Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 1082: Chapter 378: Shocking News, Deployment, Excitement and Encounter—the Importance of Seizing the Initiative (3)

"The others stay put, Zichuan, Duan Xu, you two come with me to check out the situation."

Duan Chang is the Deputy Army Chief of Chui Mountain Town, responsible for the defense of Jiangyan Camp. He commands two divisions of the Defensive Army, with Mu Zichuan and Duan Xu being the Commanders of these two divisions. Both have a cultivation level of over twenty, coupled with his own strength of thirty-four, just going to scout should pose no problem.

The three men first shed their Thousand Forged Armor, revealing the black attire beneath, moving stealthily towards Hongguan Camp in unison.

When they were over three hundred meters away from the camp, they could basically see the situation inside, but once they saw clearly, their expressions froze in shock.

"Golden armor? Does Jiangxia have such armor?"

"Neither Jiangxia nor Bashang have it, only a bit more than a hundred people!"

"Can’t see through it, get closer, check their cultivation level!"

It was completely nightfall, they could only see the golden armor, unable to discern the cultivation levels of the soldiers. Duan Chang whispered to keep moving closer, swiftly reaching the boundary limit of three hundred meters.

The trio was of Peak Cold Resistance cultivation, and three hundred meters was essentially the extent of their sensing range, so upon entering that limit, they immediately discerned the cultivation of the more than a hundred golden armored soldiers.

Upon realizing it, the trio’s pupils instantly contracted sharply.

"Cold Resistance Level!"

"All are at Cold Resistance Level."

"Something’s wrong, retreat quickly!"

Duan Chang suddenly sensed something, exclaimed softly with alarm, turning to flee first, followed swiftly by the other two without understanding but amid haste.

Yet, they had scarcely retreated ten meters.

Whoosh......

A Double-edged Giant Axe abruptly came threateningly to Duan Chang’s face, his expression shifted dramatically as he dodged swiftly to the side.

He dodged quickly, but Mu Zichuan and Duan Xu behind weren’t as fortunate.

Fortunately, both were quite tense already, quickly realizing an ambush; one raised a giant hammer, the other lifted a long saber, blocking instinctively.

Clang......

The silver giant axe struck both of their weapons, erupting a thunderous clamor.

"His strength exceeds ours!"

The instant they received the giant axe, their expressions transformed drastically, both recoiling several meters back to the camp’s scouting position.

"Who goes there!"

Duan Chang pulled out a big saber, coming beside Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan.

The three stared ahead, expressions fraught with tension.

A sturdy young man over two meters tall, clad in pale golden armor, wielding a Double-edged Giant Axe, stood where they had just been, smirking coldly at them.

"Such sneaky spying upon our Great Xia Military Camp, you’ve crossed the line!"

Great Xia?

Upon hearing Great Xia abruptly, Duan Chang and his cohorts were filled with confusion and bewilderment.

"No need for idle talk, they’re Chui Mountain’s, capture them first!"

At this, a voice sounded from behind, causing Duan Chang, Mu Zichuan, and Duan Xu to turn sharply, revealing three more figures appearing simultaneously on their left, right, and back.

The one on the left matched the stature of the previous axe-wielding youth, over two meters tall, similarly clad in golden armor, with a composed face, holding a noticeably non-standard long, slim saber.

The one on the right was slightly shorter, appearing older than the first two but likely not over forty, wielding an oddly shaped saber about a meter long.

"Twenty-four cultivation level, both left and right over twenty levels too, and the one behind is unfathomable; Great Xia, where did they emerge from?"

Duan Chang assessed Yuan Cheng and the others surreptitiously, discerning their strengths before showing grave concern, focusing intently on the lone white-robed youth behind them who was without armor, instinctively feeling immense apprehension.

Despite possessing merely Intermediate Battle Body Talent, Duan Chang had enhanced his strength to thirty-two cultivation levels over years, proving formidable across Nine Towns, yet the white-robed youth behind was totally elusive to him.

This could only signify superior strength on the adversary’s part.

"They identified us as Chui Mountain’s and spoke of capture..."

Duan Chang eyed the white-robed youth’s garb, evidently not standard Nine Town attire, along with the golden armor of the other three, his mind racing with countless possibilities.

But the limited information he held offered little for analysis.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh......

Suddenly, hundreds of silver arrows shot forth from all around, causing the three to frantically wield their weapons to deflect, their expressions shifting markedly.

"They’re all Cold Resistance level; split up and flee!"

Immediately after the barrage, Duan Chang discerned all the soldiers firing at them were of Cold Resistance level, realizing resistance was futile, promptly ordering Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan to escape separately.

His cultivation was the highest and his speed the fastest, thus after speaking, he darted north decisively, while Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan broke through to the sides in opposite directions.

"So you’ve come, why flee now, stay!"

Whoosh......

Yuan Cheng felt disgraced earlier for failing his initial ambush against Nine Town’s Cold Resistance levels; seeing Duan Chang dare to flee towards him, he roared indignantly, sweeping his giant axe horizontally to thwart him.

"You think you can stop me, dream on!"

With the axe sweeping forth, Duan Chang revealed chilling intent, charging forward, back firm against the axe’s handle, sending it recoiling to lift his saber against Yuan Cheng’s head furiously.

Yuan Cheng’s brows furrowed in consternation; usually, he’d avoid confronting such direct impact but noted the two trailing Transparent Silk Threads flying his way, bracing himself fiercely, sidestepped, raised the axe onto his shoulder.

Clang......

The giant axe clashed with the big saber; being silver-made Ten Thousand Forged weapons, they naturally withstood without breaking, but Duan Chang’s robust thirty-two cultivation strength forced Yuan Cheng half-kneeling, axe handle slamming onto his right shoulder with a resounding snap.

Logically, succeeding in the strike, Duan Chang should have retreated immediately.

However, not only did he fail to escape, but his saber was unmovable as well.

"Attempting to flee from me, in your dreams!"

Yuan Cheng raised his head swiftly, his brow sporting a bloody vertical pattern.

Amplified by Duan Chang’s downward saber momentum, he maneuvered the axe blade downward, trapping Duan Chang’s saber.

Though his basic strength was merely twenty-four level, the threefold enhancement from Great Xia Sacred Pattern pushed him over thirty level.

This still wasn’t accounting for the Long Fist Form!

"Ha......"

Yuan Cheng’s bellow erupted, body twisting downward forcibly, the giant axe’s force entwining the big saber, nearly flipping Duan Chang entirely.

"Damn it!"

Duan Chang eyed his Cold Moon Saber, flashing with unwillingness; Yuan Cheng’s strength now matched his, if flipped over, and with the white-robed youth of comparable strength chasing, he’d never outrun.

Though countless thoughts surged, it transpired in mere moments.

Duan Chang, being Chui Mountain’s Deputy Army Chief, was hardly inept; perceiving this was his final escape chance, he relinquished all attachment, immediately abandoning his weapon, springing from the ground northward at speed.

Phew......

Simultaneously, two Transparent Silk Threads flew from behind, striking air.

"I’ve failed in my task, plea for punishment, Minister!"

Yuan Cheng’s expression soured observing Duan Chang’s getaway, and with Xia Chuan approaching, he bowed instantly, begging forgiveness.

"No matter, his strength is formidable, difficult to retain regardless, capturing two suffices!"

Xia Chuan waved dismissively, turning to watch the other sides, where hundreds of Cloud Dragon Army soldiers enveloped Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan entirely, struggling futilely against Luo Yuan and Yue Feng, revealing a hint of smile upon his face.

"So Chui Mountain Town acted first, fortunate our timely control of Hongguan, otherwise they’d have seized advantage, spelling trouble!"