Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

The west side, deeper into Redwood Ridge.

About a hundred meters away from the group, there was a towering tree with a diameter of about twenty meters. Due to the distance, only a rough outline could be seen.

That tree, visually estimated to be over a hundred meters tall, was trembling, all because a colossal creature was constantly climbing up its trunk.

Despite the distance, Xia Hong could still make out the outline. That colossal creature was at least seven or eight meters long, with an incredibly robust build and two smooth tusks that were extremely conspicuous in the night.

“Snow Mane?”

“Is it a Snow Mane?”

“Snow Mane!”

… … … …

Upon seeing that colossal creature, everyone in the hunting team immediately recognized its identity.

A Snow Mane over seven meters long!

Gulp… … … …

Everyone subconsciously swallowed, then their gazes shifted to Xia Hong at the front.

Although there was joy on Xia Hong's face, he felt somewhat apprehensive inside.

The joy was because they had finally spotted an intermediate Frost Beast after searching all night, and it was a lone one, proving that not all Frost Beasts lived in groups like the Long-tailed Gnash Rats.

If that was the case, the difficulty of hunting an intermediate Frost Beast would be much lower.

And the apprehension was simply due to the size of this Snow Mane.

Low-level Snow Manes were at most four meters long, not to mention their build.

Despite being a hundred meters away, the size of this intermediate Snow Mane was twice as large as the largest one he had hunted before.

The Snow Mane's strength was not weak among Frost Beasts. An adult Snow Mane's impact force was at least ten thousand pounds, making it the most terrifying of all the Frost Beasts Xia Hong had hunted so far.

And that was just a low-level Snow Mane.

This one in front of them was an intermediate one!

After searching all night, the intermediate Frost Beast he had longed for was now truly in front of him. Xia Hong didn't feel as excited as he thought he would, but quickly calmed down.

There was no way around it, with this size, it was hard not to be calm.

“Could we try the old method?”

Yuan Cheng straightforwardly took out a torch and suggested to everyone.

Everyone, including Xia Hong, showed a hint of interest.

But soon, Xia Hong looked around and shook his head, saying in a deep voice:

“Based on the distribution of intermediate Frost Beasts, it's impossible. Unless we find a second intermediate Frost Beast elsewhere and use the method of attracting the Gnash Rat swarm to set up torches all the way to lead it here.”

Hearing this plan, everyone immediately shook their heads in denial.

Gnash Rat swarms were one thing, but they knew nothing about the strength of intermediate Frost Beasts. Recklessly attracting it with torches, and guiding it over such a long distance, the difficulty and danger were beyond imagination.

One wrong move could cost them their lives.

“Then we can only set up traps first, then lure it into them with torches. There are sixteen of us, if we cooperate well, we should have a chance.”

Xia Chuan said, gesturing towards Li Yun, Li Pingkai, and Zhu Shun.

The three of them took off all the animal traps they were carrying on their backs and placed them directly on the ground, then looked up at Xia Hong.

It wasn't just the three of them, Xia Chuan and the other eleven people were all looking up at Xia Hong at this moment, clearly waiting for him to make a decision.

“Torches, animal traps, ten-stone iron fetal bows, the entire hunting team is here, and everyone is relatively unharmed. Leader, there's no need to hesitate. I'm not saying we'll definitely succeed in hunting it, but at least we have to try!”

Seeing the hesitation on Xia Hong's face, Xia Chuan was the first to speak up to persuade him.

Luo Yuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said solemnly: “That's right, we are well prepared enough. Unless something unexpected happens, there won't be any new Earth Burrowing Realm cultivators appearing in the camp for a long time. In the end, this is the only configuration we have, let's just try it, leader.”

“Sixteen people, no matter how strong it is, at worst we'll just fail to hunt it and run away. Leader, don't hesitate.”

“I also think we should go for it. Sixteen ten-stone iron fetal bows, without directly fighting it head-on, maneuvering around it, we definitely have a chance.”

… … … …

Everyone spoke one after another, all expressing their intention to try.

Although Xia Hong didn't say anything, he felt a warmth in his heart.

Everyone was saying that it would be fine if they went, that it was very strong, that they had enough manpower, and that they had a chance to succeed in hunting it, but they couldn't possibly not know the dangers involved.

The biggest reason they were so insistent was that they all knew that the key to their breakthrough to the Frost Resistance level was this intermediate Frost Beast.

In other words, they were all willing to take this risk for their own breakthrough.

Xia Hong's mind sank slightly, he looked back at the distant tree, and finally made a final decision: “Alright, let's try it!”

Having made a decision, Xia Hong no longer considered anything else, and directly began to deploy to everyone: “Li Yun, the three of you go find a suitable location first, dig pits and set up the animal traps;

Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and Yuan Cheng, the three of you come with me to observe the surrounding terrain;

The rest of you go find your positions.

Remember, unless something unexpected happens, we can't withstand the Snow Mane's strength even if we combine our strength, so we can't confront it head-on. Bows and arrows are the main means. If you find that bows and arrows are useless, then give up immediately.

I'll give you half an hour to prepare. During this time, always keep a distance of over a hundred meters from it, and don't startle it, so as not to alert the snake in the grass.

After half an hour, come back here and discuss it before taking action.”

“Yes, leader!”

Everyone nodded and agreed softly, quickly scattering to do their own things.

For the past half year, the fifteen of them had been going out hunting with him, nearly a hundred times, and many things didn't need to be explained clearly, they could do their own things based on tacit understanding.

Xia Hong also confidently led Xia Chuan and the three others, and began to familiarize themselves with the surrounding terrain around the big tree where the Snow Mane was entrenched.

The big tree where the Snow Mane was entrenched was within a hundred meters on the west side. There was no need to look at the inner perimeter further west. Xia Hong focused on observing the south and north sides.

“The Snow Mane's perception is not strong among Frost Beasts. We just walked around here several times, we didn't find it, and it didn't find us. This one should have just come from the inner perimeter. I don't know its physical condition. It would be great if its head was seriously injured!”

Hearing Yuan Cheng's wishful thinking, Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan immediately shook their heads, but a few strands of hope really rose in their hearts.

There was already strife among Frost Beasts in Redwood Ridge. Intermediate Frost Beasts were even stronger, and the strife was relatively more intense. This Snow Mane had just come from the inner perimeter, maybe it really had failed in a fight and was injured.

It's just that they were a hundred meters away, and they couldn't even see the details of the Snow Mane's facial features clearly, so it was even more impossible to see its physical condition.

“Don't have such unrealistic fantasies. If it's really injured, maybe it's emotionally irritable and its strength is even more terrifying!”

When the four of them walked to the northernmost side, about to leave Redwood Ridge, Xia Hong extinguished Yuan Cheng's fantasy, and then led the three of them back south.

“This side is already within the sphere of influence of the Xianlu Camp. Further north, we'll reach the Arrow Bamboo Forest. When the fight breaks out later, we can't lead it north, we can only lead it south, or east to the outside.”

“That Snow Mane is large, I don't know if its reaction speed is fast or not. There are many trees around here, it's easy to find a position to shoot arrows from. It would be even better if its reaction was a little slower.”

“Man proposes, God disposes!”

When they returned to the previous location, half an hour had almost passed, and the rest of the people returned one after another.

Everyone had obviously found their positions smoothly. The last to return were Li Yun and the three others responsible for placing the animal traps, as well as the helpers they had called along the way.

Li Yun and the others all had expressions of surprise on their faces. As soon as they saw Xia Hong, they couldn't wait to say:

“Leader, there is a natural trench to the south, eight meters long and three meters wide, covered with snow, more than six meters deep. The three of us just asked others to help dig together, and deepened it by more than two meters. All three animal traps are set up around the trench. If we can successfully lure the Snow Mane into the trench, the hunting will basically be more than half successful.”

“Lead the way, let's go take a look together!”

Hearing Li Yun's description of the trench, Xia Hong's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked him to lead the way.

Everyone followed Li Yun for more than two hundred meters to the south, and a natural trench slowly came into view. Almost everyone, including Xia Hong, had their eyes lit up.

The trench was very large, sandwiched between two large trees with a diameter of more than ten meters. The snow that had originally covered it had been swept away, obviously done by Li Yun just now.

An animal trap had been placed in front and behind the trench, and one had been placed directly in the middle below the trench. All three animal traps were connected to ropes, and all of them were covered with white snow.

“Cover the trench with snow again, and choose this location!”

Xia Hong observed the inside and the terrain on both sides, and immediately made a decision. This natural trench was simply custom-made for that huge Snow Mane.

Looking at the two large trees standing on both sides of the trench, Xia Hong's expression changed slightly, and he made some more arrangements, and then, after all the preparations were in place, he ordered everyone to go to the positions he had found earlier.

“In a word, bows and arrows are the only means. Hard confrontation with it, even if I go, it won't work, let alone you. Once you find that bows and arrows are useless, everyone disperse and retreat; if it's useful, then cooperate well with each other. I don't need to teach you how to use bows and arrows, right?”

Xia Hong finally warned again. Seeing everyone nod, he pondered for a moment and then slowly said: “The first priority is to protect yourself. There are many intermediate Frost Beasts in Redwood Ridge, but we only have one life, understand?”

“Understood, leader!”

“The strength and methods of intermediate Frost Beasts are not clear, and the price of contribution points is not easy to determine. However, if we can successfully hunt this Snow Mane, it will be the first intermediate prey harvested by our Great Xia camp, which is of great significance. So, my pricing for it is… … … …”

Speaking of this, Xia Hong paused before continuing.

“Ten thousand points!”

The fifteen people all raised their heads in an instant, their faces full of surprise.

Especially the Zhao Long brothers, the hands holding their bows trembled slightly.

“Because we are mainly attacking with bows and arrows, if this hunt is successful, the contribution points will not be evenly distributed. It depends on whose arrow causes the most damage to it, and whoever gets more contribution points!”

After saying the last sentence, Xia Hong directly dismissed everyone.

“That’s all I have to say, go to your previously chosen positions and wait.”

Seeing that everyone had taken their positions, Xia Hong took out a torch from behind and inserted it into the edge of the trench. He looked back at the huge silhouette of the Snow Mane on the big tree and took a deep breath.

Chila… … … …

Under the snowy night, the torch was lit.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Xia Hong had already climbed a large tree next to him, holding his breath, quietly paying attention to the movements of the big tree to the north.

The other fifteen people distributed around were also doing the same.

Ka… … … …

To the north, the sound of a branch breaking came.

Everyone's heart tightened slightly, and they quietly turned their heads to look over there.