Chapter 145: The First Night of the Formal Period, Survival Difficulty Increases

Cao Xing looked at the attributes of the blueprint.

[Magic Water Storage Device Blueprint]

[Blueprint Introduction: Can be built indoors; an automatic water purification device with automatic heating and constant temperature functions.]

[Construction Materials Required: Small Electronic Component * 1, Iron * 30, Copper * 20, Mithril * 5, Primary Elemental Crystal * 2]

(Note: After successful construction, an input of one Primary Magic Crystal is required to provide two months of energy for the storage device.)

…

Seeing the introduction above, Cao Xing felt amused.

"Isn't this just a water heater?"

"This is great! In the future, we won't need to heat water ourselves to take a bath."

Thinking of this, Cao Xing decided to build one in every resident's room tomorrow.

A moment later.

Liu Muxue had also finished washing up.

She tilted her head, wiping her wet hair, like a fairy emerging from a bath.

Seeing Cao Xing, Liu Muxue said softly: "Ah Xing… the water is already heated. I'll go up and warm the bed first. Come up after you finish your bath…"

"Okay."

Cao Xing nodded in agreement, then also enjoyed a refreshing hot bath.

…

On the second floor of the Lords Cabin, the temperature here was also very comfortable.

There were burning stoves on both sides, and heating pipes were constantly delivering warm air.

For most Survivors, this was simply heaven!

From the fact that Qiu Yating asked Cao Xing for warm clothing today, it could be seen that most Survivors were still in a state of freezing.

After all, not everyone could be like Cao Xing, who not only upgraded the bonfire to a furnace but also built heating pipes.

Even Fang Long, who was developing well, only had his territory's bonfire upgraded to level 6.

At night, most Survivors could only huddle next to a stove to sleep.

Having a blanket was already considered good.

Meanwhile, Liu Muxue poked half her head out from under the covers, then patted the pillow next to her, chuckling: "Ah Xing, the bed is already warm, come in quickly."

"Alright."

Cao Xing took off his outer clothes and then slipped into the warm quilt.

The next moment, a pair of slender and warm long legs hooked toward him.

The two looked at each other; Liu Muxue's beautiful face carried some shyness, and a hint of anticipation.

A moment later, the small wooden bed emitted soft sounds again, accompanied by the charming voice of the beauty.

Under the covers, Liu Muxue twisted her graceful figure, making Cao Xing feel as if he had fallen into the clouds.

Until an hour later.

The beauty let out a series of rapid breaths.

She lay satisfied in Cao Xing's arms…

The two embraced quietly, feeling each other's body temperature.

Liu Muxue's long legs rested on Cao Xing, rubbing gently.

The smooth sensation kept brushing past.

Compared to Xia Yanni and Sarah, Liu Muxue's body proportions were the most balanced, especially her long and toned beautiful legs, which could be called a perfect work of art.

Of course, this is not to say that Xia Yanni and Sarah were inferior to Liu Muxue, only that each had their own unique features.

A few minutes later, Liu Muxue raised her head and said: "Ah Xing… my parents sent me a message again today. They want me to give them a few furs."

"But I didn't give them any. Instead, I told them to trade 2,000 wood or 1,000 stones with us."

Cao Xing felt amused after hearing this: "Did they give it?"

Such a large amount of resources was a significant number for Survivors at the current stage.

Liu Muxue shook her head: "No, they said they don't have that much on hand."

"I told them not to spoil my two younger brothers too much and to let them work as well."

Cao Xing nodded: "That's fine. If they collect that many resources, it wouldn't hurt to trade a few wolf skins with them."

After all, for Cao Xing, this was not a losing deal.

Liu Muxue nodded slightly, and beneath her beautiful features, a sly smile suddenly appeared.

"By the way, Ah Xing… have you thought about which beauty's room you want to go to tonight?"

Hearing this, Cao Xing's eyes widened, and he coughed a few times.

"Cough! What are you saying, Muxue?"

Liu Muxue laughed even more brightly upon hearing this.

She seemed not to care about these things and said softly: "Ah Xing… actually, I can see the feelings our territory residents have for you…"

"During the day, the fiery gazes of Sarah and Renice looked like they wanted to eat you up…"

"I also know that in this territory, everyone loves and respects you, and they also respect me…"

"So, as the Lord, I cannot monopolize your love!"

Liu Muxue clenched her small pink fist and said with a firm gaze.

Hearing this, Cao Xing felt even more awkward.

Just as he wanted to explain something, he heard a knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock!

Cao Xing asked doubtfully: "Who is it?"

A moment later, a voice came from outside: "It's me… Sarah… I have something to report to the Lord…"

Cao Xing looked at his bed partner awkwardly, then said: "I'll tell her to come back tomorrow."

But he saw Liu Muxue covering her mouth and laughing softly: "Go, go. What if it's something important?"

"Remember to come back early~"

Seeing that Cao Xing was still a bit awkward, Liu Muxue continued: "Don't worry too much, just go."

Cao Xing sighed after hearing this.

Then he climbed out of bed, put on his clothes, and walked out of the Lords Cabin.

Pushing open the door, Cao Xing saw the beautiful dark elf standing to the side with her head lowered.

Her two pointed ears stood upright, giving her a delicate and fragile feeling.

"Sarah, what's wrong?"

Hearing Cao Xing's voice, Sarah raised her head, then pulled Cao Xing's wrist without a word.

Cao Xing noticed that Sarah's eyes had become as scorching as they were last night.

Then, she led Cao Xing all the way directly to her room.

With a 'bang', she closed the door.

"Sarah, what do you want to tell me?"

Cao Xing continued to ask.

Sarah didn't answer. This time, she took the initiative to remove her assassin leather armor.

Under the illumination of the stove fire.

In an instant, a body with perfect curves was presented before Cao Xing.

Then, right in front of Cao Xing, she took the initiative to untie her chest wrap.

Instantly, a pair popped out.

"My Lord… Sarah wants more…"

Hearing this, Cao Xing understood Sarah's current state.

Then, he nodded and said: "Then let's do the same as yesterday, Sarah?"

"Mm…"

Sarah responded softly, then knelt before Cao Xing.

Ten minutes later, Sarah stood up and wiped the corners of her mouth.

Cao Xing gently picked her up.

Sarah was about 1.6 meters tall, and being held in Cao Xing's arms, she looked very petite.

Moreover, she was very light; Cao Xing felt she was not even 90 jin.

On the small wooden bed.

Sarah was as passionate as last night.

This perfect body was constantly emitting a scorching temperature, as if wanting to melt Cao Xing.

"My Lord… My Lord…"

"Mmm…"

After a long sigh, Sarah collapsed softly onto Cao Xing.

Cao Xing didn't make any other moves; he just held Sarah like this, his right hand gently stroking her smooth back.

A few minutes later, Sarah seemed to have recovered some strength, and said softly: "My Lord… you are so amazing, you let Sarah feel a sensation she had never felt before."

At this moment, where was the cold assassin from the day? She appeared incredibly gentle.

Cao Xing smiled without speaking.

And just then, a curve suddenly appeared under Sarah's thin lips.

"Actually, that woman from Ascalon also wanted to come find you…"

"But I wanted to feel the Lord's care earlier than her, so I decided to bring you here first…"

Cao Xing was stunned after hearing this; no wonder Sarah knocked on his door so early.

At this time, Sarah leaned into Cao Xing's ear and whispered: "However… you can go find that Ascalon woman in a while…"

Her pointed ears brushed against Cao Xing, and combined with Sarah's breath, it seemed to trigger some psychology.

Cao Xing glanced at her.

However, to Sarah's surprise, he suddenly rolled over and pinned Sarah underneath him.

After her initial panic, Sarah's face became even redder.

She turned her head to the side, one long elf ear facing Cao Xing, appearing so shy and lovely.

In the room, the sounds of breathing echoed again.

Another hour passed.

The dark elf beauty's body trembled in his arms, then her limbs tensed, and her slender arms grabbed Cao Xing tightly.

A moment later, Sarah's gasping sounds came, her chest heaving violently, and she collapsed completely.

Cao Xing also gradually felt physically exhausted.

Compared to Sarah, who was a Tier 3 Leader level, his physique as a Tier 2 Mage was still a bit lacking.

Cao Xing wiped the sweat from his forehead.

And on Sarah's rosy face, there was a satisfied smile as she kissed Cao Xing's chest.

A few minutes later, Sarah got up from the bed, seemingly preparing to get dressed.

Cao Xing was stunned, then asked: "Are you still going out in the middle of the night?"

Sarah nodded and said, "Yes, My Lord. The snowfield is equally dangerous at night, and the territory requires someone to keep watch."

"I am not entirely confident in the abilities of those newcomers."

"So we discussed it, and I will be responsible for the territory's safety during the first half of the night."

"Renice will take the second half, and tomorrow it will be Assam and Andrew."

Cao Xing nodded in realization after hearing this.

The three people Sarah mentioned, including herself, were all subordinates with loyalty reaching over 100.

He hadn't expected them to take the initiative to help Cao Xing shoulder the work of guarding the territory.

Perhaps this was a hidden feature after reaching 100 loyalty.

In front of Cao Xing, Sarah re-wrapped her ample chest with a few layers of white cloth, then put on her tight leather armor.

She gripped the two Shadow Blades in her hands.

After equipping her gear, Sarah seemed like a different person, filled with sternness and a murderous aura.

"I am heading out."

With that, Sarah vanished from the spot without a sound.

Cao Xing pondered for a moment, then stood up and put his clothes back on.

Passing by Renice's room, Cao Xing touched his kidneys.

In the end, he decided not to go in.

Then, he scurried back into his Lords Cabin, lest he be intercepted by some woman again!

When Cao Xing returned to the Lords Cabin, Liu Muxue was looking at him with her large, watery eyes, a playful smile on her lips.

"You're back, A-Xing."

Cao Xing nodded, then slipped under the covers with Liu Muxue.

The two fell asleep in each other's arms, everything unspoken…

In the second half of the night.

Cao Xing faintly heard several crashing sounds near the territory.

One of the crashes seemed to occur right near the territory.

Boom!

The violent vibration caused the Lords Cabin to sway slightly.

Cao Xing and Liu Muxue both opened their eyes and listened for a moment.

After hearing no further commotion, they fell back asleep peacefully.

"Go to sleep, Muxue. It's likely another Ice Nest. Given our territory's defensive capabilities, we don't need to worry about this."

Liu Muxue blinked her beautiful eyes and nodded.

The two fell asleep again.

…

However, while Cao Xing's territory could withstand the impact of the Ice Nest Monsters, the territories of other Survivors were not so lucky.

That night, many Survivor lords were awakened in the middle of the night by the vibrations.

When they braved the cold winter night and stepped out of their Lords Cabin, they immediately saw dozens, or even scores, of Ice Nest Monsters rushing toward their territory.

In an instant, terror appeared in the eyes of these Survivor lords.

"Alert! Alert!"

"Ice Nest Monsters are attacking! Quickly, call out all combat personnel!"

"Damn it!"

Bang! Bang, bang!

Those Ice Nest Monsters were frantically ramming into the buildings within the territory.

The battle broke out instantly.

This was the first night after the end of the novice protection period.

The Survivors had not yet adapted to the cruel rhythm of this world.

Even at night, they could not sleep peacefully and had to leave someone on guard duty.

The Ice Nest Monsters' offensive was as fierce as ever.

Some Survivors, with the help of their subordinates, barely withstood this wave of attacks.

But there were still some Survivor territories that were swallowed by the Ice Nest Monsters in the dead of night.

The chat channel, which used to be quiet at night, was flooded with a large amount of messages.

Wang Shuo: "Damn it! These goddamn Ice Nest Monsters, they won't even let us rest in the middle of the night. Damn it, I was almost swallowed while I was asleep."

Bai Mengxiu: "Are there any brothers near coordinates 8313, 24521, 52311? Two Ice Nests have appeared outside my territory, and so many monsters have emerged. I can barely hold on. Can someone come and save me?"

Cai You: "This godforsaken world, it's already hard enough during the day, and now it won't even let us rest at night. How are we supposed to go mine resources tomorrow?"

The chat channel was filled with complaints.

It wasn't just the chat channel for District 174 where Cao Xing was; the World Channel was also being frantically flooded with various messages.

Leicester Grace: "Fuck! I was outside taking a leak, and just as I pulled it out, an Ice Nest crashed right in front of me. The good news is I blocked the Ice Nest Monster's attack; the bad news is I can no longer feel my little brother!"

Sharma-Miya: "What kind of hellish world is this? We are just here to suffer. Now the Ice Nest Monsters have broken through my territory, and I'm about to die. I just don't know if I can be reincarnated as a Brahmin after dying in this world…"

Hasegawa Kazumasa: "Yoshi! The monsters inside one Ice Nest are enough for me to reach Level 8. Two more, and I can directly reach Level 10. My undead subordinates are truly amazing!"

Gao Zhiying: "Brothers, hang in there. These Ice Nests are both a danger and an opportunity; they can bring us a large amount of experience points. Everyone, reach Level 10 early, and breaking through to the Second Tier will be easy!"

Wang Teng: "Hahaha! Damn Ice Nest Monsters, come at me! I've already reached Level 9. One more level, and I can directly break through to the Second Tier. These Ice Nest Monsters will no longer be able to do anything to me!"

…

In the face of crisis, everyone had different reactions.

Some treated this as an opportunity, while others were panicked.

But regardless, they had no choice but to adapt and seize every minute and every second to develop.

But all of this had nothing to do with Cao Xing.

Their territory had already erected high walls, arrow towers, and powerful subordinates keeping watch 24 hours a day.

The two slept quite peacefully during the second half of the night.

The next day…

As soon as Cao Xing opened his eyes, a system prompt appeared.

[Attention all Survivors: You have survived the first day of the official period.]

[The frequency of Ice Nest appearances and the level of the monsters will gradually increase.]

[When killing Ice Nest Monsters of Elite grade or higher, there is a small chance to drop a special item: Ice Dragon Horn]

[Weather Forecast: Today, the Gale Snowfield region will experience a cold wind, with the minimum temperature reaching -60℃]

…

Seeing the system prompt, Cao Xing asked in confusion, "What on earth is an Ice Dragon Horn?"

At this moment, Liu Muxue also glanced at the chat channel, a look of worry appearing in her eyes as she said, "A-Xing, it seems quite a few people died again last night…"

Cao Xing took a look.

[District 174 current online count: 30412 / 40173]

A large number died during the seven days of novice protection, and another batch died on the first day of the official period.

Now the number of people in their district was almost falling below thirty thousand.

The situation in other districts was likely similar, possibly even worse than theirs.

Cao Xing nodded, "Yeah, there's nothing that can be done about that; after all, there is no more territory protection."

"Plus, with the level of the Ice Nest Monsters constantly increasing, other Survivors must seize every minute and second to develop in order to survive under the threat of the Ice Nests."

Hearing this, Liu Muxue clenched her fists.

Of course, Cao Xing's time was not that urgent, because his progress was already far ahead of the other Survivors.

A moment later, he said, "Let's get up, Muxue."

"Mm." Liu Muxue responded softly.

After briefly washing up, the two came outside the Lords Cabin.

Dozens of Arctic People, the subordinate Cao Yi, and the Tree Spirit race were all waiting respectfully.

Upon seeing Cao Xing, everyone bowed.

"Respected Lord, may you be well."

"Beautiful Lady of the Lord, may your beauty remain forever."

Cao Xing nodded, then looked at the two Centaurs nearby.

"Kantor, Kandaer, did any Ice Nests crash down last night?"

The Centaurs trotted over, their hooves making a 'clip-clop' sound.

They nodded in unison, "Respected Lord, as you can see, four Ice Nests did indeed crash near our territory last night."

"We dragged those newcomers out of their beds, and together with the powerful Ms. Sarah, we killed all the Ice Nest Monsters outside!"

The two Centaurs had proud expressions on their faces.

As for Aili, Sylvia, and a few Imperial Soldiers, they all looked a bit resentful.

They had been sleeping soundly in the middle of the night, only to be awakened by a vibration.

Before they could even react, Kantor's loud voice started shouting outside the door.

Then, they had no choice but to quickly crawl out of bed and follow Kantor and the others out to fight throughout the night.

Kantor walked over at this moment, took out a pile of Ice Dragon Marks and other materials, and presented them with both hands.

"My Lord, this is our harvest from yesterday. Please take a look."

Cao Xing nodded, then collected all these materials into his backpack.

[Obtained: glacier shard * 243]

[Obtained: Ice Dragon Mark * 497]

[Obtained: Small Chaos Book * 5]

[Obtained: Small Spirit Book * 3]

[Obtained: Ice Crystal Stone (Green) * 32]

Cao Xing nodded with satisfaction, "Well done, Kandaer, Kantor. You have worked hard."