Chapter 172

The wounds of war need time to heal, but everyone in Guangtan Fortress knows that in this peril-filled apocalypse, stagnation means death.

After preliminarily clearing the battlefield and repairing the most critical breaches in the city wall, Li Qingxuan gathered everyone in the fortress hall for a crucial post-battle summary and planning meeting.

The atmosphere in the hall was solemn; everyone still bore the fatigue from battle, but their eyes were unusually resolute.

"We have defended our home," Li Qingxuan said bluntly, his voice steady, "but this battle exposed too many of our problems. We lack a large garrison; we can only rely on ourselves. Aside from me and Rong'er, our individual strength is not yet enough to stand alone. Our intelligence is blocked; we almost fell to a hidden schemer colluding with the orcs from within."

His gaze swept over every face present: "So, in the days ahead, we must make changes. The core consists of only two points: improve ourselves, strengthen the fortress."

Li Qingxuan first took out the remaining two doses of 【Dragon Blood Elixir】.

"Xiulan, Li Jing," he looked at the two, "you two take it. Xiulan's arrows are an important long-range deterrent for us, and Li Jing's Void Shuttle is irreplaceable for reconnaissance and support; strengthening your constitution is crucial."

Chen Xiulan and Li Jing exchanged a glance, without hesitation, and solemnly took the elixir.

They knew this was not only a reward, but also a responsibility.

Next, Li Qingxuan adjusted the distribution of the Bodhi Fruit.

"Mom, Qingge, Xinxin, Ling'er, Shuang'er, Hongmei," he looked at several holders of mental or support abilities, "your strength improvement is equally urgent. The output of the greenhouse, healing ability, anti-weird perception, soul resonance, and enchantment skills are all fundamental to the fortress. Starting today, the Bodhi Fruit will be prioritized for you; you must quickly raise your Spirit Value."

Finally, he looked at Huang Rong and himself: "I and Rong'er will handle most of the external patrols and hunting missions, honing ourselves in real combat. At the same time, we also need to seek other ways to improve our strength."

Given the extreme shortage of manpower, Li Qingxuan carried out a more detailed division of labor:

Li Feifei: Oversees logistics and internal affairs. Responsible for resource allocation, warehouse management, operation of the trading platform, and using the World Channel to gather macro information. She is the hub of the fortress's operation.

Huang Rong: Primarily responsible for external patrols, reconnaissance, and eliminating threats near the fortress. Her 【Night Stealth】 is the guarantee of outer security.

Chen Xiulan: Assigned to long-range sniping and fixed sentry duty. Using the 【Night Vision Reconnaissance】 and 【Fortress Guard】 abilities in the watchtower, she builds an early-warning network and supports all sides with her archery.

Li Jing: Core of inner-city defense and mobile support. In peacetime she guards the inner city and Jiang Xiu'e etc., using her 【Void Shuttle】 ability to promptly support any problematic section of the defensive line.

Wang Hongmei: Focuses on 【Tailoring】 and 【Enchantment】. She devotes herself to researching how to improve equipment performance, especially the defense of leather armor and the enchantment effects of weapons.

Zhao Ling'er & Zhao Shuang'er: Continue to deepen the cultivation of the 【Soul Dancer】 ability, aiming to expand the range and effect of 【Soul Resonance】 so as to cover the outer city wall area, becoming a powerful support for group combat.

Jiang Xiu'e: Takes the greenhouse as core. On the basis of ensuring food production, she focuses on researching the cultivation of plants with defensive, offensive, or special support effects.

Li Qingge & Li Xinxin: Under Jiang Xiu'e's guidance, they tend the greenhouse while continuously practicing their own abilities.

Li Qingxuan: Oversees the overall situation, responsible for top-tier defense, external combat, strategic decision-making, and uses his Domination ability to try to replenish and strengthen the guard squad of weird creatures.

As for those few cubs, the Icefield Magic Wolf Pack needs time to rest and breed; the Icefield Demon Bear cubs, Chi Tiger cubs, and Swallow Sky Python cubs are temporarily taken care of in rotation by everyone, for their future potential is worth investing in.

Repair work is of utmost importance.

Everyone works together, using stockpiled and recycled materials, day and night without cease to repair the outer city wall.

The Earth Affinity trait played a huge role; combined with manual repair, the city wall's Protection Value is slowly but steadily rising.

Huang Rong and Li Qingxuan joined forces, beginning to redeploy more concealed and vicious traps around the outer city wall, and adjusting the coverage of the Mist Array Disk to optimal, maximizing its shielding and confusing effects.

Li Feifei, via the trading platform, exchanged part of the spoils (such as the crude metal weapons made by orcs) and surplus food for urgently needed stone material and energy stones, accelerating the repair process.

While Guangtan Fortress was busily developing, the ripples caused by their repulsion of the Lie Claw Clan in the outside world were gradually evolving into a surging undercurrent.

In the 【World Channel】, discussions about Guangtan Fortress and Li Qingxuan remained hot. Besides amazement and curiosity, some discordant voices began to appear.

【World Channel·Anonymous Merchant X: High-price purchase sought for Guangtan Fortress's same-model defense facility blueprints! In private chat, price is no problem!】

【World Channel·Raider Y: Hehe, ranked first on the resources list, and the defense is still this strong—who knows how many good things are hidden inside……】

【World Channel·Strategic Analyst Z: Based on current information analysis, Guangtan Fortress's personnel appear extremely streamlined, mainly relying on top-tier individual strength and special defensive works. If one could decipher its mist or find other weaknesses……】

Some major powers, too, through their own channels, have begun to investigate Guangtan Fortress more deeply.

【Elizabeth Camp】

"Being able to repel the Blood Axe, this Li Qingxuan is harder to deal with than we imagined. For now, do not make him an enemy; try to make contact and see if trade can be conducted, especially regarding food."

"Yes, Your Majesty the Queen."

【Dark Elf Camp】

"I am very interested in their city wall. I want to make contact and see if we can exchange our weapons and equipment for their architectural blueprints or that method of generating the mist."

"Understood, Chief. Besides, after the Lie Claw Clan's defeat, the rich iron ore area they previously occupied seems vacant—should we……"

"Send people to occupy it immediately!"

【Shadow Hall】

A token engraved with twisted shadow symbols was placed on the cold stone table.

"Grey Shadow has failed, the soul lamp is extinguished. Target: Guangtan Fortress, Li Qingxuan. Assessment: possesses considerable strength and special defensive measures. Recommendation: tentatively set as 'Observation Level', gather more intelligence, especially its weaknesses and how to break that mist. Also, investigate the cause of Grey Shadow's death, whether it is related to the 'Traitor' Blood Axe."

"As you command."

The defeat of the Lie Claw Clan not only brought fame to Guangtan Fortress, but also left a vacuum of power and resources.

Some medium and small orc tribes formerly suppressed by the Lie Claw Clan, as well as nearby human survivor camps, have begun to stir, making the regional situation more subtle and complex.

These external winds and clouds have, for the time being, not yet directly affected Guangtan Fortress shrouded in mist.

But Li Qingxuan and Li Feifei both know that the fortress's tranquility is temporary.

They must seize every second, using this precious respite to make themselves and the fortress stronger, to face the impending, possibly more severe challenges.

Guangtan Fortress, like a sapling stubbornly growing in a storm, after the baptism of blood and fire, is striving to absorb nutrients, awaiting the moment to face wind and rain again.

And this time, they must prepare more thoroughly.

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