Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1255 - 416: Secluded Cultivation Breakthrough, Incomplete Pursuit, Bring Your Master Here [Subscribe!]

At five years old, it is only natural for Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng to undergo personality shifts after encountering certain situations.

The brief conflict at Hongmen did not impact them significantly, as their tender age and limited experience meant they likely only grasped the surface-level details. Beyond knowing they had bested Yang Zhun, the inner workings of that event remained a mystery to them. However, the subsequent political assemblies in the grand hall were a different matter entirely. With over six hundred high-ranking Great Xia officials in attendance, the sheer gravity and atmosphere of the scene were enough to make a deep, lingering impact on the two children.

Xia Hong had brought the pair into the hall to observe these proceedings, partly to satisfy his own curiosity regarding how they would cope with such an environment for the first time.

During that time, he noted clearly how both children displayed visible nerves upon their entrance—a perfectly natural reaction for ones so young.

Yet, once that initial apprehension faded, their subsequent reactions could not have been more distinct.

While his young son clung firmly to his robes, Xia Yuyao, the older daughter, was filled with curiosity, even going as far as to boldly examine the officials present in the hall.

Often, a person’s subconscious choices serve as windows into the deeper facets of their character.

From these observations, one might deduce that the son possessed a more dependent nature, whereas his daughter leaned toward independence and audacity. If one were to be more critical, she displayed a burgeoning craving for authority that was remarkable for her age.

If these were merely suspicions back then, then after tracking the siblings’ behaviors for the half-month since their departure from Hongmen, Xia Hong stood convinced: “Regarding character, my son inherits my traits, while my daughter takes after her mother!”

Xia Hong holds the belief that he values superior techniques and advanced cultivation realms far more than mere political sway. In this light, his son’s constant requests for Spiritual Milk Pills clearly mirror his own mindset.

Thus, the notion that the daughter is like the father and the son like the mother appears not so accurate after all.

Lost in these reflections, Xia Hong arrived at the Star-picking Platform, having stepped out from his private quarters.

Li Xuanling, who was seated upon the Enlightenment Divine Lotus, detected his approach. She opened her eyes to fix a hungry gaze upon the elixir bottle he carried, immediately sensing the significance of the moment.

Under normal circumstances, only when Xia Hong expends resources to trigger the special skill of the Enlightenment Divine Lotus can others benefit from its unique effects, which elevate art to a higher plane. Without this, even while seated upon it, Li Xuanling could not capitalize on the Lotus’s fivefold surge in cultivation speed.

However, a discerning observer would note that the square meter beneath the Lotus differed from the surrounding floor. Xia Hong had reserved a small portion of the Martial Arts Pavilion’s influence for the Star-picking Platform, ensuring she could still harness the threefold increase in cultivation speed inherent to that area.

“This Sun-Rising Pill contains the Heavenly Yang Fruit as its core ingredient. Crush it and combine it with a Yangyuan Pill to push through that last threshold of 10 strands of strength; once achieved, you shall be prepared to attempt a breakthrough to the Xianyang Level!”

Xia Hong did not indulge in suspense; he promptly retrieved a pill from the container.

While the Sun-Rising Pill is technically used for bone-tempering, its properties align with the Yangyuan Pill and, similarly, it aids in physical restoration. However, its medicinal potency is at least tenfold that of a standard Yangyuan Pill, meaning that unless one has reached the Peak of Cold Resistance, it must be divided and consumed alongside the lesser pill to be managed safely.

Having tested the potency before arriving, Xia Hong knew exactly what he was doing. He split the pill into three portions and placed them into Li Xuanling’s hands.

Li Xuanling glowed with anticipation as she stepped away from the Lotus. She grabbed the bottle, checked its contents, and finally met Xia Hong’s gaze.

“Cheng Feng synthesized 36 in this initial run. There are 15 stored here. I project you will require about two to successfully breach the Peak of Cold Resistance. The total needed thereafter depends on your personal constitution, but it shouldn't exceed six.”

Hearing this, excitement washed over Li Xuanling’s face. She moved to speak, but stalled when she realized Xia Hong had already returned to the Lotus, eyes closed, deep in meditative cultivation.

Clutching the bottle, Li Xuanling stood in momentary hesitation.

“Understand this: once these are in your possession, they are yours. You are free to utilize them as you see fit.”

Struck by his words, Li Xuanling’s expression softened with deep emotion. She tried to respond but, failing to find the right words, she quickly departed from the Star-picking Platform.

“Sigh…”

Once she had vanished from sight, Xia Hong opened his eyes and let out a soft sigh.

He was keenly aware that Li Xuanling’s intense reaction to the Sun-Rising Pill was not for her own benefit, but for her second uncle, Li Tiancheng.

Both were acutely aware of the hesitation lingering in her actions.

Li Tiancheng was ninety-five years old—his time was running thin.

Attaining the Xianyang Level is no trivial feat; in truth, the path of cultivation is fraught with hardship. From the initial skin-forming phase of the Earth-Digging Realm to the flesh-tempering of the Cold Resistance Level, and finally to bone-tempering in the Xianyang Level, every stage demands agony and carries extreme peril.

If even the hale and young find such trials nearly unbearable, how much more so for an elderly man like Li Tiancheng, whose life force is nearing its conclusion?

During their time at Hongmen last month, Xia Hong had seen the telltale signs of systemic decay in his physical form. Given his current state, advancing to the Xianyang Level was, frankly, an impossibility—unless, of course, they possessed an elixir capable of prolonging his life. Xia Hong had hinted as much while comforting her previously.

Such an elixir is immensely rare; not even the Nine Towns harbor one, and Xia Hong harbored deep doubts that the territories of the Chen and the Cai families possessed any either.