[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades":3,"chapter-endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-458":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Endless Winter: My Camp Infinitely Upgrades",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2266884,4425,"Chapter 458: Interlude Before the Throne, Progress Touching, Blood-Chill Beasts and Copper Bones","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-458",458,"\u003Cp>“Great First Son, Inspector Fan has ordered you to bring your men in!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xia Hong was still stunned by the military might of Cai Qiu, a middle-aged voice suddenly rang out from within the grand hall behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Yunlan immediately turned and walked toward the hall; Xia Hong swiftly followed, trailing behind the thirteen Xianyang-level officials from Linchu County as they slowly entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt no great anticipation, for on the way here, Cai Yunlan had already informed him that the current supreme commander of Zhenyuan Camp was not his father, Cai Qiuyang, but Fan Qinghu, the eldest son of Fan Zijing, Governor of Donghe County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inspector is a military rank in Zhencheng, responsible for commanding the Fangbo’s elite Silver-Scale Guard; according to Cai Yunlan, there were only two such Inspectors in all of Cai Qiu. That Fan Qinghu held one of those positions spoke volumes about his personal strength—and more importantly, revealed how deeply the Fan clan was favored by Fangbo Cai Qianshan, granting them pivotal influence within the fanzhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from the ruling Cai clan of Cai Qiu, there were six other noble families. Though Xia Hong had never been to Zhencheng, he could deduce from this alone that the Fan clan was likely the most powerful among those six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Qiu’s territory comprised four commanderies, three major cities—widely known as the Four Commanderies and Seven Cities. The governors of Qingcang, Baishui, and Linchu were all second-generation Cai clan members. Only the governor of Donghe County was an outsider: Fan Zijing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each commandery governor in Cai Qiu held absolute control over both military and civil affairs. Under each of the four governors stood two military branches: the Garrison Troops and the Commandery Troops. Within their own commandery cities, they were essentially local emperors. The fact that an outsider was appointed governor proved just how highly the Fan clan was regarded by Fangbo Cai Qianshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this also indirectly revealed the Fan clan’s deep-rooted strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xia Hong stepped into the hall, his mind raced with thoughts—but the one that lingered most was Fan Qinghu’s ranking on the Heavenly List.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fan Qinghu is a third-generation Fan clan scion, nicknamed the Donghe Tyrant Blade, ranked 15th on the Heavenly List, at the peak of Xianyang cultivation. The list states his strength is roughly 55 jun; if you factor in martial enhancement alone, his maximum power likely reaches around 72 jun. But someone like him certainly wouldn’t rely on just that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered, Xia Hong stepped fully into the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No bonfires burned inside the hall, yet the moment he crossed the threshold, a searing heat slammed into his face—this was the unique thermal field generated by unrestrained Xianyang-level bone energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong looked up. Inside, 148 people sat or stood, some armored, others in civilian garb. The fact that the hall’s thermal field was so intense he could only describe it as “scorching” meant that everyone present was undoubtedly a Xianyang cultivator—no need to elaborate further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Luxurious…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his face remained expressionless, Xia Hong’s inner mind churned. He noticed the hostile, scrutinizing glances from everyone in the hall—he understood this thermal field was Zhenyuan Camp’s way of delivering a warning. He smirked coldly, kept walking forward at the same pace, and quietly unleashed his own bone energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The already extreme temperature surged several degrees higher in an instant. Nearly everyone in the hall flinched slightly—even Cai Yunlan, who walked ahead of him, paused his steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All this time, the strength he showed me during our hunting trips over the past four months wasn’t even his true power. This Hong Yu is stronger than me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Yunlan’s mind was momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and Cai Yunzhou were cousins. Before Hong Yu arrived in Linchu City, Cai Yunzhou had already warned him—so he’d immediately invited Hong Yu to the governor’s mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past four months, he’d tested this Qin prince over a dozen times. The highest strength Hong Yu ever displayed was 41 jun—slightly weaker than his own 43 jun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before reaching Xianyang, a cultivator’s power resides entirely in skin, muscle, and blood. So if one’s strength surpasses another’s, one can accurately gauge their power by observing the subtle movements of their qi and flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at Xianyang level, it’s different. Unless the gap exceeds ten jun, you can’t judge their true strength by observation alone—even if standing right beside them—unless they release their bone energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Cai Yunlan had assumed Hong Yu’s strength was slightly below his own, or at best, equal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, realizing Hong Yu had never revealed his true power in front of him, Cai Yunlan couldn’t help but feel profound shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yunlan, is this the Hong Prince from Qinghuacheng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Yunlan snapped out of his daze. Hearing the question from a middle-aged general clad in black battle armor at the hall’s head, he immediately smiled and bowed: “Inspector Fan has sharp eyes—this is indeed Hong Yu, the Qin Prince who defeated Yunzhou’s forces with his sword in Qinghuacheng!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong caught Cai Yunlan’s glance, stepped forward a few paces to stand beside him, then raised his head to meet Fan Qinghu’s gaze. Without flinching, he bowed: “The name ‘Donghe Tyrant Blade,’ ranked 15th on the Heavenly List—I’ve heard it several times since arriving in Cai Qiu. Hearing of you is not the same as meeting you. I salute you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around the hall, the Xianyang-level cultivators all twitched their lips slightly—but said nothing. They seemed utterly unfazed by Xia Hong’s half-hearted, even disrespectful, greeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Qinghu didn’t care at all. He burst into loud laughter, stepped forward quickly, and pressed close to Xia Hong before bowing: “Prince Hong has been in Cai Qiu less than a year, yet your name has already spread across the entire Mo’ao River. I’ve long wished to meet you—and today, I finally have!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then locked eyes with Xia Hong and asked: “A land capable of producing a man like you, Prince Hong, must surely surpass Cai Qiu in strength. Could you tell us—just how powerful is the Qin fanzhen? Let us broaden our horizons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall fell instantly silent. Everyone, including Cai Yunlan, turned to stare at Xia Hong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Testing was inevitable everywhere. These were all high-ranking fanzhen leaders, Xianyang-level experts. Fooling them casually? Far from simple…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the tests he’d endured in Qinghuacheng and Linchu City, and now this immediate probing from Fan Qinghu, Xia Hong couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—but his face remained blank. After a moment of thought, he smiled and replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strictly speaking, though Qin lies far from Cai Qiu, there are similarities. For instance, Qin also governs three provinces and nineteen commanderies, each with populations roughly equal to those of Cai Qiu’s four commanderies…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Qinghu and the others showed no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong wasn’t surprised—he’d said the same thing in Qinghuacheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the fanzhen elite took notice, every public word he spoke was already under surveillance. Fan Qinghu and the others clearly knew all this already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he needed to drop something heavier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his mind was racing, his mouth kept talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The strongest men under the Qin Fangbo are the three provincial governors: Bai Qi of Qing Province, Lü Buwei of Yu Province, and Wang Jian of Yang Province. These three…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused here. Seeing the intense curiosity in their eyes, he continued: “Are all Fifth-Transformation Soul-Body cultivators!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hhhhh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the words left his mouth, the entire hall froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Fan Qinghu, along with the hundred-odd Xianyang cultivators, visibly trembled. Their pupils contracted sharply, and every gaze locked onto Xia Hong—shocked, yet filled with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So my guess was right—the highest cultivation among the four fanzhen Fangbos is Fifth-Transformation Soul-Body. No one in the entire Mo’ao River has yet broken through to the Venerable Phase!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spontaneously fabricated nonsense couldn’t possibly be fully believed—not by over a hundred elite fanzhen leaders, none of whom were fools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So their reaction was exactly what Xia Hong expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key wasn’t to make them believe him completely—it was to make them doubt. And if they doubted, his fabricated story had already served its purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the effect was precisely as he intended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he could now deduce the maximum strength of the fanzhen’s top forces simply by observing their reactions—two benefits in one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Qin possesses such strength, I must pay a visit someday. But I’ve heard Qin lies east of Lulong—how, Prince Hong, did you cross the Cold Wave Lake to reach Cai Qiu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still probing. This Fan Qinghu simply wouldn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause of three or four breaths, Xia Hong sighed faintly: “Alas, I know these claims sound baseless—hard to believe. Your repeated tests have grown tiresome. Very well—I’ll tell you the truth outright…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore a hint of impatience, shaking his head: “My uncle, Fangbo Lu Junyang of Lulong, personally escorted me to Cai Qiu. This matter is highly confidential—my uncle wishes no one else to know. I beg you all to keep it secret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every person in the hall froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Qinghu’s pupils narrowed slightly, then he laughed and waved his hand: “Prince Hong, forgive me. The Ice Abyss is perilous. Our Fangbo has repeatedly warned us to be extra cautious with outsiders—it’s simply habit. My father, Fan Zijing, Governor of Donghe County, lives near the Cold Wave Lake. I’ll send word immediately for him to verify this with Lulong. The truth will soon be clear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Naturally. Your repeated tests have made me seem like a fraud. It seems Cai Yunlan’s invitation to assist in the Blood Mire was merely a ruse—your real goal was to test me again. If so, I’ll not trouble you further. I’m returning to the commandery city. Hmph!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong’s tone brimmed with anger, his face flushed with visible fury. He didn’t even glance at Cai Yunlan. With a cold snort, he turned and strode toward the hall’s exit.\u003C\u002Fp>",1648,"2026-06-19T20:30:17.581Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6a66bd80aed1c0040bdb609b9b6409e7f65bddbc98ec12b4c44e0effe383c238","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-459","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-457",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fendless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-cover.jpg"]