Chapter 400: Rewards and Generosity: The Three Garrisons Apply Pressure

"You've probably used many kinds of beast blood already, right?"

Xia Hong naturally noticed Ji Hong's gaze and smiled, asking first.

Ji Hong nodded heavily, clasping his hands in reply: "My Lord, when my base strength reached 120,000 jin, further gains became extremely difficult. Beast blood from common cold beasts of Longyou—Snowmane, Frost Wolf, Demon Sheep—no longer affected my skin membrane at all. I had to seek out other types of beast blood. To date, Ji Hong has used seventy-four kinds."

"The Does Does Da Xia Cold Beasts Chronicle lists only seventy-six cold beast species altogether. Good heavens, you've tried every single one?"

Hearing Ji Hong's words, everyone's faces filled with shock; Xiao Xiao Kangcheng couldn't help blurting out, his tone brimming with awe.

The human body develops immunity to the same type of beast meat over time; if one trains solely on a single species, energy conversion eventually stalls. Thus, everyone in the camp strives to use varied beast meats for training.

After years of continuous research by Does Does Da Xia and increasing samples of Digging Realm limits, it's now well understood: beast blood works much the same way.

The skin membrane likewise develops immunity to a single type of beast blood; once its upper limit is reached, one must switch to another type.

Moreover, beast blood varies in quality: high-grade blood is several times more potent than mid-grade, and royal beast blood not only delivers greater effects but can also slightly enhance potential when the skin membrane becomes fully immune to ordinary beast blood.

"You've used royal beast blood already, haven't you?"

Xia Hong himself was the first to discover this, and he knew these details intimately. He studied Ji Hong for a moment and immediately saw he had already used royal beast blood.

Ji Hong nodded, his face filled with gratitude: "Commandant Qiu knew I was pushing for a top-tier battle body. Two months ago, he specially granted me five jin of royal beast blood exchange quota. Unfortunately, my potential is limited—I stopped gaining strength after using the fourth jin. Now I'm just short of this final hundred jin, yet no matter what I do, I can't push past it!"

Currently, only Xia Hong has the ability to hunt royal beasts. To date, he has slain sixteen total, each yielding roughly one hundred jin of blood. Thus, the camp's logistics depot holds about 1,600 jin of royal beast blood. Granting five jin as exchange quota to Ji Hong is already quite generous.

Royal beast blood only helps to a certain extent; the main factor remains one's innate potential. Moreover, reshaping the skin membrane with this level of blood entails immense pain and risk, so it cannot be distributed without restraint.

Since Ji Hong's gains ceased after the fourth jin, his potential is clearly exhausted—this aligns perfectly with Xia Hong's observations.

"The royal beasts I've slain before were all ordinary species. You've come this far already—well done. To push further…"

Xia Hong smiled and suddenly turned to gesture toward Xu Ning behind him.

Xu Ning understood at once, immediately retrieving a string of beast-skin pouches—over twenty in total—from his back. He pulled out one and tossed it to Ji Hong, smiling in congratulations: "You're lucky today, boy. The Lord just severely wounded a royal beast-level dragon and obtained about twenty jin of dragon blood. I've examined it—it's far superior in quality to other royal beast blood. Take one jin and test it. That final hundred jin should finally break through!"

The Lord just severely wounded a royal beast-level dragon…

Hearing this, Xiao Heng, Liu Liu Yuan Bai, and the others froze, their pupils contracting sharply as they stared at Xia Hong with instant worship and fervor.

Ever since the tale of the Crimson Blood Dragon at Beyond Beyond Qinghepu spread through Xia Cheng, everyone's understanding of dragon-type cold beasts had grown clearer: any cold beast bearing the word "dragon" was inevitably immensely powerful.

Learning Xia Hong had wounded a dragon, their hearts trembled with awe.

Of course, amid their shock, they couldn't help casting envious glances toward Ji Hong.

"Ji Hong bows in thanks for the Lord's generosity!"

As the recipient, Ji Hong clutched the beast-skin pouch tightly, feeling its scorching heat, his emotions surging as he bowed deeply before Xia Hong. Had Xia Li not explicitly forbidden Xia people from kneeling, he would have prostrated himself to thank the Lord.

"No need for such formality. Your strength rising benefits Does Does Da Xia. This jin of dragon blood is a personal gift—I won't require you to report it to Logistics."

"The Lord's grace—I, Ji Hong, will never forget…"

Hearing this, Ji Hong's face trembled, his voice thick with emotion.

He was an old-timer from Tupo. His parents died in the calamity brought by the Wood Puppet Demons ten years ago. Does Does Da Xia rose from Tupo's hardship, nearly wiped out by the Wood Puppet Demons, and today has expanded its territory hundreds of times over—not only joining the Jiuzhen but also creating the first great scene in the southern slopes of Mo'ao. He was not only a witness to all this, but a deeply involved participant.

His feelings toward Xia Hong, and toward the entire Does Does Da Xia camp, were far more intense than anyone else's.

Commandant Qiu's allocation of royal beast blood exchange quota had already stunned him; now the Lord himself personally gifted him such a precious dragon blood—how could his heart not be moved?

"I recall your sister Ji Lord Lord Jiang also has excellent talent. How old is she this year?"

Xia Cheng's population is nearly 1.3 million now; the Baishang population has begun relocating. Once complete, total numbers may exceed 2.5 million.

With Does Does Da Xia's current population, Xia Hong obviously couldn't know everyone.

But the original population of Tupo-era Does Does Da Xia was only around 150—he still remembered most of them.

He had clear recollection of Ji Hong and his sister.

If Ji Hong's talent was unremarkable until he emerged after the first Does Does Da Xia Martial Gathering in Year Two, his sister Ji Lord Lord Jiang was always a brilliant prodigy.

From Xia Hong's perspective, remembering the Ji siblings was natural.

But from Ji Hong's view, it was entirely different: Xia Hong not only remembered them, but even knew his sister's name precisely. His expression instantly flared with excitement; he quickly clasped his hands: "My Lord, my sister Ji Lord Lord Jiang is nineteen this year. Last year she broke through to Cold-Resistant Rank, her base strength rising to 130,000 jin—she too has top-tier battle body potential."

Upon hearing Ji Lord Lord Jiang's name, Luo An, Zou Ping, Liu Peng, Lu Dong, Zhao Zhao Yuankong, and others around sixteen or seventeen years old all flinched visibly, clearly recalling unpleasant memories.

Xia Hong keenly noticed their expressions and immediately remembered Qiu Peng telling him: Ji Lord Lord Jiang had not only exceptional talent but a fiery temper, often chasing Luo An and the others around the inner city to beat them up. He smiled.

"Then both of you have outstanding talent—excellent!"

Hearing Ji Lord Lord Jiang had only top-tier battle body potential, Xia Hong felt a faint disappointment.

Recently, through conversations with Lord Lord Murong the Sinking and Xia Houzhang, he had deduced several patterns.

All current Yang Bright-level Qiangzhe in the Jiuzhen were, without exception, top-tier battle body types before their breakthrough. To date, not a single person with top-tier potential has broken through to Yang Bright.

While nothing is absolute, this strongly suggests top-tier battle body potential is likely the minimum threshold for Yang Bright breakthrough. Without it, the breakthrough becomes exceedingly difficult.

Thus, the once brilliant Ji Lord Lord Jiang is, in fact, less promising than her brother Ji Hong, who has steadily accumulated strength.

Disappointed as he was, Xia Hong showed none of it. After praising the Ji siblings, he turned to Xiao Heng and the others, smiling: "Your rescue attempt was reckless, but I judge solely by results. Since you succeeded, you've earned merit. Let me think how to reward you…"

Hearing this, Xiao Heng and the others instantly brightened.

Not only Ji Hong—they too would be rewarded!

"That dragon's molt had so many scales. There are fifty-nine of you—give each one scale. That way, you'll join the hunting teams to haul things from Bai Hu Pond."

"My Lord, this is too precious—"

"Enough. Four thousand scales—giving away a few won't hurt!"

Xiao Xiao Kangcheng instinctively tried to refuse, but Xia Hong cut him off mid-sentence. He could only nod.

"Thank you, My Lord!"

Xiao Heng, Liu Liu Yuan Bai, and the others were overjoyed, immediately bowing deeply to thank Xia Hong. Even without knowing the scales' exact function, the mere words "dragon scale" confirmed they were priceless treasures.

Xia Hong smiled and waved, signaling them to rise.

He hadn't come here with Xu Ning and Xiao Xiao Kangcheng just to observe Xiao Heng's group. After leaving Bai Hu Pond last night, he immediately went to Baishang to instruct Xu Ning to dispatch ten elite hunting teams to retrieve the items there.

The three of them had set out ahead of schedule; when passing this area, Xia Hong sensed Xiao Heng's group in trouble and had hidden with Xu Ning and Xiao Xiao Kangcheng to observe their response.

By now, the ten elite hunting teams should have arrived.

"They've arrived. Xu Ning, Xiao Xiao Kangcheng—take them to meet the elite hunting teams. Use the map I gave you to locate Mount Great Tiger and the storage site."

Xia Hong subtly sensed a large group moving deep into Mo'ao Mountain from the east, and immediately turned to instruct Xu Ning and Xiao Xiao Kangcheng.

"Your servants obey!"

Xu Ning and Xiao Xiao Kangcheng bowed in unison and immediately led Xiao Heng, Liu Liu Yuan Bai, and the fifty-nine young disciples toward the east.

"Wait a moment!"

Xia Hong suddenly remembered something, halted them, then turned toward the snowy forest and vanished before their eyes.

Xu Ning and Xiao Xiao Kangcheng clearly knew what was coming; they exchanged glances and stood still obediently.

Xiao Heng, Liu Liu Yuan Bai, and the others looked puzzled, their faces filled with confusion.

CRASH…

Less than twenty breaths passed before a golden object plummeted from the sky, striking the ground with a thunderous boom, sending snow flying over ten meters high.

As the snow mist cleared, Xiao Heng and Liu Liu Yuan Bai saw the golden object and froze, their pupils wide with horror.

Lying on the ground was a golden-spotted tiger over one meter long, its fur mostly turned golden. Its eyes bulged wide with terror, mouth still open. Its entire body bore no wound except a tiny slit at the center of its brow.

"That's the elite golden-spotted tiger!"

"Twenty breaths—plus the round-trip time. How long did it take the Lord to kill this elite golden-spotted tiger?"

"He killed it the moment he appeared? The Lord's power is too immense!"