Chapter 187: Productivity Surges, Territory Expands: Xia Chuan

Behind the main hall of the temporary wooden hut was a ten-square-meter partition.

Inside the partition stood a small square platform two meters in diameter.

Upon entering the partition, everyone behind Xia Chuan first glanced at the black-clad Xia Hong on the platform, then looked up—and immediately froze in shock.

Above the platform, the ceiling had a hole, through which snowflakes drifted in, and moonlight poured down, perfectly illuminating Xia Hong.

Strangely, the palm-sized snowflakes vaporized and rose before reaching within an inch of Xia Hong's body, as if his skin emitted extreme heat.

The silk black robe Xia Hong wore faintly shimmered with gold, his already fine skin grew even more translucent and jade-like, as if he glowed from within.

In everyone's minds, Xia Hong had always been towering; now, seeing his almost divine appearance and posture, their gazes grew even more fervent.

"Hail the leader!"

"Rise, all of you. I heard everything you said outside. You've all worked hard these past days."

"To serve the leader and Great Xia is our sacred duty!"

Hearing their words, Xia Hong immediately guessed Xia Chuan had taught them to say this; he raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing, instead turning to Mu Dong and Cheng Feng: "What do you have to show me?"

Mu Dong's face lit up with excitement; he gestured for the five men to step forward, then walked to the first one, opened the tray, and pulled out a white, soft object, offering it to Xia Hong.

"Cloth?"

Xia Hong fully unfolded it—and his eyes instantly brightened.

The object was a cotton cloth over two meters wide.

"Is this woven from bamboo threads?"

After examining it closely, Xia Hong immediately recognized the material.

"Leader, sharp eyesight. A while back, you mentioned three items to me—I spent some time researching, and indeed, I managed to produce them all."

As he spoke, Mu Dong opened two more trays.

On the left tray lay a fine, high-quality silk brocade; on the right, a sheet of pure white paper emitting a bamboo fragrance.

Paper, cloth, silk.

Xia Hong had never expected that the things he'd casually mentioned would actually be made—his expression grew excited as he examined each item.

The moment he saw the bamboo thread at Mirror Immortal Camp, he'd thought of these three items—but thinking of them and making them were entirely different things.

In just one month, Mu Dong had already produced them?

"Leader, I didn't do this alone. Recently, the Craftsmen's Department recruited many new people, and several talents emerged. I originally had no idea how to make these three items—it was several woodcutting-stage men from Mirror Immortal Camp who gave me ideas, and after countless trials, we finally succeeded!"

Xia Hong nodded slightly, turning his gaze to the remaining two trays.

Mu Dong opened the fourth tray—inside lay a pile of white, crystalline substances.

Seeing it, Xia Hong froze, his mind instantly forming a guess.

"Leader, taste a bit."

Xia Hong dipped a finger, brought it to his mouth—and a long-forgotten flavor surged from his tongue straight to his mind; he closed his eyes, expression blissful.

Salt!

It was edible salt.

Mu Dong had actually produced salt!

Xia Hong was stunned, but his face betrayed overwhelming excitement.

The importance of salt to humans was self-evident—even in the Ice Abyss World. In fact, as Xia Hong's power grew, he'd gradually realized why human lifespans here were so short.

Salt deficiency was one major reason.

Great Xia's people obtained salt only through beast meat, but the salt content in beast meat was far too low to meet human needs.

This is even now, when Great Xia has abundant beast meat; in the past, when beast meat was scarce, those who ate crystal fruits absorbed virtually no salt at all—how could their average lifespan be high?

"What's the raw material for this salt? How is it made? What's the output?"

Mu Dong had already tasted the salt and understood its importance; he answered immediately: "It's oddly coincidental—our camp has many beast bones, but few are suitable for grinding into medicine; the rest are useless, so we carve them into ornaments.

After carving, we're left with excess bone powder, which we collect and dump deep in the valley's east.

Half a month ago, someone from the Craftsmen's Department dumped some bone powder and noticed that the earliest batch of intermediate cold-beast bones had turned into yellow-brown crystals—strange, so he brought it to me.

I didn't know what it was, so I had Cheng, the Chief of Medicine, take it to the Pharmacy for analysis; they said it was edible medicinal material.

Though no formula was given, I took it back, tasted it myself—and found it far too salty to eat.

Coincidentally, at that time, the Chief of Staff returned from Five Ape Mountain with a large batch of fresh supplies, including something called Frozen Pearls, which could be eaten directly and had an extremely mild, neutral taste. I decided to try mixing them with the fermented bone powder.

After two days, I actually produced salt!"

Hearing this chain of accidental coincidences that led to the salt, Xia Hong's eyes brightened further, but he quickly extracted the key point from Mu Dong's words.

The first time they killed an intermediate Snowmane, if he remembered right, was January 24th; half a month ago, the bone powder turned yellow-brown—meaning the fermentation process took about two and a half months.

"What's the output of Frozen Pearls from Five Ape Mountain? Can this salt be produced in bulk?"

Mu Dong understood immediately; after a moment's thought, he nodded: "Ten jin of beast bone powder yields about one jin of yellow-brown powder; adding one jin of Frozen Pearl powder, then letting it ferment further, produces one jin of salt.

I've asked those from Five Ape Mountain—Frozen Pearls are fruit of the Cold Winter Tree, which fruits once every half-year, averaging over a thousand jin per harvest. There aren't many on Five Ape Mountain; only thirteen trees are known."

Bulk production shouldn't be a problem—we still have plenty of leftover intermediate beast bones."

Xia Hong nodded, falling into thought.

Mu Dong didn't mention low-grade beast bones—clearly, only intermediate ones worked. Beast bones typically make up one-third of body weight; one intermediate cold-beast yields over two thousand jin of bone, but after fermentation, only about two hundred jin of yellow-brown powder remains.

Only thirteen Frozen Pearl trees are known; according to Mu Dong, annual output is roughly twenty-six thousand jin. That means at least thirteen hundred intermediate cold-beasts are needed to produce twenty-six thousand jin of salt annually.

That's the total annual output!

Thirteen hundred intermediate cold-beasts…

Upon calculating this number, Xia Hong's brow tightened.

With Great Xia's current strength, even if he personally hunted day and night, it might be possible—but clearly impractical.

Bulk production is feasible, but output is extremely limited; only when the camp's overall strength improves can production increase.

"This salt is precious, but you know your output limits. Release some to the Supply Department for exchange—but set the price carefully!"

Mu Dong nodded solemnly. Seeing Xia Hong's gaze shift to the fifth tray, he hurried over and lifted the lid.

The fifth tray held two wooden flasks.

Mu Dong opened the first flask—aroma spilled out; everyone else couldn't help but inhale sharply, eyes locking onto it.

Xia Hong didn't need to ask; he smelled the scent, immediately grabbed the flask, and drank it down in one gulp.

"Leader…"

Mu Dong was about to warn him, but seeing Xia Hong swallow it whole, his face only flushed slightly—he fell silent.

"This is brewed from Chen Guo brought from Five Ape Mountain. Yesterday, I had Yuan Cheng and others test it—Digging Stage couldn't handle a whole flask; Woodcutting Stage collapsed after three sips. Leader, you're a true drinker!"

Honestly, the aged liquor's taste couldn't compare to what Xia Hong drank in his past life—but he hadn't tasted alcohol in far too long.

And as the liquor entered his body, he sensed his organs, blood, and muscles reacting—he immediately brightened.

"Leader, you've noticed too—this liquor enhances circulation, meaning it accelerates beast meat digestion."

"Then doesn't that mean it boosts cultivation speed?"

Xia Chuan instantly revealed the liquor's key function—everyone's eyes flashed with sudden hope.

Wait—what about the second flask?

Seeing everyone's gaze shift to the second flask, Mu Dong chuckled and lifted its lid.

Hssss…

Thick crimson vapor erupted from the flask; the small partition filled instantly with intoxicating aroma, and everyone's faces softened in bliss.

Xia Hong took the flask from Mu Dong—this time, he didn't drink it all at once. He stared at the liquid for a long moment, then took a small sip.

"Hss… so strong!"

The rich, icy liquor slid down his throat—and his blood and qi surged violently; a warm current spread instantly through his body. He felt his flesh trembling beneath his skin, his pupils trembling uncontrollably.

This liquor could enhance his flesh strength!

"What kind of liquor is this?"

Mu Dong answered quickly: "Report, Leader—this is fermented from Fragrant Cold Fruit and beast blood. I named it Blood-Cold Liquor. When I first brewed it, I tasted just a sip—I collapsed immediately, and my flesh swelled for three or four days. But after recovery, my base strength surged, and my flesh strength noticeably improved!

This liquor can be tolerated in small sips by Digging Stage, but Woodcutting Stage cannot drink it. Anyone below Woodcutting Stage who touches it risks losing their life."

Of course, Xia Hong's eyes flickered—this liquor's potency caused such violent reactions even in his body; to ordinary people, it was indistinguishable from poison.

"Chief Mu, what's the output of these two liquors?"

Before Xia Hong could speak, Xia Chuan couldn't help asking.

Seeing everyone's anxious expressions, Mu Dong smiled and shook his head: "Output is low. The aged liquor is slightly better—about twenty jin of Chen Guo yields one jin of liquor; Blood-Cold Liquor requires at least one hundred jin of Fragrant Cold Fruit and two jin of beast blood to produce one jin."

"No wonder you asked me for two jin of beast blood earlier—I thought you were too low in cultivation to need it, but you were making this!"

Xia Chuan now understood why Mu Dong had requested beast blood; he frowned and added: "Fragrant Cold Fruit also came from Five Ape Mountain—I recall the yield was low."

Cheng Feng nodded immediately: "I asked the Gathering Department—they said Fragrant Cold Trees grow high on the cliffs of Five Ape Mountain. They fruit once a year, yielding only about three hundred jin per harvest. Due to harsh growing conditions and difficult harvesting, they wouldn't even bother collecting them if not for the cultivation benefits.

I've surveyed the heads of eleven camps—only six Fragrant Cold Trees are known, and total annual harvest won't exceed two thousand jin."

One hundred jin of fruit plus two jin of intermediate beast blood yields one jin of liquor; with two thousand jin of fruit annually, maximum output is twenty jin of liquor.

Xia Hong shook his head slightly, quietly set the flask behind him, and turned to Cheng Feng: "What's in the four bottles you brought?"

Seeing him take the flask, everyone lowered their heads, smirking—but Mu Dong, knowing the Blood-Cold Liquor was made specifically for Xia Hong, was delighted to see him enjoy it.

Cheng Feng stepped forward and opened the four bottles one by one.

Intense medicinal fragrance filled the air, momentarily diluting the lingering scent of Blood-Cold Liquor, clearing everyone's minds.

"Recently, camp supplies have greatly increased; the Gathering Department expanded its search range. In the Arrow Bamboo Forest and Five Ape Mountain areas, we've found and brought back many medicinal materials—the Pharmacy has developed over a dozen formulas.

Of these four, I judged them critical, so I brought them to show you." Cheng Feng displayed each pill from the bottles, explaining their effects.

Everyone listened in stunned awe, faces filled with barely contained joy.

Blood-Crack Pill, an upgraded version of Golden Wound Powder, heals better and can rapidly restore injuries from the Digging Earth realm; its cold-resistance effect is currently unknown.

Hot-Wind Pill, which quickly cures cold-induced ailments, is an upgraded version of the cold medicine brought from Five Monkeys Mountain.

Blood-Rush Pill, which temporarily suppresses all bodily pain.

Beast-Essence Pill, which enhances the human body's efficiency in absorbing beast meat.

"Beast-Essence Pill!"

The first three had already drawn Xia Hong's attention, but upon hearing the description of the Beast-Essence Pill, he immediately reached out, snatched the vial, held it to his nose, sniffed briefly, then his expression turned ecstatic.

"Such gentle medicinal properties—anyone over six years old can use it!"

Hearing Xia Hong's words, Cheng Feng nodded vigorously, excitedly saying: "Leader, you're sharp—you spotted it at once. This Beast-Essence Pill truly has gentle properties; even six-year-olds can use it. We tested it on a group of children who started eating beast meat, and it boosted absorption efficiency by three to five percent."

Three to five percent!

Not just Xia Hong, but Xia Chuan, Shi Ping, and Mu Dong's eyes instantly lit up.

Three to five percent—compared to the Martial Hall's effect, it's insignificant, but the point is, it can be used by children and adults over six!

The Martial Hall can only accommodate two hundred people daily, and you need contribution points to qualify. Given the camp's reliance on high-end combat strength, currently only Digging Earth cultivators can enter, and even then, Xia Chuan had to forcibly allocate half the slots to Woodcutting Earth cultivators just to increase their numbers.

Reserve forces older than six years are not eligible to enter, nor do they meet the conditions—they haven't even earned contribution points yet.

"The ingredients for the Beast-Essence Pill total over a dozen, with the rarest being Jade Bone Grass, which Senior Secretary He brought back from Five Monkeys Mountain last time. I've already sent the Gathering Division to search there. Once production ramps up, our Great Xia Camp's Woodcutting Earth cultivators will become younger and younger—perhaps one day, seven- or eight-year-olds will break into Woodcutting Earth!"

The ingredients for crafting Beast Core Pills total over a dozen, with the rarest being Jade Bone Grass—the very same herb Senior Secretary brought back from Five Monkey Mountain last time. I've already sent the Gathering Division to search there; once production picks up, our Great Xia encampment's Woodcutting Realm will grow increasingly youthful, and perhaps one day, children as young as seven or eight will break through into the Woodcutting Realm!

Eight-year-old Woodcutting Earth? Who could have imagined that!

"Have you ever considered that one day, everyone in Great Xia might cultivate—even five- or six-year-olds could possess Woodcutting Earth strength?"

Xia Chuan froze, suddenly recalling a phrase Xia Hong had once spoken to him.

It had only been over a year since his brother said those words.

That day now seemed not far off at all!

"These three pills are also important, but for now, we must prioritize producing the Beast-Essence Pill. All medicines from the Alchemy Workshop can be handed over to the Camp Supply Division, priced according to output and demand, and open for exchange by all. Of course, the same applies to several other items…"

Xia Hong returned the vials to Cheng Feng, then glanced at the nine items he had just seen, his expression subtly shifting.

Recalling how the camp's population had surged to twenty-three thousand, Xia Hong suddenly understood—his astonishment at these new things had lessened.

Expanded activity zones, broader collection ranges, population explosion, enhanced strength, rising demands—all these factors combined would inevitably trigger a leap in productivity.

These nine items are likely just the beginning!

After all, eighteen thousand people had only just merged in; given more time, new innovations will keep emerging continuously.

"Mu Dong and Cheng Feng have done well. Each of these nine items earns ten thousand contribution points, to be evenly distributed among all participants. Xia Chuan, you handle this—make sure everyone in the camp knows!"

Mu Dong and Cheng Feng did an excellent job. For each of these nine items, award ten thousand contribution points, to be divided equally among all who participated. Xia Chuan, you handle this—make sure everyone in the encampment knows!

Upon hearing this, Mu Dong and Cheng Feng burst into ecstatic smiles.

Ten thousand contribution points!

In today's camp, that value was staggering—even split among others, each of them would receive a substantial amount.

In the current encampment, their value is astonishing—even after splitting with others, the two of them will each receive a substantial sum of contribution points!

Xia Chuan's eyes also brightened upon receiving the task.

"Make sure everyone knows"—Xia Hong's intent was clear: to encourage everyone in the camp to innovate. He understood perfectly.

Think about it—these nine items greatly benefit the camp. If more keep emerging, their impact on Great Xia's development will be incalculable.

After reviewing the nine new items, Xia Hong turned his gaze to Xia Chuan.

Xia Chuan stepped forward, pulled out a beast-skin scroll from his person, his face glowing with excitement as he unfurled it before Xia Hong and the others.

At the sight of the map, everyone's expressions sharpened instantly.

Xia Hong recognized it too.

A month ago, during the Six Departments' reorganization, he himself had shown it to them.

But now, the map's lower section clearly held new additions.

At the very top, it was boldly labeled "Great Xia Territorial Map."

Xia Chuan pointed to the new additions below and said excitedly: "Leader, please look—the terrain of the Five Monkeys Mountain region has been fully mapped.

Five Monkeys Mountain lies north of Xinghe River, three kilometers from the riverbank. The entire mountain runs east-west, fifteen kilometers long, with a north-south width of approximately five kilometers. It has five main peaks, from west to east: First Monkey, Second Monkey, Middle Monkey, Fourth Monkey, Fifth Monkey.

Previous camps only operated on the southern slopes of Five Monkeys Mountain, near Xinghe River; they barely explored the mountain interior or the northern slopes.

These past few days, I've sent the Hunting Teams there and found the most numerous cold beasts are Frost-Electric Monkeys. These cold beasts favor packs of dozens, making them extremely difficult to hunt. To fully survey the entire Five Monkeys Mountain, I estimate it will take at least half a year."

Hearing Xia Chuan's description, Xia Hong nodded repeatedly.

Frost-Electric Monkeys—he remembered one had been among the four cold beasts He Yuanhun brought to camp the first time.

Pack-oriented, dozens at a time—no wonder hunting cold beasts in that region had been so hard for previous camps.

"After our preliminary survey of Five Monkeys Mountain, we can confirm there are no other human camps on the northern slopes. Therefore…"

After detailing the entire Five Monkeys Mountain region, Xia Chuan paused, then circled the entire mountain and the three-kilometer stretch of riverbank below with his finger, continuing:

"Five Monkeys Mountain, together with the three-kilometer riverbank north of Xinghe River—this entire 120-square-kilometer area now belongs entirely to Great Xia!"

The region encompassing Five Monkey Mountain and the three-kilometer stretch along the northern bank of Xing River—a total of 120 square kilometers—now fully belongs to Great Xia!

Adding this to the previous 300, Great Xia's territory now totals 420 square kilometers!

Xia Hong stared at the territorial boundaries on the map, his expression subtly shaken.

Only a month since Jingxian merged, and Great Xia's territory had expanded so dramatically!

This expansion rate was truly astonishing.

Xia Hong scanned the Great Xia Territorial Map, his brow slightly furrowing.

Great Xia's current territory consists of five sections: the northern slopes of Five Monkeys Mountain, the western cliffs of Twin Dragon Mountain, the eastern portion of Redwood Ridge, the western portion of Arrow Bamboo Forest, and a small southeastern patch of Pingxi Plain.

Xia Hong suddenly realized that control over each of these five sections was limited to isolated pockets—not full dominion.

This was no minor issue.

They could draw a map and claim these places as Great Xia's.

But would others recognize it?

Or, one day, if they encountered other camp members in these areas, would those people accept Great Xia's claim?

Xia Hong pondered a moment. Seeing everyone's high spirits, he refrained from voicing the concern directly, fearing it would dampen morale, but he noted it down.

He would speak to Xia Chuan privately later and let him handle the execution.

With Mu Dong, Cheng Feng, and Xia Chuan's matters concluded, next…

Finally, Xia Hong turned his gaze to Shi Ping at the back.

"Shi Ping, you are appointed Chief of the Pioneer Department!"

Shi Ping's eyes were still fixed on the Great Xia Territorial Map—he hadn't heard Xia Hong. Only when Xia Chuan tugged him did he snap back to awareness.

"Thank you, Leader, for this promotion! I will devote myself wholeheartedly to expanding Great Xia's territory. If I fail in any duty, Leader, punish me without mercy—I will accept it without complaint!"

Hearing his vow-like response, Xia Hong smiled and nodded: "Your heart is enough. Hong Guang made a mistake—this is luck for you. The more luck you have, the harder you must work, lest others say you're unworthy of your position. Understood?"

Hearing his near-vow-like response, Xia Hong nodded with a smile and said, "Having this heart is enough. Hong Guang made a mistake, and you got lucky by capitalizing on it. The more so, the more you must work diligently, lest others see and say you're unworthy of your position. Do you understand?"

Hearing the encouragement in Xia Hong's tone, Shi Ping's expression grew solemn.

"Enough. All of you, dismissed. Xia Chuan, stay."

Everyone bowed and withdrew immediately, leaving only Xia Chuan.

"Brother, how did you know I had something else to say?"

Xia Hong blinked, seeing the mysterious smile on Xia Chuan's face—he realized Xia Chuan had misunderstood, and chuckled: "What else do you have?"

Xia Chuan nodded, his expression still mysterious. He flipped his right hand—and dozens of white threads suddenly appeared, then flew into his chest.

Then, with a slight flick of his fingers:

Puff… puff… puff…

A red, fist-sized beetle-like creature slowly emerged from his chest, floated forward, then shot straight toward Xia Hong's face.

From the moment Xia Chuan summoned the white threads, Xia Hong had suspected—now seeing the beetle fly toward him, he calmly extended his hand and caught it effortlessly.

"Zhu Mu is indeed material for constructing puppets!"

Xia Hong looked down at the beetle in his palm—it was made of red wood—and immediately understood.

Xia Chuan nodded excitedly: "I recognized the wooden staff Liu Dahu carried—it's identical in material to the puppets controlled by the Wooden Puppet Spirit. These past few days, while interrogating Liu Dahu, I also studied it myself—and I actually succeeded.

Zhu Mu is perfectly compatible with my transparent threads. Normally soft, it hardens under pressure; the greater the force, the more stable its internal structure becomes. It also transmits and releases my energy—making it the ideal material for puppets."

Xia Hong squeezed the beetle with moderate force. At roughly one hundred thousand jin of pressure, a hairline crack appeared.

"Liu Dahu confessed—he found this Zhu Mu accidentally in a Frost-Electric Monkey nest in Five Monkeys Mountain. If we can find more, I can build larger puppets, and their combat power will be even greater!"

Xia Hong recalled the giant wooden puppet the Wooden Puppet Spirit had summoned during the battle at Luo Ge's camp, and his eyes lit up.

Of the three items Xia Chuan had acquired from the Wooden Puppet Spirit, only the black blade and transparent threads had seen occasional use—the puppet inheritance had been useless.

This Zhu Mu from Liu Dahu was truly a stroke of fortune for Xia Chuan.

"Study it thoroughly. Given how much Yang Ning and Li Hu coveted this puppet inheritance, your future strength will be limitless!"

Hearing Xia Hong mention those two, Xia Chuan's eyes flashed a brief glint of coldness before he nodded: "Understood, Brother."

"I kept you back for another matter…"

Xia Hong then turned to his final point, pointing out each of the five territorial sections to Xia Chuan before assigning the camp's next-phase mission.

Xia Hong then turned to the final matter, pointing out five sections to Xia Chuan one by one before assigning the encampment's next-phase tasks.

(End of chapter)