[Camp: Great Xia (Level 0)]
[Cultivation: Mid-stage Cold Resistance (Twenty-two 鬃)]
[Territory Population: 53129]
[Resources: Wood 8.2 million Coal 7.52 million Iron 4.16 million Silver 80 Gold 0]
[Activated Buildings 7: Cold Ruins Tripod (Level 4), Martial Arts Hall (Level 3), Medicine Workshop (Level 2), Artifact Refining Workshop (Level 3), Black Soil Wall (Level 2), Heroic Spirit Monument (Level 3), Yellow Earth (Level 1)]
[Unactivated Buildings 2: Small Wooden Table, Rough Iron Chain]
In the main hall on the top floor, Xia Hong sat alone on the high platform, reviewing various resource statistics within the system, showing a mixed expression of joy and concern.
The joy naturally came from the surge in all resource data within the system, including population, over the past four months;
The concern, however, was plentiful.
First, the system still assessed the camp as Level 0.
"No surprise, it seems I have to activate all nine buildings before the system will determine my camp’s level."
Second, the activation conditions for the last two buildings are too difficult.
Small Wooden Table: Iron 10000, Silver 3000
Rough Iron Chain: Silver 1000, Gold 5000
Looking at the resources needed to activate the last two buildings, Xia Hong couldn’t help but shake his head.
Long Mountain and Zhaoyang provided a total of 400 pounds of silver, which he had already converted into system resource units. The conversion rate for silver was 5 pounds for 1 point.
From coal to iron and now to silver, observing the increasingly lower conversion rates, it’s estimated that future gold will be 2 pounds or even 1 pound for 1 point.
pounds of silver for each point also means that to activate the Small Wooden Table, at least 15000 pounds of silver must be accumulated.
Both Long Mountain and Zhaoyang, amidst such a perilous situation, only managed to spare 200 pounds each to buy Solidified Fire Oil from Great Xia.
This alone suffices to prove the preciousness of silver.
Without finding a silver mine, it’s likely impossible to gather that much.
The Small Wooden Table is already such a challenge; the Rough Iron Chain simply can’t be considered.
"Still can’t activate these two buildings, and since Yellow Earth and Black Soil Wall haven’t been fully converted, upgrade conditions are not met. The remaining Heroic Spirit Monument, Martial Arts Hall, Cold Ruins Tripod, Artifact Refining Workshop—these four buildings all need silver to upgrade!"
That is to say, despite having sufficient resources, all he could convert were Black Soil Wall and Yellow Earth.
Without silver, these buildings can only remain as they are.
"The only one that can be upgraded is the Medicine Workshop!"
Medicine Workshop (Level 2)
Upgrade conditions: Wood 200,000, Coal 200,000, Iron 400,000, 20 synthesis formulas
Xia Hong glanced at the upgrade conditions for the Medicine Workshop and finally checked its current 31 formulas, feeling somewhat relieved.
"Silver, silver, need to come up with a solution!"
With a sigh, Xia Hong then waved his hand, placing the Cold Ruins Tripod in the center of the main hall.
His return had been silent, and many in the camp were still unaware of his presence in the main hall, releasing the Cold Ruins Tripod to remind others.
The flames of the Cold Ruins Tripod burst forth, instantly spreading warmth from the main hall outward, with a radiation range of five kilometers warming up the Inner City, Outer City, and even part of the outer area.
"Hmm, why has the street warmed up?"
"I didn’t light the coal stove, yet my house warmed up."
"It’s coming from the main building. The Holy Tripod must have been lit!"
"Definitely, the leader has returned."
"Last time the leader took the Holy Tripod away, Mr. Zhu had us warm ourselves with coal stones. The leader must have brought the Holy Tripod back."
The warming effect of the Cold Ruins Tripod was immediate; many quickly realized Xia Hong had returned with the Holy Tripod.
Qiu Peng was the first to arrive at the top floor main hall.
Followed by Zhu Ling, Craftsmen Department Director Mu Dong, Harvesting Department’s Director and Deputy Director Cheng Feng and Bai Dongying, who had stayed behind in Xia City.
"The Dewdrop Plague in Longyou has not ended yet..."
Without any waste of words, Xia Hong directly spoke of the Dewdrop Association’s intrusion into human bodies, and then ordered Qiu Peng: "To be safe, have the Camp Supply Department immediately notify everyone in the camp, including yourselves, that all 53129 people must be screened with the Cold Ruins Tripod. After the screening, I will place the Cold Ruins Tripod at the Outer City gate; everyone coming from Mirror Valley afterward must be screened."
"I’ll handle it immediately!"
Understanding the severity, Qiu Peng didn’t delay, bowed, and promptly exited the main hall to inform others.
Leaving Mu Dong, Cheng Feng, and Bai Dongying in the main hall.
"Mu Dong, the Artifact Refining Workshop seems lively. Have any good items been forged?"
When Xia Hong returned to the main building, he heard loud noises coming from the rear Artifact Refining Workshop, guessing something good had been forged, and asked just to confirm.
On hearing Xia Hong’s words, Mu Dong was prepared, drew out a saber from his waist, and proudly displayed it to Xia Hong.
Xia Hong’s eyes immediately lit up upon seeing the blade.
It was a horizontal blade, with hundreds of forged silver patterns on its side.
A common hundred-forged horizontal blade could not elicit such a reaction from Xia Hong.
The key was that the blade emitted a faint fiery red hue, and even standing five to six meters away, Xia Hong could clearly perceive the high temperature radiating from the blade.
"Previously, the leader told us the Artifact Refining Workshop could forge weapons with Beast Suppressing attributes. All this time, the Craftsmen Department hadn’t forged a single one, and I was feeling quite down. Today, perhaps thanks to the leader’s blessing, as soon as you returned, the workshop finally produced one, hahaha..."
Mu Dong was genuinely happy; after so long without forging the Beast Suppressing weapon Xia Hong had mentioned, he had indeed been quite troubled. He never doubted Xia Hong, always believing there was an issue with his forging skills. Today, at last, they’ve forged one, relieving his concerns.