Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1315: 430: Emerging from Seclusion, Hairpin Ceremony and Blunders, Great Xia's Flourishing Scene and the Eve of an Explosion (Part 2)
Previously on Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely...
“The War Body Bone Appearance has fully taken shape. I dare say it matches the next major realm, the Venerable Level. Yet, oddly enough, a Tribulation Body Level lies in between. Does Tribulation Body mean enduring tribulations?”
A hint of oddity furrowed Xia Hong’s brows; from just those three words, this seemed the sole logical conclusion.
“No, no, the late stage is still far off for me; given the present circumstances, it’ll require at least five or six years. I’m merely overanalyzing things; a trip to the Feudal Town will reveal all!”
Xia Hong shook his head with a bitter chuckle. Yet soon, a memory surfaced, prompting him to lift his right hand lightly. A pristine white light sphere emerged gradually in his palm, igniting excitement across his face.
“This early breakthrough owes everything to the Incense Fire!”
Back in October last year, prior to entering seclusion, Xia Hong had figured on needing two more years at minimum to reach mid-stage.
His breakthrough now came over a year sooner!
The glowing orb he held accounted for it, formed from the Incense Fire offerings by the entire camp’s residents.
To be exact, it was thanks to the Level 5 Sect Spirit Stele!
[Special Function 5: As the only Grand Sect, the host gains a yearly Incense Fire Cultivation enhancement, scaled by devotee numbers and their piety.]
This delightful surprise arose mainly from the previous year’s massive population boom!
In September last year, Bashang’s last integration wave topped 900,000 people.
Newcomers to Great Xia didn’t erect sacrifice steles right away, yet after a year, every one started placing them in the Sect Temple.
During May, while aiding Li Xuanling’s push toward Xianyang Level, Xia Hong recalled this and ordered Xia Chuan to shift the Sect rituals forward to August fifth this year.
First, to harness this Sacrificial Ritual wave amid the population boom for his own mid-stage Xianyang breakthrough; second, to attend his kids’ hairpin ceremony without fail.
“Xuanling broke through as well, her Exotic Ice Bone packs only 9 Jun of power, yet it ranks with my Bone Burning. At her Cold Resistance Level max, she trailed me by just 4 Jun strength, but entering Xianyang Level widened the difference to 1 Jun. Aptitude truly dictates everything; bridging that gap proves incredibly tough.”
With a soft sigh, Xia Hong abruptly recalled something else. He vaulted from the Divine Lotus in haste, speeding toward the Sect Temple Holy Platform.
“Nearly slipped my mind—the little ones would’ve held it against me!”
Today’s rushed emergence from seclusion aimed to catch his children’s hairpin ceremony; in his thrill, he’d almost overlooked it entirely.
Right behind the Star-picking Platform sat the Sect Temple, merely three hundred meters away. Xia Hong reached it instantly, hovering swiftly over the Holy Platform.
Right then, the grand sect’s Holy Platform held the hairpin ceremony for Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng.
The rite approached completion, as Li Xuanling fixed the hair of the two youngsters. She’d planned to style her daughter first, but Xia Yuyao’s small lips pursed in a pout, her face full of grievance, plainly refusing to precede. Meanwhile, Xia Yusheng brimmed with eagerness; spotting his sister’s reluctance, he stepped right beneath Li Xuanling and offered her the back of his head.
Xia Hong had guessed only partially correct.
Evidently, just Xia Yuyao bore a grudge against him.
Xia Yusheng turned six today at last, his mind wholly on cultivation pursuits, having utterly forgotten his dad long ago.
As Xia Hong materialized overhead, Li Xuanling spotted him first, then Xia Chuan, Yuwen Dao, and the over 300 folks below.
They beheld the ever-mightier Xia Hong descending gradually, aware his strength had surged anew. Joy and thrill lit their faces as they knelt together in salute:
“Congratulations to the lord on mastering divine skills! May the lord reign ten thousand years, may Great Xia prosper forever!”
The children below jumped in surprise but quickly caught on. Gazing up at the lowering Xia Hong, they echoed their fathers’ cries:
“Congratulations to the lord on mastering divine skills! May the lord reign ten thousand years, may Great Xia prosper forever!”
Atop the Holy Platform, Xia Yuyao’s strained little expression burst into a grin at her father’s sight. She rushed to him, shot a playful look at her brother, and declared proudly, “Daddy, hurry and pin Ah Yao’s hair!”
“Ahem…”
Xia Yusheng swelled his cheeks in anger, instinctively yearning to charge toward his father too, yet a soft cough from his mother Li Xuanling—who was tying up his hair—halted him just in time.
“Ceremony complete!”
The hair pinning ceremony today extended beyond Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng to include their elder niece Xia Yuning as well. Xia Chuan, serving as the chief officiant, boomed the announcement of its finish right after securing his daughter's hair.
The ultimate phase arrived next—it was Xia Hong's moment.
“Yuan Cheng, your eyes are practically bulging out!”
Noticing Yuan Cheng's face brimming with eager longing while staring at the table's offerings, Xia Hong promptly poked fun at him, igniting chuckles from the gathering below.
Yuan Cheng laughed and replied, “This year’s offerings outsize those from before! I'm truly tempted; if the lord granted me a little extra, that would be perfect.”
“No extra portions allowed; it's fixed like past years, based on noble title!”
With a grin, Xia Hong answered, then softly motioned toward the table, channeling the leftover Incense Fire light orb from his cultivation into the four offerings.
One could keep the Incense Fire light orb for personal use or infuse it into the annual ritual offerings. Xia Hong had foreseen this year's potent Incense Fire long beforehand, prompting him to have Xia Chuan ready surplus offerings.