Chapter 73: Wooden Puppet, Herbal Boiling Pot, Polishing Stone

Xia Hong knew exactly what these people in Da Shi’s group were thinking.

After their camp was destroyed, these survivors came to the Xia Camp; though temporarily safe,

without a clear answer from me as their leader, Da Shi and the others had no legitimate standing—they were merely guests, at risk of being expelled at any moment.

Thus, they all felt an intense lack of security.

Even after learning the Wooden Puppet Wicked had been slain and their vengeance fulfilled, they dared not rejoice or chatter freely like the people of the Xia Camp.

In the Ice Abyss World, security is an extremely precious and scarce thing.

Xia Hong’s earlier words had undoubtedly granted them great security.

“Relax. Since I’ve decided to take you in, you’re all part of Xia from now on—I’ll treat you all equally!”

Watching Xia Hong’s retreating back after he spoke, Shi Qing’s face still glowed with emotion. He took a deep breath, looked around at the group, and said solemnly:

“I’m a broken man now. Of our hundred-plus people, not one has reached Woodcutting Realm. Plainly put, we’re just a burden. Our leader has taken us in—this is a grace beyond measure. Even if we died nine times, we couldn’t repay it.

From now on, Xia is our home, and Xia Hong is our only leader. If our leader orders us to die, we won’t even flinch. Understood?”

Everyone raised their heads, gazing at Xia Hong’s distant figure, their faces solemn, nodding gravely.

…………

Having calmed the people of Da Shi’s camp, Xia Hong walked straight to the smelting furnace, staring at the coal and iron already spilled on the ground, his face lighting up with excitement.

【Camp: Xia (Level 0)】

【Lord: Xia Hong】

【Population: 341】

【Resources: Wood 1240 Coal 254 Iron 402 Silver 0 Gold 0】

【Unlocked Building 1: Smelting Furnace (Level 2)】

【Unlocked Buildings 8: Wooden Puppet, Green Bamboo Fence, Marker Stone, Herbal Boiling Pot, Yellow Soil, Polishing Stone, Small Wooden Table, Rough Iron Chain】

The camp’s wood supply was now overflowing; unless Xia Hong wanted to wildly produce Ignition Oil and small torches, even for normal heating, wood would never run out.

Xia Hong couldn’t refuse Luo Ming’s gift of coal and iron because he realized it was impossible for him alone to gather enough resources to unlock buildings in a short time.

Coal mines were easy to find, but currently, Xia had only one Earth-Digging Realm cultivator—himself. He could mine at most two hundred catties per day. Iron ore was harder to find, and extraction would be even harder. Accepting Luo Ming’s gift was clearly the fastest way to unlock other buildings.

Aside from the Small Wooden Table and Rough Iron Chain, the other six unopened buildings required only wood, coal, and iron—and their unlocking costs were low. Upgrades would be the real expense.

Wooden Puppet: Wood 100 Iron 20

Herbal Boiling Pot: Coal 50 Iron 40

Polishing Stone: Coal 60 Iron 30

Marker Stone: Coal 150 Iron 90

Green Bamboo Fence: 20 wood / 5 iron per meter; upgrade after accumulating 10,000 meters

Yellow Soil: 200 wood / 20 coal per square meter; upgrade after accumulating 10,000 square meters

Xia Hong reviewed the building unlock conditions and fell into thought.

Though he didn’t know the exact functions of these buildings, their names gave him a good idea.

The Green Bamboo Fence was likely a defensive camp item; Yellow Soil was probably for growing crops. Both were useful but too expensive and irrelevant to the current camp, so he dismissed them.

The Wooden Puppet was for martial training; the Herbal Boiling Pot for healing; the Polishing Stone for forging; the Marker Stone, as the name suggested, was for marking territory.

He wanted to build all four at once, but resources were limited. After thinking it over, he decided to forego the Marker Stone.

Wooden Puppet, Herbal Boiling Pot, Polishing Stone.

Xia Hong placed his hand on the coal and iron on the ground, shifted his focus, and selected the Wooden Puppet first.

A glow flashed, and a two-meter-tall, single-legged wooden figure with a hollowed abdomen appeared beside the smelting furnace.

Though standing on only one leg, the wooden figure had full facial features—even a faint smile.

Its thick, muscular arms hung naturally, its body bulging with sinew, joints connected by iron rivets, lifelike in every detail.

If not for its wooden skin and single leg, no one would guess it was artificial.

Wooden Puppet (Level 1): Training device. Activate by consuming coal to greatly increase cultivation speed and enhance martial insight.

Special Function 1: Can record cold beast species via blood, then manifest as any such beast and replicate its adult-level power.

Special Function 2: When activated within the smelting furnace’s range, can follow commands and fight autonomously.

Consumption: 5 coal per hour

Upgrade Condition: 3000 wood, 6000 iron

This Wooden Puppet was too powerful!

After reading its description, Xia Hong couldn’t help but gasp, his face brimming with excitement.

Increased cultivation speed; enhanced martial insight; could transform into any cold beast as a training partner; and within the smelting furnace’s range, could fight autonomously on command.

Each of these four functions was utterly godlike.

Xia Hong took a deep breath and selected the second building: Polishing Stone.

As more coal and iron vanished from the ground, another glow appeared beside the Wooden Puppet. The glow spun briefly in midair before fading, leaving behind a rectangular black stone over half a meter in diameter.

Polishing Stone (Level 1): Can be shaped into any mold for crafting metal tools, capable of forging blades from Ten-Fold to Thousand-Fold.

Special Function: Absorb sufficient cold beast blood to forge weapons with beast-subduing properties.

Upgrade Condition: 5000 coal, 10000 iron

Another incredible treasure!

Xia Hong’s face lit up with joy as he activated the Herbal Boiling Pot.

A flash of light appeared beside the Polishing Stone, revealing a green medicinal pot half a meter in diameter, its exterior etched with strange patterns. As it formed, a soothing, fragrant aroma drifted through the air.

Herbal Boiling Pot (Level 1): Alchemy device. Input any item to identify its properties; items with medicinal qualities are automatically recorded.

Special Function: Automatically generates recipes based on recorded items. Input materials according to recipe, add water, and heat to produce medicine.

Consumption: 20 coal per hour for brewing; identification cost varies by item rarity

Upgrade Condition: 20000 wood, 20000 coal, 10000 iron, 10 recipes generated

Huh…

Today’s surprises kept piling up, one after another.

Xia Hong could barely catch his breath.

This Herbal Boiling Pot, with such a crude name, turned out to be the most useful.

It identified item properties, auto-generated recipes, and could brew medicine simply by adding water and heating according to the recipe.

Medicine!

Without this Herbal Boiling Pot, Xia Hong doubted he’d ever even interact with the concept of medicine.

He didn’t know about other camps, but for a tiny camp like Xia, where survival itself was a struggle, the idea of taking medicine for injuries simply didn’t exist.

Injuries meant enduring pain—if you couldn’t endure it, you died. No exceptions.

Now, with this Herbal Boiling Pot, they could use medicine without much effort. According to its description, as long as they kept feeding it items, it would continuously record and auto-generate recipes.

Once recipes appeared, they didn’t even need to think about brewing—just add water and heat.

Healing medicine could be brewed—and so could potions to enhance strength.

Consumption: 20 coal per hour for brewing; identification cost varies by item properties.

Upgrade Condition: 20000 wood, 20000 coal, 10000 iron, 10 recipes generated

Xia Hong stared at the Herbal Boiling Pot, his eyes burning with desire—but seeing its terrifying consumption and upgrade requirements, he couldn’t help but wince.

“Twenty units of coal per hour? These upgrade conditions are insane. Even the system knows you’re the most precious thing here!”

(End of Chapter)