181: Chapter 132: New Discoveries in Deep Redwood Ridge 181: Chapter 132: New Discoveries in Deep Redwood Ridge In the Ice Abyss World, snow and wind were perpetual.
This snowstorm was unlike any ordinary winter day, accompanied by endless coldness, stripping the earth of all vitality.
From within Redwood Ridge, the entire land was nothing but snow upon snow.
Only the huge trees, covered in white snow, stood immobile amongst it, resembling white spires dangling with countless icicles.
Trees could be seen as a form of life.
The reason why trees in the Ice Abyss World were so robust could be understood from another perspective.
If they weren’t resilient, how could they survive in this frigid world?
To the north of Redwood Ridge, within the territory of the forr Lu Shang Camp, Xia Hong felt a slight relief after leading fifteen people on a patrol around the periter.
“Fortunately, we haven’t found anyone else or any traces of activity.
The Mirror Immortal Camp shouldn’t have crossed the border yet.”
Everyone nodded in agreent, their expressions relaxing a little.
The purpose of coming here tonight was to check if the Mirror Immortal Camp had crossed the boundary.
The absence of any signs was a good thing.
“The distribution of Cold Beasts within a kiloter of the Lu Shang Camp’s periter is similar to our area.
Within five hundred ters, there are a few Snow Manes, Frost Wolves, and Golden Sheep.
Beyond that, there are only two Teng Jiao, all low-level Cold Beasts.
It seems if we want to find Interdiate Cold Beasts, we’ll have to go deeper,” Xia Chuan summarized their patrol’s findings and suggested venturing further.
Upon hearing this, everyone directed their eyes toward Xia Hong in the lead.
“If you have ti, hunt the ga on the outskirts on your own.
Let’s go in!”
Xia Hong didn’t hesitate.
The goal tonight was clear: Interdiate Cold Beasts.
The ga on the outskirts wasn’t worth his ti.
Since it was their first ti venturing beyond the kiloter range, where the environnt began to feel unfamiliar, Xia Hong and the group imdiately slowed their pace and quieted their movents, becoming alert to their surroundings.
With no asuring tools, they could only estimate their depth by instinct.
But once they truly ventured in, it beca apparent that they didn’t need anything other than their eyes to judge.
In Redwood Ridge, the further in you went, the thicker the trees beca.
Due to the massive trees, the roots were peculiar, so even protruding from the ground, making the previously flat terrain complex.
“The trees with a diater of over ten ters on the outskirts were already considered big, but who would’ve thought this one would be even more daunting, with a diater close to twenty ters?”
Luo Yuan couldn’t help but exclaim, prompting everyone, including Xia Hong, to look at the tree he ntioned.
Seeing the tree’s form, everyone couldn’t help but click their tongues and shake their heads.
The tree was indeed enormous!
A twenty-ter diater tree is rare to imagine for the average person.
But describing it this way makes it clear: if the tree were hollowed out, it would resemble a skyscraper, capable of accommodating hundreds or even thousands of people.
Even from a hundred ters away, the sixteen people appeared tiny before the tree.
It was fortunate that they were regular visitors to the outer Redwood Ridge, familiar with grand trees, or else this one might have invoked a fear of enormous objects.
“It’s a pity it’s just an ordinary Vermilion Frost.
Perhaps we haven’t gone deep enough.
So far, we’ve only seen the usual types of trees.
Why don’t we go a bit further, leader?”
Upon hearing Luo Yuan’s suggestion, Xia Hong redirected his gaze, surveying the surrounding trees before nodding softly.
While their main task was hunting, they also paid attention to the trees along the way.
If they encountered any new species or rare trees, they would record and mark them.
Though these tasks fell to the Collection Team, their first wave of deeper exploration made it convenient to record and mark things for the logging team to complete their mission later.
Xia Hong led the group another hundred ters deeper and, estimating they were 1300 ters in, halted and began to explorate both the south and north directions.
Shortly after, they made a new discovery.
“Whoa…
such a large Ice Tree!”
To the north, over a hundred ters away, stood a towering Ice Tree laden with transparent Crystal Fruits.
The diater of the Ice Tree was estimated at seventeen to eighteen ters, the countless Crystal Fruits roughly numbering thirty to forty thousand, equalling ten to twenty thousand pounds.
“Go mark it.
It’s the first ti seeing such a large Ice Tree.”
Xia Hong led the group northward, and upon closer inspection, they realized that not only was the Ice Tree enormous, but its fruits were also significantly larger than those of other Ice Trees.
Beneath it lay a vast marshland, spanning about fifty to sixty ters, roughly corresponding to the tree’s canopy extension, emitting a fernted odor, clearly ford by the decay of Crystal Fruits dropping over the years.
“This isn’t really a marsh though!”
At a distance, it appeared to be a marshland because this section was not snow-covered and had a faint golden fluid appearance.
But as Xia Hong stepped onto it, he realized that although the surface was fluid-like, it was only marginally softer than normal ground, with a very distinct tread sensation.
“It’s my first ti stepping on such a soft ground.
Does the material from decomposed Crystal Fruits have such a pronounced effect on the terrain?”
Casually said by Xia Chuan, the words stopped everyone in their tracks, Xia Hong suddenly looking up, his face full of excitent.
Realizing what Xia Hong was thinking, Xia Chuan understood as well.
If Crystal Fruits had such an effect, couldn’t they use this property to soften the valley floor for transplanting trees?
“Maybe not, don’t get too excited too soon.
If Crystal Fruits had this effect, how co it wasn’t discovered earlier?
Wait, let check the ground first!”
Xia Hong quickly cald himself, squatting down to scoop up the soil.
Describing it as scooping might not be accurate, it was more like digging.
Yet, after several attempts, he couldn’t dig even a small piece of what looked fluid and softer than other ground.
With brows knit, Xia Hong’s heart was filled with unease.
His Basic Strength had reached a limit of thirty thousand pounds.
Even regular soil could be dug out by him.
But the seemingly soft ground was unyielding?
He shook his head, extinguishing the idea that had just erged in everyone’s minds.
It appeared soft, yet in reality, it was hard.
Transplanting seed futile now.
“Never mind, just mark the location, ignore this for now, and let’s continue north!”
With transplantation impossible, the group lost interest and, after marking the location, followed Xia Hong along the 1300-ter limit to investigate north.
They later encountered four Cold Beasts, but three were Teng Jiao, and one was a Blue Moon Elf, all low-level Cold Beasts.
Hunting Teng Jiao was cumberso, so Xia Hong didn’t act; the Blue Moon Elf, possibly starving, attempted to ambush as sixteen people passed by its tree.
Having searched fruitlessly for Interdiate Cold Beasts, the group was already frustrated.
A Low-level Cold Beast offering itself up for venting, was sure to receive no rcy.
The Blue Moon Elf wasn’t large, asuring only over a ter with snow-white fur, one of the weakest creatures encountered by Xia Hong so far, even weaker than the Rodent, yet faster than it.
The small size, rapid speed, and snow-camouflaging fur ant its ambush might have worked before Xia Hong’s Basic Strength reached thirty thousand pounds.
Unfortunately, it confronted the current Xia Hong.
Having ventured out to seek Interdiate Cold Beasts, the group’s vigilance was high.
The timing of its attack was terribly misjudged.
Without Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, or others acting, Xia Hong drew his blade, dispatching the Blue Moon Elf in just three moves.
“This Blue Moon Elf likely also had an Innate Divine Ability like other Cold Beasts, but eting the leader, it had no chance to display it!”
Zhu Shun buried the Blue Moon Elf in the snow, marking the spot, and couldn’t help but sigh.
The others nodded, recalling the swift three slashes just now, looking at Xia Hong with admiration.
Reflecting, Xia Hong was pulled from his thoughts by Zhu Shun’s words, realizing the group saw a Blue Moon Elf for the first ti and explained:
“Its legs, the Blue Moon Elf’s legs can, for a brief mont, exert five tis their normal strength.
This should be its Innate Divine Ability.
My speed during the skirmish was too fast for you to notice.
Rember this if you encounter it again!”
The group nodded, finally understanding.
Though Xia Hong t a Blue Moon Elf for the first ti, he had read Luo Ming’s Cold Beast Atlas, which docunted the Blue Moon Elf’s traits.
During the skirmish, its leg power indeed almost overwheld him at a mont.
“We have been searching, finding four Cold Beasts, three Ice Trees, two Blue Jade Trees, plus so unknown plants.
Tonight’s haul should be enough.”
Seeing Xia Chuan burdened with over eighty Blue Frost Grass, along with other unknown plants, Xia Hong considered returning.
“Leader, just a bit further, and we’ll find them!”
“Only half the night has passed, and with so many of us well-prepared, we can’t go back just with this Blue Moon Elf and so Blue Frost Grass.
That’s too little!”
“Agreed, I suggest we go deeper, at least to see what Interdiate Cold Beasts look like.”
……
Seeing his thoughts, the group began to persuade him earnestly.
“Alright then, stash what we have and go two hundred ters further.
If we still find nothing, we’ll return tomorrow night!”
Seeing the collective determination, Xia Hong nodded in agreent.
Deciding to venture two hundred ters further.
After hiding the ga and plants, marking the spot,
Xia Hong led them westward, plunging deeper into Redwood Ridge.
Interdiate Cold Beasts were obviously further than anticipated.
Over an hour was spent searching, yet nothing was found.
In the front, Xia Hong halted, turning to everyone:
“Enough for tonight, let’s prepare better for tomorrow, expand the search to two kiloters.
I just don’t believe…”
“Leader, look over there!”
“Leader, quick, look…”
Before he could finish, Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan, closest to him, seed to spot sothing, pointing westward to interrupt him.
Xia Hong followed their gaze, montarily dumbstruck.
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