Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

"At your command!"

Xia Chuan turned to sweep his gaze across the crowd and continued shouting, "Meng Yi."

"I'm here!"

Meng Yi hurriedly came from the periphery and immediately responded upon hearing his name.

"How many places on your side have detected the movements of long-tailed rodents?"

"Two, I've already sent people to stake out nearby."

Upon hearing Meng Yi's reply, Xia Chuan's expression immediately turned extremely gloomy.

Two in the southwest direction, three in the north, three in the southeast, that adds up to eight, and these eight are just the ones heard. Xuanling's impact has yet to be heard, the entire Main Zone Space reverberates thunderously, surely there are many more places where long-tailed rodents are gnawing that they cannot detect.

Two hours ago, Zhu Yuan from the north reported that they heard the sound of long-tailed rodents gnawing. He thought it was an isolated incident; after all, this is underground, and it's not uncommon for one or two long-tailed rodents to occasionally appear.

But subsequently, Hong Tian from the southeast, Meng Yi from the southwest, also heard the same sound, and increasingly more of it. Only then did Xia Chuan link the appearance of long-tailed rodents with the outside Longyou Army.

Long Mountain is actually using long-tailed rodents to assist in breaching the wall.

He just realized why Li Xuanling keeps hitting the barrier incessantly.

She is doing so to cover the sound of long-tailed rodents gnawing on the barriers.

The question is, how is Long Mountain controlling the rodents?

Cold Beasts can at most chase or hunt, even if Long Mountain finds a way to drive one rodent towards the barrier, it's not a given that it will obey orders to gnaw the iron wall surrounding the Beehive.

Moreover, it's not just one rodent at the moment, but clearly a group, and they're chomping from different directions inward.

How did Long Mountain accomplish this?

"Minister, look, mist is entering through the big hole!"

At this moment, Meng Yi noticed something and suddenly pointed at the big hole above, shouting urgently.

Xia Chuan lifted his head to look, his brows instantly furrowed.

The big hole above, just gnawed open by long-tailed rodents, indeed had a thick frost-white mist frantically pouring in.

"This, this is..."

Everyone, including Xia Chuan, was perplexed upon seeing the mist. Only Chen Yingyuan's expression froze briefly before his face transformed in alarm as he quickly approached Xia Chuan's ear to whisper to him.

Xia Chuan's expression changed repeatedly, then after only pondering for a moment, he issued orders to Chen Yingyuan: "Tell Yuan Cheng not to bother with the main entrance anymore. All Cold Resistance Level individuals should start patrolling all areas of the Main Zone. Whenever rodent movements are heard, send people to stake out nearby. Once the rodents gnaw through the barrier, kill them immediately, then continue to guard the hole—don't let Long Mountain's people come in."

"At your command!"

After bowing in salute, Chen Yingyuan quickly ran towards the direction of the Main Zone's main entrance.

Xia Chuan remained where he was, gazing at the big hole above, his eyes full of solemnity.

Long-tailed rodents, Great Xia was not unfamiliar with them.

Before the Yuan Year, a group had appeared on the North Slope of the mountain wall.

Rodents generally live in tribes, rarely appearing singly or in pairs.

This means that the rodents gnawing the outer iron wall now could very well be numerous. Considering Great Xia's current strength, a mere rodent group is nothing to worry about, even if there are intermediate or even advanced rodent kings among them, he does not fear them.

The problem is, behind the rodent group is the Longyou Army!

"Using deceitful means to break the iron wall, my big brother was right, Li Xuanling, that madwoman, will really resort to anything!"

Standing still, Xia Chuan showed a mixed expression for a long time before finally raising his eyes to look at the big hole above, a glint of cold light crossing his gaze.

Bang... bang... bang...

Sure enough, within the subsequent hours, the entire Main Zone began to activate a mode full of holes: one long-tailed rodent after another broke through the iron wall, either from above, from the side, or drilled into the Main Zone from underground.

Fortunately, the rodents coming in now were all low-level.

As long as there was a Cold Resistance Level nearby, they would die as soon as they showed themselves. Even if there was no Cold Resistance Level, they would soon be hunted by Earth-digging Realm individuals staking out nearby.

Thus went by more than three hours.

The northern top cracked open another big hole, and after the rodents falling from the hole were slaughtered, Xia Chuan brought Chen Yingyuan over immediately.

"Minister, it's the thirty-seventh hole now. Less than two hundred people are guarding one hole, and Cold Resistance Level is even less sufficient. If we continue dividing the soldiers, we'll truly fall into Li Xuanling's trap."

Hearing Chen Yingyuan's words, Xia Chuan's face was full of irritation.

"Li Xuanling might be watching us from outside one of the holes right now. Once the number of troops in the Main Zone becomes too sparse, she will immediately lead the Longyou Army to charge down through a chosen hole, by which time we'll gather too slowly, getting attacked one by one."

Not only Chen Yingyuan, but Yue Feng also saw through Li Xuanling's strategy at this moment.

In three hours, the number of holes gnawed open by long-tailed rodents steadily increased; now it was as high as thirty-seven, yet Long Mountain had not sent in a single person.

Because the holes were too small, each hole had a diameter of only half a meter, allowing only one person at a time to descend.

Li Xuanling knows they are outside the holes prepared for any attack. Whether it be soldiers or Cold Resistance Level individuals, if they descend one by one, the casualties would definitely be significant.

Therefore, she isn't hurried to have them descend; she continues controlling the long-tailed rodents to gnaw holes, all to make Great Xia soldiers continually divide forces. As long as they divide enough to where Great Xia's guarding forces are increasingly spread, then when Long Mountain sends people down, the pressure they face would be greatly reduced, and it won't be so difficult to secure a foothold.

Or, wait until more and more holes are opened, allowing batches to leap down from so many holes simultaneously, which is also a solution.

"I understand, but forming up all the defense forces right now would mean completely allowing them entry. Let's wait some more, wait a bit longer; I don't believe Li Xuanling can hold back. She should be sending people down now."

Since Chen Yingyuan and Yue Feng could see it, how could Xia Chuan not?

Early on, when the rodents had gnawed open the twentieth hole, while Long Mountain hadn't yet sent anyone down, Xia Chuan had already seen through Li Xuanling's intention.

The problem was that seeing through it didn't help.

The holes gnawed open by rodents were simply too dispersed. Once you gather the forces, it equates to abandoning surveillance of a large number of holes. At that time, Li Xuanling would pick one of the holes farthest from the forces, letting the Longyou Army in, by then they might as well think of blocking them again—it wouldn't be possible.

So, he's gambling, gambling that Li Xuanling can't hold back. With now fewer than two hundred people guarding each hole, Li Xuanling might decide to bring Cold Resistance Level individuals down first to risk holding them back, creating a descent window for the Longyou Army.

As long as she does that, he can still rapidly gather forces to block them.

Bang... bang... bang...

Yet another three sounds of holes breaking open rang through, still with no news of Long Mountain soldiers coming into the entire Main Zone.

"They should only be able to use the white mist to lure the long-tailed rodents to the iron walls here, unable to control these rodents to gnaw over there. Unless the barriers are completely broken, or our people are too scattered, Li Xuanling wouldn't urgently come in. She will sooner or later come in, but once we disperse too much..."

Even though Yue Feng didn't finish his words, Xia Chuan understood his meaning.

Li Xuanling will come in sooner or later, but if she comes when their side is too dispersed, then their advantage as defenders is lost.

In fact, Long Mountain could potentially win in one fell swoop; it's not out of the question.

"Gather all the forces back to the building zone, ready bows and arrows, all Cold Resistance Levels follow me to continue surveilling all holes—kill as many as we can."

Xia Chuan no longer hesitated, directly shouting angrily, signaling all Cold Resistance Levels to lead the army in retreating back to the building zone to assemble.

"It's probably already the late night of the fifth day in July now. I originally thought this barrier could hold Long Mountain off for at least five days; unexpectedly it was broken in two days. Let them come in then, three thousand Longyou Army, I'll see just how strong they really are!"

Watching everyone swiftly retreat to the building zone, Xia Chuan's expression slightly tensed.

Once the army was gathered, many hole perimeters naturally became unguarded, and the Longyou Army entering was only a matter of time.

But he still didn't idle, instead leading a group of Cold Resistance Level individuals, continuing in groups of five to surveil all the holes, on guard for Long Mountain sending people covertly clear in while their forces were gathered.

"Dragging it out is correct, this is only the second day, keep dragging it!"