Chapter 162

After deciding on the initial direction, everyone immediately sprang into action.

Li Feifei was in charge of coordinating the existing resources, and Zhao Ling'er, with her assistance, began transferring a portion of the basic materials to her original Shelter.

Li Qingxuan then turned his gaze once more toward the World Channel and the Trading Platform.

At this moment, both channels were already buzzing with activity.

The information scroll speed on the World Channel was astonishingly fast:

"Help! Who has medicine to treat the infection? I'll trade fifty units of Wood!"

"Coordinates (734,1289) – small iron vein discovered nearby, seeking strong teammates to mine together, split 40/60!"

"Hahaha, I've made it into the top five hundred of the Resource Reserve Ranking! See who still dares to look down on our 'Crazy Wolf Gang'!"

"Despair... a natural disaster every month, how can anyone survive? The system is trying to wipe us out completely!"

【System Prompt: User 'Survival Without Hope' has been muted for 24 hours for spreading despairing remarks.】

"Attention! A new type of Weird Creature has appeared in the Eastern Swamp Zone, it spews corrosive mucus, has extremely strong defense, and a squad has already been wiped out!"

"Buying all rare blueprints, price negotiable! Contact via private chat!"

"Any friends from the Elf Race? Our 'Heart of the Hills' camp is eager to exchange magical insights with you..."

The messages were diverse, including pleas for help, trades, boasts, warnings, and curiosity toward other races. Li Qingxuan watched quietly, not speaking right away. He observed that, despite the channels being a jumble of all kinds of people, one could still extract valuable intelligence from them, such as the characteristics of the new monster, resource nodes in unexplored zones, and the movements of other major camps.

He opened the Trading Platform; the interface was clean and clear, allowing filtering by resource type and rarity. A number of trade listings were already posted:

【Seller: Steel Torrent】 Trade: 100 units of Iron Ingot. Requirement: 200 units of Food or one Fine-grade Weapon Blueprint.

【Seller: Shadow】 Trade: Information—weakness analysis of the BOSS 'Swamp Giant Crocodile' in area (734,1289). Requirement: one Epic-grade Material or an equivalent item.

【Seller: Dawn】 Trade: 5 units of pure water. Requirement: 10 units of Wood or any Seed.

…

Trade demands were varied, but generally centered on basic resources, blueprints, and rare materials.

Li Qingxuan paused a moment and said to Li Feifei, "Feifei, sort out our surplus meat, vegetables and materials, list some of them, and prioritize exchanging for the rare minerals and special wood we lack. Also, watch for anyone selling a 'Small Horn' or information related to the ruins."

"Understood," Li Feifei replied, and immediately began the process.

Turning his gaze back to Zhao Ling'er's Shelter, a flash of light passed, and the Shelter's exterior gradually changed, the once solid stone house beginning to grow taller.

The women watched anxiously beside him, their eyes full of anticipation.

When the last strand of light faded, the Shelter had successfully upgraded by one level.

【Shelter: Stone Fort】

【Bound to: Li Qingxuan】

【Level: Level 4】

【Area: 300 square】

【Protection Value: 800/800】

【Upgrade Conditions: Stone Material 3000, Iron Block 1500, Wood 1000】

【Upgrade Effects: Protection Value *2, Full-house Renovation】

【Description: A nascent Stone Fort, stone material formed as one piece, resembling a natural formation】

Zhao Ling'er quickly opened the ranking list and found that her Shelter had indeed risen considerably on the Shelter Level Ranking, though it was still relatively low.

"Success!" Li Qingge shouted, hugging Zhao Ling'er's arm.

The women also showed delighted smiles on their faces.

Although still far from the top ten, this meant their strategy was viable!

Each additional ranking slot brings an extra monthly settlement reward; small gains add up, and the advantage will gradually accumulate.

A spark of brilliance flashed in Li Qingxuan's eyes: "Very good! This proves the path works. Next, one of our short-term goals is to get Zhao Ling'er's Shelter into the top ten of the ranking. Feifei, intensify material collection, prioritize meeting Ling'er's Shelter upgrade needs, aiming to rush to Level 8 as soon as possible and hold the rank."

"No problem!" Li Feifei responded energetically.

Chen Xiulan looked at the ranking and said thoughtfully, "On the Personal Strength Ranking, Qingxuan is a clear first; on the Resource Reserve Ranking, our 'Guangtan Fortress' is far ahead, and now we hold two spots on the Shelter Level Ranking... could this be too conspicuous?"

Wang Hongmei also restrained her smile, nodded, and said, "Sister Xiulan is right. A tree that stands out in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. The Global Announcement also warned that 'Rankings are both glory and crisis.' We are now like a lighthouse in the dark night—too bright, easily drawing some ill‑intentional eyes."

Li Qingxuan agreed deeply: "Exactly. Especially on the Resource Ranking, our Resource Reserve Index is almost four times that of the second place, enough to make any faction envious. Previously information was isolated, but now with the World Channel, our reputation has likely spread. We must strengthen vigilance; the defense facilities of the Outer City Wall need further improvement, and patrol shifts should be doubled."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, look at the Race Strength Ranking: the Human Race's average strength is only 480, placing them tenth. My personal strength is 2164—though I stand out among humans, compared to the Dragon Race or Elf Race, I'm probably only at their average, perhaps even below. This means that in high‑end combat power, we have no absolute advantage over other races, and may even be at a disadvantage. If a powerful other race sees us as easy prey, the consequences would be unimaginable."

These words cooled the women's newly risen joy, replacing it with a sense of urgency and crisis.

This world is far broader and more dangerous than they imagined.

"Then what should we do next?" Li Xinxin asked.

Li Qingxuan stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the faint, newly emerged strange mountain ridges in the distance caused by rule adjustments, which belonged to the territories of other races.

"First, steady and solid progress. Make good use of our early accumulation to keep raising overall strength. The supply of Bodhi Fruit must not stop; everyone's Spirit Value must be raised quickly to cope with more frequent natural disasters and stronger Weird Creatures."

"Second, intelligence gathering. The World Channel and Trading Platform should be used wisely, but we must verify information and avoid leaking our Core Intelligence and coordinates. Focus on the movements of other ranked forces and preliminary information on the Four Great Races."

"Third, attempt contact. Stagnation leads to lag. Provided safety, we can try, via the Trading Platform or the World Channel, to engage with reputable Human Race camps, or even... with relatively gentle other races. The Dwarf Clan excels at forging, the Elf Race masters magic; there may be complementary strengths. But remember, 'Those not of our kind have different hearts,' we must always retain a three‑part caution."

"Fourth, respond to events. The newly appearing 'Resource-rich Zone', 'Ancient Ruins', and 'Scarlet Chest' are dangerous yet opportunities. We need to form Elite Squads, and, with sufficient intelligence, take the initiative to seize these resources. Especially the 'Weird Nest'; if we can permanently clear it, it will greatly benefit the stability of our surrounding environment."

His reasoning was clear and orderly, giving the women confidence.

"As for the Alliance Function..." Li Qingxuan mused, "It's not urgent for now. We need to observe and find truly trustworthy allies of comparable strength. Better to have few than many."

At that moment, Li Feifei suddenly let out a light exclamation, "Qingxuan, look at the Trading Platform; someone named specifically wants to trade with us."

Li Qingxuan, hearing this, immediately walked to her side. In the Trading Platform's private chat interface, there was a message from user "Heart of the Hills":

To the leaders of 'Guangtan Fortress': We are the Dwarf 'Stone Hammer Clan'. Having witnessed your formidable strength in resource reserves, we are deeply impressed. Our clan is willing to exchange fine weapon equipment and sturdy City Defense Blueprints for your surplus food and a rare mineral called 'Obsidian'. If interested, we can further discuss via this platform. In the name of the Forge God, we swear to a sincere trade.

The message also attached a two-handed war axe gleaming with cold light and a virtual image of a Rune Shield Tower, both premium pieces of Fine-grade quality.

"Dwarves?" Li Qingxuan's eyes narrowed, "They came knocking so quickly... and their goal is clear, directly targeting our resources and the Obsidian they need."

Wang Hongmei was somewhat worried, "Could it be a trap?"

Li Qingxuan carefully examined the message and the attached weapon image, shook his head, and said, "It doesn't match. In myth, the Dwarf Clan values forging and contracts; directness and honesty are their traits. That aligns with our general understanding of the Dwarf Clan. Moreover, they proactively offered to exchange weapon equipment, which is exactly what we need right now."

He thought for a moment and said to Li Feifei, "Reply to them: thank the Stone Hammer Clan for their attention. Guangtan Fortress has long been renowned for the nobles' Forge Skill. Food can be traded, but our Obsidian reserves are also not abundant. Could we first conduct a small batch exchange of food and weapon equipment to establish initial trust? Also, we are interested in the City Defense Blueprint held by the nobles."

Li Feifei quickly sent the reply.

Not long after, the other side replied, "Okay. First batch transaction: 500 units of Meat (any kind) in exchange for 5 Bloodthirsty Battle Axes. If the transaction is pleasant, subsequent matters regarding the blueprint can be discussed. Please set the transaction method."

Li Qingxuan decisively completed the transaction through the system; the first batch was small, and a System Transaction is absolutely safe.

He had Li Feifei list 500 units of Smoked Meat in the Backpack and set the exchange requirement.

Soon, the transaction completed.

Five Bloodthirsty Battle Axes emitting a steady sense of power appeared in the Backpack.

The first trade with an alien race was smoothly completed; this is undoubtedly a good start.

But Li Qingxuan knew in his heart that beneath this calm trade lies an increasingly turbulent Undercurrent. Competition in the Ranking, the alien race's predatory gaze, frequent Natural Disasters, evolving events… all foretell that a wave‑sweeping yet crisis‑laden New Era has already begun its prologue.

Whether Guangtan Fortress can continue to surge forward in this Chaos of myriad races is the real test, and it has only just begun.

(PS: Free electricity for love, send a little; the author will be more motivated. If you like this book, please leave a review. Thank you all.)