Chapter 177: Fusion, Manifest Yang, and the Struggle for the Office of Director

In the first year of Daxia, the twenty-first day of the third month

Ahead of the valley, two temporary wooden huts stood.

Behind, where the old wooden building once stood, the outline of a new structure was emerging, as over a thousand people moved timber and iron parts in and out.

"Five iron stakes over here!"

"Four wooden tenons for the corner, and bring a large iron hammer."

"We need a hide tarp here—go to the Supply Department and get one."

"I'll go get it right away."

………………

The construction buzzed with energy; Mu Dong, accompanied by the Craftsmen Department, moved constantly around the site, delegating simple tasks to others while personally overseeing and completing critical sections. Originally meant only to guide the reconstruction, he had become the busiest man on site.

Seeing their Chief so dedicated, the rest were inspired, their enthusiasm rising accordingly; the pace of rebuilding the new wooden building accelerated visibly.

Behind the building under construction stood two other prominent structures.

Both buildings were identical in appearance—square, twenty meters per side, their outer walls covered in intricate fire-cloud patterns.

The only difference: the left building bore the character "Wu"; the right, "Duan."

Anyone working on the wooden huts who glanced at these two buildings would show excitement and fervor in their eyes, filled with deep longing.

"Do you think our new leader is really a deity?"

"Of course he is—he waved his hand and these two buildings appeared. I've never seen anyone with such power in my life."

"The Deputy Chief says training one day in the Martial Hall equals three days outside. Is that true?"

"It must be. Didn't you see how the Daxia people went wild last night? Everyone fought to get in for fifty contribution points a day. Even Deputy Chief Yuwen and over forty others were invited in—they've been inside all day. If it were fake, they wouldn't stay so long."

"Accelerating cultivation like this is unbelievable. I've got to earn contribution points fast—I'm just over a thousand jin away from Digging Ground. I'm getting in no matter what."

"Same here. Once I'm inside, I'll break through soon."

"But contribution points are hard to earn. Building the wooden house gives only ten points a day. Enough for meat, but useless for anything else."

"Be grateful! Back in Jingxian, how much did we get per month? Under Daxia's rules, we now get twenty jin each—before, we never dared dream of that."

"You think it's hard to earn? Do you know why most of the construction slots went to us?"

At the east side of the wooden house, Hong Yu placed an iron piece on the ground and overheard the discussion among several Digging Ground cultivators—he spoke up directly.

They clearly knew him well and turned to him curiously at once.

Indeed, of the thousand-plus Digging Ground cultivators working on the house, nine out of ten were former Jingxian members. Some outsiders resented this, believing Daxia was treating them as laborers.

"Daxia?"

All nodded. The Supply Department needed very few people—unless they actively recruited, you couldn't get in. The Craftsmen Department was even stricter: only those approved personally by Chief Mu Dong, with proven craftsmanship talent, were accepted.

So as Hong Yu said, the vast majority of Jingxian Digging Ground cultivators could only join Collection or Logging.

Of course, the same applied to Daxia's own Digging Ground cultivators.

Seeing them nod, Hong Yu continued: "Whether collecting or logging, unless it's a special case—like discovering rare medicinal materials or a new useful tree species—how much can a regular Digging Ground cultivator earn in one night?"

Hong Yu's question left them stunned.

Setting special cases aside, their most stable way to earn contribution points was cutting trees.

After the mining contest ended, wood conversion returned to normal: 2000 jin of Jinlin = 1 point, 4000 jin of Zhushuang = 1 point. These were the two most common trees outside Hongmu Ridge.

A Digging Ground cultivator could barely bring back three trees per night—each weighing five or six thousand jin. Even if they cut only Jinlin trees, that's seven to eight contribution points per night.

Realizing this, everyone suddenly understood.

Hong Yu then spoke solemnly: "Deputy Chief didn't give us these slots because he favors us—he did it because he saw we arrived with no contribution points, afraid we couldn't even afford meat."

"But wait, Hong Yu—I noticed almost all Daxia Digging Ground cultivators wear full outfits. Where did they get their contribution points?"

After arriving in Daxia last night, the first thing these Digging Ground cultivators asked about was clothing price—they knew it took 155 contribution points for a full set. If, as Hong Yu claimed, Digging Ground cultivators earned so little, Daxia's clothing couldn't possibly be widespread.

Hearing their question, Hong Yu's mind stirred slightly.

It was no surprise they cared about clothing prices—though Jingxian had been stronger than Daxia, its clothing coverage was far lower.

The problem lay in scarce cold-beast resources.

Though bamboo-thread clothing was beautiful and warm, producing one set required nearly a hundred times more bamboo thread than a bowstring—making it wildly impractical.

Thus, in Jingxian, fewer than twenty people ever wore bamboo-thread clothing. Leather was too scarce—only Digging Ground cultivators could afford full sets; almost no Logging cultivators wore any.

"Contribution points aren't just for yourself. If you push hard and break through to Digging Ground, you'll earn more—then buy a full set for your wife and kids. Easy."

"How long has Daxia had this contribution system? Those Logging cultivators have been saving for years. A single outfit—no need to be shocked!"

Suddenly, two young voices chimed in, answering them.

Hong Yu turned and smiled.

It was Meng Ao and Zhu Kang—both carried massive logs, clearly also workers on the wooden house.

"You two came too? I thought you'd look down on these few contribution points!"

"Get lost—why wouldn't I come for something this good?"

"Once the house is done, contribution points won't be this easy to earn."

The three had grown up together, extremely close, always teasing each other.

Actually, there were four—Wen Tao was the fourth.

Unfortunately, Wen Tao had higher talent—he broke through to Digging Ground first, nearly reaching Cold-Resistant level, gained hunting ability, and now spent less time with them.

After their banter, all three unconsciously glanced toward the Martial Hall, their eyes filled with longing.

Zhu Kang spoke first: "Tao-ge and Father have been inside all day. Triple cultivation speed is almost certainly real. I wish we could get in soon."

Meng Ao nodded lightly: "Triple speed—if I could train inside, with enough cold-beast meat, I'd break through to Digging Ground in ten days at most."

"I'm about your level—I'd need ten days too."

After speaking, Hong Yu paused, then added: "Fifty points a day. Deputy Chief said only two hundred people can enter daily. I bet entry slots will be fiercely contested from now on."

Zhu Kang shook his head: "No way. If it were just a contest, only Digging Ground cultivators would use it. We Logging cultivators have far fewer points, and they hold higher status. We'd never win."

Hong Yu nodded in agreement: "Based on Daxia's current rules, entry to the Martial Hall should follow the same principle as everything else—higher cultivation gets priority, but a small portion is reserved for lower-level cultivators."

Zhu Kang and Meng Ao nodded slightly, both clearly agreeing.

They'd been in Daxia two days now. They didn't know everything, but they understood the camp's rules and systems well.

As Hong Yu said, Daxia's current system boiled down to one principle: higher cultivation has priority, but a small portion is always reserved for lower-level cultivators.

Even cold-beast meat—the most vital resource—was distributed equally.

Private hoarding was forbidden; everyone could exchange according to their needs.

Though this was possible only because Daxia had no shortage of cold-beast resources, even so, openly supplying meat like this deeply shocked them.

Back in Jingxian, every jin of cold-beast meat was precious.

Thanks to their fathers, the three had never lacked meat.

But what about others?

"Just this meat distribution alone would make these people feel deep loyalty to Daxia. Over time, I bet no one will remember 'Jingxian' anymore."

"Not just Jingxian—even 'Ningzhou' will be forgotten."

As soon as Hong Yu spoke, Zhu Kang immediately added.

The three exchanged glances, their faces showing complex emotion.

After Jingxian's fall, over half of the Digging Ground and Logging cultivators who escaped were former Ningzhou people.

Though Yuwen the Guardian was dead, Yuwen Tao remained. Their fathers—Hong Guang and the other four—were still alive. Compared to joining Daxia, Hong Guang and the others preferred to rebuild Ningzhou with Yuwen Tao.

But circumstances were stronger than will. They must have realized Xia Hong would never allow it. So when Yuwen Tao proposed joining Daxia, they silently accepted.

Influenced by their fathers, Hong Yu and the others had also wanted to rebuild Ningzhou.

But after only two days in Daxia, they were beginning to realize that dream was impossible.

"Clinging to 'Ningzhou' isn't good. Wherever we are, our goal is simple: grow stronger and live better. If Daxia can help us achieve that, why not stay forever and become part of Daxia?"

Meng Ao broke the silence first. Zhu Kang and Hong Yu nodded in agreement, but said nothing.

"By the way, have Hong Shu and the others formed hunting teams yet?"

Seeing they wouldn't respond, Meng Ao changed the subject.

"Zhenwu Team!"

"Xuanwu Team!"

Meng Ao grinned: "Xiongwu Team."

Their fathers—Meng Yi, Zhu Ling, Hong Guang—all had Reconstructed Skin-level Digging Ground cultivation and qualified to form hunting teams.

"Not just them—my second uncle formed one too. Called Yingwu Team."

"My second uncle did too. His team is Shenwu Team."

Zhu Kang's second uncle was Zhu Yuan; Hong Yu's was Hong Tian.

Hearing all five Jingxian veterans had formed hunting teams, the three beamed with excitement.

"We came over with forty-two Digging Ground cultivators. We could form eight teams—but I wonder if they'll all agree."

"Tao-ge will probably form one too. Right now, besides the leader, he's the only one who can hunt mid-tier cold beasts. The leader won't go out himself—I heard from my father that the camp's first mid-tier hunting team will definitely be led by Tao-ge. I'm just waiting to break through to Digging Ground so I can join his team."

"You'd leave your father's team for his? Are you crazy?"

"I don't care. Hunting teams aren't hereditary. When I'm strong enough, I'll form my own!"

"Enough talking—get back to work. Chief is coming."

Seeing Mu Dong approaching in the distance, the three immediately stopped chatting and got back to work.

………………

Behind the temporary huts, in a room partitioned by wooden boards, Xia Hong sat quietly on a chair, listening to Xia Chuan's report.

"Big brother, the Hunting Department is now on track. I went to see Yuwen Tao today—there are currently ten hunting squads, and all 110 Digging-Level camps have been included. I have the list here."

As Xia Chuan spoke, he pulled out a leather scroll and handed it directly to Xia Hong.

Unrolling the scroll, the first line clearly bore Yuwen Tao's name:

Yuwen Tao, Longwu Squad, eight members;

Xia Chuan, Yunjiao Squad, ten members;

Luo Yuan, HuBao Squad, ten members; Yuan Cheng, TuLong Squad, ten members;

Zhao Long, Lieying Squad, ten members;

Zhao Hu, Gangzong Squad, ten members;

Zhao Bao, JinDiao Squad, ten members;

Huang Yong, ZhaoLong Squad, eight members;

Hong Guang, Xuanwu Squad, seven members;

Hong Tian, Shenwu Squad, six members;

Zhu Ling, Zhenwu Squad, five members;

Zhu Yuan, Yingwu Squad, seven members;

Meng Yi, Xiongwu Squad, nine members;

Original text under review!

After reading the entire list, Xia Hong's brows immediately knitted.

The total number of members in Yuwen Tao's six squads was exactly forty-two;

Xia Chuan's seven squads totaled exactly sixty-eight.

"Big brother, these were all formed spontaneously. When I first saw it, I thought it was odd too, but after thinking it over, these people from Jingxian have only been here two days—they haven't had time to integrate with us yet."

Hearing Xia Chuan's explanation, Xia Hong's brows eased slightly, and he sighed inwardly.

The two groups weren't just divided by membership—they'd even named their squads distinctly. This wasn't a good sign.

But as Xia Chuan said, Yuwen Tao's group had only arrived two days ago; it was natural they hadn't integrated quickly into Daya.

"Let it pass this time. But for any future Digging-Level breakthroughs, we must no longer allow such divisions. Whether by guidance or coercion, use any means necessary to mix them up and accelerate integration at the upper levels."

"Understood, Big Brother!"

Hearing the seriousness in Xia Hong's tone, Xia Chuan nodded firmly.

Under Daya's current system, Log-Cutting Level and below—ordinary people—would eventually integrate. But Yuwen Tao and Hong Guang's group, with their stronger cultivation, would not easily become true members of Daya.

"Have you chosen a candidate for the head of the Supply Department?"

"Yes. Qiu Peng."

Qiu Peng was also among Daya's earliest members.

Xia Hong nodded slightly, then looked at Xia Chuan and asked slowly: "Do you think it might be better to relinquish the position of Head of the Exploration Department?"

Xia Chuan instantly understood Xia Hong's meaning.

His face immediately showed resistance. He said:

"Big brother, you know how vital the Hunting Department head position is. Giving it to Yuwen Tao was already generous. To hand over the Exploration Department head position to them as well—how would we stand? The brothers would surely resent it."

Seeing Xia Hong say nothing, Xia Chuan continued: "Jingxian was the defeated side. Not holding grudges over past enmity is already more than enough. There's no need to appease them. Besides, we're not denying them the chance to become Exploration Department head—we're just proposing fair competition. Whoever earns it, wins by merit."

Seeing Xia Chuan's strong resistance, Xia Hong quietly suppressed his thoughts, then turned to him with a teasing smile:

"Fair competition? I doubt it. Didn't you gather Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, and others today to push Shi Ping into the position?"

Xia Chuan froze, looking up at Xia Hong in surprise.

He didn't speak, but his expression clearly asked: How did you know what we discussed?

"Around the wooden hut, everything you say or do escapes my notice."

Xia Hong chuckled lightly, his pupils flashing with pride.

After completing the skin reshaping, his gains weren't just in raw strength—his senses had vastly improved. Any movement within two hundred meters, he could perceive clearly.

Big brother's strength has grown again!

Xia Chuan, believing Xia Hong had further advanced, instantly felt reverence. Then he remembered the earlier question and said gravely: "Big brother, Daya has six departments, but Hunting and Exploration are clearly the most critical. We've already given Hunting to Yuwen Tao. We cannot let them take Exploration too—we must hold onto it."

The subordinates are beginning to vie for power.

The thought flashed through Xia Hong's mind, and he sighed softly.

Daya currently has fewer than five thousand people—its scale is tiny. The positions of Deputy Head and Department Heads carry only prestige and status; he'd granted no tangible benefits.

But human nature is what it is.

"If you want to compete among yourselves, I won't interfere. But one rule must be obeyed by all: no violence against your own. Whoever breaks this rule—I will not spare him!"

He spoke those final words, staring directly into Xia Chuan's eyes.

"Understood, Big Brother!"

For the first time hearing Xia Hong speak so sternly, Xia Chuan etched the words deep into his mind.

"Go notify Yuwen Tao to come see me. I have questions for him."

Xia Chuan bowed and left.

"Leader, Yuwen Tao requests an audience."

Soon, Yuwen Tao's voice came from outside the door.

"Come in."

Seeing Yuwen Tao enter, his aura still unstable, Xia Hong recalled he'd spent the entire day at the Martial Hall and smiled:

"How was the Martial Hall?"

From the moment he entered, Yuwen Tao's gaze toward Xia Hong had been filled with reverence. Without hesitation, he replied: "A marvel? No—even 'marvel' doesn't suffice—it's a divine artifact!"

Hearing the awe in Yuwen Tao's voice, Xia Hong smiled slightly.

This reaction was normal. Daya's people, having grown accustomed to the system's wonders, showed little surprise.

"Leader, you summoned me about the Hunting Department, right? I..."

"No, no, no—discuss those matters with Xia Chuan. I called you here to ask you something privately."

Xia Hong interrupted him, gestured for him to sit, and asked:

"How much do you know about Super-Class Battle Bodies?"

During the battle with the supernatural entity at Jingxian's base, Yuwen Tao had mentioned Super-Class Battle Bodies—Xia Hong had heard of them.

Yuwen Tao froze. Seeing Xia Hong's genuine look of inquiry, he realized Xia Hong truly didn't know about Super-Class Battle Bodies—his expression turned flustered.

He didn't know he was a Super-Class Battle Body... yet he'd broken through the Cold-Resisting Level?

"Leader, if you didn't know you were a Super-Class Battle Body, how did you control the amount of beast blood used each time you reshaped your skin?"

At this question, Xia Hong raised an eyebrow and replied casually: "I just used it to the limit. As long as I could endure it, I kept adding more."

Gulp...

Yuwen Tao swallowed hard, his expression toward Xia Hong instantly changed.

He too was reshaping his skin—he knew the agony of using beast blood.

As long as I could endure it, I kept adding more.

The cost behind those words was unimaginable.

"Leader, what was the maximum amount of beast blood you ever used? Ten catties? Fifteen? Twenty?"

Xia Hong's expression turned strange—he didn't answer.

Yuwen Tao assumed he'd guessed right and continued:

The Three Tiers—Lower, Middle, Upper—matched what Gao Yu, aka He Yuanhun, had said before coming to Daya. But Gao Yu hadn't mentioned Super-Class Battle Bodies. After Yuwen Tao's explanation, Xia Hong understood.

As the name implies, Super-Class Battle Body is one level above Upper-Class. Those born with this talent, upon breaking through the Cold-Resisting Level, have a base strength of at least three Zong—three hundred thousand catties.

"And what's the maximum?"

"My father once told me he'd seen one with six Zong."

"He Yuanhun?"

At the name, Yuwen Tao's eyes darkened with hatred—he nodded.

He Yuanhun wasn't just six Zong!

Recalling the power He Yuanhun had displayed after Jingxian's death, Xia Hong's brows tightened.

That sword strike at the time had been at least eight Zong.

Clearly, Yuwen Hu and Yuwen Tao didn't fully understand He Yuanhun.

Seeing Xia Hong sink into thought, Yuwen Tao stayed silent, waiting quietly by his side.

After a long while, Xia Hong raised his head and asked again: "Do you know the cultivation levels after Cold-Resisting?"

Yuwen Tao's expression grew serious. He thought hard before answering:

"I only heard He Yuanhun mention it once—it was called Xianyang Level."

Hearing his uncertain tone, Xia Hong gave up pressing further—Yuwen Tao clearly only had fragmented knowledge.

Xianyang Level?

Does it mean fully revealed under sunlight?

Xia Hong's brows tightened. He dropped the thought and turned to Yuwen Tao, smiling:

"Last question: What's the story behind Ningzhou Camp?"

At the name "Ningzhou," Yuwen Tao froze. His face twisted through several expressions before he knelt down and said: "Leader, has someone been spreading rumors? Please tell me—I will punish them severely."

This Yuwen Tao is indeed clever.

He hadn't even said anything—just mentioned Ningzhou's encampment—and Yuwen the Solemn had already deduced so much.

"Don't be nervous. I'm not accusing you of anything. I just happened to hear something and asked you. You're a smart man—that's why I trust you enough to put the Hunting Division under your command. Integrating over three thousand people into Great Xia won't be smooth. You need to pay close attention in the coming days and work closely with Xia Chuan to accelerate the fusion of the two groups. Understood?"

Hearing the weight in Xia Hong's tone, Yuwen the Solemn's expression grew serious. He knelt and bowed low, replying in a deep voice: "Rest assured, Leader. I understand."

"You may compete for the position of Director of the Pioneer Division, but don't make it look ugly. And remember this rule—when you return, tell Hong Guang and the others: no one is to lay hands on their own people. That is the bottom line. Whoever breaks it, I will not let them go."

"Yes, Leader. I'll deliver your message!"

"Alright, go attend to your duties."

Yuwen the Solemn rose respectfully, bowed, and withdrew slowly.

Xia Hong remained alone in the room. He reached behind him and pulled out a white mirror, gazing at it with a thoughtful expression.

(End of Chapter)