Future prospects, new action plans.

Chapter 611: Future Outlook, New Action Plan.

Harold the blacksmith knew that the territory was currently in a phase of rapid development.

The warriors needed a large amount of weapons and equipment, and the territory also required more Neros Cannons for defense against enemies.

Therefore, he worked exceptionally hard, staying up late every day.

His wife was also very understanding and considerate of her husband, accompanying Harold in his work every day.

It was worth mentioning that…

It had been almost four months since the half-giant Putana arrived in the territory.

She was already pregnant when she first arrived, and after all this time, her belly had grown significantly larger. As Harold forged, he kept looking at his wife's belly.

A gratified smile spread across his simple and honest face.

Because they were so engrossed in their work, they did not even notice Cao Xing walking in.

It wasn't until Cao Xing stood right in front of them that they finally realized he was there.

A look of surprise appeared in Harold's eyes. "My Lord, what brings you here?!"

Both of them immediately put down their work and were about to bow in greeting.

Cao Xing quickly waved his hand and said, "No need. Putana is pregnant, so we can skip these formalities."

The couple looked at each other, their eyes filled with touched emotion.

"Thank you, My Lord."

Cao Xing nodded slightly, then glanced directly at Harold's status panel.

[Master Forging Mastery: 25,105/200,000]

Four days ago, Harold already had twenty thousand proficiency.

Through his forging over the past few days, he had gained another five to six thousand proficiency.

Calculated this way, even without a Proficiency Crest to speed things up, Harold would only need a few months to max out his proficiency.

This speed took Cao Xing somewhat by surprise.

After all, Francesca, as a Scholar, was an exceptionally gifted existence.

She had been refining potions for one or two hundred years before barely touching the threshold of the Legendary realm.

While Harold's talent was clearly inferior to that witch's, his speed was actually faster, which was truly mind-boggling.

Cao Xing asked, "Harold, does your proficiency always increase this quickly?"

Harold understood his confusion and explained respectfully, "It is because My Lord has recently brought back many Epic-grade blueprints."

"By crafting those Epic equipment pieces and Neros Cannons, I gain many insights every day, which causes my forging experience and proficiency to skyrocket."

Pausing for a moment, he continued, "However, with these high-level blueprints, the proficiency gained is very high during the initial crafts."

"But as I repeatedly craft them, the subsequent proficiency gains will gradually slow down, until eventually there is almost no improvement at all."

A look of realization dawned in Cao Xing's eyes, and he understood the key to this.

To allow a blacksmith's forging skills to break through to the Legendary realm, simply repeating the same crafts might not even let them touch the threshold even if they spent hundreds or thousands of years.

Only by trying different high-level blueprints, combined with the insights and breakthroughs from each craft, could they improve rapidly.

However, although Cao Xing didn't have that many high-level blueprints, he had another, faster method.

Thus, he directly retrieved a whopping 35 [Expert Proficiency Crests] from his inventory.

"Harold, I know that as a Master Blacksmith, once you accumulate enough experience, you can attempt to break through to the Legendary Blacksmith realm."

"Now, absorb all of these crests and break through to the Legendary realm."

Looking at the large pile of crests in Cao Xing's hand, a sharp gleam immediately appeared in the blacksmith's eyes!

Even his breathing became somewhat rapid.

"By the God of Forging, am I actually able to touch that Legendary realm as well?"

Harold's voice trembled, and he was even somewhat in disbelief.

After all, the status of a Legendary Blacksmith was simply too significant.

In terms of social status, it was completely equivalent to those Legendary-tier powerhouses, if not even higher.

Even among the entire Dwarf Clan, there were only a handful of Legendary Blacksmiths.

"And every Legendary Blacksmith is a treasure of their race, an existence capable of founding their own clan." Cao Xing smiled and said, "With your talent and hard work, breaking through to the Legendary realm was only a matter of time."

"With my help, Legendary Blacksmith will still not be your endpoint."

"Now, begin your breakthrough."

Harold's expression instantly turned serious. He solemnly accepted them and said respectfully, "Thank you, My Lord!"

With that, he began to absorb all the crests.

A massive flood of memory fragments surged into the dwarven blacksmith's mind.

Harold closed his eyes and did his best to absorb these memory fragments.

Because the memories contained within were too vast, it felt as if hundreds of years of memories were being poured into his mind all at once.

The dwarven blacksmith's shoulders began to tremble violently, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Veins bulged all over his body, as if he were enduring some form of extreme pain!

Seeing this, the half-giant Putana, who was standing nearby, had a worried look on her face.

However, because Harold had already gone through a similar experience before, Putana did not make any unnecessary moves.

Instead, she stood to the side and prayed for her husband.

This time, the process of absorbing these memories felt exceptionally long. It wasn't until over ten minutes had passed that Harold's trembling body finally calmed down.

Gradually, the dwarven blacksmith opened his eyes.

A deep light shone in his eyes, and his temperament seemed much more steady, as if he had aged many years all at once.

Cao Xing knew that Harold hadn't actually aged, but rather that this was the result of absorbing too many memories at once.

In just a short period, it was equivalent to him having lived for several hundred more years.

Taking a deep breath, Harold calmed his emotions.

In a deep voice, he said, "My Lord, I have finished absorbing them."

Cao Xing nodded slightly and asked, "How do you feel? Can you break through to Legendary Blacksmith now?"

Harold closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then replied solemnly, "I feel that I have reached the limit of Master level and can sprint toward the higher realm."

"However, because I was elevated in such a short period, my foundation is still quite shallow, so I'm not entirely sure if I will succeed."

Hearing this, Cao Xing said, "It doesn't matter. Go ahead and attempt the breakthrough to Legendary Blacksmith tonight."

"It's fine even if you fail. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

In any case, even if he failed, he would only lose 100,000 proficiency. When the time came, he could just spend 6 million Combat Merits to exchange for two [Master Crests] to make up for it.

The dwarven blacksmith said solemnly, "Yes, respected Lord!"

He put down his forging hammer and then left the blacksmith shop with his wife.

Breaking through from Master Forging Mastery to Legendary Forging Mastery would also take an entire night.

Before that, Cao Xing could only wait.

Then, he also left the blacksmith shop.

He continued to stroll around the territory.

At the same time, Cao Xing saw an elderly man still standing at the city gate, waiting for something.

Before long, several black transport vehicles fully loaded with goods returned from outside.

The elderly man quickly opened the city gate and then directed the transport vehicles to park in the dedicated unloading area next to the [Ore Processing Plant].

Then, a group of Arctic People came out and unloaded all the ore from the truck beds. Everything seemed to be in perfect order.

This elderly man directing them was indeed Cao Yi.

He was also one of the earliest members of the territory, possessing the Intermediate Oratory talent, and was a steady and highly responsible person.

Cao Xing walked over to them.

When the group of Arctic People carrying the ore saw Cao Xing, they were about to put down their work and bow respectfully.

But they were directly interrupted by him: "No need, continue with your work."

"After finishing this batch, go back and rest. You don't need to work this late in the future, understand?"

Hearing this, the Arctic People all showed grateful smiles and chimed in with their responses.

"Understood, My Lord!"

"But you don't have to worry about us. Elder Cao Yi arranged for us to handle the ore transport here. We only do a few trips a day, so it's not tiring at all."

"That's right, My Lord. I even feel that our work is a bit too easy!"

Cao Xing smiled and spoke in a gentle tone, "Thank you for your hard work. I will not mistreat anyone who contributes to the territory."

The Arctic People looked at each other, feeling even more motivated!

Afterward, Cao Xing turned his gaze to the elderly man on the side. "Cao Yi, come with me for a moment."

The territory resident Cao Yi's expression shifted slightly, and he replied respectfully, "Yes, My Lord."

Soon, Cao Xing took the lead and walked to the side.

One after another, the two of them walked to the adjacent agricultural area.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Cao Xing spoke first, "Cao Yi, a terrifying disaster has broken out outside recently, and I might not have much time to look after the territory."

"Therefore, I need you to pay more attention to the logistics of the territory and the arrangements for the staff."

Upon hearing this, Cao Yi immediately straightened his back and said with a firm tone, "It is my honor to share the burden for my Lord!"

"Please rest assured, I will definitely not let any mistakes happen in the territory."

Cao Xing nodded, a flash of gratification in his eyes.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Cao Yi, are you literate?"

The old man had some confusion in his eyes, but still replied, "My Lord, I know some characters."

"Very good."

Cao Xing showed a look of approval and continued, "If you have time in the future, you can learn more about the management of large cities."

"Most of the people in our territory are combat personnel, and there aren't many talents in management. I think highly of you."

"In the near future, our territory will expand on a large scale, and I will need your help with management then."

Cao Yi seemed to realize something; a flash of excitement crossed his eyes, and he nodded solemnly, "My Lord, I will certainly live up to your expectations."

"I will study hard and contribute more strength to the development of the territory."

Cao Xing patted his shoulder, offered some encouragement, and then left.

He continued to patrol the territory.

As he walked, he unknowingly made a full round of the territory.

Just as he was preparing to return to the Lord's castle to rest.

Cao Xing suddenly noticed a special building in the second ring area of the territory.

Many staff members were entering that building.

"Hmm? It's past ten o'clock at night. Why are these staff members gathering there instead of resting?"

With a look of confusion, Cao Xing walked over to take a look.

He discovered that the place they were gathering was the territory's library.

Pushing open the door.

Rows of neat bookshelves immediately appeared inside.

On these shelves were the hundreds of books Cao Xing had collected.

In the central area of the library, there were a dozen small wooden tables, and in front of them was a temporarily erected blackboard.

It looked like a small classroom.

The children from Grapevine Village and Tong Chuchu were sitting upright at the small wooden tables, their eyes shining with light.

Behind this group of children stood over a dozen Arctic People, including Du An, as well as a large number of the Elf Clan. They were all intently watching the front, illuminated by the overhead lights and the glow of the furnace.

At this moment, Gwyneth was using a black charcoal pencil to draw neat and clear characters on a small wooden board.

Every time she wrote a character, she would explain its meaning in a crisp and pleasant voice.

At the same time, the group of children listening below were quickly taking notes on paper.

Even the Elves, who had just mastered a bit of the Continental Common Language, were taking notes earnestly.

Everyone was listening with great focus; no one even noticed Cao Xing's arrival.

Seeing this scene, a faint smile appeared on Cao Xing's lips.

After recovering her voice, Gwyneth began to execute the task Cao Xing had assigned her initially—to eliminate illiteracy in the territory.

Unlike other nobles and lords who strictly controlled knowledge and power, keeping them circulating only among specific classes.

He hoped instead that everyone in the territory could master this knowledge and use it to bring about strength.

Although it sounded far off, the first step of the current plan, 'eliminating illiteracy,' was already underway.

"In the future, if everyone here can read and write, I believe more talents will emerge and be put to use for me!"

His heart was filled with longing for the future.

Cao Xing quietly exited the library,

and then returned to the Lord's castle.

He climbed back into the warm blankets and fell asleep while embracing his beautiful companion.

Time passed in a hurry.

One night passed quickly.

The next day, the system notification appeared on time.

[All Survivors, please note: You have survived the third day of the turbulent period. Last night, the Blood Legion opened 3 more Blood Teleportation Pillars, transporting more Blood Legion troops into this world.]

[Please accelerate your progress and work together to stop the Blood Legion and destroy their Blood Teleportation Pillars.]

[Weather Forecast: Overcast today, with moderate snow in some areas. Lowest temperature: -63°C ~ -74°C]

Seeing the system notification, the hearts of all Survivors sank.

While they were resting last night, the Blood Legion had actually opened three more Blood Teleportation Pillars.

This also meant that more living beings had suffered at their hands, becoming the energy to open the teleportation pillars.

At the same time, the number of the Blood Legion rampaging across this continent had also increased.

Thinking of this, a greater sense of pressure could not help but arise in their hearts.

Cao Xing and Liu Muxue woke up together from the large, wide bed.

Looking at the system notification, a thoughtful look appeared in their eyes.

Cao Xing thought to himself, "Now, the Blood Teleportation Pillars and the Blood Legion in the Gale Snowfield have been almost completely cleared by me."

"Next, I can carry out the next step of the plan: clear the Blood Teleportation Pillars in the Brisban Wilderness, then head north all the way to the Eternal Frost Main City area."

"Until the entire Blood Legion of the Ice Crystal Kingdom is completely wiped out."

At this moment, the beauty beside him suddenly spoke softly, "A-Xing, do you think we should change our strategy?"

"Change our strategy?" Cao Xing was slightly stunned.

"Yes."

Liu Muxue nodded gently, "Currently, our territory has five Legendary combatants in total, but only Isabelle has been exposed to the public."

"And one Legendary, plus the two of us heroes, can wipe out all the Blood Legion forces near a Blood Teleportation Pillar in a short time and destroy that pillar."

"Legendary level movement speed is very fast; even crossing a map doesn't take long."

"Can we form a strike team to destroy more Blood Teleportation Pillars at the fastest speed?"

"Then the soldiers can follow behind us and clear out the remaining Blood Legion forces?"

Hearing this suggestion from Liu Muxue, Cao Xing thought about it seriously.

Soon, he deduced that this method was indeed highly efficient.

It could even clear all the Blood Teleportation Pillars in the Ice Crystal Kingdom within two or three days.

Of course, the risk was also very high.

Once he destroyed the teleportation pillars on a large scale, it might completely incite the fury of the Blood Legion, causing them to bring all their demigods and Legendaries to swarm and kill him.

At that time, another battle of demigods might have to be started.

However, fortune favors the bold; this plan of Liu Muxue was indeed the key for them to turn the tide of the battle.

After all, the speed at which these Blood Legion forces opened the Blood Teleportation Pillars was too fast.

Three were opened in one night yesterday, and as the number of Blood Legion forces grew, the daily increase would only be faster.

Before long, it would reach the limit of three hundred, and then the Nightmare God Démǔ and his kind would seize the opportunity to slip through.

Currently, those Legendary powerhouses cannot act rashly, and if Survivors want to take down a Blood Teleportation Pillar, they need to assemble an army of at least one million to have a chance of success.

Moreover, they would likely suffer heavy losses then.

In other words, Cao Xing and his group were the only ones at the current stage who could move freely and deal with the Blood Teleportation Pillars.

Cao Xing nodded, "Muxue, this plan of yours is indeed much better. We will act like this today."

In some aspects, this woman was indeed more thoughtful than he was.

Liu Muxue had a gentle smile on her face and nodded slightly.

The two of them woke up from the warm large bed and put on their battle armor.

Then they gradually pushed open the doors of the Lord's castle.

"Creak!"

The first thing that came into view was the staff busy in the territory.

The Arctic People were fully focused on upgrading his Lord's castle and the furnace.

The group of female Elves kept flapping their wings, collecting dew from the leaves of the Ancient Tree of War and the Ancient Tree of Knowledge, then watering the crops in the agricultural area.

It was a scene of prosperity and vitality.

At the same time, Cao Xing and Liu Muxue also noticed a short figure standing respectfully at the side of the gate.

It was the dwarf blacksmith, Harold.

He looked like he had been waiting here for a long time.