Chapter 224: Firmly in First Place, Blizzard Approaching! (6200)

Cao Xing began giving instructions for dealing with the Ice Dragon Horn challenge that evening.

Ilena quickly replied, "Understood. I will go notify the residents now."

She took Cao Xing's instructions to heart, then ended the communication and began making the arrangements.

The matters regarding the territory were mostly taken care of.

As night fell, the sky quickly darkened.

The entire Witch Forest was shrouded in absolute darkness.

Yet, in such a dark environment, a group of figures holding blue torches was traveling through the forest.

It was Cao Xing and his group.

The Witch Forest at night was extremely oppressive—or rather, terrifyingly so!

Aside from sporadic bird calls, not a single sound from any beast could be heard.

At this moment, Isabelle, who was in the group, said softly, "Lord, allow me to light the way forward for everyone?"

Cao Xing was stunned, then remembered.

Isabelle's Advanced Holy Light Control could release intense holy light, serving as illumination.

"Alright, go ahead, Isabelle."

After receiving permission, the holy woman before him slowly raised her staff.

"Holy light… will guide our path forward…"

The next moment, intense light rose from her staff.

It illuminated the surrounding area for dozens of meters, making it incredibly bright.

Seeing this, admiration appeared in everyone's eyes.

Tong Chuchu said softly, "Wow… Sister Isabelle is so amazing, and so beautiful…"

Hilda, who was following at the back of the group, looked at her with disdain.

"Tch! What a woman who loves to show off!"

Under Isabelle's guidance, everyone soon arrived at an area filled with a large number of vines.

Behind these vines was the ancient Wild Boar Tribe.

Following the gap where the Black Snake had broken in earlier, they quickly entered the interior.

In an instant, waves of warm air came washing over them.

Cao Xing glanced at the temperature overhead.

[Current Temperature: 13℃]

Everyone knew that the reason the Wild Boar Tribe's environment was so comfortable was because of a magical [Giant Vine].

Cao Xing sighed, "What a pity. Such a magical vine, yet I cannot get my hands on it."

The place still retained traces of their previous battle, and no other creatures had entered since.

The group arrived at the plaza in the center of the Wild Boar Tribe.

Looking at the statue in the plaza, Cao Xing asked, "Rabb, can that Beast God statue still be used?"

In his backpack, he still had some Man-eating Flower nectar, a Boss-level soul, and several Elite-level souls that needed to be purified.

Rabb leaned in to take a look, then said, "Lord, the divine power on the statue has been exhausted. Without Wild Boar Warriors praying and contributing faith power daily, it might take a long time to recover."

Hearing this, Cao Xing nodded.

Although it was a bit of a pity, it didn't affect much.

Thus, he said directly, "Alright, everyone go inside and rest."

"Get some energy tonight. We will experience quite a few battles tomorrow during the day."

"We might even have to enter the Witch Castle at night, so everyone needs to hold on."

Hearing this, everyone present had smiles on their faces.

Braum Ironwall patted his chest and guaranteed, "Don't worry, Lord. My physical constitution is very strong."

Jonard and Josent also replied, "During the Dragon War era, our Norn Clan once experienced up to two consecutive months of combat. This is nothing to us."

Cao Xing smiled.

Then, he led them to the stone door of the Wild Boar Tribe's lounge.

Since they knew the incantation for the lounge, the stone door was quickly opened by them.

Everyone filed in one after another.

Inside, there were many stone rooms, as well as ready-made stone beds, stone tables, and so on.

Rabb said excitedly, "Oh! How many years has it been since I last lived in a tribal house!"

"This feeling is truly familiar yet strange!"

"Everyone, just treat this place as your own home. Stay wherever you like, haha!"

Everyone looked at the Wild Boar Warrior Rabb, speechless.

He wasn't even from this tribe, yet he acted as if he were the tribal chief.

However, everyone still looked around and found a room to enter.

As for Elisa and Tong Chuchu, the two young girls followed Volibear, along with Cao Xing and Liu Muxue.

Four people and one bear slept in the same room.

However, they didn't go to sleep on the stone beds but rested against the wall instead.

Volibear lay in the corner.

Elisa and Little Chuchu rested by hugging Volibear's thick, furry legs.

Time slowly passed…

At 6:30 PM.

Cao Xing dialed the communication device on his ear and said, "Ilena, get ready. I am about to use the Ice Dragon Horn."

"Bzz… Bzz…"

"Received, Lord. We are ready for battle."

Hearing this, Cao Xing felt relieved.

Then, he used the horn directly.

This item could only be used by a Lord.

And no matter where you used it, the summoned Ice Nest Monster would descend near the territory.

At the same time.

A familiar regional announcement rang out in the District 17 chat channel.

Regional Announcement: "Attention Survivors, Survivor Lord: Cao Xing has used the Ice Dragon Horn (Small)…"

At this moment, the lively chat channel froze for a moment, followed by a chorus of exclamations.

Chen Ze: "Holy crap! Great Lord Cao Xing used another horn. Didn't they say that every horn challenge kills a lot of people?"

Yin Linru: "Yeah, ever since yesterday, although those Legion Commanders resisted the Ice Nest's assault, they suffered heavy losses. Not a single legion has used the Ice Dragon Horn all day today."

Gu Shijie: "Haha, didn't the people from Wangjiang Pavilion say that although Great Lord Cao Xing resisted the Medium Ice Dragon Horn challenge, he was devastated by heavy losses and was unable to recover? How does he still look so fierce!"

Deng Zhong: "Indeed, as expected of Great Lord Cao Xing. With this challenge tonight, his points are going to skyrocket again. I doubt anyone can catch up to him…"

Meanwhile, Jiang Qingyun, who was being mocked by everyone, along with the various Legion Commanders of District 17, looked at the chat channel in shock.

They didn't seem to understand how Cao Xing could use the Ice Dragon Horn consecutively.

You have to know, no matter how strong a territory is, it's impossible not to suffer casualties when facing so many Ice Nest Monster attacks.

Could it be that his territory didn't have any deaths in yesterday's battle? Or was it that very few died?

Cao Xing didn't look at the discussions in the chat channel, nor did he know about the speculations the Legion Commanders had about him.

Instead, he kept the communication open, listening to Ilena report the battle situation.

Just as expected.

One hundred Ascalon Warriors, over one hundred Wild Boar Warriors, as well as powerful existences like Ilena and Alice, were enough to easily handle the Small Ice Dragon Horn challenge.

Kill notifications kept scrolling across the screen.

Until midnight.

The battle was mostly over.

Then they began destroying those Ice Nests.

Cao Xing's points ushered in another rapid increase.

[1137 points]

[1194 points]

[1235 points]

In the end, Cao Xing's points settled at 1312.

He glanced at the current points leaderboard.

[District 17 Points Leaderboard]

[1st Place: Cao Xing 1312 points]

[2nd Place: Jiang Qingyun 438 points]

[4th Place: Wu Xinghu 285 points]

[3rd Place: Chen Feng 273 points]

Clearly, he was still occupying first place with an overwhelming advantage, and the gap was getting wider and wider.

In the chat channel, the people from Wangjiang Pavilion had completely quieted down.

Jiang Qingyun was still sitting in the Lords Cabin with a livid expression, not saying a word.

On Cao Xing's side, after the battle ended, he learned through Ilena's report that this time they had obtained over 40,000 Ice Dragon Marks, plus 20,000 glacier shards.

Cao Xing chuckled, "Not bad. After we go back, let's see if we can save up some Ice Dragon Marks and exchange them directly for a Bright Moon Treasure Chest!"

"Of course, we can also exchange for a few of those high-level blueprints and Boss-level Dragonblood Warriors to take a look!"

Thinking of this, Cao Xing couldn't help but feel a bit expectant.

Then, he entered a state of rest with peace of mind.

The next day…

Cao Xing and Liu Muxue woke up together.

A system notification appeared.

[Attention all Survivors, Attention all Survivors!]

[You have passed the ninth day of the Official Period. A blizzard is about to strike!]

[Weather Forecast: A cold current will pass through today, with the lowest temperature reaching -68℃. The blizzard will officially strike tonight at 20:12! During the blizzard, the lowest temperature will reach -79℃. The blizzard will trigger various geological disasters, such as avalanches, snow disasters, etc… All Survivors, please prepare accordingly…]

Seeing this string of system notifications, a look of surprise appeared on Cao Xing's face.

It had been nearly twenty days since he entered this world, and finally, the first blizzard was arriving.

Although he had anticipated it, now that it was truly about to arrive, he still felt a bit uneasy.

After all, in this kind of world, a blizzard was an extremely severe challenge for everyone.

One could tell the severity of the situation from the long string of system prompts!

As expected, the World Channel was in chaos.

Christopher: "God! A moderate snow a few days ago was about to submerge my territory. How terrifying will this blizzard be?"

Nie Yihe: "Oh no! My territory is on a mountain, right next to a cliff. Once this blizzard comes, I'm definitely going to suffer. No, I have to run away immediately!"

Hori Kenjiro: "Yosh! Fortunately, I abandoned my territory and hid in a cave. I also stored a large amount of food and coal inside, and I can play with those female Molemen every day, hahaha!"

Han Youzhen: "Handsome Oppas in the chat channel, is there anyone who can take in me and my sister? Our territory level is too low, we definitely won't be able to withstand the blizzard…"

Zhou Min: "Taking in homeless little brothers. Must be over 180cm tall, six-pack abs preferred. My territory bonfire has been upgraded to Level 8, and I have a few Tier 2 soldiers, enough to ensure your safety."

Yan Lisheng: "Brothers, don't go, you'll get your kidneys cut out…"

At this moment, inside the Wild Boar Tribe.

Liu Muxue snuggled in Cao Xing's arms, saying with a worried expression, "Cao Xing, there is actually going to be a blizzard tomorrow."

"Should we head back first and make preparations?"

Her concern was not unreasonable; after all, a blizzard was one of the worst types of weather in this world, and it was possible it could cause severe consequences.

Cao Xing nodded and said, "We do need to go back. Otherwise, once the blizzard arrives, we might not be able to leave for days."

"However, the blizzard officially arrives at night. We can still continue to explore the forest during the day."

"It's a good chance to bring back more resources."

Liu Muxue nodded slightly.

Although, according to Cao Xing's plan, they were prepared to enter the [Witch Castle] tonight.

However, as mentioned before, the weather in this world is volatile, and everything is uncertain.

Plans cannot keep up with changes.

As for the Old Witch's quest, Cao Xing was not in a hurry.

In any case, the quest did not specify a completion time.

So, he pressed the [Small Communication Device] on his ear and broadcasted to everyone.

"Alright, everyone get up."

Upon hearing Cao Xing's command, a dozen or so people swarmed out.

Elisa said, rubbing her sleepy eyes, "Mm… is it dawn already?"

Beside her, Tong Chuchu had an excited smile on her face, "Sister Elisa, I slept so comfortably last night!"

Last night, they fell asleep leaning against Volibear's thigh.

Volibear's thick fur provided them with warm heat, allowing them to have a good night's sleep.

This made the others incredibly envious.

Rabb said excitedly, "Lord, are we going to start fighting?"

"Rabb had a wonderful sleep in the tribe, and I feel like I have endless energy now!"

Cao Xing smiled, "We are going to fight, but there has been a slight change in the plan."

"A blizzard will arrive tonight, so we will continue to explore the forest during the day and return to the territory before dark."

Hearing this, everyone looked at each other.

Cao Xing didn't say much and directly ordered, "Let's go. We will head straight to the depths of the Witch Forest, circle around that ancient castle, and try to explore as many areas as possible."

Given the vast area of this forest, it is certainly impossible to finish exploring in one day.

Therefore, Cao Xing could only explore the deepest parts first.

"Understood! Lord!"

Everyone maintained their high enthusiasm and walked out of the Wild Boar tribe together.

Along the way, they arrived directly at the depths of the Witch Forest, which was near the ancient castle.

Then, they began their journey of battle and exploration.

Thump! Thump-thump! Dabai's heavy footsteps echoed in the forest.

Soon, they encountered the first wave of monsters.

"Rustle!" The white petals slowly opened like whirlpools, revealing black-purple thorns inside.

This was a group of Nightmare Man-eating Flowers, numbering around thirty or forty.

They were all above level 38, and among them were a few level 40 Man-eating Flowers.

However, there were only a few elite-level creatures among these Man-eating Flowers, and no boss-level creatures.

Cao Xing directly ordered, "Do as you please, finish it quickly."

For them, monsters of this level were just a stomp.

"Braum! Attack!" "Wild Boar Warriors! Charge!"

Braum and Rabb, the two battle maniacs, charged up together.

Then came Assam riding a Frost Wolf, Jonard holding a long spear, and the others.

The situation was controlled by them in an instant.

In the rear, there were Cao Xing and a group of powerful mages and archers providing long-range fire suppression.

This group of Man-eating Flowers had no chance to resist at all.

It took them only six minutes to end this wave of battle.

Then, he and Liu Muxue spent about ten minutes cleaning up the battlefield.

And Cao Xing, as usual, walked over and picked up everything on the ground.

[Obtained: Nightmare Man-eating Flower Thorn (Green) * 2438] [Obtained: Nightmare Man-eating Flower Thorn (Blue) * 431] [Obtained: Nightmare Man-eating Flower Elite Soul * 2] [Obtained: Intermediate Heart of Strength * 5] [Obtained: Tier 3 Elite Nightmare Court Archer Scroll * 2] [Obtained: Tier 3 Nightmare Court Archer Scroll * 5]

"Not bad, not bad. There are actually 5 Intermediate Hearts of Strength and 7 scrolls."

"Sure enough, higher-level monsters have higher drop rates."

Cao Xing nodded with satisfaction. Besides these things, there was a pile of materials, and the gains were quite good.

After finishing this wave of battle, they continued to explore. After spending about forty minutes, Cao Xing and the others encountered the second wave of monsters of the day.

It was a group of Human-faced Trees. Then, it was the usual crushing battle…

Time passed slowly. In the next three or four hours, they experienced a total of 3 battles.

The battles did not last long. Most of the time was spent on the road exploring.

There was no help for it; the Witch Forest was simply too big. Although the monster levels in the depths were very high, they were not as dense as imagined.

Plus, cleaning up the loot on the ground also took quite a bit of time.

The morning passed quickly. Cao Xing and the others appeared next to a clearing.

He could already feel the temperature in the forest dropping rapidly. He glanced at the numbers above his head.

[Time until nightfall: 6 hours 32 minutes…] [Current temperature: -61°C]

The temperature had reached over 60 degrees below zero. Obviously, the blizzard was really coming.

Cao Xing said, "Everyone, rest on the spot for half an hour and get ready for lunch."

"We'll fight for a while longer in the afternoon, and then we'll prepare to head back."

Hearing this, looks of anticipation appeared on everyone's faces. After all, they knew that every time Cao Xing came out, he would prepare hearty food in his backpack.

Then, like a magic trick, Cao Xing took out a large amount of white bread, roasted secret-recipe rabbit meat, honey, and so on from his backpack…

This was the benefit of a portable backpack. Even outside, one could eat hearty food.

Everyone started a picnic on the spot. Rabb and Braum wolfed down their food.

"Oh! This is truly delicious rabbit meat!"

At this moment, Elisa patted her bottom, stood up from the ground, and walked to Cao Xing's side with a longing look.

Looking at her slightly shy expression, Cao Xing asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"It's just… that… Lord…" "Could you give me a bottle of milk…" "Elisa hasn't had any milk today yet!"

Hearing this, Cao Xing was stunned for a moment, "Do you have to drink milk every day?"

Elisa nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "Yes!"

"My mother left when I was very young, and then my father, in order to let me grow up healthy, would take me to milk fresh Yak milk for me to drink every day."

"This is a habit I developed since I was a child, hehehe…" Elisa laughed embarrassedly.

Cao Xing had a strange look in his eyes. Old Mel raised many cows, so it was normal to have so much milk to supply his daughter.

However, Elisa had drunk so much milk from childhood to adulthood, why hadn't he seen her develop? That flat chest, and that height of less than 1.6 meters…

Sensing Cao Xing's gaze, Elisa also looked at him curiously.

Cao Xing smiled and took out two bottles of [Cloud Yak Milk] from his backpack.

"Here you go, remember to share a bottle with Little Chuchu."

Elisa took it happily, "Wow! Thank you, Lord!"

After saying that, she skipped over to Tong Chuchu's side to share the delicious milk with her.

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone stood up again. Then they began to continue exploring the area around ten kilometers around the ancient castle.

From noon to after three o'clock in the afternoon, they experienced 2 more battles.

During this period, Cao Xing harvested a large amount of [Intermediate Heart of Strength], as well as quite a few elite souls and boss souls.

In addition, the [Nightmare Man-eating Flower Thorn] count had exceeded twenty thousand, along with a pile of miscellaneous blue-grade and purple-grade materials.

One can imagine how amazing their harvest was for the day!

Especially those thorns; if they were all handed over to Harold to be crafted into arrows and then taken to the [Market] to be traded, they would definitely be able to exchange for a large amount of resources for Cao Xing.

At this moment, Cao Xing and the others continued to travel through the forest. He checked the time.

[Time until nightfall: 3 hours 07 minutes…]

"Only 3 hours left, gotta hurry back." "Sure enough, when people get busy, time passes really quickly." Cao Xing thought with a smile.

"Now, it's time to distribute these Advanced Hearts of Strength in my hand and improve everyone's strength."

Just at this moment, he suddenly raised his eyes because he saw many thick, large trees.

After two days of dealing with them, they were now able to distinguish which trees were ordinary big trees and which were Human-faced Trees through some extremely inconspicuous details.

Obviously, the ones in front of them were Human-faced Trees. Cao Xing said, "Shoot two arrows and see."

Hearing this, Elisa and Renice had already drawn their bowstrings at the same time. "Swish! Swish!" The arrows hit!

That group of Human-faced Trees instantly broke out of their camouflage state. "Rustle…" Dozens of ancient trees turned their bodies simultaneously, revealing the pale human faces on their trunks.

Cao Xing scanned over. He found that they were all a group of level 38 to 40 Human-faced Trees. Among them were 5 elite Human-faced Trees and 3 boss Human-faced Trees.

The most critical thing was that there was actually a level 39 leader-level Human-faced Tree among them! This made Cao Xing extremely excited!

"Good, good, good! Finally, I've encountered a leader-level creature again!"

Throughout the day, although they killed many monsters, most of them were bosses and elites, and they had only encountered one leader-level creature. And it hadn't dropped a soul!

Now, Cao Xing had finally encountered another leader-level creature. So, he quickly commanded, "Same old method."

"Braum, Dabai, Volibear, deal with that leader-level Human-faced Tree." "Isabelle, Hilda, Assam, you each deal with one boss-level Human-faced Tree."

"Jonard, Josent, the 5 elite Human-faced Trees are left to you." "Everyone else, kill those ordinary Human-faced Trees with all your might!"

Receiving Cao Xing's order, everyone instantly aimed at their targets!

Compared to yesterday, their strength had improved by more than just one level. Renice, who had transformed into a leader. Hilda and Isabelle, who had broken through to Tier 4. And that group of Nightmare Court Archers, all had their strength greatly increased!

Especially Renice. In the [Heart of the Hunt] state, she was enveloped in red energy. She quickly drew her bowstring. "Swish! Swish, swish!" Arrows shot out, landing on the Human-faced Tree leader, erupting with powerful damage.

[-4072!] [-4132!] [-4093!]… Every arrow was a critical hit. Her current output could completely rival that of a Tier 4 Holy Priest like Isabelle!

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