"...What is that?"

"It’s about your friend...he was in the IronClaw territory."

Hearing this, Emperal blinked. He couldn’t help but ask again.

"Do you mean that weird and ugly-looking guy who was with me at the border?" He asked again, just for confirmation.

After all, there was no way for Calder to enter this with his previous strength, unless...

Emperal’s eyes narrowed when he thought of the blood he gave to Calder.

"Pff~! Yes, yes, that’s the one. Though I certainly wouldn’t call him ugly now."

Dresh replied, her answers confirmed Emperal’s doubts.

"I see."

Emperal nodded, in that moment, he understood. Calder had swallowed the blood and...broken through.

But which realm did he reach? He would know it once they met. Emperal puffed another batch as he looked at Dresh.

"So what will it be, Lady Dresh? Also, I’m curious, what gives you the confidence that I can pull this off? Even I, myself, am unsure of it."

He asked, though, he didn’t have that doubt itself. He himself had no guarantee of success either. He might even be captured and tortured in the worst case.

"Hmm...you have already proven yourself in the Neutral Ground. I can say that you’ll definitely plan something good. And as for my confidence? Well, let’s just say I’ll bet this time."

Dresh spoke, drinking another cup.

"I see." Emperal nodded, his gaze dropped on her eyes.

"So? What do I get in all of this?"

"I will guarantee you two things, as long as you are close to me. You will be protected, and yes, you have my word for that. And secondly, if you bring that map, we will do seventy-thirty loot share."

Dresh spoke, making Emperal sigh.

"Lady Dresh, you do not need to bleed so much. Fifty percent is enough for me."

Hearing his words, Dresh’s brows twitched.

"What a shameless man." She thought inwardly, before speaking.

"Heh, don’t joke. You know what I meant."

"Nope, I at least need fifty percent." Emperal resolutely shook his head, denying her offer.

Dresh stared at Emperal for a few more seconds, "Thirty-five."

"Forty-five." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"...Forty."

"Done."

He stopped there, after all, he couldn’t be too stubborn. All the heavy lifting in the dungeon will be done by her; he just has to accompany her.

Dresh sighed when she saw this, but she didn’t say anything.

"So? When are you gonna leave?"

She asked.

"Now itself."

Emperal replied, hearing this, Dresh’s smile widened slightly.

"Are you missing your friend so much?"

Emperal’s face twisted violently when he heard that; it was like he had swallowed something really, really nasty.

"Lady Dresh. Please don’t joke about such stuff."

After a few minutes of playful exchanges, Dresh’s expression turned serious.

"So? What’s the plan?"

She asked. Emperal’s expression turned thoughtful for a moment.

"There are actually many ways, but from those, only one or two might work."

"And what might that be?" Dresh leaned in curiously.

Emperal’s smile widened, "You said something about formations? I happen to be...pretty well-versed in it."

...

Staying in Dresh’s territory for a few more hours, he left. The Ironscale group of Dragonkin claimed a section of the outer zone’s mid-deep section. It wasn’t like the deepest part like Dresh’s; it was a middle ground where terrain shifts from open wilderness to dense forests.

Inside the forest, a pair of calm footsteps echoed.

"Hmm, quite the strategic choice these bastards have made."

Emperal assessed his surroundings. He still hadn’t entered their territory, so the arrays and formations still hadn’t graced his presence yet.

The reason he spoke about the strategic choice was that the area sits between the outer zone’s main resource clusters and the inner boundaries approach; in simple terms, every cultivator moving from their direction who wishes to move toward the middle zone...passes through their space, or at least near it.

After walking for another hour, he climbed a cliff. And there it was...

Up ahead, the IronScales claimed territory. It was a rough circle, centered on a natural formation.

"So that is their camp, huh?"

Emperal spoke, looking ahead at the center of the forest. Some settlements could be seen; they were not merely tents, they were carefully constructed architectures.

"Heh, let’s do this, baby."

Without hesitation, he jumped at the formation’s eastern edge at midday!

The moment his feet touched the ground, a small array lit up. Emperal of course sensed it, but he still kept walking.

"Hm, Forty. Here it should be this line."

Emperal spoke, looking around, he spotted a few glowing marks.

"Hmph, what an amateur formation specialist! An expert like me would instantly spot these small arrays!"

He snorted in disdain, just in time to hear an arrogant voice.

"Brat, what did you say? An expert like you? Hah!"

The Infernal Dragon’s disdain was as clear as the day. Emperal coughed lightly, pretending not to hear the Infernal Dragon’s words.

He began walking, and the stone structures of the camp appeared between the trees. He walked forward without hesitation.

Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly. There was some movement, first to his left and then to his right.

Then...behind him.

After a few seconds, he finally stopped.

He raised both of his hands; they were empty.

The movement behind him finally halted.

Sling! Sling! Sling!

Numerous swords were drawn, Emperal didn’t look behind. His quietened Verth was all the answers the men needed.

"Speak!"

One of them barked, the other tightened his grip around his sword.

"I mean no harm, just a wanderer."

Emperal spoke, hearing his words. The men still didn’t loosen their grip on the swords.

Unconvinced.

Seeing this, Emperal’s brow twitched.

"I’m just a Verth Seeker, even if I did want to do harm. What could I even do?"

Finally, his words about his low cultivation seemed to calm the men down.

"State your purpose."

The man leading them finally lowered his weapon and sheathed his sword.

Emperal exhaled lightly when he saw this, "As I said, I mean no harm. And for a few Verth stones, I’m willing to even share some information."

"...Information?"

Emperal’s lips twitched into a demonic smile.

"Yes...information."