Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1434 - 457: The Real and Fake Yang Zhun, Strength and Trials, Teaming Up Fiasco, Cai Qiu’s Hidden Depths (Part 6)

"Thank you, Young Prince, for your gracious invitation, but Shiqin didn’t plan to hunt advanced Cold Beasts this time, and I have to bring a few friends along, so I won’t keep you, Young Prince."

Upon hearing Cai Shiqin’s address, Su Xing’er immediately recognized the person before her as Cai Shiyan, the youngest of the Princely Heirs in the Prefectural Governor’s mansion in Lin Chu County.

Cai Shiyan heard the voice and immediately glanced down at Su Xing’er’s four siblings. His brows furrowed slightly, and he was about to speak when Su Xing’er cut him off.

"Sister Shiqin, the four of us are too weak. Being with you would only hold you back. The opportunity for the trial is rare; I can’t ruin it for you because of me."

Su Xing’er’s tone was filled with sincerity. Without even waiting for Cai Shiqin’s response, she gestured to Su Jing and the others, preparing to depart.

"Xing’er..."

Unfortunately, Cai Shiqin’s hand grasped her arm. Her voice held a hint of teasing, making it clear she had no intention of letting Su Xing’er go.

"Who said you’re holding me back? I even said others hold me back! I don’t care if others don’t team up with me, but if you don’t, I’d rather not go for the trial!"

Su Xing’er turned her head at the earnest words, meeting Cai Shiqin’s sincere gaze. A touch of emotion surfaced on her face.

The title of Commandery Princess bestowed upon Cai Shiqin was not undeserved. Though they were of similar age, both under seventeen, her strength had reached 52 manes. This proved she placed great importance on cultivation in her daily life.

Yet, for Su Xing’er’s sake, she was willing to forfeit her trial quota.

Su Xing’er suddenly stiffened, her expression showing clear hesitation.

"Forget it, then I won’t participate! Just as there are other..."

Cai Shiqin noticed Su Xing’er’s distress and understood she genuinely intended to withdraw. However, before Cai Shiqin could finish speaking, Cai Shiyan, who had not yet departed, interjected.

"Shiqin, bringing along these four is no problem."

Cai Shiqin was momentarily stunned by his words. Then, joy flooded her face as she turned to Su Xing’er, her eyes filled with hope and a pleading expression.

At this juncture, Su Xing’er found it difficult to refuse further. Although she sensed Cai Shiyan wasn’t eager to team up with them, she had no choice but to agree for Cai Shiqin’s sake.

The three Su Jing brothers turned their heads. They observed the more than twenty young individuals on Cai Shiyan’s side, their unfriendly gazes appraising them. Their brows furrowed slightly.

"Trouble already brewing before the trial even begins!"

"There’s no avoiding it; we four were somewhat thrust into this situation. Aside from us, over 900 others have party members with the surname Cai. The remaining participants are descendants of the six noble families. All of them are stronger and possess better backgrounds than us. No matter who we team up with, we’re likely to face disdain."

"Still, we must genuinely thank Commandery Princess Shiqin. Without her, it’s unlikely anyone would have agreed to team up with us four. It is what it is! If we lack strength, we’ll just have to be diligent and contribute wherever we can."

The three brothers conversed quietly amongst themselves for a short while before quickly following behind Su Xing’er.

While everyone below was busy forming teams:

High above the entrance to the county mansion, at an altitude of approximately three to four hundred meters, over ten figures hovered in mid-air. Leading them was a robust, broad-faced middle-aged man clad in a blue brocade robe. With a hint of pride in his tone, he inquired of Xia Hong beside him:

"How is it? Do the youth of Cai Qiu catch Brother Hong’s eye?"

In response to Cai Yunlan’s question, Xia Hong gazed down at the thousand individuals below. A flicker of disdain crossed his eyes, yet he still replied politely, "Worthy of a noble family, a strongman of a feudal town, the Cai family’s youth are indeed not bad!"

No further comment was offered. Upon hearing Xia Hong’s perfunctory response, the thirteen people positioned behind him frowned sharply.

"Hahaha..."

However, Cai Yunlan maintained his usual composure, showing no outward reaction. He laughed a few times and continued, "Though these younger members possess some talent, Brother Hong likely finds them lacking. It’s still better to accompany Cai to Zhenyuan Camp. How about witnessing the might of the Cai Qiu Army?"

"I couldn’t ask for more!"

A smile graced Cai Yunlan’s face, seemingly anticipating Xia Hong’s reaction upon witnessing the Cai Qiu Army's prowess. He nodded, extended his hand, and then transformed into a streak of light, accelerating towards the southern periphery of the county city.

The remaining thirteen individuals immediately followed suit. Xia Hong, after casting a final glance at Su Xing’er’s four siblings below, also transformed into a powerful beam of light, swiftly catching up.

Xia Hong almost instantaneously closed the distance to Cai Yunlan. Meanwhile, the thirteen followers struggled, lagging several hundred meters behind.

Observing Cai Yunlan to his side, a hint of intrigue sparked in Xia Hong’s eyes.

The regulations in Cai Qiu presented a rather unique structure; each of the four counties boasted five princely heir titles. However, despite the titles being equivalent in name, a significant disparity existed in their actual standing.

Primarily, the position of the Eldest Prince was held in the highest regard. This title was typically bestowed upon the most exceptional members of the third generation, essentially marking them as the future Prefectural Governors. The Second and Third Prince titles catered to members at the Xianyang Level. Lastly, the Fourth Prince and Young Prince roles were designated for individuals at the Cold Resistance Level.

It is important to note that the Eldest Prince position was not automatically granted based on lineage alone; it required demonstrated strength to claim. The role was reserved for the most outstanding third-generation members.

And before him, Cai Yunlan had evidently possessed the requisite strength.

"Ranked sixteenth on the Heavenly List, he is nicknamed the Red Shadow Sword God. His cultivation reached the peak of the Visible Yang Realm, with his power measured at 42 Jun... Wait, that information is from two years ago. His current strength is actually 45 Jun!"

Xia Hong's eyes flickered slightly as he acknowledged Cai Yunlan's formidable power. His mind, however, began to churn with a new realization: it was clear that others possessed methods to enhance their strength without necessitating breakthroughs in their cultivation.

"The Red Shadow Sword, rumored to be a weapon imbued with Fire Tribulation Qi; what abilities does it truly possess? No one has witnessed him wield it during previous hunts, but there should be an opportunity at the Blood Miasma Plain this time..."

Xia Hong's gaze subtly drifted towards the crimson longsword at Cai Yunlan's waist, a deep curiosity stirring within him regarding the Fire Tribulation Qi and Cai Yunlan's true might.

"No need to rush; an opportunity will present itself soon!"

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, he followed Cai Yunlan southward, flying for over two hundred kilometers.

Before long, a faint crimson hue became visible in the distance.

As the harbinger of blood red gradually intensified, Xia Hong's gaze shifted with a slight tremor.

Blood Miasma Plain—they had finally arrived!