing the voice, Yuwen the Guardian straightened, turned to the crowd below, and spoke in a deep tone, finishing his earlier words:

"For these ten days, no one is to approach Great Xia's valley. Ten days from now, the head leader will lead all two hundred and seventy-one Foundation Establishment cultivators to attack Great Xia. The rest of you will remain here with me to guard the camp!"

Upon hearing this, the kneeling men's faces lit up with relief—even the man whose ear had been cut off.

Yuwen the Guardian and the other six, however, initially looked puzzled—but after a moment's thought, their expressions darkened deeply.

Yuwen the Guardian's own face grew even grimmer.

"Enough. Go prepare."

"Yes, Head Leader."

The voice from the partition spoke, and everyone bowed and departed, leaving quickly.

From the empty partition, a sharp, shrill howl faintly echoed.

"Hehehehehe, watch, watch—they're all mine, all mine. You won't succeed. You won't succeed."

………………

The wooden house beside the bamboo building.

As soon as Yuwen the Guardian returned, his son Yuwen the Guardian approached with a grim face.

"Taking two hundred and seventy-one Foundation Establishment cultivators—clearly excluding you, and me, and the other forty-three who never pledged to the Mirror Immortals. Father, what does the head leader mean?"

Yuwen the Guardian didn't answer his son. He sat down, staring at the silver-edged circular jade pendant in his hand, frowning in deep thought.

Seeing the pendant, Yuwen the Guardian's expression changed—he leaned close and whispered: "Father, did the pendant react?"

Yuwen the Guardian softly shook his head. "No."

"That's just outright ostracizing us. In over a year since joining Mirror Immortal, which one of you, Father, me, or Uncle Hong—hasn't fought and bled for this camp? Yet now, because we haven't bowed to Mirror Immortal—such a ridiculous reason—the leader is leading them all to shun us?"

"Do you really think the leader made this decision to ostracize us?"

"What else could it be?"

Yuwen Tao unconsciously asked back, but seeing his father shake his head in silence, he lowered his head to think—and soon, his expression subtly shifted.

That doesn't make sense. Such ostracism is truly unnecessary.

Then why?

To force them, too, to bow to Mirror Immortal?

He Yuanhun never forced us to bow to Mirror Immortal. If he wanted to pressure us into it through ostracism, it'd be far simpler to just force us directly.

If he truly meant to force us, honestly—we couldn't resist.

Even Yuwen the Guardian could resist—but what about him, and the other forty-two Digging Ground cultivators in Yuanzhou Camp?

If it's not ostracism, then it's deliberate exclusion from the siege of Great Xia.

But why?

Seeing his father's expression, Yuwen Tao instantly knew: his father saw much farther than he did. Clearly, his father had already been pondering this.

"Given the strength of the Great Xia Camp, if the leader personally intervened, there'd be no problem at all. In truth, whether or not we go wouldn't make much difference. But by common logic, more hands mean lighter work—our presence would reduce casualties, and even increase psychological pressure on Great Xia."

Hearing Yuwen the Guardian's words, Yuwen Tao immediately followed the line of thought:

"If they deliberately keep us away, then the reverse must be true: if we went, it might actually harm the outcome of this encirclement?"

"Could it be that those who've bowed to Mirror Immortal won't die, and the leader fears we, who haven't bowed, are cowardly and will fight poorly?"

Yuwen the Guardian immediately shook his head, speaking gravely: "Who says those who bowed to Mirror Immortal won't die? He Meng and He Gang are still alive? The leader says he's trying to save them—but who knows if they'll make it?"

"Besides, I've sworn brotherhood with him for years—he wouldn't think that way of me!"

"Could it be… that he fears we'll see something?"

Yuwen Tao's bolder guess made Yuwen the Guardian's expression harden.

The father and son exchanged a glance—both pupils flickered with a faint glimmer.

………………

Great Xia Year One, March 15

Deep within the southern side of Redwood Ridge, in a toxic mist zone, Xia Hong covered his face with a beast-hide cloth, wielding a massive axe to split the head of a mid-tier Tengjiao clean in two.

The Tengjiao died. Xia Hong didn't hesitate—he slung the corpse over his shoulder and sprinted out of the toxic mist.

He ran three or four hundred meters before stopping, collecting the blood oozing from the Tengjiao's wound in his palms, then smearing it across his body—his expression brightened:

"Thirty-second one. Should be enough!"

He'd originally estimated it would take half a month to gather thirty mid-tier cold beasts. He hadn't expected to finish in just eight days.

Not only finished—he'd exceeded the target.

From March 7 to today, eight days total—he'd slain thirty-two mid-tier cold beasts.

Hard to believe: after only a little over half a month as a lone hunter, Xia Hong's solo efficiency now surpassed his earlier pace when leading a hunting team.

The reason was simple: as Xia Hong had suspected, killing cold beasts one-on-one accelerated combat experience faster than imaginable.

Moreover, experience against similar cold beasts was transferable.

Especially in one-on-one fights, cold beasts often grew overconfident—as if, by nature, they looked down on humans, certain they couldn't lose.

When hunting with a team, mid-tier cold beasts frequently tried to flee by the end.

Now, hunting alone, that rarely happened.

But the most crucial reason was still Xia Hong's own rising strength.

【Cultivation: Digging Ground Full (Skin and Membrane Reshaping Progress: 70%)】

These eight days, he dared not use too much beast blood at once—but even by slowly pushing at his limit, his progress rose fourteen points.

He'd previously estimated each point of progress granted roughly 1, 50 catties of base strength. Fourteen points meant 17, 00 catties.

"My strength is already at 120, 00 catties. Beast blood is sufficient. Now, I'll push up the final thirty points of progress—and officially break through Cold-Resisting Level!"

Xia Hong clenched his fist. Thinking of the leap in base strength awaiting him after breaking through Cold-Resisting Level, his face lit up with fresh excitement. He slung the Tengjiao over his shoulder and hurried back toward the valley.

(End of Chapter)