Chapter 174: Cleaning Up the Harvest, the Benefits of a Master Blacksmith!

"Hot springs? Now that's a good thing!"

Cao Xing's eyes lit up immediately.

In this freezing cold winter, even taking a hot bath is a rare luxury.

Being able to soak in a hot spring is a life only immortals could enjoy!

Besides, once the hot spring opens.

It would allow great beauties like Liu Muxue, Sarah, and Juliette to bathe in the same hot spring…

Cao Xing seemed to think of some images he shouldn't have and immediately cut off his train of thought.

"Ahem! Can't keep thinking about this!"

He hurriedly began to check the next blueprint.

[Primary Medical Room Construction Blueprint]

[Building Effect: Can build a structure in the territory equipped with simple medical tools and facilities, capable of treating territory residents for frostbite, colds, internal injuries, and other symptoms…]

[Floor Area: 150 square meters]

[Armor: 30]

[Durability: 750]

[Required Personnel: Physician 0/1]

[Construction Materials Required: Wood*200, Stone*100, Iron*30, Copper*20, Mithril*5, Primary Elemental Crystal*10]

[Construction Time: 17 hours 32 minutes]

"Not bad, this is also an important building for the territory."

"Although, thanks to my talent and the warm environment, the territory residents' HP has always been in a healthy state."

"But as we go out to gather resources more often in the future, some residents with weaker constitutions will inevitably get sick or develop fevers."

"So, a medical room is also essential."

Cao Xing clapped his hands over all these blueprints and clicked to learn them.

With that, he had finished reviewing everything gained from this trade.

The harvest exceeded his imagination.

He successfully received Moses Grass and a large amount of Moses Grass seeds.

The number of Wild Boar Warrior recruitment scrolls had already exceeded 106, which was more than enough for him to recruit a legion.

In addition, the number of Ice Dragon Mark had reached 260,000, which could be exchanged for two Golden Treasure Chests.

There were also a large number of skill books and blueprints.

However, it was a pity that the materials for the [Kings Altar] were still a bit short.

Additionally, the progress of recruiting a Pharmacist and a Physician needed to be put on the schedule.

There was still a lot to do; he hadn't achieved all his goals from just one trade.

Furthermore, through this trade, Cao Xing had collected almost all the good items in the hands of the Survivors, so the market would need a few days to recover.

But overall, if he could digest all the resources gained from this trade, his strength would skyrocket!

Cao Xing patted his backpack with satisfaction.

"Not bad, not bad."

"Now, it's time to go check on my precious yaks."

He remembered that Old Mel had said the Cloud Yak were ready for their first shearing.

Cao Xing also wanted to wear that heat-generating clothing as soon as possible, so he impatiently arrived at the entrance of the [Cow Shed].

'Creak!'

The door of the Primary Cow Shed was pushed open.

Waves of warm air, mixed with the scent of hay, rushed towards him.

However, apart from the dozen or so Cloud Yak lying quietly on the ground, he didn't see Old Mel.

Cao Xing thought to himself: "It seems Old Mel has gone to rest."

But thinking about it, it was normal; after all, it was already past ten at night.

In the entire territory, except for the combat personnel on guard duty and those defending against the Ice Nest Monster, everyone else was already asleep.

Just then, Cao Xing suddenly saw a figure emerge from the middle of the herd of yaks.

It instantly made him alert.

"Who is it!?"

Cao Xing demanded.

An old voice replied: "It's me, Lord."

Hearing the voice, Cao Xing lowered his guard.

Then he said with a speechless expression: "Mr. Old Mel, why did you go to sleep with the yaks?"

Old Mel shook his head with a smile, "Lord, I'm not sleeping; I'm milking them."

Cao Xing also saw the gloves Old Mel was wearing and the small wooden bucket under the yak's belly.

He immediately laughed as well.

"Mr. Old Mel, is the forage for the yaks still enough? If not, I'll have someone go to a nearby village to purchase some."

Mel replied: "Lord, the forage is still enough, but we do need to stock up on some."

"The weather here is volatile; sometimes a heavy snow blocks the roads, and we can't go out for half a month…"

Speaking of this, Mel sighed.

Cao Xing also nodded, knowing that what Mel said was a fact.

After all, it was still snowing heavily outside.

Whether they could go out tomorrow was uncertain.

This was also the struggle of the vast majority of commoners in this world.

Various harsh weather conditions made their already difficult living environment even worse.

At this moment, Cao Xing took a handful of light purple tender grass from his backpack.

Seeing the scent of fresh grass radiating from it, Old Mel's eyes lit up immediately.

"This is… this is Moses Grass!"

"Lord, you actually found this kind of magical plant?"

Cao Xing nodded with a smile and then directly took out all the Moses Grass.

A large pile of Moses Grass was stacked on the ground, still smelling of earth.

"Mr. Mel, is this enough to sustain the Cloud Yak for a while?"

Mel nodded: "Enough, it's definitely enough!"

"With this grass, if mixed with hay for feeding, it won't be a problem for the yaks to eat for another half month."

Cao Xing laughed upon hearing this.

Half a month should be enough for him to grow a new batch of Moses Grass.

By then, he would plant the new seeds, and with the growth bonus of the [Pale Tree], he wouldn't have to worry about the Cloud Yak's food problem very soon.

Old Mel said: "Lord, the Cloud Yak have adapted to the new environment. Shall we shear the first batch of fur now?"

"Let's do it now." Cao Xing replied.

"Very well, respected Lord."

After speaking, Old Mel took out a large pair of scissors and walked over to the herd of Cloud Yak.

After spending this time together, the yaks had remembered the scent on Old Mel.

Even when he approached, they appeared very quiet.

Cao Xing watched for a while and found that Old Mel's movements were very careful and serious.

Under his actions, strands of blue and white, soft-textured fur were sheared off.

And then neatly placed on a mat by Old Mel.

However, after ten minutes or so, Old Mel had only finished shearing the fur on the belly of one yak.

Calculating this way, it would take at least half an hour to shear one yak.

With 19 yaks, finishing them all would take until the middle of the night.

Cao Xing felt a bit awkward and said: "Mr. Mel, let's stop here for today and continue tomorrow."

Old Mel wanted to refuse, but heard Cao Xing say: "By the way, this is an order."

Hearing this, Old Mel also laughed and said: "As you command, Lord."

After speaking, the two left the cow shed together and closed the door.

…

After coming outside the territory, Old Mel returned to his residence.

While Cao Xing was still patrolling the territory.

At this moment, it was still snowing heavily outside, with cold winds howling, but they were dispersed by the heat radiating from the furnace.

He didn't know how long this heavy snow would last, and he thought to himself: "Based on today's snowfall intensity, I estimate tomorrow's snow cover will be at least one meter deep."

"Traveling will be a bit troublesome."

Although he currently needed a Pharmacist and a Physician.

But this wasn't an urgent matter.

For him, the more important thing right now was to digest the resources harvested tonight and then improve his strength.

"Forget it, if I can't go out tomorrow, I'll just stay in the territory and use the Ice Dragon Horn to level up!"

Cao Xing already had an idea in his mind.

Then, he prepared to crawl back to the Lords Cabin to rest, ending his busy day.

Come to think of it, from leaving this morning until now, traveling hundreds of kilometers continuously, Cao Xing hadn't had a moment of rest.

Even after returning to the territory, he had been busy all the time.

At this moment, Cao Xing sighed and said: "The life of a Lord is like this; although busy, it is also very fulfilling."

And when he passed by the [Blacksmith Shop], he suddenly heard the sound of 'Ding! Ding-ding!' hammering coming from inside.

Cao Xing wondered: "It's so late, is Harold still working?"

After thinking for a moment, Cao Xing decided to go to the Blacksmith Shop to take a look.

"It just so happens that I harvested a large number of beast bones today, as well as Human-Faced Tree Bark and other crafting materials."

"The recent trade also yielded two crafting blueprints; I can let Harold take a look and see if he can craft some equipment."

When Cao Xing stepped into the [Blacksmith Shop], a more intense heat wave came from inside.

A dwarf was holding a large iron hammer, sweating profusely in front of the forging table.

'Ding! Ding-ding!'

The heavy hammering sound was constant.

It was clear that Harold's work was very serious; he didn't even notice Cao Xing entering.

Cao Xing said: "Harold, still working so late?"

After seeing the figure, Harold wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile: "Lord, aren't you also busy so late?"

Cao Xing laughed after hearing this.

At this time, Harold put down the iron hammer in his hand and said with a smile on his face.

"Lord, those light armors you ordered me to craft today have all been completed!"

"Among them, there are about sixty sets of Tier 1 Fine quality light armor, and only five sets of Excellent quality light armor."

"However, the rabbit teeth you gave me were used to make some Tier 2 Rabbit Tooth Armor, and the defensive effect is quite good."

"In addition, I have also crafted 300 arrows and am rushing to craft more."

"However, it should be noted that our territory is running out of feathers."

Harold reported his work for the day in one breath.

Cao Xing praised: "Harold, you've worked hard."

Harold heard this and said embarrassedly: "Not hard at all, Lord."

"I heard from my wife that you took great care of her today."

"Not only did you give her a Rare weapon, but you also gave her a precious soul."

"Although she failed to breakthrough, we are all very grateful for your cultivation in our hearts!"

"To be honest, we have wandered outside for so many years and experienced many bad things."

"This is the first time we have found the feeling of home in a territory."

As he said this, the rugged-faced Dwarf's eyes became moist, whether from the smoke or something else.

A smile also appeared on Cao Xing's face.

It knew that this couple had a very good relationship.

Just then, Harold's next sentence took Cao Xing by surprise.

"Putana also feels that it is a fortunate thing that we could come to this territory. After our child is born in the future, it will have a comfortable environment to grow up in."

Hearing this, Cao Xing's pupils dilated in surprise, and it asked: "Harold, what did you say? Your child?"

Harold nodded and said: "Yes, Lord. Putana is already pregnant, which is why we wanted to find a stable place to settle, and then we came to your territory, Lord."

Cao Xing sighed: "Harold, I didn't know about this."

Honestly, if it had known, Cao Xing definitely would not have let Putana go out to fight with it.

If a fierce battle caused Putana to lose the child in its womb, that would be a huge problem.

Harold shook its head: "It's fine, Lord. Putana also told me not to tell you about this, but I felt that this matter would be revealed sooner or later, so it was better to report it to you first."

At this point, Harold added: "However, please rest assured, Lord. Putana can still fight for the next few months; she has the bloodline of a Half-Giant and a very strong constitution."

"And we will strive to contribute to the territory. Even if Putana cannot fight for a period of time later, I will work even harder to make up for her share."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Cao Xing's face: "Harold, it's fine even if Putana doesn't fight; your contribution is already enough."

For Cao Xing, the loss of one Tier 2 Elite combat unit didn't have much impact, and it was far less significant than a blacksmith.

However, the Dwarf stubbornly said: "No, Lord, this is our duty!"

"You have provided us with a warm shelter and a stable place to live, so we must also contribute to the territory. If Putana were left idle, she would feel guilty and blame herself…"

After listening, Cao Xing thought for a moment: "Then let's do this, Harold. Later, I will have Putana lead those soldiers and take charge of the territory's defense work."

"Do not think of this as special treatment, because I will be taking some of the combat force out, and the defensive pressure will still be quite high."

Hearing this, a look of contemplation appeared in Harold's eyes.

Then he nodded solemnly: "Thank you, Lord! We will defend your territory with our lives and the hammers in our hands!"

[Because you are considerate of your subordinates, Territory Member: Harold Iceberg, loyalty has greatly increased. Current loyalty: 85]

Seeing this notification, Cao Xing was stunned for a moment.

Because before this, Harold's loyalty had just reached 72 points.

And this arrangement caused it to surge by 13 points, which could be called the largest increase in history.

Cao Xing shook its head and didn't say anything more.

At this moment, Harold solemnly picked up two pieces of equipment from the side and said respectfully: "Lord, these are the finished products I forged today. Please inspect them!"

Cao Xing became interested after hearing this, and then its gaze swept over them to check their attributes.

[Beast Bone Light Armor (Green)]

[Quality: Fine]

[Equipment Requirement: Level 10]

[Armor: 13 ~ 16]

[Bonus Effect ①: Agility +5, HP +60]

[Bonus Effect ②: Light Load (Attack Speed and Movement Speed increased by 15%)]

(Light armor made of wolf bones, very lightweight.)

[Beast Bone Light Armor (Blue)]

[Quality: Excellent]

[Equipment Requirement: Level 10]

[Armor: 21 ~ 25]

[Bonus Effect ①: Agility +5, Strength +5, HP +100]

[Bonus Effect ②: Bear Rage (When attacked, 30% chance to increase Strength by 20 points, lasting for 10 seconds)]

(Light armor made of bear bones, which balances agility while providing decent defense.)

[Tusk Armor (Blue)]

[Quality: Excellent]

[Equipment Requirement: Level 15 or above]

[Armor: 37 ~ 41]

[Bonus Effect ①: Agility +10, Strength +5, HP +200]

[Bonus Effect ②: Tusk Deflection (When attacked, reduces damage taken by 15%)]

(Armor made from the tusks of Frost Bombing Rabbits, lightweight while having decent defense.)

Seeing these three types of equipment, Cao Xing glanced at Harold.

Clearly, the attributes of these pieces of equipment were very good.

At the very least, compared to equipment of the same level and quality, the attributes were a cut above.

Harold had forged them with great care.

After equipping them to the Ascalon Warriors, their combat power would be significantly enhanced.

However, because Cao Xing's development speed was too fast, the level of those soldiers would also rise rapidly.

Therefore, this equipment would soon be phased out.

But that didn't matter.

Because at the current stage, most Survivors were still around level 5~9, and only a small portion of people had reached level 10.

Therefore, when the time came, Cao Xing could completely put this equipment on the market to exchange for supplies.

Thinking of this, a trace of joy appeared on the corner of Cao Xing's mouth again.

"Harold, the attributes of this batch of equipment are very good. You have astonishing forging skills."

Harold was a bit embarrassed by Cao Xing's praise, and shook its head: "Lord, you flatter me. Actually, my forging skills are not considered the top-tier among the Dwarf Clan."

"Our Dwarf Clan also has Senior Blacksmiths, Expert Blacksmiths, and even Master Blacksmiths."

Hearing this, Cao Xing asked: "Harold, how do you upgrade forging skills in your Dwarf Clan?"

Just as Harold said, it was not a top-tier blacksmith.

And the more advanced a blacksmith is, the faster they can forge equipment, and the better the quality.

And more importantly, Intermediate Blacksmiths can only guarantee a high success rate when forging equipment of Blue quality or below.

If forging equipment of Purple quality, there would be a high probability of failure.

Although Cao Xing did not yet have enough materials to forge Purple equipment in batches, it did not stop it from preparing in advance.

After thinking for a moment, Harold replied: "Under normal circumstances, everyone increases their forging proficiency through a large amount of practical experience."

"Of course, it also depends on talent. Some Dwarfs might forge iron for their whole lives and still only be Intermediate Blacksmiths."

"While some Dwarfs can become Expert Blacksmiths in just over a dozen years."

Cao Xing nodded in realization and continued to ask: "Then is there any way to quickly increase proficiency?"

Hearing this question, Harold thought for a moment and replied: "There is, actually. One way is through reading a large amount of books regarding forging knowledge, some masters' notes, and so on."

"Then there is forging some advanced equipment. The more advanced the equipment, the more proficiency is increased, but of course, the failure rate is also higher."

After listening, Cao Xing finally understood the way these life skills were upgraded for the natives of this world.

It didn't sound too difficult.

The simplest method was to have it forge a large amount of advanced equipment.

This was equivalent to throwing money at it.

However, for Cao Xing, this was also the simplest method.

Harold continued: "Among the pile of books collected by you, Lord, I saw a book called: 《Biography of Kingdom Blacksmiths》."

"In this book, I saw many long-lost forging techniques and methods, and I benefited greatly."

"Coupled with today's forging, I feel that it won't be long before I can become a Senior Blacksmith!"

At this point, Harold appeared very excited.

After all, a Senior Blacksmith is a talent anywhere!

Upon hearing this, a look of joy also appeared on Cao Xing's face.

It hadn't expected that such a good thing would be in that pile of books.

It encouraged the Dwarf: "Keep it up, Harold. You must believe that in my territory, being a Senior Blacksmith is not your end goal."

"In the future, you will also become an Expert Blacksmith, and even a Master Blacksmith!"

After hearing Cao Xing's encouragement, a look of longing also appeared in Harold's eyes.

"I believe in your ability, Lord!"

"If I can become a Master Blacksmith in the future, even within the Dwarf Clan, I will be a person of noble status."

"Moreover, every newly promoted Master Blacksmith can go to the Dwarf Hall to receive an exclusive Epic-grade equipment blueprint."

"At that time, I will return to my tribe in glory, take the Epic blueprint, and then forge Epic equipment that belongs to you, Lord!"

Hearing that last sentence, Cao Xing's eyes immediately lit up.

It hadn't even known that cultivating a Master Blacksmith had such benefits!

However, this goal sounded quite distant.

Cao Xing could only temporarily suppress the excitement in its heart.

Then, it took out a large pile of Jungle Wild Boar bones, tusks, and Face Tree bark from its backpack…

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