Chapter 171

Blood-red dawn, the gunpowder smoke gradually dissipates.

Outside Guangtan Fortress, corpses litter the wild, broken weapons, congealed bloodstains, and the orcs' signature green skin constitute a grim post‑battle scene.

The air is thick with a heavy smell of blood and gunpowder, nauseating.

Inside the fortress, it is likewise a scene of chaos.

The outer wall is damaged in many places, protection value plummeting, the wall covered with sword‑ and axe‑cut marks and dried bloodstains.

The prolonged high‑intensity combat left every person physically and mentally exhausted.

Li Qingxuan stood on the broken battlement, his spine still straight.

His gaze swept the battlefield and finally settled on the corpse of Grey Shadow, pierced through the chest by an arrow from Blood Axe and long dead.

Blood Axe's final betrayal, rather than a battlefield defection, was a desperate break‑for‑survival: using Grey Shadow's life to buy the Ripped Claw Clan remnants a chance to withdraw.

"Clean the battlefield… watch for remaining enemies." Li Qingxuan's voice hoarse yet steady broke the postwar silence.

There were no extra garrison troops to command; all work had to be done by themselves.

The few surviving Icefield Demon Wolves let out low whines, also wounded; the Icefield Demon Bear cub seemed frightened by the earlier battle, hiding in a corner of the stronghold and trembling, while only the Chi Tiger cub and Swallow Sky Python cub coiled on the wall, their cold snake eyes watching below.

The women endured fatigue and discomfort and began to act.

Huang Rong and Li Jing took charge of guarding and clearing threats near the wall, ensuring no feigned‑dead or lurking orcs.

Chen Xiulan, despite massive spiritual power drain, stubbornly manned the watchtower to monitor the distance, guarding against the Ripped Claw Clan's return.

Li Feifei, Wang Hongmei, Zhao Ling'er, and Zhao Shuang'er began clearing the battlefield.

They dragged the orc corpses to a place far from the fortress for centralized disposal, recovering usable weapons and armor.

Jiang Xiu'e, Li Qingge, and Li Xinxin were responsible for treating the wounded—mainly the few injured Icefield Demon Wolves; Li Qingge's 【Healing】 ability now played an important role, a soft light enveloping the wolves' wounds, slowly but indeed promoting healing.

Li Qingxuan personally descended the wall to Grey Shadow's corpse.

He searched carefully; aside from a damaged grey robe, several ineffective bone talismans and poison needles, he found only a black token engraved with twisted shadow symbols.

He pocketed the token; perhaps it was the sole clue to uncovering Grey Shadow's origin.

Afterward, he joined the effort to repair the wall.

Using stockpiled stone and metal recovered from the battlefield, combined with the trait of 【Earth Affinity】, they began to patch the wall's damaged spots bit by bit.

It was a grueling task, yet everyone persisted silently.

While the people of Guangtan Fortress were busy cleaning up the aftermath, the outside world was stirred into an uproar by the battle's outcome.

At first, some survivors active in the nearby area, drawn by the battle's commotion, watched from afar as the orc horde suffered defeat and retreated.

They watched in disbelief as the once‑invincible Ripped Claw Clan fled like stray dogs, while the fortress shrouded in mist, though scarred, still stood tall.

The news quickly spread via the World Channel.

【Regional Channel·Anonymous A: Shocking big news! The Ripped Claw Clan, the orc tribe that previously wiped out several camps, was repelled when attacking a place called 'Guangtan Fortress'! Heavy losses!】

【Regional Channel·Anonymous B: Real or fake? Blood Axe, the Ripped Claw chieftain, is a top‑twenty powerhouse among orc tribes! Who could repel him?】

【Regional Channel·Anonymous C: Absolutely true! I saw from afar, the orcs left many corpses! Guangtan Fortress seems sparsely populated, yet its defense is incredibly hard! Plus there's eerie mist!】

【Regional Channel·Steel Torrent (official): Guangtan Fortress? Is that the fortress ranked first on the Resource Reserve Ranking, where Li Qingxuan of the Personal Strength Ranking resides? They actually withstood the Ripped Claw Clan's full‑scale assault?!】

【World Channel·All‑Knowledge: Latest battle report! Confirmed the Ripped Claw Clan's attack on Guangtan Fortress failed, casualties over two‑thirds, chieftain Blood Axe leading the remnants in retreat! Guangtan Fortress likely held thanks to super‑strong fortifications and Lord Li Qingxuan's formidable strength! This battle's outcome may shift the regional power balance!】

This message was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pot, causing the entire channel to explode!

【World Channel·Melon‑Eating Crowd 1: Holy crap! The top‑ranked resource bigwig is this fierce? One person… no, bringing a fortress to hard‑clash an orc tribe and still win?】

【World Channel·Survival Expert: This proves one point: in the apocalypse, a sturdy shelter and top‑tier personal strength are equally important! Guangtan Fortress has both!】

【World Channel·Elizabeth (Shelter Level Ranking first): @Guangtan Fortress‑Li Qingxuan, congratulations on defending the city. It seems we need to reassess your strength.】

【World Channel·Ye Fan (Personal Strength Ranking third): Li Qingxuan… interesting. Being able to repel Blood Axe head‑on suggests the personal strength ranking will soon shift.】

【World Channel·Qiu Bao Daitui: @Guangtan Fortress‑Li Qingxuan, big shot, still recruiting? I'll shout 666, can eat and sleep!】

【World Channel·Yin Mo Lun Zhe: I feel something's off—why did the orcs specifically target Guangtan Fortress? Could there be some unknown grudge… or treasure?】

【World Channel·Ripped Claw Clan Blood Axe: Li Qingxuan! This matter won't end here! The honor of the Ripped Claw Clan will be washed clean with blood!】

Blood Axe's statement further confirmed the defeat, while also declaring the continuation of hatred.

Guangtan Fortress, the name Li Qingxuan, and his mysterious yet sturdy fortress, through this battle, truly entered the view of global survivors and even some alien forces.

From being a fat sheep that made eyes red on the resource ranking, it has become a force with formidable defenses and top combat power, not to be underestimated.

When Li Feifei found a moment to check the World Channel and saw the massive discussion and information, she couldn't help but stare agape.

She hurriedly informed Li Qingxuan, who was busy repairing the wall.

Li Qingxuan heard it, merely frowned slightly, then regained his composure.

He had long anticipated that once the coordinates were exposed, staying low‑profile after the big battle would be impossible.

"Don't worry too much." Li Qingxuan told the gathering crowd, "Reputation is a double‑edged sword; it can deter petty foes but also attract stronger enemies. What we must do now is quickly restore the fortress's defenses and boost our own strength."

He looked at the crowd, eyes firm: "This battle proved we can defend our homeland. But it's not enough, far from it. To truly establish ourselves in this world, we must become stronger."

His words let the people calm down from the mixed emotions of first hearing about fame.

The grimness of the defense battle was still fresh before their eyes; they had no grounds for arrogance.

In the following days, Guangtan Fortress entered a tense post‑battle recovery period.

Repairing the wall, resetting traps, treating the demon wolves, sorting spoils… everyone poured all their energy into it.

Li Qingxuan then handed that shadow token to Li Feifei, asking her to watch for any related information.

Outside discussion of Guangtan Fortress remained fervent—some envied, some feared, some sought to ally, others covertly coveted.

But all of this was, for now, shut out beyond the mist that was gradually regaining vitality.

Guangtan Fortress resembled a wounded beast, licking its wounds while gathering strength for the next leap.

And Li Qingxuan knew that after this battle, they had truly, for the first time, found a foothold on this peril‑filled land.

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