Gather all the supplies and prepare for war. (6400)

After using the scroll, clouds of dark purple mist rose up before him.

From within these mists, various strange illusions appeared, just like scenes from dreams.

When the mist dissipated, dozens of creatures with pale pink skin and vines wrapped around their bodies appeared before his eyes.

These were the Dream Spirit race.

A total of eighty-five individuals, both male and female, though the females made up the majority.

They stared at the territory, saying nothing, unaware of what they were thinking.

Even upon seeing Cao Xing, they did not greet him.

Cao Xing knew the temperament of these fellows and spoke directly: "Everyone, welcome to my territory."

However, faced with Cao Xing's proactive greeting, these eccentric Dream Spirits remained silent.

Meng Lita stepped forward and drew her bowstring!

"Abandon the fantasies in your hearts and join the Lord's territory now."

"Otherwise, you can go meet the Nightmare God!"

A faint killing intent radiated from her body.

This woman knew her clansmen were all strange people, so her attitude was quite tough.

Including the one behind her, another Tier 5 Nightmare Archer, Meng Na, also drew her bowstring!

The killing intent radiating from the two Tier 5 creatures made people feel terrified.

If they were to take action, these eighty-plus Nightmare Archers would be slaughtered in a short time.

Feeling the killing intent of the two women, they stared blankly at the scene before them.

"My clansmen… why are you treating us like this?"

"Could it be that you have already abandoned the faith in your hearts?"

Meng Lita said without hesitation: "Our faith is the Lord!"

"The Nightmare God has long since abandoned us."

"Now, is it death, or submission?"

Faced with her aggressive questioning, this group of Nightmare Archers fell silent one after another.

A moment later, one of the archers compromised: "I am willing to submit."

Once the first person submitted, others followed suit.

Seeing this, Cao Xing took the opportunity to send out a recruitment invitation.

[Nightmare Court Archer: Meng Lisa/Meng Lin/Meng Ke… have joined your territory, Territory Population +85]

[Legion Skill: Nightmare Invasion has been activated.]

…

Now, Cao Xing could be considered to have his own hundred-man archer legion!

As for the strange temperaments of these archers, he didn't take it to heart at all.

The batch of archers recruited before were even more arrogant than them, and aren't they all obedient now?

It could be said that once they joined Cao Xing's territory, there was no possibility of struggle.

With a look of satisfaction, he looked at their newly activated legion skill.

[Legion Skill · Nightmare Invasion: When an attack hits an enemy, it adds an extra layer of Nightmare Mark, and when it reaches 10 layers, it causes the enemy to enter a Sleep state, while also allowing control over the enemy's dreams.]

(Note: The Sleep state lasts for 1~30 seconds and will be awakened upon receiving damage.)

…

"This skill is a bit broken…"

"If used well in group battles, it can produce unexpected effects."

"It just so happens that I plan to lead people to attack the Ancient Battlefield tomorrow, so boosting our strength now is quite good."

Therefore, Cao Xing said: "Alright Meng Lita, now take our new members to familiarize themselves with the territory."

"As you command, great Lord."

After speaking, she said with an icy gaze: "Follow me."

Faced with Meng Lita's serious tone, these people dared not say anything.

They honestly followed behind her.

Cao Xing called out all the Star Country Swordsmen, Silver Hand Knights, and Tribal Witch Doctors.

The three troop types, totaling 211 people, stared blankly at their Lord.

Cao Xing said directly: "I have an opportunity for advancement in my hands right now."

"There is a high probability that it can allow one person to directly break through to Leader level."

"But the quota is limited; each troop type has only one spot, so you should choose a representative yourselves."

"Xiao, you choose for the Star Country Swordsmen side."

Although these sword-wielding troops already had a Leader-level creature.

But since Cao Xing had enough souls, having one more Leader was a great thing.

Moreover, Xiao's skill was a self-created swordsmanship, which was different from other Star Country Swordsmen.

These witch doctors and knights looked at each other.

After some discussion among themselves, they quickly determined the spots.

Xiao chose a swordsman named 'Feng', who was in his early thirties and looked quite steady as well.

Among the Tribal Witch Doctors, an old witch doctor named Moroge was selected.

The previous old witch doctor Mogsa had already become a Tier 5 creature, so he couldn't use these souls.

As for the Silver Hand Knights, they selected a middle-aged man named Futagen.

Seeing that these three troop types had all finished choosing.

Cao Xing was not stingy and directly took out a large number of Elite and Boss souls.

He raised the potential of 'Feng', 'Moroge', and 'Futagen' to Boss level.

Each awakened two skills.

Then, he took out three Leader souls and handed them to the three individuals respectively.

They took them with trembling hands and grateful expressions.

Then they thanked him respectfully!

Cao Xing waved his hand, letting them begin the breakthrough.

Actually, he was quite looking forward to seeing what kind of abilities these people could awaken after breaking through to Leader level.

As the three patted the souls into their bodies, powerful auras radiated from within them.

A moment later, Cao Xing heard a system prompt.

[Your territory member: Moroge has broken through to Tier 4 Leader level creature, base attributes increased by 30%, learned new skill: Poison Gu Technique]

[Poison Gu Technique: The Tribal Witch Doctor launches a Poison Gu at the enemy. After hitting the enemy, the Poison Gu explodes inside the enemy's body, dealing 178% magic damage and inflicting 5 layers of Poison effect. It will detonate once every 10 seconds thereafter, with the Gu poison lasting in the body for 60 seconds. Cooldown: 3 minutes]

…

This Leader-level skill looked standard.

But actually, it was very powerful for dealing with a single enemy.

After all, with a total of 7 explosion damages, plus 60 seconds of poisoning, the damage coefficient was terrifying.

However, although Moroge's breakthrough was successful, the other two failed their breakthroughs.

Cao Xing felt no ripples in his heart.

After all, he still had three Leader-level souls in his backpack.

Therefore, Cao Xing gave the two another soul, letting them attempt the breakthrough again.

This Star Country Swordsman and the other knight solemnly took them and directly patted them into their bodies.

This time, their breakthrough was very smooth.

As two consecutive system prompts came through.

This also meant that both had become Tier 4 Leader-level creatures.

Since this time they were upgraded from ordinary creatures to Leader level in one go, awakening several new abilities, Cao Xing also took a look at their attributes from the beginning.

[Star Country Swordsman: Feng]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 40 (Tier 4 Leader level creature)]

[HP: 175262 / 175262 (Pale Tree Blessing)]

[Attack: 5144 ~ 5235]

[Armor: 875 ~ 833]

[Attributes: Strength 1047, Agility 1252, Spirit 1102, Constitution 1073]

[Skills: Expert Swordsmanship Mastery, Hawk Falling Slash, Sword Shadow Storm (attributes same as before) Star Falling Slash (Leaps into the air, performing multiple slashes on enemies within a 30-meter area below, number of slashes is (Agility * 1 = 125 times), Cooldown: 3 minutes)]

[Talent: None]

[Bond: Star Country Swordsman (100 people activated)]

[Satiety: 78]

[Loyalty: 100]

…

[Silver Hand Knights: Futagen]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 40 (Tier 4 Leader level creature)]

[HP: 220952 / 220952 (Pale Tree Blessing)]

[Attack: 4582 ~ 4792]

[Armor: 1186 ~ 1217]

[Attributes: Strength 1262, Agility 947, Spirit 984, Constitution 1106]

[Skills: Expert Riding Mastery, Expert Spear Mastery, Silver Hand (attributes same as before)]

[Boss-level Skill: Knight's Journey (Passive skill, after each attack, increases the attack power of all friendly knights, the increase is (1% of own attack power), can stack up to 10 times, until the end of the battle.)]

[Leader-level Skill: Sacrament Knight (Passive skill, increases the level of mastery-level skills for all friendly knights, including self, by lv1, can stack with bond effects)]

[Talent: None]

[Bond: Silver Hand Knights (100 people activated)]

[Satiety: 75]

[Loyalty: 100]

…

After reading the attributes of these two Leader-level creatures, Cao Xing was very satisfied!

These newly awakened skills of theirs seemed quite good.

Especially the two skills awakened by the Silver Hand Knight later, they could actually be used to boost all friendly knights!

And the increase was not small.

With such a Leader by their side, it could indeed make the threat of this knight order surge by a large margin again!

"Really nice!"

Cao Xing exclaimed with satisfaction: "Alright, everyone has finished upgrading."

"Go and train."

Everyone obeyed the order and dispersed one after another.

Soon, only Cao Xing remained here.

He thought to himself: "This time, the loot Harati brought back has basically been digested."

"Now there is one Tier 4 Leader-level soul left in the backpack, just right for upgrading Assam's lady of the lake sword."

Speaking of which, Assam's lady of the lake sword was still level 30 because it had been deliberately suppressed by the Lady of the Lake Spirit.

But because of the legendary effect on it, killing enemies would increase its base attack power.

The base attack power of this weapon had long since risen from just over 2000 to over 9800…

Even a full version 70-level lady of the lake sword only had about that much attack power.

From this, one could see how ridiculous Assam's attack power was now.

Once the level of this weapon was raised to 40, it would increase by another large margin.

Cao Xing looked at the sky; it was now almost seven o'clock in the evening.

The sky had turned completely dark.

There were no incidents in the territory today.

The situation in the cafeteria was also harmonious, with everyone eating their dinner at their respective tables.

Including that big guy, Jode Ironfrost, who didn't snatch anyone else's food to eat.

Seeing all this, Cao Xing nodded with satisfaction again, then continued to the Mage Tower to have a happy meditation session with the Holy Light Priest.

After absorbing the mana crystals, he returned to the Lords Manor and fell asleep with his bedmate.

Nighttime passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, it was two or three o'clock in the morning.

This was also the coldest moment of the whole day.

The night wind was bone-chilling.

And in the vast border area, in the endless snowfield.

There was a group of disguised humans with strange behavior who crossed the border defense line and cautiously arrived within the Ice Crystal Kingdom.

On their arms or other parts, they inadvertently revealed a sun symbol.

Then, they headed straight and quickly towards the area where the Gale Snowfield was located.

…

The next day.

A system prompt appeared.

[Attention all Survivors! You have entered the sixth day of the development period. At 00:00 tomorrow, the first monster siege will begin. Please be prepared.]

[Weather today: Breezy. Minimum temperature between -54°C and -61°C. Suitable for going out and constructing the territory.]

(Tip: A cold wave is gradually gathering. The Gale Snowfield region will soon experience a significant temperature drop. Please be prepared.)

…

The moment they saw the prompt, Cao Xing and Liu Muxue opened their eyes simultaneously.

Cao Xing analyzed in his mind, "The first wave of the monster siege will appear at midnight tomorrow, which means we have about two days left."

"It's perfect that the holy water Francesca has been making is almost finished."

"The reserve of holy water is enough for everyone in our territory to gain the bonus against the undead."

"We can start preparing to deal with the Ancient Battlefield today!"

Thinking of this, he already felt a sense of anticipation.

However, Liu Muxue noticed the latter prompt.

She said softly, "A-Xing, it seems like there's going to be a major temperature drop again. Shouldn't we make some preparations in advance?"

Hearing this, a thoughtful look appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

Liu Muxue's words made sense.

After all, the temperature in this world was already low enough.

If the temperature dropped further, it would likely freeze countless people and animals to death.

Of course, Cao Xing was fine, as he had already built his energy towers.

Even if they encountered a blizzard, it wouldn't have any impact.

If he hoarded some cold-resistant supplies now, he could probably make a lot of money.

However, this system prompt was visible to all Survivors.

So, there must be many people with the same idea at this moment.

Cao Xing shook his head with a smile, "No need to prepare anything; the territory's cold-resistant supplies are already quite sufficient."

"I estimate that all kinds of cold-resistant supplies on the market are already being snatched up frantically."

Liu Muxue nodded gently, "Mm."

Then, the two of them got out of the spacious lord's bed.

After washing up, they looked at the swaying Pale Tree outside the window and exchanged a glance.

Gentle smiles appeared on their faces.

This scene felt quite heartwarming.

Soon, the two of them left the castle together.

Today, the combat personnel in the territory did not go out; they were all waiting silently in their rooms.

Because everyone knew that the Lord had an important operation today.

Therefore, Bjorn and the others also stopped going out to fight.

Next, it was time to begin pre-battle preparations.

Just as Cao Xing was about to go to the Alchemy Workshop to take out all the holy water Francesca had refined.

He suddenly received a visit request.

[The Viscount's Knights request to visit your territory. Do you agree?]

…

Seeing this prompt, Cao Xing was slightly stunned.

Then he immediately reacted, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

"Good grief, they've finally arrived!"

A few days ago, he had asked Fitz Walker to get him a batch of resources.

He said it would take some time to gather them.

But after so many days without news, Cao Xing thought it wouldn't be delivered before the monster siege.

Unexpectedly, they arrived just as he was preparing to deal with the Ancient Battlefield. This efficiency was quite fast.

So, he clicked 'Agree' directly.

Then he walked quickly to the entrance of the territory.

From afar, he saw a massive convoy rolling over the thick snow, approaching his territory.

Leading them were several knights wearing battle armor and riding black warhorses.

Cao Xing recognized one of them.

It was the knight captain who had accompanied Fitz Walker to his territory initially.

They also recognized Cao Xing and knew he was the lord of this territory.

The knight captain, riding on his horse, said in a flat tone.

"We are here on the Viscount's orders to deliver a batch of supplies to you."

A smile appeared on Cao Xing's face, and he said.

"Alright, bring the items inside the territory."

Seeing his casual reply.

Everyone had a strange look on their faces.

After all, this was a Viscount sending someone to deliver supplies; anyone else would have been showering them with gratitude by now!

Yet he acted as if it were only natural.

These knights didn't know that Fitz Walker had already been subdued by Cao Xing.

They just looked at Cao Xing with strange expressions, seemingly unable to understand what was so miraculous about this person.

Furthermore, the Viscount had personally instructed them to be polite to this Otherworld Lord and not to cause any conflict with anyone in this territory; otherwise, they would be held accountable.

This made the knights even more confused.

Before they could think too much, Cao Xing had already turned and walked toward the territory.

The knight captain shook his head and said nothing more.

He made a gesture, and everyone pulled their wagons closer to Cao Xing's territory.

Dozens of wagons followed behind him, crossing the gate and gradually entering the territory's buffer zone.

The moment these people entered the territory, they immediately felt a wave of intense warmth hit them.

The temperature difference between inside and outside the territory was immense, making it feel as if they had suddenly stepped from a cold, icy cave into a warm room.

However, the temperature in the territory was not what surprised them the most.

What shocked them even more were the luxurious, orderly buildings in the center of the territory.

Everyone looked at the rows of high-level residences, arrow towers, and lighthouses, all over a dozen meters tall.

Along with a large area of cattle sheds and cultivated farmland.

None of it failed to prove that the prosperity of this territory far exceeded their imagination!

This was the first time they had seen such a prosperous territory of an Otherworld Lord; it even completely surpassed a Baron's manor!

The knights stared blankly at everything around them until Cao Xing's voice brought their thoughts back.

"Everyone, wait here for a moment. I'll have someone come over to unload the supplies from the wagons."

The knight captain nodded blankly.

"O-Okay."

The others also remained standing there in a daze, looking at everything around them with a look of having seen a ghost.

At this moment, Cao Xing had pressed the communication device on his ear, asking Du An to bring a group of Arctic People over.

Soon, six or seven Arctic People walked over with agile strides.

The knight captain sitting on his horse, as well as the other knights, instantly locked their gazes onto this group of Arctic People.

Because they actually sensed a dangerous aura from this group of Arctic People!

It was the kind of feeling that only appeared when facing a creature stronger than oneself.

They even felt that in a one-on-one fight, they wouldn't be a match for this group of Arctic People.

When this thought crossed their minds, they couldn't help but find it somewhat ridiculous.

What a joke, they couldn't actually beat a group of Arctic People? Wasn't that a bit too absurd?

However, everyone in this territory seemed to think this was a normal, everyday occurrence.

And the group of Arctic People moved nimbly to unload the large amount of supplies from the wagons.

Just when they thought it was their imagination, they saw the group of Arctic People casually carrying down heavy crates weighing hundreds of kilograms.

The movement was as if they were carrying just a few kilograms of items!

At this moment, they were certain of one thing.

That was, this group of Arctic People truly had the strength to easily wipe them out, and their expressions became increasingly solemn.

At this moment, Cao Xing looked at the pile of supplies on the ground, a heartfelt smile appearing on his face.

This batch of materials was truly substantial.

It included massive amounts of crowns, food, and Mithril, etc.

The three hundred million crowns alone filled over a dozen crates!

In addition, there was a large amount of food; one million kilograms of food, packed in 40-kilogram bags, filled over twenty thousand bags.

When all the supplies were unloaded.

The knight captain gradually regained his composure.

Then, looking at Cao Xing, he asked with uncertainty.

"Lord, if I may ask, why are the Arctic People in your territory so different from those in other regions?"

"Hmm? How are they different?" Cao Xing asked, feigning confusion.

The knight captain replied, "They give me a feeling that they are even more ferocious than some Tier 4 creatures!"

Cao Xing smiled, "It's nothing; it's just that the living conditions in our territory are relatively good, and these Arctic People are physically stronger."

He made up a random excuse.

Hearing this, the knights looked at each other.

Although they knew this excuse was somewhat nonsensical.

But on the scene, no one dared to question it.

After all, the other party could easily defeat their entire Knights order just by sending out a few working Arctic People…

Not to mention the various soldiers and warriors they saw constantly emerging from the central buildings of the territory…

It was likely that if a single soldier jumped out, their entire Knights order would be wiped out.

And after seeing the situation inside the territory, the knight captain seemed to understand why their Viscount attached such importance to this territory.

He took a deep breath and said, "Lord, the goods have been delivered; we won't stay any longer."

Cao Xing smiled, "Alright, thank you for your trouble."

The knight captain cupped his hands in a salute, then led everyone and the empty wagons toward the outside of the territory.

"Clop… Clop…"

As the sound of the horses' hooves gradually faded away.

Only after they had completely left the range of Cao Xing's territory by one or two kilometers did these knights slowly breathe a sigh of relief.

One of the knights asked with a strange expression.

"Captain… is what he said true? Are those Arctic People really just physically stronger?"

The knight captain glanced at him indifferently and said, "Does it matter if it's true or not?"

The person replied cautiously, "But allowing Arctic People to possess power is not permitted on the continent; it has already violated the Kingdom's laws…"

The knight captain said again, "That is a law aimed at people like us; it cannot restrict these Otherworld Lords."

"Moreover, this person seems to have a deeper relationship with the Viscount."

"Remember not to talk about what happened today anywhere."

"Although this Otherworld Lord might not care, if we bring him any trouble because of this, I'm afraid we'll all be in deep trouble."

The other knights immediately straightened their expressions and said, "Understood!"

…

…

Meanwhile.

After all the people from the Knights order had left.

Cao Xing was still counting the corresponding supplies and found that nothing was missing.

A look of satisfaction appeared on his face again.

With this, he could let all his warriors break through.

The Arctic Person Du An asked, "Lord, do you need us to move these supplies into the warehouse?"

Cao Xing shook his head, "Not for now, I have a use for them in a moment."