Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1444 - 460: Golden Bone Melting Furnace, the Reason for Slow Progress, Army Marches Out and Arrives_2

The Golden Bone Level beast king remains, quite treasured and even more valuable than silver, were present in such astonishing numbers that Xia Hong couldn't ascertain the total quantity used, as he had never witnessed such an abundance of them before.

It is a widely known fact that the fiercer the Cold Beast, the smaller its physical stature. The skeletal remains of a typical beast king do not exceed one meter in length, and at times, are even smaller.

However, this imposing melting furnace before him stands over 20 meters tall. In terms of sheer volume, it is truly extraordinary.

The most striking aspect is that a furnace of such immense proportions is being utilized for the incineration of silver...

This, then, is the genuine bedrock upon which the Feudal Towns are built!

Even if the entire treasury of the Nine Towns of the Southern Slope were to be emptied, it would barely suffice to construct the foundational base of this furnace.

Suppressing the shockwaves of astonishment within his heart, Xia Hong continued his inquiry: "This Golden Bone Melting Furnace possesses the capability to dissipate miasma and ward off treacherous beasts. Yet, with such a colossal quantity of silver and this vast hoard of beast king level golden bones, its relocation would undoubtedly attract Cold Beasts from all surrounding areas. Surely, Admiral Fan would not elect to transport it directly into the heart of the Miasma Area, would he?"

Silver is not a commodity solely coveted by humans; Cold Beasts also possess a strong desire for it. Wherever a silver deposit is discovered within the Ice Abyss, a clan of Cold Beasts invariably claims it as their territory. The larger the silver mine, the more significant the Cold Beast clan drawn to it.

This immense volume of silver, combined with the substantial collection of beast king level golden bones, would incite a massive congregation of Cold Beasts even if moved to a perilous Blood Miasma Zone or any random wilderness. Cai Qiu is undoubtedly aware of this.

"Naturally!"

Cai Yunlan swiftly nodded, gesturing towards the distant south. "Brother Hong, do not be deceived by the tenuous blood-colored miasma present here. It poses no threat to us due to our Xianyang Level cultivation and our presence within the silver mist zone. Consequently, we have no need for Dan Medicine; our inherent strength is sufficient for resistance!

However, the soldiers deployed below operate under different circumstances. They possess only Cold Resistance Level cultivation. Even within the silver mist zone, they are incapable of withstanding the miasma's encroachment and are required to ingest a Heart Cleansing Pill every five days.

The true Blood Miasma Zone is entirely inaccessible to them. Our prior experiences have demonstrated that individuals possessing 60 mane strength at the Cold Resistance Level could endure for approximately half an hour. Beyond this threshold, they invariably lose their sanity, descend into a homicidal rage, and ultimately meet a violent demise. Those with 30 to 60 mane strength could sustain the miasma for a maximum of 300 to 600 breaths, facing the same outcome upon exceeding their limit. As for those with less than 30 mane strength, they would succumb to madness upon a single breath of the miasma, with some perishing instantly..."

At this juncture, Cai Yunlan paused briefly, then resumed: "And all of this occurs despite their regular consumption of the Heart Cleansing Pill."

Xia Hong experienced a jolt of surprise, though it wasn't entirely unanticipated.

Just yesterday, while journeying from the county mansion, he had discreetly applied some Solidified Fire Oil to his hand upon entering the miasma zone. To his observation, the miasma exhibited no reaction whatsoever upon direct contact.

Xia Hong had long harbored the understanding that Solidified Fire Oil was not an infallible panacea.

Even the primary structure of the system, currently at Level 5, known as the Yangxu Tripod, could only suppress Advanced Deceitful Monsters, proving ineffective against those of the Calamity Level.

If even Solidified Fire Oil proved inadequate, it indicated that this blood-colored miasma clearly surpassed the energy of ordinary deceitful objects. While Dan Medicine might offer some mitigation in diluted areas, resisting its effects in concentrated zones at the Cold Resistance Level would indeed be a formidable, perhaps insurmountable, challenge.

"Therefore, the army's primary objectives in relocating the melting furnace here are twofold: firstly, to utilize the silver smoke to gradually dilute the peripheral blood-colored miasma; secondly, to prevent Cold Beast clans from launching assaults on the furnace within the miasma zone or encroaching upon its perimeter. Their mandate does not extend to the actual exploration."

This implied that the true explorers were, in fact, those possessing Xianyang Level cultivation.

After absorbing Cai Yunlan's explanation, Xia Hong gained a general understanding of the situation.

"Halt the army!"

At this precise moment, the marching formation was brought to a standstill by Fan Qinghu, who was positioned at the vanguard.

The army ceased its advance, and Xia Hong turned his gaze southward, his body stiffening abruptly.

The reason for this was not complex. Since departing from Zhenyuan Camp, the army had advanced a mere five or six miles to the south.

Based on Xia Hong's southern estimations, they were still approximately five kilometers distant from the true Blood Miasma Zone.

At a distance of four kilometers, it remained uncertain whether the silver smoke would reach that far. Halting at this location seemed extraordinarily prudent, perhaps even overly so, considering the perceived danger.

Xia Hong's brow furrowed. He observed that none of the other Xianyang Level individuals positioned ahead, nor Cai Yunlan beside him, exhibited any signs of unusual reaction. His gaze shifted subtly, and a faint luminescence emanated from his left eye.

Casting his gaze further south, his expression became instantly frozen.

The reason was straightforward: moments ago, the Blood Miasma Zone seemed kilometers away to his senses, yet under the penetrating light of the Eye of Truth, it astonishingly revealed itself to be a mere 500 meters distant, barely a thousand feet from his current position.

"As expected of a lineage from the Great Feudal Towns, they certainly possess some formidable techniques!"

Cai Yunlan, continuously observing Xia Hong's shifting expression, couldn't help but let out an internal sigh before speaking in a gentle tone, "It seems Brother Hong has also perceived that this Blood Miasma Zone is an illusion...".

A Nightmare Monster!

Xia Hong gave a slight nod, offering no verbal reply to Cai Yunlan, but the term 'Nightmare Monster' instantly surfaced in his thoughts. He had previously encountered such deceptive illusions on two separate occasions—once at the Twin Dragon Mountain's Sumeru Nightmare Monster, and another time near the ramparts of Beishuo Town.

"Could there be a powerful Nightmare Monster lurking behind this Blood Miasma Zone?"

Xia Hong contemplated this briefly but rapidly dismissed the thought; with the scarcity of information available to him currently, any assumptions would be far too hasty and ill-advised.