Frost Beasts Attack

The Small Bonfire's upgrade to an Iron Smelting Furnace has surprisingly increased its effectiveness so much.

The heating range has expanded from ten meters to a hundred meters;

Its deterrent and killing capabilities have greatly improved, though the specifics of this are still unclear;

It can now directly burn coal for forging iron;

The function of the Small Torch remains;

And most importantly, the newly added special item, Fire Condensing Oil.

"Ignites upon contact with the Grotesque!"

The memory of summoning the Small Bonfire for the first time and instantly incinerating the imposter Xia Ding flashed through his mind. Xia Hong's anticipation for the Fire Condensing Oil's capabilities surged.

This Fire Condensing Oil is simply the ultimate weapon against Grotesques!

To be honest, despite visiting Redwood Ridge many times recently, Xia Hong still felt a bit uneasy each time.

He was no longer afraid of the Frost Beasts encountered on the outskirts, especially with the increasing number of people in the Lumbering Realm of the camp. However, he still felt uncertain about the Grotesques.

Of course, the Small Torch could be used, but the problem was its limited quantity. At best, it could only be used to scare Grotesques when held in hand. He couldn't expect them to stand still and let him burn them.

Moreover, the burning time of the Small Torch was limited to only fifteen minutes.

Fire Condensing Oil was different. The liquid was not only easy to carry but also inconspicuous.

The most crucial point was that it was harmless to humans and ignited upon contact with the Grotesque.

These eight words alone were enough to make a big impact.

As the flames subsided, the simple fire pit, previously made of piled-up earth, had transformed into a circular furnace, over a meter in diameter and two meters high.

"Huh? How did this bonfire turn into a furnace?"

The first person to notice exclaimed in surprise, drawing everyone over to gather around. As the crowd approached the furnace and felt its warmth, their gazes towards Xia Hong were filled with evident fervor.

During the earlier disaster in the cave, Xia Hong's act of conjuring flames out of thin air, though witnessed by only a few, had spread through word of mouth until almost everyone in the camp knew about it.

However, the vast majority had only heard about it, and many still considered it an exaggeration, not taking it seriously.

But this time was different. The transformation of the bonfire into a furnace happened right before their eyes. This single event significantly elevated Xia Hong's standing in everyone's hearts once again.

Xia Hong had no intention of explaining anything.

While creating a god was generally ill-advised, it depended on the circumstances.

In the current desperate situation of the Great Xia Camp, a leader with powerful and mysterious abilities could play a crucial role in both consolidating the group and boosting everyone's confidence in facing the future.

The people of the camp were generally fine. Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, and the seven members of the lumber team, having witnessed the power of the Small Torch and Xia Hong's martial prowess against Frost Beasts, were even more fanatically devoted to him than the people present.

A concept had unconsciously formed in the minds of everyone in the Great Xia Camp:

Xia Hong was powerful, possessing some kind of profound and mysterious strength that not only allowed him to hunt Frost Beasts but even defeat and repel Grotesques. Furthermore, he was generous, willing to increase the Crystal Fruit quota so everyone could eat their fill. He was also selfless, willing to share Frost Beast Meat to improve everyone's strength.

Following this concept, everyone unanimously reached a consensus:

Only by having Xia Hong as their leader could they survive longer and live better.

Xia Hong couldn't read minds, so he was unaware of their thoughts. However, from the way others looked at him, he could easily discern two things:

First, his status in their hearts was rising at a terrifying rate.

Second, everyone in the camp, from his brother Xia Chuan and the lumber team to the ordinary people, from the middle-aged to the children, their eyes were beginning to show a yearning for life and hope for the future.

For the next few days, Xia Hong did not lead any expeditions to Redwood Ridge.

Although upgrading to an Iron Smelting Furnace doubled the daily consumption of wood to 4 units, Xia Hong's current wood resources were abundant.

With 470 units of wood, it was enough to last over three months even without going out. Coupled with the Crystal Fruits stockpiled earlier, there were still over ten thousand catties left. Therefore, staying put for a while was perfectly feasible.

Xia Hong had considered going to look for the Big Stone Camp on Tower Mountain to check on their situation.

However, he abandoned the idea, remembering that the Grotesque was likely nearby.

Firstly, even if he confirmed the Big Stone Camp was on Tower Mountain, the concealment of each camp was very high. He would likely not find it even if he went there. Even if he did find it, if their camp was unharmed, he would have difficulty explaining his presence, potentially causing conflict.

Secondly, it was out of fear of that Grotesque.

From the previous encounter, it seemed to have been controlling the imposter Xia Ding from the shadows. Strictly speaking, Xia Hong still didn't know what the Grotesque actually looked like.

Although he now had means to deal with Grotesques, he knew too little about this particular one. Rushing into contact would undoubtedly lead to a disadvantage.

Considering all these reasons, Xia Hong could only patiently stay at the camp, leading everyone in cultivation while researching ways to deal with Grotesques.

"Practicing Long Fist with me not only helps you improve the efficiency of absorbing the essence of Frost Beast Meat but also has a more important function: enhancing your combat abilities!"

Beside the furnace, Xia Hong, with his upper body bare, continuously threw punches with small movements. Accompanied by sharp gusts of fist wind, he explained the essentials of Ancestral Long Fist to the people gathered around him.

"In any martial art, ultimately, you are practicing two things: reaction and explosiveness. These two are your greatest reliance and confidence in combat.

Reaction refers to the early prediction of danger. Taking Frost Beasts as an example, before it even raises its claw, you can predict where it will attack from and react in time, thus preventing it from causing you harm.

Explosiveness, on the other hand, is the maximum force generated in the shortest amount of time at the fastest speed. This is the strongest means of inflicting damage on an enemy, whether fighting bare-handed or with a weapon, the principle is the same."

Xia Hong's punching speed gradually increased, and the strong fist wind caused the furnace to roar. At the same time, he continued:

"The base strength in the Lumbering Realm is five thousand jin, but that's static strength. Being able to lift five thousand jin doesn't mean you can punch with five thousand jin of force.

When actually fighting, due to bodily reactions and movement limitations, it's difficult to unleash five thousand jin of power. That's why you must constantly practice, continuously improving your muscles and getting used to punching, so you can exert your maximum strength."

"The greater the range of motion of the human body, the more muscles are engaged, and the greater the impact on punching speed and power. Therefore, among the four sets of Ancestral Long Fist—Small Battle, Great Battle, Scattered Hands, and Combined Battle—Small Battle, which focuses on short-range attacks, is the simplest."

Although Xia Hong's punching movements were fast, their range was limited to a mere few inches. Even so, the force of his punches created a fierce whistling sound as they sliced through the air.

"You haven't been practicing the Small Battle set for long, so at most you can unleash half of your base strength. But with diligent practice, you can achieve eighty percent of my punching power, just like I can.

Once you've mastered Small Battle, I will teach you the Great Battle set. It integrates the fist, foot, and waist into one, allowing you to unleash one hundred percent of your punching power at will. When practiced to a high level, it can even unleash strength that surpasses the body's limits."

Xia Chuan and the others nodded excitedly. They had all gone out with Xia Hong and personally witnessed him demonstrate the Small Battle, Great Battle, and Scattered Hands sets, so they were well aware of how powerful this martial art was.

"Actually, the most formidable aspect of Long Fist is its coordination with weapons..."

Boom boom boom...

Xia Hong's words were cut short as a ground-shaking tremor suddenly came from beneath his feet. His expression changed instantly, and he looked up towards the cave entrance.

Everyone in the camp gathered around the furnace also stood up in unison, turning their heads towards the cave entrance.

"Is something charging towards us?"

"Such a huge commotion, it sounds like a Frost Beast?"

"We sealed the cave entrance, how did a Frost Beast find us?"

"It's daytime now, if a Frost Beast really found us, we're finished!"

Despair instantly spread across the faces of most people in the camp.