Chapter 114: Murder and Arson Bring Golden Belts

After opening the Relic box of Chen Xiaoping, Cao Xing nodded.

Just as he expected, there was a large reserve of timber in this territory.

In addition, there was a warrior skill book and a Basic Heart of Strength.

Cao Xing thought to himself, "It seems Chen Xiaoping has been developing quite well, having even prepared the Heart of Strength used for breakthroughs. Unfortunately, she made the wrong decision."

After taking all the resources of this territory,

Cao Xing walked out of the Lords Cabin and then came before the captured Imperial archer.

Amidst the other party's bewildered gaze, Cao Xing spoke directly, "As you can see, your lord went to assassinate me, but was killed by me in return."

"According to the rules, after her death, everything in the territory will belong to me."

"So, are you willing to submit?"

A trace of sorrow flashed in the eyes of this Imperial archer.

"Did Chen Xiaoping die after all?"

"Sigh… She was a lord who cared for her subordinates. I fought for her during the day, and at night, she would come to my room to wash away the exhaustion of a day's battle for me."

"She also told me that I would become the strongest Imperial archer."

Cao Xing couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. No wonder this archer's loyalty was so high; he had been directly slept into submission.

"What is your choice?" Cao Xing asked again.

The Imperial archer sighed, "This powerful lord, although Chen Xiaoping is dead, I have already sworn to be loyal to her alone forever."

"So, you might as well let me go to hell together with her."

Hearing this, Cao Xing did not hesitate and gave Sarah a look.

He knew that recruited creatures whose loyalty was about to reach maximum value were very difficult for other lords to win over.

Sarah directly slashed across with her blade.

[-2273]

This Imperial archer's HP was cleared to zero, but at the very end of his life, his face also carried a yearning smile.

It was quite normal for lords and subordinates to get along like this and develop special feelings.

Not just this Chen Xiaoping, among all the Survivors around the world, there were probably quite a few similar situations.

Then, Cao Xing looked at those Arctic People.

Without needing him to say much, that group of Arctic People understood the meaning.

They immediately knelt down, "This powerful lord, we are willing to submit to you!"

"As long as you are willing to give the Arctic People meager food, we can work for you."

Cao Xing nodded, "You guys go into the team first. I still have to go to a few places before bringing you back to my territory."

"As you command, Lord!"

The four Arctic People stood up and converged with the other Arctic People.

Cao Xing directly declared the occupation of this territory.

Next, they continued rushing to the next location.

The Mammoth was unstoppable.

Taking one hour, they occupied two more camps.

They looted all the supplies and took away the Arctic People in the territory.

In the current team, the number of Arctic People had reached 16.

Cao Xing nodded with satisfaction.

Now only the last territory remained uncaptured.

He glanced at the countdown above his head.

[Time until nightfall: 1 hour 23 minutes…]

[Current temperature: -54℃]

"Is there still an hour and a half left?"

"That's enough!"

Cao Xing felt reassured in his heart.

Then he led the team without stopping to rush to the area where the last territory was located.

Thud! Thud-thud!

The Mammoth galloped all the way and soon arrived at the target area.

This territory was located halfway up the mountain, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

And what surprised Cao Xing even more was that there was actually a Basic Elemental Arrow Tower on this territory.

"Eh? An arrow tower was actually built?"

"It seems this territory is developing quite well!"

In addition, Cao Xing also saw that in this territory, there were as many as 8 Arctic People and two Imperial archers.

Cao Xing was instantly pleasantly surprised.

Counting the number here, he could directly bring back 24 Arctic People this time!

And this also showed that this lord's territory was developing well, and there might be some good things in the storage box.

Thus, Cao Xing directly ordered, "Dabai, go!"

"Moo!"

The Mammoth swung its trunk and charged towards the territory.

Seeing Dabai coming aggressively, the expressions of the two Imperial archers changed drastically.

"Enemy attack!"

"Be on guard! Defend our territory!"

However, when they saw that the territory which could once block everything…

was passed through by the Mammoth without any hindrance, their pupils suddenly shrank!

"Whoosh!"

The Elemental Arrow Tower shot out an arrow.

However, those arrows hit Dabai's body, making a crisp sound.

The first layer of Holy Shield was broken.

However, Dabai still had two layers of Holy Shield.

"Attack! Quick, attack!"

The two Imperial archers hurriedly shot arrows.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Dabai's 3 layers of Holy Shield were completely broken.

And right at this moment, Dabai directly rammed head-on into that Elemental Arrow Tower.

"Boom!"

[-1074]

This Elemental Arrow Tower, 15 meters high and possessing 2000 durability points, instantly had half of its durability knocked away.

"Moo—"

As Dabai's tusks flicked upward,

"Boom!"

This Elemental Arrow Tower was directly rammed and broken in half, and the tower body crashed into the territory, also smashing the Arctic People's cabin and the nearby blacksmith shop.

"True God above! What kind of terrifying power is this?"

"Too powerful, it's completely impossible for us to block such a powerful Mammoth."

The 8 Arctic People and the two Imperial archers were scared dumb upon seeing this scene.

At the same time, Sarah's Shadow Blade was simultaneously placed against the necks of the two Imperial Soldiers. As long as they made any move, they would be instantly killed by Sarah with a single blade.

Only then did Cao Xing lead Hilda and that group of Arctic People slowly arrive.

For this kind of battle, they didn't even need to make a move.

The two Imperial archers asked with terrified expressions, "Y-Y-You… What are you guys going to do?"

Cao Xing looked at Liu Muxue beside him, "Muxue, explain it to them."

Then, he bypassed the crowd and walked straight into the Lords Cabin.

[Discovered Lord: Teng Sanhu's Relic box. Do you wish to open it?]

"Yes."

[Successfully opened]

[Obtained Food * 244]

[Obtained Timber * 1594]

[Obtained Stone * 781]

[Obtained Coal * 142]

[Obtained Iron * 51]

[Obtained Wolf Meat * 32]

[Obtained Skill Book: Flying Robot * 1]

[Obtained Masonry Floor Construction Blueprint]

[Obtained Ice Crystal Stone * 31]

[Obtained Small Communication Equipment Production Blueprint]

…

A whole bunch of system prompts.

"Haha, two blueprints and one skill book."

"Teng Sanhu's territory indeed has much more resources than other territories!"

Cao Xing's expression turned joyful, and he nodded with satisfaction.

Then, he walked out of the Lords Cabin.

Outside, the eight Arctic People and the two Imperial archers were all kneeling on the ground.

Through Liu Muxue's explanation, they already knew that their lord Teng Sanhu had died.

And this lord was willing to give them a chance to pledge loyalty.

Cao Xing asked directly, "What are your thoughts?"

These ten people looked at each other, and then said in unison, "This powerful lord, we are willing to submit to you."

Cao Xing nodded and first issued a recruitment application to these two Imperial archers.

As for those Arctic People, his population was not enough.

After going back, he would upgrade the Lords Cabin to Level 3 and expand the population first.

[Imperial Archer: Ganos / Wakaba joined your territory, territory population + 2]

Cao Xing nodded.

By this point, the territories of the five lords had all been taken over by him.

Under absolute power suppression, no accidents occurred.

The harvest could be said to be quite abundant.

Various resources, if gathered by the Arctic People, would take at least half a month.

If other lords obtained these, it could speed up a large chunk of their progress.

In addition, they also harvested two skill books and three blueprints.

Truly, murder and arson bring golden belts!

Cao Xing couldn't help but sigh with emotion, "Ransacking other people's territories like this, the speed of acquiring resources is simply too fast!"

Then, he looked at the Blood Spider Queen and ordered, "Hilda, give them acceleration."

"We are preparing to return."

Hilda still had a look of disgust.

Following Cao Xing around all day today, especially in the last two hours, she had hardly rested.

However, despite her disgust, Hilda still applied [Queens Will] once again to the newcomers.

Cao Xing found that this proud queen, who looked unapproachable, was actually not that dangerous.

Of course, this might be related to the lord contract between them.

If any other human dared to command her like this, they would probably have already been swallowed by Hilda.

Cao Xing thought to himself, "I don't know what this woman actually likes. Wanting to increase her favorability is really quite difficult."

Shaking his head, he sat back down on the Mammoth's back and began walking towards the territory.

This place was a full forty-something kilometers away from the territory.

At their speed, it would still take over an hour, just about enough to make it back to the territory before dark.

The group marched forward imposingly.

A full 24 Arctic People, all dressed in thick cotton-padded clothes and standing under 1.5 meters tall, looked like a squad of dwarves.

Cao Xing noticed that among the 8 Arctic People recruited from the territory of that Teng Sanhu in the back, there was one whose build was noticeably sturdier and stood around 1.6 meters tall.

He glanced at his attributes.

[ Arctic Overseer: Du An Lv3 ]

[ Health Points: 240 / 240 ]

[ Attack Power: 15 ~ 18 ]

[ Attributes: Strength 10, Agility 8, Spirit 8, Physique 12 ]

[ Skill: Junior Architecture Knowledge (increases construction speed by 20%) ]

[ Talent ①: Arctic Physique ]

[ Talent ②: Passionate Encouragement (when leading other Arctic People to work together, work efficiency +10%) ]

…

Seeing the attributes of this Du An, Cao Xing's eyes immediately lit up.

Another talent?

With this Arctic People leading the others in work, it could actually increase work efficiency by 10%!

Don't think 10% is much, but you have to know that he had a full 24 Arctic People on hand, plus Da Zhuang and the others, making a total of 32.

Therefore, Cao Xing called out, "Du An."

The Arctic People, who was gritting his teeth and running wildly right behind the Mammoth, trembled in his heart when he suddenly heard Cao Xing call his name.

The procession gradually came to a halt.

His weathered face carried some unease, but he still squeezed out a reluctant smile.

"Respected Lord, are you calling me?"

Cao Xing didn't speak, but directly tossed him a whole roasted rabbit.

The enticing aroma of food instantly drilled into the noses of every Arctic People.

Although some of the Arctic People had already tasted this delicacy, they still couldn't help drooling.

"My Lord, what is this?"

This Du An was also surprised by the aroma of the rabbit meat, but unlike the other Arctic People, he didn't lose his composure and appeared quite steady.

Cao Xing said, "This is rabbit meat containing powerful strength, which can increase your physique."

"It will still take some time to rush back to my territory from here, and you all need to recover some stamina so you don't collapse in the snow."

Hearing this, the Arctic People Du An immediately bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Lord, for your care and gift!"

"We will contribute our own strength to build a prosperous territory for you!"

After speaking, Du An divided the rabbit meat in his hands and gave a piece to every Arctic People.

Then he kept a piece for himself.

This scene made Cao Xing nod again.

The team continued on their journey.

After eating the rabbit meat, the physique of all the Arctic People was greatly enhanced, and when running, they no longer panted heavily as before.

Along the way, Cao Xing checked the attributes of the four newly acquired blueprints.

[ Basic Sled Crafting Blueprint ]

[ Through the blueprint, craft a sled that can seat 4 people. Movement speed depends on the mount's strength and movement speed. ]

[ Armor: 10 ]

[ Durability: 200 ]

[ Materials Required for Crafting: Wood * 20, Iron * 5, Level 1 Blacksmith Shop ]

(Please drive safely.)

Cao Xing felt a surge of joy in his heart, "A sled that can seat four people, that's not bad. In the future, I can go catch a few horses or tame some other beasts, and the transportation problem will be solved."

"However, the most convenient ones are still technological vehicles. These things don't need mounts, they only consume Magic Energy Stones."

"But there are no such high-level blueprints on the market right now, so we can only wait until the newbie protection period ends to see."

He began to check the second blueprint.

[ Simple Toilet Crafting Blueprint ]

[ Armor: 5 ]

[ Durability: 100 ]

[ Floor Area: 20 square meters ]

[ Materials Required for Construction: Wood * 50, Stone * 20, Iron * 5 ]

[ Blueprint Introduction: Through this blueprint, a simple toilet can be built in the territory. It has a primary sewage treatment system and can convert feces into fertilizer. ]

(A simple toilet, but it can also make your territory cleaner.)

This blueprint was found by him in the third territory.

Cao Xing nodded, "Not bad, a toilet is also a must-have building for a mature territory."

"And as the population of my territory grows, eating, drinking, and relieving oneself every day is a big problem."

"Right now, Da Zhuang and the others just casually find a patch of snow to take care of it, but in the long run, I'm afraid my territory will be surrounded by feces and all kinds of stenches everywhere."

"Build, it must be built! And not just build one!"

Cao Xing made up his mind, and then started on the third blueprint.

[ Masonry Floor Construction Blueprint ]

[ Floor Area: 1 meter long * 1 meter wide * 30 centimeters thick ]

[ Durability: 100 ]

[ Materials Required for Construction: Stone * 2 ]

[ Blueprint Introduction: Through this blueprint, craft masonry floors to speed up the travel time of territory residents and various vehicles, and enhance the prosperity of the territory. ]

[ Small Communication Device Crafting Blueprint ]

[ Durability: 100 ]

[ Maximum Communication Distance: 320 kilometers ]

[ Materials Required for Crafting: Electronic Component * 1, Copper * 5, Mithril * 1 ]

[ Blueprint Introduction: A simple communication device through which you can stay in touch with your territory residents or subordinates. ]

Seeing the last blueprint, a strong sense of joy appeared on Cao Xing's face once again!

This thing is also a good item.

Survivors can contact each other directly through system functions, and can even use voice and video calls, which is very convenient.

But with one's own territory residents, communication could only be done face-to-face.

With this thing, Cao Xing could let Assam and the others go out while he commanded remotely and learned of their movements.

Truly achieving leveling up while lying at home.

"However, crafting this thing requires electronic components, and electronic components require a Level 3 Mechanical Factory to make."

"Let's see after going back if we can find the blueprint for the Mechanical Factory in the market."

Cao Xing learned all four blueprints.

In a flash, half an hour passed.

No accidents were encountered along the way.

And they had also gradually returned to the vicinity of the territory.

Cao Xing and Liu Muxue sat on the tall back of the Mammoth.

They saw from afar that an area surrounded by towering city walls appeared on the snow ahead.

Bright fires were burning inside, illuminating many buildings.

In addition, there were more than a dozen tower buildings standing fifteen to sixteen meters tall.

A full three lighthouses, four watchtowers, and six Basic Elemental Arrow Towers.

Through the three-meter-high city walls, the power of those Elemental Arrow Towers could be clearly felt.

At this moment, the thick iron gates were tightly closed.

It had already taken on the initial shape of a wartime fortress.

People living inside could feel a full sense of security.

"Not bad, not bad, Da Zhuang and the others worked very hard."

Cao Xing was not wrong.

Although building a city wall took 20 minutes, that didn't include the time for breaks and meals halfway through.

And Da Zhuang and the others clearly didn't rest for a moment; apart from eating a little something midway, all their time was poured into work.

Cao Xing was extremely satisfied with this group of hardworking Arctic People.

And in the eyes of the newly joined eight recruited creatures behind, as well as the 24 Arctic People, a strong sense of astonishment had already appeared.

The Arctic People Du An exclaimed, "Earth Mother God above! Is this really this Lord's territory? To actually possess such a vast area, as well as thick city walls!"

And those Imperial Soldiers and archers were equally shocked.

Lakid shockedly said, "Looking at this scale, I even thought I had mistakenly entered a baron's territory!"

The Arctic People Du An respectfully said, "Respected Lord, you possess a prosperous territory. Thank you for letting us join your territory!"

The other newcomers also nodded in deep agreement.

All the unpleasant emotions from previously being forcibly suppressed by Cao Xing and coerced by force to return to the territory completely vanished at this moment!

Compared to the territory where they lived before, which only had a few scattered small houses and a barely sustained campfire.

The territory before their eyes was simply an ideal place, a world of difference!

Seeing the expressions on these people's faces, a trace of joy also appeared at the corners of Cao Xing's mouth.

"Let's go, back to the territory."

After speaking, Cao Xing led the procession closer to the edge of the territory.

The thick iron gate recognized Cao Xing's identity as a lord and opened automatically.

And Cao Xing also opened permissions to the Arctic People behind him, bringing them in together.

At this moment, the two newly joined Imperial Soldiers and the 20 Arctic People all looked at everything around them with novel and excited gazes!