[{"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-499":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},2266925,4425,"Chapter 499: Leaving Town and Sudden Upheaval: Bloodless Victory","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-499",499,"\u003Cp>In the 136th year of Mo Ao, December 28th, midnight\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the northern gate of Longgu Town\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Mingyuan, Li Yangtian, and Long Wenhai stood in midair; below them, fifteen thousand troops marched orderly out through the northern side gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main gate of Longgu Town was on the east side; the other three directions had smaller gates. Since Long Mingyuan had decided to send troops north to reinforce, the army naturally had to exit through the northern gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yangtian, you lead this northern reinforcement mission; Wenhai assists. I will personally command the Iron Spine Army and hold the main city—report any battle developments immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yangtian frowned slightly, hesitated a moment, then bowed and said: “Lord, I alone am sufficient for this northern reinforcement. The town is too vital—why not leave Wenhai behind as your aide?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His suggestion was not without reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though looking back now, the Great Xia’s alliance formed two years ago was merely a trap laid for the Five Northern Towns, it cannot be denied that during these two years, as the nine towns’ territories merged and interacted, not only did Great Xia advance rapidly, but the Five Northern Towns also made substantial gains in strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the number of Yuhan-level cultivators in the five towns had at least tripled or quadrupled compared to two years ago—even Beishuo Town now had seventy thousand Yuhan-level cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuhan-level was secondary; the key was the growing number who had broken through to Xianyang-level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take Yangqu as an example: originally, Yangqu had only two Xianyang-level cultivators—the lord, Cao Ganyang, and the military commander, Yan Chenzhou. Last September, Yan Chenzhou’s eldest disciple Wu Tianfa broke through; this May, Cao Ganyang’s son and town chief, Cao Yuankang, broke through as well—Yangqu now had four Xianyang-level cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Longgu was no different: last year, Long Mingyuan’s son and town chief, Long Wenhai, broke through, restoring Longgu’s former state of three Xianyang-level cultivators simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three Xianyang-level cultivators might sound strong, but it depends on who you’re comparing to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the war began, news of Beishuo colluding with two major fanzhen to kidnap Xia Hong’s son had already spread across the Nanlu region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, no one needed to spread it—Long Mingyuan had known about it all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was, he had no idea Great Xia possessed so many Xianyang-level cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A full twenty-eight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Details of the kidnapping in Xiacheng had already leaked: Yang Jian and a group of twenty-three Xianyang-level cultivators from the fanzhen were killed on the spot; Great Xia had deployed twenty-eight Xianyang-level cultivators total, plus twelve beast-king puppets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did twenty-eight Xianyang-level cultivators mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t stop an entire army, but if Great Xia truly concentrated all of them and launched an attack on the town, it would be effortless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xianyang-level cultivators could fly—just that alone enabled them to do far too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the five northern towns, only the three northern ones dared station their armies outside the town walls to fight—why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While their abundant Yuhan-level troops were a factor, the more critical reason was that these three towns had many Xianyang-level cultivators, backed by two major fanzhen, so they had no fear of Great Xia causing chaos in their towns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Longgu and Yangqu were entirely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had only three or four Xianyang-level cultivators; their Yuhan-level army was their only real strength. If Great Xia truly sent elite experts to cause trouble in town, the garrison might respond in time—but if they were slow, disaster could strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Longgu Town was currently sending 15,000 troops north to reinforce Wuchuan, leaving only 4,000 Yuhan-level soldiers in town—though that included 1,000 Iron Spine troops, the number was still too small. If only Long Mingyuan remained as the sole Xianyang-level cultivator, it was too risky…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Mingyuan suddenly laughed, cutting off Li Yangtian’s thoughts. After a pause of three or four breaths, he looked at Li Yangtian and smiled with pride: “Our Longgu now has more than three Xianyang-level cultivators…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yangtian’s expression froze, then instantly turned to delight. He looked up at Long Mingyuan with a tentative tone: “Lord, is the rumor spreading through town lately true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since August, a rumor had quietly spread through Longgu Town: that the lord’s youngest son, Long Wenhong, his eldest nephew Long Wenqing, and second nephew Long Wenyin had all broken through to Xianyang-level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three had not appeared publicly in town since the start of the year—naturally, speculation arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was called a rumor because no one had confirmed it; even Lord Long Mingyuan had publicly denied it just a month ago. With frequent personnel movement across the nine towns and many outsiders infiltrating each town’s ranks, wild rumors constantly surfaced, so no one took them seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Long Mingyuan’s words now clearly indicated the rumor was likely true—hence Li Yangtian’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three were airborne; those below couldn’t see or hear. So Long Mingyuan didn’t hide it—he nodded: “Correct. I don’t know who spread the rumor, but Wenhong, Wenqing, and Wenyin all broke through to Xianyang-level earlier this year, one after another.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Mingyuan had three sons: Wenhai, Wenyue, and Wenhong. He also had a younger brother, Long Mingfeng, who died in the Great Jue Temple uprising five years ago. Long Mingfeng had five sons; the most talented were the eldest, Long Wenqing, and the second, Long Wenyin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Yangtian’s face lit up with excitement. He looked up and asked: “Lord, if Wenhong and the others have broken through, why haven’t they appeared? Are they not in town?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Mingyuan shook his head, speaking gravely: “Great Xia’s power is at its peak, and now two major fanzhen are involved. Even the three northern towns, each with nearly ten Xianyang-level cultivators, can’t make a dent. What can my Longgu, with merely six Xianyang-level cultivators, do? Thinking of this, I’ve ordered them to hide in the ancestral compound’s rear courtyard—no public appearances. If disaster strikes the town, they’ll be our final weapon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s it—Lord, your wisdom is unmatched!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yangtian immediately flattered him, but as his eyes lowered, a flash of cold light darted through them—then vanished as he looked up again: “Since you’ve already made arrangements, I’m at ease…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the half of the army now outside the northern gate and continued: “Luo Yuan’s central force may attack Donggu Camp at any moment. Speed is critical—I must hasten the army’s departure. Excuse me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go! Wenhai, go with him. Report any developments immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant obeys!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, his eldest son Long Wenhai bowed deeply and followed Li Yangtian down toward the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been nearly an hour—still not all out! What’s taking so long? Move faster! Hurry up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such orders to speed up the march were not for the commander himself—he gave one instruction, and each regiment’s captain immediately patrolled the flanks, urging soldiers to accelerate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen thousand men should have cleared the town in one hour under normal conditions. But Long Mingyuan had only just decided to reinforce Wuchuan; much time had been wasted on roll calls and logistical preparations, hence the delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Report, Commander: the four-town gate rotations are complete. One thousand Iron Spine troops guard the main eastern gate; the remaining three thousand Town Defense troops are divided equally—Subcommander Ziqing, Zichu, and I each lead one thousand to guard the southern, western, and northern gates.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the northern gate wall, Li Yangtian watched the army slowly exit with the Fifteenth Army’s commander. His eldest son, Li Zihé, stepped forward and bowed to report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With only four thousand troops left in town, they had to guard all four gates—so any emergency could be responded to immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his son’s report, Li Yangtian’s eyes darkened further. He casually glanced toward the rear of the lord’s palace, toward the Long clan’s ancestral grounds, then turned back and smiled: “The town’s safety is in your hands. Once the army fully departs, shut the gates immediately—prevent any chaos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant obeys!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Zihé finished his bow, the last company of soldiers exited the northern gate below. His eyes flickered—he immediately shouted toward the town: “Close the gates!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the rotation, he had already stationed one thousand Town Defense troops beneath the gate. Hearing his command, the lead officer instantly ordered soldiers to shut the northern gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The town was Longgu’s core—even the northern side gate stood seven or eight meters high and three or four meters wide, forged entirely from pure thousand-fold forged iron mixed with Bai Yin, weighing hundreds of millions of jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a gate couldn’t be moved by ordinary soldiers—even hundreds together couldn’t budge it. Like other towns, the northern gate’s opening and closing relied on iron chains and pulley systems for leverage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Li Zihé’s command, over a thousand Yuhan-level soldiers inside the gate split into two groups—five hundred on each side—slung the thick iron chains over their shoulders, and pulled inward in unison. Slowly, the two massive gates began closing from outside to inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom… hiss…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enormous gate grinding against the ground emitted a piercing, grating metallic screech—those who heard it felt uneasy, yet no one dared speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for soldiers already outside, they turned back for one last look at the town, their eyes slightly wistful—but under their captains’ urging, they pressed on northward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, Li Yangtian has betrayed us! We’ve been tricked! Order the army to turn back—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before the voice could finish, something cut it off. Less than three breaths later, a blood-curdling scream rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the man hadn’t finished speaking when something interrupted him; after freezing for less than three breaths, a piercing scream rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The commander betrayed us? Who’s shouting nonsense?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s happening in town?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t the commander watching us march?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s gone—look at the flanks! The commander’s vanished!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's gone—look at the flank, the army leader is missing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1639,"2026-06-19T20:30:17.581Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ab67ff026b625ebfb83a03d85ce5d4b25d3dce757d70d9cc68453ec076fbb68e","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-500","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-498",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fendless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-cover.jpg"]