Chapter 320: The Goblin’s Treasure, A Bold Plan! (5200)

"Hum!"

The power of lightning on Volibear instantly erupted!

Creatures within two or three hundred meters were caught off guard, covered by this surge of electricity, their bodies twitching uncontrollably!

Fortunately, however, no one was harmed.

A system notification appeared:

[Your pet: Volibear has successfully broken through and has become a Tier 4 Boss-level creature. Base attributes increased by 30%. Learned new skill: Thunderous Wrath of Heaven!]

[Thunderous Wrath of Heaven: Volibear absorbs a massive amount of lightning energy, forming a huge lightning vortex above its head, then rains down a large amount of lightning, dealing massive damage to enemies within 500 meters below.

Thunderous Wrath of Heaven lasts for 5 seconds. Enemies hit by the lightning will take 189% Lightning-attribute damage, and have their Magic resistance reduced by 20% and movement speed reduced by 50%. Cooldown: 300 seconds.]

(Note: Volibear will be unable to move while summoning the lightning.)

…

Cao Xing was stunned for a moment, then an expression of wild joy appeared in his eyes.

"Good heavens, Volibear has also successfully broken through!"

"This new skill is too overpowered, isn't it? It's a 500-meter ultra-large-range AOE, and it even has effects that reduce Magic resistance and movement speed!"

Even Cao Xing's [Soul Wither], in terms of damage coefficient, is not as powerful as this skill!

He even imagined the terrifying scene of Volibear using this skill amidst a horde of monsters!

"When the time comes, I'll start with a wave of Icebound Miles, then follow up with Shadow Entanglement."

"Then [Soul Wither] combined with [Thunderous Wrath of Heaven], who could withstand that?"

"Hahaha!"

Cao Xing was overjoyed.

Meanwhile, two more system notifications appeared.

[Your territory members: Jonard/Josent have successfully broken through and have become Tier 4 Boss-level creatures. Base attributes increased by 30%. Learned new skill: Dragon Blood Sky-Spinning Pierce!]

…

"Not bad, it is very important for the Dragon Blood Warriors to break through to the Boss level."

The Dragon Blood Sky-Spinning Pierce skill is very useful; not only does it have a 414% single-target coefficient, but it also has a 237% AOE coefficient, and it even comes with group stun.

It is a god-tier burst skill.

At this point, all members had completed their breakthroughs.

Cao Xing tallied the results.

82 Elite-level souls succeeded, while 23 failed; this success rate is acceptable.

For Chief-level souls, 16 succeeded and 8 failed; this loss is a bit painful.

As for the 5 Boss-level souls, only 3 succeeded, and 2 failed.

How should one describe this probability? It can only be described as average.

After all, a 45% success rate for Boss-level souls is not considered low.

The ones who failed were Ilena and Rabb.

The human and the serpent walked over with dejected expressions.

"Dear Lord/Strong Lord, I have failed…"

Cao Xing smiled and comforted them: "It's nothing, it's a very normal occurrence."

"Next time I have souls, I'll let you continue your breakthrough again."

Upon hearing Cao Xing's comfort.

Smiles reappeared on their faces.

Up to this point, almost all of the four hundred plus combatants under his command had obtained improvements.

Only a small portion did not receive a Heart of Strength or a soul.

Then, he took out thousands of Books of Strength, Books of Spirit, Books of Agility, and so on from his backpack…

He distributed them according to his subordinates' attributes.

And those few who did not receive a soul or a Heart of Strength were also given special attention by Cao Xing and received a few extra books.

At this point, this breakthrough session was officially over!

And the resources that Cao Xing had accumulated for so long were all consumed in this wave!

Looking at his empty backpack.

Cao Xing's mouth twitched.

"Breaking through all at once is satisfying, but now I've really become a pauper."

Although he said that, he couldn't be happier inside.

After all, after this wave of consumption, his territory's strength had increased by more than double.

And at this moment, almost all troop types had received significant improvements.

Over four hundred people gazed at that man with burning eyes.

"The Lord is wise and martial, his divine power is vast!"

"The Lord is wise and martial, his divine power is vast!"

The fanatical cheers resounded throughout the entire territory.

All the staff members turned their gazes toward them.

They all felt the enthusiasm of these combatants!

Cao Xing smiled, "Alright, everything that needed to be improved has been improved. Now disperse, everyone continue training."

"Tomorrow, a portion of you will be accompanying me on an operation. Be prepared."

Upon hearing these words, the soldiers below were instantly energized!

Although they didn't know which people their Lord would take tomorrow, they all held expressions of anticipation.

And they hoped that the Lord would take them along.

After the crowd had dispersed.

Only Cao Xing and Liu Muxue remained, walking side by side.

Liu Muxue also had a gentle smile on her face, "A-Xing, this improvement is truly huge."

"Those combatants all admire you so much!"

Cao Xing smiled, "It is huge, but if we want to improve like this next time, we'll have to accumulate resources for a long time again."

"Moreover, the development of the territory will also require many resources, so we need to find a way to acquire more."

Liu Muxue nodded slightly and continued, "You just said that we will be operating tomorrow; are you preparing to participate in the war at Lake Doron City?"

She was a smart woman, and from the breakthrough wave where Cao Xing exhausted his resources, to what he just said about finding a way to get a batch of resources, she immediately associated it with Lake Doron City.

She immediately made the connection to Lake Doron City.

After all, only on a battlefield of that scale could he obtain large gains.

Cao Xing nodded, "Yes, the resources inside that Giant City are beyond imagination. Besides that, killing those cultists also yields honor points, which is also a significant income."

"Although there are some risks, compared to the potential harvest inside, it is still worth it."

Liu Muxue was thoughtful, then said, "Since that's the case, I do have a few operational plans."

Hearing this, Cao Xing was also somewhat surprised.

"Oh? Let's hear them."

Liu Muxue said softly, "The situation on the battlefield at Lake Doron City is complex. I saw it via the live stream last time; there are at least three Red-Robed Bishops inside, as well as an army of Strange Ghosts."

"So we must act carefully and not be easily exposed. Although you have methods of disguise, taking so many people this time still carries the risk of exposure."

"So I suggest we split into two groups for tomorrow's operation."

Cao Xing asked in confusion, "Two groups?"

"Yes."

Liu Muxue continued, "We core combatants will go ahead to clear the path first, and then find a place near the battlefield to hide our main force."

"And normally, the army won't be deployed easily; we will act first."

"Once we encounter danger, these main forces can provide backup."

After listening to Liu Muxue's plan, Cao Xing was thoughtful.

Clearly, she had considered things very thoroughly.

This plan both reduced the risk of exposure and guaranteed their safety.

Cao Xing was also quite gratified by her change.

"Not bad, Muxue. Let's do exactly that tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, the beautiful woman before him also had a gentle smile on her face.

Then, they began to flesh out some details of the operation.

Just as the two continued their conversation, a short figure appeared sneakily behind them.

And followed them the whole way.

The two's expressions shifted slightly; with their current formidable strength, they could naturally sense that someone was following them.

Cao Xing also knew the identity of this follower and turned around to ask directly, "Locke, do you have something you need from us?"

Hearing the voice, the tracking figure behind them shivered.

Then, a figure with a short stature, a pair of pointed ears, and wearing a loose robe walked out from a corner.

It was the goblin craftsman that Cao Xing had picked up in the mountains.

He wrung his somewhat withered hands, walked over sheepishly, and then bowed respectfully.

"Respected Lord, Lady of the Lord, may you be well."

Cao Xing nodded slightly, "Speak, what is it?"

The goblin Locke said squirmingly, "That… that… I just saw that the Lord helped many warriors improve their strength."

"This method is simply inconceivable…"

"So I wanted to ask, Lord… can you help me improve too?"

Cao Xing was slightly stunned.

But he also understood the purpose of this goblin.

This guy was just a Tier 3 ordinary goblin.

He was considered a strong one among the goblin race, but in this world, this bit of strength couldn't even be used to protect himself.

So he thought about asking Cao Xing for help to improve his strength.

However, this wave of consumption by Cao Xing had used up almost all the resources he had on hand.

Only 3 Chief-level souls remained.

And Locke was just an ordinary creature; he needed to become an Elite first to be able to use these souls.

Seeing Cao Xing not speaking, Locke thought he was hesitating.

So he quickly said, "Lord, I won't let you help me improve for nothing!"

"I can exchange a precious item with you; what do you think?"

"Oh? What is it?" Cao Xing also became interested.

After all, it is well known that the goblin race likes to collect treasures.

And this goblin merchant might just have hidden something good.

The goblin Lock pondered for a moment and said, "H-how about I trade you a blueprint for an Advanced Goblin Airship, how about that?"

Upon hearing the four words [Goblin Airship], Cao Xing's eyes instantly lit up!

"You mean that kind of airship that can carry people in the sky and has decent mobility?"

Lock nodded and said, "Yes, My Lord, and it is an Advanced Goblin Airship. It can carry over two hundred people at once, and its top speed can reach nearly 200 kilometers per hour."

"Besides that, we can also install some simple offensive weapons on it…"

"Of course… the energy consumption will also be quite high…"

Cao Xing narrowed his eyes.

Clearly, he was already tempted.

After all, while his mobility was currently very strong, that was only for their core combat personnel.

The marching speed of the regular army was very slow.

Take tomorrow's operation, for instance.

By the time they all arrived at Lake Doron City, those Ascalon Warriors would still be halfway there!

That was why the Goblin Airship was so important at this moment.

If he could build enough of them, it would be very convenient for him to go anywhere in the future, and he could even bring his soldiers along, achieving the effect of a surprise aerial assault.

Cao Xing nodded and said, "That could work, but I don't have anything on hand right now that can help you break through."

"I'll have to wait until I get another batch of resources back before I can help you improve."

Hearing this, the goblin Lock didn't seem anxious; a fawning smile appeared on his face.

"It's fine, My Lord, I can give you the blueprint first."

"As long as you remember this matter, that will be enough."

"Besides, I still have to work in this territory for another year, we have plenty of time together!"

Cao Xing was stunned, as he hadn't expected the usually stingy goblin to be so generous.

In fact, under normal circumstances, the goblin race would never hand over a treasure first.

However, the goblin Lock had seen the scene of everyone breaking through just now, and it had frightened him.

As a resident of this territory, how could he not know how terrifying these soldiers were after they had all broken through!

Even those Tier 5 creatures were no match for this group of soldiers.

Yet, there were hundreds of such powerful individuals in this territory.

And with such powerful strength, the fame of this territory would definitely resound across the entire continent in the near future!

By then, let alone Expert-level craftsmen like him, even Master-level craftsmen would be scrambling to join.

If that happened, his importance would diminish, and he might even be forgotten by this Lord in some corner.

Therefore, he thought he would take this opportunity to demonstrate his value!

After saying this, the goblin Lock rummaged inside his coat and pulled out a yellowed blueprint. He respectfully handed it to Cao Xing. He took it.

[Obtained: Advanced Goblin Airship Production Blueprint * 1]

…He glanced at the attributes.

[Advanced Goblin Airship Production Blueprint] [Blueprint Introduction: Can be used in a Mechanical Factory to produce a Goblin Airship using materials] [Armor: 500] [Durability: 40000] [Maximum Capacity: 0 / 208 people] [Maximum Speed: 180 km/h] [Required Materials for Production: Advanced Mechanical Factory, Advanced Energy Core * 1, Wood * 1000, Refined Iron * 3000, Copper * 5000, Mithril * 1000, Advanced Elemental Crystal * 50] (A high-end piece of goblin technology, an airship with decent mobility but insufficient defensive capabilities. There is a risk of being shot down by aerial units; it is recommended to equip it with some aerial combat units.)

Seeing the production materials for the Goblin Airship, Cao Xing narrowed his eyes.

The rest were fine, but the [Advanced Mechanical Factory Blueprint] and [Advanced Energy Core] were a bit difficult to obtain.

It was impossible to produce it before tomorrow's operation.

He could only put it into his backpack first. Then he nodded and said, "I understand, Lock."

"This blueprint is not bad; I will find a way to help you improve later!"

After receiving Cao Xing's reply, the goblin Lock was overjoyed.

He bowed respectfully and said, "Then I will return to work at the Mechanical Factory."

After saying this, the goblin took light, brisk steps and left the area.

Cao Xing looked at the beautiful woman beside him and said, "Muxue, you should also return to the Lords Manor to rest first."

"Mm." Liu Muxue nodded obediently and quickly left the area.

Cao Xing continued back to the center of the territory, preparing to put the [Balthazar's Godly Warrior Altar] into his backpack.

After all, this thing was a forbidden item, something the Six True Gods had decreed through an oracle to be destroyed.

It was better to keep it in his backpack when not in use.

Just as he was about to put it away, he suddenly had a thought.

"Wait a minute, besides helping Warrior-class professions break through to Tier 4, this Godly Altar also has the functionality to break through to Tier 5 and even Tier 6."

"It's just that it needs to be replenished with divine power."

"But before this, I didn't know how to replenish this divine power…"

Now, Cao Xing remembered that he had previously obtained an item at the Witch's Castle. [Démǔ's Divinity Fragment]!

Cao Xing took it out of his backpack. The next moment, something that looked like a purple glass fragment, faintly emitting an aura of mist, was in his hand.

"This thing is said to contain a trace of the Nightmare God Démǔ's divinity and can be used to change into a hidden profession."

"But if the Nightmare God is not dead, after changing into the hidden profession, one would be under that guy's control."

"That's why I haven't used it."

"But it's just sitting there, if it can be used to replenish the altar's divine power, that would be perfect!"

Thinking of this, Cao Xing held the fragment and approached the altar.

The next moment, the Godly Altar emitted a red light. A system prompt appeared.

[Do you wish to sacrifice Démǔ's Divinity Fragment to Balthazar's Godly Warrior Altar to replenish its divine power?]

Cao Xing was overjoyed.

"It really works!"

He had already made up his mind and, without a moment's hesitation, clicked 'Yes'!

The next moment, the altar directly swallowed the fragment in Cao Xing's hand, which was faintly surrounded by nightmare energy.

In an instant! The divine light on the altar flared brightly!

An invisible wave of divine power swept across.

Cao Xing once again felt a sense of oppression from the depths of his soul!

It made his legs tremble, and he couldn't help but want to kneel.

The oppression from this God of War's altar was simply too intense!

Cao Xing struggled to suppress this feeling of oppression in his heart.

Meanwhile, as the light on the altar gradually dissipated, a system prompt appeared.

[The altar has been replenished with divine power, and new functions have been unlocked.]

Cao Xing glanced at it.

[Balthazar's Godly Warrior Altar (Orange): Special Building] [Quality: Epic] [Item Effect: Can submit certain sacrifices to receive an ancient blessing, allowing subordinate Warrior-class professions that have reached the maximum level to advance.] [Details of Required Sacrifices for Advancement] [Tier 2 to Tier 3: Same as before (Remaining uses: 4623 / 5000)] [Tier 3 to Tier 4: Same as before (Remaining uses: 1934 / 2500)] [Tier 4 to Tier 5: 200,000 crowns, 5,000 food, 500 mithril, 10 Expert-level Elemental Crystals (Remaining uses: 2000 / 2000)] [Tier 5 to Tier 6: The altar lacks divine power; this function is currently unavailable (can be unlocked by replenishing divine power)]

"Hiss!" Cao Xing gasped, and a look of wild joy appeared in his eyes.

"Haha! It really works!"

"And there are 2000 remaining uses, that's too powerful, right?"

In this way, the [Expert-level Heart of Strength] needed for his subordinates to break through to Tier 5 was resolved.

Of course, to have so many people break through to Tier 5 would require a huge amount of resources!

Just breaking through one person would cost 200,000 crowns, plus so much mithril and food.

Even Cao Xing found it a bit overwhelming.

Therefore, he now needed to find a way to get more resources!

Thinking of this, he put the altar into his backpack.

…After doing all this, the sky gradually darkened.

Cao Xing glanced at his backpack.

Today's harvest, besides those Hearts of Strength and souls, also included a Leader-level recruitment scroll and two gold-tier weapons that he hadn't used yet.

Just as Cao Xing was preparing to use the recruitment scroll, a system prompt appeared.

[Baron of the Ice Crystal Kingdom: Fizz Walker is requesting to visit your territory…]

…Seeing the prompt, Cao Xing's expression immediately perked up!

"Oh? Fizz Walker? This kid has finally arrived!"

…Thank you to the readers for the monthly tickets!!! (It seems to be double monthly tickets now, the little author has received many monthly tickets, so happy!) Thank you to the readers for the recommendation tickets and subscriptions!!! Thank you: Welding Engineer Zheng Gong for the 100-point coin tip!!!